Our Lady

 Thank you for following my Saint posts this November. I will be taking the rest of the month off to spend time with family, so this will be my last post for this month. 

In the 10+ years that I have been posting my "Saintly November" posts, I have not showcased Our Blessed Mother. On the one hand, she seems like "low hanging fruit" since most Catholics know much about her from Scripture and Church Teaching. She seems to be so easily accessible. On the other hand, what most of think we know about Our Lady barely scratches the surface. Can we hope to understand those things that she treasured and contemplated in the depths of her heart? She has appeared to many people over the centuries in all parts of the world and is honored under more titles that I can list. But, since I am cutting you short on this month's posts, today I will give you a brief taste of the Virgin Mother that I met on my pilgrimage to Rome.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Pontifical North American College

The Immaculate Conception - Pontifical North American College

Our Lady of Humility - Pontifical North American College

Mater Ecclesiae (Mother of the Church) - St. Peter's Square

Mater Peregrinorum (Mother of Pilgrims) - St. Peter's Basilica

Apse Mosaic in St. Mary Major - Mary being crowned by Jesus

Salus Populi Romani (Protectress of the Roman People) - St. Mary Major

Madonna and Child - St. Mary Major

Queen of Peace - St. Mary Major

Maria Madre Della Chiesa (Mary Mother of the Church) - St. John Lateran

Rosary Procession - St. Peter's Square

Madonna and Child fresco - Basilica of San Clemente

Piccolomini Altarpiece - Siena Duomo

Nativity - Sacristy of the Basilica of St. Dominic, Siena

The Immaculate Conception - The Vatican Museum

Mary as a child with St. Ann - Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore

Our Lady, Blessed Virgin, Mother of the Church, Pray for us.

St. Dominic

 All this month I have been trying to use the pictures of statues, mosaics and pictures that I took in Rome as a starting point for my posts. I'm finding that I may have not taken enough pictures (shocker!). The picture for today is not a statue, mosaic or painting. It is a church - specifically the Basilica of St. Dominic in Siena.

St. Dominic was born in Caleruega, Spain in 1170. His parents were members of the Spanish Nobility. A common legend says that his mother had a dream while she was pregnant with him, she dreamt that a dog leapt from her womb with a torch in its mouth. The animal "seemed to set the earth on fire." His parents then named him Dominic - a play on the words Domini and canis, "the Lord's Dog" in Latin.

Dominic was educated in Palencia with a concentration on theology and the arts. He was an exemplary student. In 1191, a famine spread across Spain leaving many desolate and homeless. Dominic sold all he had, including the manuscripts he needed for his studies, to buy food for the poor. 

Dominic joined a Benedictine order in 1194. By 1201, he had become their prior. In 1203, he joined his Bishop, Diego de Acebo, on a trip to Denmark to find a bride for Crown Prince Ferdinand. The young woman in question died before she could return with them to Spain. This left the pair free to travel where they would. They went to Rome. Bishop Diego wanted to petition the pope to be permitted to resign his office and pursue a mission to convert unbelievers. Pope Innocent III did not want them to travel to distant lands filled with unbelievers but to go to Southern France where the Albigensian heresy was flourishing. He sent the pair to preach to the heretics and return them to the true faith.

The austerity and personal self-discipline of Dominic and Diego appealed to many of the heretics and their preaching started to have an impact. Dominic recognized the need for a physical institution to preserve the gains he made. The nobility needed a place to educate their children, and Catholic women needed a safe place. He established a convent at Prouille in 1206, which would become the first Dominican house. According to legend, St. Dominic received the Rosary during a period of prayer at the Abbey of Prouille in an apparition of the Virgin Mary.

Although several prominent people of the time petitioned for Dominic to be made a Bishop, he refused every attempt at promotion. Instead, he remained steadfast to establish an order dedicated to promoting morality and the expulsion of heresy. His order was established in 1215 with six followers. They established a rule of life including discipline, prayer and penance. They founded schools and traveled the countryside preaching. The order was confirmed in 1216 and Pope Honorius III dubbed it "The Order of Preachers."

After a life of prayer, preaching and spreading his order across Europe, Dominic died at the age of 51. His feast day is August 8. St. Dominic, pray for us.

St. Tabitha

 I was with my sewing buddies this evening working on a little project for the parish, and we ran into some "sticky" issues. So of course we needed the intercession of a special patron saint. There are many Saints who are patrons of the needle arts, but there is one that stood out to me today.

St. Tabitha was a member of the early Christian church in Joppa, a port city in modern-day Israel. Her name means "female gazelle" in Aramaic (the Greek form of the name is Dorcas). In Chapter 9 of the Acts of the Apostles, she is described as a beloved member of the Christian community. She was known for her good works and acts of mercy, specifically by sewing clothes for the poor.

When she died, the widows of the community mourned her and sent urgently for the Leader of the Christians, St. Peter, who was in nearby Lydda. As evidence of her charity, they showed him the clothes Tabitha had made for them. Peter prayed for her, and she was brought back to life.

