The Hospitallers are celebrating today after Blessed Gerard just eeeked out a win over Julie Billiart 53.85% to 46.15%, making the Order of St. John proud and proving once again that medieval hospital administrators still know how to win a close one.

But now we arrive at the final matchup of the first round!

Today it’s Constance and Her Companions vs. the Martyrs of Uganda.

Constance and her companions come to us from Memphis, where these brave sisters nursed the sick and cared for victims of yellow fever, ultimately giving their lives in service to others.

Across the bracket stand the Martyrs of Uganda, a remarkable group of young Christians, both 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Anglican and Roman Catholic🇻🇦 who refused to abandon their faith and paid the ultimate price for their witness.

Care for the sick vs courage before a king. Martyrs of Memphis vs Martyrs of Uganda.

Only one can claim the final ticket to the Saintly Sixteen. Read the blogs, watch the video, and cast your vote! 🏆

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We are inching closer to the Saintly Sixteen, and yesterday’s matchup delivered a holy heavyweight bout. In the end, Fr. Damien of Molokai punched his ticket to the next round, edging out Brother Roger of Taizé with 55.22% to 44.78% of the vote. Caring for those with leprosy clearly still packs a saintly punch. 🥊

But today’s matchup gives us a completely different kind of showdown.

In one corner stands Julie Billiart, the joyful founder of the Sisters of Notre Dame, who spent her life teaching the faith, and forming young people. If holiness had a motto, hers might be: Trust in God… and maybe start a school while you’re at it.

In the other corner is Blessed Gerard, the founder of the Knights Hospitaller of St. John of Jerusalem, the medieval order that cared for sick and weary Christian pilgrims making the dangerous journey to the Holy Land. His legacy lives on today through the Roman Catholic Order of Malta, the primarily Anglican, Order of St John, as well as the St John’s Eye Hospital Group serving those throughout the Holy Land today. Hospitals, hospitality, and a little bit of crusader-era grit? Not a bad résumé.

So what will it be today? The joyful teacher of faith or the founder of the original pilgrim ER?

Read the blogs. Watch the video. Cast your vote. Only one will move one step closer to the Saintly Sixteen. 🏆

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