3 Catholic Women Who Mastered the Art of "Leading the Change"

Happy Women's History Month! Every March, the world celebrates the "strong woman," but we often only see the finished product—the statue or the headline. We rarely see the "everyday drudgery" or the "unassuming audacity" that actually built those legacies.

Today I’d like to explore the lives of three women who excelled as master "Relational Architects," using their vocations and faith as a means of transformation. The 2026 Women’s History Month theme is "Leading the Change," and these women didn't just survive the 20th century—they sanctified it. We are looking at a radical journalist, a political trailblazer, and a civil rights witness.

Dorothy Day: The Radical Journalist and the "Revolution of the Heart"

The Great Depression of the 1930s demanded a response as radical as the crisis itself. In New York City, Dorothy Day, a former party girl and socialist journalist, co-founded The Catholic Worker movement. For a single penny you could buy her newspaper, which served as a powerful call to a "revolution of the heart."

After converting to Catholicism in 1927, her passion for the poor found its "true North". By 1933, Dorothy had created "Houses of Hospitality"—homes where volunteers lived in poverty alongside the poor people they served, emphasizing community over institutional aid. By 1939 there were 40 houses across the U.S.

Dorothy also demonstrated a critical, yet often unseen, aspect of Leading the Change: balance. As a single mother to her daughter, Tamar, she stepped away from her activism for several months when she realized her work was straining their relationship. She recognized that while others could run the organization, only she could be Tamar’s mother. This highlights that it may be that the most important architecture you're building is within your own four walls.

Margit Slachta: Hungary’s Political Religious and the Architecture of Courage

In 1920, just as women were beginning to gain the right to vote, Margit Slachta became the first female member of the Hungarian Parliament. She was both a politician and a nun, having founded the Sisters of Social Service (the "Gray Nuns") in 1923, an order dedicated to being a transformative presence in society.

When the Nazis began passing anti-Jewish laws in 1938, Margit used her political platform and her newspaper, The Voice of the Spirit, to decry them as "morally bankrupt." When the government attempted to shut down the paper, she took it underground.

During the Nazi occupation of Budapest in 1944, Margit and her sisters provided refuge, hiding about 1,000 Jewish people. Margit leveraged her political network to save others from deportation, and it is estimated her order saved over 2,000 lives. Margit proved that political savvy and deep prayer are necessary partners and that Leading the Change sometimes requires the most audacious convictions from the most unassuming people.

Sister Mary Antona Ebo: The Witness of Selma

To discuss 20th-century architects of connection, we must include Sister Mary Antona Ebo. In 1965, she made history as the first Black nun to march on the front lines of the Civil Rights march in Selma, Alabama, standing in her black habit and veil.

When reporters asked her why she was there, she offered a clear statement of faith and identity: "I’m here because I’m a Negro, a nun, a Catholic, and because I want to bear witness."

This Architecture of Presence is a powerful blueprint for bridging the gap between faith and justice. Sister Antona Ebo’s action in Selma was a living example of the universal call to holiness and she encourages us to use our physical presence to claim our rightful place in the world.

Keep Building Those Bridges

These three women shared a profound understanding: that "Christian discipleship is forged in the crucible of circumstance, often unseen." Whether through providing soup and shelter, running an underground press, or joining a protest line, they were ordinary people doing ordinary things with extraordinary faith.

If you are seeking guidance on how to lead change in a difficult culture, the stories of these women serve as a powerful guidebook for us today.

Find out more about all sixteen women in the book:

If you wish to read the full stories of all sixteen women—including the incredible philosophers, mothers, educators and martyrs not covered today—you can find Important Catholic Women of the 20th Century at the link below.

Get the book here: Important Catholic Women of the 20th Century

Which of these "architects" inspires you to be more audacious in your own life? Drop a comment below.