Holy Blowout Week continued yesterday as Benedict took Anne to the (holy vestment) cleaners. Today, features the long-anticipated match-up between Big Pineapple and Big Lobster as the Hawaiian Damien of Molokai takes on the Mainer Frances Perkins. Can the Hawaii lobby do for Damien what it did for Queen Emma last year? Last year's Lent Madness cinderella, Emma, rode the wave all the way to the finals. Will Damien have a similar run or will he be pounded into the surf by Frances?
In other news, the Supreme Executive Committee answered some critics even as they prepare to co-lead a workshop today titled "Stealth Christian Formation" at the CEEP conference in San Diego. They're amazing multi-taskers (with enough coffee and a deadline).
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Damien of Molokai
Jozef de Veuster was born to a Flemish corn merchant in 1840. His fondest dream was to be a missionary-priest like his hero, St. Francis Xavier, but his teachers thought he was unintelligent and delayed his ordination. Finally, he was ordained, taking the name Damien and was eventually sent overseas, taking the place of his brother, who had fallen ill.
He arrived in the kingdom of Hawaii on March 19, 1864, and was assigned initially to his order’s mission on Oahu. But Damien had landed in a community struggling with the effects of colonialism, including foreign diseases to which Hawaiians had no immunity. One of these was leprosy, and in 1865, the kingdom’s government set up quarantines for the afflicted on the island of Molokai, fearing a complete epidemic.
The government’s plan was for the lepers’ colonies to grow their own food and to be largely self-sustaining. This plan had some major logic-holes in it, however, and after a while, it became clear to the local bishop that the people were in trouble. A priest was needed in Molokai but he was reluctant to assign anyone fearing the assignment would be tantamount to a death sentence.
After much prayer, in 1873, Damien volunteered. In May, he arrived in Molokai, and promptly set to work. He lived as one of the people. He set up a church, schools, and farms. He tended gardens and built houses. He organized activities and choirs for the living. He built coffins and dug graves for the dying. When his agreed-upon time was up, the lepers and Fr. Damien went to the bishop, and asked if he could remain with them. The bishop agreed, and Fr. Damien stayed on.
Six months after his arrival on Molokai, Damien wrote back to his brother in Belgium, “I make myself a leper with the lepers to gain all to Jesus Christ.” His words turned out to be prescient. In 1884 he was diagnosed with the disease himself and died on Molokai in April, 1889.
After his death, his fame spread. After being attacked by an anti-Catholic Presbyterian minister, Robert Louis Stevenson (yes, that Robert Louis Stevenson) wrote an open letter defending him, and no less than Mahatma Ghandi claimed Fr. Damien as an inspiration for his work with the outcast. He was made a saint in the Roman church in October of 2009.
Collect for Damien of Molokai
God of compassion, we bless your Name for the ministries of Damien [and Marianne,] who ministered to the lepers abandoned on Molokai in the Hawaiian Islands. Help us, following their examples, to be bold and loving in confronting the incurable plagues of our time, that your people may live in health and hope; through Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Frances Perkins
Born in Boston in 1880 with roots in Maine, Frances Perkins studied at Mount Holyoke College and completed a masters degree in economics and sociology at Columbia University. While working as a young woman in Chicago, she was drawn to the Episcopal Church and confirmed in 1905.
At 31, working for the Factory Investigation Commission in New York City, she witnessed the Triangle Shirtwaist fire that resulted in the death of 146 people, primarily young women factory workers. Perkins often said later, “The New Deal was born on March 25, 1911.” That experience galvanized her career as an advocate for workers. At a time when few women enjoyed a professional career after marriage and children, Perkins was spurred in her career by the emergence of her husband’s mental illness and his inability to earn an income. As the mother of a young daughter, she understood on a deep personal level the importance of work and the urgency of supporting a family.
In 1918, New York Governor Al Smith invited her serve in his administration and, with the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt to governor in 1928, she was named Commissioner of Labor. When he was elected to the presidency in 1932, Roosevelt asked Perkins to serve as his Secretary of Labor, the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet and the longest-serving cabinet member in U.S. history.
Roosevelt called her “the cornerstone of his administration” for her tireless work in gaining passage of the Social Security Act of 1935 and the Fair Labor Standards of 1938 which established the minimum wage and prohibited child labor in most workplaces. Other New Deal efforts championed by Perkins included the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), unemployment insurance, a shorter work week, and worker safety regulations.
She has been called Roosevelt’s moral conscience. Donn Mitchell, in his 2010 profile of Frances Perkins published at www.AnglicanExaminer.com, “Architect of the Gracious Society,” suggests she was the “most overtly religious and theologically articulate member of the New Deal team.” Throughout her 12 years as Secretary she took a monthly retreat with the Episcopal order of All Saints’ Sisters of the Poor, with whom she was a lay associate
“I came to Washington to serve God, FDR, and millions of forgotten, plain common workingmen,” she said. Her theology of generosity informed her professional life and, in turn, transformed the lives of millions of Americans.
She remained active in teaching, social justice advocacy, and in the mission of the Episcopal Church until her death in 1965.
