Catalina Thomás

Saint Catalina Thomás was born on May 1, 1531, in Valldemossa on the island of Mallorca, Spain, the sixth of seven children in a humble peasant family. Orphaned at a young age, she was raised first by her grandparents near the Charterhouse of Valldemossa, then sent at ten to live with relatives at the estate of Son Gallard, where she worked in the fields and tended sheep. Even amid hard labor and family pressure to choose a different path, her heart was drawn steadily toward God; in her trials she was consoled, according to tradition, by heavenly visitations and the encouragement of saints. With the help of the hermit Antonio Castañeda, Catalina left home and served in Palma before entering the Canonesses of Saint Augustine at the convent of Saint Mary Magdalene on November 13, 1552. She became known for deep prayer, wise counsel to rich and poor alike, and mystical graces, including ecstasies in her final years. She died in Palma on April 5, 1574, and is venerated as patron of Canyamel, Sant Elm, and Valldemossa. Her feast day is April 5.