St Catherine of Siena was born in 1347 in Siena, Italy to a wealthy family. She devoted her life to religion and became a nun as a teenager, helping the sick and participating in charity work. She had visions and wrote about her religious views, becoming a saint after her death in 1380. She taught herself to read and write without formal education, and played a role in bringing the Pope back to Rome after he had been absent for 68 years.

1. St Catherine of Siena By EFC, AKL, and EMM