In the penultimate (we love that word here at Lent Madness) matchup of the first round, it's Frances Joseph-Gaudet facing off against John Mason Neale. Six names, two saints, only one will emerge victorious and advance to the next round.
Yesterday Vida Dutton Scudder skated to an easy win over F.D. Maurice, 72% to 28%. She'll face Clare of Assisi in the Saintly Sixteen.
Stay tuned for a special "Tuesday Edition" of Monday Madness in which Tim and Scott wax eloquent(ish) on a variety of Lent Madness topics. It will be epic, as usual.
And finally, if you live in a Super Tuesday state, make your first and most important vote right here at Lent Madness, before heading out to those other polls.
Frances Joseph-Gaudet
Frances Joseph-Gaudet was born 1861 in Holmesville, Mississippi, during the American Civil War. Of Native American and African American parentage, she moved to New Orleans to pursue her education at Straight College. She breathed fire into every aspect of her calling: as an educator, single mother, social worker, principal, philanthropist, and Christian.
Joseph-Gaudet was a game changer in the world of African American prisoners and youth. She sought reform in the conditions and educational opportunities in prisons, and she brought clothes to the incarcerated. Joseph- Gaudet would often attend the juvenile courts, taking responsibility for youth offenders by bringing them into her home. Joseph-Gaudet wrapped these children and mothers in her love and care, giving them a chance at a better life.
When her home became too small for the number of individuals she brought home from the courts, she purchased a small farm that became the Gaudet Colored Normal and Industrial School. Joseph-Gaudet served as its principal until she donated it to the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana where it remained a school until the early 1950s. The building later reopened as the Gaudet Episcopal Home in 1954, as an African American children’s home. In 1966, it closed its doors permanently, but the proceeds from the sale of the land continues to fund scholarships for African American children pursuing higher education.
Joseph-Gaudet later moved to Chicago, Illinois, where she died on December 30, 1934. The Episcopal Church added Joseph-Gaudet to the calendar of saints in 2006 for her work in bringing a voice to all people—black, white, old, and young—in the prisons of the South.
Collect for Frances Joseph-Gaudet
Merciful God, who raised up your servant Frances Joseph-Gaudet to work for prison reform and the education of her people: Grant that we, encouraged by the example of her life, may work for those who are denied the fullness of life by reasons of incarceration and lack of access to education; through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
John Mason Neale
John Mason Neale, the prince of hymn translators, was born in the shadow of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, to an evangelical family in 1818. Neale was deeply influenced by the Oxford Movement, which stressed the apostolic character of the Church of England and sought to put it back in touch with its historical roots. Neale’s imagination was sparked by the vision of a church in touch with the medieval past and alive with the beauty of ornament, architecture, and song.
Neale was ordained a deacon in 1841, but his bishop refused to grant Neale a position based on his theological positions. After finally being ordained a priest, Neale was eventually appointed warden of Sackville College, a home for the elderly poor, in 1846. Refurbishing the chapel from his personal funds, he installed open pews, a rood screen, and two candles and a cross for the altar.
The Bishop of Chichester, offended by this “spiritual haberdashery,” inhibited Neale from functioning as a priest. Stymied, Neale threw himself into translating and writing, while also founding the Sisterhood of Saint Margaret. There were multiple riots because of his theological and liturgical beliefs between 1848 and 1866. His inhibition was formally withdrawn in 1863. Three years later, Neale died from exhaustion at the age of forty-eight on August 6, 1866.
Neale believed deeply in imagination and beauty as pathways to the holy. He won the Setonian Prize for Poetry at Cambridge ten years in a row, and while other members of the Oxford Movement had drawn attention to the old Latin hymns, Neale translated them with a beauty and vigor unsurpassed. Furthermore, he was the first to look eastward and to translate hymns from the great store of Eastern Orthodox materials. Neale communicated his faith with doctrines for the mind, beauty for the senses, and songs for the heart.
