The Seven Spiritual Weapons

by Catherine of Bologna

St. Catherine of Bologna, much venerated in her own city, has been little known outside of her native region but interest in her is now increasing. The outline of her life is clear and her own work, The Seven Spiritual Weapons, tells a good deal about her inner experiences and early years in the cloister. The introduction to this translation situates her life in the history of Ferrara and Bologna and studies how the external history of the community impinged on Catherine's own religious experience and how it was interwoven with her successful struggle against depression.

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Spirituality, Nonfiction

102 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Saint Catherine of Bologna [Caterina de' Vigri] (8 September 1413 – 9 March 1463) was an Italian Poor Clare nun, writer, teacher, mystic, artist and saint

Reviews

[Zynab]

Caterina Vigri, she who “prayed through images”, is my confirmation saint, and getting to understand her through this little book was such a gift—It makes me joyful to think that I bear her name. She speaks plainly, with great charity and honesty; the loving concern she bore for the little sisters of her monastery is palpable. She wrote The Seven Spiritual Weapons so that they might receive compassionate guidance from her even after her death, so it’s not a work that can be easily taken in by those of us who live in the world, in the present. I took my time reading, re-reading, underlining and making little notes and I’m so glad I did. When I closed the book I noticed I had a big smile on my face, because of how keenly I was feeling Caterina’s words in my heart. Here are some excerpts:

“Small minds...love the gift more than the giver.”

“the most noble and necessary virtue...to bear the chattering and varied condition of each other.”

“...outside of me there is no place so abominable and horrible that it suits me, but only myself. And therefore, I will simply remain in me, because I am the most murky and fetid place that can be found.”

[booklady]

Here are the updated links to Catharine's primary work: the on-line edition and a youtube version of this little known spiritual classic. A good friend was born on her feast day and I wanted to share this info with her.

[Renee]

Wonderful! Geared towards religious life, but helpful for everyone trying to grow in holiness.

[Arti]

A very interesting read. St Catherine writes about her struggles with sin (like any other mortal) but particularly so with her doubt, depression and a pride that often left her overconfident in her understanding and practice of faith. It's clearly not a text written with the thought that it would be read by a layperson, but there's a lot of comfort to be found in these pages. Often I see very patronising commentary from priests on how nuns are these pure, gentle and harmless beings, so this openness about the darkness in her heart feels very refreshing.

[Sarah Meldrum]

Catherine of Bologna's prose is beautiful, and I can relate to her struggles. I highly recommend reading "The Seven Spiritual Weapons" and look forward to reading more of what she has authored. Her biography in the introduction was extremely dry, which could have been remedied if written in third person narrative format.

[Abbey]

This book is probably in my top 5. I’ve read it so many times. It’s a book that’s got curled pages and stains because I’ve carried it with me. Mind you I’m not catholic but Catherine was special and I enjoy reading her visions.

[Catherine Corman]

But well might a lover say to me: O, O, unfeeling heart, harder than any other created thing

-St. Catherine of Bologna, The Seven Spiritual Weapons