A Saint for Us – St. Catherine

by Kathryn B. Lord, L.C.S.W.

Years ago, I spent a month in the countryside of England. One of my most magical memories was a night in Abbotsbury, a lovely village in Dorset (Thomas Hardy country), right on the coast. After my first dinner in a pub, we walked down a country lane in a beautiful, hazy yellow light, stone walls on both sides dripping with wildflowers. Have you seen Roman Polanski’s movie Tess? It was probably filmed in this area, and our hike was straight out of the film.

We walked through fields past sheep and up a long hill, up over a stone wall using a style (a first for that, too), heading for Saint Catherine’s Chapel, high on hill overlooking the sea. The chapel was the remains of an old Catholic church, torn apart by anti-Catholic fervor after Henry VIII’s separation from the Roman Church. The stone walls were still there, left as a landmark for mariners.

Along with the trek being a beautiful odyssey, I was interested that it was a chapel to Saint Catherine. I knew nothing about where my name had come from, even with its different spelling.

Saint Catherine is the patron (matron?) saint of unmarried women. She was martyred by being tortured on the wheel (not sure of the details here), and is often pictured with a wheel. Usually she is wearing a crown because she was a royal, carrying a book (she was well-educated) and/or a sword that symbolizes martyrdom. Some years later, I spotted Saint Catherine on the walls of the Sistine Chapel, along with her wheel.

Single women hoping for a husband still visit the chapel in Abbotsbury. On the old walls there is a copy of their prayer:

A husband, St. Catherine
A handsome one, St. Catherine
A rich one, St. Catherine
A nice one, St. Catherine
And soon, St. Catherine

Saint Catherine’s Day is November 25. Take a little time to remember Saint Catherine, maybe say a little prayer, and think how much better single women have it now than even a hundred years ago. And see below for other traditions linked to her day.

St. Catherine’s Day Traditions

Saint Catherine is connected in England with lace makers and in France with seamstresses, both probably professions populated by unmarried women. Catherinette parties for young girls are common in France, particularly those given by the couture houses in Paris for the Catherinettes - unmarried employees over age 25. Guests wear exotic hats in Saint Catherine’s colors, yellow and green.

In English lace making villages, Catterns Day was celebrated with games and special foods, especially Cattern (or Kattern) Cakes. Jack be nimble, Jack be quick is a nursery rhyme associated with a game played on the holiday involving, oddly enough, jumping over a candlestick! Cattern Cakes are seasoned with caraway, and the only recipe I found follows:

Bedfordshire Kattern Cakes

A traditional recipe from Anglia

(Also known as Catherine Cakes, after Catherine of Aragon, who once lived at Ampthill Castle. Specially prepared for St. Catherine’s Day on November 25.)

2 pounds bread dough
2 oz lard or butter
1 oz caraway seeds
2 oz castor sugar
1 large egg

Prepare the dough, then knead in the lard or butter, caraway seeds, sugar and egg. When the ingredients are well mixed, divide in two, kneading one piece to fit into a 2 lb greased loaf tin. Divide the second piece into two and knead each half to fit a 1 lb loaf tin, then cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise until the dough reaches the top of the tins.

Bake 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.

Serve sliced and buttered.

Doesn’t that sound tasty? Castor sugar is like superfine sugar. I read one place that the cakes were sweetened with treacle, which I think is a sugar syrup.

About the Author

www.find-a-sweetheart.com
I am Kathryn Lord and I am a CyberRomance Coach. I get people ready for love, help them find a Sweetheart using the Internet, then learn what they need to know for a relationship that lasts.