Tabitha did eventually pass on again at the house of Simon the tanner in Joppa. She was buried in what are now the gardens of an Orthodox Church in Jaffa, where her tomb can still be visited. Her feast day is October 25.

St. Tabitha, pray for us.

Pope Saint Paul VI

Saint Paul VI was the pope at the time that I was born, so he was my first pope, although I don't remember being aware of anything to do with the papacy until the conclave that elected John Paul I. 

Born Giovanni Battista Montini in 1897 in Northern Italy, he was educated primarily at hoe because of poor health. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1920 and was then sent by his bishop to Rome for advanced studies. He was eventually recruited for the Vatican diplomatic service. He was assigned to the staff of the apostolic nunciature in Warsaw, but ill health brought him back to Rome, where he worked at the Vatican Secretariate of State. He remained there in posts of increasing importance for more than 30 years. He never had an assignment as a parish priest.

Montini was named a Cardinal by Pope John XXIII in 1958. As a Cardinal, he took part in the first part of the Second Vatican Council, though he did not engage much in the floor debates. The first period of the council adjourned in December 1962, having made little progress. When John XXIII died the following June, Cardinal Montini was chosen to succeed him. He chose the name Paul VI in honor of Paul the Apostle. The day after his election he announced that the council would continue under his pontificate and that it would be his "chief work."

Pope Paul VI was the last pope to have a coronation (Pope John Paul I substituted an inauguration). He was the first to visit six continents, the first to travel by airplane, visit the Holy Land on pilgrimage and the first in a century to travel outside of Italy. He earned the nickname "the Pilgrim Pope."

Paul VI enacted many reforms of the papacy and the Church, developed Catholic theology and wrote many encyclicals. He may be best remembered for the encyclical Humanae vitae (Of human life), which was prophetic in many ways.

On Sunday, August 6, 1978, the pope, having been experiencing breathing problems, participated in Sunday Mass for the Feast of the Transfiguration from his bed. After receiving communion, he suffered a massive heart attack. He lived for three more hours before entering into his final rest. He had been pope for 15 years. His feast day is May 29.

Pope Saint Paul VI, pray for us.

St. Francis of Paola

 Back to my time in Rome tonight with another Saint that I found lurking in the background of one of my pictures. I'm trying to keep with the Rome theme, but I'm running short on Saints that I got pictures of. 

Francis of Paola was born in 1416 in Paola, Kingdom of Naples, to parents who were poor, pious and hardworking people. They prayed to St. Francis of Assisi for his intercession to have a son and so named their son after him. At 13, he was placed in a convent of Franciscan Friars where he learned to read. From that time, he abstained from wearing linen and eating meat. After a year, he opted to withdraw and live in solitude. He remained alone for about 6 years, devoting himself to prayer and self-mortification. 

When he was 20, Francis was joined by two other devoutly inclined persons. This marked the beginning of the religious order The Hermits of St. Francis of Assisi. The rule was formally approved by Pope Alexander VI in 1474, who also changed the name of the order to Minims (i.e. the "least of all the faithful.")

When King Louis XI of France was terminally ill, he sent to beg Francis to visit him. Francis travelled to the king's side and was with him as he died. He then became a tutor of the heir, Charles VIII, who retained him at court. The regard that Charles VIII held for Francis was shared by his successor, Louis XII. Francis was now eager to return to Italy, but the kings of France insisted that he remain there. He never left France.

Francis' life was marked by many miracles and acts of wonder. On one occasion, when there was a house fire with the occupants trapped inside, Francis walked into the blaze. Moments later, to everyone's amazement, he emerged with every single occupant safe and unharmed. Despite being surrounded by fire, his robes remained untouched and his body unscathed. He is sometimes known as "Francis the Fire Handler."

On Holy Thursday in 1507, he gathered his community around himself and exhorted them to have mutual charity and not to relax the rigor of their life. The next day, Good Friday, he again assembled them all, gave them his last instructions and passed away at the age of 91. His feast day is April 2.

St. Francis of Paola, pray for us.

St. David

 I am going to move away from Rome for a day and do a post for our newest family member, my new-born nephew, David. I did see a statue of King David in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, but St. David is Welsh, and so is not a prominent figure in Rome.

St. David's birthdate is uncertain, but it was probably around the year 500. He was the grandson of Ceredig ap Cunedda, King of Ceredigion, and the son of St. Non. Legend says that he was born on a clifftop during a fierce storm. The spot is marked by the ruins of Non's Chapel.

There are many legends about St. David, crediting him with many miracles and touting him as a renowned preacher and teacher. He also founded several monasteries, including Glastonbury Abbey. He was known to be a vegetarian and taught his monks to live similarly, drinking only water and eating only bread with salt, herbs and vegetables. His symbol, also the symbol of Wales, is the leek in memory of this teaching.

David died in the presence of his monks, and it is said that the monastery was "filled with angels as Christ received his soul." David is the patron saint of Wales, where his feast day is still celebrated by many people. His feast on March 1 is celebrated by Catholics, Episcopalians and the Church of England. 

