The Saintly Sixteen continues with an intriguing matchup between two fascinating figures: Florence Nightingale and Henry Beard Delany. To make it this far, Flo bested Anselm of Canterbury while Hank dispatched Aelred of Rievaulx. But really, the choice between Nightingale and Delany is like night and day. Or at least you can’t spell “Nightingale” without “night” or Delany without “day.” So there’s that.
Yesterday in the opening battle of the Saintly Sixteen, Stephen defeated Henry Budd 59% to 41% to become the first saint of Lent Madness 2017 to make the Elate Eight. Could this be the year of the Biblical martyr? Only time…and many more votes to be cast…will tell.
Remember, this is the last vote of the week. So, vote wisely and then consider hibernating for the next 48 hours to deal with the often debilitating effects of Lent Madness Withdrawal. We’ll be back first thing Monday morning as the Saintly Sixteen continues with Odo of Cluny taking on Mechtild of Magdeburg.
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale stood out as a nurse and as an individual because she saw both the art and science of caring for people. As a social justice warrior, Florence not only spoke and wrote about what was wrong with the world and the disparities she experienced, she took ACTION for a way forward to improve the well-being of others. Florence was unique because #ShePersisted in a time when women were subordinate to men (especially in the medical profession); #ShePersisted despite being told by her well-to-do family to settle down and get married; #ShePersisted in improving the sanitary conditions of hospitals; and #ShePersisted to influence the health of the world long after her death through her treatise on public health practice in communities and segregated portions of society.
Florence had a unique ability to communicate how nursing was both an art and science. The care of individuals and communities requires a precise application of scientific and technical skills, yet it also requires a heart and love for your fellow man that cannot be measured.
Florence once said, “Nursing is an art: and if it is to be made an art, it requires an exclusive a devotion, as hard a preparation, as any painter’s or sculptor’s work; for what is the having to do with dead canvas or cold marble, compared with having to do with the living body, the temple of God’s spirit? It is one of the Fine Arts: I had almost said the finest of the Fine Arts.” Florence saw the body as God’s art and her science was to care for it.
And yet, Florence was humble: “If I could give you information of my life, it would be to show how a woman of very ordinary ability has been led by God in strange and unaccustomed paths to do In His service what He has done in her. And if I could tell you all, you would see how God has done all, and I nothing.”
To separate God from the nursing care that Florence provided would have been unfathomable to her. Where Florence joined in the practice of nursing with her patients, there she found God. In the practice of nursing care, Florence found an unwavering love of her fellow man, the deep belief in the sanctity of life, and an unswerving conviction that we are all made equal. Florence glimpsed God when she cared for her patients. Through her actions, she demonstrated God’s commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Isn’t this what God is teaching us? It is at the intersection of individuals caring for one another that God can be found, for this is love of our fellow man. With God, #ShePersisted.
Henry Beard Delany
Henry Beard Delany was the first African-American bishop of the Episcopal Church. But he was more than just a “first.” A man of deep piety and compassion, he worked tirelessly for the education and rights of African-Americans in the Carolinas and across the South in the days of Reconstruction and Jim Crow.
Born into slavery on a Georgia plantation the youngest of eleven children, he was seven-years-old at the time of “the Surrender.” When he first heard the news that the war was over, he was working in the kitchen, wearing an apron with a single button at the neck—the standard garb for slave boys at the time. Upon hearing of his liberation, he ran around the house, the apron fluttering behind him like a cape crying “Freedom! Freedom! I am free!”
The family moved to Florida, and began a new life for themselves. Delany was raised in the Methodist church, and was fervent in his faith even at a young age. At some time in his teen years, he went to make his first communion, but could not do so. He was overcome by a sense of his own unworthiness. He spent the next week in fasting and prayer and, at the end of that time, physically and spiritually exhausted, he experienced a vision: where he knelt in prayer, he saw about him twelve men in vestments kneeling in a semi-circle around him. From there he seemed to pass into a church filled with beauty and music and found himself singing the hymn “I am so glad that Jesus loves me.”
When Delany was in his twenties, a white Episcopal priest who had come to know the family said to him, “Young man, you should go to college.” Delany had been shocked at the suggestion and the opportunity to do so, and immediately embraced the offer. There were strings attached—since the college was a school founded by the Episcopal Church, Delany would have to become an Episcopalian which he did. Now, the Mock family had owned the Delanys in pre-emancipation Georgia, and they had broken Georgia law by teaching all of the children how to read and write. Nevertheless, when he arrived, Delany—an accomplished bricklayer and musician—had very little formal schooling. St. Augustine’s School in Raleigh had to create a special grade to accommodate him until he could be brought up to the level of the other students. He soon became one of the top students in the school, blessed by both intelligence and a charming personality.
Ordained a priest and appoint Vice Principal of St. Augustine’s School, Delany leveraged his position for the good of those around him. At the beginning of every November, he would begin assembling baskets for Thanksgiving feasts for those who did not have enough and would be determine who in the neighborhood was in need of them. He maintained a portion of the college’s property for a cemetery for former slaves who could not pay for burial.
Despite his arduous work schedule at the school and his later efforts as Suffragan Bishop for Negro Work, his children recalled that every night he would spend time reading Bible stories to them before bed. Too, he shared with them his own passions and pursuits; his daughter Sadie writes lovingly of him teaching them astronomy, pointing out to them all the planets and constellations.
