Feast of St. Bernadette Soubirous

St. Bernadette Soubirous, ora pro nobis

Humílium Deus protéctor et amátor, qui fámulam tuam Maríam Bernárdam Immaculáte Vírginis Maríæ apparitióne et allóquio recreásti: præsta, quæsumus, ut, per simplices fídei sémitas, ad tuam in cælis visiónem perveníre mereámur. Per Dóminum.

February 18 is the Feast of St. Bernadette Soubirous, Virgin, Mystic, and Seer at Lourdes. She is the patron saint of Lourdes, shepherds, the sick, the poor, and those ridiculed for their faith. 

Bernadette was born on 7 January 1844 at Lourdes, France. At the age of 14, the young shepherdess witnessed eighteen visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary between 11 February and 16 July 1858 at the Massabielle grotto on the bank of the Gave de Pau River. 

Identifying herself as “the Immaculate Conception,” Our Lady revealed a spring with miraculous healing properties to Bernadette and instructed her to build a shrine at the location. Completing the task, a sanctuary was built and many miracles have since been attributed to the waters and holy place. 

In 1866, Bernadette enters the Sisters of Charity at Neves, where she remained until her death on 16 April 1879. She was canonized in 1933 by Pope Pius XI. 

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Bernadette in Latin and English. The accompanying photo was taken at the Shrine Church of St. Bernadette in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.

Prayer to St. Bernadette Soubirous

O God who dost love and protect the humble and who transformed thy handmaid Marie Bernadette by the apparition and spoken word of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant, we beseech Thee, that following the simple pathways of Faith, we may be deemed worthy to come to thy heavenly vision. Through our Lord.

Remembering Francisco Elías de Tejada

Madrid, Spain, 6 April 1917 – Madrid, Spain, 18 February 1978

In memory of the “Forgotten Master,” Francisco Elías de Tejada y Spínola Gómez, Carlist philosopher and historian, we pray for the happy repose of his soul.

Eternal rest grant unto Him, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen

Feast of the Santi Sette Fondatori dell'Ordine dei Servi di Maria

Santi Sette Fondatori dell'Ordine
dei Servi di Maria, orate pro nobis

February 17th is the Feast of the Seven Founders of the Order of Servites, Mystics and Hermits. Amid the civil strife, political upheaval and Cathari heresy plaguing thirteenth-century Florence, seven wealthy patricians, following two visions of the Blessed Mother, mutually donated their worldly possessions to the poor and founded the Order of Servites on Monte Senario. Adopting the Rule of St. Augustine of Hippo, the mendicant friars lived a life of poverty, penance and contemplation with a profound devotion to the Queen of Heaven.

The Seven Founders are Bonfiglio Monaldi, Manetto dell’Antella, Bonagiunta Manetti, Amadio degli Amidei, Uguccione degli Uguccioni, Sostegno dei Sostegni and Alessio Falconieri.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to the Seven Founders of the Order of Servites. The accompanying photo comes courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella. The holy card is part of Father Carrella’s impressive collection of religious artifacts. Evviva Santi Sette Fondatori!

Prayer to the Seven Founders of the Order of Servites

O Lord Jesus Christ Who, in order to renew the memory of the sorrows of Thy most holy Mother, hast through the seven blessed fathers enriched Thy Church with the new Order of Servites; mercifully grant that we may be so united in their sorrows as to share in their joys. Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

Neapolitan Masterpieces in the Italian Baroque Sculpture and Decorative Arts Gallery at the Met

Angel by Giuseppe Sanmartino

While departing the Casper David Friedrich: The Soul of Nature exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Friday evening, we passed through the Italian Baroque Sculpture and Decorative Arts, 1600-1750 Gallery (Gallery 550) and spotted a few masterpieces we hadn’t seen in a while and thought they would be of interest to our readers.