Collect for John Mason Neale
Grant, O God, that in all time of our testing we may know your presence and obey your will; that, following the example of your servant John Mason Neale, we may with integrity and courage accomplish what you give us to do, and endure what you give us to bear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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218 comments on “Frances Joseph-Gaudet vs. John Mason Neale”
As an educator of middle schoolers in an urban district, the line between prison and education is crossed too often and too easily. I am going to have to read more about Gaudet. My vote is for her. And I will sing as I serve. "Ransom captive Israel, who mourns in lonely exile here."
I'm a fan of "spiritual haberdashery" but the champion of education and prison reform gets my vote today. Besides, at the end of her life she was a Chicagoan and I tend to vote local.
I love Gaudet but my husband's birthday is on Neale's feast day...
JMN got my vote, in honor of the wonderful Sisters of St. Margaret.
As deacon, I probably should have voted for Frances, but I have been a singer and musician far longer, and without the inspiration of some of the words of J.M. Neale, I might not have heard the call to become a deacon--or had the courage to go forward, so I voted for the poet-priest. Plus, the Sisters of St. Margaret have played a part in my formation. I have a feeling, based on current voting, that I will have another chance to cast my vote for Frances--
I am currently writing my first icon, and had to vote for the man who "looked eastward."
Interesting match-up. Do we value social justice or worship more as an act of discipleship? Social justice trumps all in 21st century America. Wonder how the rest of the world would vote? Much biblical warrant for both views.
Hard choice, inspiring stories about each and many good works, but as a chorister, I have to vote for Neale, who has given me so many beautiful hymns to joyfully sing.
So, yesterday was the antepenultimate contest in the first round!
yes, antepenultimate.
My vote goes to J. M. Neale. The biography gave us a taste of his personality and activities. I'm a fan of spiritual haberdashery and beauty in worship; his doing away with closed pews was daring and right. When I found a list of the hymns he had translated, and realized it contains many of my can't-do-withouts, - not to mention "Good King Wenceslas" - the choice became easy.
"Spiritual haberdashery" and liturgical riots . . . . Really gets my juices flowing! However, I have yo cast my vote for France's Joseph-Gaudet - born into slavery and then worked tirelessly to provide real help for the poor and needy. A good example for us to follow today.
I voted for social action in previous LM pairings, but the singer and musician in me goes with Neale. So many hymns come to mind.
I'm inspired by the woman who breathed fire into her calling. But my vote goes to the author of some of my favorite hymns, whose work helps us worship in the beauty of holiness.
Flanking the west door of our church's nave are wooden carved figures of Our Lady and St. Anne on the Gospel side and Blessed John Mason Neale on the Epistle side. I simply had to vote for him!
What the community does while together in Assembly is what drives and steers the people of God. Social work is good - very good - but the work of the people, in and out of the nave, is better.
As I read about Joseph-Gaudet, I was convinced that there could be no better candidate for the Golden Halo than the woman who came out of humble means and against all odds gave all for the poor, orphans, the prisoners, the outcasts, clearly living fully the life to which Jesus called us. On top of that, she lived and worked in the city of my father and grandmother, and now multiple dear cousins. Then I read about John Mason Neale. The music of the Church is what brought me back after a decade away as a young woman. Without it I would not have discovered my church that invites me to go deeper into a relationship with God and also reach out to the poor, the orphans, the prisoners and the outcasts. I relate to the concept of beauty and imagination as a pathway to God, and the fact that this can be so radical that it may inspire multiple liturgical riots. What a force he was!
Fire breathing ladies who get out there and DO something are my favorites, although I go to St. Margaret's Episcopal Church and love Neale's words. I voted for Frances and am already worried about the rounds of 16 and eight when all my favorites are going to be opposing each other.
All glory, laud, and honor is what drew me to the Episcopal Church, but Joseph-Gaudet faith and commitment won me over on this challenge.
