668 comments on “Nominationtide has arrived!”

1. I nominate St Expeditus - to fight Procrastination! The name alone does it for me!

2. I nominate St. Genesius, whose feast day in the Roman Catholic calendar is August 25. How can you resist the story of a comedian starring in a play making fun of Christians who has a sudden conversion on stage, in the middle of a performance? Plus, I have often observed that many of the lawyers I know, particularly those who are often in court, are actors at heart. St. Genesius apparently believed that, too, because he's not only the patron saint of actors, but also of lawyers and barristers (among other folks).

3. St. Hilda of Whitby was a teacher devoted to Celtic monasticism who exercised the virtues of peace and charity. She was an advocate of women’s education; St Hilda’a College of Women, Oxford was named after her until the number of female students in Oxford reached nearly 50%. Her monastery was chosen for the Synod of Whitby, known for standardizing the Roman method of calculating Easter.

4. I nominate Father Mychal Judge, first person killed in the 911 attack on the World Trade Center. Father Judge devoted his life to ministering to marginalized persons and first responders. He was made a saint in the Orthodox-Catholic Church of America.

5. I nominate Menno Simons. A contemporary of the protestant reformers, Menno Simons left the Catholic priesthood and joined the anabaptist movement. He rejected the violence advocated by some of the early anabaptist sects and argued for the separation of church and state. Under his leadership the Mennonite movement was established that remains today an important world-wide voice for non-violence and church and state separation. The Mennonite Church does not remember its influential spiritual leaders on particular days, but the early history of the Mennonite movement is central to our identity.

6. I would like to add my nomination for Fred Rogers to the above entry. He exemplified simplicity, humility, empathy, and just plain goodness. He discerned the need for a unique ministry to children and created a way to present it. Even being childless, I found he presented a model of how to be a decent human being.

7. I nominate St. Teresa of Avila. For being one of the formost writers on contemplative prayer, for being named a Doctor of the Church, for being a saint of the everyday. Prayer was important to her, but so was work. You can wash dishes and enter into communion with God at the same time. It is all holy.

8. I nominate Simon Gibbons, the first Inuit priest in the Anglican Church of Canada. His feast day is December 14 as shown on the Calendar of Saints: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar_of_saints_(Anglican_Church_of_Canada)
   Certainly many of the saints we consider have gone through tremendous personal sacrifice but for me Simon's story is so powerful. He lost both parents at a young age and was raised in an orphanage. He went on to excel in studies, was ordained and faithfully served remote Nova Scotian communities, building several churches, and along the way getting an audience with Queen Victoria! Having just come through a rather long winter, I cannot imagine walking/snowshoeing a hundred mile circuit regularly over 7 years to bring the message of God's unending love to people who otherwise would have little contact with the outside world.
   Thanks for your consideration.

9. I nominate twin Saints Cosmas and Damian.

10. I nominate Maria Goreth patron saint of victims of rape and youth, especially adolescent girls. It's been a more difficult year for rape survivors politically. The newest supreme court appointment and several states outlawing abortion, even for rape victims. My home state of Ohio has done so, very painful for me. It looks to me that Bathsheba( no fault of hers) doesn't qualify so I'm supporting Maria.

11. I would like to nominate Sarah Grimké. Born in the South in the early 1800s, she was given her own personal slave for her 11th birthday. She had life-long anti-slavery convictions, and became an abolitionist who, with her sister, traveled the country making speeches about the evils and injustices of slavery and the importance of women's equality. She was by turns Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and Quaker, so she must be on a commemoration list somewhere!

12. I would like to nominate St. Anthony. When I felt I had utterly lost myself, I prayed the St. Anthony Prayer (Dear St. Anthony, please come around, something is lost and cannot be found), and it worked a miracle.

13. How do I find how who the eligible saints are? I don't know a whole lot about who is a saint!

    1. I would suggest reading through the comments on this particular blog post: https://www.lentmadness.org/2019/05/nominationtide-has-arrived-2/

14. I am nominating Matt Talbot, the Dublin laborer, who overcame what seemed a hopeless addiction to alcohol, lived a life of asceticism and prayer, and devoted his life to God and helping his neighbor. There are several reasons why I am nominating Matt. 1.) In our own day, addictions of so many kinds have reached epidemic proportions, and Matt’s story shows us that absolutely no one is beyond God’s grace or hope of recovery. 2.) Matt came from a very poor background, growing up in the tenements of Dublin and working in a lumber yard for much of his life. His life shows that the most ordinary person, some one of no importance in the eyes of the world, may live a life of great holiness and do great good. 3.) Matt’s story is inspiring because he did not just stop drinking – he converted to an entirely different way of life. He taught himself to read so he could educate himself and study scripture and spiritual writings. He lived in a tiny rented room, giving away most of his small earnings to those poorer than himself. He changed from being a wastrel to a hard worker who earned the deep respect of his coworkers and bosses. 4.) Though Matt chose a very ascetic style of life - sleeping on a board, fasting, and constant prayer - he was no pious killjoy. There are many stories of his kindness, especially to children, his cheerfulness, his dry humor, and his great yet quiet generosity. One of my favorite stories is about his giving a friend money to buy a pint of beer, because it was “no sin to have a pint” – he knew he couldn’t drink himself, but he didn’t condemn it in others. 5.) Matt’s story has much in common with the early Celtic saints he consciously tried to imitate, and it shows that not all Celtic saints lived in medieval times – he died in 1925, less than a hundred years ago.
    There are many beautiful stories about Matt Talbot. There are short biographies of him online, and several books about him if you would like to learn more. Mary Purcell’s Matt Talbot and his Times I found especially useful. Please consider him for the 2020 roster!

