Catherine was then scourged                   and                               imprisoned.
She was scourged so cruelly and for so long
that her whole body was covered with wounds
from which the blood flowed in streams.
The spectators wept with pity;                but                                  Catheri­ne,
strengthened by God, stood with her eyes
raised to heaven, without giving a sign
of suffering or fear. He ordered her to           be
imprisoned without food, so she would
starve to death. During the confinement,               angels tended her wounds with salve. Catherine was fed daily
by a dove from Heaven and Christ
also visited her, encouraging her to
                          fight bravely & promised her the crown of everlasting glory.

During her imprisonment, over 200
people came to see her, including
Maxentius' wife, Valeria Maximilla;
all converted to Christianity and
                                                    were
subsequently martyred. Twelve days later,
when the dungeon was opened, a bright
light and fragrant perfume filled it,                                            and Catherine came forth even more radiant and beautiful.

Upon the failure of Maxentius
to make Catherine yield by way of torture,
he tried to win the beautiful and wise
princess over by proposing marriage.
The saint refused, declaring that her spouse
was Jesus Christ, to whom she had                       consecrated her virginity.

The furious emperor condemned
Catherine to death on a spiked
breaking wheel, but, at her touch,
it shattered. Maxentius ordered her
to be beheaded. Catherine herself
ordered the execution to commence.           A milk-like substance rather than blood flowed from her neck.