In the last matchup of the week, Zerena of Zurzach (try saying that five times fast) faces Lucy Yi Zhenmei (try saying that five times fast) as the 
Saintly Sixteen continues with reckless abandon.
Yesterday, Sundhar Singh singed Zenaida 60% to 40% to advance to the Elate Eight, where she'll face Emily Cooper in what promises to be a tough contest.
And...here's your Daily Saintly Showdown...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW3sRWRUOqw
We'll see you bright and early Monday morning for the final battle of the Saintly Sixteen, as Francis Xavier takes on Nicolaus Zinzendorf.
Vote now!
Verena of Zurzach
Verena, who lived in the late 3rd and early 4th centuries, was an Egyptian and educated in the Christian faith by Bishop Charemon. Her name Verena is not found in any historical record except in the context of her as a saint. With the popularity of her name, many female characters in later Swiss folklore adopted the name.
After Charemon’s martyrdom, Venera traveled with a group of Christians to lower Egypt, where she encountered the Theban Legion. She traveled with the Legion to Milan, providing nursing care and spiritual support for the soldiers. Verena stayed in Milan, using her nursing skills and growing awareness of hygiene in the local prisons. She was in Milan when she heard the news that the entire Legion was martyred when they refused to sacrifice to the Imperial gods.
Mourning the Legion, Verena fled to Switzerland and became an ascetic. Verena used her nursing skills among the locals, teaching them personal hygiene and using medicinal herbs to treat those who were sick. She mentored young women, encouraging them to live their lives dedicated to prayer and service to others. She cared for lepers, applying ointment, caring for them, and praying with them.
She balanced her ascetic life of prayer, living in a cave and then a cell, with a life of service, nursing those who came to her for help. This balance of prayer and works earned her the title, “Mother of Nuns” in the orthodox church. More than 70 churches are named in her honor in Switzerland, and she is considered the person who brought basic hygiene skills to all of Europe.
Verena died 1 September 3at the age of 64. Verena Minster was built over her grave in Switzerland and continues as a church today. The site of her tomb was an essential medieval pilgrimage destination. Verena is one of the most venerated saints in Switzerland and Germany. Stäfa at Lake Zürich displays Verena in its coat of arms. In the 20th century, the Swiss shared her relics with both the Coptic church in Cairo, as well as California. Both sites are now shrines to Verena.
Icons of Verena depict her holding a comb, representing her commitment to instructing others in hygiene, and a jar of water or bread, symbols of her care for those thirsty and hungry. A replica of a statue of Verena holding a comb and a jar of water is in the Swiss embassy in Cairo, her home city.
Lucy Yi Zhenmei
“Full of zeal for spreading the gospel, she went about doing missionary work…[despite] the presence of many bandits.” This is how Lucy Yi Zhenmei was described by some missionaries she worked with after her mother’s death. Considering her vocation as a catechist and educator, it is a bit surprising that none of her own writings, speeches, or teachings are readily available. Nor do we have any tributes/reflections from those she taught to understand more fully the impact Lucy had on those she interacted with.
Many members of the Lent Madness Global Viewing Public rightly noted that the similarities between Lucy and Agatha, who Lucy defeated in the Round of 32. They were not alone in their untimely ends as martyrs. Lucy and Agatha were grouped together with other seminarians and catechists as the Martyrs of Maokou and Guizhou, and part of an even larger contingent spanning centuries of “Martyr Saints of China”.
When Lucy was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000 as one of 120 martyrs, the pope addressed the congregation present by saying, “First of all you, faithful of Chinese origin, with whom I would like to share my deep joy over these sons and daughters of the Chinese people who are presented to the whole Church and to the entire world for the first time, with their heroic fidelity to Christ the Lord and the greatness of their souls. Yes, they are a true honor for the noble people of China!
My joy increases with the thought that closely united with us are all the faithful of Mainland China, who know – as you do – that in the martyrs they have not only an example to follow, but also intercessors with the Father. We need their help, in fact, because we are called to face daily life with the same dedication and fidelity that the martyrs showed in their time.
You all know that the majority of the 120 Martyrs shed their blood in historical periods which rightly have a special meaning for your people. In reality, they were tragic situations marked by violent social disturbances. With [the] canonization, the Church certainly does not wish to make a historical judgement on those periods, much less to justify certain actions taken by governments of the time which weighed heavily on the history of the Chinese people. She wishes, instead, to highlight the heroic fidelity of these worthy children of China, who did not let themselves be intimidated by the threats of a ferocious persecution.
May Lucy’s zeal and the fidelity of the martyrs continue to inspire us on our faith journeys.
