443 comments on “Accepting Nominations!”

1. Oscar Romero
   Juan Diego
   Athanasius

2. Blessed Astonishing Christina because, well, she's astonishing . . . and silly.

3. Oscar Romero, Padre Pio, St. Rose of Lima, San Martin de Porres.

4. I'd like to see my gal Julian of Norwich in the list.

5. And Raymond Nonnatus, because my wife loves Call the Midwife.

6. I nominate St Blase (Blaise), 4th Century Bishop of Dubrovnik, known for his miraculous cures of throat ailments and his ability to cure animals of illness. Legend says he was martyred by the Romans. They located the cave in which he had taken shelter because the many animals he cared for were lurking outside.

7. André Bessette, (9 August 1845 – 6 January 1937), more commonly known as Brother André, and since his canonization as St. André of Montreal, was a lay brother of the Congregation of Holy Cross and a significant figure of the Roman Catholic Church among French-Canadians, credited with thousands of reported miraculous healings. He was declared venerable in 1978 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1982. Pope Benedict XVI approved the decree of sainthood for Blessed André on February 19, 2010, with the formal canonization taking place on October 17, 2010.

8. Oh, and Julian of Norwich.

9. St Columba - who still inspires the Iona Community to send people out to carry the word of the gospel to every creature.
   Eglantine Jebb - remembered in the C of E calendar on 17th December. She trained as a teacher, discovered she couldn't stand the 'little wretches' and went on to found Save the Children in response to the plight of refugees in the First World War. She then fought for the rights of the child to be recognised through her Children's Charter which is the basis on the UN Rights of the Child. Plus she has such a great name
   Anselm of Canterbury
   Julian of Norwich

10. I nominate the incomparable Christina Georgina Rossetti, nineteenth-century poet of religious symbolism.

11. Okay guys- you say you want someone either ancient or modern- how about someone immortal, as in NOT mortal or even human? St. Gabriel! When we suggested him/her last year, you had the audacity to put Gabe up for early voting against the almighty unbeatable Francis at the National Episcopal Youth event! Guess what happened! We think our beloved Angel-in- residence deserves a second shot without Francis in the running. Let's do this right for 2016----remember, Gabriel has Mary's ear.....

12. Dame Julian of Norwich...for her beautiful writings on God's eternal love and her famous "showing": "I can make all things well; I will make all things well; I shall make all things well; and thou canst see for thyself that all manner of things shall be well."

13. I nominate St. Carantoc. I had never heard of him until I was asked to preach and celebrate on his feast day at St. Carantoc's Anglican Church in Francistown, Botswana, several years ago. Anyone who puts a stone cross on a boat and is surprised the boat sinks and then sees this as a call to build a church nearby deserves to be in this competition!

14. I greatly enjoyed participating this year and regularly updating my colleagues about wins and losses. All of us regretted the failure of Hildegard to make it out of the first round so you will see that she is back on our list. I was extremely pleased with the ultimate winner as his saint day is my birthday, hence a natural affinity!

15. I failed to make nominations before I posted my comment. Nominations are:
    HIldegard of Bingen, Mechthild of Brandenburg, Marguerite Porete, Evelyn Underhill, George McDonald, Meister Eckhart, Julean of Norwich, St. Augustine, John XXIII, Pope Francis, Jimmy Carter, St. Alquin, Sir Thomas More

16. I nominate Clarence Jordan. Meet him here:
    http://followingjesus.org/companions/jordan.htm

    and here:
    http://www.koinoniapartners.org/clarence/

17. Saint Botolph, patron saint of wayfarers and travelers .. discovered when I was traveling .. http://www.botolph.org.uk/who-was-st-botolph/
    Richard Hooker .. the theologian not MASH author
    Julian of Norwich .. seen her name on some prayer memes I like
    St Columba .. Iona is still on my bucket list
    Thomas Becket .. devote yourself to a new job and it's not appreciated
    John Bunyan .. not related to Paul .. I know his famous work's title - The Pilgrim's Progress - from its inclusion in Little Women, but nothing about him

    1. St. Botolph indeed! I was christened at St. Botolph's in the village of Chevening, county of Kent.

18. I suggest Ann Hutchinson who was accused of heresy because she (a mere woman) dared to lead a bible study and some men (gasp) attended. One of the first settlers and one of the first truly independent thinkers of this country.

19. Boniface
    Lioba

20. Paul Jones
    William Temple
    Dorothy Day
    John Cassian
    Augustine of Hippo
    Isaac of Nineveh
    Benedict
    Mark the Evangelist

    And, I would love to see William Stringfellow, who has been put forth in Great Cloud of Witnesses as someone who should be held in the churches memory as someone "worthy of commemoration" despite not meeting the “reasonable passage of time” guideline yet.

21. I nominate St. Genesius of Rome, patron saint of actors, comedians, converts, dancers, musicians, and sundry non-creative types including lawyers and stenographers (go figure!). His on-stage conversion to Christianity so enraged Diocletian that he ordered him dragged from the stage, tortured and ultimately beheaded for his refused to denounce his new faith.

