668 comments on “Nominationtide has arrived!”

1. I would like to nominate pastor, educator and writer Richard Allen who was born into slavery on February 14, 1760. He later converted to Methodism and bought his freedom. Fed up with the treatment of African-American parishioners at the St. George Methodist Episcopal congregation, he eventually founded the first national black church in the United States, the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

2. Oh, whittling this down to only one nominee is just brutal! But here goes...Fr Christian de Cherge of Algeria. He was martyred in 1996 and almost immediately the church in Algeria took up his cause for sainthood. As a young man his life was saved by a Muslim man which led Fr Christian to reexamine his own Catholic tradition more deeply. Eventually he joined the Trappists in Algeria. There in his monastery was a space for both Muslims and Christians to pray. Deep abiding solidarity and friendship was at the heart of his religious life and that is why when the waves of anti-foreigner/anti-Christian violence came Father chose to stay with his Algerian brothers and sisters rather than fleeing for the safety of France. His story is told in the beautiful movie Of God and Men but you can get a sense of him from the letter of farewell he wrote when he realized he would eventually be killed. In that letter he thanks all his friends and community and brother priests but also his eventual murderer to whom he says "You too, my last-minute friend, you who know not what you do. Yes, for you too, I wish this thank you and this adieu which is of your planning. May we be granted to meet each other again, happy thieves in paradise, should it please God, the Father of both of us. Amen. In sh'Allah!" Three years after the writing of those words he was in fact kidnapped and his throat cut by that "last minute friend."

3. I'd like to nominate Frederic Baraga, a saintly chap from North America, circa 19th century.

   As recently as 2012 he was declared to be of "Venerable" status by the Roman Catholic church, which is now awaiting confirmation of a miracle before his statue can be upgraded to "Beatified."

   Why is Frederic Baraga worthy of a Lent Madness Bracket?
   1. He gave up a fairly nice and safe position in the Hapsburg realm to go to wilds of Northern Michigan to serve the Native Peoples and foreign immigrants in the remote mining and lumber jack camps, and native villages.
   2. He translated the bible into Native Peoples (Ottowa) languages so they could understand the salvation in Christ.
   3. Baraga traveled twice to Europe to raise money for his diocese. On one trip he was presented a jeweled cross and episcopal ring by the Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. The bishop later sold these for his missions.
   4. In the cold of winter and in old age Frederic made journeys on snow shoes to preach to the Native people and the immigrant communities.
   5. He made hazardous journeys on Lake Superior in a canoe to follow the Lord.
   6. He was recognized as a very important early church leader in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
   7. There is a park on the north shore of Lake Superior honoring Frederic- at Temperance River, so named because there is no bar where this river flows into the lake.
   8. A member of my parish who hails from the same region as Baraga, and has long admired him, recommended him to me for nomination.

4. I nominate St. Mother Theodore Guerin, founder of the sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. When she arrived in Indiana from France, Indiana was absolute wilderness. She and a small group of sisters persisted, and started what became the first Catholic women's college in the U.S. When Mother Theodore went to visit her bishop, who was having issues with her, he locked her in a room and sent a message to the sisters to elect a new superior. They promptly reelected her! Tough women ... She was canonized in 2006, becoming the 8th North American (R.C.) saint.

5. St. Swithun (also spelled Swithin). Our late rector used to refer to St. Swithun from time to time. I found this name rather curious and couldn't find out much info about him. I'm nominating him partly hopes your research will reveal more than mine has.
   Thank you!

6. I hereby nominate St. Chad of Lichfield. For years, I assumed that Chad was simply a rich kid's name. (All the people I had met named Chad were, in fact, wealthy and all were younger than me, so this hypothesis had rational.) So you can imagine my surprise when, as I was looking for the patron saint of pedestrians, I came across St. Chad. Why would a rich kid be patron of those who had nothing but their own two feet to get around on?