John Mason Neale wore himself out contending for beauty and traditional Christianity. In this era of warehouse churches and trite praise music, the church needs his witness.
It seems like I always pick losers (more places than here), but Neale appeals to me for several reasons. Primarily for his marvelous translations of hymns (over 20 listed in H82: Jam lucis orto sidere; Rerum Deus tenax vigor; Rector potens, verax Deus; O Lux beata Trinitas; and on and on), which I have loved for decades; but also for his work with the elderly poor (with which I closely identify), and for causing riots (!!) with his liturgical beliefs ("spiritual haberdashery" indeed!).
Neale would have had my vote any other day, but Gaudet is my favorite "discovery" this lent. Being excited and inspired by a saint you've only just learned about is too great an experience to vote otherwise.
The short note about John Mason Neale seriously understates his importance to the Episcopal Church we know today. Readers should have been re3minded that when the Latin mass was translated into English by the 16th century Reformers, the music of the Latin hymns was almost entirely abandoned, along with the use of candles on the altar and incense , all of which were considered too "Popish". The anti-Roman sentiment in the English and American churches continued until late in the 19th century. The Oxford Movement reclaimed both the ritual and much of the music of the early church and made it accessible to modern worshipers in a form that could be understood and enjoyed. John Mason Neale was a central figure in the liturgical development of the late 19th and 20th centuries that we have come to take for granted. His influence continues to be felt in every parish throughout the seasons of each year and is deserving of recognition.
Thank you, Bruce, for augmenting today's information on Neale!
My choice today was highly personal in that I share JMN's attraction to "high church" liturgical practices, and my spiritual journey is gloriously paved with the words of many, many precious hymns. His translation work continues to impact Christians around the world, especially those who worship in English--so come on choir members - vote for the man whose inspiration breathed life into some of your favorite hymns!
The beauty of the hymns and their impact on us as we sing them cannot be denied. I wonder how many descendants of the boys, children, and adults helped by Joseph-Gaudet went out into the world alive, healthy, educated and became seeds of the same belief that we are our brothers keeper- that we are called by Christ to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless and give hope to the hopeless by bringing the Christ into their lives. Wish there were some way to research this. Christ calls us to action, not just to praise him and soothe ourselves with the beauty of Church music. I have to vote for this very giving woman.
I see that Frances is already way ahead of John. So typical of our liberal religion, who will always vote for the black single mom social worker that doesn't even mention God in her bio. So I'm voting for John who really worked for the church so hard he died of exhaustion at age 48. Now I'm going out to vote for St. Trump.
Dear God! Spare us!
St. Trump? Did I miss something somewhere?
Would that we could all miss St. Trump!
Prison reform is definitely top of the list going along with sealing records of non repeat non violent offenders so that they can lead whole full lives but let's not forgot beauty within the church. The hymns and music lend to one's contemplation of the All mighty. I voted for beauty this time.
Being a Frances, also born close to the shadow of St. Paul's, tough call! But Frances was such an extraordinary woman, she gets my vote.
As I read about Frances Joseph-Gaudet, I know that I would be voting for this amazing woman who lived the true spirit of Christianity in such an exemplary way. Then I read "Neale believed deeply in imagination and beauty as pathways to the holy" and the lovely collect, and J M Neale had my vote with little angst. I'm still a little surprised. Now reading the comments and which hymns are his, I'm especially glad to have voted for him.
As a choir soprano and a lover of all things related to music, I really wanted to vote for Neal and feel a bit bad for not choosing him, but the educator and woman in me admires Frances so much. To accomplish what she did as a woman of color in those times is nothing short of miraculous.
As a John Mason Neale fan, I was disappointed with the biography presented. It did little to point out his remarkable work with the poor, and that the Sisters of St Margaret originally started out working in poor people's homes during plagues, inspired by Neale. It would have also benefited by listing by name just a few of the remarkable hymn text's he wrote or translated. In short, I think that he was underrepresented.