Remembering Deaconess Harriet Bedell: Woman Who Prays
Feast Day: January 8
On January 8, the Episcopal Church commemorates the life and witness of Harriet Bedell, a pioneering missionary whose ministry left an enduring mark on the people and landscape of Southwest Florida.
Born in 1875 in Buffalo, New York, Harriet Mary Bedell felt an early call to missionary service. After training as an Episcopal deaconess and studying nursing, she spent more than 25 years ministering among Indigenous communities in Oklahoma and Alaska. Her deep respect for Native cultures, commitment to education and health, and unwavering faith shaped her approach to ministry throughout her life.
In 1933, Bishop John Wing of the Diocese of South Florida invited Bedell to serve among the Miccosukee of the Seminole Nation living in the remote regions of the Everglades and Big Cypress Swamp. At the time, the Miccosukee had little contact with Christian missionaries and were facing severe economic hardship and food insecurity. Bedell responded not with charity alone, but with a vision rooted in dignity, self-sufficiency, and mutual respect.
She transformed the Glades Cross Mission into a center for Seminole crafts, helping artisans sell their beadwork, clothing, and carvings locally and nationally. Proceeds supported families and funded medical aid in Immokalee and Everglades City. Bedell traveled tens of thousands of miles—often alone—across Southwest Florida in a Model A Ford, tirelessly advocating for the people she served.
By learning the Miccosukee language and sharing daily life with the community, Bedell earned deep trust. The tribe adopted her and gave her the name Inkoshopie, meaning “Woman Who Prays.” Her ministry extended beyond economic advocacy to teaching, health education, Sunday school, and pastoral presence across Immokalee, Marco Island, Caxambas, and Goodland.
Even after her official retirement at age 68, Bedell continued serving for nearly two more decades as a parochial missionary. Hurricane Donna in 1960 destroyed her home and mission buildings, yet she persisted in caring for others. In her final years at Bishop Gray Inn in Davenport, she remained active—teaching, tending the sick, and speaking to civic and church groups about compassion and justice.
Deaconess Bedell died on January 8, 1969, just shy of her 94th birthday. She is honored as an Outstanding Floridian, with a plaque at the Museum of the Everglades in Everglades City. Her legacy is one of courageous faith, humility, and a radical belief in the equal dignity of all people.
Reflecting on a moment when she was criticized for receiving Communion alongside Indigenous worshippers, Bedell wrote words that continue to challenge the Church today:
“This is the place where all are certainly equal… In this Great Mystery when He comes to us, there is no room for bigotry. When will people learn?”
As we observe her Feast Day, the Diocese of Southwest Florida gives thanks for Deaconess Harriet Bedell’s life and witness—praying that we, too, may be filled with compassion, respect, and courage for the work of ministry entrusted to us.
