260 comments on “Nominationtide is upon us!”

1. I would like to nominate Anne Hutchinson, born in England in 1591 and died at 52 in 1643 in the Bronx, NY. I am nominating her for her role in the spiritual education of women in the then British colonies of America, holding Bible studies in her home. She was later tried by the Puritan church as a heretic and excommunicated from the Massachusetts colony. She then moved to Roger Williams' colony in Providence, RI, where her husband died. Then she relocated to New Netherlands (New York) where she and her children (with the exception on one daughter) were killed by Indians. The Hutchinson River is named after her in New York, as is the Hutchinson River Parkway (a very twisty thoroughfare in Westchester County which motorists speed through.)

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2. I'm nominating St. Senara, a Cornish saint and patron of mermaids. Her feast, in Cornwall, is observed on the Sunday closest to May 10. (I was there for it one year -- local bishop presiding, special anthem debuted, and sherry served at the vicarage after the service.)

   Her eponymous church, at Zennor, features a 600-year-old 'mermaid chair' and provides, for young parishioners, a coloring/activity book about mermaids.

   Merfolk get so little meaningful recognition in the church -- it may be time to address this oversight.

   And in practical terms, imagine how exciting the Lent Madness marketing graphics would look with a halo-wearing mermaid in the promotional lineup!

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3. I nominate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In hard times like these when we are fighting for equality we must remember his words: I have a dream. Dr. King is a Protestant Saint. He died for his belief in the equality of people of all races.

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4. Joan of Arc-
   Joan of Arc was a formidable, strong woman, and one highly admired today. under divine guidance, and after winning over some male skeptics, she was only 18 when she led the French army to victory in the 1429 battle at Orleans during the Hundred Years' War between France and England. She was later captured, accused of witchcraft and heresy and burned at the stake.

5. Blessed Sebastian de Aparicio,
   Catholic saint: https://www.roman-catholic-saints.com/blessed-sebastian-of-aparicio.html
   Don't believe everything in that hagiographical blurb
   Sebastian was an early settler in Mexico, but after becoming wealthy in the cartage business, renounced his wealth and became a Franciscan lay brother / third order. He dedicated the latter part of his life to helping the natives of Mexico, who struggled in the wake of the Spanish invasion. On the roads, he became a beggar for Christ, following the Franciscan Rule.

   He is seen as the patron saint of travelers, teamsters, and road workers in Mexico. His incorruptible body is on display in the Third Order Chapel in Puebla, Mexico.

   Having spent much of my life in Mexico, and especially early on driving with my parents on Mexican highways, or what passed for highways in those days, more than once have I benefited from the patronage of Blessed Sebastian to keep me from harm.

6. I nominate St. Martin de Porres. He was born in Lima in 1579, the illegitimate son of a Spaniard and a freed slave. He grew up in great poverty, abandoned by his father. He was ridiculed mercilessly for being of mixed race and a descendant of slaves. He dedicated his life to caring for for the sick, regardless of race or wealth, and often in diseased and dirty conditions. He also founded an orphanage for abandoned children and slaves. He was an animal lover; often depicted with a cat dog and mouse all eating from the same plate. He is the Patron Saint of mixed-race people, public health workers, barbers, innkeepers, and all who seek racial harmony. With the racism in the world, we can all look to him. (Also, my life is dedicated to animals and it warms my heart to think of them eating peacefully together!)

7. I wish to nominate Sts. Polyeuct & Nearchus (259- Its of Armenia) as a saintly couple... I know, it may bend the rules slightly, but they could be bracketed against other saintly couples... (Serious/ Bacchus) ... I nominate at least Polyeuct, whose life and martyrdom Nearchus wrote about-- because he/ they represent the Christian faith in Eternal life and how LOVE conquers might. This is timely in the midst of the wars and conflicts going on now in Eastern Europe

8. John Donne - poet, scholar, priest

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9. I would like to nominate Saint Arnold of Soissons (c.1040-1087), patron saint of hops growers and brewers. Personally, I credit this saint with much joy in the world. Thank you for your consideration.

10. I would like to nominate Saint Jeanne Jugan. Jeanne Jugan, also known as Sister Mary of the Cross, L.S.P., was a French woman who became known for the dedication of her life to the neediest of the elderly poor. Her service resulted in the establishment of the Little Sisters of the Poor, who care for the elderly who have no other resources throughout the world.

11. I'd like to nominate Cesar Chavez for his life's dedication to farm workers.

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12. I nominate Saint Lucy of Syracuse because she is a martyr and reminds us to shine our light in the world.

