Lenten Reflections | women's history month | catholic mom | Holy Women's History Month
There is one sound more unnatural than any other in the world; it is the wailing of a mother burying her child. Watching Shirley at her child’s funeral service, I wasn’t sure whether she was going to puke, collapse, or scream. I recall the crushing grip of her hand clinging to mine during my feeble attempts at prayer, the same grip that clutched the coffin of her fourth and final child who succumbed to the violence of the Chicago streets. This son had survived the longest, being shot dead at age 33.
As a freshman in ministry, how was I to share God’s hope with this woman, much less find it myself? The happiness and praise ringing from Sunday liturgy felt off; the Good News of Jesus Christ seemed distant. Where were the words of the Church that could speak life into this tragedy? What wisdom or quip of a saint could I share to make the pain cease?
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Josephine Bhakita, a Relatable Saint
During my youth, I struggled to find a relatable saint. I understood the secular values of hard work and service before I truly met Christ, and I needed a narrative rooted in that context. While I have certainly come to love the devotions of our popular saints, the sanitized accounts of piety, Rosaries, and Eucharistic Adoration were not yet on my radar. I could not yet feel the connection to those saints and certainly could not see how to comfort Shirley with them during this tragedy.
Where I was looking for wisdom, I found witness instead. It was during this period of intense ministry that I first met Josephine. Saint Josephine Bhakita, that is.
Josephine Bhakita was a woman who faced endless hardship throughout her life, and yet never was devoured by cruelty herself. Sold into slavery, abused, and passed from one servitude to the next, Josephine remained meek, humble, present, and grateful. She accepted where God placed her and worked hard to be the best she could for those around her at any given moment.
She poured her heart and soul into her central purpose: Christ, and would not be distressed, torn down, or deflated by any of the things of this world. And in this, Josephine found tremendous peace. She did not look back in resentment, did not seek to control, change, or define herself, but met life with a vision that saw the blessings and larger picture in her situation.
A Saint of Grit and Grace
From this moment on, Josephine Bhakita became the saint of grit and grace for me. In my work I have found that suffering escalates quickly the more you look backward, whether in offense or regret, or forward, whether in revenge or anxiety. Getting someone to sit in the present moment provides a grace to experience their deepest feelings, find God in the midst, and find gratitude for the transitions occurring. Grit carries with it the idea that there is a core purpose to our lives, and everything else is just circumstance. When we can focus our purpose on Christ, we can surrender the rest. This is the strength of Saint Josephine’s story. She models presence at every turn of her own suffering.
What could Shirley do with the situation given to her? What can any of us do when faced with the various tragedies of the human condition? We can learn from Saint Josephine’s intense practices of presence and gratitude, and in that work find great surrender to God’s will.
Fast forward three years from the death of Shirley’s child. Shirly could be found advocating for safer streets and better options for youth in Chicago’s public housing. She did not choose this life, but she accepted it, doing everything she could to serve her vocation, and she had tremendous impact in her community. Her perseverance grew her sainthood.
Saint Josephine’s story was one I began to share repeatedly with those enduring tragedy. Her footsteps walked countless women toward the presence of both God and themselves. This incredible story resonates for those unreligious and faithful alike and brings people back to themselves and their innate dignity.
To this day, a simple prayer card of Saint Josephine Bhakita can still be found on Shirley’s dashboard. We join her walk with Christ when we say:
Josephine Bhakita, pray for us!
During Women's History Month, Catholic Mom writers are celebrating the women who have inspired their faith journeys — whether canonized saints, saints in progress, or beloved women from Scripture. Through personal reflections and heartfelt stories, they share how these holy women have touched their lives, offering wisdom, strength, and a deeper connection to God. Join us as we honor the spiritual legacy of these remarkable women and the lasting impact they continue to have on our hearts and souls.
Copyright 2025 Megan Cottam
Images: Holy Cross Family Ministries