We're back for the first full week of saintly thrills and spills! Today we get our first matchup in the Mostly Modern quadrant as Anna Alexander faces Peter Claver. Of course it's all relative -- Anna lived in the 19th century and Peter straddled the 16th and 17th centuries. But what's a few hundred years among friends?
On Saturday, Quiteria the nonuplet warrior defeated Genesius in a fairly close battle 54% to 46%. She will go on to face the winner of Thomas à Kempis vs. Maria Skobstova in the Saintly Sixteen.
For those of you who filled out brackets in advance, is it already busted? Or maybe a saint you really wanted to win has lost, causing you to lose all faith in humanity -- or at least in the Lent Madness voting public. Just a reminder -- it's not really about which saints win or lose (they've all received their Golden Halos) -- it's about encountering Jesus through the inspiring lives of those who have come before us in the faith. So buck up! And live to vote another day.
Anna Alexander
Anna Alexander was the first African-American Deaconess of the Episcopal Church. Deaconess Alexander was born around 1865 on Saint Simon’s Island in Georgia. Her parents, James and Daphne Alexander, were well-educated and emancipated slaves. Her father, James, believed education was the path to a better life for the people on the plantation, and he continued to teach Anna and her siblings in defiance of Georgia laws that forbade the education of slaves.
James and Daphne Alexander instilled in their daughter a strong belief in shared and communal responsibility and the idea that change occurs in the relationships built within our communities. As a result, Anna is credited with establishing an Episcopal church and school in Pennick, Georgia. The community initially met in an abandoned farmhouse and then in an old store, where they converted the whiskey counter into an altar. Faced with antiquated diocesan and societal laws, Anna’s mission church struggled financially, and Anna took up sewing, teaching, and other jobs to raise money to purchase land for a permanent church and school. Through her community relationships, she drew upon the financial support of her fellow brothers and sisters. Through their combined efforts, they were able to build the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church and school.
At a Convention for Colored Episcopalians in 1907, Bishop C.K. Nelson named Anna a deaconess. During the time of her diaconate, it was virtually unheard of for a woman to be recognized as a leader in the church—especially an African-American woman. Anna’s hard work, devotion, and dedication to the Christian formation of black communities ensured that the voices of African-American Christians were heard throughout the Diocese of Georgia. Deaconess Alexander felt that anger about how society treated women and African-Americans was a wasted emotion and believed she could change her community through education and love. She exhibited this love through a devotion to Christian formation. Deaconess Alexander offers us an example of a life of faith rooted in a boundless love of others.
Deaconess Anna Alexander’s feast day is September 24.
Collect for Anna Alexander
O God, you called Anna Alexander as a deaconess in your Church and sent her as teacher and evangelist to the people of Georgia: Grant us the humility to go wherever you send, and the wisdom to teach the word of Christ to whomever we meet, that all may come to the enlightenment which you intend for your people; through Jesus Christ, our Teacher and Savior. Amen.
Peter Claver
Times of great evil are often opportunities for profound witness to the love of God. The deep evil of the transatlantic slave trade was just such a time, and it was into that moment in history that Peter Claver, SJ was born in 1580.
During studies in his home country of Spain, Peter joined the Society of Jesus. The Jesuits sent him out to be a part of their mission to the Americas. Peter encountered the horrors of the slave trade and through the tutelage of another Jesuit was introduced to ministry among the Africans who were being trafficked through the port of Cartagena, Colombia.
After being abducted from their homes in Africa, the victims of the slave trade became a commodity to their captors. They were packed inhumanely into ships, fed minimal amounts of food and water, and sailed across the Atlantic to the Americas. During the horrific journey, about a third of all African slaves died.
Each year, 10,000 slaves would arrive in Cartagena. As soon as a slave ship arrived, Peter descended into the hold—into the midst of the sickness, death, and suffering. He brought medicine, food, water, and words of comfort. As the slaves disembarked, Peter continued to minister among them. After six years of this ministry, Claver made his final profession as a Jesuit. He signed his name, “Peter Claver, slave to the Ethiopians [Africans].”
Peter continued his ministry among the slaves of Cartagena for thirty more years. In addition to his time in the port, he often traveled out to plantations so he could continue to care for the slaves.
During his four decades of ministry, Peter baptized at least 300,000 people. His ability to share the Good News of Christ was closely tied to his compassion and care for the physical needs of the victims of slavery. In considering the connection between preaching and service, he once said, “We must speak to them with our hands, before we try to speak to them with our lips.”
