Feast Day: November 8
Patronage: Sick people, loss of parents, contemplatives
Carmelite Mystic and Bride of the Trinity
Early Life
Élisabeth Catez was born on July 18, 1880, in the military camp of Avor near Bourges, France, the eldest daughter of Captain Joseph Catez and Marie Rolland. After the early death of her father in 1887, the family moved to Dijon. Elizabeth was known from childhood for her strong will and deep interior life. Despite a lively and affectionate temperament, she grew up with an extraordinary sensitivity to the presence of God.
From the age of seven, Elizabeth developed a strong devotion to prayer and the Eucharist. At her First Communion (age 11), she had a profound experience of God’s presence, which became the foundation of her spiritual journey. Her spiritual director noted her deep recollection and purity of heart, traits that would only deepen in her Carmelite vocation.
Vocation and Entry into Carmel
Elizabeth long felt a call to religious life, particularly to the Discalced Carmelites, though her mother initially resisted the idea. During these years of waiting, she grew in patience and in spiritual maturity. She dedicated herself to acts of charity, teaching catechism, and helping the poor—all while nourishing a profound life of prayer.
At the age of 21, in 1901, after her mother finally relented, she entered the Carmel of Dijon. She took the religious name Sœur Elizabeth de la Trinité (“Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity”), a name that reflected her intense desire to live in the presence of the Triune God.
Spirituality
Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity’s spirituality is centered on the indwelling of the Holy Trinity in the soul. Her entire life and writings radiate her belief that the soul, in a state of grace, becomes a dwelling place for God. She saw the interior life not as an escape from the world, but as the most real and profound encounter with God’s presence.
Inspired deeply by Saint Paul and Saint John of the Cross, Elizabeth understood her vocation as being a “praise of glory” (Ephesians 1:12) for the Trinity. She saw the Christian’s highest calling as one of adoration, love, and silence before the majesty of God.
She wrote:
“It seems to me that I have found my heaven on earth, since Heaven is God, and God is in my soul.”
She practiced continual recollection and desired to remain in loving awareness of God dwelling within her. Her doctrine is simple, yet profound: she calls every soul to interior silence, recollection, and union with the Three Divine Persons.
Suffering and Death
Shortly after her profession, Elizabeth began suffering from Addison’s disease, an incurable and painful illness at the time. Her final years were marked by intense physical suffering, but also by a spiritual depth that radiated peace, even joy. She embraced her suffering as a means of union with Christ Crucified and offered it for the salvation of souls.
In the midst of pain, she composed some of her most beautiful writings and letters, including her well-known spiritual retreat “Heaven in Faith”, and the sublime prayer to the Trinity: “O my God, Trinity whom I adore…”
She died on November 9, 1906, at the age of 26, whispering, “I am going to Light, to Love, to Life.”
Legacy and Canonization
Though she lived a hidden life, Elizabeth’s writings have had an enduring impact, especially on contemplatives and those seeking to deepen their interior life. Her emphasis on the indwelling of the Trinity inspired countless souls, including many laypeople. Her works are marked by theological clarity, mystical insight, and poetic beauty.