Servant of God Julia Greely — Born between 1833 and 1848; died 1918
Sister Callista Robinson
Julia Greely was born into slavery in Hannibal, Mo, sometime between 1833 and 1843. She lost her eyesight in one of her eyes when a slave driver’s whip cut across her face.
She gained her freedom in 1865 through the Missouri Emancipation Act. After gaining her freedom, she worked as a cook for white families in Missouri, Wyoming, New Mexico and Denver, Colo. In Denver, she was employed as a housekeeper for William Gilpin, the governor of Colorado. The governor’s wife was Catholic and she was very supportive of Julia’s faith journey.
In 1880, Julia was baptized and received into the Catholic Church at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. She was known for her devotion to the Sacred Heart and for her acts of charity as she gave her money to those who needed help. Julia also begged and obtained mattresses, baby carriages, food and other items for families who needed them.
Julia became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis in 1901. On June 7, 1918, the feast of the Sacred Heart, Julia died in Denver. She had given away her burial plot to a man who was going to be buried in pauper’s grave. In repayment, Julia was buried in her Franciscan habit and laid in state at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
In 2017, Julia’s body was exhumed and buried in Denver’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. She is the first to be interred in the Cathedral.
Servant of God Julia Greely, who dedicated her life to loving others fully, Pray for us.
