Ready for the last matchup of the week? That was rhetorical -- of course you are! Today it's Emily Cooper vs. Hiram Kano, as the choices get harder and harder.
In yesterday's action, Irenaeus brought down Athanasius of Alexandria 53% to 47% to snag the first spot in the Elate Eight.
And don't forget to watch your Daily Saintly Showdown with Christian and Michael (which reminds us, you should really subscribe to our YouTube channel Lent Madness TV.
Vote now!
Emily Cooper
While no doubt Emily Cooper, as a woman of the 19th century, left a legacy of letters, notes, and records, none of her words are readily available. The words of Emily are instead found on historical markers and in hagiographies written about her life of ministry with children, especially the children of a culture that often saw those who were poor, destitute, sick, and impoverished as outcasts and unworthy of dignity and love. Her words were acts of love, and while no inspiring quotations from Emily are with us today, the words she leaves to us are the names of children, etched into granite to testify that no person, no child, is outside of God’s love and all lives are worthy to be remembered.
Emily Cooper was a Deaconess in the Episcopal Church, and in her commitment to her ministry, her call from God, and her baptismal vows, she arrived in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1880, she was named director of the Home of the Innocents, a ministry for neglected, unwanted, sick, and abused children, as well as poor children of destitute parents.
In her lifetime of service to these children, Emily assisted at baptisms of almost 300 children, naming those who arrived without any identification. She cared for them, healing those whom she could and comforting those as they died. After years of investigation, researchers found the grave locations of over 200 children who died while they were at Holy Innocents who had been buried in unmarked graves (likely because their parents could not afford a grave maker).
Much like Sister Emily, their words had been almost erased from the story of God’s love. Yet in a final act generations later that reflected the love and ministry of Emily Cooper, two statues were created and dedicated to the memory of all these children, as well as Sister Emily. These images tell the story of their lives, often too short.
Sister Emily’s grave and the graves of 77 children, are marked with a statue named, Ascension. It depicts Sister Emily holding a child aloft, and the child is releasing a dove. The names of the children are at the base of the statute.
In an adjoining plot, the statute Metamorphosis stands. It depicts a Deaconess shaking out a blanket with 220 butterflies being released into God’s love, representing the 220 children who are buried in these plots soaring to God. The name of all 113 children in this area are engraved on the base.
Perhaps the greatest legacy of any Christian’s life is not the words we write or the quotations that are attributed to us. Perhaps the greatest legacy is that, in love, we cared for those who were cast out by a culture too often devoid of mercy. Perhaps a great legacy is that, like Emily, we give names and monuments to those whom God loves beyond all measure.
Hiram Kano
As one might expect, Hiram Kano’s experience in the World War II incarceration camp had a profound impact on the remainder of Kano’s life and ministry. It could have been so easy for Kano to be bitter and angry (or insert any other appropriate emotion) about his experience. But instead, Kano said. “It was God’s act. It was God who sent me to camp to fulfill his will. I thank God for this.”
Cyrus Kano, Hiram’s son, noted that his father turned adversity into fertile mission territory. In addition to teaching about Christianity, he also organized a “camp college” for anyone in the camps, including the guards. Cyrus noted, “My father also did nature studies and took groups of people out into the swamp in Louisiana and explained about the leaves on the cypress trees and the animals — the water moccasins, the alligators.” Cyrus’s sister Adeline added that her father was “just trying to continue to do his work as a priest, as a human being, trying to help other people” keep their mind off their circumstances in the camps.
In August 1988, the United States Congress passed the “Civil Liberties Act of 1988” which presented survivors of the incarceration camps with a formal apology letter and the sum of $20,000 as “reparations” for what they endured. Upon learning that this money was coming, Kano said, “I don’t want the money. God just used that as another opportunity for me to preach the gospel.” It is unclear if he formally declared he did not want the money. The money was not distributed until October 1990, after Kano had died. This means that, if he did in fact receive the money (he was entitled to it because he was still living at the time the bill was signed), his descendants were the recipients of that money.
Speaking of his descendants, it is a fun quirk to note that Hiram Kano’s great-grandson Aaron is married to an Episcopal priest, The Rev. Mia Kano, currently the rector of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Ayer, Massachusetts.
Craig Loya, currently the bishop of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota but born in the Nebraska town where Kano served, identified Kano as his favorite saint and summed up Kano this way: “His was an extraordinary faith and an extraordinary life. He is the only Nebraskan who is a saint in our tradition, and he is deeply loved by people in that state. The fact that he ministered in the area where I grew up makes me feel a particular spiritual connection to him even though I never met him.”
Perhaps there is something in Kano’s story that resonates with you too.
61 comments on “Emily Cooper vs. Hiram Kano”
Both people did such important work and ministry. But this passage: “ Cyrus’s sister Adeline added that her father was “just trying to continue to do his work as a priest, as a human being, trying to help other people” keep their mind off their circumstances in the camps.”
As we see forces seeking to dehumanize people who are immigrants, who are different in the the present moment, I am grateful for the model of Hiram Kano whose ministry helped people to know that they were loved and holy and beautiful in God’s eyes amidst internment.
For Emily was kind, wrote with love
she followed the spirit shaped like a dove
cared for the poor, the sick, and the weak,
be like Emily, the love that we should seek.
