And then there were eight. We started with 32 saints and 3/4 of them have been sent packing. Welcome, friends, to the Elate Eight.
Who remains? Well, after Amelia Bloomer made it past Fanny Crosby yesterday 59% to 41%, she will join Stephen, Augustine of Canterbury, Franz Jägerstätter, Mechtild of Magdeburg, Raymond Nonnatus, Martin Luther, and Florence Nightingale. One of these remaining eight will be awarded the coveted 2017 Golden Halo!
Things kick off with two heavyweights of the faith as Stephen takes on Augustine of Canterbury. Yes, it’s the Church’s Protomartyr vs. the Apostle to the English. To make it to this point Stephen defeated Alban and Henry Budd while Augustine took down Augustine of Hippo and Scholastica. Don't forget to click the Bracket tab and scroll down to be reminded of what was written about these two in the earlier rounds.
The Elate Eight is also known as the round of Saintly Kitsch. After basic biographies, quirks and quotes, what else could there be? Now, there are always some folks who take offense to this approach — we call them Kitsch Kranks. Please remember that this round is not meant to belittle or demean our saintly heroes but to have some fun and gaze in wide wonder at the breadth of devotional practice. So kindly relax and enjoy the spirit of the Madness as we push ever onward toward our goal.
Finally, if you want to know more about, and see some examples of, saintly kitsch, tune in to this week’s episode of Monday Madness in which Tim and Scott reveal the Great Shema of Lent Madness (along with cameos by George T. Dog and 150 seventh grade boys from BC High in Boston).
Stephen
When you are the first of a great line, the opportunities for recognition and tribute are manifold. This is certainly true for Stephen, the holder of two important firsts – first of the Christian martyrs and first of the Christian deacons. For the last two thousand years, the faithful have sought to honor Stephen’s memory.
You could start that the beginning of his story, and worship at the place of his martyrd
om – St. Stephen’s Basilica and monastery in Jerusalem (Saint-Étienne in French). Or, just start wherever you are – chances are good that the there is a St. Stephen’s Church in or near wherever you live.
But perhaps even the place where you live is named in honor of Stephen – is a town "kitsch?" Perhaps, once you consider all the kitsch associated with life together in a town. You could attend St. Stephen’s College (in St. Stephen’s, New Brunswick), or just generally think St. Stephen is a great place (and protomartyr).
Of course, you will need a little special something to go with your new shirt – perhaps a purse depicting the funeral of Saint Stephen? You could always use it to carry around pebbles and small stones that you find – just in case. Or maybe you just want to keep some candy around to munch on later. 
As long as you are accessorizing, pick yourself up a small broach. You could choose a simple Saint Stephen medallion. But if you are looking for something fancier, you can’t go wrong with the badges and insignia of either of the two royal / military orders of Saint Stephen – it make it easier to get your hands on one if you are either a Duke of Tuscany or Hungarian royalty. Just don’t make a wrong turn, or you will end up with one of these fancy pins dedicated to St. Steve (Buscemi).
When you get home at the end of a long day of serving others, relax by playing with this Stephen doll. You can re-enact his preaching, or bury him under some stones in a sandbox. While unwinding, throw on some music – perhaps the Grateful Dead song, “St. Stephen” which the band has said was inspired by the first century martyr (following his death, Jerry Garcia’s funeral was even held in one of those many “St. Stephen” churches).
As you say your evening prayers for the forgiveness of those who have wronged you, light a candle. Then cuddle up to your Saint Stephen Beanie Bear and sleep soundly, trusting as Stephen did in God’s watchful care.
-- David Hanson
Augustine of Canterbury
Augustine of Canterbury: the first Archbishop of Canterbury; Benedictine monk; prior; priest; bishop; Apostle to the English; founder of the English Church; Archbishop of the English Nation.
How important is St. Augustine of Canterbury to Christianity? Based on the amount and types of items available for viewing, purchasing, wearing and reading, it is simple to witness and judge the depth of his importance, the expanse of his influence, and the widespread use of his name and image.
He is depicted in many mediums and in so many ways
There are many books…and statues...and icons...
and illustrations…and manuscripts. He's even on YouTube!
Granted, none of this really qualifies as true saintly kitsch. Fortunately, Augustine fans, all is not in vain. We'll start 
slowly with postage stamps. Not exactly kitsch, but pretty great!
Thirsty? Drink your favorite hot beverage out of this Augustine icon mug.
Or, if wearing your Augustine pride is more your speed, 
why not don this t-shirt that also includes two other Archbishops of Canterbury thrown in for no extra charge?
Or this cartoonish Augustine the kids will love? 
You can also show your Augustine affinity by wearing buttons. Lots and lots of 
buttons. On all your lapels. For an entire week. Or on your hat. 
Finally, you can visit the untold number of churches, abbeys, cathedrals, missions and prayer stations named for Augustine of Canterbury worldwide. Like St. Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury itself.
There are just so many choices among the myriad ways to remember Augustine of Canterbury -- reading, wearing, viewing, posting, mailing, sipping or visiting.
-- Neva Rae Fox
[poll id="197"]
208 comments on “Stephen vs. Augustine of Canterbury”
I have to assume that Stephen, if he actually ever existed at all, probably meant well. Unfortunately, due to the stories about him, it has gotten into a lot of people's heads that the proper way to evangelize is to do it with gusto the way Stephen supposedly did, and one can easily imagine an adolescent, full-of-himself kid mouthing off in front of the "infidels," and probably most distressingly surprised when, instead of being properly chastened, as he fully expected, they got annoyed and offed him.
People will claim this is courageous, but courageous can be reckless and stupid, which is what this well intentioned (but very, very dumb) kid was.