13. I nominate Sudanese Saint, Josephine Bakhita (1869-1947/Dalfur Sudan). Kidnapped by Arabs at the age of 7, she was asked her name, but couldn't speak due to fear and trauma. They said that she was "fortunate" to be captured and named her "Bakhita"--the meaning in Arabic, to be enslaved. She endured years of daily beatings, scarification, and torture. Eventually, sold to an Italian diplomat and his family, she was taken to Italy where she became a Canossian nun, living in Italy for 45 years. Falling at the foot of a baptismal font, she declared, "Truly, I am a daughter of the King." As an African she attracted a lot of attention, and served as gatekeeper of the convent and eventually Mother Superior. She loved and forgave her captures and enslavers. Said she'd change nothing in her life because it led her to God. In 2000, it's said that she became the first Black woman to be declared a saint during modern times.

    As an African American with a half-Sudanese daughter, I love her story because her strength and faith are what people of color have in common with our enslaved ancestors. When I started a Daughters of the King Chapter at our church back in 2004, we named our chapter after Josephine Bakhita because her story exemplified, faith, prayer, service, forgiveness, conversion, diversity, and evangelism. The Order of the Daughters of the is based on prayer, service and evangelism. Josephine Bakhita will always be an important saint to me and others. She is the patron saint of Sudan, South Sudan, and survivors of human trafficking. There are movies about her as well. They are hard to watch due to the cruelty. If you visit the Bible Museum in DC, there is a beautiful stained glass picture of her upon entering the museum.

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14. I nominate David of Wales because he has a really cool flag. Also, he exemplified a life of ascetic piety and was renowned as a teacher. Anyone who walks around with a dove on his shoulder deserves a chance at the Golden Halo.

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15. Julian of Norwich

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16. I officially put my one nomination with St Margaret of Scotland:

    The nominee must, in fact, be dead .. yes, she died in 1093

    The nominee must be on the official calendar of saintly commemorations of some church .. yes, both the Episcopal and Catholic calendars on November 16

    We will accept only one nomination per person .. Margaret of Scotland, and no other Margaret, is my one nomination

    You must tell us WHY you are nominating your saint .. Does there have to be more than being a saint on the Episcopal calendar with the word for my favorite country "Scotland" attached? And that 2023 will also be the fourth time that a Scotland-raised actor gets the Tardis keys for Doctor Who? Well, among her many good works, Margaret established a ferry for pilgrims across the Firth of Forth. Fingers crossed that I will be able to travel to Scotland in 2023 for part visit, part pilgrimage myself.

    The ONLY way to nominate a saint will be to leave a comment on this post .. herewith done

    That means comments left on Facebook, Twitter, attached to a brick and thrown through the window at Forward Movement headquarters, or placed on giant placards outside the residences of Tim or Scott don’t count .. your windows are safe from me 🙂

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17. I nominate Francis de Sales. I first came across de Sales in the "Little Book of Christian Mysticism" by Carl McColman. As I read the quotations from a great variety of Christian Mystics I found myself often drawn to, spoken to, inspired by those from Francis de Sales' work. So I looked him up. The first thing I noticed was "Francis de Sales was born two months premature on 21 August 1567." Holy cow! That can't have been a common accomplishment in the 16th century, to survive a 2-month premature birth! Then I realized it is possible he was conceived before his parents' marriage and might not have been quite that premature, but I am disregarding that possibility and am still charmed and impressed. It appears that de Sales did not levitate or starve himself for God or beat himself or do any of the other things many devout Christian saints have done. He just taught "The way of Divine Love." His sermons were "comparatively short," and apparently reasonably simple as they "focused on a particular point of duty, a specific virtue, or the correction of some vice." And "His motto was, 'He who preaches with love, preaches effectively.' His goodness, patience and mildness became proverbial." Wonderful attributes in a man of God. This info comes from Wikipedia, which I realize is not completely vetted but I suspect is fairly accurate nonetheless.

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18. William Alexander Guerry, VIII Bishop of South Carolina, Bishop, Reformer and Martyr, 1861-1928.

    While Bishop Guerry does not yet appear on the Episcopal calendar, he does have a commemoration set aside by the Diocese of South Carolina (which I believe meets your guidelines of the person appearing on some official calendar)

    http://www.episcopalchurchsc.org/bishop-guerry.html

    In June 1928, Bishop William Alexander Guerry, VIII Bishop of SC, was shot and killed by one of his own priests over the issue of race.

    Bishop Guerry had earlier supported the idea of a Black suffragan bishop; additionally, he was unswerving in his support for a fledgling school for Blacks in Denmark, South Carolina, founded by Evelyn Wright, which would become Voorhees College. The story of the reasons behind the Bishop’s death was buried, so effectively that until recently, we as a diocese had lost the collective memory of having had as our own chief priest and pastor a bishop who gave it all for the sake of inclusion and justice.

