Catherine Doherty facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Servant of God Catherine Doherty CM
Born	Ekaterina Fyodorovna Kolyschkine (in Russian: Екатерина Фёдоровна Колышкина) (1896-08-15)15 August 1896 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Died	14 December 1985(1985-12-14) (aged 89) Combermere, Ontario, Canada

Catherine de Hueck Doherty (born Ekaterina Fyodorovna Kolyschkina; August 15, 1896 - December 14, 1985) was a remarkable woman. She was born in Russia to a wealthy family. She later moved to Canada after escaping the Russian Revolution. Catherine was a dedicated Catholic who worked to help others. She was a social activist and fought for fairness between different races. She also wrote many spiritual books and guided many priests and people in their faith.

During the Great Depression, a time when many people were poor, Catherine started something special. She created Friendship House in Toronto to help those in need. When that closed, she opened another Friendship House in Harlem, New York in 1938. This new house focused on helping the Black community there.

In 1947, Catherine and her second husband, Eddie Doherty, moved to Combermere, Ontario. There, they started the Madonna House Apostolate. This was a Catholic community for everyday people and priests. It grew and became a very important part of her work.

Catherine wrote over thirty books. Many of these books combined ideas from both Eastern and Western Christian traditions. Her book Poustinia is a well-known spiritual classic. She was known as "a woman in love with God." She worked hard to live the teachings of the Gospel fully and taught others to do the same. The Catholic Church is currently looking into making her a saint.

Catherine's Early Life

Catherine was born in Nizhni Novgorod, Russia, just before the year 1900. Her parents were Theodore and Emma Kolyschkine. She was baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church. Her parents taught her about the rich traditions of Russian Orthodox faith. They also taught her to be open to other religions, especially Catholicism.

Catherine spent much of her childhood in different countries. This was because her father was a successful international insurance agent. He had to travel for his job. In Egypt, she went to a school run by the Sisters of Sion. Here, she learned many important spiritual ideas that shaped her life. Her family returned to St. Petersburg in 1910. Two years later, when she was 15, Catherine married her first cousin, Boris de Hueck.

When World War I began, Catherine worked as a nurse on the front lines. She saw the terrible things that happen in war firsthand. She returned to St. Petersburg during the Russian Revolution. She and her husband managed to escape to Finland. There, they almost died at the hands of angry peasants. They later helped the Allied army in Murmansk and were moved to England in 1919. Later that year, in London, Catherine joined the Roman Catholic Church.

The couple then moved to Toronto, Canada. Catherine had a son named George there. To earn money, she took on simple jobs. She later became a speaker on the Chatauqua circuit. Eventually, she became an executive at a lecture company in New York City.

Friendship House: Helping Others

Catherine became successful in her career. But her marriage was falling apart, and she felt unhappy with just having material things. She felt a strong calling to do something more. A Bible passage kept catching her eye: "Arise — go... sell all you possess... take up your cross and follow Me." In 1932, with her bishop's approval, she gave away her belongings. She then went to live in the poor areas of Toronto.

Other people were inspired by her strong faith and joined her. This is how Friendship House began. She asked for food and clothes for the poor. She also organized activities for young people. She taught about the Church's social teachings to counter other ideas.

Because of misunderstandings and false accusations, the Toronto Friendship House had to close in 1936. Two years later, Catherine started a new project in Harlem, New York. She had the support of a priest named Fr. John Lafarge. She lived with and helped the African-American community there. This work grew to other cities like Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Portland, Oregon. Friendship House became very well-known in the American Catholic Church.

Catherine's Family Life

Catherine's first marriage to Boris de Hueck was not a happy one. Their marriage was later declared invalid by the Church in 1943. This was because they were first cousins. Their son, George, grew up to be a businessman. He also became a husband and father. He was later ordained as a permanent deacon in the Catholic Church. George passed away in 1991.

On June 25, 1943, Catherine married Eddie Doherty. He was a famous Irish-American journalist and writer. In 1955, they both made special promises to live simply, purely, and obediently. On August 15, 1969, in Nazareth, Israel, Eddie became a priest. He was ordained in the Melkite rite of the Catholic Church.

