woman jesus

I’m not sure who originally compiled this, but it is encouraging to know:  You’re not alone in your struggles.  These are the women of the school of Christ crucified.  (After writing this blog post last night, I woke up and realized I needed to add an important Nota Bene:  The below listing of saints is not a green-light for women to be doormats.  Most of these women tried to preserve their lives and even live normal lives.  The list below is simply a way to push against the Calvinist idea that suffering is a sign of divine disfavor.)

Abusive or Unfaithful Husbands
Physical Abuse
St. Rita of Cascia

Verbal Abuse
Bl. Anna Maria Taigi
St. Godelieve
St. Monica

Infidelity
St. Elizabeth of Portugal
Bl. Margaret d’Youville
Bl. Paola Gambera-Costa

Battered by Relatives or Others (Martyrs not listed here)
St. Adelaide
Bl. Agostina Pietrantoni
Eve Lavalliere
St. Germaine de Pibrac
St. Godelieve
St. Jeanne de Lestonnac
St. Jeanne Marie de Maille
St. Joaquina
Venerable Laura Vicuna
Bl. Maria Bagnesi
Bl. Mariam Baouardy

Demonic Temptations
St. Angela of Foligno
St. Catherine of Bologna
St. Catherine of Genoa
St. Catherine of Siena
St. Elizabeth of Schonau
St. Eustochiurn of Padua
St. Gemma Galgani
Bl. Helen dei Cavalcanti
St. Margaret of Cortona
Bl. Maria Fortunata Viti
St. Syncletia

Disabled
St. Angela Merici
St. Germaine de Pibrac
St. Lutgardis
Bl. Margaret of Castello

Disappointing Children
St. Clotilda
St. Louise de Marillac
St. Matilda
St. Monica

Divorced
Mother Alphonsa Hawthorne
St. Fabiola

Early Death of Children
Mother Alphonsa Hawthorne
Bl. Angela of Foligno
St. Clotilda
Concepcion Cabrera de Annida, (Conchita)
Bl. Dorothy of Mantua
St. Elizabeth Seton
St. Frances of Rome
St. Joaquina
Bl. Marguerite d’Youville
St. Matilda
St. Melania the Younger
Bl. Michelina

Extreme Poverty
Bl. Agostina Pietrantoni
St. Bernadette of Lourdes
St. Germaine de Pibrac
St. Margaret Bourgeoys
St. Margaret of Castello
Bl. Maria Gabriella
St. Maria Goretti
Bl. Maria Fortunata Viti
Bl. Marie of the Incarnation (Acarie)
Venerable Pauline-Marie Jaricot
St. Soledad

Forced into Exile
St. Adelaide
Bl. Angela Truszkowska
St. Arthelais
St. Clotilda
St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Bl. Jeanne Marie de Maille
St. Joaquina
Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha
Sister Marina
St. Melania the Younger
St. Puicheria
St. Rose of Viterbo
St. Susanna

Gravely Ill
St. Alpais
Sister Alphonsa of India
Sister Amparo Carbonell
St. Angela Merici
Mother Angela Truszkowska
St. Arthelais
St. Bathildis
St. Bernadette of Lourdes
St. Catherine dei Ricci
St. Catherine of Siena
Edel Quinn
Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity
St. Elizabeth of Schonau
St. Gorgonia
Bl. Isabella of France
Ven. Jacinta Marto
St. Julia Falconieri
St. Julie Billiart
St. Louise de Marillac
St. Lydwine
Mother Margaret Hallahan
Margaret Sinclair
Bl. Maria Bagnesi
Bl. Maria Gabriella
St. Maria Mazzarello
Ven. Maria Teresa Quevedo
St. Mariana of Quito
Bl. Marie Rose Durocher
St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi
Bl. Paula Frassinetti
Bl. Rafka Al-Rayes
St. Raphaela
St. Romula
St. Syncletia
Bl. Teresa of the Andes
St. Teresa of Avila
Teresa Valse Pantellini
St. Therese of Lisieux

Imprisoned
Bl. Beatrice da Silva
Ven. Jacinta Marto
St. Joan of Arc
Bl. Mariam Baouardy

In-Law Problems
St. Adelaide
St. Elizabeth of Hungary
St. Elizabeth Seton
St. Godelieve
St. Helen of Skovde
St. Jeanne de Chantal
Bl. Jeanne Marie de Maille
St. Ludmila
Bl. Marguerite d’YouvilIe
Bl. Michelina
St. Pulcheria

Loss of Father or Mother
Mother Alphonsa Hawthorne
Sister Alphonsa of India
St. Angela Merici
St. Colette
St. Dymphna
Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity
St. Elizabeth Seton
Bl. Frances Scherviers
St. Gemma Galgani
St. Germaine de Pibrac
St. Humbeline
St. Jeanne Marie de Maille
St. Jeanne de Chantal
Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha
Venerable Laura Vicuna
St. Louise de Marillac
St. Margaret of Cortona
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
Mother Margaret Hallahan
Venerable Marguerite Bourgeoys
Bl. Marguerite d’Youville
Bl. Maria Bagnesi
Bl. Maria Fortunata Viti
Bl. Maria Gabriella
St. Maria Goretti
Bl. Mariam Baouardy
St. Mariara of Quito
Bl. Marie Rose Durocher
Bl. Marie of the Incarnation (Acarie)
Sister Miriam Teresa Demjanovich
St. Pulcheria
St. Radegunde
Bl. Rafka Al-Rayes
St. Raphaela
Bl. Sibyllina Biscossi
St. Susanna
St. Syncletia
St. Teresa of Avila
Bl. Sister Teresia Benedicta (Edith Stein)
St. Therese of Lisieux

