Feast of Sant’Irene di Tessalonica, the Great Martyr

Sant'Irene di Tessalonica, ora pro nobis

October 16th is the patronal Feast of Sant’Irene di Tessalonica, Virgin and Martyr. She is sometimes called Sant'Irene Megalomartire (the Great Martyr), or Sant’Irene di Lecce, to differentiate her from the other Sant’Irene di Tessalonica who was martyred in 304 AD with her virgin sisters Agape and Chionia. 

Patroness of young girls and the town of Trentinara in Provincia di Salerno, she is invoked against storms, earthquakes, and lightning. The Trentinaresi also honor her on Easter Monday and February 24th, in remembrance of a terrible storm that struck the town in 1924. Widely venerated throughout Southern Italy, her Liturgical feast day is May 5th.

According to tradition, Sant’Irene (born Penelope) was the daughter of an overprotective Lord named Licinius (in some versions of the story he was a petty King in Persia). At the age of six, she was locked away in a tower by her father because of her great beauty. Secretly instructed in the faith by an angel, she converted to Christianity and destroyed the pagan idols in her bedchamber. Baptized by St. Timothy, he gave her the name Irene (Peace). 

Enraged, Licinius had his daughter bound and dragged behind a runaway horse. Miraculously, she survived the ordeal completely unscathed. When the horse was retrieved, it violently trampled Licinius to death. Praying for her father, he rose from the dead, causing the witnesses to convert en masse. Spreading the Word of God she healed the sick, exorcised demons and converted thousands of people.

Accusing Sant'Irene of sorcery, the city prefect summoned the girl to his court and demanded that she renounce her faith. When she refused to apostatize and make a sacrifice to the gods, he had her tortured and beheaded. Other accounts say she was burned at the stake or buried alive in a cave.

In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to Sant’Irene di Tessalonica in Italian. The accompanying photo, courtesy of Anthony Scillia, was taken at Holy Rosary Church in Jersey City, New Jersey. Evviva Sant’Irene di Tessalonica!

Preghiere a Sant'Irene di Tessalonica

O vergine e martire Sant'Irene, che in cielo godi l’eterna beatitudine, volgi lo sguardo pietoso su di noi, Fa' che, seguendo il tuo esempio, non ci allontaniamo dalle massime cristiane e dal retto sentiero che conduce a Dio. Come te, vogliamo conoscere, amare e servire Dio; concedici quindi quella fede ferma per cui tu desti la vita; ardente carità verso Dio e verso il prossimo, fatta di opere e di bontà; speranza fiduciosa nei beni eterni del cielo. Ottienici dal Signore la grazia di sfuggire le insidie del demonio e tutto ciò che possa contristare il suo Cuore Divino e contaminare la nostra anima. Dopo Maria, sii per noi celeste avvocata, principale protettrice, valida difesa. Allevia le pene del nostro cuore e le ansie del nostro spirito; asciuga le lacrime dei nostri occhi, vieni in nostro aiuto. Impetraci da Gesù, tuo celeste sposo, che, compiuto il corso del terreno pellegrinaggio, giungiamo a vederlo e a godere con te quella gloria ineffabile preparata ai giusti per tutta l’eternità. Amen.

Feast of San Gerardo Maiella

San Gerardo Maiella, ora pro nobis

October 16th is the Feast of San Gerardo Maiella, Confessor. Patron Saint of Muro Lucano in Provincia di Potenza, he is also the patron of children, expectant mothers, motherhood, good confessions and the falsely accused. In celebration, I'm posting a prayer for expectant mothers.(1) The accompanying photo of the Saint was taken during the 2012 Feast of Saint Gerard at St Lucy's Church, National Shrine of Saint Gerard in Newark, New Jersey. Evviva San Gerardo Maiella!

Prayer For Motherhood

O good St. Gerard, powerful intercessor before God and Wonderworker of our day, I call upon thee and seek thy aid. Thou who on earth didst always fulfill God's designs, help me to do the holy Will of God. Beseech the Master of Life, from Whom all paternity proceedeth, to render me fruitful in offspring that I may raise up children to God in this life and heirs to the Kingdom of His Glory in the world to come. Amen.

(1) Prayer For Motherhood was reprinted from The Feast of St Gerard Maiella, C.Ss.R.: A Century of Devotion at St. Lucy's, Newark, New Jersey by Reverend Thomas D. Nicastro, The History Press, 2012, p. 148

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 Santa Teresa de Ávila

Santa Teresa de Ávila, ora pro nobis

October 15th is the Feast of Santa Teresa de Ávila, Carmelite nun, Virgin and Mystic. A Doctor of the Church, she was a Carmelite reformer and founder of several convents of Discalced Nuns. Patroness of Spain, she is also the protector of the sick, orphans, lace makers and women in religious orders. In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to St. Teresa of Avila by St. Alphonsus Liguori. The accompanying photo of the Beatification of Saint Teresa of Avila was taken during my 2010 pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Carmine in Sorrento, Campania. Evviva Santa Teresa!

