Well, we hope you enjoyed your first foray into the round of Saintly Kitsch. If you didn't, that's a shame since we're all kitsch, all the time here at Lent Madness for the rest of the week.
Yesterday Frances Perkins continued her Cinderella-like run through the bracket defeating Jonathan Daniels in heavy voting to earn a spot in the Faithful Four where she'll face either Hilda of Whitby or Harriet Tubman.
Today it's another trailblazing woman facing off against another modern martyr. Florence Li Tim-Oi made it to the Elate Eight by stomping on Chad of Lichfield in the most lopsided match-up of Lent Madness 2013 and then sailing past Gregory the Great. Oscar Romero emerged victorious in his two previous battles soundly defeating Elizabeth Ann Seton and trouncing Lucy.
Along the way we heard from at least a few Kitsch Kranks -- if we don't, we start to get worried. Among the comments were
"The kitsch thing is distracting...you're trying too hard to be funny."
To which we respond: Kitsch, like Lent Madness, is serious business. Also, we're never funny. We leave that to circus clowns and cats making funny faces on Facebook.
Yesterday's match-up also had someone "quit" Lent Madness for the first time:
"I give up. Obviously PC has governed both the brackets and the voting. When Christ's own apostles are beaten out by simply good people, the humor and fun goes out of the game. I'm glad, however, Jesus was not one of the 'contestants.' He would have lost to a feminist, ecologist, or chicken-raiser. It was fun for a while, but I quit."
First of all, both members of the Supreme Executive Committee use Macs so the statement "Obviously PC has governed both the brackets and the voting" is impossible. Secondly, there are two untouchable in Lent Madness -- you will never see Jesus or Mary in a bracket. Finally, we prefer our saints to be hell-raisers (like John Donne) not chicken-raisers (like whatever you're referring to).
Finally, check out Maple Anglican's Lent Madness video of the day as the Archbishops preview today's match-up and answer viewer mail.
Florence Li Tim-Oi
This much beloved daughter of Lent Madness was baptized as a student and took the name Florence, in honor of Florence Nightingale. She was the first woman ordained to the Anglican priesthood on January 25, 1944. This is her beautiful icon.
The Celebrity Bloggers prayerfully celebrate and thank Florence for her witness and courage as she paved the way for women’s ordination by her faithful ministry and witness. However, Florence has no saintly kitsch. None. Nada. And believe me, if the Celebrity Bloggers and the Supreme Executive C
ommittee couldn’t find kitsch, it simply does not exist.
So, bewailing the lack of anything resembling kitsch or even things oddly funny (we found a calendar, but it was just, well, a calendar), the snark triumvirate of Fr. Tim, Megan, and Laurie combined their respective superpowers and give you the best we have: Famous Flos.
Florence, Italy. The birthplace of the Renaissance, the home to the Medici family (which weren’t all that honorable like our Florence, but they did support many starving artists), and the place where the monk who lambasted immorality and greed (especially in the church) Savonarola was killed and Machiavelli, the political thinker, wrote The Prince.
Florence, Kentucky. It has this awesome water tower.
Florence Jean Castleberry is noted for her servant ministry. Born in Cowtown, Texas, to Edsel and 
Velma, she dropped out of school at 16 and subsequently married three times before finding her true calling as a waitress at Mel’s Diner. She became a confident and spiritual director of many patrons and fellow waitresses alike, most notably Alice. Flo (as she was known) eventually returned to Cowtown and bought a roadside juke joint, naming it Flo’s Yellow Rose. Her main liturgical response to many men and women is, “Kiss my grits.” Flo’s alter-ego, Polly Holliday, is an active member of the Episcopal Church.
Florence Henderson is best known for her role as Mrs. Brady. She was married before and had three daughters, but her former husband was apparently abducted by aliens, as he was never mentioned in the series. Mrs. Brady married Mr. Brady and this group would somehow form a family. That's the way we all became the Brady Bunch. The Brady Bunch, The Brady Bunch. That’s the way we became the Brady Bunch.
You’re singing the theme song now, aren’t you? It will be in your head all day long. You’re welcome.
Florence Nightingale Also a saint, this Florence was born in the afore-mentioned Florence, Italy in the early 19th 
century. She became a nurse and volunteered to serve as a nurse during the Crimean War. Her strict approach to cleanliness and sanitation drastically reduced the death toll in field hospitals, and her leadership and innovation elevated nursing into a profession. Nursing Florence, we might add, has kitsch, like this Andy Warhol-esque tote bag, because…why not?
