Today, in the second battle of a full week of Lent Madness action, it's José Gregorio Hernández squaring off against Constance of Memphis. These two contemporaneous saints and heroic healers have much to say to our current situation of living through a global pandemic.
Yesterday, Cecilia sung her way past Perpetua 54% to 46% to claim her spot in the Saintly Sixteen.
In case you missed the latest episode of Monday Madness, you can watch it here. Also, how could you ever miss an episode of Monday Madness?!
José Gregorio Hernández
On the streets of Caracas, as in cities all over Latin America, street vendors sell images of the saints—statues, dolls, prayer cards and candles, spangled with sequins or bits of fabric in rich hues. Among the golds, pinks, and blues, you can purchase a small statue of a man with dark hair and a neat little mustache, dressed smartly in a white doctor’s coat and a bowler hat. He is Dr. José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros, one of the most beloved saints of Venezuela.
José was born on October 26, 1864, to a poor family in the village of Isnotú in northwestern Venezuela. In school, José proved to have a natural aptitude for science and became one of Venezuela’s first physicians. He received a grant from the government to continue his studies in Paris; in the 1890s José returned home with what was the country’s first microscope and first blood pressure gauge. At several points, he considered the priesthood, but he ultimately chose to realize his devotion to God through medicine.
Dr. Hernández was at the forefront of medical research in the Americas, but his life’s work lay in direct care, most especially for the poor. He is known to this day as el medico de los pobres, “the doctor of the poor.” He loved house calls and paid patients’ medical bills. His devotion to God and his fellow Venezuelans was boundless, and he was spoken of as a faith healer even as he brought the most cutting-edge medicines to the poorest barrios of Caracas.
During the 1918 flu pandemic, he kept a tireless schedule, entering the rooms of the sick despite his own fragile health. Dr. Hernández died in 1919 when he was struck by a car upon exiting a pharmacy. He was there to buy medicine for those who could not afford it.
The number of people healed by Dr. Hernández in his life was quickly dwarfed by the countless miraculous healings he affected since his death, and it is hard to meet a Caraqueño today who has not experienced the healing gifts of el santo medico. Dr. Hernández is also considered a member of the spiritual court of La Reina Santa Maria de La Onza (Maria Lionza), an indigenous folk goddess. When the doctor was beatified in 2020, Pope Francis confessed that he, too, had prayed to Dr. Hernández for intercession in illness. Dr. Hernández gave his life to Christ in service of his neighbor. The depths of love for him across Venezuela attest to God’s own longing for healing for his people.
Collect for José Gregorio Hernández
O God, you have brought us near to an innumerable company of angels, and to the spirits of just men made perfect: Grant us during our earthly pilgrimage to abide in their fellowship, and in our heavenly country to become partakers of their joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Constance of Memphis
The story of Constance and her companions, the 1878 Martyrs of Memphis, has rightly resurfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic, as we have again seen the heroic sacrifices made by people who care for the sick. At the age of 28, Episcopal nun Constance traveled from New York City with another sister, Thecla, to start a school in Memphis at the behest of their bishop. Constance ultimately became the headmistress of the school and the superior of the sisters of the Community of Saint Mary in Memphis.
In the late nineteenth century, Memphis residents mostly collected water from cisterns or wells and emptied their chamber pots into the streets, which drained into a bayou. After heavy rains, lowlands around the city turned into stagnant waters perfect for breeding mosquitos and outbreaks of yellow fever.
Although people didn’t know the virus was mosquito-borne, they knew drier, higher areas were safer. In the summer of 1878, as yellow fever began to spread, residents who could afford to flee Memphis did so. Constance and her sisters were resting in New York after the end of a school year when they learned of the outbreak. They arranged for money and supplies to be sent, then on August 20, they returned to a city of 20,000, smaller than half its pre-outbreak size of 50,000. The area around the Cathedral of St. Mary was the most infected of the city. The nuns and priests tending the sick refused to sleep outside the city, where they might have been safer, instead choosing to stay to offer care and comfort and look after a growing number of orphaned children.
On September 5, an editorial published in the Daily Avalanche read, “Great God! How his murderous work has increased. Those that are left are busy burying the dead.” But Constance did not blame God. True to her name, she remained faithful and steady in her service. She died on September 9 at the age of 33, with the final words, “Alleluia Osanna.” In addition to Constance, five other Episcopalians ministering in Memphis died, from September 6 to October 4: the Rev. Charles Carroll Parsons, Sister Thecla, Sister Ruth, the Rev. Louis S. Schuyler, and Sister Frances. While we are not all called to martyrdom, we are called to compassion and service in the spirit of Constance and her companions. Those called to the work of healthcare during this pandemic especially embody their Christian love.
Collect for Constance of Memphis
We give you thanks and praise, O God of compassion, for the heroic witness of the Martyrs of Memphis, who, in a time of plague and pestilence, were steadfast in their care for the sick and dying, and loved not their own lives, even unto death; Inspire in us a like love and commitment to those in need, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
83 comments on “José Gregorio Hernández vs. Constance of Memphis”
Inspiring stories, both. I wonder, though, why Constance and her companions are called “martyrs”? To me, and to my Webster’s New World Dictionary, martyrs are people “who choose to suffer or die rather than give up their faith or principles” or are “tortured or killed because of [their] beliefs”. I’m not questioning their heroism, just the applicability of the word.
