May 13: Frances Perkins, Social Reformer, 1965

The Collect of the Day

Frances Perkins

Loving God, we bless your Name for Frances Perkins, who in faithfulness to her baptism envisioned a society in which all might live in health and decency: Help us, following her example andin union with her prayers, to contend tirelessly for justice and for the protection of all, that we may be faithful followers of Jesus Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Frances Perkins

Loving God, we bless thy Name for Frances Perkins, who in faithfulness to her baptism envisioned a society in which all might live in health and decency: Help us, following her example and in union with her prayers, to contend tirelessly for justice and for the protection of all, that we may be faithful followers of Jesus Christ; who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Deuteronomy 15:7–11
Psalm 37:27–31
Luke 9:10–17

Frances Perkins was an active member of the Episcopal Church and the first woman to serve a President of the United States as a member of the cabinet. Born in Boston on April 10th, 1880 and educated at Mount Holyoke College and Columbia University, Perkins was passionate about the social problems occasioned by the continuing effects of industrialization and urbanization.

As a young adult, she discovered the Episcopal Church and was confirmed at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Lake Forest, Illinois, on June 11th, 1905. She remained a faithful and active Episcopalian for the remainder of her life.

After moving to New York, she became an advocate for industrial safety and persistent voice for the reform of what she believed were unjust labor laws. This work got the attention of two of New York’s governors, Al Smith and Franklin D. Roosevelt, in whose state administrations she took part. President Roosevelt later appointed her to a cabinet post as Secretary of Labor, a position she would hold for twelve years. As Secretary of Labor, Perkins would have a major role in shaping the New Deal legislation signed into law by President Roosevelt, most notably the establishment of the Social Security program.

During her years of public service, Frances Perkins depended uponher faith, her life of prayer, and the guidance of her church for the support she needed to assist the United States and its leadership to face the enormous problems of the time. During her time as Secretary of Labor, she would take time away from her duties on a monthly basis and make a retreat at the Episcopal convent of the All Saints Sisters of the Poor in nearby Catonsville, Maryland. She spoke publicly of how the Christ’s incarnation informed her conviction that people ought to work with God to create a just Christian social order.

Following her public service, she became a professor of industrial and labor relations at Cornell University. She remained active in teaching, social justice advocacy, and in the mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church. She was an eloquent example of lay ministry, writing that “the special vocation of the laity is to conduct and carry on the worldly and secular affairs of modern society…in order that all men may be maintained in health and decency.” She died in New York City on May 14th, 1965.

Lessons and Psalm

First Lesson

Psalm

²⁷The righteous are always generous in their lending, *and their children shall be a blessing.

²⁸Turn from evil, and do good, *and dwell in the land for ever.

²⁹For the Lord loves justice; *he does not forsake his faithful ones.

³⁰They shall be kept safe for ever, *but the offspring of the wicked shall be destroyed.

³¹The righteous shall possess the land *and dwell in it for ever.

Gospel

¹⁰On their return the apostles told Jesus all they had done. He took them with him and withdrew privately to a city called Bethsaida. ¹¹When the crowds found out about it, they followed him; and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured. ¹²The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place.” ¹³But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” ¹⁴For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” ¹⁵They did so and made them all sit down. ¹⁶And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. ¹⁷And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.