"Wait, St. Swithun was a real person?" We get that a lot. "Wait, Molly Brant was a real person?" We never get that. Nonetheless, welcome to the first and only Saturday match-up of Lent Madness 2015. Go ahead, sleep late and dally over your coffee while you read about these two saintly souls. But don't get used to it: after today's battle, voting will return bright and early on Monday morning with Hadewijch facing off against Juan Diego.
In yesterday's action, David Oakerhater stunned Teresa of Avila in the first major upset of the season. In heavy voting (another day, another record total), David scored 60% of the vote to Teresa's 40% and will go on to face the winner of William Laud vs. King Kamehameha in the Saintly Sixteen.
Yes, folks, it's called Lent Madness for a reason. If your bracket is busted, you're not alone. But stick around -- the real goal is to learn about some amazing people, not to "win" Lent. Of course if you do stand victorious at the end of the season, you have every right to gloat. In a loving, Christian kind of way, of course.
As long as you're enjoying a leisurely morning, why not listen to Tim chatting about all things Lent Madness from yesterday's edition of Boston Public Radio? Click here and then scroll to 1:28 of the broadcast to catch the only segment that really matters.
Swithun
Saint Swithun, often humorously referenced as the patron of the generic country church “in the field” or "in the swamp," was an actual Anglo-Saxon bishop and was enshrined at Winchester Cathedral. He is revered for posthumous miracle working and is believed to hold sway over the weather, especially the rain. According to tradition, the weather on his feast day of July 15 continues for forty days. And Californians, take note: Saint Swithun can also be prayed to for the relief of drought.
Swithun was a pious Bishop of Winchester in the ninth century. He convinced King Æthelwulf to bequeath a tenth of his royal lands to the Church, and with those lands Swithun built and restored churches with noted zeal. The king relied on the revered bishop for spiritual counsel, while another bishop advised him on temporal matters. Swithun was known as a friend of the poor who traveled his diocese on foot. A single miracle was attributed to the bishop while he was alive. Workmen were said to have maliciously broken an old woman’s eggs. He picked them up, and they were miraculously restored.
Very little else of his life was recorded, and the history of his bodily remains was most notable to his sainthood. He died on July 2, 862. On his deathbed the bishop was said to have begged to be buried outside where people might pass over his grave and raindrops fall upon it. Consequently, British lore holds that Saint Swithun’s day foretells the weather.
July, it will rain for 40 days.
For forty days it will remain:
St. Swithun’s day if thou be fair:
For forty days ‘twill rain nae mare.
More than a hundred years after his death, Swithun was made patron of Winchester Cathedral. His body was transferred from its earthen grave to Æthelwold’s new cathedral, and the move was accompanied by many reported miracles. Subsequently, his body was divided among a number of smaller shrines. His head was taken to Canterbury Cathedral, while Peterborough Abbey came to be in possession of one arm. The Winchester shrine to Swithun was demolished in 1538 during the English Reformation, but a modern representation of it was rebuilt in the cathedral, so one can still visit with pleas for rain and egg repair.
Collect for Swithun
Almighty God, by whose grace we celebrate again the feast of your servant Swithun: grant that, as he governed with gentleness the people committed to his care, so we, rejoicing in our Christian inheritance, may always seek to build up your Church in unity and love; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Molly Brant (Konwatsijayenni “Someone Lends Her a Flower”)
Molly Brant was born in 1736 along the Mohawk River in present-day central New York. In an age when women, much less Native American women, rarely had a voice in public discourse, Molly Brant became a well-regarded Mohawk leader, helping to promote peaceful relations between the Iroquois nation and the British government during the Revolutionary War era. A dedicated Anglican, she came to be known by the Church as the “Witness to the Faith Among the Mohawks.”
Raised in the Ohio Territory, Molly Brant returned to her native village, where she quickly established herself as a leader among the Mohawk Nation. She sought to draw fellow Mohawks into the Anglican faith without dismissing their native culture and spirituality. Her work garnered the attention of Sir William Johnson, a widower and the superintendent of Northern Indian Affairs. She became his common-law wife, and together, they had nine children. As Johnson’s wife, Brant served as an influential and authoritative voice of the Iroquois people in dealing with the British and an essential factor in Johnson’s reception as superintendent among Native Americans. The respect and esteem the British held for Brant was not only unique during that era but it was also key to preserving peaceful relations between the two nations and cultures.
