Our Z vs. Z parade continues today as Agatha Lin Zhao faces Lucy Yi Zhenmei in a battle of 19th century saints.
Yesterday in the first iteration of the ZZZZs, Zenaida defeated Katharine Zell 67% to 33% to advance to the Saintly Sixteen against Sundar Singh.
If you missed yesterday's edition of Monday Madness, you can catch all the action here as Christian and Michael look back at the week that was, entertain some conspiracy theories, and generally pump up the penitential jam.
Vote now!
Agatha Lin Zhao
The parents of Agatha Lin Zhao were unafraid to hold their Christian faith with boldness in the early 1800s in the southern province of Guizhou, China. It was no doubt a gift and a curse to their children, who saw a powerful faith that was unyielding in the face of persecution, but it also created a life that was punctuated with an imprisoned father and impoverished mother. Able to read and write at a young age, Agatha was a sponge for all sorts of knowledge but was especially drawn to the Catholic teachings which her parents followed. When Agatha learned of her promised betrothal to a boy from a wealthy family, she begged her family to call it off and she shared that she had made her own private vow of chastity with God. Her parents respected her wishes, even though it cost them financial security, because it allowed their daughter to live out her faith.
Soon, she went away to continue her education but after her father was arrested again for his Christianity, she was forced to return home. After her father’s death, she was able to accept a teaching opportunity that her local priest had secured for her after being impressed with her faith and academic skill. After just one year of teaching, she was promoted to lead the convent in Guiyang. Agatha was arrested in 1857, and though she claimed her school was teaching the girls Chinese culture and how to be good wives, she refused to renounce her Christian faith and was executed in early 1858. She was canonized in 2000 and is remembered on her feast day in our church on February 19.
She is remembered with two other Chinese martyrs from the mid-1800s who refused to renounce their Christian faith: Agnes Tsao Kou Ying and Lucy Yi Zhenmei (whom she competes with today, cruel move, Supreme Executive Committee). All three women were not converts themselves but were raised in the Christian faith and found both their Christian and Chinese identities to be fully at home. All these women, especially Agatha, are examples of the power of women who are not only dedicated and committed to Christ’s work in the world, but also empowered to hold the complexities of their identity while being unwilling to bend their faith, even to the point of death.
Collect for Agatha Lin Zhao
Lord Jesus Christ, who willingly walked the way of the cross: Strengthen your church through the witness of your servants Agnes Tsao Kou Ying, Agatha Lin Zhao, and Lucy Yi Zhenmei to hold fast to the path of discipleship even unto death; for with the Father and Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Lucy Yi Zhenmei
Lucy Yi Zhenmei was born to a Catholic family on December 9, 1815, in China’s Sichuan province. She was the youngest of five children in her family. She was a very pious child and committed herself to a life of chastity at age twelve. She loved studying and reading. At age twenty, while she was pursuing higher education, she became very ill. After she recovered from her illness, she began to take her spiritual life even more seriously and devoted herself to a life of prayer. Her mother taught her the art of spinning yarn, which also became part of Lucy’s daily life. After her father died, Lucy continued to live with her mother and brother.
She knew that she could not leave her family to become a nun because they needed her financial help. When her local parish priest in Minyang noticed Lucy’s devotion to her faith and her extensive knowledge, she was asked to help teach the local children about matters of faith. When Lucy’s brother moved to Chonqing to practice medicine, Lucy and her mother went with him. Again, a local priest asked Lucy to help educate the parish’s women. When Lucy was offered a stipend for her work, she refused to accept it and said she was offering her work to God.
After Lucy’s mother died, Lucy continued her missionary work and went to live with a convent of lay women. When she had some health issues, she returned home but eventually returned to teach once again at the convent.
In 1862, Lucy went with a missionary priest to open a mission in Jiashanlong, but the province administrator began to stir up hatred against Christians. Because of this increasing hatred, four missionaries were imprisoned and sentenced to death. When these missionaries encountered Lucy, she also was jailed, put on trial, and sentenced to death for refusing to renounce her faith. She was beheaded on February 19, 1862, at the age of forty-six, the only woman of this group of martyrs, now known as the Martyrs of Guizhou. All five bodies were taken to the grounds of Liuchonnguan seminary for burial. Pope Pius X proclaimed all five of them “Blessed” on May 2, 1909. Pope John Paul II canonized them on October 1, 2000.
Some have said that Lucy should be the patron saint of schoolteachers, religious educators, or catechists, but nothing official has been determined. She is commemorated on the Episcopal calendar with Agatha Lin Zhao, whom she faces in this first round battle, and Agnes Tsao Kou Ying. They are commemorated on February 19, the date of Lucy’s death, but they share a feast day because they were canonized in the Roman Catholic Church on the same date.
