Congratulations! You survived the first battle of Lent Madness 2023. Of course, the same cannot be said for Hippolytus of Rome who was trounced by Augustine of Hippo 80% to 20%, to become the first saint to punch his ticket to the Saintly Sixteen.
Today in Lent Madness action it's Florence Li Tim-Oi, the first woman to be ordained a priest in the Anglican Communion, facing off against Nicolaus von Zinzendorf, a Moravian whose name is just too fun to say.
And don't forget, tomorrow is the ONE AND ONLY Saturday matchup of Lent Madness, as Olga of Kiev takes on Bertha of Kent.
Finally, if you want to find out when your favorite saint will be up in the bracket, click (and maybe even print out) this year's Matchup Calendar.
Now go vote!
Florence Li Tim-Oi
Florence Li Tim-Oi (last name Li, given name Tim-Oi, chosen name Florence) was the first woman priest ordained in the Anglican Communion. When she was born in Hong Kong in 1907, people generally preferred sons over daughters, but her parents gave her a name meaning “much-beloved daughter.” Li Tim-Oi joined the Anglican church and chose the name Florence at her baptism in honor of Florence Nightingale. Like her namesake, Florence Li Tim-Oi provided care and healing to many through her ministry.
Florence studied at Union Theological College in what is now known as Guangzhou, China. While attending an English woman’s ordination as a deaconess, Florence felt a call and prayed to God that she also be ordained. Ordained a deaconess in 1941, Florence was sent to an Anglican church in Macau, a Portuguese territory with many Chinese refugees from the second Sino-Japanese war. Although she was not allowed to celebrate the eucharist, she ministered to the surrounding community in every other way: performing marriages, baptisms, and funerals, feeding the hungry, counseling the lost, and offering encouragement and hope through their shared faith.
Seeing a situation that called for a radical solution, Hong Kong Bishop Ronald Hall ordained Florence to the priesthood in 1944 in a neutral location in China. Although Bishop Hall is quoted as saying that Florence had developed a man-like charism for the priesthood, the fact remains that he ordained her. As was and is often the case, women get opportunities when men cannot be present. The result is that Florence was an ordained priest 50 years before the Anglican Communion recognized women priests.
After World War II ended and controversy around her ordination ensued, Florence decided not to exercise her priesthood until the Anglican Communion recognized her ordination. When Maoism rose in China, churches closed. Florence was persecuted, forced to cut up her vestments, and sent for “re-education” and work on a farm. Eventually, she was able to leave China and moved to Canada in 1983 to be an honorary assistant at St. John’s Chinese congregation and St. Matthew’s in Toronto. Since the Anglican Church of Canada allowed the ordination of women, Li’s ordination was reinstated in 1984, 40 years after the original date. We celebrate the feast of Florence on January 24, the eve of her ordination.
Collect for Florence Li Tim-Oi
Almighty God, who pours out your Spirit upon your sons and daughters: Grant that we, following the example of your servant Florence Li Tim-Oi, chosen priest in your church, may with faithfulness, patience, and tenacity proclaim your holy gospel to all the nations, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Nicolaus von Zinzendorf
While his name may not roll off the lips of American Protestants, Count Nicolaus von Zinzendorf is a key religious figure who engaged in strong missionary work to the enslaved, Indigenous peoples, and German-speaking emigrants. Nicolaus was an author, a leader in the ecumenical movement, and a prolific hymnist, with many of his 2,000 hymns translated into other languages and still sung today. He is a renewer of the Moravian Church, which is in full communion with the Episcopal Church.
Nicolaus was born May 26, 1700, in Dresden, Germany, to a titled and wealthy life. His spirituality was apparent early on; as a youngster, he wrote letters to Jesus. In 1716, while studying law at the University of Wittenberg, Zinzendorf was inspired by Domenico Feti’s painting Ecce Homo, depicting Christ crucified. “I have loved him for a long time, but I have never actually done anything for him,” he expressed. “From now on I will do whatever he leads me to do.”
Nicolaus was ordained in the Lutheran church but always strove for an ecumenical, Protestant movement. During this time, the Moravian Church, Unitas Fratrum (United Brethren), experienced a rebirth among the exiled community, and Nicolaus began his leadership of the church. By 1732, his Moravian settlement had grown to more than 600 members.
Throughout his life, Nicolaus promoted personal relationships with God and believed that all tasks, no matter how routine or dull, are a form of worship. “All of life becomes a liturgy,” Nicolaus said. Under Nicolaus, the Moravians focused on missionary work, starting in the Caribbean and then Africa, Asia, and South America. In 1739, he joined the missionaries in the Caribbean. From there, he traveled to the United States, meeting with Benjamin Franklin and leaders of the Delaware, Shawnee, Iroquois, and Mohican nations, the only European nobleman known to expressly meet with Indigenous chiefs.
In 1741, Nicolaus visited Pennsylvania, arriving on Christmas Day, inspiring the group to name the area “Bethlehem.” After years of dedicated missionary work, Nicolaus returned to Germany in 1749. He died on May 9, 1760. His feast day is May 9 in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Collect for Nicolaus von Zinzendorf
Almighty God, whose will it is to be glorified in your saints, and who raised up your servant Nicolas to be a light in the world: Shine, we pray, in our hearts, that we also in our generation may show forth your praise, who called us out of darkness into your marvelous light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Florence Li Tim-Oi: Wikimedia Commons
Nicolaus von Zinzendorf: Balthasar Denner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
163 comments on “Florence Li Tim-Oi v. Nicolaus von Zinzendorf”
Thy incarnation, wounds, and death
I will confess while I have breathe,
Till I shall see thee face to face,
Array-ed with thy righteousness.
Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf
I seem to recall the same narrative about Florence Li Tim Oi last year!
She hasn't been in the bracket until 2013.
I'm fully supportive of the amazing life and work of Florence, but I need to toss a vote to underdog Nicolaus because I went to high school in Bethlehem PA and our librarian was Moravian.
Why was I seeing previous vote totals before I voted?? Fortunately I had already made up my mind before I saw that, and I kept my original choice, but... Oi!
I was blessed that Florence Li Tim-Oi visited our church when I was a new Episcopalian in the mid-to-late 1980s. She was a friend of retired missionaries in our parish who had also served in China until they were expelled.
Are we supposed to see the vote tabulation BEFORE we cast our own vote? I don't recall that happening before. Is there a fluke with the software? Peskie hackers again?
I had this problem too!
As an Anglican women, with the maiden name Lee, how can I not support the first woman to be ordained in the Anglican church? Btw, I am of Chinese heritage.
Today I voted for Florence Li Tim-Oi. While I found the information about Nicolaus Zinzendorf compelling, to be a woman born in 1903 and living in a time period that didn't honor women's rights or their leadership abilities, Florence Li Tim-Oi found a way to both lead and nurture those around her. I can't imagine how hard it would have been to go to a Chinese Re-education camp and still maintain a spiritual connection. Some in those camps were killed for their beliefs. She prevailed and became an ordained priest before women were allowed that right...leading the way for many other women.
Personally, I would rather not see the voting status before voting.
So unfair. Yesterday we voted for the lesser of two evils. Today it was so hard to choose between two outstanding candidates. I voted for Florence but very easily could have voted for Nicolaus. I’m
hoping tomorrow’s won’t be as exhausting.
Both of these saints are worthy of my vote. As I read about her journey, I was drawn to her persistence in becoming a priest. I felt her call, I wanted to vote for her. Then I read about Nicholas and was also drawn to him and his missionary work. The first thing that struck me was that he "believed that all tasks, no matter how routine or dull, are a form of worship. 'All of life becomes a liturgy.'" During his early mission trips he went to America and met with Benjamin Franklin and leaders of the Delaware, Shawnee, Iroquois, and Mohican nations, the only European nobleman known to expressly meet with Indigenous chiefs. These two things swayed me to vote for Nicholas, even though I'm pretty sure Florence will win.
I am not able to vote on my iPad. The circles are there but don’t respond, but I see the % of voters.
The circles for voting work on my iPhone but I see still the %’s before I vote.
What browser are you using? I had to use Firefox on my Mac because even though I was able to vote in Safari on my Mac early yesterday, I could not get anything but the main page of the entire site to load in Safari on either my Mac or my iPhone. It just gives me a blank page, unless I use Firefox on the Mac.
As someone who cares greatly about our Native American peoples, Nicolaus gets my vote!!
Why are you showing me the score before I vote?
“Zinzendorf ... accorded women a much more substantial role in church life than was normal for the eighteenth century, and suffered great criticism as a result. He allowed women to preach, to hold office, and to be ordained.”
http://zinzendorf.com/pages/index.php?id=count-nicholas-ludwig-von-zinzendorf
Tough vote today. I have great respect for both of these folks, so I'm just annoyed with the bracket pairing.
As a member of the Diocese of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, I just had to vote for Nick.
I love von Zinzendorf's belief that all of life is liturgy. It touches the core of what it is to live out our baptismal ministries as Christians. I ultimately chose Florence Li Tim-Oi, though. I love saints who listen to God's call and simply do the work while the church busies itself arguing about their fitness to do so. It teaches us that God's call is not subject to the limitations and closed-mindedness of humans.
Not sure why I could see the results before I voted and even realizing my vote for Zinzendorf seems a drop in the bucket, I had to vote for him since I was raised in Pennsylvania and baptized a member of the Diocese of Bethlehem plus a new member of the Lutheran Church.
A little birdie told me one of tomorrow's saints is Olha of Kyiv...
when do the polls close?
Also, I cannot get my vote to register.
Much Beloved Daughter by Ted Harrison is a lovely biography of Florence Li Tim-Oi. The circumstances surrounding her ordination are much more interesting than there is room to describe here. Her life was all about being of service to God and his followers.
I have read and recommend that along with her own autobiography, which is sadly out of print.
https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/raindrops-of-my-life-1551261286
I live near Bethlehem, PA and love the influence of the Moravian Church in this area. Voting for Nicolaus.
This was really hard, these were both courageous, dedicated Christians, but Florence, won my heart.
How could I not vote for Florence Li Tim-Oi? As a nurse , her choice of Florence tickled me. but her story of ordination given then withdrawn and then 40 years later recognized is so timely - especially for those in the US as we see womens rights being taken away and we have to fight agian
One day when we were at a Deanery meeting I asked Florence how she kept her faith while in isolation. With no pretense whatsoever she simply said "I preached to the chickens. Her faith and humility could fill a room without her saying a word.I treasure a picture I have of the two of us sitting together and I have used it at times to challenge people to look for the living saints that they may encounter.
Ah!
While I honor and respect von Zinzendorf and the Moravia movement, Florence's life, and quietly lived practices are more compelling.
She appears as a precursor to the critique of empire now promoted by Kwok Pui-Lan, a contemporary Chinese Christian.
I love Florence, but my heart goes to Nick
These kinds of days are why I love Lent Madness. So many unsung heroes in our midst that I've never heard of. Hurrah for Florence and her dedication to her calling even though persecuted. So sad she had to cut up her vestments.
The vote tally showed who was leading before I voted. Was that a glitch just for me, or did that happen for others too?