After his death, Delany was remembered by the church as a teacher, mentor, evangelist, and champion for the downtrodden. His family remembered him as a calm and gentle man, and celebrated his birthday every year with a feast of his favorite foods: chicken and gravy, rice and sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and much more.
Florence Nightingale vs. Henry Beard Delany
- Florence Nightingale (53%, 3,704 Votes)
- Henry Beard Delany (47%, 3,222 Votes)
Total Voters: 6,926
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This was a difficult choice, but as a nurse, I needed to vote for Florence. Yes, #ShePersisted #AlwaysANurse
*Fistpump*
Anna: hoping FN goes all the way to The Golden Halo! She’ll have my vote. #ShePersisted
All this “she persisted” screams political to this conservative.
Yeah, I’m pretty sick of this “she persisted” stuff. It’s old. Leave the veiled political reference somewhere else.
Yup, going with the Flo all the way!
I voted my heart not my profession. Bishop Delany stole my heart years ago when his daughters so lovingly wrote about him.
I agree to have nothing and become a bishop is truly amazing
I voted my heart also. Bishop Delaney had to overcome so much to attain his goals as a Black man. I recall with great fondness reading the books by his daughters. They too, were exceptional overcomes. They did persist!
I did the same. That was a tough call. Both such amazing saints of God.
Me, too.
Nurse to nurse. #ShePersisted #AlwaysANurse A Golden Halo, even if she doesn’t make it that far!
Me too! God is truly present in nursing. Can’t quite see voting for anyone but Flo!! Still have my little ceramic lamp after almost 50 years.
I had to go with Bishop Delany. Persistence personified. Overcoming educational shortcomings, prejudice and discrimination to ascend to a leadership position!
I know he won’t make it, but he serves to keep hope alive for the next time.
I am a nurse too. Tough choice but I go with Flo!
Another great match-up! Thank you. Still missing the collects for each.
Once a Nurse, Always a Nurse! #FlorenceForTheWin
I was an ER nurse for several years and was EXTREMELY tempted to vote for Florence, too, but given my interpretation of Lent Madness, had to go w/Henry. Have a great weekend, everyone!
14/16 in the Round of 32, but going with my heart looks bad in the Saintly 16, but that’s how I play Lent Madness. Florence made a great difference, but I cried more when I read about Henry. A very fine narrative in a very difficult time.
Amen! In many contests (like this one) I ask myself which one of the pair has not had their fair share of attention. That’s one of the purposes of LM, right? Today is a clear situation. FN has hospitals, schools, libraries, awards, and even now gets to share EWarren’s hashtag. This vote BELONGS to Henry!
My thinking exactly. Up Delaney!
Like! Good Point!
One of the most difficult decisions, but my reasoning for voting for Henry in the hopes that he might become a little better known. She persisted, but he overcame. Both are remarkable
Tough one for me today. I love them both. I ultimately voted for Florence Nightingale because her work was and remains important for public health, and therefore continues to save many, many lives to the present day.
Bingo.
Yes!
And Amen to That!!!
This was a very difficult choice! I wish I could have voted for both of them.
Me too!
Me three!
Me four!
Me five
Me six!
Me seven!
I did! (In the first round). This round has to go to Florence, for her work, spirit, and the name of my grandmother. Though I’ll feast on chicken and gravy, sweet potatoes and rice, mac and cheese, and more over the weekend to remember Henry Beard Delany.
Me too!
This was a particularly tough match up this morning. I voted for both of these saints in the first round. But ultimately I had to vote for Florence because #ShePersisted and her standards of nursing and cleanliness are still saving lives today.
I love that tag line — or whatever it’s called.
Think I’ll add it to my book of Quotable Quotes!
Yet I had to vote for Henry. He, too, persisted. And probably under more difficult circumstances.
I am so torn–Florence was a childhood hero of mine, and her work has done so much for so many. But this is about quirks and quotes, right? And the vignette of Henry’s “cape” flying behind him as he cried “I’m free!” just stole my heart. That and the mac and cheese. Going with the madness and voting for Henry.
I love mac and cheese. That’s not why I voted for Henry, but it’s nice to know he was an m&c fan too.
And how many bricklayer/musicians do we have in the bracket? Go Henry! There’s still time for your comeback win!
Oh how cruel and heartless to match these two people with tremendous hearts and unfathomable courage. I voted for Bishop Delany but was touched by Ms. Nightingale and her passion and humility.
I’m with you, Ed. I voted for Bishop Delany for his faith and courage. I do have some problems with Florence Nightingale’s views on race.
What were her views on race?
this sort of “cruelty” are symptoms of “Lenten Madness”
I was sure I was going to vote for Florence, but then I read more about Henry, he ended up with my vote. I’ll not be unhappy if Florence wins this battle. It was a hard choice, I wanted them BOTH!
If it makes you feel better, I wrote for Florence and was completely torn by Derek’s write up of Henry too! Great people that have led our great church!
Agreed with Jennifer: I wanted them both!! But #She persisted got me.
Same rationale here.
The voting is getting more challenging! Today’s especially. Both are worthy of moving on in the challenge. I voted for Henry because I liked how he was remembered by his family as a calm and gentle man – I can relate and that on the anniversary of his death the family celebrated with his favourite meal – now that’s a grand celebration and feast for sure!