Prayer to St. Teresa of Avila

O Saint Teresa, seraphic Virgin, beloved spouse of thy crucified Lord, thou who on earth didst burn with a love so intense toward thy God and my God, and now dost glow with a brighter and purer flame in paradise: obtain for me also, I beseech thee, a spark of that same holy fire which shall cause me to forget the world, all things created, and even myself; for thou didst ever avidly desire to see Him loved by all men. Grant that my every thought and desire and affection may be continually directed to doing the will of God, the supreme Good, whether I am in joy or in pain, for He is worthy to be loved and obeyed forever. Obtain for me this grace, thou who art so powerful with God; may I be all on fire, like thee, with the holy love of God. Amen.

Solemnity of All Souls at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in East Harlem, New York

Exposition of Sacred Relics at St. Josaphat's Church in Bayside, New York

Thursday, October 28 at 7:00 pm
St. Josaphat's Church
34-32 210th Street
Bayside, New York 11361 
(718) 229-1663

Solemnity of All Saints at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in East Harlem, New York

Feast of St. Edward the Confessor

St. Edward the Confessor, ora pro nobis

Deus, qui beátum regem Eduárdum, Confessórem Turm, æternitátis glória coronásti: fac nos, quæsumus, ita eum venerári in terris, ut  cum eo regnáre possímus in cœlis. Per Dóminum.

October 13th is the Feast of St. Edward the Peacemaker (c.1003—1066), King and Confessor. The last Anglo Saxon King of England, Edward ruled from 1041 to 1066. A pious ruler, his reign was generally peaceful and prosperous. So strong was his reputation for sanctity, his people believed he could heal the sick with his touch. Also a great benefactor of the Church, between 1042 and 1052 he began rebuilding St. Peter's Abbey (Westminster Abbey). Once the patron saint of England, he was succeeded by St. George in 1348. Today the glorious Monarch is invoked by those suffering through difficult marriages. 

In celebration, I’m posting a prayer in Latin and English. The accompanying photo of stained-glass window was taken at Our Lady of Peace Church (522 Carroll St.) in Gowanus, Brooklyn.

Prayer

O God, Who hast crowned the blessed King Edward, Thy confessor, with the glory of eternity, make us, we beseech Thee, so to venerate him on earth that we may be able to reign with him in heaven. Through our Lord.

Feast of Santa Chelidonia di Subiaco

October 13th is the Feast of Santa Chelidonia di Subiaco, Virgin, Hermitess, and Benedictine nun. Born in 1077 in Cicoli (currently Cicolano), Rieti, Abruzzo, she made a pilgrimage to Rome and took the monastic veil in the Monastery of Santa Scolastica. For nearly 52 years she lived in solitude in a cave in the Simbruini Mountains, dying on October 13, 1152. She is the patron saint of Subiaco, Lazio. In celebration, I’m posting a prayer in Italian by Nicola Pinna. The accompanying image is a detail of a fresco in Subiaco.

Preghiera a Santa Chelidonia

Amorevole Santa Chelidonia, un'eremo sui monti, accolse la tua fede, ospitandoti e riparandoti con le sue possenti rocce, tenedoti al sicuro dai pericoli, nel silenzio della montagna, dove accompagnata dai versi degli animali, dai sospiri del vento, e dagli scroscicchii della pioggia, stavi la in contemplazione, per conoscere, amare e servire, lodare e onorare il Signore. Ti preghiamo, di protergerci ed intercedere, e portare al Signore le nostre intenzioni. Per Cristo nostro Signore. Amen.

Feast of Beato Gerardo, Knight of the White Cross

Beato Gerardo Sasso, ora pro nobis

October 13th is the feast of Blessed Gerardo Sasso (c.1040–1120), Benedictine oblate and Knight Hospitaller. Missionary to the Holy Land, he was the founding Grand Master of the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem. In celebration, I’m posting the prayer to Blessed Gerardo. The image of Blessed Gerardo in the Hospital of Jerusalem by Mattia Preti at the Oratory of St. John's Co-Cathedral comes courtesy of the Order of Malta. Evviva Beato Gerardo Sasso!

Prayer to Blessed Gerardo 

O God, who exalted blessed Gérard because of his care for the poor and the sick, and through him founded in Jerusalem the Order of St. John the Baptist, give us the grace of seeing, as he did, the image of your Son in our brothers and sisters. We ask 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.

Feast of San Grammazio di Salerno

San Grammazio Vescovo, ora pro nobis

October 12th is the Patronal Feast of San Grammazio (b. 449 – d. January 25, 490), second Bishop of Salerno. His liturgical Feast is commemorated on January 25th. In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to St. Gramatius. The accompanying photo, courtesy of Andrew Giordano, was taken at the Basilica Cattedrale SS. Matteo e Gregorio in Salerno. Evviva San Grammazio!

