Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity
Also known as
- Elizabeth Catez
- Élisabeth…
- 8 November
- 9 November on some calendars
Profile
Daughter of Captain Joseph Catez and Marie Catez. Her father died when the girl was seven, leaving her mother to raise Elizabeth and her sister Marguerite. Noted as a lively, popular girl, extremely stubborn, given to fits of rage, with great reverence for God, and an early attraction to a life of prayer and reflection. Gifted pianist. She visited the sick and taught catechism to children.
Much against her mother‘s wishes, she entered the Discalced Carmelite monastery in Dijon, France on 2 August 1901. Though noted for great spiritual growth, she was also plagued with periods of powerful darkness, and her spiritual director expressed doubts over Elizabeth’s vocation. She completed her noviate, and took her final vows on 11 January 1903. She became a spiritual director for many, and left a legacy of letters and retreat guides. Her dying words: I am going to Light, to Love, to Life!
Born
- 9 November 1906 at Dijon, Côte-d’Or, France of Addison’s disease, a hormone disorder whose side effects are painful and exhausting
- 12 July 1982 by Pope John Paul II (decree of heroic virtues)
- 25 November 1984 by Pope John Paul II
- the beatification miracle involved the healing of a priest from “genitourinary tuberculosis with right renal tuberculosis, right nephrectomy, in a subject with progressing Pott’s disease” c.1964 through the intercession of Blessed Elizabeth
- 16 October 2016 by Pope Francis
- canonization celebrated at Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City, Rome, Italy
- the canonization miracle involved the July 2002 healing of a woman from “Sjøgren’s syndrome”, which includes xerostomia, which prevented the woman from eating solid foods, neurogenic bladder condition, and motor impairment; the healing was instant, and occurred when the woman was on pilgrimage to the Discalced Carmelite monastery in Dijon where Saint Elizabeth had lived for several years
Readings
I think that in Heaven my mission will be to draw souls by helping them to go out of themselves in order to cling to God by a wholly simple and loving movement, and to keep them in this great silence within which will allow God to communicate Himself to them and to transform them into Himself. –Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity
Make a little cell in your heart for Jesus of the Agony; take refuge there, when you hear Him outraged by men, try to make reparation; you, at least, love Him and keep your heart quite pure for Him. Oh! If you only knew how the good God love pure hearts! It is there that He loves to reign. – Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity
Remain in Me, Pray in Me, adore in Me, love in me, suffer in me, work and act in Me. – Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity
A praise of glory is a soul of silence that remains like a lyre under the mysterious touch of the Holy Spirit so that he may draw from it divine harmonies. – Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity
It seems to me that I have found my Heaven on earth, since Heaven is God and God is in my soul. The day I understood that, everything became clear to me. I wish to tell this secret to those whom I love so that they also, through everything, may also cling to God through everything. – Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity
I think that in Heaven my mission will be to draw souls be helping them go out of themselves to cling to God be a wholly simple and loving movement, and to keep them in this great silence within that will allow God to communicate himself to them and transform them into himself. – Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity
O my God, Trinity whom I adore, help me to become utterly forgetful of myself so that I may establish myself in you, as changeless and calm as though my soul were already in eternity. Let nothing disturb my peace nor draw me forth f from you, O my unchanging God, but at every moment may I penetrate more deeply into the depths of your mystery. Give peace to my soul; make it your heaven, your cherished dwelling-place and the place of your repose. Let me never leave you there alone, but keep me there, wholly attentive, wholly alert in my faith, wholly adoring and fully given up to your creative action.
O my beloved Christ, crucified for love, I long to be the bride of your heart. I long to cover you with glory, to love you even unto death! Yet I sense my powerlessness and beg you to clothe me with yourself. Identify my soul with all the movements of your soul, submerge me, overwhelm me, substitute yourself for me, so that my life may become a reflection of your life. Come into me as Adorer, as Redeemer and as Saviour.
O Eternal Word, utterance of my God, I want to spend my life listening to you, to become totally teachable so that I might learn all from you. Through all darkness, all emptiness, all powerlessness, I want to keep my eyes fixed on you and to remain under your great light. O my Beloved Star, so fascinate me that I may never be able to leave your radiance.
O Consuming Fire, Spirit of Love, overshadow me so that the Word may be, as it were incarnate again in my soul. May I be for him a new humanity in which he can renew all his mystery.
And you, O Father, bend down towards your poor little creature. Cover her with your shadow, see in her only your beloved son in who you are well pleased.
O my “Three”, my All, my Beatitude, infinite Solitude, Immensity in which I lose myself, I surrender myself to you as your prey. Immerse yourself in me so that I may be immersed in you until I go to contemplate in your light the abyss of your splendour! – Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity
MLA Citation
- “Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity“. CatholicSaints.Info. 22 January 2023. Web. 19 April 2024. <>