Mourning Virgin and St. John the Evangelist by Giuseppe Gricci

The Mourning Virgin and St. John the Evangelist (ca. 1744) by Florentine sculptor Giuseppe Gricci (ca. 1700-1770), who worked as a chief modeler at the Capodimonte porcelain manufactory in Naples for King Carlo di Borbone (1716-1788).

St. Vincent Ferrer by Giuseppe Sanmartino

The terracotta statue of St. Vincent Ferrer (1750) by Neapolitan sculptor Giuseppe Sanmartino (1720-1793).

Angel by Giuseppe Sanmartino

Neapolitan Crèche Angel (second half of 18th century) attributed to Giuseppe Sanmartino with polychromed terracotta head; wooden limbs and wings; body wire wrapped in tow; and textile dress modern replacement.

Other temporary and upcoming exhibits of interest at the Met:

• The Jousting Armor of Philip I of Castile (through April 1, 2026)

• Sargent and Paris (April 27— August 3, 2025)

Photo of the Week: Dante Alighieri Monument

Dante Alighieri by Tito Angelini in Piazza Dante, Napoli 
Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Casper David Friedrich: The Soul of Nature at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog

As we all know, I’ve been looking forward to the Casper David Friedrich: The Soul of Nature exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a long time. If you remember, I jumped the gun and went to the Met last February, thinking the exhibition had already opened. I’ve been so excited about it that I can’t believe I waited a week after the actual opening to go see it.

The Chasseur in the Forest

Located in Gallery 199, there are approximately 75 works on display, covering all phases of the German Romantic’s career, including many landscape studies and his Karlsruhe Sketchbook (1804). For me, it was a great thrill to finally see his A Walk at Dusk (ca. 1830-35), Monk by the Sea (1808-10), and Wanderer above the Sea of Fog (ca. 1817) in person. They certainly lived up to my high expectations.

Seeing them in person, I have a new-found love for his The Chasseur in the Forest (1813-14) and Woman at the Window (1822). Other favorites, such as the Met’s own Two Men Contemplating the Moon (ca. 1825-30), Ernst Ferdinand Oehme's A Portal of a Church (1820s), and Julius von Leypold's Wanderer in the Storm (1835), the latter two being Friedrich's contemporaries, were naturally included in the exhibition.

Too much to take in in just one visit, my friend and I agreed we must return soon and look over the collection at least one more time. Being the first comprehensive exhibition dedicated to Friedrich in the United States, and with many of the pieces on loan from more than 30 different lenders, we may never get the opportunity to see many of these important works again.

The exhibition will run through May 11, 2025.

Other temporary and upcoming exhibits of interest at the Met:
• The Jousting Armor of Philip I of Castile (through April 1, 2026)
• Sargent and Paris (April 27— August 3, 2025)

A Walk at Dusk

Monk by the Sea

Two Men Contemplating the Moon

Wanderer in the Storm

I bought a packet of postcards at the gift
shop for my collection and gifts for friends

Feast of Santa Giuliana di Nicomedia

Santa Giuliana, ora pro nobis

February 16th is the Feast of St. Juliana of Nicomedia (c.285-c.305), Virgin and Martyr. Protector of Frasso Telesino (BN) and Frattamaggiore (NA), she is the patron saint of pregnant women and the sick.

According to tradition, St. Juliana was born to a noble family in Nicomedia. She converted to Christianity and refused to marry her betrothed, who was a pagan. Denounced as a Christian, she was tortured and eventually beheaded during the great persecutions under Emperor Diocletian. She was only 18 years old.

Her remains were to be transferred to Rome but ended up at Cuma when the ship sank off the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. [Alternate versions claim she was originally from Cuma, and the Nicomedian birth and translation were later embellishments to her story.]

In 1207 the saint’s relics were translated to Naples after the Neapolitans conquered Cuma. They are currently preserved in the crypt of San Guglielmo at the Santuario di Montevergine in Avellino.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Juliana of Nicomedia. The accompanying photo comes courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella. The holy card is part of Father Carrella’s impressive collection of religious artifacts. Evviva Santa Giuliana!

