Saint of the Week
Sr Elizabeth of the Trinity
St Elizabeth of the Trinity, born Elizabeth Catez in 1880, is an inspiring model of Christian life. From a young age, Elizabeth had a fiery temperament, with “furious eyes” that expressed her strong will. Over time, this intensity transformed into a spirituality that drove her towards a deep awareness of God’s presence within her. She lived with an intense sense of the indwelling of the Most Holy Trinity in her soul, a reality that shaped her inner life and outward actions.
Throughout her life, she cultivated a profound awareness of the Holy Trinity’s presence within her soul. Her prayer to the Trinity, “O my God, Trinity whom I adore… Immerse yourself in me so that I may be immersed in you until I go to contemplate in your light the abyss of your splendour!” captures her deep spiritual longing and dedication.
She wrote, “There in the depths of my heart, in the Heaven of my soul, I love to find Him, since He never leaves me.” This awareness developed into an intimate, living relationship with the Trinity, which she described as “finding her Heaven on Earth, for Heaven is God, and God is in my soul.” Her relationship with God was not an abstract idea but a reality that was part of every moment of her life, filling her with a radiant joy that touched everyone around her.
Elizabeth’s approach to faith shows that what matters in our spiritual journey is not our circumstances but the inward direction of our souls. In her short life, Elizabeth encouraged others to cultivate a practice of inner silence, where the soul could be still enough to hear God’s voice and experience His presence. Drawing on St Catherine of Siena’s concept of creating a “cell of the heart,” Elizabeth advised her correspondents – busy mothers, priests and friends – to cultivate a silent, sacred space within, where they could dwell with God in prayer.
For Elizabeth, prayer was a heartfelt conversation with a God who is “all love.” This conviction was central to her spirituality and the source of the joy she radiated to others. Her relationship with God was based on the belief that she was deeply loved.
Elizabeth’s manuscripts described the work of God in her soul with great clarity. She witnessed that a life devoted to God is open to everyone, but it requires only an openness to His presence and a willingness to be transformed. Her life reminds us that the saints’ experience of God is not inaccessible but rather an example for all Christians to follow.
Elizabeth’s life and message are especially relevant in today’s fast-paced world. She calls each of us to experience God in our depths, to find a sanctuary of silence and faith within ourselves where we can dwell with the Trinity.
She shows that what matters is not our physical location but the direction in which we are moving – toward God. Far from being an unattainable ideal, Elizabeth’s life exemplifies a model that invites every Christian to experience the living presence of the Trinity within.