Well written piece on Florence Nightingale . My late mother was a nurse in Nightingale ‘ s tradition and lately I and noticing how deeply my work as and pastor is influenced by the leadership ideals of nursing.
One of the first really hard choices for me — I very much wanted to vote for both. Henry Delany got mine in part because I remember with joy reading “Having Our Say” by his daughters, Sadie and Bessie, and seeing the play based on their best-selling memoir. A man who helped raise such strong women is worthy of a vote, even when the other saint is strong woman herself.
Well said, Jack!
Excellent writing for both of these amazing people. Had to go with Florence because nursing is now a profession around the world, affecting all people.
This was a difficult one, but ultimately, had to go with Bishop Delany.
I voted Henry beacause I felt like it…
Henry all the way!!!
Yep 😀
Bishop Delany, whose life is the manifestation of our baptismal vows. His story about hist first communion fits beautiful with the Prayer of Humble Access, as well, which we pray in our Rite II congregation during Lent and at other times.
I have never understood the placement of The Prayer of Humble Access after the General Confession.
This madness is beginning to feel like dissecting your soul. Looking inside and deciding which part you like better is impossible. All these Saints are part of my soul.
Had to go with Bishop Delany. His example was extraordinary.
I voted for Bishop Delany as the one who overcame such great obstacles of racism and poverty to make a great impact, but I would be happy to see either win the Golden Halo. They are both so inspirational.
I still have not voted. I am totally stalled. My heart and spirit both say we need all these saints, and more. Eliminating one is painful!
I feel the same way!
Sorry, Flo, I usually vote for the women, but I’ve been to St. Aug’s, seen Bishop Delany’s Chapel & its awe-inspiring. Since the current rector there is Mother Nita, a wonderful gracious lady, I rationalize I’m still voting for the women.
I have decided. Henry Delaney looks very much like a retired priest we had in our church who, before retirement also had done amazing things for God and education. For his memory, I voted for Delaney
Tough choice!
I voted for Henry as this is the first time I heard about him or even read anything on him. I have been taught about Florence all my life from Kindergarten school. It is a blessing that we can show two opposite in many ways, doing the Lord’s bidding. White woman/black man; nurse/priest; freed and well to do/slave and poor;European/American;health care/academia.
Talk about diversity! These two takes the cake. Good choices to share today, hard choice to vote for!
Oh ye evil men who designed this contest for maximum torment! I voted for Delaney because God told me to do so. That’s my answer and I’m sticking with it.
Even though he only had a moustache, John The Beard? Good for you for going with God’s voice against any facial hair bias you. Henry deserves a come-from-behind win! (And it is a pretty noble moustach.)
edit: ‘…any facial hair bias you might have.’
Very tough choice , I had voted for each of them in the round of 32, I am getting ready to marry into a family full of nurses and I spent most of my working like as a CNA or Home Health Aide, and at one time I wanted to be a nurse. I have to go with Flo #She Persisted
Holy [insert unholy expletive here]. #ShePersisted vs. “Freedom! Freedom! I am free!”? How does one choose? Ultimately, I went with Florence and I can’t even tell you what swung my vote. Fabulous write-ups, even better saints.
Tough choice this morning, but I feel that Bishop Delaney accomplished so much coming from so little. He started on the lowest rung of our society and, through his hard work and the grace of God, he did so much good. What a wonderful example.
Where are the collects?
Good question!
I believe the collect is written for the saint as part of the first round, the subsequent rounds don’t include a new collect. If you go back to the writeup in the first round the collect for each saint should be there.
Thanks Tessa!
I just read the collects. It didn’t help. Maybe I need coffee.
Two amazing people, dedicated to the service of God and fellow-humans. Both winners, whoever gets to the next round.
What a hard choice!
Hardest choice so far!
Extremely hard choice. I didn’t expect to come across two such worthy halo aspirants in the first. I picked Henry for his humility and his amazing rise from slavery, but I could have easily gone the other way. We owe Florence so much. I hope the next matchup is easier to choose.
Ditto…Can those who were so close enter the equivalent of the NIT??
Henry’s story is a fascinating saga of post-slavery African-American man, trained and nurtured by the Episcopal Church. More such stories should be known and told. But Florence was and is a transformational figure in her time and beyond, changing Nursing and Healthcare in powerful ways.
I was certain I was going to vote for Florence Nightengale (although really ticked at the Fitch Courie’s (over) used of #ShePersisted). And then I read
“every night he would spend time reading Bible stories to them before bed. Too, he shared with them his own passions and pursuits; his daughter Sadie writes lovingly of him teaching them astronomy, pointing out to them all the planets and constellations.”
For the faithfulness, for being a great father model, for bringing both memories of both the Rite I Humble Access and Euch Pray C
“At your command all things came to be: the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses…therefore we praise you, joining with … all those in every generation who have looked to you in hope, to
proclaim with them your glory”
today I vote for the Right Rev. Henry Beard Delany.
“…and this fragile earth, our island home.”
I love Eucharistic Prayer C! (Also known as the “Star Wars Prayer”)
My big fear is that we’re going to lose it when the new Prayer Book comes out (whenever that may be).
Eucharistic Prayer C is my favorite as well! Thanks for mentioning this.
