The History of St. Catherine of Siena and Her Companions (vol. 1)

Description

Sr. Drane, O.P., wrote an excellent biography on St. Dominic, too.

cf. also

• St. Catherine's confessor's / spiritual director's (Bl. Raymond of Capua's)
• Curtayne's

biographies on St. Catherine.

DjVu pp. 176-99 ch. 11 "Catherine's Spiritual Family" discuss her santa brigata

DjVu pp. 192-3 (pp. 162-3): Cristofano di Gano, a notary, asked St. Catherine which of three particular women he should marry. He recounts, with a juvenile ignorance or flippancy (I think he was ~25 years old):

my mother, fearing I should choose some other state of life, began to beg me and to get others to beg me to marry. For her sake, then, I began to consent to take a wife, and among others that I thought of, there were three, the daughter of Francesco Ventura, and the one I now have, and another, whose name I do not at this moment remember. […] one had been married before, though her husband had not lived long, and other things I do not now remember.

St. Catherine patiently answered:

Since it is so, I pray the Sovereign Truth to extend His holy hand over you, and to direct you in the state which may best please Him. In all states and in all your works fix your eye on Him, and seek His honour, and the salvation of His creatures. As to the choice of a wife, it is painful for me to have to occupy myself in this matter, which is more suitable to seculars. However, I cannot oppose your desire, and examining the conditions of the three you name, I find them all good. If you do not object to take the one who has been married before, do so, otherwise take the daughter of Francesco Ventura. I pray the Supreme Charity to shed on you both the plentitude of His grace.

Interestingly, she recommends he marry the young widow, if he marries at all.