Yes, yes, we KNOW about Florence + the Machine, about the Jefferson’s maid Florence, and a few others, but we do have day jobs. Sort of.
-- Laurie Brock
Oscar Romero
The RELICS: There are first-order relics. When Romero was killed, he was celebrating mass at the cancer hospice where he lived. His vestments have been preserved, and can be viewed in San Salvador, (or online, at the Romero Trust, here). His body, on the other hand….
So we know Romero was killed by a death squad member. But we don't know who. And lo these thirty years later, we still don't really know for sure. (Though, there 
be many theories). After his death, his funeral was held on Palm Sunday, March 30 (appropriate.) It was a huge event, with thousands flocking to the cathedral, and TV crews broadcasting it around the world. During the service, the army threw smoke grenades into the crowd, then opened fire on the mourners. Over 40 people were killed by the end. The service was never finished, and Romero ended up hastily buried under the cathedral. When Rome recognized that there was a case for canonization, Romero was re-buried in a nicer (read: an actual) grave. As the government feared, this site has become a place of pilgrimage for many, including Pope John Paul II, and President Obama.
Less Upsetting Kitsch:
The MOVIE: Romero, with Raul Julia, made in 1989. Gomez Adams, as you have long wished to see him! (The whole thing can be viewed in really bad quality on YouTube. Or, if you wish, it is also available on Amazon, as are all things, save salvation). It is very heartfelt, and quite moving.
Fortuitously, the casting of Raul Julia means that the saint Romero is name-checked in Mystery Science Theatre 3000: Overdrawn at the Memory Bank, a movie 
ALSO starring Raul Julia. Yes, even Tom Servo and Crow know and appreciate the good archbishop.
The MUSICAL! And not just any musical: a children's musical. Here, at long last, is an activity for that bored Sunday School class! Awesomely, when you buy the rights, the music or the backing track, the proceeds all go to development projects in El Salvador.
There are SONGS! Namely, the Martyrs' Project has a rather good song, with lyrics entirely taken from the Archbishop's sermons and prayers. The video is here (scroll to the bottom), and is also comprised of footage of that time of war.
There are STATUES. Like at the National Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. While the Roman Catholics may be late to the game in even officially proclaiming Romero a martyr, we Episcopalians have no such compunction. Martyrs are martyrs, y'all.
And, of course, there are T-SHIRTS, BUMPER STICKERS, MURALS....
In all seriousness, Romero's face has become as recognizable in Latin America as Washington's or Lincoln's is to us here in the United States. He truly does live on in the Salvadoran people.
Vote!
[poll id="71"]
119 comments on “Florence Li Tim-Oi vs. Oscar Romero”
I have to protest the abuse of chicken raisers. I raise chickens and provide my neighbors & friends with fresh pasture-raised eggs. Neither I nor my girls (hens) stink, thank you very much!! Now, big ag egg farms are a different story, but surely none of these wonderful saints would participate in something so ugly!!
Chickens are fun to raise. Their eggs are delicious and I love to share them with family and neighbors. While I prefer very local eggs, it is Big Ag who feeds millions of people.
My daughter brought me a green stole from El Salvador with a portrait of the archbishop on it and I have a weakness for clergy who are murdered in the middle of celebrating the Eucharist. That said, I hate to vote against Florence and until today hadn't yet. Oh well, it's madness!
However well Bp. Romero does in the brackets, the Episcopal Church is ahead of the martyr's own denomination in recognizing him as a saint: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1301251.htm
Excellent comment. Hear! Hear!
Kitsch Krank here!!Lost mojo to vote...then read all the comments and became inspired..fabulous blog community..Voted Oscar Romero. Don't let IQLM quit. You need us!!
True that! LM offers up a daily helping of provocative, touching, amusing fat-free goodness. The saints--the ole timey sainty saints and the newer-minted color photo saints--witness this, golden halos already in place, with delight. Hang in there, ye who would quit. Vote every day, comment, share your passion, whether it's ire or joy. LM needs kvetchers and kranks as much as it needs kitsch!
Thank you, Christine! I just copied down that quote by hand because it is so beautiful.
Conversely, we in LM need IQLM to keep us seriously sober. Or, is it possible to be simulataneously silly AND sober during Lent Madness?
Anyone else secretly saying alleluia! during Lent? Shhh...don't admit it when the SEC is looking...
Ha- yes! Caught me -- I almost did - seriously! - when I found out there was no Li Tim-Oi kitsch to sully her story. Beautiful stained glass images and glorious dahlias don't really count as kitsch IMHO -- missing the tacky factor.