Madonna House: A New Community

Catherine's marriage and her bigger plans for helping others caused some disagreements. These disagreements were between her and the staff at Friendship House. So, Catherine and Eddie moved to Combermere, Ontario, Canada. They planned to retire there. But once again, people came to join her. A new community called Madonna House began. This would become the most lasting and successful part of her work.

The community grew into a spiritual family. It included laymen, laywomen, and priests. It combined the traditions of both the "East" and "West" parts of the Catholic Church. It showed how to live the Gospel in everyday life. In 2022, the Madonna House Apostolate had over 200 members. They had centers in Canada, the United States, Europe, Russia, and the West Indies. At the training center in Combermere, visitors can share the community's life. They learn about Christian family spirit and how to live out the Gospel every day.

Catherine de Hueck Doherty passed away in Combermere on December 14, 1985. She was 89 years old. The process to make her a saint has officially started in the Catholic Church. She has been given the title "Servant of God."

Catherine's Spiritual Teachings

The Little Mandate

The main idea of Catherine's spiritual teachings is summed up in "The Little Mandate." These were words she believed she received from God. It is a simple way to live the Gospel:

Arise — go! Sell all you possess. Give it directly, personally to the poor. Take up My cross (their cross) and follow Me, going to the poor, being poor, being one with them, one with Me.

Little — be always little! Be simple, poor, childlike.

Preach the Gospel with your life — without compromise! Listen to the Spirit. He will lead you..

Do little things exceedingly well for love of Me.

Love... love... love, never counting the cost

Go into the marketplace and stay with Me. Pray, fast. Pray always, fast.

Be hidden. Be a light to your neighbour's feet. Go without fear into the depth of men's hearts. I shall be with you. Pray always.

I will be your rest.

The Vision of the Whole

Catherine wrote that "the vision of the whole" means every task, even routine ones, has value. This is because we are connected to Christ. So, all of life is connected to the Gospel. It means "loving [one's] Beloved" by serving your neighbor. By doing small things with great love, the world is brought closer to God.

Breathing with Both Lungs of the Church

Catherine believed in bringing together the Eastern and Western traditions of the Church. She wrote, "I knew in the depths of my heart that, humble and unimportant as I was, a simple refugee from Russia, I too had a share in the healing of this [division]." She felt she could help by living her Eastern spirituality. She wanted to share what she knew with her fellow Roman Catholics.

Books by Catherine Doherty

Catherine wrote many books about spirituality and faith. Some of her well-known books include:

• Poustinia
• Sobornost
• Strannik
• Urodivoi
• Molchanie
• Bogoroditza
• Living the Gospel Without Compromise
• Dearly Beloved
• The People of the Towel and the Water
• Soul of My Soul
• Fragments of My Life
• Grace in Every Season
• Dear Father, Dear Seminarian
• Apostolic Farming
• Beginning Again
• Donkey Bells
• Season of Mercy
• On the Cross of Rejection
• In the Furnace of Doubts
• In the Footprints of Loneliness
• God in the Nitty-Gritty Life
• Light in the Darkness

Awards and Honors

Catherine Doherty received many awards for her work and bravery:

• Cross of St. George: This was for her bravery while serving on the Russian Front during the war.
• Order of St. Anna: She received this for continuing her duties even when under attack.
• Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice: This is a special medal from the Pope. Pope John XXIII gave it to her in 1960 for her "exceptional and outstanding work for the Church and for the Pope."
• Member of the Order of Canada: She became a member in 1976. This was for her "lifetime of devoted services to the underprivileged of many nationalities, both in Canada and abroad."
• Dame of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem
• Jules Favre Foundation Award, Académie française
• Woman of the Year, World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations, Rome
• International Mark Twain Society
• Poverello Medal, Franciscan University of Steubenville

See Also

• Eastern Catholic Churches
• Eddie Doherty
• Friendship House
• Hermit
• Madonna House Apostolate
• Our Lady of Combermere
• Poustinia
• Restoration (newspaper)