27 comments on “Verena of Zurzach vs. Lucy Yi Zhenmei”
I didn't mean to vote twice. I'm not sure if my first vote landed.
Lucy gave her life for Christ.
The ladies are losing but we’ll get one today!!
Let’s go Lucy! Newly canonized needs a halo!
Verena dedicated her life to healing. Her existence is proven by her grave and the cathedral in Switzerland.
her
Voting for Verena because I'm still bummed about Zendaida's loss. I hope to promote a healer into the next round.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW3sRWRUOqw
This link doesn't seem to be working for me
While Beth Parkhurst may believe that Verena's existence is proved by a grave and a cathedral named for her, I can tell her that ain't necessarily so. There are many churches in Europe dedicated to may-or-may-not-have-existed saints, along with their gravesites. Be that as it may, I gave my vote to Lucy today who lived her life in service to Christ and gave her life for her beliefs.
"...who did not let themselves be intimidated by the threats of a ferocious persecution."
This is the line that inspires me to vote for Lucy this time.
May both these saints, Verena and Lucy, be inspiration to us in troubled times.
I'm confusedd....what's new. This is the first time I got the following message
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW3sRWRUOqw
and when I click on it it says it's a private video. What happened?
Thankful for the women that Verena represents who provided compassion and care in their communities, mentoring the young, and a model of faithful prayer and devotion, my vote goes to Verena.
Lucy receives my vote. The fact that her writings, etc are not available speaks whispers of her ministry…. at a time of great violence in a modern place of continued oppressive leadership and oppression.
I found the stories of Lucy and Verena quite intriguing, though they felt a bit more like folklore than historical accounts. Personally, I think it might be helpful for the Christian faith's relevance in our modern world to highlight more concrete examples of people living out Christ's teachings. I hope this feedback is taken in the spirit it's intended – I truly appreciate this Lenten devotional each year. I'm already looking forward to next year's nominations and will be sure to offer some suggestions.
I'm in favor of hygiene.
Too bad we can only select one, both are worthy. I guess it's Verena for me heath and hygiene!
I’m having trouble this year with this Madness. The choices seem peculiar and the information given is sketchy. FYI you need an editor for your postings. The writing is not always clear, and, forgive me, there are grammatical errors that ear catching. Today is a good example. We do have two women, but one has only one mention in the historical record, and the other joins hundreds of Chinese converts who were persecuted and put to death for their beliefs, just as thousands of others throughout history have been, and still are. Knowing people are killed for their beliefs is not what i’m inspired by. I look to how someone lives their life. And no, I don’t believe I need the martyrs to intercede for me. I thought that was Jesus’s job, if we follow the teaching of the church. We’re off in the Land od Things That Don’t Add Up.
S
I was impressed by both the write-ups today, and am glad to have "met" both of these saints, who were new to me before this Lent. I finally voted for Verena just because I voted for her in the first round and did not vote for Lucy. Both are certainly worthy to move up a round.
I appreciate the wide variety of saints, the wide variety of places and historical eras, and especially the diversity, equity, and inclusion (yes, I said it!) of the biblical, historically attested, legendary, and modernly documented saints among them. I welcome the martyrs, the healers, the teachers, the hermits, the royalty, and the wise thinkers. They are all of them saints of God, and I mean--God helping--to be one, too.
It can be difficult, even impossible, to choose between the exalted and the humble, the influential and the marginal, the workers and the mystics. It's good to know that these all have earned their silver halos, and are all together among the host of heaven. We can vote "for" without ever having to vote "against."
I identified with Verena ("Wash your hands! And will you PLEASE comb your hair!!") but I voted for Lucy.
Spelling? I had a bit of difficulty keeping Verena/Zerena/Venera straight! And I thought Sundhar was a he..
Voted for Verena, health and bread, as I bake my own bread for myself and others.
Going with healing and hygiene today.
I can't get the reply to work. So Melanie: I also enjoy "meeting them in lanes or at tea."
As a nurse, I had to vote for Verena!
Even though I voted for Lucy, Verena ran off with the first round and is doing the same this time. Dang, she could go all the way to the Golden Halo.
Hygiene and nursing vs little-known martyrs in China. I think I’ll favour the Chinese today, I would like to learn more about them.
I want to second everything Melanie Mitchell said! Lent Madness is a beautiful, thought-provoking, inspiring, sometimes messy, sometimes loopy devotional like no other. Thanks to the people who put this all together and the participants who turn it into a modern discussion about what it means to live by our faith.
Did Sundhar Singh really use she/her pronouns?