Prayer C is my favorite too. Wish we used it more.
I love the underused and under appreciated Eucharistic Prayer C from the BCP1979. And while I know at least one Cathedral Dean who is younger than the ’79 Prayer Book, the fact that there are still people who call ’79 the new Prayer Book is most likely an indication that any newer version is a long ways off. And may I point out that we in The Episcopal Church have had four different BCP versions since the most recent Church of England one came out. George Washington and George H. W. Bush would have used different BCPs while President, yet George III and George VI (Elizabeth II’s father) would have used the exact same one. Though the names of the Royal family is update and therefore a useful way to date when a copy was printed (I own one that has prayers for among others, Charles, Diana, & William, but no mention of Harry).
We also have Enriching Our Worship and some of us are able to use the New Zealand Prayer book. Also the BCP rubrics indicate the order of worship should follow the indicated set form but do not require that one use only A, B, C, or D.
We also use Prayer C but also A (right now during Lent), B most frequently, D very rarely if at all, and Eucharistic Prayers from other parts of the Anglican Communion, in particular C of E (Advent) and South India (during the Epiphany Season because of its emphasis on Light).
I also have some old BCPs. One prays for George (III) and his consort Charlotte – she died in 1818 and another praying for Victoria and her consort Albert who died in 1861.
Prayer D is also a favorite of mine. It truly conveys the awesome mystery of God. Another feature I love about it is it’s petition “And grant that we may find our inheritance with the Blessed Virgin Mary, with patriarchs, prophets, apostles , and martyrs, and all the saints who have found favor with you in ages past.”
My wife and I chose Prayer D for our Nuptial Mass.
Tough. They both persisted against many odds, and made major impact on their world in different ways. Florence’s world does seem a bit broader, though, so she gets my vote today. This was not an easy choice.
Really tough choice today as both were deserving. However, I voted for Henry Delaney. He did so much with his life and cared for the poor – always teaching young people about the need to serve those who are in need. Florence Nightingale was a wonderful and faithful women, but Delany just spoke to me more this morning. Gets harder the closer we get to the Golden Halo. but really enjoying this year.
Both are saintly folks. Florence has had her kudos. Henry, though, is an unsung hero and has my vote of recognition for what he did and how he did it.
Would that all Bishops were as holy as Henry Delaney – he has my vote!
To the SEC: My computer is not working right, so I may have inadvertently voted three times rather one. My apologies.
with great respect to Delaney..I must remain loyal to Florence…
And I appreciate that it sounds like you do so without any guilt. We must remember that a vote for one does not automatically imply either disrespect OR disloyalty to the other. My vote and conviction that Henry should win this does not mean I disrespect or am unloyal to my belief that FN deserves the world-wide recognition she has already received.
Another hard choice. Two people who overcame the expectations of their times. Very inspiring. I ended up voting for Delaney. An ex-slave who became a bishop.
Tough choice but I am going for Henry Delaney for his deep faith and being a great father especially inspiring his own daughters. I can see him wearing a golden halo.
This was one of the toughest choices!
But this is such a great gift — to learn more about these amazing folks.
As a nurse who found ministry in the profession, I had to vote for Florence.
That story of the prim and proper slave apron turning to a cape of freedom was all I needed to know who to vote for.
Another part of Florence Niightingale’s work: http://thisisstatistics.org/florence-nightingale-the-lady-with-the-data/
I’ve heard talk that Flo could be quite unsaintly in her dealings with others. Delaney got my vote.
Had to vote for Henry Beard Delaney. What a remarkable story. (Is it just me or are others irritated by the gendered language in Florence’s bio? Or have I missed something and did she only ever treat men?)
I also was irritated and so noted it But I also recalled that we are casting our vote for the saint not for our agreement of the biographer’s voice.
I hope next year there are new saints to choose from! I love these ones but am SURE that there are other greats hoping for the golden halo.
Oliver, where are you?
I was going to ask that…
Me too, where is Oliver?
A tough choice since I passionately favored both Florence and Henry in the first round. Still fired for Florence I voted for her this time, but I will be content whoever wins. And now, though not much of a saint myself, I will from my labors rest this holy weekend! Please remember to observe the Feast of the Annunciation!
Thank you, John, for reminding us to observe the Feast of the Annunciation. Years ago, I heard an old Episcopal monk observe that the Incarnation didn’t begin at Christmas, when Our Lord was born, but on Annunciation, when He was conceived.
Lovely!
So, so difficult! Both deserve to advance, however, because I am so enamored with the time of the Civil War, I was drawn, compelled to vote for Delaney. Both of these saints faced incredible hardships, prejudices and obstacles in simply living their life. Each had a way to cope. However, when I read that Delaney “was overcome by a sense of his own unworthiness” for his first communion, I knew he was truly blessed by God. I must give a lot of credit to Florence, because she persevered in a life ambition that was very intense and anti-woman and, because, she helped “clean-up” that profession.
“When he first heard the news that the war was over, he was working in the kitchen, wearing an apron with a single button at the neck—the standard garb for slave boys at the time. Upon hearing of his liberation, he ran around the house, the apron fluttering behind him like a cape crying “Freedom! Freedom! I am free!”
Henry Beard Delaney!
