Emmerich was born into a family of poor farmers and had nine brothers and sisters.
The family's surname was derived from an ancestral town.
From an early age, she helped with the house and farm work.
Her schooling was rather brief, but all those who knew her noticed that she felt drawn to prayer from an early age.
At twelve, she started to work at a large farm in the vicinity for three years and later learned to be a seamstress and worked as such for several years.

She applied for admission to various convents, but she was rejected because she could not afford a dowry.
Eventually, the Poor Clares in Münster agreed to accept her, provided she would learn to play the organ.
She went to the organist Söntgen in Coesfeld to study music and learn to play the organ, but the poverty of the Söntgen family prompted her to work there and to sacrifice her small savings in an effort to help them.
Later, one of the Söntgen daughters entered the convent with her.
Emmerich was born into a family of poor farmers and had nine brothers and sisters. The family's surname was derived from an ancestral town. From an early age, she helped with the house and farm work. Her schooling was rather brief, but all those who knew her noticed that she felt drawn to prayer from an early age. At twelve, she started to work at a large farm in the vicinity for three years and later learned to be a seamstress and worked as such for several years.
She applied for admission to various convents, but she was rejected because she could not afford a dowry. Eventually, the Poor Clares in Münster agreed to accept her, provided she would learn to play the organ. She went to the organist Söntgen in Coesfeld to study music and learn to play the organ, but the poverty of the Söntgen family prompted her to work there and to sacrifice her small savings in an effort to help them. Later, one of the Söntgen daughters entered the convent with her.
Anne Catherine Emmerich