Catherine Doherty

Catherine Doherty

Fyodor (M), Emma, Catherine, priest, noble kids 3, commoners (3), Baron Boris de Hueck, poor (3),Eddie Doherty, soldiers

(Enter Fyodor and Emma)

There once was a couple named Fyodor and Emma, who were riding a train in Russia. Emma was crying in labour pain, and gave birth to Catherine right on the train!  

(Enter Catherine)

Catherine sucked her thumb as her mom and dad cuddled her.  Emma said “She could get a disease on this train-  we’d better baptize her right away!”

(Enter priest)

So when they got to St Petersburg, they found a priest.  The priest said “And what name do you give this child?”

Fyodor said “Ekaterina Fyodorovna Kolyschkine”.

But Emma said “Catherine for short.”

(Exit Fyodor, Emma, priest, enter noble kids, commoners)

Catherine was nobility, and went to school with a bunch of other noble kids. Catherine and the other nobles were very snooty, walking around with their noses in the air, and looking down at the commoners.  

(Exit noble kids and commoners, enter Baron Boris de Hueck)

When Catherine was only 15 years old, she married Baron Boris de Hueck. Boris was Catherine’s cousin. The audience said “Ewwww!”  

Boris got angry and said “In Mother Russia, a Baron marries whom he chooses!”

(Exit Baron, enter soldiers)

During World War 1, Catherine served as a nurse. Soldiers yelled “For Mother Russia!”  and charged at their enemies.  But many of them were shot. Catherine would tend to them.

(Exit soldiers, enter commoners)

When the war was ended, revolution broke out. 

 The commoners ran around saying “Kill the snooty nobility!” Catherine and Boris screamed and ran away to Finland. Eventually they made it all the way to Toronto.

(Exit the commoners, enter priest)

Boris and Catherine fought a lot. Finally Catherine went to the priest and said “Please, can we get an annulment?”  (Annulment means your marriage does not count in the eyes of the Church.)

The priest said “Well, you did marry your cousin, which is forbidden by the Church… so ok!”

(Exit priest, Boris, enter poor, Eddie)

After that Catherine sold everything she had, and lived with the poor, and opened a soup kitchen called “Friendship House” for them.  The poor were very grateful. 

One day a reporter named Eddie showed up and started asking Catherine questions about what she was doing.  Catherine and Eddie were instantly in love, and they stared dreamily into each other’s eyes. Eddie fell onto one knee and said “Will you marry me?” 

Catherine said “You’re not my cousin, are you?”

Eddie said “No.”

So Catherine got excited and said “Yes, yes, of course yes!” and plastered his face with kisses.

But many of the poor at Friendship House shook their heads, saying “Tsk, tsk.  This new marriage is inappropriate.” So Catherine and Eddie moved to Combermere Ontario, where they founded a community to care for the poor there. Catherine and Eddie lived there for 38 years, serving the poor, until she died.

Catherine is not yet Canonized a Saint, but her cause is before the Church.

Servant of God Catherine Doherty-  Pray for us!