We're back for another full week of saintly thrills and spills! Today, Emma of Hawaii takes on Hugh of Lincoln. With just three battles left in the First Round, we'll be on to the Saintly Sixteen on Thursday. Seriously.
On Friday, Juliana of Liege defeated Blaise 60% to 40% (insert joke about Juliana being cut throat).
Check back later today as Tim and Scott will surely bring you another madcap, yet subtly informative, episode of Monday Madness. In the meantime, go vote!
Emma of Hawai’i
In Hawaiian, aloha means many things. It is the spirit of welcome, the spirit of the islands, the spirit of love. Aloha is what we share between each other. Aloha is all that God calls us to be to each other in our Christian lives. Queen Emma shares the spirit of aloha in her life.
Queen Emalani Kalanikaumakaʻamano Kaleleonālani Naʻea Rooke was born to High Chief George Na’ea and High Chieftess Fanny Kekelaokalani (members of the royal family of Hawai’i) on January 2, 1836, in Honolulu. In the tradition of the time, Emalani was adopted by her aunt and uncle and raised in a cross-cultural family. She was a gifted vocalist, equestrian, and scholar. On June 19, 1856, Emalani married Prince Alexander Liholiho, who would later be crowned King Kamehameha IV.
Queen Emalani and Kamehameha IV were greatly in love. Due to their cross-cultural upbringing, both had been influenced by the Church of England. Emalani petitioned the Church of England to establish the Church of Hawai’i in 1860, and Anglicanism formally arrived on the islands. Emalani and Kamehameha were baptized into the church, and Emalani changed her name to Emma in reverence.
Emma and Kamehameha had one child together, Prince Albert, whose godmother was Queen Victoria of England. However, Prince Albert died of a brain fever at the age of four. A year later, Kamehameha IV also died, and Emma was left childless and a widow. In her grief, Emma called on the spirit of aloha to guide her on. Through fundraising, humanitarian efforts, and philanthropy, Emma established St. Andrew’s Cathedral, St. Andrew’s Priory for Girls, the Iolani School for Boys, and the Queen’s Hospital, all of which still exist today and provide world-class care and education for the people of the islands. At its founding, St. Andrew’s Priory for Girls was committed to offering the same quality of education for girls as for boys, a rarity in that time.
The Episcopal Church recognizes Emma as a saint for her works of aloha for the people of Hawai’i. She passed away on April 25, 1885, and her estate was left to establish the Queen Emma Foundation for scholarships for the people of Hawai’i and to maintain the Queen’s Hospital. Her feast day (along with her husband) is November 28.
Collect for Emma of Hawai’i
O God, who called your servant Emma to an earthly throne that she might advance your heavenly kingdom, and gave her zeal for your church and love for your people: Mercifully grant that we also may be fruitful in good works, and attain to the glorious crown of your saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Hugh of Lincoln
Seemingly few bishops are remembered first and foremost for their deep anchor in solitude, silence, and stillness, which is why Hugh of Lincoln holds a fitting place in the church’s calendar of saints.
In 1180, King Henry II of England had a problem. He famously, and later to his deep regret, was responsible for the martyrdom of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170. In penance, Henry decided to establish England’s first house for the Carthusian monastic order in Witham, Somerset. The road was rocky—the first two priors had little success. At the recommendation of a French noble, Henry II sent a legate to the principal Carthusian monastery; he asked for Hugh, a 40-year-old man of noble and wealthy birth turned to a life of silent and prayerful contemplation, to head the new monastery at Witham.
Upon arrival at Witham, Hugh found not only a lack of monastic buildings but also a lack of compensation for the people to be evicted from their lands in order to build the monastery. Hugh refused to take up his charge until the people were fully compensated.
Hugh’s quiet humility and lack of self-regard enabled him to be a tireless champion for the church and the people under its care—and gave him the political capital to intercede with three kings for the church, Henry II, Richard I, and John, all while maintaining good relations.
Hugh was elected and appointed as bishop of Lincoln in 1186, filling a see that had been vacant for nearly eighteen years. He undertook major reforms that restored pious discipline among the clergy. Hugh is remembered for inciting others to divine love while being full of gentle talk and fun. He was, according to one account, a particular fan of puns and wordplay. He is remembered for his forceful advocacy for those in his care. He provided a personal and spirited defense of Jews in his diocese during a period of persecution; he stood for his people over and against greed of royal foresters, and he refused to raise money for the king’s wars. Yet his personal humility and charity of spirit prevailed for the people of God. Richard I said of him that, “If all bishops were like my Lord of Lincoln, not a prince among us could lift his head against them.”
Collect for Hugh of Lincoln
Holy God, who endowed your servant Hugh of Lincoln with wise and cheerful boldness, and taught him to commend
the discipline of holy life to kings and princes: Grant that we also, rejoicing in the Good News of your mercy, and fearing nothing but the loss of you, may be bold to speak the truth in love, in the name of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
105 comments on “Emma of Hawai’i vs. Hugh of Lincoln”
I’ve been reading about centering prayer, the Cistercian order, contemplative prayer, the importance of solitude, silence, and stillness, and recently listened to a series of podcasts on Guigo II’s guidance on what we call Lectio Divina who was himself a Carthusian as was (it’s believed) the Anonymous English monk who wrote The Cloud of Unknowing, I wholeheartedly vote for Hugh. I suspect his humility would have him graciously accept coming in second.