In the face of great evil and suffering, we may feel overwhelmed. Peter Claver reminds us of the profound difference that one person acting compassionately can make.
Collect for Peter Claver
God of grace and glory, we praise you for your servant Peter Claver, who made the good news known in Colombia. Raise up, we pray, in every country, heralds of the gospel, so that the world may know the immeasurable riches of your love, and be drawn to worship you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
[poll id="208"]
308 comments on “Anna Alexander vs. Peter Claver”
Very difficult choice, but the part about Anna turning to love and education instead of anger did it for me.
While I understand why many feel this is a tough choice, I think that Peter would agree with my vote for Anna. If he was really about offering care to the slaves, then sacrificing a bit of his white privilege to allow for Anna to win the halo should be par for the course.
Peter would have voted for Anna. I think you are correct. Well played. Although I am actually a full time historian of black enslavement in the Americas, Anna was my call too. I wish I had thought of this particular explanation.
I had fully intended to vote for my fellow Georgian, Anna, but when I read about Peter, I was absolutely overwhelmed. He lived a life that challenges me—would I ever have enough courage to do what he did? I think Peter was amazing, too, for all that he did in the 17th century, at a time when European greed for American resources was glorified and at any cost. He was way ahead of his time. I’m very puzzled by the comments that what he did was great, but, hey, he didn’t personally end slavery, so what good was it really? As for Anna’s comment on anger, I interpreted it not as being a condemnation of anger per se, but of getting stuck in anger instead of letting it motivate you to do something productive for others.
Thank you. These are my thoughts too. I still haven't decided how to vote.
What seems to be overlooked in much of these comments is that NEITHER of these saintly figures was really a prophetic type, attempting to combat the forces of prejudice But I could have voted for Anna as well for her long and steady work as an educator, administrator, and Godly deacon of the Christ.
Do we not also face times when there is nothing one person can do about evil except to love the victims? How did Peter's peers view him, when he came out of the belly of the ship full of the stench of sewage and death? Did they say he was crazy, or follow him? I'm sure he didn't care, but it's hard to believe his work had no effect at all on 'The System'. So, agreeing with others that both these worthy souls deserve to win, I'll vote for Peter.
Ruth, thank you for putting into words the very thoughts I could not describe adequately. There is no need for me to make my own comment now. It is Peter for me, noting that both of these saints steadfastly served their God and His people.
A tough call. I chose Peter because his compassion may have saved the lives of Anna's ancestors and given her a chance in her day to further God's kingdom on earth.
Wow! Many of those Africans would have preferred to die free. They didn’ have a choice.
I was inspired by Anna's story but depressed by Peter's. His charitable actions in the hellish holds of the slave ships was certainly laudable, but I ache to hear that he did more on shore. He may have baptized thousands of newly enslaved Africans, but how much of that was simply rote action to satisfy the consciences of the slavers? Did the slaves have any choice in the matter? Did they even understand what was being done?
Most importantly: What was Peter's prophetic message to the ship captains, the slave market owners, and the European colonists who gathered in Cartegena to purchase the newly cleaned up, fed, healed, and Christianized chattel? I'm sorry, but as admirable as Peter's service is, his service was ultimately in support of an evil system. My vote goes to Anna.
I agree.
Me too
Good morning children of God! Today, in honor of Becca Scholfield and her movement #BeccaToldMeTo I voted for Peter Claver. Becca was diagnosed with brain cancer and past away Saturday evening after a courageous battle. Becca has encouraged people to perform random acts of kindness and generally being kind to one another. At the end of Peter Claver's biography it said "Peter Claver reminds us of the profound difference that one person acting compassionately can make." This was what Becca wanted to teach us also. If you are interested, I'm sure you could Google Becca Scholfield or the hashtag #BeccaToldMeTo to learn more about this incredible woman from New Brunswick Canada and the incredible epidemic of kindness she has begun. RIP Becca.
And let light perpetual shine on her.
My Lenten journey has been made deeper by the addition of these two companions and Saints of God.
I think it's great to do a little more digging online if we have a hard time deciding, as I'm sure the excellent Lent Madness bio writers have a limited amount of space in which to represent each candidate. While strongly leaning toward voting for Anna as an African-American woman, I did a little research into Peter Claver. The 1600s were a very different time from the 1800s, and Peter may have felt that he had to minister rather than be imprisoned or even killed for opposing the rulers of Cartagena on slavery.
