My thanks to Wayward for reminding me, and us, that today is the feast day of Blessed Jonathan Daniels, an Episcopal Church martyr from the Civil Rights era. Please go read about Blessed Jonathan at Wayward's blog. Also Padre Mickey has a moving tribute to Blessed Jonathan and also St. Maximilian Kolbe.
In brief, he was a seminarian who went to Alabama to help with Civil Rights. While there, he shielded a young woman from a shotgun blast.
In the photo on the right, you'll notice a little black vertical stripe on his collar. In the old days, seminarians used to wear clericals but had the stripe to show they were not ordained.
When I was a child, my friends older brother was a friend of Jonathan. It is comforting to know that I have someone I know personally who is a true Saint with a capital "S".
Blessed Jonathan, pray for the church, because bigotry has not been eradicated.
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