Gone Medieval St. Catherine & Autumnal Saints
Oct 21, 2025
Join historian Amy Jeffs, an expert in saints and folklore, as she dives into the captivating stories of autumnal saints. Learn how St. Catherine of Alexandria converted philosophers with her remarkable legend and became a protector of scholars. Discover the inspiring life of St. Martin of Tours, a model of charity, whose playful stories delight. Hear the intriguing tale of St. Ursula and her pilgrimage that ended in martyrdom, leading to a flood of relics that shaped medieval culture. Prepare for a fascinating journey through history!
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Catherine’s Wheel As A Miracle Symbol
- St. Catherine's broken wheel became her defining symbol after an angel destroyed the torture device and she was later beheaded.
- Medieval cults used miraculous martyr tales to show saints' access to divine power and legitimize their cults.
Martyrdom Creates Miracle Authority
- Hagiographic spectacle proves saints' access to heaven while martyrdom secures their status through human-inflicted death.
- These dramatic tortures justify relic veneration by showing saints bridge the visible and invisible worlds.
From Relics To Image-Fueled Devotion
- Catherine's cult spread via a Sinai monastery and later relic translations to northwestern Europe, then exploded with image-driven devotion.
- By the later Middle Ages visual images let every parish venerate Catherine without owning her physical relics.
