Today, James Theodore Holly, the first African American bishop in the Episcopal Church faces the Biblical Lydia of Thyatira. Some fascinating saintly info in this matchup!
In yesterday's battle, Teresa of Avila swept past Crispin 61% to 39% to set up a showdown with Stephen in the Saintly Sixteen. This marks the first completed Saintly Sixteen pairing.
By the way, if you're looking for an updated version of the bracket with the winners-to-date filled in, our Bracket Czar Adam Thomas updates it each day on the Bracket Tab. He also shares results on the Lent Madness Twitter feed every morning in his inimitable style. You might even say he...puntificates.
James Theodore Holly
James Theodore Holly was consecrated as a missionary bishop to Haiti in 1874, the first African American bishop in the Episcopal Church. He was born a descendant of formerly enslaved people in Washington, D.C., on October 3, 1829. Holly was baptized and confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church but left while on a path toward ordination.
He was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1856 and began serving as rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in New Haven, Connecticut. Holly co-created the Protestant Episcopal Society for Promoting the Extension of the Church Among Colored People, which challenged the church to take a position at General Convention against slavery and was a precursor to the Union of Black Episcopalians.
Less than two weeks after his ordination to the diaconate, he traveled to New York with a letter from his bishop to explore the idea of creating a mission in Haiti. Holly saw Haiti as a chance for blacks to build a black nation in the west, and he believed that Anglicanism in Haiti would provide stability and structure to the newly independent country. After slaves had successfully revolted and overthrown the European empire in the country, they extended an invitation to Haiti to blacks in the United States, and Holly accepted it. In 1861, he traveled from New Haven to Haiti with a group of 110 African Americans and Canadians. Many of the 110 who emigrated with him were from St. Luke’s.
Holly’s group succeeded in establishing a mission in Haiti, yet their success came at a high cost. Yellow fever and malaria led to the deaths of 45, including Holly’s mother, wife, and children, except for two young sons, ages three and five. Several of the original group returned to the United States, but Holly remained, lobbying for medical supplies, schools, and other programs and services and preaching, teaching, and growing the church in Haiti. Bishop Holly enjoyed an active call as a spiritual leader and disciple, doubling the size of the diocese and raising up new deacons and priests into leadership.
While bishop, Holly received a doctor of divinity degree from Howard University and an honorary law degree from Liberia College, Monrovia. He died in Haiti on March 13, 1911.
Collect for James Theodore Holly
Most gracious God, whose servant James Theodore Holly labored to build a church in which all might be free: Grant that we might overcome our prejudice, and honor those whom you call from every family, language, people, and nation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Lydia
Lydia of Thyatira was the first recorded Christian convert in Europe, a co-worker of Paul of Tarsus in Philippi, and the founder of the first European Christian church. But strangely, further detail about her life is nearly nonexistent.
She appears in the Book of Acts, chapter 16, when Paul and his companions answer the call to go preach in Europe. She and a number of other women are praying by a river in Philippi on the sabbath. Paul approaches them to join their prayer and speaks to them about Jesus. Lydia is moved by what she hears and announces that she—and all her household—are now at Paul’s disposal for whatever he needs.
It’s a slight story, and yet it tells us much. The women gathered by the river on the sabbath is an indication that they were Jewish proselytes, or “Godfearers”—Gentiles who observed as much Jewish law as they could, kept the holidays and the sabbath, but hadn’t fully converted yet. It also indicates that the fledgling Jewish community wasn’t large enough to form an official synagogue—for that, ten men were needed. Lacking that, a river made a great place to offer prayers, because flowing water was a convenient place to wash—and thus observe rituals around purity.
The story in Acts doesn’t make any mention of Lydia’s husband, and she’s definitely acting like someone in charge of her household. That leads one to think that either her husband is on board with her conversion or (more likely) he has died. A trader in purple cloth would have been incredibly wealthy—purple dye was literally worth its weight in silver at the time—and so Lydia’s offer to Paul is no small gift. It would be like turning all of Amazon’s profits over to your local church planter for whatever they might like.
These factors combined—the wealth, the God-fearer devotion, even the cloth dealing—seem to have formed in Lydia an empathy for the outsider, the outcast, the one who doesn’t quite fit in good Roman society. We see in her a concern for God’s work in the most broken parts of the world, even as she functioned in the highest, best parts of Philippi. In bankrolling Paul’s work, Lydia becomes a forerunner of the Christian church.
