St. Catherine of Alexandria

Q: What is St. Catherine of Alexandria the patron saint of?

St. Catherine of Alexandria is the patron saint of philosophers and scholars.

Q: What was the miracle of St. Catherine of Alexandria?

The most famous miracle associated with St. Catherine of Alexandria involves her martyrdom . After protesting the persecution of Christians under the Roman emperor Maxentius and defeating a number of scholars summoned by Maxentius to oppose her, Catherine was imprisoned and then sentenced to death. She was bound to a revolving wheel lined with iron spikes. As soon as she touched it, however, the wheel shattered and its blades flew off, impaling her executors. This torture device has since been known as the Catherine wheel .

Q: What is St. Catherine of Alexandria known for?

St. Catherine of Alexandria is known for her learned nature, noble birth, and conversion of several people, including the wife of Roman emperor Maxentius , to Christianity . She was martyred after protesting the persecution of Christians under Maxentius and defeating several scholars he had summoned to oppose her.

Q: How did St. Joan of Arc relate to St. Catherine of Alexandria?

St. Joan of Arc claimed that St. Catherine of Alexandria ’s voice was among the heavenly voices that spoke to her before she led the French army in a momentous victory that repulsed an English attempt to conquer France during the Hundred Years’ War .

Christian martyr

Also known as: Saint Katherine

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 4, 2026 •History

What is St. Catherine of Alexandria the patron saint of?

What was the miracle of St. Catherine of Alexandria?

What is St. Catherine of Alexandria known for?

How did St. Joan of Arc relate to St. Catherine of Alexandria?

St. Catherine of Alexandria (died c. early 4th century, Alexandria, Egypt; feast day November 25) was one of the most popular early Christian martyrs and one of the 14 Holy Helpers (a group of Roman Catholic saints venerated for their power of intercession). She is the patron saint of philosophers and scholars and is believed to help protect against sudden death.

Catherine of Alexandria is not mentioned before the 9th century, and her historicity is doubtful. According to legend, she was an extremely learned young girl of noble birth, possibly a princess. She protested the persecution of Christians under the Roman emperor Maxentius—whose wife and several soldiers she converted while imprisoned—and defeated the most eminent scholars summoned by Maxentius to oppose her. During her subsequent torture, she professed that she had consecrated her virginity to Jesus Christ, her spouse, and she was sentenced to death. The spiked wheel by which she was to be killed broke when she touched it (from which came the term Catherine wheel for such a torture device), and she was then beheaded.

After her death, angels allegedly took her body to Mount Sinai, where, according to legend, it was discovered about 800 ce. In the Middle Ages, when the story of her mystical marriage to Christ was widely circulated, she was one of the most popular saints and one of the most important virgin martyrs. St. Joan of Arc claimed that Catherine’s was among the heavenly voices that spoke to her before she led the French army in a momentous victory that repulsed an English attempt to conquer France during the Hundred Years’ War.