I discovered more info:
-- Peter baptized many slaves for their salvation, I'm sure; but also because as baptized Christians, he had more of a chance to appeal to the Christian slaveowners on the Africans' behalf. "Peter gave short instruction in the Catholic faith and baptized as many as he could. In this way he could prevail on the slave owners to give humane treatment to fellow Christians." (https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-voices/16th-and-17th-century-ignatian-voices/st-peter-claver-sj)
-- Peter usually stayed in the slave quarters of plantations he visited, instead of lodging with the slave owners, and did indeed preach in public. Unfortunately, the content of his preaching seems not to have been preserved, as far as I can find in a quick search. "Fr. Claver’s apostolate extended beyond his care for slaves. He became a moral force, indeed, the apostle of Cartagena. He preached in the city square, gave missions to sailors and traders as well as country missions, during which he avoided, when possible, the hospitality of the planters and owners and lodged in the slave quarters instead." https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-peter-claver/
Such a tough choice today! Still thinking it over. Although I'm quite caught by the phrase, "Slave of the slaves," I have a hard time voting against Anna.
Addendum: "Deaconess Alexander felt that anger about how society treated women and African-Americans was a wasted emotion and believed she could change her community through education and love."
Anna's attitude about anger would not be in concert with the work of Dr. W.E.B. du Bois, Rosa Parks, or other later civil rights leaders; rather, she seems to have thought more in line with Booker T. Washington, who favored education and hard work to prove to the white majority that African Americans could be "productive members of society." Du Bois broke away from this thinking, and -- rightly, I believe -- perceived that African Americans would not be granted their rights without more direct work in non-violently protesting and battling injustice via the courts, and through writing and public speaking. As du Bois noted, during Washington's lifetime (du Bois lived much longer), there was a decrease, rather than an increase, in civil rights for African Americans, as lynchings and the enforcement of Jim Crow laws intensified. So I'm not sure Anna was right; there is such a thing as righteous anger.
Thanks so much. Great tip.
He was a voluntary slave. They were slaves. Can you be a voluntary slave?
Thank you for the extra research and information. I have already voted for Peter because I knew he was not just operating in the vacumn of the bowels of a slave ship and you have helped confirm that his "life spoke".
Wow, this is a tough on. I’m going to have to do some deep meditation on this before I can vote.
Having just read a lengthy article in The Christian Science Monitor Weekly about Jesuits selling slaves in 1838 Maryland, I believe that Peter not only acted with compassion, but may have acted with some defiance against his order. He wasn’t perfect, but he did what he was moved to do. He gets my vote.
Well...Peter Claver is revered by Black Catholics for his selfless devotion to slaves who had little, if any, recourse in the bowels of slave ships other than his ministrations. Well, Jesus also urged freeing them, or at least trying to do so as did many martyrs. Not to belittle Claver's efforts but Anna forged ahead at a time when women, black, white, or otherwise were second-class citizens also. She used her education to free the shackles of ignorance and was ordained when few if any women achieved this status. She built a church and utilized her skills to finance it and equip it. My vote for Deaconess Anna from a retired Deacon in the Diocese of Tennessee.
YAY! You’re back with your great insights and comments! I went with Anna too but I do admire Peter.
What a difficult choice! Two saints who gave their lives to the service of others ... my life choices appear so shallow in contrast.
My vote for Anna is a reflection of my longing to visit St. Simon’s Island one day (having been introduced to it by Eugenia Price) . My youngest daughter has just signed her contract to move to the Épiscopal School of Acadiana for the next school year. I shall share Anna’s story with her.
I'm so surprised by the comments that say Peter Claver supported the system of slavery or did nothing to end the terribly peculiar institution. He opposed with his life and love and work. He put his life where his mouth could have been. Not mentioned in this writ-up he also went and worked with, lied with, those who had leprosy for years. Did that mean he was helping to continue that disease because he wasn't out ranting about finding a cure? Both candidates today are formidable and deserve honor and glory. Denigrating Peter does not indicate understanding of the St. Francis philosophy of gospeling without words.
I thought I would vote for Peter, but I ended up voting for Anna. Now I wish I had voted for Peter, but then I would have wished I had voted for Anna! This is maddening!
Anna all the way. By and large the "conversion" of enslaved humans was just one more way they were stripped of their homes, their lives, their languages, and their gods. Converting 300,000 people is actually more of a human rights violation than a laudable thing to me. He did a lot of good work in feeding them and tending to their needs, but as other have said in today's world Anna is a really strong image of equality while Peter is more an image of how to keep the white masses believing that slavery isn't all that bad, since the slaves will have their reward in heaven.
