As I was leaving the National Gallery of Art on a clear, warm fall evening, I did a double-take at the unending line that had formed in front of and around the U.S. Capitol. People literally were pouring onto the Capitol grounds from everywhere to pay their last respects to Rosa Parks, lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda.

In a hushed atmosphere, people of all ages and races waited patiently in lines that slowly snaked up to the entrance of the Capitol. What made this so awesome is that it was rather a spur-of-the-moment tribute; little notification had been given. Many parents brought young children with them to experience this historical moment, making it an unforgettable evening. A sense of greatness was in the air.

Above everything else, greatness stands for a person's willingness to stick up for what is important. Great people have great vision, make bold decisions, involve themselves deeply in events and are original, creative.

In Rosa Parks, we were blessed with a bold woman willing to stay seated on a bus and confront the Jim Crow law that reduced African Americans to second-class status. Her breadth of vision and courage were her weapons of choice and helped to restore to African Americans their rightful first-class status.

Many despised that law and mumbled under their breath against it. Rosa Parks, on the other hand, immersed herself in it. And what more creative and original way to change history than aboard a bus in which people travel together toward a destination?

Today we applaud her courage for doing the right thing. But 50 years ago in Montgomery, Ala., this act of courage was anything but applauded and easily could have led to her death. As all inspiring actions do, the influence of hers spread, especially to a 26-year-old Martin Luther King Jr.

As Rosa Parks lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda, there was a sense there that the moment was historic. Here was the first woman ever to be so honored in the U.S. Capitol. Not only does this woman stand for the rights of African Americans and all citizens deemed by others to be second-class, but for the rights of women as well.

During the prayer service, a priest and two ministers prayed for Rosa Parks and the cause she represented. In an age when anything smacking of God is considered virtually unconstitutional, prayers rang out and a Gospel choir sang before a large portrait of the signers of the Constitution. All in attendance bowed their heads.

History is filled with many great individuals. Surely, Rosa Parks is one of them.

Father Eugene Hemrick is a columnist with Catholic News Service.