During the American Revolution, Brant remained loyal to Great Britain, providing lodging and food to British soldiers and uniting four of the six Iroquois nations as Loyalists. Two years into the war, she and her family were forced to flee to Onondaga, where she remained until the war’s end in order to avoid imprisonment by the Patriots. Despite her forced relocation, Brant continued to work for harmony among the Iroquois people and their European neighbors. Her deft leadership led one commander of the British military to declare that Brant was “far superior to that of all their chiefs put together.”
Upon the surrender of the British in Yorktown, Virginia, in 1783, Brant moved with her family to Cataraqui in Canada’s province of Ontario, where she served as a founding member of both the town of Kingston and its first Anglican church. She remained near Kingston until her death in 1796.
Collect for Molly Brant
Maker and lover of all creation, you endued Molly Brant with the gifts of justice and loyalty, and made her a wise and prudent clan mother in the household of the Mohawk nation: Draw us also toward the goal of our faith, that we may at last attain the full dignity of our nature in our true native land, where with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Vote!
[poll id="110"]
279 comments on “Swithun vs. Molly Brant”
This was tough. On my first visit to Winchester I stayed with the secretary to the Dean and spent much time in the Cathedral. I love St. Swithen. But I am impressed by Molly Brant for the role she was able to play both as a woman and a native american at that time in history. It's quite remarkable, not in regards to her abilities, but in her acceptance by a male-dominated, anti-native culture.
May St Swithun rest in pieces all over the UK, and may California receive rain; despite my vote for Molly Brant. She put much effort into her mission while still alive....and while bearing children.
Molly Brant, daughter of a D.A.R. that I am.
As a first-timer in Lent Madness, I was devastated yesterday to see one of my all-time favorite saints, Theresa of Avila, get defeated. Fortunately I bounced back enough to return and voted today for Molly. She earned my vote for geographical reasons -- though seemingly capricious, maybe as good as any -- since I spent growing-up years in New York State where part of our 7th grade state history included learning about the Iroquois. Having 9 children in a common law marriage while spreading the Anglican message seemed perfectly subversive, and that held appeal! Further, she ended up in Canada, and that gave me another geographical reason to love her since my mother was Canadian, and I spent much time in New Denmark, New Brunswick while growing up. One geographical detail was not clear, however: Did she go to the Onondaga tribe or to what was then a place called Onondaga? (I lived in Onondaga County from age 8 to 19)
Loved reading people's messages and learning more. Last year, Lent Madness seemed a bit too "superficial," but happily, this year I'm more grounded as my paean to geography attests!
Blessings to all you saints here on earth and to those at rest in "our true native land with Thee"!
Judy
This is my first Lent Madness, & I'm enjoying it tremendously. My choice of St. Teresa wasn't the majority's choice, & it seems that today's choice of St. Swithun is going down to defeat as well. I'm bemused [confused]? Lol....seems modern is trumping centuries of church history.
We belong to a little mission church in Forks, Washington that is St. Swithin's. So our vote is for St. Swithun. We know a little about rain here. We get about 120 inches of rain a year. Go St. Swithin!
We need to convince Bishop Rickel to encourage Big Evergreen to rise up to support Swithun.
My guess is that most people, upon hearing there is a Forks, Washington, say, "Forks is a real place?" Yes, Forks existed long before silly vampire movies.
The link to vote was not operative. So I could not vote. But if I had been able to vote, much as I was moved by the story of Molly Brant, I would have voted to Swithin. I've referred to "St. Swithin's by the Swamp" for so long, I just had to vote for him.
You can vote at the top of this page, just before the comments begin.
Molly Brant was a truly remarkable woman; she got my vote--Loyalist or note! She appears to be a ball of fire. She took good care of her own family, her Native American family, and her British family. When she spoke, people listened; in Robert S. Grumet's "Northeastern Indian Lives, 1632–1816,"it is said of her that ". . . one word from her is more taken notice of by the Five [Iroquois] Nations than a thousand from any white man without exception." An amazing occurrence in that that time.
Molly Brant was a truly remarkable woman; she got my vote--Loyalist or note! She
appears to be a ball of fire. She took good care of her own family, her Native American
family, and her British family. When she spoke, people listened; in Robert S. Grumet's
"Northeastern Indian Lives, 1632–1816,"it is said of her that ". . . one word from her is
more taken notice of by the Five [Iroquois] Nations than a thousand from any white man
without exception." An amazing occurrence in that that time.