    1. A quick addendum to my above nomination of Matt Talbot, since I've realized I omitted something important relating to the requirements. Matt Talbot is on the calendar of the Roman Catholic Church, recognized as Venerable (two steps from canonization) and has the feast day of June 19th. A miracle attributed to him is being investigated by the Vatican. Thanks.

15. I nominate St. Therese of the Little Flower! Her message of love and humility, and the example of her dedication to Christ, have been inspirational to generations. She was made a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, after several miraculous healings were attributed to her.

16. I nominate Saint Cecelia, patron saint of musicians. I'm an amateur musician, so she is important to me. I nominate her in recognition of all church musicians worldwide, regardless of denomination or particular Church.

17. I nominate St Gregory Palamas, commemorated on the Orthodox calendar on both Nov 14 and the second Sunday of Great Lent. He lived in the 14th century and established a firm theological basis for hesychastic spirituality. He also defined more exactly the essence-energies distinction; God's essence is inaccessible to his creatures, but he interacts with them through his uncreated energies (his immanent aspect). We are deified through the energies, which are acquired through prayer and the sacraments.

18. Ramona the Melodist, an eastern saint known for his hymns. He lived singing but had a terriblebounce. He pleaded with the Virgin Mary and she granted his request for a beautiful singing voice.

19. Since there are already multiple nominations for the Rev. Fred McFeely Rodgers aka Saint Fred of the Neighborhood and someone has already nominated Saint Maria Goretti (1890-1902) [Maria’s mother was present at her 1950 canonization!] I would like to nominate Saint Rita of Cascia. The following is from her entry in the RC Calendar iOS app.

    Saint Rita of Cascia (1377 - 1447)

    She was born near Cascia, in Umbria in Italy. She was married at the age of 12 despite her frequently repeated wish to become a nun. Her husband was rich, quick-tempered and immoral and had many enemies. She endured his insults, abuse and infidelities for 18 years and bore him two sons, who grew to be like him.

    Towards the end of his life she helped to convert her husband to a more pious way of life, but he was stabbed to death by his enemies not long afterwards. He repented before he died and was reconciled to the Church.

    Her sons planned to avenge their father’s death. When Rita’s pleas were unavailing, she prayed that God should take their lives if that was the only way to preserve them from the sin of murder. They died of natural causes a year later.

    Rita asked to join the convent of St Mary Magdalen at Cascia. She was rejected for being a widow, since the convent was for virgins only, and later given the impossible task of reconciling her family with her husband’s murderers. She carried out the task and was allowed to enter the convent at the age of 36. She remained there until her death at the age of 70.

    She is widely honoured as a patron saint of impossible or lost causes.

20. Forgot to add her Feast Day was yesterday, 22 May.

21. I would like to nominate St. Maximilian Kolbe. His willingness to step up and die in the starvation bunker of Auschwitz to save a stranger with a family was the ultimate act of selflessness --- following a lifetime of selflessness. During the three weeks of suffering prior to his death, St. Max continued to minister to and comfort those in the starvation bunker with him. Franciszek Gajowniczek, the man St. Max saved, ultimately survived Auschwitz and was present at his 1982 Canonization by the Roman Catholic Church.

22. I nominate Joshua (Son of Nunn). Think about how he had to follow Moses. Also the courage he showed in giving the minority report in Numbers 14. And who could forget Joshua fit the Battle of Jericho. (Or was it Geritol?)
    Also I am preaching on Joshua 1:6-9 on Sunday

23. Nomination: Nicolaus Copernicus and Johannes Kepler Astronomers 1543 & 1630
    Feast Day: May 23 2019
    Why: These two astronomers contribute much, and bear witness to places where our faith and our science can be in healthy conversation with each other
    Why Two-Saints Paired Up? 1) Because the church remembers both on their saint day; and 2) bold and pair 'em up - rather than "match them up" to vote on one vs. another
    Need more Rationale? Check out their Collect: "As the heavens declare your glory, O God, and the firmament shows your handiwork, we bless your Name for the gifts of knowledge and insight you bestowed upon Nicolaus Copernicus and Johannes Kepler; and we pray that you would continue to advance our understanding of your cosmos, for our good and for your glory; through Jesus Christ, the firstborn of all creation, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

24. I nominate St. Columba, who established the monastery at Iona. First of all, he's the patron of poets, which appeals to me. Secondly, he was the great-great-grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages (something I admit to not knowing before reading his Wikipedia entry... but what a cool name!). Thirdly, I was so very moved and shaped by my too-brief week at the Iona Community, and I know thousands of others have been, too. Fourthly, my son Malcolm's name means "Servant of St. Columba," which I just think is cool.

