St. Helena of Sköfde

Helena (or Elin) was around the early twelfth century in southwest Sweden. She was from a noble family. She was widowed at a young age; shortly after the death of her husband she made a pilgrimage to Rome. She devoted the rest of her life to works of charity. She was known for helping the poor.

At her own expense, she built the church in Sköfde. According to legend, she had a portico built between the church and its tower, and when asked about its purpose, replied, "God will give us some saint whose body and relics can be suitably placed there." She was interred there after her death, and the church was eventually named after her.

In 1164, her daughter’s husband was murdered by some servants. The servants claimed Helena had instructed them to do it, even though she was currently on pilgrimage in the Holy Land. His family was enraged and believed the servants’ lie. After she had returned to Sweden, Helena went to Gotene to collect money for the church there. A member of her son-in-law’s family there stabbed her to death. It was later determined that Helena had had no knowledge or involvement in her son-in-law’s murder.

St. Helena of Sköfde’s feast day is July 31.

St. Martha Wang Luo Mande and Companions

Martha Wang Luo Mande was born in 1812 in Zunji, China. She and her husband were vegetable farmers. Although they had no biological children, they adopted two of her nephews. After her husband died and the boys left home, Martha ran an inn in Qingyian. A Catholic traveler introduced her to Christianity, and she joined the Church on Christmas 1852. She moved to Guiyang to work as a cook in a Catholic hostel. She also worked as a cook and cleaner at the seminary in Yaojiaguan.

Christianity had been banned in China in 1724, with different emperors allowing varying levels of tolerance. In 1840, following the opening of China during the First Opium War, China allowed Chinese people to follow the Catholic faith and restored several pieces of Church property confiscated in 1724. In 1844, foreign missionaries were allowed in certain port cities. In 1856, missionaries were granted full freedom of movement.

However, anti-Christian sentiment was rising following the Taiping Rebellion, in which a man claimed to be the brother of Jesus, built an army to seize land as part of his “holy mission,” and destroy Buddhist and Taoist temples. The rebellion led to a massively violent conflict, leaving millions dead between 1850-1864. Christianity became associated with violence. Foreign missionaries became associated with European imperialism, especially when missionaries built churches or schools in locations of old temples or abolished Chinese Christian institutions and replaced them with foreign-led ones. Violence against Christians rose, often under the permission of authorities.

Boiling Frogs

“The Earth sustains humanity. It must not be harmed; it must not be destroyed.” -St. Hildegard of Bingen

This month is hottest month since scientists began collecting and recording climate data. New single day records for hottest global temperature were set back to back on July 3 and 4, exceeding 17°C (62.6°F) for the first time. Although the level of warming is only about 2.4°F since preindustrial levels, that little bit is making big differences, showing just how fragile our hospitable environment is.

We’re racing toward an environmental precipice. We have to do something. Oh, but that’s hyperbole, right? We say this every year. Yes, because it’s worse every year. Yet because the constant drum beat as been regulated to another bit of background noise, we’ll failed to heed it’s warning. Plus, what are we supposed to do at this point anyway? It feels like not that urgent an issue and too urgent to fathom at the same time—both leading us to our response of nothing.

Inexpressible Groanings

It’s been an odd few weeks, with the returned gathering of the sticky black cloud. I mostly blame the humidity. It’s that part of summer where the air is thick and hot, seemingly acerbating feelings or motivations. I don’t want to do anything. I only want to lounge and wait for the crisp relief of an autumn day (which may be months away). I’ve managed by venerating the genius of Willis Carrier and looking up housing prices in Nordic regions. But mostly, summer is a season of endurance for me.

So it’s no surprise that the image of the Holy Spirit as a rushing wind is appealing in this season. Who wants tongues of fire? I want cooling consolation.

St. Giovanni Gualberto

St. Giovanni Gualberto (John Gualbert) was born in 985 in Florence. He came from a noble family and was known to be a self-absorbed rich kid in his youth. When his brother was murdered, Giovanni sought out the murderer, intending to kill him in revenge. But when he and his armed friends did find him, it was Good Friday, and Giovanni granted the murderer’s plea for mercy. 

This act of mercy must have had an effect on him, because he soon gave up his free-willing life to join the Benedictines. In fact, it is said that after the incident, he entered the Benedictine church at San Miniato al Monte to pray when the corpus on the crucifix bowed its head to him in recognition of his generous and merciful act. Giovanni begged Christ for forgiveness and that week cut off his hair and began wearing an old habit that he had borrowed. This story is the basis for the painting "The Merciful Knight."

Though his father was against it, Giovanni joined the Benedictine order and sought out a simple, penitential life. He spoke out against simony, which both his abbot and bishop were participating in. He left his order for a stricter religious life. He settled in Vallombrosa where he founded his own monastery in 1036. Brother Giovanni admired St. Basil and St. Benedict and hoped to model his order on their writings. One notable difference from other monasteries, instead of installing a traditional garden, the monks at Vallombrosa planted fir and pine trees.