St. Catherine - Stupid Question
 

I have noticed in several posts where St. Catherine has her body parts all over Italy! Is this the same St. Catherine? Also, are they bones or have the body parts been preserved?

You are probably referring to St. Catherine of Siena. Her body is buried in Rome, in the church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. It isn't visible. Her head is in the Church of San Domenico in Siena and is visible (and kind of gruesome). St. Catherine of Bologna has her entire body preserved (not in the greatest state) and visible in a chapel of the church of Corpus Domini in Bologna.

Why didn't they bury her head with her body?

You can read about the circumstances surrounding the detachment of her head and its subsequent veneration in Siena at:
http://www.essentiaonline.com/basilica/reliquia1.htm
Basically it was done to please the people of Siena to have a part of the saint's relic in her home town, in spite of the claim of the Dominican Order that her body should be preserved in the city of her death, and in the mother church of the Order.

Thanks. Before reading this, I searched on the net for her. I found articles telling her life story, but none of them said anything about her head being cut off. I will go read the site you just sent now.

Very interesting link. Thanks for posting it.

Saint Catherine is the patron saint of nurses(ministered to those poor souls afflicted during the plague)..and it seems fitting her body parts are scattered..she had to be multiple places at once!

and her feet are in Montepulciano.

Now how can you keep us hanging? Where in Montepulciano?

And her heart's in San Francisco! ;)

Mary, that's funny. I went to St. Catherine of Siena school when I was growing up, in the Bay Area. And now I live in SF and she is my patron saint. PamSF, I was always told she was the patron saint of business women. Maybe she does double duty?

I don't believe her head was so much "cut off" as it just sorta fell off. I believe there is also a finger or 2 in Siena.

Thanks, Grasshopper! :)

In the Church of St Catherine(I think it's called)..outside the walls across the street from the Green Cross Pharmacy. There is a reliquary with "her" lying in state. The rest of the statue appears to be made of wood..but there's no mistaking those 500+ year old feet.

Hi Grasshopper..we can share. I think she had $$$ and gave it all up to minister to the afflicted..wasn't this part of her saintly behavior?