The deep longing to mystically unite with the mystery of the Passion of the Lord caused Catherine to bleed spontaneously and receive the stigmata. In moments of deep prayer a coral ring appeared on one of her fingers, as a sign of her spiritual marriage to Christ.
Saint Philip Neri, who corresponded with the saint for years, testified that she had appeared to him, when thousands of kilometers separated them both. It was a time of great saints and ecclesial renewal. Among his contemporaries were, in addition to Saint Philip Neri, Saint Charles Borromeo and Saint Maria Magdalena de Pazzi.
Saint Catherine died on February 2, 1590 after a long and painful illness, at the age of 68. She was beatified in 1732 by Pope Clement XII and later canonized by Pope Benedict XIV in 1746.
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