The Oakerhater victory was one of sentimental sympathy for Indians (patronizing?)--since objective comparison is one of apples and oranges. Theresa's legacy to history has been profound while Oakerhater is unknown outside Episcopalian circles (and not well known within them). If Brant likewise scores a victory, "lent madness" has become inane. Consort of Johnson, her legacy to "church" (or history) is non-existent.
Those observations aside, the system wouldn't let me vote today. Where one casts a vote appears the following: [poll id="110"]
You can't vote in the email - you have to go to http://www.lentmadness.org
Oakerhater's victory was not one of "sentimental sympathy", but of recognition of a great man of God who served the Gospel mightily. And as for the apples and oranges, that has always been a feature of Lent Madness. The point is not to match up similar saints, but to make the less familiar saints known. You said "Teresa's legacy to history has been profound while Oakerhater is unknown outside Episcopalian circles (and not well known within them)". You are correct. But should the Bracket contain only the names of well known saints? That would defeat one of the purposes of Lent Madness, which is to teach us about the saints, famous and obscure. Also, if fame is the required proof of sainthood, then why do we celebrate All Saints Day, which specifically honors all those, known and unknown, who have given their all for Christ?
The love and service to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the common focus of all the saints not only in the chaos of Lent Madness, but in all times and in all places. In spite of the history and cultural context of various saints, we, participants in LM, get to choose the "The Saint of the Day". Oh Joy! Oh torture!
So. Today I choose St. Swithun with a prayer for the end of the drought in California and a prayer for the end of the snow in the East. Amen.
Well, I love the idea of St. Swithun and the relief of drought, but, since I typically try to go to England in July, I prefer no rain! Molly it is for me....
How great to see our Native American brother & sister honored in the brackets! Also, the pairing of 'traditional' & 'modern' folks provides the opportunity to think/pray beyond the differences to the commonalities breathed into their lives by the Spirit & shown forth in their obedience, faithfulness, & compassion. Tim & Scott -- Thanks for the inspired fun of Lent Madness!!!
The SEC just loves to make this as difficult as possible!!!! Once again two great choices. It is amazing to me that there is so much to learn about so many inspiring people. Tim & Scott really help make Lent a fun experience along with the serious side.
St. Swithun was so influential and revered he was buried in several places! Everyone wanted a "piece" of the action! GO ST. SWITHUN
A woman who was a leader of her tribe and in the church, who worked for peace and understanding between peoples and religions? Molly definitely gets my vote.
Swithun sounds like a peaceful guy, simple and literally down to earth, looking toward the sky and treasuring the rain drops. That sounds like peace-making on a transcendental level. We don't know much about him; he was too humble to make news. This is how I imagine him, even though he may have been quite a firebrand in his leadership role. I prefer to think of the solid ground and the cool rain. Cast a quiet vote for Swithun.
Perhaps we should ask St. Swithun to address the weather in the Northeast US
I am not able to vote today. Instead of listing candidate(Swithun and Brant)s and providing a vote button I get (poll id="110").
Is the fix in?
You must go to the website to vote.
Maybe the reminder that one needs to actually visit lentmadness.org in order to vote could be reiterated in a prominent font size and weight in the next update from the Supreme Executive Council of Lent Madness, since a number of people are confused about where the polling place is located. By putting the reminder in large and thick lettering it might help it to be read, marked, learned, and inwardly digested by the would-be voters of Lent Madness.
My sentiments as well 🙂
Internet Explorer has had a problem since yesterday. They are working on it. In the meantime try another browser. Google Chrome (which I find somewhat annoying) is working as well as other browsers.
I am on Team Molly! (And just so you know, from the English perspective, George III was not liked by the British folks as his behavior was so bizarre -- see "The Madness of King George"-- and because he was actually German (House of Hanover). There were folks in England who saw the revolutionaries as great patriots).
Think of Molly as a Mohawk, then; she was never really "English", she was Native, not Colonial.
Voted for Molly for many reasons. The 1997 biography of her, Molly Brant: A Legacy of Her Own, describes the subtlety of her actions and the grace with which she guided her families. (Sadly, this resource is not included in the Wikipedia article about her.) The picture it paints is nothing less than what a life of faith looks like.
Also, she comes from a very interesting neighborhood. Within 10 miles of her homestead you will find the Shrine of the North American Martyrs (Jesuits) at Auriesville, NY, and the birthplace of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American baptized in North America. Auriesville features a remarkable basilica, built as a "circus" church with 360 degree seating and a three decker "Wedding cake" altar construction.