22. Ignatius of Antioch!- first Bishop of Antioch, Apostolic Father, writer of Epistles, martyr
    Brother Lawrence (Practice of the presence of God)
    Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers)
    Julian of Norwich

23. I nominate Anthony Benezet (1713-1784). The American historian Garry Wills says Benezet is "the one unquestionably authentic American saint". He was born in France but moved at age 18 with his family to Philadelphia. Benezet is not well known now but in his day he was influential in the American colonies, Europe, and the Caribbean. He was described as a short, ugly, humble school teacher. But he was formidable when advocating for all disenfranchised groups such as blacks, women, Indians, and Acadians. He started schools for blacks and women - in the 1700s in America!!! He petitioned the state assembly to allow Acadians, who had been kicked out of Nova Scotia, to enter the city. He climbed aboard vessels in the harbor to care for Acadians (he and spoke Acadian). .He took the Acadian girls into his girls' school. Not only did he advocate for disenfranchised groups, he befriended them and raised funds to help them. He was a tireless opponent of slavery who influenced and equipped many notable people of his time to oppose slavery (although he was unable to convince Anglicans to give up their interpretation of the Bible which was that the Bible endorsed slavery). John Wesley borrowed heavily from Benezet's writings is crafting his own arguments against slavery. Benezet's arguments against slavery were widely distributed in Europe and the Caribbean and he personally petitioned the English government to stop the slave trade. His works on slavery were translated into French and German. Benezet intervened multiple times on behalf of the American Indians. He went to peace conferences and got support for treaties. He attacked the Pennsylvania Assembly when it offered rewards for Indian scalps. Like other saints before him, on his deathbed he lamented his lack of achievement saying, "I am dying, and feel ashamed to meet the face of my Master. I have done so little in his cause."

24. Our Thursday Eucharist Group nominates Sarah Joseph Buell Hale (pg. 352 in Holy Women, Holy Men.) We found her story most edifying and inspiring.

25. I most humbly thank the committee for this gracious season of open nominations and place before your holinesses the name of a most excellent and saintly candidate:

    Saint Expedito

    Expedito is truly a saint for our times, helping with those last minute deadlines or to smooth the way for complex calendars. By relieving our schedules of 21st century stress, this second century Armenian martyr may help us reclaim the leisure required for love to flourish.

    You can read all about him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expeditus

26. Having never done this before, I humbly nominate Saint Expedito.
    Thank you!

27. Here is my holy trinity of saintly nominations: St. Bernadette, St. Vincent de Paul, & St. Lucy (aka St. Lucia.) It took quite an effort to limit myself to only three this year. Oh wait, a fourth! With Julian of Norwich I negate my trinity.

28. To: The Supreme Executive Council
    From: Sr. Patricia Angela Jones, AF

    I nominate Padre Junipero Serra for the 2016 brackets. He was beatified in 1988 by Pope John Paul II and will be canonized this Fall by Pope Francis when he makes his visit to the U.S. Serra was an 18th century Spanish Franciscan friar. He was sent as a missionary to a province of New Spain called Alta California.

    Let’s take an imaginary trip together and see his legacy. We’ll start in San Diego, near the Mexican border; our trip will end in San Francisco. It can be driven in two days, but we’ll take longer because we’ll stop at each of the 21 missions he founded. We’ll admire the Spanish colonial architecture with its tile roofs, patios and cloisters. The sanctuaries will be an amazing sight, with art created by Native American converts depicting Bible stories and the life of Christ. But we’ll be quiet—at any time of day there will be worshipers engaged in prayer. These are still active parish churches, many with schools attached. They have been ministering to the faithful for over 200 years.

    The mission grounds also serve as museums showing life in early California. The tanneries, olive presses, and other equipment are still there. Each of them has a cemetery where the Friars are buried, along with their Indian converts and early families who settled the ranchos of California.

    Each one has a gift shop which abounds in Padre Serra kitsch, should our Friar make it to that level. And serious religious art, books, rosaries, and CDs of music composed by the mission Indians.

    It will take us several days to visit all 21, stopping frequently. The missions are located about 30 miles apart, a day’s journey on foot. The road establish by Pdre Serra was known as El Camino Real—the King’s Highway. We know it today as the Pacific Coast highway. The scenery will be spectacular. The highway was the major north-south artery until the Interstate system came into being in the 1950s. We will pass through cities that group up around these missions—San Diego, San Gabriel, Santa Clara, Santa Barbara and a host more.

    In his announcement of Padre Serra’s canonization he made a statement something to the effect that Serra was one of the U.S.’s founding fathers. So there’s a quote if he makes it to that bracket.

    I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Native Americans are less than thrilled about his impending sainthood. They blame him for the loss of indigenous culture and language here in California, and because of their enforced labor on mission lands. It’s a touchy thing, judging another age by our standards.

    Still, I think Padre Serra needs to be better known outside of California, and deserves a chance at the Golden Halo.

    Sr. Patricia Angela, AF Sr.PatriciaAngela@gmail.com

29. I nominate St. Patrick. At our church, we are reading Thomas Cahill's book, "How the Irish Saved Civilization. In it are many things about St. Patrick that I did not know. He was a fascinating man!

30. Two nominations if I might. First, a favorite ancient saint: St. Seraphim. Second, a bit of a stretch perhaps, but as a Notre Dame grad I can't not nominate Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, CSC.