St. David, pray for us.

St. Joseph

 All that we know about St. Joseph comes from the Scriptures. He was from the village of Nazareth, a carpenter or builder and was not wealthy (for Jesus' circumcision he offered a pair of turtle doves rather than the required lamb). In spite of the appearance of these humble circumstances, Joseph was of royal linage, being a descendant of King David. 

In Matthew's Gospel, Joseph is seen contemplating sending Mary away quietly after he learns of her pregnancy. He is told by an angel in a dream not to "be afraid" to take Mary into his home. My favorite interpretation of this passage is that Joseph knew that this was not an ordinary pregnancy. He resolves to send Mary away, not because he suspects her of adultery, but because he feels himself unworthy to be in the presence of this pure Temple who carried the living God in her womb. His dream of the Angel reassures him that he has been chosen to be the protector and guardian of this Shrine. 

The last time we see Joseph in the scriptures is at the finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple, where Jesus was sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Luke tells us that Jesus returned to Nazareth with Mary and Joseph and was obedient to them. Joseph is believed to have died in the presence of Jesus and Mary before Jesus began his public ministry. Because of this, he is the patron saint of the dying, particularly of a happy death, because isn't that the way we would all like to end our life.

Joseph is also patron saint of the Universal Church, fathers, workers, carpenters and married people. March 19 is the Solemnity of St. Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin; May 1 is the Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker. St. Joseph, pray for us.

Gregory the Great

 There are only 4 Popes (out of 266 total Popes) who have been given the appellation "the Great." Pope St. Leo I (440-461), Pope St. Nicholas I (858-867), Pope St. John-Paul II (discussed in an earlier post) and Pope St. Gregory I.

Gregory was born in Rome about 540 to a wealthy noble family. Like most young men of his time and class, Gregory was well educated in grammar, rhetoric, the sciences, literature and law. He excelled in his studies. He became a government official, advancing quickly to become Prefect of Rome, the highest civil office, when he was 33. 

On his father's death, Gregory converted his family home into a monastery. He had a deep respect for the monastic life, especially for the vow of poverty. Pope Pelagius II ordained Gregory a Deacon and in 579 chose him as his ambassador to the imperial court in Constantinople, a post he would hold until 586. He then returned to his monastery until in 590, he was elected by acclamation to succeed Pelagius II, who had died of the plague. Gregory was more inclined to monastic life and bemoaned the burden of his office and the loss of the undisturbed life of prayer.

Pope Gregory had strong convictions on missions and is credited with re-energizing the Church's missionary work among the non-Christian peoples of northern Europe. His most famous mission was to send Augustine of Canterbury to evangelize the pagan Anglo-Saxons of Britain. The mission was successful, and it was from England that later missionaries set out to evangelize the Netherlands and Germany. In his official documents, Gregory was the first to make extensive use of the term "Servant of the Servants of God."

Pope Gregory made a general revision of the liturgy, "removing many things, changing a few, adding some." This was the Pre-Tridentine Mass, but some of his reforms from that time still have echos in the Mass as we celebrate it today. One thing that is often attributed to him is the form of plainchant known as Gregorian Chant. This chant was actually standardized in the late 9th century, almost 3 centuries after Gregory's death, and is the result of the fusion of Roman and Frankish elements.

Pope St. Gregory I died in 604 and is buried in St. Peter's Basilica. He is patron of musicians, singers, students and teachers. His feast day is September 3.

 St. Gregory the Great, pray for us.

St. Peter

 Earlier this month, we celebrated the dedication of the Lateran Basilica. Today is the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter's and St. Paul Outside the Walls. Funny, how the Lateran Basilica has its own feast day and St. Peter's and St. Paul's share one - just as the two Saints also share a Feast Day (June 29). I'm going to focus on St. Peter's Basilica, and more specifically on St. Peter himself. 

We know from the Gospels that Peter was originally named Simon. He was a fisherman from Galilee. We know that he was married at some time because the Gospels mention Jesus healing his mother-in-law. I have always assumed that he was widowed before being called by Jesus, although that's just my opinion. Jesus called Simon, his brother Andrew and their partners, James and John, from their lives fishing in the sea of Galilee to be "fishers of men." After making a confession of faith in Jesus as the "Christ, Son of the Living God", Simon was given the name Cephas or Peter, the Rock on which Christ will build his Church.

The Catholic Church recognizes Peter as the chief of the Apostles and the first Pope. It is not known when Peter went to Rome, but he is believed to have been martyred by crucifixion in that city in 64 AD during the reign of Emperor Nero. Tradition is that he asked to be crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to die like Christ. His fellow Christians buried him close to the scene of his martyrdom (the Circus of Nero) on the Vatican Hill. 

The first basilica dedicated to St. Peter was begun over 250 years after his death. The basilica was built over Peter's burial site on the orders of Emperor Constantine. Constantine's basilica was completed in 349 AD and was a major pilgrimage site. This basilica stood for almost 1200 years before Pope Julius II decided to demolish it and replace it with a new basilica. By comparison, the current basilica is 518 years old.