Since her canonization, the Shrine to Kateri at Fonda, NY, has been nicely restored, and includes a surprisingly interesting little basement museum. It is worth the short drive to see the site of the long house village in which she lived.
We have worshipped many times at the Johnson "family" church, St. John's in Johnstown, NY, founded by Molly Brant's "consort," William Johnson.
The first Episcopal mission in Wisconsin was among the Oneida (and still exists today as Church of the Holy Apostles, Oneida in the Diocese of Fond du Lac), so today I had to go with their Six Nations cousin Molly Brant.
I'm surprised at all the anti-British sentiment expressed by people who declare their vote went to St Swithun, another loyal Brit. Did I miss the memo that the UK and the USA are enemies, still? Amused at our reasoning in making our choices.
I agree. I am surprised too.
Thank you, Danielle. As a Canadian who has never been made to feel like I'm "intruding" on LM, I have been saddened by the ugly-Americanism that this pairing has brought out of the woodwork, as if supporting the American Revolution were some kind of Christian virtue. I can report that at the Society of Catholic Priests provincial conference in Toronto last fall, the Canadian BCP (1959) was used for the offices, and the Queen was duly prayed for by all officiants, whether Canadian or American, so I think it's all water under the bridge!
It may be worth noting that Mohawk are less likely to identify as Canadian compared to some First Nations. For example, they tend not to vote in Canadian elections so as not to get mixed up in the affairs of what they see as another nation. They have tended to look to the Crown as their treaty partner, and given the ups and downs of the treatment they have received at the hands of various settler governments-of-the-day, I can hardly blame them.
There are two "chapels royal" outside the British Isles and both are on Mohawk territories within the borders of the province of Ontario. I was privileged to attend the Mass celebrated by National Indigenous Bishop Mark MacDonald for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee at the chapel royal in Oshweken, Six Nations. (The Six Nations reserve even has an Orange Lodge, which is a bit much even for me!)
So many American Christians seem to regard the Revolution as some sort of Holy War fought between the True Believers (Patriots) and the Infidels (Loyalists). The fact is, there were devout, committed Christians on both sides of the conflict (as well as Deists, Jews, Atheists, Native Traditionalists, etc.). To hold Molly's Loyalism against her is to have a very narrow attitude.
It is not Molly's Loyalism that bothers me, but her slaveholding. Even in the context of her time, this is not the peace-loving, faith-building, people-supporting witness one might hope for.
Her slaveholding is indeed disappointing, and I admit it was news to me. So often our saints are not paragons of exemplary Christian perfection but reminders that God works through even the most broken of clay jars.
I also agree with you, Danielle. This is unfortunate and quite surprising. I am a Canadian with British roots, but that is not the main reason I voted for Molly. My vote was because a) she is a woman, b) she worked towards peace, and c) she did not deny her native roots. Saint Swithun's thing about the rain leans too far into superstition for me.
I absolutely had to vote for St. Swithun, because at one time I served as chaplain at Forks Community Hospital in Forks, WA - supposed site of the Twilight novels, but also one of the rainiest communities in the continental US and the location of a real St. Swithin's Episcopal Church (different spelling, same saint).
The way the weather's been lately, my choice is Swithun! Pray for us frozen chosen!
St. Swithun, in part because I learned about him from the Rt. Rev. Charles Longest, but also because we definitely need help in the current winter weather, and most importantly, because my hens - Frances, Faith, Felicity, Fiona, and Fredell - told me to vote for Swithun!
it won't let me vote....dI want to vote for St Swithun.
it won't let me vote....it said "poll 110" dI want to vote for St Swithun.
Are you trying to vote via email? If so . . . sorry, you can't do that. To vote you need to go to LentMadness.org and find the post with the biographies of Swithun and Molly, click the "more" button, and then after reading the full post, locate the voting buttons (right above the first comment) and VOTE.
Go, Swithun! We so desperately need rain in California that I can't resist voting for a guy who ends droughts!
Voting for Molly due to her role in the history of my locality . And to remind myself that politics may divide, but in Christ we are One.
Molly Brant is buried at St. Paul's Church in Kingston, Ontaario and has a large memorial plaque in St. George's Anglican Cathedral. Having been born in England and now living amongst loyal descendants of Loyalists, I vote for Molly and invite all Swithinites to visit Kingston when the weather changes!