Amazing Catholic Women…
Hello Readers,
I am doing research for an article, a ‘list’
article, in the genre of Meet 10 Amazing Young Catholics.
I would be very much obliged for any suggestions. Please feel free to drop me a line in the comment box.
Edel Quinn
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the more famous saints, I can offer 7 names. Mother Angelica, Isabella of Spain, Loretta Young, Nellie Gray, Penny Lord, Ven. Mary of Agreda, and Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres.
ReplyDeleteHello, Mary
ReplyDeleteWhat's your time scale for submission of these names?
God bless
Sonia
Great suggestions, Mark and Frank.
DeleteHi Sonia,
On Sunday, two days time, I will be gathering the names and writing the profiles; hope that I have them all by then.
Warmest regards,
Mary
Dear Mary,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I've been reading - and very much enjoying - your blog (and Herald articles) for a few months now. Keep up all the good work.
Apart from Dorothy Day, my nomination would be for St Gemma Galgani - an Italian mystic and stigmatist, who spent much of her short life trying and failing to join the Passionists, before dying of TB in 1903 aged 25. (She was, I believe, the first person to have lived in the twentieth century to be canonized). She's a saint who, for various reasons, is very dear to me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemma_Galgani
All best, and God bless,
Stephen
Dear Stephan,
DeleteThank you very much for your thoughtful comment. I'm so glad that you enjoy the blog; that means a lot to me. Thank you so much for your nominations, and for the introduction to St Gemma Galgani, I look forward to learning more about her.
An important theme of the ten-amzing-women is to show the good works of lesser-known Catholic women who might not yet be household names.
The difficulty is in finding the unsung heroines!
With prayers for your intentions,
Mary
The problem will be keeping it down to 10. There are so many heroines quietly working away, and their quietness and hidden-ness is part of their heroism.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Jane. While their modesty and self-denial are key characteristics, it would be a good idea to make their virtues and good works better known, so they may be examples to others around the world.
DeleteWell I know 8 young Catholic women :)
ReplyDeletePauline Gower. Vera Laughton Mathews. -- neither of them saints, but prominent women in the public sphere who were Catholics.
ReplyDeleteMary, what about Mother Dolores Hart O.S.B. who gave up a Hollywood career to be a nun? http://www.vocation.com/DiscernmentLibraryItem.aspx?id=217&tid=102
ReplyDeleteGod bless
Sonia
Thanks so much, Sonia. I must read up on Mother Dolores Hart.
DeleteHello Readers,
ReplyDeleteMy list of female religious who have led amazing lives is growing. But I don't have equal numbers of married Catholic women who have lived out their faith in amazing ways. They may be around us in every day life - but who are they?
Warmest Regards,
Mary
Hi, Mary-- I offer the name of Mary Pyle, who has been referred to, from time to time, as Padre Pio's St. Clare. I think you know the story of how, already a convert to Catholicism, she left 'the world' and went to live on the far-flung Gargano mountain to be near Padre Pio. Once there, she never left. She endured some town hostility at one time, was sequestered in Pietrelcina with Pio's parents during the 2nd WW (because she was American) built a seminary/monastery in Pietrelcina, helped the poor always when she heard of someone's need, ran the choir, lived as a 3rd Order Franciscan,had a constant open housesort of way-station for visitors, especially English-speaking, and died in the same year as Padre Pio-- just months before. She is buried in the Capuchin chapel in San Giovanni Rotondo. The Cause for her Beatification/Canonization is very slow-moving--I don't know why-- but the website to go to is www.marypyle.info. and the person who has done a WORLD of research on Mary is Pauline Salmon.
ReplyDeleteI know of many women who seem to pray from the moment they get up in the morning until they sleep at night--if they sleep,at all. They take on the sorrows of everyone they hear about, pray for them, light candles in local churches and distant shrines for those they hear about, visit the sick, console the dying and the survivors of the dead. While making room for the sorrows of others they also suffer their ownb sorrows. I admire them immensely, their quiet lives of doing what some people might consider 'easy' but which is very difficult -- praying 'ceaselessly.' Great Catholic women passing through the world unseen...Perhaps, one day, you will continue a list of these great unknowns in some special part of your blog, adding to it frequently.
