Catherine Parr (sometimes alternatively spelled Katherine, Katheryn, Kateryn, or Katharine; 1512 –1548) was Queen of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII, the final queen consort of the House of Tudor, who outlived Henry by a year and eight months. She was also a devout Christian with distinctly Lutheran convictions and the author of several devotional and theological works including Prayers and Meditations and The Lamentation of a Sinner.

In this Reformation-themed Story Time episode, Sarah briefs listeners on the life and times of this plucky and compassionate woman, whose probing theological insights are often overshadowed by the Tudor court drama that usually dominates popular historical accounts of her world. Sarah ends with several quotes from Queen Catherine’s Lamentation, showcasing both her keen intellect and the depth of her faith.

To learn more about Catherine Parr, check out the Rev. Don Matzat’s Katherine Parr: Opportunist, Queen, Reformer: A Theological Perspective along with his edition of Parr’s The Lamentation of a Sinner.

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