The bronze statue of St. Peter in the attached picture was created around the end of the 13th century. It has been a favorite of pilgrims for centuries. His right foot has been worn smooth by the touches and kisses of pilgrims, many asking him to open the gates of heaven for them should they die while on pilgrimage.

In addition to the celebration of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29 and the Feast of the Dedication of their respective basilicas today, the Catholic Church also celebrates the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter on February 22 and the Anglicans celebrate the Confession of St. Peter on January 18. St. Peter has a long list of patronages, including bakers, bridge builders, butchers, fishermen, locksmiths, the Papacy and etc. etc.

St. Peter, pray for us.

St. Madeleine Sophie Barat

 I realize that my posts this month have been kind of heavy on the male saints. That's mostly because many of the women saints that I encountered in Rome were already familiar to me and I have posted about them in the past. So, I scoured my pictures to see if I had "accidentally" encountered someone new. Today's Saint is one of these. I found her in the background of one of my pictures - so let's bring her into the foreground.

Madeleine Barat was born in Joigny, France in 1779. She was born two months early because a house fire at the neighbor's home frightened her mother into early labor. She was considered so fragile that she was baptized the next morning. A local woman on her way to early Mass and Madeleine's older brother, Louis, stood in as godparents for the rushed rite. Louis answered the call to seminary at a very young age. He was ordained a deacon, but because he was still too young to be ordained to the priesthood, he went home to wait until he turned 21. He became a teacher at his old school and decided also to take on Madeleine Sophie's education. He taught her Latin, Greek, history, natural science, Spanish and Italian. This was a level of education rarely available to young women of that time.

In 1793, Louis was arrested for renouncing the oath of allegiance to the new revolutionary French state. He escaped the guillotine only through the intervention of a friend. After his release from prison in 1795, he returned home briefly before going to Paris to seek ordination and exercise his ministry in secret. He brought the sixteen-year-old Madeleine Sophie with him to further her education. During this time, she worked as a seamstress. At the age of 18, she decided to become a Carmelite nun, but this was impossible as the order, along with many other religious orders, had been abolished in 1790. She continued to live a life of prayer and secretly taught catechism to children.

In 1800, Madeleine met Joseph Varin, who wanted to found a religious order of women devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and involved in the education of young women. So, at the age of 20, Madeleine Sophie abandoned the dream of becoming a Carmelite and, with three other women, took her vows as one of the first members of this new religious congregation. Because the French authorities had prohibited devotion to the Sacred Heart, the group was initially known as Dames de la Foi (Ladies of the Faith). 

The new order grew quickly and expanded to North America, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Algiers, England, Ireland, Spain, Holland, Germany, South America, Austria and Poland. Madeleine was elected Superior General in 1806. During her 65-year leadership, the Society of the Sacred Heart grew to include more than 3,500 members educating women in Europe, North Africa, North and South America. She died at the Mother House in Paris on Ascension Day in 1865. Her feast day is May 25.

St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, pray for us.

40 Martyrs of Sebaste

 We visited the Roman Forum while in Italy. It was one time on my trip that I felt under prepared. I should have read up on the Forum beforehand so that I would know what I was looking at. One thing I saw there did speak to me (just because I am a Catholic nerd) was the Oratory of the Forty Martyrs.

The Forty Martyrs were killed at Sebaste in in Arminia around 320 AD. In 313, Constantine issued an edict granting Christians religious freedom. His co-ruler, Licinius, however, was a pagan and decided to stamp out Christianity in his part of the Empire.

 As Licinius prepared his army to fight Constantine he decided to remove Christians from his army, fearing mutiny. In one of his units there was a company of forty Cappadocians, brave soldiers who had distinguished themselves in many battles. When these Christian soldiers refused to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods, their commander threw them in prison where they prayed and sang psalms all night. They heard a voice telling them, "Persevere until the end, then you shall be saved."

The next morning, they were urged again to renounce Christ and worship the pagan gods. When they continued to refuse, they were put on trial and sentenced to death. They were ordered to be stoned to death, but the stones missed the saints and returned to strike those who had thrown them. The soldiers spent another night in prison in prayer and again they heard the voice of the Lord comforting them. 

The next day the soldiers remained unyielding. It was winter and there was a severe frost. The soldiers were thrown into a lake with a guard set to prevent them from coming out of the water. In order to break their will, a warm bathhouse was set up on the shore. One of the soldiers broke and made a dash for the bathhouse. As soon as he crossed the threshold, he fell down dead. During the night, the Lord sent consolation to the soldiers. There was a sudden light, and the ice melted away. One of the guards was moved, took off his uniform and, declaring that he was a Christian, too, joined the martyrs in the lake.

In the morning the torturers found the soldiers still alive. Their limbs were broken and their bodies burned. The governor had their ashes scattered in the river, but Christians were able to secure some that became treasured relics. The feast day of the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste is March 9.

