Saint Catherine of Genoa

Saint Catherine of Genoa, born Catherine Fieschi into the noble family of Jacopo Fieschi and Francesca di Negro in Genoa, Italy, was a descendant of the papal lineage of Pope Innocent V and Pope Adrian V. As the youngest of five children, she exhibited profound piety from childhood, attempting to enter a convent at age thirteen but being denied due to her youth. At sixteen, she entered into an arranged marriage with the Genoese nobleman Giuliano Adorno. Her marriage, however, became a crucible of suffering: Adorno was neglectful, violent, and unfaithful, leading to financial ruin and plunging Catherine into deep spiritual desolation and depression.