Celebrate National Women's History Month with female, Catholic saints

Read about Blessed Teresa, Joan of Arc and other inspirational women of the Catholic Church

As you celebrate National Women’s History Month in March, take a moment to read up on some of the fascinating women of the Catholic Church and find inspiration in their unwavering faith.

Mother Teresa

One of the most famous women of our time is not remembered for her extravagant lifestyle, exuberant speeches or radical ways, rather she is remembered for the simplicity she used to accomplish great feats. Mother Teresa, born Agnes Bojaxhiu in Albania, joined the Sisters of Our Lady of Loreto at age 18, taking the name of Sister Mary Teresa to honor Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. She then moved to Calcutta, India, where she taught high schools classes to wealthy girls for 17 years.

Then, she received a special call from Jesus asking her to care for the poorest of the poor. With permission, Sister Teresa left the safety of the convent walls, began a new order, cast off her habit and took up the uniform of poor Indian women, a white sari. She lived a life of poverty in the dangerous, dirty and unsanitary slums of Calcutta while caring for the sick, dying and impoverished. As word of her work grew, so did Mother Teresa’s popularity. Though fame was not something she wanted for herself, she used it for the good of those she cared for. Her celebrity allowed her to publicly speak on behalf of the beliefs of the Catholic Church, as well as for the causes of those in need.

Almost thirteen years after her death, Mother Teresa, now known as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, is well on her way to being canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church for the humble way she lived her life and for the forgotten people she cared for.

Saint Katharine Drexel

Another extraordinary woman of the Catholic Church is Saint Katharine Drexel. She began her charitable work by donating money from her $20 million inheritance to support Native-American missionary work in the United States. Then, Katharine decided to get actively involved and become a missionary herself.

Dedicating her entire fortune and life to serving the Native-American and African-American populations of the United States, Katharine joined forces with the Sisters of Mercy in Pittsburgh. She later went on to found the Sisters of Blessed Sacrament for Indian and Colored (now called Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament). In her lifetime, her order grew to 500 women and it established 63 schools and missions, including the first primarily black Catholic college in the United States – Xavier University of Louisiana.

She continued her ministry until suffering a heart attack at age 77. Once her health began to decline, Katharine no longer took on physical tasks to help those in need, but she dedicated herself to prayer on their behalf for the remaining 20 years of her life.

Saint Joan of Arc

Unlike many of the other female Catholic saints, the heroics of Saint Joan of Arc captured the hearts of many secular filmmakers and, as a result, her story has been told in many movies. The extraordinary circumstances under which she succeeded may make a good film reel; however, her life’s mission was inspired directly by God.

When she was only 14-years-old, God called Joan to save France from the English. At the time, she was a poor teenager who had a great love for the impoverished, sick and travelers, as well as the Catholic sacraments, but she did not have the worldly knowledge she believed she needed to defeat the English. Still, she could not ignore God’s call and accepted the impossible mission He had chosen for her.

Joan knew her troops would need God’s strength in order for them to be successful and so, before the 17-year-old girl, dressed in men’s garb, led men onto the battlefield, she insisted they all receive Holy Communion. With God behind them, Joan and her troops defeated the English at Orleans in 1492.

As the story of Joan spread around France, she became a French heroine, but also fell victim to the corruption of her country. Enemies of the French king captured her and sold her to the English. The English condemned her and burned her at the stake. Joan died in the name of God and became a saint for her dedication to Him.

Saint Monica

Monica, although she was born in northern Africa in 331, is still relatable to modern-day women in the United States. Monica was raised a Christian, but early in life she married an official from her town who was a pagan with a violent temper and many immoral habits. With him, Monica had three children: Augustine, Navigius and Perpetua.

Although her spouse’s behavior was unholy, Monica continued to follow the righteous path. Then, in addition to the actions of her husband, one of her children, Augustine, also began to live a sinful life and pulled away from the Catholic Church. Still Monica persevered. Eventually her faith convinced her husband to convert to Catholicism and drew her son back to the Catholic faith. In fact, her son altered his life so greatly the Catholic Church made him a saint for his exceptional piety and faith just as the Church did with Monica herself.

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

Thérèse died of tuberculosis at age 24, but managed to fully dedicate herself to God and influence others to do the same in her very short life. She did not accomplish this by grand gestures or acts; Thérèse simply set out to change the world with small, seemingly insignificant acts in her everyday life.

At the age of 15, Thérèse obtained permission to enter a French convent before she was of age. Once she became a sister, she dedicated her life to making small sacrifices, though often unpleasant. She did not announce her acts, but they still influenced others.

She might do something as simple as let another nun finish the last of a beverage on hot day by denying herself a drink or by standing in the wettest, soapiest and most uncomfortable spot during laundry duty so another sister would not have to.

Before her premature death, Sister Thérèse wrote Story of a Soul and explained how the smallest of things done in God’s name can put one on the path to holiness. Her writings led to her being accepted as a doctor of the Church and eventually to her canonization as a saint.

Article by Gillian Lester-George
Cover photo (Mother Teresa visits Marquette University in 1981) taken by Jim Pearson