Holy Women of History – there are many! Some of these women are familiar to us; some we’ve never heard of. However, even those we know, perhaps seem rather odd: i.e. Christina the Astonishing, who floated out of her casket; early women martyrs who begged for torture and death; other women whose ways of  “holiness” might seem strange.

Could it be that the lives of these saints were written most often by men? What impact might this have on the “stories” which have been passed down? And, although many of the Church Fathers and other early recorders of history etc. speak about women, few women’s names are actually mentioned.

The criteria for holiness has changed over the centuries, so what criteria might be used to discover “holy women?”

Canonized saints?
Women who got remembered?
Women who functioned as part of religion (Church, eastern religions etc.)?

Women who made significant contributions to their worlds?

The purpose of these short reflections on Holy Women of History is to help acquaint you with some of the real women who have preceded us. Some of these women have been “hidden figures” for us and some of these women weren’t necessarily Christians but certainly were holy women. Hopefully these short reflections will help you to reflect on your own life and come to appreciate more deeply the “holiness” which you bring to our world.