    Now, every year on a Sunday in June, across the diocese we observe Bishop Guerry Day, with propers and a fitting collect written for the occasion. Before Bishop Guerry died, he spoke of his assailant, saying: “Pray for him. Forgive him, Father, he knew not what he did.”

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19. St. Peter Claver. Known for missionary work among black slaves in slave ship ports, said to be the first to give communion to black slaves. Died in 1654, canonized in 1888 by RC Church. I think he's worthy of the golden halo for the way he communicated to enslaved people their inherent work and dignity.

    https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-peter-claver

20. I nominate Matthew Talbot, Dublin’s beloved worker saint. He has been given the title of Venerable by the Roman Catholic Church, an important step on the road to official sainthood, and is honored on June 18th (though I’ve seen other dates as well). He was born in 1856, grew up in the poverty of the Dublin slums and was considered a hopeless alcoholic by the time he was in his early teens. One day, when he was in his late twenties, he was hanging around the pubs broke and looking for a friend to buy him a drink, when he suddenly experienced a deep conversion. From that day, even though his own mother wouldn’t believe he would keep the pledge, he never drank again. Gradually, though it was very hard at first, he turned his whole life around and led a life of prayer, asceticism, and service to others. I think his story is important because it shows that no one is beyond the hope of recovery or beyond God’s grace and help, no matter how desperate their situation seems. This message is relevant because addiction in all its forms remains such a serious problem today. I also love his story because it shows how even the most ordinary person can pursue a life of simplicity and prayer and do good work for God. There are lovely stories of Matt quietly helping those around him, always with kindness and his dry Irish wit, and of living as simply as he could so he could give away more to others. He’d be a great example of a Celtic saint – a contemporary one, since he died less than a hundred years ago. For those interested, a Mary Purcell's biography is a good introduction to his life, and there are some documentaries on YouTube as well.

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21. George Fox, commemorated by the Church of England on January 13th. He's the founder of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). I've always been drawn to the Quakers because they were very early abolitionists and because they emphasized that everyone has direct access to God without the need for priests or rituals

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22. St. Martin of Tours because he's been one of my favorite saints since first learning of him some years ago. The following was copied/pasted from Encyclopedia Britannica:

    St. Martin of Tours, (born 316, Sabaria, Pannonia [now Szombathely, Hungary]—died November 8, 397, Candes, Gaul [France]; Western feast day, November 11; Eastern feast day November 12), patron saint of France, father of monasticism in Gaul, and the first great leader of Western monasticism.

    Of pagan parentage, Martin chose Christianity at age 10. As a youth, he was forced into the Roman army, but later—according to his disciple and biographer Sulpicius Severus—he petitioned the Roman emperor Julian the Apostate to be released from the army because “I am Christ’s soldier: I am not allowed to fight.” When charged with cowardice, he is said to have offered to stand in front of the battle line armed only with the sign of the cross. He was imprisoned but was soon discharged.

    Legend holds that while he was still in the military and a catechumen of the faith, Martin cut his cloak in half to share it with a beggar. That night, he dreamed that Jesus himself was clothed with the torn cloak. When he awoke, the garment was restored. Moved by this vision and apparent miracle, Martin immediately finished his religious instruction and was baptized at age 18.

    On leaving the Roman army, Martin settled at Poitiers, under the guidance of Bishop Hilary. He became a missionary in the provinces of Pannonia and Illyricum (now in the Balkan Peninsula), where he opposed Arianism, a heresy that denied the divinity of Christ. Forced out of Illyricum by the Arians, Martin went to Italy, first to Milan and then to the island of Gallinaria, off Albenga. In 360 he rejoined Hilary at Poitiers. Martin then founded a community of hermits at Ligugé, the first monastery in Gaul. In 371 he was made bishop of Tours, and outside that city he founded another monastery, Marmoutier, to which he withdrew whenever possible.

    As bishop, Martin made Marmoutier a great monastic complex to which European ascetics were attracted and from which apostles spread Christianity throughout Gaul. He himself was an active missionary in Touraine and in the country districts where Christianity was as yet barely known. In 384/385 he took part in a conflict at the imperial court in Trier, France, to which the Roman emperor Magnus Maximus had summoned Bishop Priscillian of Ávila, Spain, and his followers. Although Martin opposed Priscillianism, a heretical doctrine renouncing all pleasures, he protested to Maximus against the killing of heretics and against civil interference in ecclesiastical matters. Priscillian was nevertheless executed, and Martin’s continued involvement with the case caused him to fall into disfavour with the Spanish bishops. During his lifetime, Martin acquired a reputation as a miracle worker, and he was one of the first nonmartyrs to be publicly venerated as a saint.

