Category: Saints

Sure: today is Saint Valentine’s Day. Love, love, love. I won’t write much because I meed to get on with a little romantic brunch, so see the listing at the Patron Saints Index. An excerpt: Others maintain that the custom of sending Valentines on 14 February stems from the belief that birds begin to pair… Continue reading Saints: Valentine, Cyril, and Methodius

Philocrites, in “Fundamentalist no more” asked, “who?” after suggesting he might fit better identifying with William Henry Ryder or James Martineau than the retired-and-his-fifteen-minutes-are up Episcopal bishop of Newark. I suppose it was too much to ask, but Ryder (1822-1888) was one of the Universalist greats, despite his near anonymity. A historical note from the… Continue reading Who is William Henry Ryder?

Protestant usually have a wiggly time around the saints, unless the term is used (as I believe) in its proper New Testament fashion frequently and with learning moments built-in. Saints are the believers; the ones who are witnesses of Christ Jesus and who have incorporated this reality into their lives in such a way as… Continue reading All Saints

I was online looking up websites that include the phrase “Universalist National Memorial Church” (finding friends, finding slanderers, whatever) and found a nice biography of my predecessor (1939-1987) Seth Rogers Brooks, on the Beta Theta Pi website. He was the fraternity’s General Secretary from 1950 to 1960. By coincidence, this is his death anniversary, and… Continue reading Seth Rogers Brooks, d. 1987

The “father of American Universalism” died this day in 1815 in Boston. Much to much to do today to give him full homage, so a couple of links will have to do. image courtesy UUA webpages from the Murray Grove website A website about Judith Murray, his wife, and though a notable historical figure in… Continue reading John Murray, 1741-1815

Hello, did I complete this correctly?

St. Lawrence, martyred this day in 258, is one of my favorites from the early church. Of course, I first learned of him from the two-degrees-removed association that is St. Lawrence University, the former Universalist college (and seminary.) Much of what we know of him is legendary. Suffice it to say that he was in… Continue reading Lawrence, deacon and martyr