This how I felt. I understand the comments about placing Peter’s actions in scope of the times, but I feel this is what leads to complacency. I would think the slave owners and captains were happy to have someone taking care of their “property” to ensure as many as possible reached their destination—-especially since the help was free and gave them a “get out of guilt” free card. (“See, we are saving the savages. We are making good Christians of them, saving their souls.”). All while continuing to sell our brothers and sisters into a horrible existence. Again, at this time, with the #metoo movement, the constant school shootings with a dithering white male ruling class offering “thoughts and prayers”, but no action, and smack in the middle of black history month, I feel I can only vote for Anna
Yes. Peter may have offered a bridge that many slaves did welcome, but Anna seemed determined to help institutionalize a pathway she identified with as herself a marginalized person--but one who saw a vision of a different future.
“We must speak to them with our hands, before we try to speak to them with our lips.”. This was the deciding quote that stayed with me, even resounding to some of the work we are doing at our church. Peter did in a sense lay the ground work for Anna.
Two remarkable stories of remarkable people. I was struck particularly that "Deaconess Alexander felt that anger about how society treated women and African-Americans was a wasted emotion and believed she could change her community through education and love."
We waste so much emotion on anger and retaliation re: discrimination... real or imagined...instead of living into the new way.... where there is "neither male nor female, Jew nor Greek, slave nor free."
Blessings on both Anna... and Peter who effectively acted out that love and compassion over against the powers of his day, putting his life on the line and bringing so many to the new way.
In our divided culture we need to remind ourselves not to fall into the anger trap, or the reverse discrimination traps.... that simply ape the anger and failure of the "old" pre-Christ ways.
As a woman currently in formation for the diaconate and as someone who has visited St. Simons and the area around it, I vote heartily for Deaconess Anna!
This was a tough one. They both qualify for halos and votes. But in the end I voted for Anna, but I love them both.
In Black History month, this was a tough one. Whichever one comes out as the victor is OK with me. However, Anna was black and a woman, so she had more going against her than Peter did ministering to the slaves. Both are commendable examples of Christ's love but my vote went to Anna.
I agree.
Peter for me. He boldly and courageously ministered to those outside of his own comfort zone. Those 300,000 baptized souls would have increased exponentially to spread the Good News. Peter did great things in his own small sphere.
Anna's story is inspiring, but I had to go with Peter for the sheer numbers of people he reached. Tough choice, though.
Both are good candidates but I voted for Anna because of her being such an influence for good in Georgia, my current home. She did a lot to further the lives of African Americans at a time when no one cared much about whether they were educated.
And that's why it's called Lent Madness! We've been snookered by the SEC into caring deeply about that which we cannot change! Two worthy candidates, plausible arguments for both, spiritual challengers of our sometimes complacent/hopeless attitudes towards 'enslavement' (in all its forms) and misogyny in every generation that would hold us captive and enslaved to false interpretation of Jesus' message. I'll not reveal my vote. . . (Haven't flipped the coin, yet!)
This was a tough one. I ended up voting for Anna because of her perseverance in establishing a church and school. I can't imagine how hard it would be for a woman, and a woman of color at that, to buck the system. That takes a lot of faith. I know I don't have it, so it's good to see examples of women who do. And I am not a woman of color, nor do I live any kind of marginalized life. It's too easy to just go with the flow. Bless those who do not. (I guess that's my Lenten confession!)
Oh wow. Tough, tough choice. I was inspired by the first black woman deacon. She taught and built a church and provided a model, well before "Black Panther," of what it would look like to have black power in a racist society. What I mean by "power" is that she could act despite oppression. Nevertheless, having done a program in Ignatian spirituality, I am drawn to the Jesuits, and Peter is a true saint. I wish I could vote for both. And if I were true to my pole star of voting on the basis of who most offers witness for a response to gun violence, I think I would have to give the nod to Peter. Peter's tireless willingness to bring the body of Christ to a situation of violence, and to offer succor and instruction, is a good model. However, both brought their bodies to a system of oppression, and both resisted in love and faith. The gun industry, like the tobacco industry, will not be deterred by the pitiable deaths of victims. Both Peter and Anna are inspirational to me today.
Because: Georgia.
pithy and precise
"heart"
What a difficult decision today! Both are incredibly inspiring, Anna because she recognized that anger is a wasted emotion and it's better to change your community through education and love, Peter because he "reminds us of the profound difference that one person acting compassionately can make." I voted for Peter, though am inspired and encouraged by the lives of both.