23. I would Like to nominate St Begga (613-693), the daughter of Pepin I of Landen and his wife, St. Itta. Begga was the older sister of St Gertrude of Nivelles. She married Ansegisel, son of Arnulf, Bishop of Metz, and had three children: Pepin of Heristal, Martin of Laon, and St Clotilda of Heristal, who married Theuderic III of the Franks. Ansegisel was killed sometime before 679, slain in a feud by his enemy Gundewin. Begga made a pilgrimage to Rome and upon her return, she took the veil, and she had seven churches built at Andenne on the Meuse. There she spent the rest of her days as abbess. She was buried in Saint Begga's Collegiate Church in Andenne. She is also the grandmother of Charles Martel, who is the grandfather of Charlemagne. Her feast day is December 17th.

    Some hold that the Beguine movement which came to light in the 12th century was actually founded by St Begga; and the church in the beguinage of Lier, Belgium, has a statue of St Begga standing above the inscription: St. Begga, our foundress. The Lier beguinage dates from the 13th century.

    Also, St. Begga is my 40th great grandmother!

24. I nominate St. Anthony of Padua ... Besides being visited by a Baby Jesus, who else joined a holy order specifically to be sent somewhere hoping to be tortured and beheaded so he would become a martyr?! Everyone knows to pray to him to find lost items, so the Celebrity Bloggers likely have personal stories to accompany the legends of how that came to be. As much as I love learning about obscure saints, Anthony's popularity translates to cool legends, such as when he preached to fish, because people wouldn't listen to him! And kitsch galore!

25. I nominate the blessed St. Edmund. The young king of East Anglia was martyred by the Vikings for refusing to renounce his Christian faith. The Vikings tied him to a tree and shot him with arrows. Afterwards they cut off his head and threw it into the forest. When Edmund’s followers searched for him, the found his head, guarded by a wolf.

    His abbey at Bury St. Edmund’s was a popular pilgrimage destination and St Edmund was one of the patron saints of medieval England until Edward III elevated St George above him. In the 11th century, when he was exhumed, his head was reattached to his body and his arrow wounds entirely healed.

    St Edmund is the patron saint of persons facing pandemics, which makes him so important today. The Magna Carta, agreed upon by King John and his barons at Runnymede on June 10,2015 was signed at the Abbey of Bury St Edmund’s, making St Edmund associated with championing the rights of the people in relation to the government.

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26. I also nominate Pauli Murray. First, she is a saint in the Episcopal Church (feast day is July 1), and she was the first African-American woman ordained in that church. Second, she was a constant activist for civil and human rights, and as a lawyer she was recognized for her work by Thurgood Marshall, John F. Kennedy, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Third, in a world where LGBTQ+ rights are under attack from multiple fronts, Pauli Murray is a shining example of a person of faith whose life did not fit into simple dichotomies of gender and sexuality, and proof that God doesn't accommodate our prejudices when choosing servants who will change the world.

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27. I nominate St Woolos (or Gwynllyw), patron of smugglers and of the cathedral for the diocese of Monmouth in Wales. Mainly because I was born in a hospital named in his honour! A cattle thief, kidnapper, pirate, and warrior king of the 5th century, he gave it all up thanks to the preaching of his own son, and an angelic vision involving an ox which led him to a hill where he established a hermitage, became a vegetarian, and took cold baths for the rest of his life. I guess people can change, after all.

28. St.Paul....

    Well, first Christian theologian, missionary, martyr, author of half the New Testament. You know,stuff like that!

29. I nominate WILLIAM WILBERFORCE. He was a member of the English
    Parliament whose long fight was to end Britain's involvement in the Transatlantic slave trade. He achieved the suppression of the slave trade, with the Abolition of the Slave trade bill in 1807. He carried his campaign until the bill outlawing slavery in Britain and all its colonies was passed in 1833, just days before he passed.

    His other campaigns were limiting the hours children could work.
    He was passionate about, education, healthcare and issues caused by gambling. He appealed for amendments to the Poor Law to improve the conditions of the poor and in 1796 became a founding member of the "Society for the Bettering Condition and Increasing Comforts of the Poor"

    He was an Evangelical Christian whose Spiritual advisor was John Newton. {the writer of Amazing Grace and Pastor}

    He also was a founding member of the RSPCA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

30. I nominate Giovanni Gualberto, the patron saint of park rangers. This saint, (who shares my birthday,) is remembered for his humility, compassion and goodness.
    It is said that instead of planting gardens, he had his monks plant trees. In this time of climate change we should all be a little more like St. Giovanni Gualberto.