Catherine of Siena: radical integrity for a world in crisis
We reached out to Prioresses who have Saint Catherine as their patron saint to share their reflections. We asked them: what does the Saint teach us at this precise moment in history?
Here is the testimony of Sister Rosilene Linares, Prioress of the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of Saint Catherine of Siena (Portugal):
Saint Catherine of Siena challenges us today with a clarity that spans centuries: in the midst of institutional crises, intense polarization, and a culture frequently marked by superficiality, this daring, courageous, active, wise, simple, and free woman offers us crucial lessons for dealing with a world marked by violence, uncertainty, and identity crises. She reminds us that peace cannot be achieved through cruelty or war, and that truth or justice must never be sacrificed for an “easy peace.” For her, seeking peace without justice is like applying a superficial remedy to a deep wound that requires a more rigorous treatment. She exhorts those in power to care for the common good, not private interests, to work without fear, to have courage, and to awaken from the sleep of negligence.
Catherine proposes a demanding path where authentic reform never begins just “on the outside” in structures, but within each person who decides to live with radical integrity and personal responsibility—accepting the risk of acting with clarity and compassion even when it brings confrontation, loneliness, or misunderstanding, since transforming power is born from the coherence between inner life, language, and concrete action. Let us have the courage of Catherine and continue to be promoters of Peace, even if it brings us persecution and contempt.
