Julian of Norwich, anchoress, theologian, author of Revelations of Divine Love, the first theological book by a woman written in vernacular English.
Dorothy Day, Catholic social activist, critic and protester, voice of the poor and provider for the hungry, vocal and relentless critic of the Vietnam War.
Helen Waddell, medieval scholar, translator of medieval latin lyrics, faithful critic of the Church of England, and the first and last word on the arts of kindness and generosity to others.
Denise Levertov, her father a Hasidic Jew who became an Anglican priest, British born naturalised American, and one of the foremost poets in America during the second half of the 20th Century
Marian Evans (George Eliot!), polymath, intellectually ahead of most of the men in Victorian male dominated literary circles, who wrote some of the most accomplished novels in the English language, and took a man's pen name to be taken seriously and bypass the dismissiveness of a patriarchal age!
Cicely Saunders, founder of the Hospice movement, Christian who moved from nursing, to social work, to medical clinician, to pioneer of palliative and end of life care, and whose vocation was to ensure accompaniment, support and comfort for the dying and their families.
Six women whose lives and work, whose words and legacies, helped shape my view of the world, my self understanding, and the importance of equality, dignity, opportunity and acceptability as basic values that arise out of valuing each other. On International Women's Day, we celebrate them and are grateful for the gift they are and the legacy they each have left.
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