Married Unhappily
Mother Alphonsa Hawthorne
Bl. Castora Gabrieffi
St. Catherine of Genoa
St. Fabiola
St. Godelieve
Bl. Marguerite d’Youville
St. Monica
St. Radegunde
St. Rita of Cascia
Bl. Zedislava Berka

Mental Illness or Judged so by Enemies
Bl. Eustochium of Padua
St. Margaret of Cortona
Bl. Michelina
Bl. Maria Fortunata Viti
St. Raphaela

Murdered (as Confessors of the Faith or for Moral Integrity)
St. Afra
St. Agatha
Bl. Agatha Kim
Bl. Agostina Pietrantoni
Sister Amparo Carbonell
St. Anastasia
Bl. Antoria Messina
St. Barbara
Sister Carmen Moreno
St. Catherine of Alexandria
St. Cecilia
St. Dymphna
Sts. Flora and Mary
St. Helen of Skovde
St. Joan of Arc
Venerable Laura Vicuna
St. Lucy
Bl. Lucy de Freitas
St. Margaret Clitherow
Bl. Margaret of Louvain
Bl. Margaret Ward
St. Maria Goretti
Bl. Mariam Baouardy
Sister Marina
Bl. Mary Hermina Grivot
Sts. Maura and Brigid
St. Natalia
Sts. Nunilo and Alodia
Sts. Perpetua and Felicity
St. Susanna and Companions
Bl. Sister Teresia Benedicta (Edith Stein)
St. Theodota
St. Winifred of Wales

Opposition of Church Authorities to Their Hopes and Dreams
St. Elizabeth Seton
St. Joan of Arc
Mother Margaret Hallahan
Bl. Marguerite d’Youville
Sister Mary MacKiliop
St. Mary Magdalena Bentivoglio
St. Philippine Duchesne
St. Raphaela
St. Teresa of Avila

Parents not Married
St. Bridget of Theland
Bl. Eustochium of Padua
Bl. Sibyllina Biscossi

Rejected by Religious Orders
St. Clare
Bl. Eugenie Smet
St. Jeanne de Lestonnac
St. Louise de Marillac
Bl. Margaret of Castello
Venerable Marguerite Bourgeoys
St. Mariana of Quito
St. Rose of Viterbo
Bl. Teresa de Gesu, Jornet y Ibars
Mother Thecla Merlo

Ridiculed for Their Piety (Other than Martyrs)
Bl. Agostina Pietrantoni
Bl. Angela of Foligno
St. Bernadette of Lourdes
St. Catherine of Genoa
St. Catherine of Siena
St. Clelia Barbieri
St. Elizabeth of Hungary
St. Elizabeth Seton
St. Frances of Rome
Venerable Jacinta Marto
Bl. Jeanne Marie de Maille
Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha
St. Margaret of Cortona
Bl. Marguerite d’Youville
St. Mary Magdalene
St. Matilda
Sts. Nurilo and Alodia
St. Rose of Lima
St. Susanna
St. Teresa of Avila
Bl. Teresa Maria of the Cross (Bettina)
Bl. Zedislava Berka
St. Zita

Separated from Children
St. Jeanne de Chantal
Bl. Marie of the Incarnation (Acarie)

Subject to Extreme Sexual Temptation
Bl. Angela of Foligno
St. Catherine of Siena
St. Margaret of Cortona
St. Mary of Edessa
St. Mary of Egypt
St. Mary Magdalene
St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi
St. Pelagia of Antioch

Threatened by Incest
St Dymphna
Venerable Laura Vicuna
Sister Susanna
St. Winifred of Wales

Threatened with or Victim of Rape
St. Agnes
Bl. Antonia Mesina
St Joan of Arc
St. Maria Goretti
Bl. Pierina Morosini
St. Zita

Widowed
St. Adelaide
St. Anastasia
Bl. Angela of Foligno
St. Bathildis
St. Birgitta of Sweden
Bl. Castora Gabrielli
St. Clotilda
Concepcion Cabrera de Armida (Conchita)
Bl. Dorothy of Montau
St. Elizabeth of Hungary
St. Elizabeth Seton
St. Etheidreda or Audrey
St. Eulalia
St. Frances of Rome
Bl. Helen dei Cavalcanti
Bl. Ida of Boulogne
St. Jeanne de Chantal
St. Jeanne de Lestonnac
Bl. Jeanne Marie de Maille
St. Joaquina
St. Jufta
St. Louise de Marillac
Bl. Lucy de Freitas
St. Ludmila
Bl. Marguerite d’Youville
Bl. Marie of the Incarnation (Acarie)
St. Matilda
Bl. Michelina
St. Monica
St. Olga
St. Paula
St. Rita of Cascia