"All-"...er, I mean..."All together now: yaaay!"
Well, then neither should a statue at the National Cathedral count as kitsch!
I agree. But I am happy that some CB's push the boundaries and include items of beauty that incarnate their saints as well as the ultra-tacky stuff. Both bring us into a sense of awe and wonder, from slightly different directions:
Rxn to Beautiful Thing: "Ooh...aah...ohhh" (awe and wonder)
Rxn to Kitsch: "Aww...I wonder what sort of twisted individual came up with..."
Sometimes they overlap - when something is so awful it is awesome, recognized by the thought "I GOTTA get me one of those..."
Oscar all the way today!
Harder and harder it gets ... but my mind was made up from the beginning. Oscar Romero was my constant companion while I served as a missionary in Sudan, and I cannot abandon him now ...
Really friends, it gets easier if ya stick with the theme of the round... kitsch... You might sleep better at night if you let go of the serious, folks... it's madness...
Voted for Oscar. Betting (in my head, obviously) that he'll go on and win the whole thing. Loved Li Tim Oi's story and so glad she made it this far.
Laurie, I am laughing so hard about the Florence KY water tower. I lived there during high school and remember when the tower was painted. It originally said Florence Mall, to landmark the brand-spankin' new mall that opened next to it (and that was a VERY big deal). Someone objected to use of the name and so the frugal town officials decided to doctor the sign rather than repaint the whole thing and hence was born the infamous and very kitschy "Florence Y'all" water tower. And now, thanks to you, it's achieved world-wide fame. Florence KY is now on the map!
You're welcome! I was glad to give a city in my diocese a shout-out! I'm glad it made you laugh. I say that laughter and tears are two of God's favorite prayers (and some of our most honest prayers, too).
I'm still scratching my head over yesterday's vote. As a Methodist, I knew nothing about Florence and was glad to learn about this fine woman, but I must vote for Father Romero. By the way, why hasn't John Wesley appeared in Lent Madness yet. Charles has but not John. SEC-look to you 2014 brackets.
Poor Florence: loved by the people she served with courage and grace, but mostly ignored by the church once it became possible to replace her. Perhaps the best kitsch is simply the embarrassment of church leaders who couldn't hide her away and had to own up to ordaining a woman as a priest. This spring I will plant a Li Tim-Oi dahlia in my garden. It will be my "golden halo" (red, actually) to her.
I thought I would vote for Florence but I decided to vote for Oscar Romero. The comments were especially helpful today.
Have been reading in "The Violence of Love" since beginning Lent Madness and voting for Oscar Romero early on, hoping he would "go all the way." The book became my Lenten meditation book this year, unintentionally, but there you have it. The Holy Spirit at work. Must vote for Oscar Romero today. Love you Florence!
Glad the Church Triumphant are praying for us down here when we grieve the ouster of one of our favorites. It's hard to take. Not hard like when Arsenal are eliminated from the Champion's League, but hard just the same.
I tend to take these things very seriously, so I just remind myself that no matter what happens in LM, all the saints here have already won. Had to steel myself to vote "against" an Anglican, but I did it. I voted for Romero. Mainly because I'll never have the opportunity of punching the faces of those who murdered him.
Today it was Bp. Oscar, much as admire all women in the early struggles for ordination to the priesthood.
PC (the attitude, not the computer) does seem to be running the show this year, but Hey! if that's the criterion people want to use for voting, so be it. This is "Lent Madness", there is no "correct" way to vote. Some cast their ballot after a day of careful consideration, others on a momentary whim. It's all good! But I do agree with Holy Smoke, our history has value too.
I am going to go with FLO.
Here's the information for anyone who wants to plant a dahlia in honor of Florence. She has my vote today and will have an honorary dahlia in my garden this summer!http://myfolia.com/plants/3581-dinner-plate-dahlia-dahlia-pinnata/varieties/114160-florence-li-timoi
I was unaware of the chicken raisers in the bracket. I would have thought that information would have been prime blogging material given the fact that so many of us PC feminist ecologists are voting. If I had known this vital information, my votes perhaps would have been different. Shame on the SEC for keeping this kind of information from the voting masses. That said, I had to go with Romero today... and, now I feel badly for abandoning Florence. LM is going to lead to therapy.
I read the story of Florence Li Tim Oi when she was in the initial rounds. Today I'm voting for Oscar Romero, despite my feminist tendencies. I have to say, though, that the kitschy details related to all things "Florence" do not provide a valid comparison to the virtually kitsch-less details about Oscar Romero. Vestments stained by blood and fear are not kitsch.
