St. Catherine of Genoa, St. Irenaeus of Sirmium, St. Catherine
of Valdstena, St. Aldemar St. Catherine of Genoa Going to
confession one day was the turning point of Catherine's When
Catherine was born, many Italian nobles were supporting
Renaissance artists and writers. The needs of the poor and the
sick were often overshadowed by a hunger for luxury and self-
indulgence. Catherine's parents were members of the nobility in
Genoa. At 13 she attempted to become a nun but failed because of
her age. At 16 she married Julian, a nobleman who turned out to
be selfish and unfaithful. For a while she tried to numb her
disappointment by a life of selfish pleasure. One day in
confession she had a new sense of her own sins and how much God
loved her. She reformed her life and gave good example to
Julian, who soon turned from his self-centered life of Julian's
spending, however, had ruined them financially. He and Catherine
decided to live in the Pammatone, a large hospital in Genoa, and
to dedicate themselves to works of