In the penultimate battle of the first round, it's John of Beverley vs. Martin de Porres. The people of Beverley and of Porres have been agitating for this matchup for years -- it's a huge rivalry and hooligans are involved.
Yesterday, Phocas the Gardener maintained his focus in burying Isidore the Farmer 60% to 40%. He'll face Katharina von Bora in the Saintly Sixteen.
If you missed yesterday's episode of the award-winning (in the SEC's own mind) Monday Madness, watch it here. And then, as punishment for missing it, watch it again.
John of Beverley
John of Beverley has a posse.
John was bishop of Hexham, then of York, England, where he was renowned for his preaching and dedicated to his students. He founded a monastery in Beverley, where he later retired and died in 721. Beverley became an important ecclesiastical center in John’s day and thrived after his death largely because of his cult following. He was canonized in 1037 by Pope Benedict IX.
But while John was at one time one of the most celebrated medieval English saints, his popularity since has waned. Little is known about his early life. None of his writings remain.
In fact, John probably is remembered best by the influence he had on others. Among his posse are Berthun, the first abbot of Beverley; Saint Wilfrid the Younger, who followed John as bishop of York; and, most notably, Saint Bede the Venerable, who was ordained by John and recorded a number of stories about him in his Ecclesiastical History of England.
“Those that knew him well are wont to tell many miracles,” Bede wrote. That includes John healing a man with a scabby head who was able to speak for the first time and grow “hair curling in comely fashion.”
After his death, John also reportedly appeared to Julian of Norwich in a vision. She described him in The Showings of Julian of Norwich as “a very exalted saint, who is also a neighbor close at hand, and we are all acquainted with him.”
To Julian, the life of John of Beverley illustrated that “even some very serious sinners are honored by Holy Church here on earth and in heaven for all eternity.”
To the rest of us, his example is a reminder that we may never know the impact we have on others— those in our posses and those who cross our paths, and even those God touches through our legacies long after our earthly lives have ended.
Collect for John of Beverley
God of time and space, you have called each of us to holy tasks and given us companions for our journey: Look with favor upon us, and grant that like your servant John of Beverley, we may be good stewards for our friends and family and living examples of your love and mercy, so that when the account of our lives is given, we may be found to have befriended your Son our Lord Jesus Christ in each face we have greeted. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.
Martin de Porres
Martin de Porres Velázquez experienced many challenges at the hands of others, but he transformed his hardships into ministry and a lifelong commitment to providing aid to the downtrodden.
Martin hailed from Peru, where he was born on December 9, 1579. He and his sister were considered illegitimate children—their mother was a freed slave and their father was a Spanish nobleman who abandoned the family when he saw the children’s dark skin. Martin endured a life of bullying and abuse. Limited by certain social mores, Martin turned to a trade that his status in life would allow, training as a barber and a surgeon.
He aspired to join the Dominicans, but at the time, they did not allow brothers with such a background as Martin—his dark skin and illegitimate birth. Undaunted, Martin became a lay helper to the Dominicans at age fifteen, starting as a donado, a volunteer who lived in the community, wore the habit, and carried out menial, unwanted tasks.
In time, however, after witnessing Martin’s deep Christian faith and ministry, the Dominicans dropped the rule that “no black person may be received to the holy habit or profession of our Order.” Martin professed his religious vows to the Dominicans in 1603 at the age of twenty-four.
Martin was zealous in his work for those who had no hope. He established orphanages and hospitals and ministered tirelessly to the poor and the forgotten. His caring and compassion for the sick were well-known and highly regarded. According to tradition, Martin also exhibited miraculous behavior, from providing instant cures to having the ability to fly.
Martin died November 3, 1639. He was beatified in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI and canonized in 1962 by Pope John XXIII. He is honored on August 23.
Martin is the patron saint of hairstylists, innkeepers, lottery winners, mixed-race people, Peru, poor people, public schools, television, Mexico, public health workers, and all who endeavor for racial reconciliation.
Collect for Martin de Porres
Merciful God, you sent your Gospel to the people of Peru through Martin de Porres, who brought its comfort even to slaves. Help us to follow his example in bringing fearlessly the comfort of your grace to all downtrodden and outcast people, that your Church may be renewed with songs of salvation and praise; through Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
[poll id="219"]
216 comments on “John of Beverley vs. Martin de Porres”
I predict Martin will win by a hair. And talk about inclusive....how in the world did he get assigned to such a diverse group of professions...hair stylists, lottery winners, public school teachers, etc., etc., and so forth ? Perhaps that is a miracle unto itself!
John had me with the poor soul and his scabby head.
In our times this voice for racial reconciliation is a natural.
John ordained, among others, Bede the Venerable without who we would have no recording of any of the poetry of one of the earliest, if not first, Anglo-Saxon poets to write in the vernacular, Saint Caedmon (who has an amazing story himself).
But, Martin integrated the Dominicans. (It is sinful and shameful that such an unChristian rule ever existed in any religious order of the Church.). I love that he is the patron of all those who endeavour for racial reconciliation (interesting that the Rev. Dr. King's first name was Martin), though the patron of Mexico bit confuses me. I had long thought that the rather popular Our Lady of Guadalupe served as the patron of Mexico.
I shall vote for Martin the Intergrater now and pray for the opportunity to vote for Caedmon the Poet next year.
John valued learning, and he gets my vote today. If we don't learn from history, we are destined to repeat it, in most cases with disastrous results. On a frivolous note,
Bede has always been a favorite along with Julian.
