Editing Catherine of Siena (section)

==Veneration==
{{Further|Feast of Saints Francis and Catherine}}
[[File:Saint Catherine of Siena tomb.jpg|thumb|[[Reliquary]] of Saint Catherine beneath the High Altar of [[Santa Maria sopra Minerva]], Rome]]

Catherine was initially buried in the (Roman) cemetery of [[Santa Maria sopra Minerva]] which lies near the [[Pantheon, Rome|Pantheon]]. After miracles were reported to take place at her grave, Raymond moved her inside Santa Maria sopra Minerva, where she lies to this day.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Santa Maria Sopra Minerva – Rome, Italy|url=http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome-santa-maria-sopra-minerva|access-date=2021-10-04|website=www.sacred-destinations.com}}</ref>
[[File:Cappella di santa caterina, 01.jpg|thumb|left|The Chapel of Saint Catherine, Basilica of San Domenico in Siena]]
[[File:Head of Saint Catherine of Siena.jpg|thumb|left|The relic of Catherine's skull, exposed in the [[Basilica of San Domenico, Siena]]]]
Her head, however, was parted from her body and inserted in a gilt bust of [[bronze]]. This bust was later taken to Siena, and carried through that city in a procession to the Dominican church. Behind the bust walked Lapa, Catherine's mother, who lived until she was 89 years old. By then she had seen the end of the wealth and the happiness of her family, and followed most of her children and several of her grandchildren to the grave. She helped Raymond of Capua write his biography of her daughter, and said, "I think God has laid my soul athwart in my body, so that it can't get out."{{sfn|Skårderud|2008|loc="Jeg tror at Gud har gjort det slik at sjelen ligger på tvers i kroppen min og ikke kan komme ut."}} The incorrupt head and thumb were entombed in the [[Basilica of San Domenico (Siena)|Basilica of San Domenico]] at Siena, where they remain.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Jones|first=Johnathan|date=18 November 2013|title=From St Peter's bones to severed heads: Christian relics on display|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2013/nov/18/st-peters-bones-christian-relics|access-date=16 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Strochlic|first=Nina|date=11 July 2017|title=Siena's Disembodied Saint at the Basilica di San Domenico|work=[[The Daily Beast]]|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/sienas-disembodied-saint-at-the-basilica-di-san-domenico|access-date=16 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Standring|first=Suzette M.|date=11 October 2018|title=Holy relics: The strange practice of venerating human remains|work=[[The Courier-Tribune]]|url=https://www.courier-tribune.com/lifestyle/20181011/suzette-martinez-standring-holy-relics-strange-practice-of-venerating-human-remains?rssfeed=true|access-date=16 September 2021|archive-date=16 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916213809/https://www.courier-tribune.com/lifestyle/20181011/suzette-martinez-standring-holy-relics-strange-practice-of-venerating-human-remains?rssfeed=true|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Pope Pius II]] himself [[canonized]] Catherine on 29 June 1461.<ref name="beckwith">{{Cite web|date=22 April 2006|title=St. Catherine of Siena: A Feisty Role for Sister Nancy Murray – April 2006 Issue of St. Anthony Messenger Magazine Online|url=http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Apr2006/Feature1.asp|access-date=1 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060422131354/http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Apr2006/Feature1.asp|archive-date=22 April 2006}}</ref>

On 4 October 1970, [[Pope Paul VI]] named Catherine a [[Doctor of the Church]];<ref name="Vatican1" /> this title was almost simultaneously given to [[Teresa of Ávila]] (27 September 1970),<ref>{{in lang|it}} [https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/homilies/1970/documents/hf_p-vi_hom_19700927_it.html ''Proclamation of Saint Teresa of Ávila to Doctor of the Church'', Homily, 27 September 1970].</ref> making them the first women to receive this honour.<ref name="beckwith" />

However, Catherine's [[feast day]] was not initially included in the [[General Roman Calendar]]. When it was added in 1597, it was put on the day of her death, 29 April; however, because this conflicted with the feast of Saint [[Peter of Verona]], which also fell on 29 April, Catherine's feast day was moved in 1628 to the new date of 30 April.<ref>''Calendarium Romanum'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), p. 91.</ref> In the [[Mysterii Paschalis|1969 revision]] of the calendar, it was decided to leave the celebration of the feast of St Peter of Verona to local calendars, because he was not as well known worldwide, and Catherine's feast was restored to 29 April.<ref>{{cite book |title=Calendarium Romanum |publisher=Libreria Editrice Vaticana |year=1969 |page= 121}}</ref>

Catherine is [[Calendar of saints (Church of England)|remembered]] in the [[Church of England]] and in the [[Calendar of saints (Episcopal Church)|Episcopal Church]] on 29 April.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Calendar|url=https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/churchs-year/calendar|access-date=27 March 2021|website=The Church of England|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W3e7DwAAQBAJ |title=Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018 |date=2019-12-01 |publisher=Church Publishing, Inc. |isbn=978-1-64065-234-7 |language=en}}</ref>  The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) also commemorates Catherine of Siena on 29 April.<ref>Augsburg Fortress. (2023, March 15th). Sundays and Seasons v.20230315.1410. Retrieved March 28th, 2023, from sundaysandseasons.com: https://members.sundaysandseasons.com/Planner/Day/2023-4-29</ref>

=== Legacy ===
Catherine ranks high among the mystics and spiritual writers of the Catholic Church.<ref name="foley" /> She remains a greatly respected figure for her spiritual writings, and political boldness to "speak truth to power", with it being out of the ordinary for a woman in her time period to have had such influence in politics and on world history.

===Patronage===
In his decree of 13 April 1866, [[Pope Pius IX]] declared Catherine of Siena to be a co-patroness of Rome. On 18 June 1939 [[Pope Pius XII]] named her a joint [[patron saint]] of [[Italy]] along with [[Francis of Assisi]].<ref name="Vatican4"/>

On 1 October 1999, [[Pope John Paul II]] made her one of Europe's [[patron saint]]s, along with [[Edith Stein|Teresa Benedicta of the Cross]] and [[Bridget of Sweden]].<ref name="Vatican2" /><ref name="Vatican3" /> She is also the patroness of the historically Catholic American woman's fraternity, [[Theta Phi Alpha]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Information For Parents {{!}} Theta Phi Alpha|url=https://thetaphialpha.org/collegians/parents-information|access-date=2021-10-05|website=thetaphialpha.org}}</ref>

===Severed head===
The people of Siena wished to have Catherine's body. A story is told of a miracle whereby they were partially successful: knowing that they could not smuggle her whole body out of Rome, they decided to take only her head which they placed in a bag. When stopped by the Roman guards, they prayed to Catherine to help them, confident that she would rather have her body (or at least part thereof) in Siena. When they opened the bag to show the guards, it appeared no longer to hold her head but to be full of rose petals.<ref name="AO">{{Cite web |url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/st-dominics-basilica |title=St. Catherine of Siena's Severed Head |website=Atlas Obscura  |access-date=15 April 2019}}</ref>