For Florence Nightingale and Henry Beard Delaney (and his wife, Nanny)
Tune: Donne, Hymnal ’82, 140, Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun
Wilt thou help us to stand against that sin
Debasing those of other gender, race?
Wilt thou show us where we, too, do not see;
Where we, too, sin and judge another’s case?
For this wise nurse, and bishop too, we give thee thanks.
“Still she persisted” in her care for those
who suffered through the evil done in war.
Stood up to church, to generals, family,
Because she knew her holy calling to
Care for the sick, the injured ones, science and art.
Raised in the evil that is slavery;
Rejected hate when finally set free.
Used all his gifts to learn and grow and teach
To give to others what he had received.
Priest, bishop too, he served and loved, so tenderly.
We have a sin we’d rather not admit.
For even now we judge, reject and scorn
Those who diverge from us, whom we decide
Are worthy less of your love and our own.
Forgive us please, help us to see their dignity.
Diana, your last stanza really speaks to me! May I use it further in communicating with our parishes today?
Jeanette, I’m honored. Please use as you see fit.
Shalom!
I’m not familiar with the tune, but your lyrics and their message are very familiar. Thank you for your new hymn.
Wow, Diana, you’ve outdone yourself with these lyrics today! Thank you!
Thank you!
Our congregation usually opts for “So giebst du nun” (hymn 141) for Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun, so I will probably be humming that tune with your lyrics. I hope that’s all right!
If using these words with another tune works for you, I’m joyous. I’m grateful that the words say something to you.
Diana,
Please, please, please make a CD of someone singing your Lent Madness hymns–it would be such a treasure to have a way to remember so many saints by listening to the hymns! Since I can’t keep an imaginary tune in my head while reading the words, I miss some of the glory of your work. Think of how much money could be raised by the sale of Lent Madness hymns!
That could be fun, Carolyn. I have no idea how one would go about it, though. Open for suggestions.
Perhaps someone on the Supreme Executive Committee would know how….
Maybe a CD burner, a piano or organ, and one to four singers and a microphone and a recorder or a computer to make mp files.
I love that Florence said nursing was an art!
*Wail* THIS IS SO HARD!!! In the end, I went for Delaney, because today he is the underdog, and in his day he was the underdog as well, having to come up from harder beginnings and overcome even more obstacles than Florence Nightingale. I’ll hardly be put out if she wins though.
This was a tough one, but #ShePersisted got my vote because, well, she did.
People, it’s Women’s History Month. Go Florence.
But last month was Black History Month!
I’ve not been a regular participant this year but as a RN student I’m obligated to jump in and vote for Florence Nightengale.
Delaney, for his vision.
Bracket prediction: whoever wins this match-up is going to the finals.
This has been the most difficult choice for me so far (and I thought Handel/Crosby was hard)!
Despite the fact that I work in education, I am feeling the most affinity for Florence, since my mother is a nurse (and dad is a doctor). #ShePersisted
Tough choice, indeed, but as a native son of North Carolina, I voted for my adopted brother. Both candidates overcame (what are probably to us) unfathomable obstacles but, in my mind, Flo has gotten her due while Delany has received virtually no recognition for his own herculean commitment and efforts. (Plus, I just learned this morning that my high school and St. Augustine’s University share(d) a mascot!) GO FALCONS and Fr. Delany!)
Another very hard choice, but I went with Henry.
In honor of my granddaughter Jules in her first year of Nursing @Gonzaga I vote for Florence, but my heart is also with Henry, he also persisted.
This was my hardest vote yet as Father Delany’s work so pierces my soul, and so aligns with the deep needs of my state here in South Carolina. The Delany family here played a pivotal, sacrificial role in integrating the schools as a pastor in their family coached the families that brought Briggs v. Elliott to the courts. This case was then wrapped into Brown v. Board, but not before the Briggs and other parents lost so much of the little they had.
And yet … #she persisted. My parents have both been in hospitals since before Christmas, and were it not for nurses, I do not know what would have happened to them. Nurses are the backbone of medical care and have a HARD, thankless job. I must go with Florence and her devoted persistence.
School Spring Break is being celebrated where we live with no school for 2 weeks and lots of families travelling, so I’m guessing that Oliver and his family left their electronic devices at home and took a little spring trip.
Florence still guides the actions of nurses everywhere. Look up the Florence Nightingale Pledge that so many graduating Nurses have to recite and agree to at their final ceremony. It is no longer done, however is discussed in many Nursing History/ Ethics Courses. We were told we were the last “True Missionaries” as Nursing demanded Nurses care for all without judgement but always with compassion, devotion, and God’s love.
Aarrggh – an achingly cruel choice today. Both such SAINTS, both write-ups excellent. Only my initial resolve (based on a biography of her I read several years ago) to vote for her over any one else helped me move forward and vote for Florence..
Wow! I wanted to double vote for both of these inspiring spiritual heroes. Yet I had to honor my mother who was an R.N. I want to thank all those involved in providing Lent Madness. This is my second year of participation and I appreciate the opportunity to “enjoy” Lent. It is a balance to other more somber traditions during this season of faith.
I agree with everybody else that this was a HARD choice and whichever saint wins clearly deserves a place in the Elate Eight. After much inner wrestling I went with Florence because of her readiness to see the face of God in her suffering patients, and because she attributed all her success to God as well. I will have to admit that I did think Anna overdid the #ShePersisted. But it was a great write-up, both of them were.