I am charmed by Hugh of Lincoln. I love his sense of joy, something we Christians are said to lack. Yet, Emma's story is beautiful, particularly as told by Anna Fitch Courie. And I must admit that she's in my bracket, so I think I'll vote for Emma. But it was nice to get to know you, Hugh!
Difficult choice. As it happens (and I promise this is relevant) I recently watched an old episode of _The Adventures of Robin Hood_ titled the "The York Treasure" (original air date 1 April 1957) in which "Robin and Little John help their friend Joseph of Cordoba in a secret plan to bring a shipload of Jewish refugees, escaping persecution in their own country, to the the seaside town of York." That was a great fictional story set in the time of Richard I. Reading the true story of Hugh's acts in the time of Richard I, I decided just had to vote for Hugh today.
(If you feel like watching "The York Treasure", visit
https://archive.org/details/Robin_Hood_66_-_The_York_Treasure
It's just under 26 minutes long.)
Many thanks to Scott for the tip on how to vote by using Chrome!
It's still cold and yucky in Minnesota. I am willing to vote for anyone from a warm climate so Emma wins.I know it's not much of a reason but so it goes.
Thank goodness John Cabot is back. I was afraid he'd developed limerick lag and was gone.
As someone who lived in Kansas long enough to know that basketball is a religion and that March Madness takes precedence over everything ("You want to get married sometime between March 15 and 30? Forget it.") I am saddened at Tim and Scott's ignorance of this unbelievably important event.
I voted for Emma, but would love to have read about Hugh in the saintly 16 remarks.
Actually, Nancy, I haven't missed a day so far. I did post my limericks mid- to late-morning on Thursday and Friday last week, which made them harder to locate.
However (based on my bracket so far) I expect to have rather fewer picks to eulogize in the next round. Sic transit gloria sancti.
I like wizzerdes go Emma of Hawaii
It was so hard to decide! I ended up choosing Emma of Hawaii because she sounds like she cares about everyone and she is very loving. I'm not saying that Lincoln in not but i kind of like Emma a little more.... Totally support everyone's decision though!
The aloha spirit always wins out in my book.
Not an easy choice, but anyone who refuses to raise money for war is high in my book. So I voted for Hugh
Another tough Lent madness matchup. I truly admire Emma of Hawaii and am not sorry to see her leading in votes, but I am pleased to learn more about Hugh of Lincoln. He protected the people being evicted in order to build the new monastery, he protected Jews being persecuted, and he worked with kings to emphasize their spiritual duties to their people. Hugh also refused to help raise money for wars. Political leaders the world over would do well to heed his lessons and his example.
I voted for Hugh. It seems extraordinary to me that someone elevated to the position of bishop didn't just live it up and everyone else's expense. Hugh sounds like someone who saw the dignity in all people, regardless of rank, class, or status, and fought to preserve the rights and dignity of the oppressed.
Hugh insisted on fairness for the people whose land was being taken for the monastery, he supported the rights of ordinary people to hunt game and feed their families, he refused to raise money for the king's wars, and he supported the dignity of Jewish people at a time of great antisemitism.
Emma was also extraordinary; and I was very taken with her school for girls. But she didn't buck the norms of society the way Hugh did. And right now, we sorely need leaders who will be servant leaders and lead with integrity and lead from right values.
Wow! I was planning to vote for Emma, but Hugh’s story blew me away. Not to mention the puns and wordplay!
Why hadn’t I heard of him before??
I knew that the majority would vote for Emma, but I had to go with Hugh (my brother’s name). Love that he was a fan of puns and word plays - so English! Also that he defended the Jews; ensured that the evicted were compensated and refused to provide financial support for war - examples we could follow even today.
I voted for Bishop Hugh of Lincoln who was ahead of his time in terms of equity across class (compensation for those whose land was taken to build the monastery) and across faith (protection of Jews in his diocese) and anyhoo, it looks like I’ll have the option to vote for Queen Emma of Hawai’i in the next round.
I wonder how many anagrams Bishop Hugh could make from Queen Emma’s full name?
It just occurred to me that one of the founding vestry members of my parish would have likely known Queen Emma. In 1861 Thomas Jefferson Dryer of Portland (the one with the roses, not the one with the lobsters) was appointed as President Lincoln’s Commissioner to the Sandwich Islands (that’s the historical title but it really should have been ambassador to the Kingdom of Hawai’i) and set sail for Honolulu.
(Side note: Honest Abe’s family got their name from where they were originally from in England as I understand it, so maybe one or more of his ancestors knew Bishop Hugh.)
Another interesting pairing of saints I didn't know. I wanted to vote for Emma, as an American saint, but I was so charmed by the warm and witty Hugh that h got my vote -
But thank you again for introducing children of our Lord to inspire us . . .
I voted for Hugh, a man that could stand up to three kings, care for the poor and persecuted and still maintain a gentle sense of humor.
Thank you for such a challenging game. Lent Madness has increased knowledge for many of us. The thoughts and favorites expressed in the comments give hope. What the two saints have done is inspiring.
I was saddened to miss this vote as mine would have gone to Queen Emma. As an alumna of St. Andrew's Priory, her founding of the school has been an inspiration for all of the alumna throughout it's 150+ years since it's founding and instills the Anglican education.