   Just a little back story here -- there had been several atrocious accidents in my fair city of Asheville involving pedestrians hit by motor vehicles. The fact was that there weren't enough sidewalks and a growing population of people who could not afford cars. One person had even been dragged for some distance. So, here were a group of people in need of some saintly intervention.

   Enter Chad who, even though he was a bishop, eschewed riding a horse because it separated him from his flock. In his renowned humility, he even gave up the See of York when it was suggested that his orders were irregular. (He professed to not having wanted the job in the first place, which may have been honesty rather than humility.) Archbishop of Canterbury Theodore later made sure Chad's consecration was properly carried out and sent him to Lichfield, wherein he was much beloved for his piety and humility.

   As patron of those who travel on foot, as an example of how the divisions in our society brought about by wealth inequality might be reconciled, and as a path to redemption for rich kids everywhere, I hope Chad may be included in the next Lent Madness bracket. (But if it is between him and Pauli Murray, pick Pauli Murray. Or Jonathan Daniels. Same there. Still, I'm only nominating one person and that person is Chad.)

7. I nominate f. Frederick W. Neve, Archdeacon of the Blue Ridge, who founded many Episcopal missions in the Blue Ridge mountains and a devotional organization, the Order of the Thousandfold. His selfless work not only brought churches but education and healthcare to people living in the remote mountains as well as villages in the Virginia Blue Ridge. He lived his live according to the Thousandfold prayer which he wrote: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Who with Thy Son Jesus Christ hast given unto us all things in heaven and earth, we beseech Thee to make us a thousandfold more useful to Thee than ever before, so that Thy power and blessing may flow through us to multitudes of others, who are in need and also make us willing and loving servants of Thine to Thy honor and glory, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen. More on Fr. Neve and his work is found here http://worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n88156279/

8. I nominate John Donne. I love his poetry.

9. Prudence Crandall. She was a Caucasian woman who educated African American girls post-civil war. Her town turned against her, her state created laws to stop her, but no matter what she continued. She showed true conviction when anyone else would have given up. I nominate her because her actions and conviction are what matter to me most. It is something I aspire to, and her story helps strengthen my faith in God and humanity. Her saint day is September 3, according to http://www.lectionarypage.net/LesserFF/Sep/Crandall.html.

10. I nominate the 12th century martyr Thomas a Becket who, from the position of chancellor to King Henry II and very much "the king's man," became -- once ordained and consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury -- almost an ascetic and a firm upholder of the church's rights against the government's. Henry was not pleased and is purported to have said, "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" Four knights overheard this statement and took it as their duty to kill Becket if he would not do the king's will.

11. I nominate St. Philonella (venerated on October 11 in the Orthodox Church). Together with her sister Zenaida, she was one of the first ‘unmercenaries’ – physicians who did not accept payments from their patients. Towards the end of her life (c. 100 AD), Philonella ‘paid particular attention to the treatment of psychiatric disorders, including clinical depression’ (Lazar Puhalo, Lives of the Saints Vol. 11). I nominate St. Philonella because of her care for the poor; for her charism in integrating her excellence in her professional vocation into her spiritual calling; for her interest in experimental medicine, a holy curiosity inspired by a will to help others; and her recognition of mental illness as such, grounded in a profound appreciation of the body and its interaction with the spirit.

12. I nominate Clare, Abbess of Assisi (1253). She was so taken with the words, work, and life of Francis, that she left her wealthy family and became an abbess. Clare served faithfully and joyfully for over 40 years. Even when her health failed in the last twenty years of her life, she continued to serve. In the waning hours of her life, she said, “Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road. Go forth without fear, for he that created you has sanctified you, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Blessed be God, for having created me.”
    https://forallsaints.wordpress.com/2011/08/11/clare-abbess-at-assisi-1253/

13. St. Attracta of Kilaraght Daughter of an Irish noble. Drawn from an early age to a religious vocation, which was opposed by her family. Made her religious vows to Saint Patrick at Coolavin, Ireland who also made her an Abbess. Worked with Patrick for the conversion of Ireland. Anchoress at Drumconnell, County Roscommon. At Killaraght (Cill Attracta) on Lough Gara she founded a hospice that still existed as late as 1539. Founded several churches and convents in County Galway and County Sligo. The convents were known for their care of the sick, and were traditionally built at crossroads so they would available to more travellers. Miracle worker, and noted healer.
    Learned of Attracta as I searched my family history and found my grandfather was part of the parish of St. Attracta in Ballinameen, Co. Roscommon. Even got to visit and attend Mass there last summer.