This vote was impossible! How do you choose between two such worthy people? Why do you do this to me, Lent Madness?
As a nurse (retired) I must vote for Florence! When I graduated from Trenton State College in ’73, the faculty gave us each a copy of Florence’s “Notes on Nursing” which I treasure to this day! Nursing is indeed God’s work for all people.
Such a tough choice! And such beautifully-written bios. So moving. But, for many reasons, #ShePersisted is my choice. Also, may I say how much I enjoy the comments? Always food for thought.
I’m not getting my emails!
Help!
Since the nurses out there are voting for Nightingale, as a priest it only seems fair that I should vote for Delaney.
Henry gets my vote after an hour of research on these two remarkable “saints”. The secular work of Florence made her a celebrity during Victorian England when they desperately needed a hero. Her nursing methods and dedication are legendary. But I voted for Henry because of his faith, his remarkable work within the religious community and as the father of 10 remarkable children. His work, faith and story are inspirational and ecumenical. The choice was hard today but my research made Henry a clear winner.
I am with all of you in lamenting the impossibility of choosing between these two! Having been a nurse, and daughter, sister-in-law, and daughter-in-law of nurses, #ShePersisted won out, but my heart has been stolen by Henry.
My niece just became the first nurse in the family. Have to go with Florence.
The most difficult vote yet.
I voted for Henry, but I admire Florence and her work greatly.
This retired hospital chaplain just had to vote for Florence Nightingale, whose approach to medical care sounds like my call to hospital ministry.
Tough one, for sure! Both overcame obstacles of prejudice, but it seems to me that coming out of slavery was probably the more difficult journey. So I voted for Henry. I also think the idea of celebrating him with a meal of those wonderful soul foods is terrific! At the very least, I’ll make mac ‘n’ cheese!
Having shared 3/4th of my 85 years with a nurse having fathered two nurses I am moved to recognize the tremendous importance and sacrifice of Saint Florence . Being a priest and fathering a social worker allows me insight into the importance of Bishop Henry’s life. I will vote for Saint Henry but realize how different my long life was impacted by both and I celebrate both.
What is this #ShePersisted stuff? Why politicize Lent Madness? That touch made my decision easy.
Stuff?
Wow – two saints who loved their neighbors as themselves and offered their lives in service to others. Two saints who were marginalized in their day, one for being female and the other for being black. This was a tough call, and while Henry’s life inspires, I have to vote for Florence. I have worked in healthcare for almost 20 years and see Florence’s legacy alive and working every day. Thanks be to God!
I voted Delaney as I felt he might be the underdog and I felt he need my vote. They are both examples of the
Christian life and equally worthy of winning.
I’m voting for Harry because I believe he is the underdog in this race.
Voted for Flo in the first round. Had to give the Bishop his due in this one. Both inspiring !
This was a very difficult choice today, and while I have long admired the Bishop’s work, my lifelong love of Florence resulted in me voting for her. That said, I do feel bad not voting for the underdog.
I too wish I could have voted for both. I love the image of HBD running around in his kitchen shouting “I am free!” . I voted for Florence “If I could give you information of my life, it would be to show how a woman of very ordinary ability has been led by God in strange and unaccustomed paths to do In His service what He has done in her. And if I could tell you all, you would see how God has done all, and I nothing.”
Have to go with the Bishop. It is harder enough being an African-American in today’s world and much harder in the ante-bellum days. Yet the bishop strived for the dignity of the truly marginalized of his time. A real hero.
I couldn’t vote for Florence just because she is a nurse. She had her skill set to help her, Bishop Delaney only had his believe in a forgiving God. He took great strides as a Black Man in the Deep South. Henry’s the one for me
I have idolized Florence since a youngster but today I gave my vote to Delany. Florence got my vote the first round but something about Delany’s persistence against more odds than Flo got my attention.
While I like the Twitter-inspired vibe of “poundShePersisted,” I am moved by Henry Beard Delaney today, because of these two inspired and inspirational people, Delaney’s story demonstrates the power of teamwork, of groupwork. Behind him were systems, however partial or tentative, that supported individuals to recognize themselves and achieve. Nightingale seems to me today a “genius,” the solitary individual who moves mountains and creates new paradigms. I grant that she is a woman, and that we should celebrate a woman genius. But I am also thinking about the vital necessity of what W.E.B. DuBois called the “talented tenth” and the equally vital role of families, congregations, and social orders to identify and develop “charming and capable” individuals to ameliorate and enhance life for all. So I’m voting for Delaney, and I am sending energy and attention toward our own social order today as it considers denying healthcare to its members and subverting one-sixth of the national economy. Nightingale would surely want a viable healthcare system for all the people, and Delaney would caper about waving his stole and tippet to preserve an affordable care act for the people.
I, too, thought about the importance of remembering Florence Nightingale and Henry Beard Delaney in light of the political situations we now face. However we vote in Lent Madness, I hope we will be inspired by both of these wonderful people as we go forth every day.
“like”
I mean Delany.
So appreciate your comments, St. Celia!
Very honored. Blessings to you this Lent.
BTW, the House healthcare bill has just been withdrawn. Guess the party in power got tired of so much winning.
Thanks be to God.
And thank you, Stephen, for your prayers.
