Today in the Saintly smackdown it's the Flower Follies as Hyacinth faces Rose of Lima. Every member of the Flower Guild should cast a vote! And maybe be a little judgy about their choice?
Yesterday, on Opening Day, Thomas the Apostle defeated Thomas Cranmer 56% to 44% with nearly 5,700 votes cast, to become the first saint to advance to the Saintly Sixteen.
It wasn't the smoothest start to our little bracket competition as so many people tried to vote early in the day that the server crashed. A few times. But we're up and running and looking forward to another full season of saintly thrills and spills. Please note that you cannot vote from the email we send out, you can only vote directly from the website. All of the extra steps involved are to protect the Lent Madness Global Public from voter fraud (yes, it's a thing). Thank you for your patience when you have trouble voting. You were patient, right?! it's supposedly a virtue.
Don't forget that tomorrow is the ONLY WEEKEND VOTE of Lent Madness as Kassia takes on Casmir.
Now go exercise your right to vote!
Hyacinth
Hyacinth was born in 1185 to a noble family in Silesia, Poland. As young nobleman of his age did, he received a thorough education and was trained as a priest, where his uncle (a bishop) appointed him as a canon at a local cathedral. This same uncle took Hyacinth with him when he traveled to Rome, a trip that would change Hyacinth’s life.
During his time in Rome, Hyacinth encountered Dominic of Osma, who had recently founded the order of Dominicans, a group of avowed people committed to sharing the Gospel through preaching the Good News and preaching against heresy. Hyacinth received his religious habit in 1220 from Dominic himself.
Hyacinth then returned to Poland and Kyiv to establish the Dominican Order in the Northlands and preach to the people of Poland. Through his efforts, Dominican friaries soon existed in all the major cities in Poland and thousands of lay people were converted to Christianity through the preaching of Hyacinth. Tradition holds that Hyacinth evangelized throughout northern Europe in city squares, markets, and streets and if necessary, churches, leading to his title as Apostle of the North.
When Hyacinth was in Kyiv, the city was invaded by Moguls. Hyacinth ordered his friars to flee for their safety. He finished praying Mass, then prepared to move to safety himself. In full vestments, he took the Blessed Sacrament with him. As he was leaving, legend holds Hyacinth heard the voice of the Blessed Virgin Mary asking Hyacinth to take her, too. Hyacinth realized the statue of Mary, Mother of God, was quite large and heavy, but he complied, and to his surprise, he was able to easily carry the large statue. Images of Hyacinth frequently show him carrying a monstrance (even though monstrances weren’t used until over a century later) and a statue of Mary. He is also the patron saint of weightlifters.
A Polish saying, “Swiety Jacek z pierogami!" (St. Hyacinth and his pierogi!) comes from another miracle attributed to Hyacinth. The saying is one of pleasant surprise, and comes from the story that Hyacinth, while walking from one village to another, came upon the town of Kościelec, where the crops had been destroyed due to hailstorms. The villagers faced certain starvation with no crops to harvest for bread. Hyacinth invited the villagers to pray with him. They all knelt, praying for God to deliver them. The next day, the crops were restored, and the harvest was plentiful. In gratitude, the villagers made pierogi for Hyacinth to celebrate the miracle.
Hyacinth died 15 August 1257 in Kraków, Poland. He is buried in the Basilica of the Holy Trinity, which also houses a Dominican monastery founded by Hyacinth.
Collect for Hyacinth
O God, who didst make Blessed Hyacinth, Thy Confessor, glorious amongst the people of divers nations for the holiness of his life and the glory of his miracles, grant that by his example we may amend our lives, and be defended by his help in all adversities. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Rose of Lima
Rose of Lima was born around April 20-30, 1586 in Lima, Peru. She is the patron saint of all of Peru, South America and the Philippines and is known for being the first saint canonized in the western hemisphere. She is also the patron saint of embroiderers, gardeners and those that suffer because of their piety.
Rose’s story is one of parental conflict, coupled with extreme devotion and chastity. She was a beautiful woman. Her story is one that is uncomfortable: in conflict with the physical beauty she was bestowed, she preferred to seek the beauty of God. Early in life, Rose felt called to serve God. She was drawn to a penitential and spiritual life focused on study, prayer, and self-denial.
Her mother wanted her to marry. In defiance, Rose cut off all her hair and burned her skin with hot peppers to make herself repugnant to the men her mother was parading for marriage. Their struggle continued for years. Upon taking a vow of chastity, her mother finally relented and allowed Rose to become a Dominican. However, they would not let her join the convent and instead confined her to their home with strict boundaries on where she could worship. Rose spent her days in embroidery and gardening. She would spend hours in prayer, adoration of St. Mary, and in taking communion daily. Unfortunately, Rose was known for self-flagellation, fasting, wearing a crown of thorns, and sleeping on a bed of potsherds. She lived a life of solitude, self-rejection, and denial.
To the reader, this life may seem repugnant. It appears that everything about Rose was uncomfortable. She was uncomfortable with her looks, the attention her looks garnered, her parents’ wishes for a “normal” life of marriage and children, and discomfort with almost anything but prostration before the cross. It is often difficult to reconcile our understanding of God’s love in light of Rose’s story. However, we are reminded, that in the presence of a story of great suffering, great self-disgust, and self-loathing, the beacon of this story is God.
Collect for Rosa of Lima
Merciful God, you sent your Gospel to the people of Peru through Martin de Porres, who brought its comfort even to slaves; through Rosa de Lima, who worked among the poorest of the poor; and through Toribio de Mogrovejo, who founded the first seminary in the Americas and baptized many: Help us to follow their 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. (GCW 2015)
— Anna Courie
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198 comments on “Hyacinth vs. Rose of Lima”
I cannot vote. There are no squares to check. Only the vote totals as of now appear. (9:07 am Eastern time. I want to vote but something is wrong - I am accessing Lent Madness through the website.
