St. Katherine
Patroness of OCF
How can St. Katherine intercede for us?
In 2002, the OCF Student Advisory Board was challenged to find out who was to be the patron saint of our beloved OCF, to watch over the work of our ministry, as well as our beloved students. After much prayer, reflection and discussion, it was revealed to the SAB that OCF’s patron saint would be St. Katherine.
The students were moved by prayer and discernment that she was the ideal role model for college-aged young adults. She herself was in her late-teens to early-twenties when she was martyred. She was highly educated and used her knowledge of the Orthodox Christian faith to defend the Orthodox faith, often to those who were much older and considered more educated than she.
St. Katherine held firm to the truth of the Orthodox Church through the substance of her convictions. Her firm conviction in the faith, revealed by her words and deeds, converted many to the faith. Thus, it has been revealed that St. Katherine was to be the patron saint of OCF.
The Life of St. Katherine
Saint Katherine, who was from Alexandria, was the daughter of Constas (or Cestus). She was an exceedingly beautiful maiden, most chaste, and illustrious in wealth, lineage, and learning. By her steadfast understanding, she utterly vanquished the passionate and unbridled soul of Maximinus, the tyrant of Alexandria; and by her eloquence, she stopped the mouths of the so-called philosophers who had been gathered to dispute with her.
She was crowned with the crown of martyrdom in the year 305. Her holy relics were taken by Angels to the holy mountain of Sinai, where they were discovered many years later; the famous monastery of Saint Katherine was originally dedicated to the Holy Transfiguration of the Lord and the Burning Bush, but later was dedicated to Saint Katherine.
According to the ancient usage, Saints Katherine and Mercurius were celebrated on the 24th of this month, whereas the holy Hieromartyrs Clement of Rome and Peter of Alexandria were celebrated on the 25th. The dates of the feasts of these Saints were interchanged at the request of the Church and Monastery of Mount Sinai, so that the festival of Saint Katherine, their patron, might be celebrated more festively together with the Apodosis of the Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos.
The Slavic Churches, however, commemorate these Saints on their original dates. Feast Day 24th or 25th of November
Learn her Troparion
“Let us praise the all lauded and noble bride of Christ, the Godly Catherine the guardian of Sinai and its defence, who is also our support and succour and our help; for with the Holy Spirit’s sword she hath silenced brilliantly the clever among the godless; and being crowned as a Martyr, she now doth ask great mercy for us all.”
Pray to her
Holy and blessed Katherine, you who boldly faced the philosophers of your day who did not teach the wisdom of God, pray for us who now face the many false philosophies of our day. Help us to steadfastly seek only the wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit and to fearlessly stand up for the Truth which rests in Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Through you do we glorify Him, together with His Eternal Father and His All-Holy and Blessed Spirit now and ever to the ages of ages.
Related Saints
St. Sophia
St. Anastasia
St. Argyre
St. Paul the Apostle
St. Basil