Collect for Lucy Yi Zhenmei
Lord Jesus Christ, who willingly walked the way of the cross: Strengthen your church through the witness of your servants Agnes Tsao Kou Ying, Agatha Lin Zhao, and Lucy Yi Zhenmei to hold fast to the path of discipleship even unto death; for with the Father and Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
56 comments on “Agatha Lin Zhao vs. Lucy Yi Zhenmei”
For some matchups, there’s none who can say
Which contender’s the favored fan play;
But the militant right
Have our teachers in sight,
So I’m all in for Lucy Zhenmei.
I am abstaining from voting today. This is a pointless match-up. Thank God for both of them, and move on.
Seems an unfair competition between two such faithful martyrs, but as an educator, I must chose Lucy.
This one was a fair match up. Others have handicapped people from the start, so administrators, here are some suggestions:
1. Match like with like, into pairs such as 20th century Americans, early martyrs, foreign missionaries, medieval mystics, theologians, social reformers, indigenous peoples, etc.
2. Make sure the writers treat their assigned saints with the reverence abd honor the church accords them. If the writer treats the saint's life as a joke, the readers will, too.
3. Do careful editorial research. The picture that was not Emily Cooper is not the only boo-boo we've seen this year.
4. When you ask for future nominations, request 3 facts about that saint that make him or her worthy of inclusion.
Please don't think I'm a grump and a grouch - this is a great game, and we can make it even better!
What a round. To strong faithful women! Lucy gets my vote because of her teaching women and she spun yarn.
They were both teachers. Is it because one of them has been suggested as a patron saint of teachers that one is getting the edge over the other?
I realize that my earlier comment ("this is a pointless match-up") may have come across as scornful to these blessed women. I admire them both; it's the tight similarity between them--even the collects are the same--that leaves me frustrated. It's down to a literal coin flip, and I gave up coin flipping for Lent.
Lucy the teacher got my vote, though Agatha’s also worthy.
This was awful! It's like trying to choose between an apple and an apple.
Both were teachers but Agatha taught only girls according to the write up. That gives her the edge for me plus I liked that her parents respected her decision not to marry. And she was martyred first.
I do worry about someone who commits to chastity at age 12, probably before or as she is hitting puberty. Nothing against chastity, but that is a bit young to make that a lasting decision. Therefore, I went with Agatha. I do admire both women for their steadfast faith.
This is the dumbest matchup in LM history. How very dare you!
This was really a tough one. Having to choose between two dedicated women, both of whom were beheaded in more "modern" times, was difficult.
Have to abstain again. Can't choose between two worthy martyrs.
Totally agree with "Cruel move Supreme Executive Committee".
Amazing ladies, each. I could only do an eeny-meeny… to vote but ended up very happy with Lucy (remembering my sweet pup who passed 13 years ago).
I identify with Lucy, a lay servant. I did not feel called to ordination, but served as lay speaker in over a dozen churches over 40 years.
An absolutely terrible choice...
What a match-up - There are so many similarities in the lives of faith of Lucy and Agatha!
Both women dedicated their lives to God at an early age (historically probably not as young as we in the U.S. might think - it hasn’t always been that people had the luxury of remaining “children” through their teens.)
I would like to commend Agatha’s parents for their role in her sainthood. They could have insisted on her marriage and their financial security.
Difficult choice today - John Cabot’s ditty won me over. Lucy it is.
Sorry to see that more aren't voting for Agatha. From what I read she led the way and did more teaching. She could have survived accept she would not renounce Christianity to do so.
Let’s see if this Lucy is lucky enough to make it through today! I’ve missed the last 3 in a row& need to get back on track!
Don't you think it a little unfair to pit two such strong candidates aganst each other? I finally made the decision in favour of Lucy, mainly because she wouldn't accept pay for teaching, but offered her work as a gift to God. Would we were all able to make such a sacrifice!
Agatha seemed to have given up a lot.
I think I will agree with some others and not vote today. Both of these women led exemplary lives of faith but they seem almost interchangeable. If they were to happen to advance to meet one another further along in a bracket then so be it but I don’t like this choice as an initial match.
Oh wow! I actually just voted against one of my final four candidates after reading (for a second time) the write ups about these two amazing women. I must say I did not pay attention to the fact that they would be competing against each other.
Nearly abstained as this is the devil's alternative but that would have been a greater sin! We have to make the hard choices even when there's no good options!
both inspiring stories, but as a practicer (emphasis on practice, still) of many things fiber, I'm for a spinner.
I am hoping that I will not be cast into the outer darkness. My first attempt to vote left me hanging. Refreshing the page brought back the voting page which allowed me to vote so I fervently hope only one was recorded. I struggled to choose between Agatha and Lucy in such an evenly matched contest, but opted for Agatha in honour of her parents honouring Agatha's choice at no little cost to themselves.
Lucy, your life and death are an inspiration.
Too bad Lucy of Syracuse was eliminated. If Lucy Yi Zhenmei wins today, we could have ended up with Lucy vs Lucy for the Golden Halo!
Wow- this WAS indeed a cruel match-up. Still, I thank the committee for bringing two remarkable saints to my attention.