In this post I will focus on a woman named Katharina Von Zimmern. She lived from 1478 A.D. - 1547 A.D. in Zurich, Switzerland.
Katharina had a difficult childhood and was eventually placed in a convent. She and her sisters were molested by priests and returned home. After a time, Katharina was returned to the convent for good, eventually becoming the imperial Abbess of Zurich. In this position, she controlled huge amounts of land, cash and people. But Katharina was exposed to the Reformed faith and and at some point converted. She invited Protestant ministers to teach the nuns Latin and to provide spiritual care.
At the end of 1524, Katharina signed over the Abbey and all of its assets to the city of Zurich. This was personal conviction - peaceful but strong - that Rome was wrong and must be resisted. The transfer of property gave the city an advantage that was more than economic: it made Zurich an openly free and safe place for Protestants without the civit war that so many other places endured. Yet, it placed Katharina in a very vulnerable position as Rome's open enemy. However, God protected her, also providing her with a husband and a daughter. And Katharina's public leadership did not end there. Later, she served on the city council.
Read Part Two HERE
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