St. C, your comments have explained why, instead of voting on the spot for Florence as I intended, I have been reading down through the comments while experiencing pangs of need to vote for Henry. Thank you.
It’s the road to Damascus, Davis . . .
What an impossible choice! But for the nurses in my family, I voted for Florence Nightingale. But both really get my vote.
A tough choice, but I simply can’t fail to respond to ShePersisted!
This was my hardest choice yet; I cast my vote for Delaney.
Am I missing his comments, or has Oliver been absent lately?
We are all missing Oliver! It has been suggested maybe he’s away on Spring Break, but then, can’t he vote?! Please come back, Oliver!
As many have said, this is a tough choice. I have read the wonderful book by the Delaney Sisters and greatly admire their Father. However my Mother was a nurse. My daughter is a nurse. The presence of God is what makes them great nurses. Going to vote for Florence.
I’m a nurse…what more can I say? Flo for the halo!!
It is a tough choice as usual. They both had very difficult barriers to mount. Had to vote for Delaney because he started as a slave. He did not start from scratch but one rung lower. What a fantastic couple of saints.
Tough choice but in the end I went with Delany as I did in the beginning. He definitely has my heart.
What a GREAT DAY in the competition! I believe I’ll be a better person because of this pairing…
I voted for the Bish. I’m inspired by his piety but also just thrilled to experience “live” the new flight of a child slave (A CHILD SLAVE!!!) soaring through education & spiritual leadership on the lofty breezes of benefactors. All that and – was Delany the originator of the Thanksgiving Day food baskets???
That said, Florence.
I did get pulled in by those strategic “#ShePersisted” mentions but what really lit up for me was unpacking how Florence considered her nursing career as an art as well as a science. I’m going to think long and hard about the art piece. Could it be that Florence and her passionate approach to nursing can inspire me to be a more passionate ….bocce league coordinator, church small group facilitator, budding poet, blogger? Grandmother? Wife? Neighbor? All purpose church handy person? LentMadness has definitely caught my attention here.
As I said, I did not vote for Florence, yet she may be the biggest gift of this tomfoolery yet. Thank you SEC!
This was the hardest choice for me so far. #ShePersisted
Seems like everyone agrees it’s a tough choice. They are so evenly matched in terms of their accomplishments that I simply voted for Delaney because he’s the underdog.
My sympathy for underdogs goes way back. In the Round of 32 I voted for Anselm against Florence and Aelred against Henry, so of course they both lost.
I voted for Florence because #ShePersisted
Such a tough one. My mother was a nurse in the style of FN – practicing the art and science of nursing, a true healer. But I can’t not vote for Delany. He moves my heart and calls me to deeper faith.
I have always admired Florence Nightingale, but Delaney’s story moves me more. So wonderful that his budding intellect was noted and that he found a college to support him, mind and soul. He was fortunate that his former master taught him to read. I worked a few blocks away from St. Augustine College, and that sentiment also plays into my preference (despite my mother having worked as a Registered Nurse for some 25 plus years).
A hard choice. I waffle back-and-forth, between a lovely and gracious man, and one of the greatest people of the 19th century. In the end, I had to go with Florence. It was nice to read that the Mock family, in defiance of the law, saw to it that their slaves were taught to read and write. A nice bit of civil disobedience there.
both such worthy choices…couldnt decide my vote on their merits, do I went with Henrys list of favorite foods since my favorites also lie along those lines. Who cant get behind a saint whos favorite foods include mac and cheese!
A pioneer for women in health care and the first African American Episcopalian bishop. What’s an African American Episopalian female physician to do? Curse you, SEC!
Ended up going with the Flo because of her perspective on medicine as art and science and the body as God’s artwork. I’m afraid modern medicine is losing much of that!
Casting a vote for Florence Nightingale in honor of all the nurses among my relatives and friends. Her concept of nursing as an art practiced in the service of God is inspiring.
As I watch C-SPAN this morning where Obama Care is up against Trump doesn’t care.
I black man’s effort to provide Florence’s health care to everyone. It truly is madness that this choice is before us.
I voted for Florence because I used a coin toss.
Delany is being recognized more and more.
So difficult today! But I was eventually swayed by Delany’s rise from slavery to bishop and his deep faith.
Both bios here were wonderful; I especially enjoyed the single button story of Henry throwing off the apron and running around crying “freedom!” What joy, unimaginable, really, to us who live in freedom every day. However. Florence’s bio spoke right to my heart. What a life of supreme usefulness she led, walking right in the footsteps of the Lord! I’d always wanted to be a nurse; wound up a home health aide instead, but was always inspired by her. I voted for her. Just now, thought, my late mom’s name was Florence. I wonder if she was named after her.
So does anyone think that Bishop Delany didn’t persist also, and under harder beginnings, and farther?
Two super saints. I’m voting for Flo because she was from my home county.
Love both of these. Making personal connections didn’t help – my dad was named Henry; my sister is a nurse. I ended up throwing in with Flo because he work she did has led to the saving of countless lives.
Excellent entries – kudos to both bloggers! My vote went for Henry today – a stellar example of someone who made the most of their opportunity to work for God’s glory, in a quiet, steadfast manner – saintly qualities indeed.