    So, yeah. Columba.

    That said, there are SO MANY fabulous nominations above! So much to look forward to!

25. I recommend Bishop Seabury, for without him, the Episcopal Church would not be the church we know today.

26. I have the inestimable privilege and joyous honor to nominate Eva Lee Matthews, Monastic, 1928 for Lent Madness 2020. She is also known as Mother Eva Mary, C.T., Founder of the Community of the Transfiguration. She is honored in the latest edition of Lesser Feasts and Fasts on July 6. (https://extranet.generalconvention.org/staff/files/download/21034)

    Mother Eva deserves this nomination, not only because she is the Founder of the Community of the Transfiguration, but because of the kind of person she was in her ministry to the poorest and neediest among us and her passion for loving mission. She was a true servant of Christ. Raised in privilege in Glendale, Ohio, she could have had a life of ease and comfort either in the society of Cincinnati or in Washington, D.C., where her father, Associate Justice Stanley Matthews served on the United States Supreme Court. Instead, she chose to keep house for her brother - the future Bishop Paul Matthews - on the frontier where he was serving as a mission priest. She worked among the women and children in the area; teaching, caring, loving. She longed to enter an established monastic community, but was persuaded of the need for a uniquely American community rather than one with English roots. Thus, on August 6, 1898, the Community of the Transfiguration was born. I could go on at considerable length about her courage, her faithfulness, and the many lives touched for the better by her decision to follow the leading of the Spirit.

    I should note, in addition, that there is plenty of drama in the life of this remarkable woman, including her years-long efforts in a proudly low-church diocese (Southern Ohio) to gain permission from the then bishop to have the reserved Sacrament in our Oratory. Further, there is plenty of evidence of her sense of humor as well as her sometimes questionable taste in religious art. She was a writer of children's stories and a woman of deep, spiritual insight. I am, of coursed, biased, as a Sister in the Community she founded, but believe her to be more than worthy by any independent standards. Should the Highly Revered Supreme Executive Committee discern her worthiness to be a Nominee for Lent Madness, 2020, it will be my privilege and the privilege of others among my Sisters to provide information to whichever Celebrity Blogger has the honor of shepherding her through the various stages of voting. Meanwhile, the story of her life and the early years of her Community can be found at http://anglicanhistory.org/women/evamary/

27. Nomination for Lent Madness inclusion: Jonathan Daniels, martyred in Alabama in the summer of 1965, Jonathan is a modern saint whose dedication to racial justice cost him his life. A man to be admired as an exemplar of courage and sacrificial service.

28. I nominate Benjamin Lay, 18th Century Quaker renegade abolitionist, cave dweller, vegetarian, dwarf. He dedicated his life to abolitionism and particularly to purging the Society of Friends of slave-holders (there were many rich Quaker slave holders in Pennsylvania at that time). Though he was eventually expelled from all of the meetings to which he belonged, he accomplished it by the time of his death, and this stance came to define the Society of Friends in the public sphere. He was known in particular for his guerrilla tactics within meetings, including exploding bladders filled with (faux) blood, to make a point. About just about everything, he was radical then, and radical even today, but right. http://www.abingtonmeeting.org/info-on-benjamin-lay/ (Declaration – Lay as a Friend of the Truth)
    https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/quaker-comet-greatest-abolitionist-never-heard-180964401/

    1. Good choice, Sarah! He is awesome.

    2. I second that. I think that Benjamin Lay was truly ahead of his time in many different ways.

       1. I agree.

29. I nominate St. Cuthbert, Feast Day August 31 along with Aidan. Cuthbert was Prior of both Melrose Abbey and Lindisfarne. Even though he brought the Gospel to the Northumbria area of Britain and taught using the Celtic understanding of dating feast days such as Easter, he aligned the then churches under Roman practice, hence becoming a healer if the breach between the two. We need healers of breaches in our faith; we need followers of Jesus like Cuthbert.

30. Hello
    I nominate Saint Joan of Arc. She has been my favorite saint for decades because of her patriotism, strength and faith. She championed women’s rights and it is said she heard voices from Catherine of Alexandria, Margaret of Antioch and the archangel Michael saying she was destined to save France from the English.

    Patti Dobro
    Parishioner of St Peter’s Episcopal Church
    Lakewood Ohio