Martin, for so many reasons that resonate today, plus his being the Blessed Forerunner (fore-flyer?) of the Flying Nun! I do, however, wish we knew more about John of Beverley, though my sense from the bio is that he would be perfectly content being under the radar, a quiet saint among the heavenly choir.
What's good enough for Julian of Norwich is good enough for me!
'To Julian, the life of John of Beverley illustrated that “even some very serious sinners are honored by Holy Church here on earth and in heaven for all eternity.”'
John of Beverly for me, I long for “hair curling in comely fashion.” And while Martin, as the patron saint of hairstylists, could most certainly style my hair, I need John's good will to get it!
If John of Beverley was good enough to be called an "exalted saint" by Julian of Norwich, he's good enough for me. Martin also served the Lord in many inspirational ways, but he sure doesn't look happy about it; he looks downright grumpy. I believe the road to the Golden Halo is paved with the verses of Psalm 100 and I suspect that John's alleged ability to fly was inspired by gladness and joy.
John's collect alone - influenced my vote. He planted seeds of love and encouragement throughout his life that continue to yield. Besides - as a United Methodist who occasionally joins with my Episcopal friends for Wednesday evening Eucharist at St. Bede's in Mar Vista / West Los Angeles...How could I not vote for him?
I remember reading abiut Martin as a child and was struck by his tenacity. Glad he is a candidate.
Martin for the Golden Halo.
John gets my vote-not only is Bede his champion, but the concept of any of us not knowing the impact of our faith and actions on others long after we are gone is what I aspire to.
I voted for Martin because more than ever we need racial reconciliation in our broken world. Just didn’t have enough information about John of Beverly—although showing up in Julians’s Writings does have some street cred, sounds like they were from the same hood!
Martin! I agree with what Oliver said
I only voted for John of Beverley because I knew he would be the underdog. Well, and because he had a posse.
I must confess, the posse very nearly swayed me!
I served at St. John's Beverly Farms, MA... so it was an easy vote for me.....
To work for the poor and forgotten is to do God's work. He was a Saint in a world where God's work was dimmed by hate.
I am voting today for John, who I expect to lose badly. As bishop of the beautiful Hexham Abbey, devoted to prayer and meditation, with gifts of healing and preaching, and and mentor to Bede, there is much to admire. To have such influence in his day, but to be largely forgotten now, is the fate of many scholars. Also Julian of Norwich is my local saint, so I can hardly vote against her.
Talk about multi-tasking, Martin's sponsorship as patron saint of so many groups means he continues to touch so many lives and occupations.
Martin... because still he persisted
Hang in there Rich.
It has to be Martin: all that piety, all those good works, smashing the color bar in a major monastic order (and oh, yes, he could fly, too!)
Not without regret, however. John nowadays is by any measure the less illustrious; but the town he founded is charming and in 2007 was named “the best place to live in the United Kingdom.” Its beautiful parish church, Beverley Minster, survived the dissolution of the abbeys and, like John is something of an unsung gem. I owe my knowledge of it to my late wife, who went to university in nearby Hull.
As to whether John was a “serious sinner,” let us not be swayed by hearsay evidence, even from such a source as our dear Lady Julian. Gossip, reverend Lady, is also said to be a sin, be all well though it may.
“Be all well as it may”! 😉
I meant to be quoting you, Davis, not correcting you! Sorry!
That’s actually what I wrote at first and then changed, so as to enhance the aura of obscurity.
It was the most obscure comment EVER.
Preen, preen, preen.
I agree, Oliver. Even though I have been to Hexham!
My best friend's last name was Martin and her birthday was Aug. 23, too. Voted for St. Martin
Martin de Porres, a saint in his time and a saint for our times. I'm going all the way out on my bracket limb here and throwing my support early to Martin for the Golden Halo!
I'm old enough to remember when Martin was canonized. I first learned about him at that time and have admired him ever since. I hadn't remembered, though, that he so impressed the Dominicans that he single-handedly inspired them to change their exclusionary rule! WOW.
But c'mon, SEC, this matchup is totally stacked!
Martin’s story is amazing, and I’m happy to see a Saint from Peru on the bracket. Yet....
The turn of the 8th century in England was certainly not for the faint of heart! We’re talking before Lindisfarne, before Alfred the Great, before the Vikings and even rudimentary indoor loos!, when wolves were still a threat, and “England” was a collection of warring mini-kingdoms. That he was able to nourish Christianity in such a time as that, those Dark Ages; that Bede was his protegé and Julian still thought of him fondly as her neighbor some six centuries later; that after a thousand years he is still remembered and revered speaks emphatically to me. I’ll throw my hat into the ring with the 16% for John of “beaver-stream”.
Which in his day was apparently know as “Inderawuda.”
n
YES! (Missed this while ago) Inderawhata???
In my station as Madness vote-muller,
I found poor John to be much the duller,
And chose Martin of Torres,
Who opened the doors
Of his order to persons of color.
Well, Davis, aren’t you the poet!
In high school I was the Science Department Poet Laureate.
Scientist and climate denier argue in a saloon.
Orders one: “ H2O.” “H2O too”
the second one-ups
then turns belly up.
May reason help us keep the earth green and blue.
There once was a saintly Canterbury journey
open to all Christian ladies and germs.
The jokes were bad
but a good time was had
and Lenten discipline evolved into sick burns.
{{groan}}
I voted for Martin and was surprised to learn that he was canonized at such a (relatively) recent date.
Go Martin!
How could I not vote for St Martin? I really love learning about all of these remarkable Saints and sometimes have a difficult time choosing one over the other, but really had an easy time today.