Collect for Lydia
Eternal God, who gives good gifts to all people, and who grants the spirit of generosity: Give us, we pray you, hearts always open to hear your word, that, following the example of your servant Lydia, we may show hospitality to those who are in any need or trouble; through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
93 comments on “James Theodore Holly vs. Lydia”
Rotating the iPad to portrait worked again, but not immediately. Rotated twice, touched several times, and then suddenly the button is live. Very weird, must ask my son, who is much more fluent in php, about this later.
While both saints are worthy, Lydia gained fame out of her wealth, while Rev. Holly served through sorrow, losing most of his family to fever but remaining steadfast. And poor Haiti needs all the support it can get! So Rev. Holly it is, for me, today.
Please add a vote for Lydia. The voting radial buttons were non-functional for me this morning!
Lydia because "purple's the proof that our blue's met His blood"!
I mean, I don't often vote for the biblical saints because they're fairly obvious and known... but Lydia is my gal.
Not least because of this video/song I came across 9 years ago (when my pastor was doing a similar "Route 66" through the Bible series) that includes my opening line: https://youtu.be/xMXzL2SXR1Q
(And I didn't even know until John Cabot blew my mind this morning that His Place church that did this video had spoofed an actual old song! HA!)
Lydia has always fascinated me, and Megan Castellan is one of my favorite celebrity bloggers, but I cast my vote for James Holly today, feeling more simpatico with modern sainthood than I usually do. 🙂
Lydia’s one of “my” saints, holy women whose intercession I frequently ask; and her mention in Acts is one of the precious few stories of women in the early church, which is incredibly important to me as a Catholic woman. So that’s how I voted.
But I’m very glad to have learned about Bishop Holly, and wonder whether it was the racism he likely experienced in the RC church that led him to the Episcopalians instead.
According to the site below, James Holly "was baptized and confirmed a Roman Catholic" but "After a dispute over the ordination of black clergy, Holly left the Catholic Church and joined the Episcopal Church in 1851." So yes, Holly did face racism there, and elsewhere. He was then ordained as an Episcopal Priest in 1856. In 1802, the Episcopal Church ordained Absalom Jones, the first man of African descent to be ordained an Episcopal Priest. Absalom Jones won the Golden Halo last year (2021)!
https://episcopalarchives.org/church-awakens/exhibits/show/leadership/clergy/holly
Also shows another photograph of his magnificent mustache!
Extremely frustrated. Cannot vote again today. On an iPad. Rebooted and still can't vote. Concerned that votes will not reflect players' wishes. Please mark me for Lydia.
I had planned to vote for Lydia when I first saw the list of Saints for this tournament. I loved the explication of what that brief mention meant in her times. I will hold her in my heart.
But I voted for Bp Holly. There is a wildness in his devotion to God and God's people. That passion is Spirit incarnate in his times.
I voted for Lydia—loved the idea of the women “down by the riverside,” as the spiritual goes, and of Lydia bankrolling Paul’s mission.
I was put off Holly when, after his family was nearly wiped out by malaria, he stayed with his two surviving children. He should’ve gotten those boys to a safer place and come back when they were on their own. I feel very passionately about people putting mission work ahead of their children’ well-being. Taking care of your children is God’s work, too.
According to his timeline, Bp Holly moved with his family to Haiti in 1861. The Civil War was still raging when his family were taken by fever. I wonder if anywhere would have felt safe to him (even in the North). For ex, Frederick Douglass, who lived in the North and traveled to England, had to avoid "slave catchers" -- and free people of color were not safe from being targeted. Piecing together the timeline-- when the Fugitive Slave Act was overturned in June 1864, Holly was already traveling to Liberia, and his family had already been stricken.
Hmmm... I went on Wikipedia and was relieved to learn that he stayed with his surviving children ...unlike Melania. Anyway, as Melissa points out, there were dangers both in Haiti and back north.
Very hard choice today -- I've always found Lydia colorful and compelling, and love mimegirl's quote about purple being the blue of our sad sins transformed by Christ's blood! But it's the good bishop for me today, for his steadfast ministry and example.