St. Matthew the Evangelist

 We had a post about St. Luke a couple of days ago. The other Evangelist mosaic that I got a picture of from the cupola is the one of St. Matthew. You can tell it is Matthew because he is usually pictured with an angel or winged man. This is because his Gospel opens with the human ancestors of Jesus. (I wish now that I had taken the time to take more pictures when I was up there)

Little is known about Matthew's early life. In the Gospels he is identified as the son of Alpheus and he was likely born in Galilee. He is shown in Scripture being called by Jesus while he is working as a publican or tax collector. Tax collectors were always lumped in with prostitutes and sinners, so he would not have been seen by the "good" Jews of his day as a good man. But Jesus saw him, not for what he was, but for what he was created to be. 

Many years after the death and resurrection of Christ, Matthew wrote his Gospel account. He wrote with his fellow Jews as his target audience, hoping to convince them that Jesus was the Messiah. Nothing is recorded of Matthew's passing. Various legends say that he traveled to Parthia and Persia or Ethiopia. Matthew's feast day is September 21. He is patron of accountants, bankers, tax collectors, perfumers and civil servants.

St. Matthew, Pray for us.

Fra Angelico

 The tomb of Blessed John of Fiesole is located in the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome. John, born Guido di Pietro in the Republic of Florence around 1395, was a Dominican friar and a painter of the early Renaissance. The earliest recorded document of the Blessed John dates to 1417, when he joined a religious confraternity or guild at the Carmine Church. A few years later he took the name Giovanni (John) when he entered the Dominican order. To his contemporaries, he was known as Fra Giovanni (Friar John) and Fra Giovanni Angelico (Angelic Brother John). In modern Italian he is called Beato Angelico (Blessed Angelic One). In English, he is commonly known as Fra Angelico, meaning "Angelic Friar."

Fra Angelico's initial training was probably as an illuminator.  He earned his reputation as an artist primarily for the series of frescoes he made for his own friary, San Marco, in Florence. He also worked in Rome and other cities. All of known work is of religious subjects. It is said that he never handled a brush without prayer, and he wept when painting a crucifixion. 

Although he was well known for his gifts as an artist and was commissioned by bishops and Popes, he remained a humble Dominican Friar and led a devout and ascetic life according to his vocation. Fra Angelico died in 1455 while staying at a Dominican convent in Rome. He was probably there on an order to work on Pope Nicholas' chapel. He was Beatified in 1982 by Pope St. John Paul II. His feast day is February 18.

Fra Angelico, Beato Angelico, pray for us!

Luke the Evangelist

 The picture attached to this post was taken when I climbed the dome at St. Peter's Basilica. The mosaics of the four Evangelists can be seen really well from this level. This is the mosaic of St. Luke. Luke is often pictured with a winged ox or calf. St. Luke is suggested by the ox because it is a sacrificial animal. Luke's Gospel stresses the sacrificial nature of Christ's ministry.

Luke is believed to have been born around the first decade of the first century. He is thought to have been from a Greek or Hellenic Jewish family from Antioch. Scripture scholars believe that Luke was writing for a gentile or mixed gentile and Jewish audience. 

Before writing his own account of the life of Jesus, Luke traveled extensively with St. Paul. He writes about this himself in the Acts of the Apostles. He is also mentioned by Paul in some of Paul's letters. Paul refers to him as a physician, so we know that he was a well-educated man. 

According to tradition, Luke died at the age of 84 in Boeotia, in Greece. His tomb was located in Thebes until his relics were transferred to Constantinople in 357. His feast day is October 18. He is patron of artists, notaries, bachelors, physicians, goldsmiths, butchers, brewers, and glass workers, among others.

St. Luke, pray for us.

St. John the Baptist

 I debated with myself about the Saint for today. I already had a mention of this Saint in the post on the Lateran Basilica. And everyone already knows his story. However, I always win debates with myself, so I'm going for it.

John the Baptist was a first century prophet. He was the son of Mary's cousin, Elizabeth. Most of what we know about him comes from the Gospel narratives, but he is also mentioned by the Roman Jewish historian Josephus. At about 30 years of age, John began a movement urging repentance and practicing baptism. Some of Jesus' disciples were previously disciples of John. At some time after the baptism of Jesus by John, John was arrested by Herod Antipas. John had rebuked Herod for divorcing his wife and unlawfully marrying the wife of his brother. John was subsequently beheaded for this "crime."

According to Josephus' history, the defeat of Herod's army around 35 AD was considered by some Jews as just punishment for what he did to John. John the Baptist is revered as a major religious figure not only in Christianity, but also in Islam, the Baha'i faith, the Druze faith and Mandaeism. (nope, I had never heard of those last three either) 

In the Catholic liturgical calendar, apart from Jesus and Mary, John is the only Saint whose birth and death are both commemorated. The feast of his birth is celebrated on June 24 and the feast of his death on August 29. Attached is a picture of a statue of St. John adorning the baptistry at St. Mary Major.

St. John the Baptist, pray for us.