Prayer to St. Juliana of Nicomedia

Lord God, You gave St. Juliana the crown of eternal joy because she gave her life rather than renounce the virginity she had promised in witness to Christ. Encouraged by her generosity, help us to rise out of the bondage of our earthly desires and attain to the glory of your kingdom. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. One God, for ever and ever. Amen

Novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague for the Nine Days Preceding the 25th of Each Month (16th–24th)

1. Eternal Father, I offer to Your honor and glory, for my eternal salvation and for the salvation of the whole world, the mystery of the birth of our Divine Redeemer. Glory be to the Father, etc.

2. Eternal Father, I offer to Your honor and glory, for my eternal salvation and that of the whole world, the sufferings of the most holy Virgin and St. Joseph on that long and weary journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. I offer Thee the sorrows of their hearts at not finding a place wherein to shelter themselves when the Saviour of the world was about to be born. Glory be to the Father, etc.

3. Eternal Father, I offer to Your honor and glory, for my eternal salvation and that of the whole world, the sufferings of Jesus in the manger where He was born, the cold He suffered, the swaddling clothes which bound Him, the tears He shed, and His tender infant cries. Glory be to the Father, etc.

4. Eternal Father, I offer to Your honor and glory, for my eternal salvation and that of the whole world, the pain which the Holy Child Jesus felt in His tender body when He submitted to the rite of circumcision. I offer Thee that Precious Blood which then for the first time He shed for the salvation of all mankind. Glory be to the Father, etc.

5. Eternal Father, I offer to Your honor and glory, for my eternal salvation and that of the whole world, the humility, mortification, patience, charity and all the virtues of the Child Jesus; and I thank Thee, and I love Thee, and I bless Thee without end for this ineffable mystery of the Incarnation of the Word of God. Glory be to the Father, etc.

V. The Word was made flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.

Let us Pray

O God, whose only-begotten Son was made manifest to us in the substance of our flesh, grant, we beseech Thee, that through Him, whom we acknowledge to have been outwardly like us, we may deserve to be renewed in our inward selves. Who lives and reigns with Thee forever and ever. Amen.

Source: Devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague, TAN Books, 1990

Feast of the Chair of St. Peter at the Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in Raritan, New Jersey

A Prayer for Villach, Austria

Our Lady of the Bowed Head, ora pro nobis

We offer prayers and sincere condolences for the victims of the deadly knife attack in Villach, Carinthia (AUT), earlier today. May St. Jakob, St. Hemma of Gurk, St. Leopold III, and Our Lady of the Bowed Head protect and watch over you.

Prayer for the victims

Loving God, welcome into your arms the victims of violence and terrorism. Comfort their families and all who grieve for them. Help us in our fear and uncertainty, and bless us with the knowledge that we are secure in your love. Strengthen all those who work for peace, and may the peace the world cannot give reign in our hearts. Amen.

Feast of San Claudio de la Colombière

San Claudio de la Colombière,
ora pro nobis 

February 15th is the feast of St. Claude la Colombière, Jesuit Priest and “Master of enlightened spirituality.” Born in Grenoble, France, on February 2, 1641, St. Claude la Colombière entered the Jesuit Novitiate of Avignon at seventeen. At twenty-five, he went to study theology in Paris and was ordained a priest at twenty-eight.

After his ordination, St. Claude taught rhetoric and then began a ministry of preaching at the College of Paray-le-Monial. He was also the confessor of the nearby Visitandine nuns, among whom was St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, propagator of the cult of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Sent to London in 1674 as chaplain to the future Queen Mary of Modena, he was arrested and expelled for wanting to restore the Catholic Church in England and sending Catholic missionaries to the Thirteen Colonies.

Returning to France in 1681, his health deteriorated from the mistreatment he suffered in prison. He died in Paray-le-Monial on February 15, 1682, at 41. St. Claude la Colombière was beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1929 and canonized by Pope St. John Paul II on May 31, 1992. 