Henry was admirable but I can never imagine the courage it took for Florence, in those primitive days, to go out to the fields in the Crimean war to give care to those desperately wounded soldiers. What would we do today without the nursing profession that she started.
My mother and daughter are both nurses, but in the end it was chicken and gravy, rice and sweet potatoes, mac and cheese, that turned the tide for me. Sunday dinner as I remember as a child. So Henry got my vote.
Me, too!
Always trying to keep a brother down.
Um-hm.
This was tough since I voted for both in Round One. Tipping point: Delaney’s favorite foods-all those delicious carbs! Had to vote for him.
Florence today, for the ability to find God through her work.
On March 3rd we read that Henry was a bricklayer and a carpenter. Me, I follow the Carpenter…..
I admire Father Delany, especially his favorite foods. But gotta go with Flo!
Anyone who has read the Delaney Sisters books knows what a great man their father was, for the branch never falls far from the tree. Yes, Florence Nightingale did much for the field of medicine, but a black bishop did mich for our church in America.
Voted for both of these in the first round.
Voted for Ms. Nightingale in this round, although I would have voted for Bishop Delany over anyone in the Saintly Sixteen other than Florence, Franz, Sarah, or Moses the Ethiopian.
The fact that Florence created the nursing profession we know today, and did so under wartime conditions, and as an expression of her Christian faith is my reason. The fact that she ruined her health in the process for the rest of her life (Would we call it PTSD today?) gives her an aspect of martyrdom.
As I’ve said before, I think Florence should win the Golden Halo this time, probably in a tight final with Farmer Franz.
*fistbump*
Hard, hard choice! Yes, #ShePersisted, and I was inclined to honor that with my vote, but Bp. Delaney came so far and did so much good, that I have cast my lot with him.
Has anyone done a demographic survey of what percentage of Episcopalians have found their vocation in health care, education, or other helping professions? By the looks of Lent Madness comments, many of us are living our faith through our vocation.
I’m still ticked off that Florence booted my main man Anselm in the first round, but I voted for her this time because health care.
I voted for bishop Beard, being as man of color, his journey was much more difficult.
In deference to the first African-American Presiding Bishop of our Episcopal church, I vote for the first African American Bishop, Henry Beard Delaney. Henry was a role model that has inspired many,
just as has our own Michael Curry.
Difficult choice, they both overcame obstacles & were humble servants of God.
Delaney! How can you compete with fried chicken and gravy? At least not every tale of reconstruction is obscured by frustration, corruption and bitterness.
I went with the Flo! #ShePersisted
Hard choice today. I went w/ Florence because of all she faced to establish.the basic health guidelines for nursing & worked against the sexism of the day. Henry Budd was similarly qualified, but I’m a feminist.
Yeah, I see these #ShePersisted hashtags. But Henry impresses me beyond all measure. Former slave. Coping with the racism of North Carolina in the post Reconstruction South. I cannot imagine the patience and generosity he had to endure. I vote for Henry because of his powerful witness, but also on behalf of all the LGBT people who have labored faithfully in this church of ours which wasn’t always exactly welcoming to us. But #WeShallOvercome.
Both of these saints are awesome. I had to go with Florence Nightingale, though. As I said before, less than a third of the saints on this year’s bracket are women. We have to get a woman to the final round!
I’m reminded of how we still lack appreciation of the obstacles facing African Americans as they struggled through the deep trauma of slavery and its aftermath. That so many embraced the redemptive power of faith is in itself miraculous. Given the entrenched racism of his time, Delaney’s persistence and vision is saintly and worthy of our prayerful consideration.
This one is hard. Both had to face discrimination and naysayers throughout their life and in the case of FN since her death, As a deacon and nurse I have to go with Florence.
Slavery and Jim Crow laws were not mere discrimination. These instititutions denied the very humanity of their victims. It’s really important to understand what persistence meant in those circumstances.
#ShePersisted That is all.
With women and health care under official attack in this country, who better than the woman who founded modern nursing?
#ShePersisted, but so did he and dare I say under stronger oppression. Loved reading about the vision the future Nishop had.
Oh, what an excruciating choice! I have such admiration for both of these worthy saints. I went with Florence perhaps but could easily have gone the other way.
Once a nurse, always a nurse. Can’t not vote for Florence. Yes she was Saintly but she was also fierce. Not many people can walk through a ward at night amidst those in pain. fear and suffering – then as it is now. That takes a strong, tough person. Love her (and us nurses).
Ms Nightingale:
Persisted for 10 years to overcome her families objections to her choice to be a nurse.
Persisted in getting doctors, nurses, orderlies to wash their hands.
Overcame hygenic indifference in care providers, barriers to obtaining supplies to care for patients, and cultural norms about the place of women.
I don’t want to let go of either of these two saints. Proper Healthcare is vital and Florence was a pioneer. That and my sister whom I love is a nurse. I voted for Florence.
I could not choose. I debated with myself, I asked colleagues. I prayed. I struggled. I considered not voting (a mortal sin according to Sister Marie of my Catholic school days).
This morning, the 1st day of spring break, a day where I would gloriously sleep till 10 AM, I awoke wuth a start. I knew I had to vote for Bp Henry. I do not know why. But, I did. I obeyed. With only minutes to spare.
The practice of obedience this Lent is empowering.
Florence devotion to the sick Jesus showed her the way
Well put, Nancy.