Collect for Frances Perkins
Loving God, whose Name is blest for Frances Perkins, who lived out her belief that the special vocation of the laity is to conduct the secular affairs of society that all may be maintained in health and decency: Help us, following her example, to contend tirelessly for justice and for the protection of all in need, that we may be faithful followers of Jesus Christ; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
-- Heidi Shott
UPDATE: At 2:06 a.m. EST, the SEC noticed some irregular voting in this contest. About 200 votes were cast from one address in Arizona on behalf of Damien. Those votes have been deleted, and the address has been banned.
Vote!
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177 comments on “Damien of Molokai vs. Frances Perkins”
This is a toss up, and for for no particular logical reason.....The Holy Fool chooses...
Frances. Lobster is more likely to be on the dinner menu at the final four...
I've been to the "leper colony" on Molokai. I strongly felt the presence of God there in the same way I've felt God's presence at Dachau and other concentration camps, where there has been so much horror and suffering. On the other hand, I've have always admired Frances Perkins as someone who did so much good for so many people based on her very strong Christian principles, something I'm afraid most political people have a hard time holding onto. So St. Frances it is.
I have to agree with everyone. This is a toughie, but I am supporting Damien. Both are fantastic souls but I think Damien made the ultimate sacrifice. I wonder what they think of all this looking down from heaven. I will have to ask the Archbishops.
Almost for got to mention I am an Episcopalian. Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Well I do have to preface this with a comment about all the negative press "the big pineapple" got and is getting right up to today's vote. This is a vote for a spiritually evolved person, not for the state in which they served. I, too, am a social worker and as such I can admire a politician who works for all the people. It is admirable but doesn't confer "saintly" status. Damien gave his life for people who others did not even want to be near; and he did this as God's representative on earth. No contest for this social worker, Damien has my vote as a saint.
Hi guys - last Palm Sunday I attended an Episcopal church in Hawaii (being too lazy to drive around the island to the Lutheran church). Imagine my surprise when we were urged from the pulpit to go home and vote for Queen Emma! I went right back to my rental and voted for Dietrich, but was outvoted by all the actual Hawaiians. This year I forgot about Madness until today, thereby missing the ML-MLK matchup. I have now turned on a bunch of Lutherans to Madness, but alas, too late. Oh well, we love MLK too. If you are in Alameda some time, drop by Trinity Lutheran for some good coffee.
Voting today for Damien, as an homage to my dear sister, Judith, for whom Damien has always been a true example of selfless ministry. Both of these candidates are incredibly good choices, however, and I would be happy for either one to win!
As the former rector of St. Benedict's parish in Los Osos, California, I rejoice that he was able to obtain more votes than a hypothetical saint.
Judy
Vote for Francis Perkins - but it was a really hard choice.
This matchup illuminates further what a grand idea Lent Madness is. Ahead of time I picked Fr. Damien because I knew of his story from books I read as a child. And the other lady, whom I had never heard of, was just a politician--easy! Until I read the bios. I still voted for Damien, but we should all pray for more civil servants in Washington like Ms Perkins, and work for recognition of their service to God as well as humanity. Thanks, SEC, for the continuing glorious education about God's servants!
As much as I love feisty broads (and I hope to live up to that title myself!), I voted for Damien. My loyalty probably stems from the fact I attended a small Jesuit college named for Aloysius Gonzaga, whose served to plague victims doomed him.
On Monday, the US Department of Labor will comemorate its centennial. Of our 100 years of existence, Secretary Perkins headed the department for 12 of them . . . longer thanany other Secretary of Labor. The Washington, DC HQ of the Labor Department is named after her.
She really was the person who started it all for DOL. Almost everything we do she started, wanted to do or madebetter. Decades after her tenure andherdeath, she continues to inspire DOL employees.
Thanks, Carl! I'm glad people at DOL have a chance to support Frances Perkins today. I happen to live in Newcastle, Maine, where her family still maintains a home. The Frances Perkins Center there continues to advocate for issues that she worked for. http://www.francesperkinscenter.org In 2009 the Episcopal Church voted to include her in its commemoration calendar...and here she is today on Lent Madness!
Thank YOU Heidi for doining this . . . and the timining, right before the DOL Centennial is perfect (although sequestration is no help). You've help educate a lot a people about Secretary Perkins, and also about the work of her department. I'm in the Frances Perkins Federal Office Building today, helping to instal a new permanent exhibit about her in conjunction with our centennial. And we will also be working on projects this year with the Frances Perkins Center. She's an extraordinary example of the good that public servants can do in our country, andshe remains a patron saint to many of us at the department. If you haven't had the chance, take a look at what former Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis wrote about her on Labor Day, 2012: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/remembering-the-legacy-of-saint-frances-perkins-this-labor-day/2012/09/01/fdba103e-f462-11e1-adc6-87dfa8eff430_blog.html
What a wonderful way to learn about our saints! Being from the Big Pineapple, I was saddened by the negative comments about Hawaii's "rallying" last year, but Lent Madness accomplished exactly what it was designed to do and continues to do--- more people are learning about some lesser known saints (whose lives are no less courageous and inspiring as some of the more "famous" ones) in a weirdly exciting way...and the longer they stay in play, the more is learned about them by more people! Because of Lent Madness, I learned about Frances Perkins today and deeply admire her, but yes, I am voting for Damien, not because of his ties to Hawai'i, but because of his humble dedication, love, devotion and ultimate sacrifice to a people whom the world turned their backs on, all in the name of Jesus Christ. Now that is saintly!
