St. Margaret's Episcopal Church - from the Rector's Desk

A Collect Prayer for Florence Nightingale: "A lady who knows what she wants"¹

Almighty God, you inspired your servant Florence Nightingale with a caring and listening heart for people suffering in hospitals and worked for higher public health standards everywhere: kindle in your Church such compassion for people in need that we too in our generation can create the gift of the Kingdom of God and the Body of Christ through our efforts to be responsible administrators who make real and share your eternal blessings in our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN

We had our Diocesan Council retreat at Claggett at the end of June and our theme centered on Florence Nightingale because she was such an effective and caring administrator who made a very big difference for so many English soldiers wounded in the Crimean War of 1854. After reading the article "A Lady Who Knows What She Wants," I wrote the above Collect Prayer - I am a member of the Worship Committee for the Council.

How important it is for each of us and for us as a parish to also "know what we want" as we serve the Lord with gladness. Florence Nightingale shows us the way. She was appointed "Superintendent of the Female Nursing Establishment of the English General Military Hospitals in Turkey." She arrived with 38 nurses and found intolerable conditions at the Scutari Hospital in Istanbul, then named Constantinople. The death rate was 70%.

Men slept on straw sacks and the stench was almost unbearable because of the filthy conditions. Florence immediately knew that the hospital officials were lazy, arrogant and had malice for the wounded soldiers.

Jesus says "Take up thy cross and follow me" (Matthew 10:38). Florence did just that at the same time hospital officials kept placing "cross beams" on her shoulders. She was successful. Soon the death rate fell below 10% and the hospital was clean. A french chef who had volunteered his services prepared excellent meals. The soldiers called her "angel of Scutari," and stopped swearing! Although she returned to England after two years of devoted service in frail health, she lived to be 91 and continued to campaign for higher public health standards. She was an inspiration for Henri Dunant, a young Swiss businessman who created the Red Cross.

See you in Church!
Fr. Walter C. Simmons