I do love Lydia, and always like to support women, especially those who helped build the Kingdom on Earth. But, Bp. Holly really made a huge difference in the modern world. Haiti is our largest diocese, and he's the granddaddy of it!
Today’s vote is for James Theodore Holly, an embodiment of Christian values.
I couldn’t find the voting button either yesterday or today. Please help me with this. Thanks.
I will now have Lydia the Tattooed Lady (Kermit the Frog version) in my head all day!
Sill not able to vote
Voting is not working today. Or at least not for me. Worked fine Monday and Tuesday.
Cannot vote. I get a "Captcha is required" message, but I cannot see a captcha. Do I need to disable my popup blocker?
Would suggest trying that.
Over the years I have represented my parish at the New York Diocesan Convention. After the first day of Convention, thee is usually a dinner for the delegates. Three times I have ended up sharing a table with the priest (two different men in three years)of the Haitian congregation in New York. Both very pleasant men actively involved in helping the people of Haiti. In their honor I have voted for Rev. Holly.
Love it when the two choices speak so strongly to me! Lydia, a strong, successful business woman, has been a biblical hero to me for MANY years. But Holly’s devotion and encouragement to the people of Haiti despite the horrible hardships he experienced speak to me today! A bright light in dark times! I’m voting for Holly.
Today I just went with my heart because of Megan Castellan's description of Lydia as praying by a river and then being "moved by what she hears and announc[ing] that she -- and all her household -- are now at Paul’s disposal for whatever he needs." I voted for Lydia because she was found praying by a river (what a wonderful image) and because of her openness to hear, to listen, and then to act for the love of God. Bishop Holly accomplished amazing things, and I would like to know more about him, but it was Lydia's from-the-heart response that moved me today.
This was an extremely hard decision for me. It was fascinating to read about both. I am so impressed by the life stories of both of them and can appreciate their faithfulness. I had to flip a coin.
PLEASE PUT IN A VOTE BOX ON THE MAIN WEBSITE. I CAN GET IT ON MY PHNE BUT NOT MY COMPUTER
My husband and I lived in Haiti 1977-79; he was the Childcare Director for World Vision International, and in his role, he worked directly with many denominations. By far his favorite to work with were the Haitian Fathers Lafontant, two brothers/Episcopal priests who did much for their fellow Haitians. My vote today for Father Holly is done in memory of these two wonderful men of God!
No problem for me. It was Bishop Holly all along. coming from New Haven first struck me but the work he did in the US then traveling with family and friends to Haiti took great courage and faith. In today's world, to honor such a man is needed.
I wasn't able to vote on my "traveling computer" (a little laptop we take when we're on vacation), so my ever-so-kind husband let me vote on his otherwise unused cellphone.
Unable to vote again, I've tried from both my laptop and on my phone. So far this year I've only been able to successfully vote once. In previous years I've not had this issue arise.
Lydia received my vote today, as I have been inspired by her story since my childhood "Sunday School" days. In my teenage years, my bedroom was painted purple. I'd like to say that my color choice was because of Lydia's purple dye/cloth donation to Paul's mission efforts but it was actually because purple was/is Donny Osmond's favorite color, LOL. If I had been fortunate enough to have a daughter, I probably would have named her Lydia.
Lydia is hands down my favorite woman in the Bible so I had to vote for her.
Knowing so little about Lydia, I can feel more saintliness as I meditate on Bishop Holly, Serving a mission during the US crisis of civil war, and persevering through plague in unwavering work toward his calling.
I was not able to vote yesterday or today. I had no trouble before now.
James Holly for me - I was inspired by his dedication to the people of Haiti and to the church in general. He achieved so much at a time when, for someone of color, any leadership position would have been a difficult ladder to climb.
For those of you interested in the involvement of the Episcopal Church in Haiti: The Diocese of Haiti is the largest diocese of Province 2 and counts 111 congregations and 92,651 members (as of 2019). It also includes over 240 private schools in a country where the public school system is still in its infancy. The school my church works with has had anywhere from 275 to 400 students in the six years we have been partnered.
The recently consecrated Bishop of Pittsburgh, Ketlen Solak, was born and grew up in Haiti and educated in the United States. I have been very impressed by what I have seen of her on videos and look forward to her visitation to our parish in September.