Pope John Paul I

 We are talking a lot about Popes this month. But that is the result of me reliving my trip to Rome. Rome is the home of Popes, so I saw a lot of places and items associated with the Popes. Our Blessed for today is one that many of you will remember.

Pope John Paul I began life as Albino Luciani. He was born in the region of Veneto, Italy in 1912. Upon the death of Pope Paul VI in 1978, a papal conclave was called to elect the next pope. Before the conclave, Cardinal Luciani expressed his desire not to be elected. He even said that he would decline if elected. However, once elected, he felt obligated to say yes.

He was the first pope to have a double name, choosing "John Paul" in honor of his two immediate predecessors. He was also the first pope to add "the First" to his name. When he was told that such a title as "the first" was not granted until there was a second by that name, he reportedly said, "I will be here only a short time. The second is coming." 

During his brief pontificate, John Paul I did not have time to travel, canonize saints or implement many policies, but he did impress people with his personal warmth, gentleness and kindness. He was a skilled orator and writer. The image that most people remember is "the smiling Pope." 

On September 29, 1978, what would have been the 35th day of his pontificate, John Paul I was found dead in his bed with reading material and the lamp still lit. He had probably suffered a heart attack. He was beatified in 2022 by Pope Francis. 

I don't usually editorialize, but here's my personal thoughts on why JPI had such a short pontificate - I think that in the conclave of August 1978, the Holy Spirit was urging the Cardinals to elect the Polish Cardinal. But after centuries of only Italian Popes, they couldn't see their way to electing a non-Italian. The Holy Spirit said, "Really good choice, but not what I was going for. Try again." 

Pope John Paul I's feast day is August 26, the anniversary of the beginning of his papacy. He is a patron saint of Catechists. Blessed John Paul I, pray for us.

Blessed Pope Pius IX

 There is a great statue of Pope Pius IX in the Confessio of St. Mary Major. Pope Pius commissioned the Confessio during his papacy to house the reliquary of the Holy Crib. This crystal reliquary decorated with silver bas reliefs holds five pieces of sycamore from the manger of Bethlehem. The statue of Pope Pius IX is an oversized kneeling figure with his eyes raised toward the apse mosaic of the coronation of Our Lady.

Pius was born in Italy in 1792 as Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti. He was elected to the Papacy in 1846, when he was just 54 years old. He reigned as pope for 32 years, the second longest papacy in history after St. Peter (reported to have been 37 years). 

Pius IX was not only Pope, but until 1870, he was also the ruler of the Papal States. The army of the recently unified Kingdon of Italy captured Rome and annexed the Papal States in that year. Pope Pius IX refused to recognize the new Italian kingdom and considered himself to be a prisoner of the Vatican. He preferred to live there as a prisoner rather than flee to one of the countries that offered him asylum. The Italian authorities left him free to perform his spiritual duties as head of the Church.

Pope Pius IX dies in 1878 at the age of 85. He was beatified in 2000 by Pope St. John Paul II. His Feast Day is February 7.

Blessed Pius IX, pray for us.

The Lateran Basilica

 I am going to take a little detour from my Saint posts today - just a little one. Today we are going to hear about a place rather than a person. But isn't it people who make a place special? And I promise you, there are more than enough saints in this tale.

Today is the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica - also known as St. John Lateran. In truth, it is an Archbasilica - the only Archbasilica in the world. In this context "arch" means "chief" as in Archdiocese or archangel. The Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Saviour and Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist in Lateran (to give it its full title) is known as the Mother Church and head of all Churches in Rome and in the World. It is the Catholic Cathedral of Rome and serves as the seat of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.

The Basilica was founded in 324 and dedicated on this date, November 9, in that year by Pope Sylvester I. This makes today its 1700th birthday! The name "Lateran" takes its name from the Laterani family who owned the land in the early part of the 4th century. One of the Laterani family was accused of conspiring against the emperor. The land was confiscated from them and given to the Bishop of Rome in order to build the basilica. When I visited the basilica last month we were shown where workers who were repairing/replacing cobblestones in front of the church had come upon remnants of the original Laterani palace. That short-term repair job has now become a long-term archeological dig.

Throughout the centuries, St. John Lateran has survived several fires and an earthquake in 897. It has been reconstructed on several occasions, yet still maintains its original form. The basilica was rebuilt in the late 16th century and the interior was renovated in the late 17th. The twelve niches created in this renovation were left vacant for decades. In 1702, Pope Clement XI and Benedetto Cardinal Pamphili, archpriest of the basilica, announced their intention to fill the niches with larger-than-life sculptures of the Apostles (Judas Iscariot replaced by St. Paul). 

Although located approximately 2 1/2 miles outside of Vatican City proper, the archbasilica has extraterritorial status from Italy and is property of the Holy See. 

In the Office of Readings on this Feast Day, we read from a sermon by Saint Caesarius of Arles, bishop, about why we celebrate this place with a special day: Christians rightly commemorate this feast of the church, their mother, for they know that through her they were reborn in the spirit.  . . . Whenever we come to church, we must prepare our hearts to be as beautiful as we expect this church to be. . .. Just as you enter this church building, so God wishes to enter into your soul.