14. I nominate Clare, Abbess of Assisi (1253). She was so taken by the words, work, and life of Francis that she left her wealthy family and became an abbess. She served faithfully and joyfully for over forty years. Even as her health declined, she continued to serve. In her waning hours she said, “Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road. Go forth without fear, for he that created you has sanctified you, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Blessed be God, for having created me.”
    ( I have had trouble uploading my nomination. Hope you are not reading this for the third time! LOL!)

15. I would like to nominate King Kamahamaha as he deserves a second chance for all the good things he did for the people of Hawaii.

16. I nominate St. Josephine Bakhita, patron saint of human trafficking and slavery victims. She was born in Olgosssa in the Darfur region of southern Sudan. She was kidnapped at the age of seven, sold into slavery and given the name Bakhita, which means fortunate. She was re-sold several times and finally wound up in Italy where she was the babysitter to the young daughter of a wealthy Italian family. While the child in her care was being instructed in the catechism Josephine was drawn to the Catholic Church. She was baptized and confirmed in 1890, taking the name Josephine. She was abused while held as a slave and bore the marks of whippings on her body. She won her freedom when the Canossian sisters and the patriarch of Venice intervened on her behalf and a judge concluded that since slavery was illegal in Italy, she had actually been free since 1885. Josephine made her profession in the Institute of St. Magdalene of Canossa in 1893. In her ministry she assisted her religious community through cooking, sewing , embroidery and welcoming visitors at the door. She once said, "Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. What a great grace it is to know God." She was canonized in 2000.

17. I think it is mighty mean-spirited not to allow nominations of our four-legged or winged family members. However, that being the case, I nominate the Saint closest in spirit, blessed Saint Francis!

    1. He's not eligible: he's already won the Golden Halo.

18. I would love to nominate John Muir. I realize I ask often, but, in times like these, we need to remember his amazing stewardship of God's perfect handiwork. Go Team Muir!!

19. i will vote for Florence Li Tim-Oi.She is the first women ordained by the Anglican Communion!She was forced to work in re-education farms and factories in China but persisted.

    1. second, or third...whatever the count is currently

20. I would also like to second Jonathan Daniels. In addition to what Libby said above, Daniels was a person who epitomizes stepping in to do what's right, even when it would be easy and perhaps even understandable to not get involved. He was a white man from the Northeast who felt called to stand up for civil rights far from home, not because they would directly affect his day-to-day experience, but because it was right. He died pushing a seventeen-year-old girl named Ruby Sales out of the path of a shotgun blast, an action described by Martin Luther King as "one of the most heroic Christian deeds of which I have heard in my entire ministry." He is included in the Chapel of Saints and Martyrs of Our Own Times at Canterbury Cathedral, and I think he would be an excellent inclusion in next year's no doubt excellent company of Lent Madness Saints.

21. I would also like to second Jonathan Daniels. In addition to what Libby said above, Daniels was a person who epitomizes stepping in to do what's right, even when it would be easy and perhaps even understandable to not get involved. He was a white man from the Northeast who felt called to stand up for civil rights far from home, not because they would directly affect his day-to-day experience, but because it was right. He died pushing a seventeen-year-old girl named Ruby Sales out of the path of a shotgun blast, an action described by Martin Luther King as "one of the most heroic Christian deeds of which I have heard in my entire ministry." He is included in the Chapel of Saints and Martyrs of Our Own Times at Canterbury Cathedral, and I think he would be an excellent inclusion in next year's no doubt excellent company of Lent Madness Saints.

