Harriet Tubman
Born: March 1822
Died: March 10, 1913
Feast: N/A
Patron saint of: N/A
Harriet Tubman was not Catholic, but she was a woman of profound faith and steadfast conviction who made liberation and equality the center of her life. There can be no mincing words here: Harriet Tubman was a titan, referred to as the “Moses of her time,” singlehandedly shepherding over 70 enslaved peoples to freedom via the Underground Railroad after escaping the bonds of slavery herself. If she had stopped there, we would still be speaking of her courage, but she continued the fight for equality her entire life. She served as a cook, nurse, scout, and spy for the Union Army during the Civil War, leading an armed expedition that liberated more than 700 enslaved people in South Carolina. After the war and the liberation of all enslaved peoples in the United States, Harriet advocated fiercely for women’s suffrage, along with expressing deep care for the aged and elderly. Harriet clearly responded to Christ’s exhortation in the Gospel to feed the hungry, care for the sick, and clothe the naked, and she credited her Christian faith for her dedication to the causes of liberty, justice, and freedom. May we all answer this call of the Gospel in the way that Harriet did.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