Vote Emily for her kindness was above.
voting Emily cooper because anyone who cares for abused kids has my heart!! Emily 4 the win <3
At this time when the Alien Enemies Act that lead to Executive Order 9066 (and interment camps of Japanese and American citizens of Japanese descent) is being used again, I vote for and want to uplift St.Kano. My prayer is that any persons being sweep up now find the strengh found in God, and know that God never abandons.
I was so hoping Hiram Kano would get the Golden Halo! Well deserved
Both are so deserving. I hope that whichever one does not move on in this round will be "invited back" next year.
Blessings and Hope Always.
Both seem very worthy. Another difficult choice. But I usually vote for the women saints, since they always had multiple cultural hurdles to overcome when carrying out their ministries. Thus, I voted for Emily.
I’ll have to consider both and vote later, as I’m torn between the two at first reading this morning.
Much as I admire Hiram Kano, my vote today goes to Emily Cooper in thanks for her ministry to the poorest and the least, and for all the children of Gaza denied loving care as they died in airstrikes, by bullets to the head and chest, and under the rubble. God have mercy.
My understanding is any saint in a bracket can not be part of a future bracket until some time has passed. Is this true and how long?
This was an easy one! EMILY was a spectacular star. what a wonderful life story.
I voted for Hiram Kano, but I want to give a shout out to Laurie Brock's write up especially this statement: "Perhaps the greatest legacy of any Christian’s life is not the words we write or the quotations that are attributed to us. Perhaps the greatest legacy is that, in love, we cared for those who were cast out by a culture too often devoid of mercy."
Amen to that!
Hiram’s stewardship and love of nature; his conviction that even those who imprisoned him were worthy of inclusion and education; his steadfast faith and trust in God all make him an exceptional model for our times. With prayers for all those who are unjustly arrested and imprisoned anywhere in the world, Hiram gets my vote.
This is the second time I have cried reading about a saint during Lent Madness...the first was also Emily.
Context is everything. Emily did great things, but in this time when the travesty of the Enemy Aliens Act is being repeated, we need to hold up his witness.
Very difficult choice: St. Emily of The Home of the Innocents in Louisville, Kentucky who cared for abandon chldren "in a culture that too often saw the poorest children as disposable" and St. Keno who minister to families; approx 1/3 of the 120,000 incarciated were minors.
If you do not know about the US government transport of all peoples with any Japanese heritage out of the Western states,the confiscation of their property, and their eventual "release" with $25 and a train ticket to "anywhere." please someday prayerfully learn of this part of US history sometime.
"It makes no difference whether he is an American citizen, he is still a Japanese....But we must worry about the Japanese all the time until he is wiped off the map" - John L. DeWitt, April 13, 1943, House Naval Affairs Subcommittee
I wish there had been a mention of where Emily's statue is. I'd like to see a picture of it - will search later today. This was a difficult one.
Both are worthy of respect and emulation by those who live today.
Both Saints today are so deserving but because Kano’s work is back in the news I must vote for him.
I voted for Kano as relevant in these times when aliens and suspected aliens are being rounded up.
Missed the vote yesterday, couldn’t spell either name anyway, but it’s back to the ladies today!
Lent Madness is down to only difficult choices! I went with Deaconess Emily Cooper because the cause of unwanted and abused children are near and dear to my heart and own ministry. But I am also celebrating Fr. Kano for his ministry to the people who have been treated horribly by their nation just because they can be easily identified by their physical race that we were at war with at that time. It's ironic, scary, and maddening that we are so close to our nation doing this all over again.
Another difficult choice. I chose Hiram Kano because of how inspiring his story is. Living out a life of faithfulness and love for your neighbor is so much harder when your neighbor thinks you’re the enemy.
As an elementary/special education teacher and mother of an adopted child, I am going with Emily.
I wish I could vote for Kano also. Why is there fear of those that don’t look like us? Why is there adversity to helping homeless, vulnerable, and marginalized? Why is there discrimination for “the other”? I wish I knew the answer and the solution.
For me I am reminded of the hymn. “I sing a song of the Saints of God”. Yes, Lent madness is an entertaining, educational , fun Lenten activity! Thank you
So many saints!
Thank you, Hiram Kano, for knowing your call.
I would be on board with declaring these two as joint honorees of the Golden Halo right now. That's it, the end! 😀 Taken together they exemplify everything there is about being a true Christian.
I hadn't know about either of them before this year's Lent Madness. I'm so glad I now do.
The reading today really spoke to me today as a Canadian. We too had internment camps. And now we deal with residential schools, etc. along with today’s circumstances. The past revisits our present.
As we face the potential reality of internment camps once again, now in my lifetime. Where Mexicans, Latinos, and others are already being 'disappeared'- I think Fr. Hiram is the Saint for our time. May his example guide us in this dark and dangerous time. For me, he was the 'only' choice today.
Difficult choice: St. Emily of The Home of the Innocents in Louisville, Kentucky who cared for abandon chldren "in a culture that too often saw the poorest children as disposable" and St. Keno who ministered to families (approx 1/3 of the 120,000 incarciated were minors) in at a time when the general feeling was anyone of Asian descent was "not quite human, or at least not "civilized"
"It makes no difference whether he is an American citizen, he is still a Japanese....But we must worry about the Japanese all the time until he is wiped off the map" - John L. DeWitt, April 13, 1943, House Naval Affairs Subcommittee
Another uplifting choice, as both saints demonstrated remarkable excellence during their period of outstanding service.