It ought to be pointed out that Stephen is not the first Deacon; he is among the first. And far from being the first martyr, he is essentially the first one to be named. Probably because his story ("Wait til you hear what that Stephen did!") got a lot of notice -- not good notice, but a lot of it. ("Nah. Not surprised. That boy always had a mouth on 'im.")
You are correct, James, when you write that Stephen is not the first deacon, but among the first. There were six other deacons ordained with him (Acts 6:5).
But then you write: "And far from being the first martyr, he is essentially the first one to be named." Who are these other, unnamed martyrs that you refer to?
It is a time of serious growth of the church. Paul wasn't the only one hunting Xtians.
The narrative clearly indicates folks in Jerusalem were getting clobbered, and at the time of Stephen, they've decided to up their game and go get suspects in other locations. You might say that he was the first martyr if you want, but the likelihood is not there. It's just as likely that there were not just some others, but a lot of others. Unless you want to say that when Paul was holding coats, it was his first rodeo, and there's no indication of that.
Thank you for responding, James.
According to the narrative, the Authorities began by arresting Peter and John. They were brought before the Sanhedrin, but were reluctantly released under the pressure of popular opinion (Acts 4:1-22).
Later, all of the Apostles are arrested. The Sanhedrin wants to kill them, but is dissuaded by Gamaliel. The Council has them beaten, then releases them (Acts 5:17-42).
Next comes the episode with Stephen (Acts 6:8-8:1). In the first verse of chapter eight, it says "That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem". This was the same day that Stephen was martyred, and the word "began" would seem to indicate that this was the first time the rank and file Christians were persecuted. But the previous harassment of Peter and John, and then of all the Apostles, I would call persecution. And it's highly likely that Paul was involved in all of this. As for going after Christians in other locations, the narrative seems to say that some time had passed before Paul headed off to Antioch, which doesn't happen until chapter nine.
Yow! Paul went to Damascus, not Antioch.
You got me with Stephen Colbert.
Virtually all the Xtians in England owe their faith to the work begun by Augustine of Canterbury. A monk who probably would have just preferred to live out his life quietly in his monastery, the Pope saw greatness in the man and sent him to evangelize England. It was a very frightening mission, but he handled it with style and accomplished marvelous things -- not as much as he would have liked, no doubt, but still a job well done!
We stand on broad shoulders.
Stephen, for our parish, but mostly for our every-six-weeks-or-so music group, The Stones of St. Stephen's. If you liked 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' you'd love them. My favorites: 'Down to the River to Pray,' and 'Amazing Grace' to the tune of 'House of the Rising Sun.'
SOMEONE said they felt Stephen was a pushy so & so...thought this unfair..I think Stephen knew very well that sounding off as he did was fraught with danger---indeed he may have expected his death..but his faith was so great that it gave him the courage to speak and he did so loud and clear....
I can't demean him with candy or purses with pebbles..he needs trumpets and a full orchestra!!! Would that we could at least emulate his courage
Courage can be dumb or stupid. This was the case here.
Insulting others does not turn them; it makes them angry, vindictive, and dangerous. And in addition to not accomplishing anything, the deacon gets himself killed.
That would be sad in itself, but the fact is that a lot of folks falsely believe that this sort of behavior is an appropriate way to evangelize. Stephen is responsible for a lot of really stupid, unproductive behavior.
I sure hope you don't emulate that kind of dumb "courage." Keep your head; keep your wits about you and do what is most likely to produce good results.
You know, in the early Church, there is some talk about how people actually attempted to become martyrs, to the point where the authorities had to tell them, "No, you are NOT supposed to SEEK death. If it comes to you, face it with courage, but it is wrong to seek it out."
To give your life for what you believe - duh!
Had to vote for Stephen. Got married at St. Stephen's, Seattle.
And what about St. Stephen King? His book "The Stand" could be another Book of Acts.
Voted for each of Augustine and Stephen at least once in the earlier rounds. Voted for Stephen this time, but the decision was difficult.
Didn't want to blame Stephen for his intemperate language (which may have been more the result of Luke's editing than anything else).
Neither did I want to blame Augustine for the actions of his successors re the Celtic church.
Anyway, I'll have a lot more emotional energy for the Nightingale-Luther clash tomorrow. Go Florence!
STAMPS!!!! But I will be very happy if either win.
Go Stephen sorry but lots of other people helped spread Christianity in modern day England.
I love all things Canterburian(sp?).....especially the cats
I spent the morning watching videos of dead and dying children in Syria after a gas attack, and this evening the US seems poised to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike against North Korea. I was going to give myself time to ponder reflectively what spirituality best spoke to the insanity we live in now, but since I genuinely believe it's possible we might not all be alive in the immediate future, I am beginning this very moment to focus on what sort of saint can guide me in determining my actions, not just what issues I take action on (and how I go about it), but how I orient my heart in what look like end days. Ignatius talks about the need, in the heat of battle, to look up and determine what standard one is fighting under. Amid all the "false flag operations" characterizing our present political circumstances, how does one find the "good way," the just path? Sarah Kendzior says, We need to be courageous, but if you can't be courageous, be kind. What saint can best guide us in this evil, to stay focussed on the light? This is the question I will be pondering for tomorrow and for the rest of Lent.
No contest for a true dyed-in-the-wool Anglican. Augustine, the founder of the Church in England, is my choice.
Voting for Augustine and Neva Rae. But you gotta admit Stephen has the coolest kitsch.
Though little we have in our nest, we invest.
Stephen was such.
And what an effect.
As such as he that might gain the crown.
I had to vote for Stephen because this kitsch write-up is so awesome! Lent Madness fan though I have been lo these many years, today is the first time I ever laughed out loud while considering my vote. A St. Stephen's purse! To carry rocks around in! I am STILL cracking up!!