July 24

Mary Church Terrell and Christina the Astonishing

Author

David Barnhart
July 24, 2025

From Mount Sinai, 2007. Own photo.

Today marks the death, in 1954, of Mary Church Terrell, writer, civil rights and Black women’s suffrage activist, who mentored many Black women activists and helped found the NAACP. 

Today is the Feast Day of Christina the Astonishing, who died (for the last time) in Belgium in 1224. As a young woman, she had a seizure and “died” for the first time, but during her funeral returned to consciousness and spoke of witnessing the afterlife including heaven and purgatory. She spent the rest of her life 

Reflection: 

Mary Church Terrell wrote: 

“I will not shrink from undertaking what seems wise and good, because I labor under the double handicap of race and sex; but, striving to preserve a calm mind with a courageous, cheerful spirit, barring bitterness from my heart, I will struggle all the more earnestly to reach the goal.”

Prayer: Holy Spirit, give us courageous and cheerful hearts with which to work toward justice. Amen.