MSMC to present portrayal of St. Catherine of Siena

NEWBURGH — Mount Saint Mary College will present Sr. Nancy Murray, O.P., in a one-woman performance as St. Catherine of Siena, at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 28, in the Founders Chapel at 330 Powell Ave in Newburgh. Murray’s portrayal of St. Catherine , who spoke boldly to popes and princes, is her full-time ministry. The sister of actor Bill Murray, she has done over 280 of these performances, which have informed and inspired people all over the world about the saint who lived from 1347 to 1380, and was canonized by Pope Pius II in 1461. In speaking about St. Catherine, she commented, “She was sassy. She was funny. She was courageous. She was feisty but lovable, direct but gentle. She knew the power of God’s love.” From her early childhood, St. Catherine saw visions of Jesus Christ when she fasted and prayed. At the age of 16, she joined the Third Order of Dominicans, a lay ministry. She nursed the sick, gave alms to the poor, and visited prisoners. She was a strong woman, who stood up to power and spoke out against injustice. St. Catherine is revered for her writings, but it was not until 1970 that Pope Paul VI declared her a Doctor of the Church. She didn’t learn how to write until the end of her life, and so dictated her spiritual treatises and letters, which are considered classics of the Italian language. This performance will take place the day before the saint’s feast day, April 29. The free event will help to foster an awareness and appreciation of the college’s mission to develop in students a commitment to values, and a value system, and the charism of the Dominican Sisters of Newburgh who founded Mount Saint Mary College. To learn more, call Sr. Peggy Murphy at 569-3157, or visit www.msmc.edu.