In celebration, we’re posting the Prayer of Trust of St. Claude la Colombière. The accompanying photos come courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella. The holy card and “ex ossibus” relic are part of Father Carrella’s impressive collection of religious artifacts. Evviva San Claudio de la Colombière!

Act of Trust of St. Claude la Colombière

My God, I believe most firmly that You watch over all those who hope in You, and that we can want for nothing when we rely upon You in all things, therefore I am resolved for the future to have no anxieties, and to cast all my cares upon You. People may deprive me of worldly goods and of honors; sickness may take from me my strength and the means of serving You; I may even lose Your grace by sin; but my trust shall never leave me. I will preserve it to the last moment of my life, and the powers of hell shall seek in vain to wrestle it from me. Let others seek happiness in their wealth, in their talents; let them trust to the purity of their lives, the severity of their mortifications, to the number of their good works, the fervor of their prayers; as for me, O my God, in my very confidence lies all my hope. “For You, O Lord, singularly has settled me in hope.” This confidence can never be in vain. “No one has hope in the Lord and has been confounded”. I am assured, therefore, of my eternal happiness, for I firmly hope for it, and all my hope is in You. “In You, O lord, I have hoped; let me never be confounded.”

Congratulations to the New Knights and Dames of the Royal Order of Francis I and the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George

Photo courtesy of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George

Congratulations to the new Knights and Dames of the Royal Order of Francis I and the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George invested at the Basilica of St. Edward in Palm Beach, Florida (the gala followed at Club Colette). IHSV

Cav. Arthur Falcone

Cav. Patrick Marino

Cav. L. Robert Pasquesi

Dama Kathryn Vecellio

Cav. Leo Vecellio

Cav. Ralph de la Vega

SMOCSG

Dama Kim Ciccarelli Kantor

Dama Amanda Schumacher

ROFI

Feast of St. Margaret of Cortona at the Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in Raritan, New Jersey

A Prayer for Munich

St. Benno of Meißen, ora pro nobis

We offer prayers for the victims of the horrific car attack in Munich, Germany, yesterday afternoon. May St. Benno of Meissen, St. Boniface, and Our Lady of Altötting protect and watch over you.

Prayer for the victims

Loving God, welcome into your arms the victims of violence and terrorism. Comfort their families and all who grieve for them. Help us in our fear and uncertainty, and bless us with the knowledge that we are secure in your love. Strengthen all those who work for peace, and may the peace the world cannot give reign in our hearts. Amen.

Feast of Sant'Antonino di Sorrento

Sant'Antonino Abate, ora pro nobis

February 14th is the Feast Day of Sant'Antonino di Sorrento (Saint Antoninus of Sorrento), Abbot, Hermit and miracle-worker. He is the patron saint of Campagna (SA) and Sorrento (NA). 

Born circa 550 AD in Campagna, a small town in the Province of Salerno, Sant'Antonino entered a local Benedictine monastery (some sources say it was the Abbey of Monte Cassino). Forced to flee due to pillaging Lombards, he withdrew to Castellammare di Stabia where he lived as a hermit on Monte Aureo (now Monte Faito), the highest peak of the Lattari Mountains. Following a vision, he erected a sanctuary on the mountain top in honor of Saint Michael the Archangel with the help of his friend Saint Catellus (San Catello Vescovo). Popular among the people of Sorrento, Sant'Antonino eventually succeeded Saint Catellus as abbot of the Monastery of Sant'Agrippino.

Sant'Antonino is reputed to have performed many miracles, including saving Sorrento from Saracen attacks in 1354 and 1358. It is said that he was buried, according to his dying wishes, within the city's ancient walls, thus making them impregnable. During a Lombard attack, the section containing the saint's remains withstood the assault. Legend tells us that Prince Sicard of Benevento was haunted (and beaten!) in his dreams by Sant'Antonino's cudgel wielding apparition until he lifted the siege. 