Perhaps "sororyrs"?
They did choose to remain in spite of the threat of dying from Yellow Fever, and indeed they did die.
The root word for martyr is martur, the Greek word for witness. A martyr is someone who dies as a witness to religious faith or principles. Rather than stay or go away, Constance and her companions died as witnesses to their faith, to what they believed God had called them to do.
Constance would go. I voted for Jose. This is a match up where you want to vote for both!!
This is the toughest decision But I chose Jose this was hard for me to pick one but I like my decision.
This was the hardest choice yet. I protest they two being pitted against one another this early! 🙂
everyone please vote for constance of memphis i dont want to lose in my bracket please vote for him
yea people should vote for constance of memphis
These are getting to be much harder choices. And it occurs to me to wonder, who are the Saints Amongst Us in Ukraine?
I must vote for José Fernández. I am currently studying español.
La historia de José es muy inspirador. ¡ Todas para José!
Two wonderful people to choose from, each is worthy of our votes. Thank you.
I have always admired Constance and her companions since I learned of them years ago. Today, I learned about Dr. Hernandez. He really touched my heart so my vote goes to him.
Both of these people are to be admired for their medical care to those in need. However, Dr. Hernandez gets my vote because he declined the urge to join the priesthood and instead was such a gift to the sick through his medical knowledge. I had never heard his story and it was interesting to think that Pope Francis prayed to him. Next time I am sick, or someone I know needs medical healing, I will give a shout out to Saint and physician Dr. Hernandez!
What a difficult choice today. I am thankful for all who find their vocation in medicine. My vote went to Dr Hernandez who cared for the poor, and furthered medical research.
What a challenging choice! Both are worthy. Two health care workers who gave their all. In the end I voted for "El Santo medico"
How could I not vote for Sister Constance? I spent many weeks at retreats at the convent that was then in Peekskill, NY and they were influential to my call to the diaconate.
All 5 of the martyrs are buried in the historic cemetery where I work in Memphis, Elmwood Cemetery. They are featured prominently on several of our walking tours. Obviously, today's vote was a no-brainer for me.
This was a tough one today! I went with St. José because I’d never heard of him before, but Constance is quite admirable as well. I love how they’re both so modern and so tactile in their ministries — no sainthood from 1,200 years ago for flying over a mountain to miraculously deliver beans or something of that nature.
I was taken by Jose immediately upon reading his bio. Seeing that figures of him were popular in Venezuela, I immediately found on on Ebay, and he now resides on my desk at work, inspiring me to give my all and to try to keep up on my doctor's appointments.
Sister Constance is also deserving of our admiration, of course, but my love of kitsch and little figures pushed me over to Jose's side. His death while picking up prescriptions for those who couldn't afford them only adds to the poignancy of his life. Probably apocryphal, but a nice story nonetheless.
Difficult choice! I'm tempted to say "No fair! They were both healers." But that's Lent Madness for you.
I wanted to vote for both, but didn't want to be kicked out of Lent Madness. As a retired physician, I'm casting my vote for the José Hernandez, in honor of him and in solidarity with all the other physicians who today are working to take care of people affected by COVID and who deal with a medical environment which has become so much more difficult in many ways.
Enjoying this as usual but not sure our vote was counted on two occasions. No CAPTCHA window popped up. We didn't try to vote again even though there was no verification of the vote.
I don't get a CAPTCHA window however when I go back into the site it says thank you for voting, so I presume the vote has been counted.
What a hard choice today. These two both deserve to have made it to the Golden Halo, in my opinion at least. I voted for Constance because I know Memphis and it is a place that would have been horrific during the yellow fever plagues of the times. But looks like Jose will win this one. But that's okay.
Realizing I want to know more about Jose my vote is for him and further info in the next round. If my votes goes the wrong way I will have to do my own research
I voted for Constance because of her connection to St. Mary's school and convent in Sewanee where I went to college. St Mary's school merged to become what is now Sewanee Academy and the former location is now a retreat center.
Shout out for Cecilia! Go All the Way!
Today was double easy, woman & Episcopalian!
Mother Constance gets the vote but it was interesting to learn about Jose.
I thought yesterday’s matchup was tough but today’s was worse. I thought about tossing a coin but finally decided to vote for Constance. She made the choice to return to Memphis which ultimately cost her life.
There is no way I could vote for other than beloved Sr. Constance. I remember her from a previous year's Lent Madness and her example has stayed with me. It looks like she will not advance. Too bad. I would have loved to see her get the Golden Halo. She stoodfast and showed what a true Christian does. "They will know we are Christians by our love."
Not sure about voting for someone whose faith included a local diety. I must say that those rites for the other god do look like a great party though. Remind me of my youth. But whatever, to each his own these days. LentMadness can surely accomodate polytheist for the golden halo.
The Sisters of St. Mary were the first Episcopalian monastic order in North America, established (1865) when women were strongly discouraged from seeking God in community. Constance and her companions gave their lives to care for the sick when everyone who could afford to flee Memphis did so. Greater love has no woman nor man than this. While never great in number, the Community of St. Mary continues on today despite 21st century distractions and changed priorities.
Way to go dude!
An entire nation was helped by Jose Hernandez. Sad that he was killed while purchasing the medicine for one of his patients. Although the sisters of Memphis were doing a noble work, Jose gets my vote.
My turn for a voting fail. Hope this gets fixed sometime!