Saint Catherine was born in 1875 in the village of Panskoye, Tushninskaya volost, Simbirsk province, in the family of peasant Dmitry Dekalin. In 1890, she entered the Simbirsk Spassky Monastery and in 1913 was accepted among the novices. After the monastery was closed during the persecution of the Church, novice Catherine worked for a time in secular employment, and then, together with another nun, lived in a private apartment, where they continued their prayer life.
On December 18, 1937, novice Catherine was arrested and imprisoned in a prison in the city of Ulyanovsk. During the interrogation, she expressed dissatisfaction with the Soviet government, pointing out the persecution of believers and the closure of monasteries and churches. She asserted that she was convinced of the existence of God and would speak about it until her death.
On December 29, 1937, the NKVD troika sentenced the novice to execution by firing squad. Catherine Dekalina was shot on February 17, 1938, and buried in an unmarked common grave.