The Saint, however, is best remembered for rescuing a young child from a giant cetacean. According to the legend, several children were playing along the seashore when a sea creature sprung up and swallowed the boy whole. The child's distraught mother immediately sought help from Antonino. A crowed followed the holy man to the coast, where he called on them to pray for the child's safety. Miraculously, the monster returned and immediately released the frightened, but unharmed, child from its gaping maw.

In celebration, I'm posting a Prayer to Sant'Antonino Abate. The accompanying photo of Sant'Antonino Abate by Tommaso Solari was taken in Piazza Tasso during my 2007 visit to Sorrento.

Prayer to Sant'Antonino Abate

Glorious Sant'Antonino, beloved patron of Sorrento, you served God in humility and confidence on earth. In common supplication we turn to you, holy Father Antonino, our gentle patron, asking you to protect this city by the aid of your intercession. May its people be ever devoted to Christ and to you, by serving God and by loving and honoring you. Amen

Feast of San Valentino Martire

San Valentino Martire, ora pro nobis

February 14th is the Feast of San Valentino (Saint Valentine’s Day), Bishop and Martyr. He is the patron saint of happy marriages, love, courtship and beekeepers, as well as protector of citrus crops and protection against epilepsy and plague. Widely venerated across Southern Italy, he is the principal patron of San Valentino Torio (SA), Vico del Gargano (FG), Abriola (PZ), San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore (PE) and Mafalda (CB), among others. In celebration, I’m posting a Prayer to Saint Valentine. The accompanying photo of the Reliquary Arm of St. Valentine (1300s, silver, partially gilded, sapphire, Swiss) was taken at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Evviva San Valentino!

Prayer to Saint Valentine

Dear Saint and glorious martyr, teach us to love unselfishly and to find great joy in giving. Enable all true lovers to bring out the best in each other. Let them love each other in God and in God in each other. Amen.

Feast of San Nostriano di Napoli

San Nostriano Vescovo, ora pro nobis

February 14th is the patronal Feast of San Nostriano, Bishop of Naples. A stalwart defender of the Faith against the Arian, Manichean and Pelagian heresies, he famously gave refuge to persecuted Christians fleeing the conquest of North Africa and the sacking of Carthage by the Arian Vandals. San Nostriano is also commemorated on August 16th, after the discovery of his relics in a stone urn in the now deconsecrated Chiesa San Gennaro all’Olmo on August 16, 1612.

In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to St. Nostrianus. The accompanying photo, courtesy of Andrew Giordano, was taken at the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta in Napoli. Evviva San Nostriano!

Prayer to St. Nostrianus 

O Glorious St. Nostrianus, you served God in humility and confidence on earth, now you enjoy His beatific vision in Heaven. Help me to strengthen my faith and protect me in conflict. Obtain for me the grace to live a holy life, so that one day I may join you in the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen

Feast of Santa Fortunata

Santa Fortunata, ora pro nobis

February 14th is the Feast of Santa Fortunata, Virgin and Martyr. The liturgical memorial marks the arrival of her relics to Baucina, Sicily, from the Roman catacomb of San Lorenzo (also called San Ciriaca) in 1790. According to tradition, the young maiden lived in Palestrina, Latium, and converted to Christianity. Denounced as a Christian, she was arrested and brutally tortured to death in Rome in 200 AD. In Baucina, the second Sunday in September is the patronal Feast of Santa Fortunata.

In celebration, we’re posting a Prayer to Santa Fortunata in Italian. Pictured is my makeshift shrine dedicated to the glorious martyr. Evviva Santa Fortunata!