Please don't take the negative comments too seriously . . . probably some people are just jealous, and others in awe of what Hawai'i can do! I, for one, hope Hawai'i will come together again to vote for Damien.
🙂
What a great pairing! But as a layperson and longtime employee of a state government agency, I have to vote for Frances Perkins. I knew who she was and her impact on American government and society (I'm an American historian), but I knew nothing about the strong faith that motivated her work. What a model for us all!
Wow! The most difficult toss-up yet! I grew up relatively near Carville, La hearing about the "leper hospital." I found out recently that family members of friends and acquaintances were patients there, but of course, no one talked about it. The Sisters of Mount Carmel, where I went to school, frequently told us about the wonderful work of Father Damien. Yet Frances! In today's climate...were there more of her! !!! I have not voted early, but may I vote for both?????
I love Lobsters, but having read a lot about the horrors of the leper colony and the difference it made to those condemned to inhabit that bit of rock to have someone willing to live there of his own free will to serve them (wow, this is a sentence and a half I have going here!) I will vote for Damien. And the conceit of those who thought him unintelligent and thus useless, well I never!!
Damien is obviously a true saint. But my vote went to Frances, and I thank the SEC for including her this year.
For those who would like to read more about her, I highly recommend Kirstin Downey's book "The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR's Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience." It's a great read, and does include an account of her religious convictions and journey. (She was raised in the Congregational Church in New England, but was confirmed in the Episcopal Church while living in the Chicago area and working with Jane Addams and the Settlement House movement.) Here is a review of the book from NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102959041
It took decades for our country to get laws in place limiting child labor. Social Security, workers' compensation--so much we take for granted, but we shouldn't; it could easily have gone the other way. Charity is good, but addressing the institutional roots of poverty and oppression is even better.
The FDR administration was on verge of giving up on these issues as just too hard. She pushed him forward, and as the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet, she faced a lot of discrimination and dismissal from the guys.
I do believe the horror of the Triangle fire never left her mind; she was a direct witness to those poor girls jumping from the top floors of the factory their deaths to escape the flames. Her work was certainly based too in her faith, and she spent many of her vacation hours on retreat with the sisters.
Many of my activist / labor don't even know she was a Christian; I'm proud to claim that and to say also that she was an Episcopalian. Go Frances! May we learn from her and follow her example of how to make lasting and helpful social change for the child, the orphan, the widow, the poor, the worker, and anyone in need.
Thanks for your comments. I hadn't realized the connection with Jane Addams.
I voted for my co-religionist.
Couple of wonderful saints here! Thanks for helping us all learn so much about them.
Unrelated suggestion for an entrant next year: Thurgood Marshall.
Thank you Tom! At a time when our federal servants are under fire, it is heartening to know that a couple of them made it into HWHM. And I voted for Frances.
Frances, my modern hero, gets my vote for living out her Episcopalian faith.
As a non-socialist, I had steer away from Francis, and Molokai was such an admirable option for me. Such sacrifice, risking himself over and over.
Our debt to Frances is incalculable. But Damien jumped into the fire with his brothers and sisters, giving up his life for his friends. Gotta go with the sacrificial lamb.
OK, I voted for Fr. Damien because he really did put his life on the line (and he was losing). But Frances Perkins is worthy of some sort of halo--silver?
Thanks for introducing her.
Oy! The ferrets have been at it again!
While both candidates seem worthy I can't vote for Francis as I suspect she was a Red Sox fan.
And since she likely cheered for the BoSox, all the more reason to vote for her! And the rhythmic chanting begins, " Lob-stah! Lob-stah! Lob-stah!"
I know very little about Frances Perkins but her story resonates with me as one I might be able to emulate. Still I must vote for Fr Damien for his faithful courage in immersing himself among the sick and dieing, risking and ultimately giving his own life.
Once again, another difficult choice. While both are deserving of our votes, I had to give my loyalty to my sister, Frances, who stated she went to Washington to "serve, God, FDR, and the plain, common workingmen." Too bad the same can't be said of most of Washington today.
...and good luck to her against MLK next round!
I want to vote fo both!
Even Lent Madness seems to prefer extroverts...
Don't worry about the other critics, this is good fun and a great way to learn about great people. However, while admittedly a Roman Catholic, today's vote and several of the comments make me wander it my Anglican Rite brothers and sisters are showing some anti-Roman Catholic sentiments. C'mon the guy voluntarily gave up his life among the poor, not having dinner with the Washington crowd - have you seen Hyde Park on the Hudson? By the way, Bill Murray's sister is a Roman Catholic sister! Do they lose points for that?!