September 17

Ida Scudder (1870–1960) was an  American Missionary Doctor in India; Founder of CMC Hospital

Born into a family of missionaries in India, Ida Scudder initially had no intention of following in their footsteps. However, during a visit to her ailing mother in India, she witnessed the death of three women in a single night—each refused medical care from a male doctor due to cultural norms. This heartbreaking experience changed her life.

Ida returned to the U.S., earned a medical degree from Cornell University Medical College (in a class of only a handful of women), and set out for India in 1900. There she founded a small clinic for women in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. That clinic would grow into one of the most respected medical institutions in Asia: Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore.

Dr. Scudder not only provided excellent medical care but also championed the education of Indian women as physicians and nurses—a revolutionary idea at the time. Her school began with just one woman student and eventually became a full-fledged coeducational medical college.

Ida Scudder’s Final Words (as reported):
"We are not building for time, but for eternity."

Selected Anecdotes:

• The Three Knockings
  On a single night, three separate men came to ask her to help their dying wives. Each woman died because no female doctor was available. That night redirected her entire life.
   
• Shoes at the Clinic Door
  To honor Indian customs, Dr. Scudder always removed her shoes when entering homes for patient care—symbolizing humility and respect for the culture she served.
   
• The First Female Graduate
  Her early medical school class had just one woman. That graduate became a symbol for future generations of female doctors in India.
   
• Floods and Medicine
  During the 1924 floods, she worked tirelessly to help the displaced, often rowing boats herself with medical supplies to reach the stranded.
   

Famous Quotes Attributed to Ida Scudder:

• "The world is my parish, and my hospital is my pulpit."
   
• "Service to one is service to Christ."
   
• "I could not see the need and turn away."
   
• "A woman's hands can carry Christ's healing, too."
   

Legacy:
Dr. Ida Scudder left behind more than a hospital—she left a movement. Christian Medical College continues to educate thousands and treat millions, operating on principles of compassion, integrity, and Christ-centered service. She broke gender and cultural barriers, proving that faith, when paired with medical skill and compassion, could transform a nation. Today, her name is honored not only in India but around the world by generations of doctors, nurses, and grateful patients.

Melania the Younger (383–439) was a Roman noblewoman whose radical commitment to Christ led her to give away immense wealth, status, and privilege to live a life of monastic devotion. Born into one of the wealthiest senatorial families of the late Roman Empire, she was married young, but after the tragic loss of two sons, she and her husband Valerius Pinianus turned their grief into purpose — devoting themselves to a life of prayer, fasting, and charity.

Together, they distributed vast estates across Italy, Spain, and North Africa to support the poor, churches, and monasteries. Melania became a spiritual mother to many, founding two monasteries in Jerusalem, where she eventually settled and spent the final decades of her life teaching, writing, and nurturing the souls of women in her care.

Her life was marked by joyful self-denial, theological depth, and bold obedience. She corresponded with figures like Augustine and Jerome, and was praised for her wisdom and piety in an age when few women held spiritual authority.

Melania’s Final Words (as recorded by her biographer):

“As I have given all, may Christ be my all.”
Spoken at the moment of death, surrounded by her monastic sisters, with Psalm 73 on her lips: “Whom have I in heaven but Thee?”

Source: Life of Melania the Younger, written by her contemporary Gerontius.

Selected Anecdotes:

The Jewel Box in the Dust
When offered a new set of royal jewelry, she poured the jewels into the dust and said, “Let the poor shine in glory — I am already clothed in Christ.”

Letters to Augustine
She sent financial support and encouragement to Augustine during his theological labors. One letter read: “Where your pen defends truth, our hands will defend the poor.”

The Monastery Without Locks
Her convent in Jerusalem had no locks on its gates — a symbol of trust and openness. Melania said, “The safest walls are those built with prayer.”

A Meal for the Emperor
Once invited to a banquet by imperial officials, she declined and instead fed a hundred beggars in their place. When asked why, she said, “They are the faces of Christ.”

Fire in the Desert
During a regional famine, she sold her last Roman villa to buy grain. When warned it would leave her nothing, she replied, “Nothing is exactly what I long for.”

Famous Quotes Attributed to Melania the Younger:

"The weight of gold cannot outweigh the joy of Christ."
"We do not lose when we give — we gain eternity."
"To be poor with Christ is to be rich forever."
"Monastic life is not a retreat — it is an advance into grace."
"The world offers robes; Christ offers radiance."

Legacy:

Melania the Younger stands among the great heroines of early Christian history. Her voluntary poverty was not an escape — it was a declaration of the surpassing worth of Christ. Through her life, countless widows, orphans, and monks were nourished, and the early Church in Jerusalem strengthened. She proved that nobility is not inherited, but lived — in sacrifice, service, and spiritual devotion. Her story remains a radiant testimony of how worldly loss can become heavenly gain.

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