Preghiera

Abbiam bisogno di purezza di cuore in questi tempi tristi di corruzione, o Verginella pia! Abbiam bisogno di fede e di amore, di fortezza e di costanza, in mezzo alle tentazioni ed al disprezzo che perseguitano spesso chi vuole osservare la legge di Dio e della Chiesa, o Martire Santa! ... e ci rivolgiamo, con gratitudine e con confidenza, a Te, o provvida nostra protettrice, o Fortunata. Intercedi, deh! Intercedi tu per noi: vincesti tu il mondo, - e stenti e pene, - nella solitudine d'una grotta della tua Palestina; e tutta offristi poi la tua giovane età in Roma, testimoniando nella crudele tua morte - gloriosa! - la grande tua fedeltà e l'ardente tuo amore pel nostro Gesù!

Feast of Beata Beatrice di Ornacieu

Beata Beatrice di Ornacieu, ora pro nobis

February 13th is the feast of Blessed Beatrice of Ornacieux, Virgin, Carthusian Nun, Foundress, Prioress, and Mystic. Born of noble birth circa 1240 in Ornacieux, France, Bl. Beatrice entered the Charterhouse of Parménie at the age of thirteen. Living a life of intense asceticism, prayer, and penance, she was often tormented and tempted with dreadful and lascivious visions by the Devil. Devoted to the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, she pierced her left hand with a nail to better grasp the suffering of the Crucifixion. In 1300 she became prioress of the Charterhouse of Eymeux, which she helped found, and where she died on November 25, 1303. Blessed Pope Pius IX confirmed her cult on April 15, 1869. The Carthusians also celebrate her feast on November 25th.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to Bl. Beatrice of Ornacieux. The accompanying photo comes courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella. The polychrome wood sculpture is part of Father Carrella’s impressive collection of religious statuary and relics. Evviva Beata Beatrice di Ornacieu!

Prayer to Bl. Beatrice of Ornacieaux

Father, Blessed Beatrice was a virgin consumed by love in imitating the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. With the help of her prayers and example may we arrive at eternal glory by sharing on earth in the sufferings of Your Son. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Novena to Santa Margherita da Cortona

Santa Margherita da Cortona,
ora pro nobis

Pray Novena to St. Margaret of Cortona for nine consecutive days, February 13th to February 21st, in preparation for the Feast on February 22nd. Evviva Santa Margherita da Cortona!

O glorious St. Margaret, you embarked on a life of penance and poverty after you repented of your sins. Jesus touched your heart, and after imposing on yourself a rigorous life of fasting, Jesus talked and conversed with you, revealing to you his merciful heart that rejoices whenever a sinner returns to him. 

On controlling your appetite for food, you managed to free yourself from all temptations, including those of the flesh of which you were a victim for many years. Listen then to our petitions. May you bring our petitions to Jesus. Amen

(Mention your request here…)

 

St. Margaret of Cortona, pray for us.

The accompanying photo comes courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella. The holy card is part of Father Carrella’s impressive collection of religious artifacts.

New Book — Porpora: The Forgotten Genius of Baroque Music: The Life, Music, and Legacy of a Neapolitan Virtuoso

A new title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com

• Porpora: The Forgotten Genius of Baroque Music: The Life, Music, and Legacy of a Neapolitan Virtuoso by Nadine Winston

Publisher: Tredition Gmbh
Publication Date: February 2, 2025
Hardcover: $26.99
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Language: English
Pages: 224

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Votive Mass of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist at St. Mary's Church in Norwalk, Connecticut

Feast of Santa Eulàlia de Barcelona

Santa Eulàlia de Barcelona, ora pro nobis

February 12th is the Feast of St. Eulalia of Barcelona, third-century Virgin and Martyr. Born to a noble family in Barcelona, Spain, the thirteen-year-old firebrand berated and rebuked the city’s pagan rulers for trying to force Christians to make sacrifices to false gods. At first, amused by the impetuous child, the judge tried to convince her to apostatize, but she remained ever-defiant.

Losing patience and exasperated by her resistance to flattery and threats, he had her arrested and brutally tortured. Suffering thirteen different punishments, one for each year of her life, she was finally crucified on a decussate cross.

At her death, St. Eulalia’s soul departed in the form of a white dove, and a sudden snowstorm covered her naked and mutilated body like a shroud.