I can’t seem to vote on my phone. Yesterday I finally voted in the afternoon but this morning it’s thanking me for voting but I didn’t. Last few years it was easy. WTF?
A Saint who is associated with pierogis swayed my vote to Hyacinth
I was also unable to vote today.
I got a “thank you for your vote “ message before I voted. Had problems yesterday too,
I’d say “you are very welcome” - except you sent the thanks before I voted!
Not exactly the saintly intervention I was hoping for but it’s all good - I see Hyacinth is winning. If the supreme committee sees fit, cast another vote for him on my behalf. Because Poland, pierogi and the patron saint of weightlifters (who knew?)
Rose's story is disturbing,and in modern psychology it could be questioned if she had a history of trauma that was unresolved. I think Lent Madness does help us in considering the lives those who are recognized as saints in the Christian tradition. Rose is the patron saint of many countries, and so her attributes have been revered. The title of Saint has been bestowed on many for extreme self sacrifice,personal diminishment,self torture (ex self flagellation)and women who mutilated themselves to remain chaste. The Saintly stories/Haigiography were meant to be models to aspire to. Lent Madness is doing a service for the faith for us to reconsider what personal attributes living the faith are what we want to focus on
This was a tough one for me. Rose's story of struggling against the expectations for women in her time sounds soul crushing--. Someone mentioned mental illness in their comment and I could see that given how her family, as the story goes, applied extreme pressure to get her to conform. I am half Polish and my maternal grandparents were from Krakow (according to the Ellis Island records). A big mission in life for me is related to food insecurity. So, Hyacinth helping the village with their crops put me over the line to vote for him. But my heart breaks for Rose.
I feel for Rose of Lima. If she had gotten parental affirmation of her sense of self and calling, I wonder if her life and ministry would have been more full of prodigal love for God and others, and less marred by self-flagellation and mortification.
Hyacinth is to me a much better saintly example, and my vote went to him. However, it was cruel of him and y'all to mess with my Lenten resolve by making me hungry for pierogi!
Like my lovely wife, Hyacinth is Polish and loves God (and pierogi!). So how else could I vote?
How can I not vote for Rose of Lima. Both my maternal and paternal grandmothers were named Rose. A sister Rosemary and a granddaughter with Rose as her middle name! She's not doing very well so consider voting for our family namesake!
When I saw the names today i honestly said, "Wow, they put Hyacinth Bucket on the list!!"
I had the same thought. Thankfully, not so.
I vote in honor of my mother in law Frances, of Polish extraction and because she made the most amazing pierogies!
I cannot view bracket results. Link from email sends me to a blank bracket
Any boy named Hyacinth deserves my vote.
Well, I really liked Hyacinth's story, especially the pierogies. But I had to go with Rose. Rose is my middle name. I'm also an avid cross-stitcher & embroiderer. (didn't know we had a patron saint!) And I dabble in gardening. It also struck me that had her parents simply relented and let her live the life she wanted, she probably wouldn't have been so prone to self distruction. I feel for her. Rose gets my vote!
It seems so many are turned off by Rose. There are many people in this world who find through experience that they cannot depend on anyone in this world. And in reality, no one can fully depend on any human, flawed as we are. The healthiest response is to recognize one's dependence on God alone. I have been there myself. Self-denial is not a punishment, but a means to recognize one's complete dependence on God, and thereby experiencing God's love fully. I am sure some of the legends of Rose are exaggerated. I think it best to see her as abused by others, but still embraced by God's infinite love.
I thought I had voted, but when I looked at the end, it said to vote. I tried to do so again, and again. and ...... Finally I gave up. I had chosen to vote for Hyacinth, about whom I had never known (but I didn't know the women either), but it seemed that his activities were the best.
My priest is a Dominican, which made this vote a bit difficult, but I finally went with Hyacinth. I will pray for others in struggles such as Rose of Lima suffered, because many children of God fight the good fight in any way they can.
Many coworkers from Peru. Had to go with Rose. I've been to her church in Gaithersburg, MD. Gracias a Dios.
Wow Tough one today because, well, pierogies, but had to go with Rose for having to go it alone.
Handicap Hyacinth 46.45, Rose 29.75. Easy choice today.
Rose you immortalize the beauty created by a patient woman with a needle. I honor you with my vote just as I honor all the women without power who only had and have such restrained and simple ways to praise God.
The thought of a man named Hyacinth being the patron saint of weightlifters tickled my funny bone - the pierogis were the "pie on the cake," so to speak. Also, Hyacinth's life and deeds were important and took him out into community. Rose of Lima struck me as a soul who needed our prayers.
Since there were so many technical issues with voting yesterday and it appears again today (I used computer rather than phone so my vote was fine) - I wonder if it wouldn't be worthwhile to redo Thomas versus Thomas and Hyacinth versus Rose. Maybe the glitches will be corrected over the weekend. How about it, SEC?
Surprised myself by voting for Rose. The struggle to love God AND oneself is a tough one and my heart went out to her.
The Rose of Lima is not the Christian mythology I wish to proliferate. It is not a healthy understanding.
I think we saw a miracle when Hyacinth lifted the statue Mary, that appeared way to heavy to be lifted.
I relate to Rose as I have struggled with being urged into situations, although my immediate family has been supportive of my life choices.
I couldn't vote yesterday and today. Is something wrong with your software----or mine?
I use Android products. Looks like several of us are having problems.