Saints Cyril and Methodius

 Today we have another Saint that I encountered in Rome. This is also the confirmation Saint of a good friend, so this is dedicated to him.

You can't really talk about St. Cyril without also talking about his brother, St. Methodius. The brothers were born in Thessalonica in the Byzantine Empire. They were named Constantine and Michael before being given new names upon becoming monks. 

About 860, the Byzantine Emperor sent Cyril on a missionary expedition to the Khazars who had requested a scholar be sent to them who could converse with both Jews and Saracens. Upon his return to Constantinople, he became a professor of philosophy at the university. 

In 862, Prince Ratislav of Great Moravia requested missionaries to evangelize his Slavic subjects. His motives were probably more political than religious. Cyril and Methodius were sent on this mission. One of their first tasks was translating the Gospels and essential liturgical texts into Old Church Slavonic, the first Slavic literary language. For the purpose of this mission, they devised the Glagolitic alphabet - the parent of the Cyrillic alphabet that is still used by many languages today. 

When friction developed, the brothers, unwilling to be a cause of dissension among the Christians, decided to travel to Rome to seek a solution from the Pope. They brought with them the relics of St. Clement and a retinue of disciples. The brothers were praised for their learning and cultivated for their influence in Constantinople. 

Cyril died in Rome on February 14, 869. Methodius survived his brother by many years, continuing their mission among the Slavs. He died on April 6, 885. Cyril was buried in the Basilica of St. Clement in Rome (see picture below). Methodius was buried in the main cathedral church of Great Moravia - it remains an open question which city was the capital of Great Moravia, so the exact location of Methodius' body remains uncertain.

Saints Cyril and Methodius are both celebrated on February 14, on the present Roman Catholic calendar. Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius, pray for us.

Pope Saint Callixtus I

On our second day in Rome, we visited the Catacombs of St. Callixtus. Callixtus was a Roman of the 2nd and 3rd centuries. He was believed to have been a slave. 

In 199, he was ordained a deacon by Pope Zephyrinus and was appointed superintendent of the Christian cemetery on the Appian Way. This underground cemetery became the burial ground for many popes and was the first land property owned by the Church. This cemetery is the same Catacombs that we visited. 

When Callixtus became Pope in 217, he started to admit into the Church converts from sects and schisms, he fought heretics and he established the practice of absolution of all sins, including adultery and murder. Hippolytus thought that Callixtus was too lax in his practice of forgiving schismatics and sexual sinners. Because of this and other doctrinal differences, Hippolytus was elected as a rival bishop of Rome - the first anti-pope.

There is little reliable information on Callixtus' death, but he was probably martyred. He was buried in the Catacombs that now bear his name. His relics were transferred to the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere in the 9th century.

He is the patron saint of cemetery workers. His feast day is October 14. St. Callixtus, pray for us.

Pope Saint John Paul the Great

 Most of my readers (all 4 of you) will already know a great deal about the life and teaching of Pope Saint John Paul II. He was born in Poland in 1920 and given the name Karol (nicknamed Lolek). His mother died when he was eight and his only brother died when he was 11. Ten years later, his father died, and he was left alone in the world. 

Karol endured the Nazi occupation and attended seminary secretly. He was ordained to the priesthood on November 1, 1946, at the age of 26. He was ordained as a bishop at the age of 38 and just seven years later was selected as the Archbishop of Krakow. During this time, he was under almost constant scrutiny by the communist regime who thought him to be a very dangerous adversary. At the age of 47, he became the youngest member of the college of Cardinals. In 1978, when Pope John Paul I died after only 33 days in office, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla was elected to be the 264th Pope of the Catholic Church. He took the name John Paul II. He was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years and had the third longest papacy at over 26 years. 

All of the above and more you can read about in any number of books and websites devoted to this much-beloved Pope. But I recently read a story that may not be as widely known. This comes from the book Saint John Paul the Great: His Five Loves by Jason Evert. On May 12, 1981, Pope John Paul II examined the facilities of the Vatican medical center and met with its staff members. A physician asked the Pope if he would bless their new ambulance. The Holy Father blessed the ambulance with holy water and said, "I also bless the first person who will use this ambulance." The following afternoon, during his weekly Wednesday audience, the Pope was shot in an assassination attempt. One bullet fractured two bones in his index finger and passed through his abdomen while another bullet grazed his right arm. The Pope was quickly transferred to an ambulance for transport to the hospital. It was the very ambulance that he had blessed the day before, making him the recipient of his own blessing.

Pope John Paul II died on April 2, 2005, and was canonized just 9 years later. His feast day is October 22. Attached are pictures of the tile marking the exact spot in St. Peter's Square where the assassination attempt took place and his burial place in St. Peter's Basilica. 

Venerable Antonietta Meo

Today we go back to my visit to Rome, but maybe in a way that you did not expect. 