Co-patroness of Barcelona, St. Eulalia is the patron saint of sailors. She is also invoked against miscarriages, drought and storms.

Despite the similarities of their hagiographies, she is not to be confused with St. Eulalia of Mérida, who is celebrated on December 10th.

In celebration, we’re posting the Prayer of St. Eulalia in Her Agony. The accompanying photo of St. Eulalia with a saltire cross was taken in the rectory of St. Rita’s Church in Staten Island, New York. Evviva Santa Eulàlia!

Prayer of St. Eulalia in Her Agony

Lord Jesus Christ, hear my prayer and perfect Thy merciful goodness in me and grant me to be received among the number of Thine elect into the rest of life eternal, making of me a sign of righteousness that men, believing in Thee, may behold and praise Thy power. Amen.

Feast of San Giuliano L'Ospitaliere

San Giuliano L'Ospitaliere, ora pro nobis

February 12th is the Feast of St. Julian the Hospitaller, Knight and Penitent. According to tradition, St. Julian was of noble birth. Born in Naples, his parents, Carlos and Lucinda, were originally from Valencia, Spain. One day, while out on a hunt, the young knight gives chase to and wounds a magnificent white stag. As he closes in, the dying creature turns to the startled hunter and tells him: “How dare you pursue me, you who will kill your parents?” Horrified by this terrible omen, St. Julian takes flight and travels to Spain to stave off the prophecy. [An alternative version of the story says he was cursed at birth by a coven of foul witches.]

In Spain, St. Julian boldly entered into the service of a powerful prince to fight the Saracens. Performing many brave deeds, he married a beautiful princess and prospered. Meanwhile, his parents, distraught by their son’s disappearance, wander the lands in search of him. By chance, they happen upon St. Julian’s wife after visiting a shrine to Santiago Matamoros and are warmly welcomed to stay at their keep. Weary from their travels, their daughter-in-law offers them her bed to rest while they await his return from a hunting trip. Arriving home the next morning and unaware of his guests, he entered his wife’s ill-lit chambers only to discover two people sleeping in her bed. Enraged by his wife’s presumed infidelity, he draws his sword and slays his parents as prophesied.

Discovering his dreadful mistake, St. Julian, with his loving wife by his side, made a pilgrimage to Rome to seek forgiveness. Full of remorse and anguish, they dedicated themselves to a hard life of prayer and penance. Seeking redemption for his grievous sin, St. Julian founded seven hospitals and 25 houses to help the poor and sick. In the Papal lands of Macerata, he built a hospice along the banks of a river to offer safe lodging for pilgrims and help ferry travelers across the waterway.

One stormy night, St. Julian heard cries for help and discovers a poor leper seeking shelter from the elements. Unhesitatingly taking the stranger in to dry off and eat, he selflessly offers him his bed. Suddenly, the afflicted traveler turned into an irradiant angel and announced God’s forgiveness. Sanctified by years of penance and good works, St. Julian and his wife ascended into Heaven. [In some versions, the Angel was Christ.]

St. Julian the Hospitaller is the patron saint of, inter alia, hospitallers, knights, travelers, pilgrims, ferrymen, boatmen, hoteliers, innkeepers, hunters, shepherds, childless people, and Macerata, Le Marche, where he is venerated on August 31st.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Julian the Hospitaller. The accompanying photo comes courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella. The holy card is part of Father Carrella’s impressive collection of religious artifacts. Evviva San Giuliano L'Ospitaliere!

Prayer to St. Julian the Hospitaller

Saint Julian, you murdered your own parents by mistake, and when you sought penance for your actions, you were forgiven by God. You resolved to leave and give yourself to the service of others until you gained assurance from God that you had performed a fitting penance for your sin. Pray that by giving my utmost love to the sick, poor, strangers and marginalized, I may obtain forgiveness from God of all my past mistakes done to my family especially against my parents. Amen.

Requiem Mass at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Rockaway, New Jersey