She was a contributor to many causes espoused by Sister Nivedita, the most famous disciple of Vivekananda, including that of contributing financially towards the development of the Indian National Movement especially in Bengal and elsewhere in India.

[5] Josephine was born on 26 December 1858, on Boxing Day, in Chicago to John David MacLeod and Mary Ann Lennon.

Ridgely Manor, which later became famous as one of the places to accommodate Swami Vivekananda during his travel to Americas and Europe in 1899, belonged to the Legett family.

[8] Josephine and her sister Betty first heard Swami Vivekananda's lecture on Vedanta philosophy in New York City on 29 January 1895.

"[8] As a result of her constant interaction with Vivekananda during his lectures on Vedanta, her devotion to his teachings became so profound that she believed that he was the "New Buddha" and even called him "Our Prophet.

Vivekananda held her in great esteem and would write to her on his inner feelings, which he did not share with anyone else, including the brother monks or his "Madras Boys".

[12] She defended Vivekananda's religious ethos when, during her visit to India with him, she stated that "our Swamiji's great exposition of Vedanta Philosophy always favoured than denied the mission of Christ, and left Christians better Christians..."[13] Because MacLeod's efforts in the US and the West were so strong, Swamiji named her a "lady missionary" of the Ramakrishna Order promoted by Vivekananda.

The team traveled through south West Europe to Constantinople, Athens and, finally, to Cairo from where Swami returned to India.

[20] Following Vivekananda's death in 1902, MacLeod went into depression for two years, after which she devoted the next four decades to the cause of promoting the Vedantic ethos of the Swamiji.

[22] She travelled to Japan and introduced Kakuso Okakura, the painter and artist and Prince Oda, a Buddhist Abbot, to Vivekananda.

In December 1916, Lord Carmichael, the then Lt-Governor of Bengal, made a statement casting aspersions on Ramakrishna Mission.

Ramakrishna Math and Mission was always under close surveillance by the government because of the alleged involvement of some of its monks in nationalist activities like involvement with the Anushilan Samity during the Partition of Bengal before they renounced the world, and also because Swami Vivekananda's fiery speeches and ideals inspired many freedom fighters like Aurobindo Ghosh.

Swami Saradananda, the secretary of Ramakrishna Mission, under the advice of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, met the governor who subsequently retracted his statement.

However, Ramakrishna Mission was helped by the high level contacts that Macleod had, to form a favorable opinion in government circles.

She helped extensively in spreading the message of Vedanta and Swami Vivekananda's teachings in particular in various European languages including German.

Macleod also worked extensively for the cause of advancement of education of women in India, through her regular financial contribution to the school found and run by Sister Nivedita.

[26] The French scholar and Nobel Laureate Romain Rolland wrote of Macleod, "(She) never tires of pointing out his (Vivekananda's) beauty, his charm, the power of attraction which was radiating from him.