I'm not dropping out. I haven't had time to vote every day, and I expect the SEC has already composed the kitsch for the remaining saints in this bracket. As a result, this request may be too late: Drop the kitsch, please.
Laurie,
You, from Alabama, left out Florence, AL, one of the tri-cities "up north." Turn in your houndstooth hat! To the Lent Madness quitter: Get a life!
As a Presbyterian then Unitarian who has finally found a home in the Episcopalian church, I thank you for bringing the amazing story of Florence Li Tim-Oi to my attention. She is an inspiration to me, and I am so thankful for her faithfulness, her dedication, and the story of her and pirates. But today I have to just go with my heart, and vote for Oscar Romero.
These brackets just get harder and harder!
This Mac-using feminine, feminist Mc- and wanna-be chicken-raiser (I am trying to grow my own cauliflower), alas, was so moved by the Martyr's project video and song, "Romero," that I must cast my vote with Oscar. However, like my favorite politician, Hillary, I don't think we've seen the last of Florence Oi yet. And I'm ordering her dahlia to plant alongside my cauliflower and boutique variety thyme once I'm done here.
Parting shot: Perhaps if more real men just fed the poor, and helped them to feed themselves buy sponsoring them for flocks of chickens, instead of riding around in jewel-encrusted mitres and red shoes in diocesan (and papal) limos and bullet-proof phone booths, maybe the Universal Church would not be in the crisis it's in now.
Regarding "quitting". I think that the way voting goes has a lot to do with what is going on in our culture at the moment...that is what influences who gets votes. I think that if you removed many of the violent acts that have taken place in the last months, or years, it may put us in a different place spiritually. I think, right now, that many are voting for the voiceless, the people who need to be held up in 2013. Luke needs no such support. He's been around for ~2000 years, he'll still be kickin' it in 2000 more. He will speak to us forever. We need people, in addition to him, who speak to us TODAY. Grace and Peace, y'all!
Voting for Florence. She put herself out in the firing line literally and spiritually for decades.
Maybe it's not kitsch, but there is some gorgeous stained glass dedicated to Florence, her boat and her flower at the University of Waterloo, BC. Click on the link and just breathe it in: https://uwaterloo.ca/renison/news/florence-li-tim-oi-window-dedicated-vancouver-bc
Beautiful! Thanks for posting this!
All this talk of PC suggests folks are making knee-jerk votes. That's not my sense from reading the comments. No matter my vote, the best part for me is hearing people's connections to these saints and how we are moved by them, this great cloud of witnesses.
That said, I understand the disappointment when a favorite is knocked out. They are all worthy, and some who have "lost" are particularly stellar candidates for that halo. I myself was crushed when Absolom Jones lost in round 1 of all things. I hope he gets another shot. So much depends on the match-up.
At the risk of being labeled a Kitsch Krank, I would like to express my sadness that the kitsch this year is simply Not. Very. Kitschy. Where are the bobble-heads? The piggy banks? The light-up bow ties? The CBs and the SEC do, to their credit, make a saintly effort in the desert of kitschlessness. I guess I will have to actively recruit some Kitsch Konnoisseurs to join us next year in order to help the truly kitschiful saints out of the first rounds.
I'm as conflicted about kitsch as I am about pretty much every blessed voting choice. So I squint at what's out there and try to remember the phrase "expressions of popular piety - it's a good thing", rejoice at the lack of kitsch when God has seen fit not to bring any into existence , and always ALWAYS enjoy watching the Celebrity Bloggers contort themselves to earn their vast salaries in this round.
Voted for Romero but it is high time for some Flo-O kitsch. I think I will have to go design a t-shirt, dance, or song ("Do the Flo" it's the new Harlem Shake!).
What a choice. Romero is one of my heroes because I was a reporter when he was murdered and I wrote about him. But Li-Tim-Oi speaks to us about sexism and racism, which is still trying to stay alive and well in the Anglican Communion...right down to the pews of our individual churches. My beloved great-aunt, Aimee Drake, was a teacher at St. Hilda's School in China when Li-Tim-Oi would have been a student someplace. Daily I look at things my aunt brought back from her years there and nothing is as touching as the photos of the children. I vote for Li-Tim-Oi and for a church that continues to grow in grace and understanding. Below is link to a letter written by a friend at the time her icon was presented in London. http://www.ittakesonewoman.org/docs/jubilee_letter.pdf
Thankyou for sharing this powerful reflection on a faithful life- I have learned so much form my first year of LM!