Elizabeth of the Trinity
Elizabeth of the Trinity, OCD, born Élisabeth Catez (18 July 1880 – 9 November 1906), was a French Discalced Carmelite, a mystic, and a spiritual writer. She was known for the depth of her spiritual growth as a Carmelite as well as bleak periods in which her religious calling was perceived to be unsure according to those around her; she however was acknowledged for her persistence in pursuing the will of God and in devoting herself to the charism of the Carmelites.
Elizabeth was a gifted pianist and had strong feelings for the Carmelite charism. Of that experience as a professed religious she wrote in a letter: "I can't find words to express my happiness. Here there is no longer anything but God. He is All; He suffices and we live by Him alone" (Letter 91). Central to her spirituality were three names she felt she received from God: House of God, Praise of Glory, and Host of Praise.
Pope John Paul II celebrated her beatification in Paris on 25 November 1984; Pope Francis approved her canonization on 3 March 2016. The date was decided at a gathering of cardinals on 20 June 2016 and she was canonized as a saint on 16 October 2016.
In the Martyrology
- November 9 Saint Élisabeth de la Trinité Catez, Discalced Carmelite virgin