Antonietta Meo (nicknamed Nennolina) was born in Rome in December 1930. She died at the age of 6 1/2 of osteosarcoma.  Currently, she is the youngest person the Catholic Church has considered canonizing as a confessor (someone who has professed their faith and lived a holy life).

Nennolina was born in an upper middle class Roman family. She was an active charismatic girl. She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma when she fell and injured her knee at the age of 5 and the injury did not heal. When the leg had to be amputated, she bore her sufferings cheerfully. In her last months, she wrote letters to Jesus and the Virgin Mary that have been considered extraordinary for her age. She at first dictated the letters to her mother, but later was able to write poems and letters herself. Each letter was left at the foot of her crucifix. She wrote or dictated over 100 letters, many of them describing "holy visions." Because of her letters and visions, some theologians have called her a mystic.

The Basilica Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome, where Nennolina was baptized and spent time in meditation, holds a shrine containing relics from her life - including clothing and toys. Efforts to canonize the little girl began shortly after her death. Pope Benedict XVI approved a decree in 2007 praising her heroic virtues and approving the process towards sainthood.

Since she is not yet beatified, Nennolina does not yet have a feast day, but the date of her death was July 3, 1937. 

Venerable Antonietta, pray for us.

Rusticus (Archbishop of Lyon)

 Today I am taking a break from memories of Rome to honor a request from a friend. I was asked about a Saint for Russell - the best I could find was St. Rusticus. I hope this will suffice . . .

St. Rusticus was born in Lyon in present day France about 455. He was the son of a nobleman and served as a magistrate for many years. Sometime prior to 480 he was married to Hiberie de Limoges. They had three children. 

Around 494, he was consecrated as Bishop of Lyon. This was prior to priestly celibacy being strictly enforced in the Western Church. Soon after his consecration, Rusticus sent some financial aid to Pope Gelasius I. Gelasius wrote back recommending to the bishop's good offices Epiphanius of Pavia, who was on his way to Gaul to see the ransom of certain captives held by the Burgundian king - many among those freed were from the bishop's diocese.

Both of Rusticus' sons, St. Sacerdos and Leontius, followed their father as Archbishop of Lyon, as did his grandson St. Nicetius. 

St. Rusticus died in 501. His feast day is April 25

St. Rusticus, pray for us.

Clement of Rome

 Our second post this month comes from one of my favorite basilicas that I had the joy of visiting in Rome. The Basilica of San Clemente is within walking distance of the Coliseum.  The sacred art in the Basilica is awe inspiring and the history is fascinating. But the Saint himself is also worth knowing better.

St. Clement of Rome was the 4th Bishop of Rome (the fourth Pope). Little is known about his life. Some believe that he was ordained by St. Peter and was St. Paul's "fellow-laborer", but the timeline of his papacy makes both questionable at best. Some sources say that he was imprisoned by Emperor Trajan and executed by being tied to an anchor and thrown into the sea. Other sources say that he was exiled to Greece and died in exile - possibly again by martyrdom. St. Cyril found what he believed to be the relics of Clement in Crimea, buried with and anchor on dry land. Cyril brought the relics to Rome and these are now enshrined in the Basilica of Saint Clement in Rome.

Clement's letter to the church in Corinth is his only surviving writing and one of the oldest extant Christian writings outside of the New Testament. Some early congregations read Clement's letter in the liturgy on par with other New Testament writings. He is counted as the first of the "Apostolic Fathers."

Clement reigned as Pope for about 7 years and died about the year 100. He is the patron Saint of Mariners and Stone Cutters. His feast day is celebrated on Nov 23 in the Catholic and Lutheran traditions, on Nov 24 in the Byzantine Church and on Nov 25 in the Russian Orthodox. 

St. Clement, pray for us.

St. Praxedes

 Having recently visited Rome and prayed and the tombs and shrines of many Saints there, I have decided this year to feature many of the Saints that I met there.

My first offering is a new one for me - a Saint that I had not heard of before. 

St. Praxedes, called "a Roman Maiden", lived in the Roman Empire in the second (2nd) century. She was the daughter of St. Pudens and the sister of St. Pudentiana (three for the price of one!). Pudens was a Roman Senator who was converted to Christianity by St.Peter and also knew St. Paul (2Tim 4:21). As was typical in the early years of the Church, when Pudens was converted, so was his whole family, including his daughters Praxedes and Pudentiana. 

At the death of their father, the two young girls inherited the family fortune, which they used to care for the poor. During a period of persecution, Praxedes and Pudentiana cared for, encouraged, financially supported and comforted the persecuted Christians. They also hid many Christians in their home, ministered to them in prison and buried the bodies of the martyrs. 

The sisters died in 165 when Praxedes was 16 years old. The details of their deaths have not survived, but they were venerated as martyrs as early as the fourth (4th) century. St. Praxedes is depicted in art collecting the blood of the martyrs with a sponge and squeezing it into a vessel, as seen in the statue that can be found in her basilica in Rome. Her feast day is July 21.