Grandma was smiling, "What a lucky girl to have such a name like Hilda." Hilda, smiling back at Grandma, "I don't think I am going to change my name. I think Hilda is a strong name." The other girls thought that Hilda was a wonderful name. Catherine, turning to Grandma said, "I would rather have Hilda as a name instead of plain old Catherine." After hearing this Grandma said, "I agree that Hilda is a wonderful name, but so is Catherine. Catherine is a name that many important women were called, Catherine Booth is one of them."

I remember when I was a very small girl, my mother and I would sit by the fire for many hours and read from the Bible. the Bible and my mother taught me how important it is to be compassionate. That means loving all people, no matter who they are or what they have done, and helping them. When I was nine years old, I saw a police officer taking a man to jail. Behind the officer came a crowd of boys, laughing at the man and throwing things at him. I was so angry with those boys, and felt so sorry for the man, that I went to him and held his hand all the way to jail.

My name is Catherine Booth. My husband and I decided the Churches in England weren't doing enough to help the poor people. Together we created a Church especially for people who were not accepted in a normal Church, people who had broken the law and anyone else who needed us. At this Church, called The Salvation Army, women could preach right alongside the men. Preaching means standing up in front of a gathering of people and telling them about God. I became quite well known as a speaker, and my daughter Evangeline Booth became leader of The Salvation Army - the first woman ever to lead a Christian Church. It is partly because of my preaching and writing that women can lead a Christian Church. The Salvation Army has helped many people learn about God, and turn their lives around.