22. Mother Teresa from Calcutta

23. St George as his feast day is today, 23 April. He is the patron saint of England, mentioned by Eusebius, and included in some Islamic texts.

24. Saint Anselm of Canterbury - because he wrote about the rational basis for faith and came up with the marvelous saying: "I do not seek to understand that I may believe but believe that I might understand. For this too I believe since, unless I first believe, I shall not understand."

25. I nominate Fr. Augustus Tolton, April 1, 1854-July 9, 1897, the first R. C. priest in the USA who was publicly known to be black at the time of his ordination (in Rome in 1866). While to the best of my knowledge Fr. Tolton is not on any calendar, the case for his sainthood has been referred to the Vatican, and he has received the title "Servant of God." In a sense, then, he will be a candidate for sainthood in both Lent Madness and in the R. C. Church. The case for Fr. Tolton's sainthood can be found in the Wikipedia entry on his life and influence. Highlights include his birth in slavery, his rescue from slavery by sympathizers with the cause of emancipation, his education (often in institutions devoted to the cause of ending slavery and mitigating its damage on black lives), and his extensive and successful ministry: he worked ceaselessly to improve the treatment of blacks in a white-dominated society, founding churches, schools, and voluntary societies wherever he was sent. Throughout his ministry, he encountered opposition and hostility from all sides; he made white parishoners "uncomfortable," and many blacks viewed him as too willing to work with whites. Nevertheless he persisted, and doubters were won over by his commanding presence, his powerful preaching, his abilities as a singer, and his skill as a musician (one of his preferred instruments was the accordion, which makes him a great candidate for a semifinal round in Lent Madness). Tim and Scott, receive my petition on behalf of the Servant of God Fr. Augustus Tolton and make him to be numbered with the saints in the Lent Madness brackets for 2019!

26. St. Christopher is my vote for inclusion inthe next round of Lent Madness. My “why” is due to his legend. It is told that this large man, a once angry fellow followed the ways of power on earth - Satan. But upon learning that there was one more powerful than the devil, Christopher followed Him - Christ.
    The story has it that Christopher put himself into the service of others. Using his large self to carry travelers across a river. One day he was blesssed when the Holy Christ Child who carries the world allowed Christopher to bear him as an example for many that if Christ can bear the world we can bear Him.
    Though this saint was at one time downgraded by the Roman Catholic Church to sharing a feast day, he is still a comfort for travelers, including parishioners who journey through churches which carry the name of the Christ bearing saint.

27. I nominate Saint Clare of Assisi, a contemporary of St. Francis of Assisi, who embraced St. Francis' vision. While St. Francis turned away from a sinful life to become the Poverello, Clare was a woman of great holiness even before she renounced her noble heritage and wealth. She claimed as her own the "privilege of poverty," and forged a path for like-minded women to remain totally dependent upon God.

    1. Yes! I nominated her as well!

28. I nominate Pierre Tielhard de Chardin, SJ, a Jesuit paleontologist who worked to understand evolution and faith. During WWI, he served as a stretcher bearer and received the Croix the Guerre and the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur. His field work in paleontology took him to China (where he took part in the discovery of the Peking Man), South America, and South Africa. There is a movement afoot to have the 1962 "warning" imposed by the Vatican removed from Tielhard's writings.

    1. Julie, thank you for nominating Pierre. I did too.

29. Saint Andre Bessette (Brother Andre). Celebrated by the Catholic Church in Canada on January 7. Having visited Montreal numerous times when our daughter was at school there, Brother Andre is an incredibly inspirational man. Credited with thousands of healings, he was the inspiration for the construction of St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, where you can see his heart on display. The heart was stolen in 1972, and returned after 645 days.

30. Could you please confirm if people from the Righteous Among the Nations list of the state of Israel, honoring non-Jews who saved Jews during the Holocaust, qualify for nomination due to their feast day on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church? There are so many worthy people on this list, but I don't want to nominate one of them if they are not eligible for Lent Madness.