I like your friendly,smiling, open blog...
Jeanette Salerno
Dear Jeanette,
DeleteGod bless you and Thank you so much for your detailed insights and information on Mary Pyle. You may have also have read in Frank Rega's book 'Padre Pio and America' how Mary Pyle left the service of Maria Montessori to be near Padre Pio.
I'm so glad that you like my blog.
Warmest regards to you and yours,
Mary
P.S. Meant to say that Mary Pyle was a great example of “. . .unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Mary Pyle was so childlike. . .
ReplyDeleteDee Becker is my choice. She is from Wilmington, DE She started Pro-Life in DE.
ReplyDeletePeace & Good
Vince Bertone
Dear Mary, Just introduced to your to your blog; it's great!
ReplyDeleteI submit my choice as an amazing Catholic woman: Mrs. Vera M. Calandra, late founder of the National Centre for Padre Pio in Barto, Pennsylvania. She was a happily married mother of six children, who humbled herself to comply perfectly with God's Will back in 1968, when she heard Padre Pio's voice calling her to Italy without delay. Trusting in God, she went to Italy and brought her sick daughter for whom she was praying. Her daughter received a miracle of healing during that visit in the month of September, just before Padre Pio left this world. In thanksgiving, and under the instruction of the Capuchin Franciscan Friars in San Giovanni Rotondo, who lived with and cared for Padre Pio, Mrs. Calandra shared the news of the great gift that God gave to the world in the person of Padre Pio by means of lectures, conferences and retreats she gave wherever she was invited throughout the USA and English-speaking world. She developed an enduring friendship with Blessed Pope John Paul II, who shared her devotion to Padre Pio and was asked to read at the Beatification Ceremony in Rome in 1999. The legacy she left behind is the Centre in Barto which includes the Our lady of Grace Chapel, Padre Pio Spirituality Centre and St. Pio Museum. Mrs. Calandra went to her reward on August 19, 2004 and the Centre continues to flourish under the current administration which includes her husband Harry and remaining daughters. The Centre serves hundreds of thousands who call write and visit seeking the intercession of Padre Pio for all their needs spiritual and temporal. Here is and oasis of peace where one can find the authentic teaching and spirituality of Padre Pio. Mrs. Calandra accomplished this and so much more and yet, she never neglected her first duty before God as a Catholic wife and mother.
Thank you for the opportunity to share with you about this great Catholic woman!
God bless you!
Mary, probably the most important (and amazing)living Catholic woman in England is Daphne McLeod of Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice.
ReplyDeleteI would also add Molly Bevan,RIP., mother of the 15 Bevan children,(Bevan Family Choir) wife of Roger and counsellor to many.
Thanks so much for your nominees, Richard.
DeleteMary, I am a friend of Frank Rega who sent me the invitation to provide you with some nominations for good Catholic Women. Mine nominations are:
ReplyDeleteMadame Katharina Tangari, Mary Pyle, Luisa Piccarreta, St. Theresa of Avila, and St. Therese of Lisieux and Dolores Hope (Wife of Comedian Bob Hope).
Mary Doohan, late founder and president of the \|\little Way Association was a truly amazing person
ReplyDeleteHello Everyone!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for suggesting great nominees! The article on Catholic Women Who Changed the World will be in this week's Catholic Herald, 1st June. Many of the amazing Catholic women that readers kindly suggested made it into the article! Had you not so thoughtfully logged onto my blog and submitted comments, then I would not have known or even remembered some wonderful candidates.
Sorry to be cagey, but I'll keep the list of names a surprise and publish the article on my blog the day that the newspaper comes into the shops: Friday. I'll also be doing follow-up posts on each candidate.
@ EFpastor emeritus - the Little Way method of redemption gets a good mention!