Prayer to St. Gramatius

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the examples of St. Gramatius, second Bishop of Salerno, may effectually move us to reform our lives; that while we celebrate his festival, we may also imitate his actions. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Look upon our Weakness, almighty God, and since the burden of our own deeds weighs heavily upon us, may the glorious intercession of St. Gramatius protect us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Feast of Blessed Carlo Acutis

Beato Carlo Acutis, ora pro nobis

When we face the sun we get a tan...but when we stand before Jesus in the Eucharist we become saints. ~ Blessed Carlo Acutis

October 12th is the Feast of Blessed Carlo Acutis (May 3, 1991 – October 12, 2006), “Cyberapostle of the Eucharist." A computer enthusiast, young Carlo designed Miracles List: The Eucharistic Miracles of the World, a website devoted to cataloging Eucharistic miracles around the world. Dying from leukemia in 2006, he took a major step towards sainthood after Pope Francis approved a miracle attributed to him. Carlo was Beatified in Assisi, Italy on Saturday, October 10, 2020. 

In celebration, I’m posting a Prayer for the Canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis. Pictured is my little makeshift shrine. Evviva Beato Carlo Acutis!

Prayer for the Canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis

Dear Father, Who has given us the ardent testimony of the young Blessed, Carlo Acutis, who made the Eucharist the core of his life and the strength of his daily commitments so that everybody may love You above all else, let him soon be counted among the Saints in Your Church.

Confirm my Faith, nurture my Hope, strengthen my Charity, in the image of young Blessed Carlo, who, growing in these virtues, now lives with You.

Grant me the grace I really need…

I trust in You, Father, and your Beloved Son Jesus, in the Virgin Mary, our Dearest Mother, and in the intervention of Your servant, Blessed Carlo Acutis.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

Christ the King at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in East Harlem, New York

Photo of the Week: Statue of the Blessed Mother in the Basilica Cattedrale SS. Matteo e Gregorio in Salerno

Photo by Andrew Giordano

Feast of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Holy Mother of God, ora pro nobis

Ecce Virgo concípiet, et páriet fillium, et vocábitur nomen ejus Emmánuel. Ps. 97, 1. Cantáte Dómino cánticum novum; quia mirabilia fecit. V. Glória Patri.

Behold, a Virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and His name shall be called Emmanuel. Ps. 97, 1. Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle: because He hath done wonderful things. V. Glory. ~ Indroit. Is. 7, 14

October 11th is the Feast of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Holy Mother of God (Theotokos). In celebration, I’m posting a prayer in Latin and English for the Feast of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The accompanying photo of the Virgin of Materdei (1470) attributed to Domenico Gagni (c. 1425-1492) was taken at the Palatine Chapel (Cappella Palatina) inside the Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino) in Napoli.

Prayer

Deus qui de beátæ Mariæ Vírginis utero Verbum tuum. Angelo nuntiánte, carnem suscípere voluísti: præsta supplícibus tuis; ut qui vere eam Genitrícem Dei, crédimus, ejus apud te intercessiónibus adjuvémur. Per eúmdem Dóminum.

O God, Who wast pleased that at the angel's message Thy Word should take flesh in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, grant to Thy suppliants that, believing her to be truly the mother of God, we may be assisted by her intercessions with Thee. Through the same.

Upcoming Tridentine Masses at The Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents in NYC (October 11th — 17th)

The Shrine & Parish Church of the Holy Innocents
128 West 37th Street, NYC 100018

• Monday, October 11th - Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 2nd Class - Low Mass, 1:00 p.m.

COLUMBUS DAY
On Monday, October 11 is Columbus Day and Holy Innocents will observe a slightly altered schedule. Holy Masses will be celebrated at 7:00 & 7:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. in English and at 1:15 p.m. in Latin. There will be no 6:00 p.m. Mass and Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament will only be from 8:00 a.m. until Benediction at 11:45 a.m. Confessions will be heard from 7:30 a.m.– 8:30 a.m. and 12 noon until 1:30 p.m.

• Tuesday, October 12th - Feria, 4th Class - Low Mass, 6:00 p.m.

• Wednesday, October 13th - St. Edward, Confessor, 3rd Class - Low Mass, 6:00 p.m.

DEVOTIONS IN HONOR OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA
Wednesday, October 13 marks the 104th anniversary of Our Lady’s final apparition to the three shepherd children at Fatima and the Miracle of the Sun. Devotions in honor of Our Lady of Fatima will take place following the 6:00 p.m. Mass and consist of the recitation of the Rosary, candlelight Eucharistic procession and traditional “Fatima Farewell” (bring a white handkerchief to wave to Our Lady)

• Thursday, October 14th - St. Callistus, Pope & Martyr, 3rd Class - Low Mass, 6:00 p.m.

• Friday, October 15th - St. Teresa of Avila, Virgin, 3rd Class - Low Mass, 1:00 p.m.

• Saturday, October 16th - St. Hedwig, Widow, 3rd Class - Low Mass, 1:00 p.m.

Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces Marian Movement of Priests Cenacle
Every Third Saturday of the month Following the 1:00 p.m. Mass.
Next Cenacle: October 16

AMERICA NEEDS FATIMA ROSARY RALLY
On Saturday, October 16, there will be a Rosary Rally in front of Macy's Department Store on Broadway between 34th and 35th Streets beginning at 12 noon in honor of the 104th anniversary of the great Miracle of the Sun at Fatima. Please plan on attending as we pray for a return to freedom in the Church, the world, and our Country in these times.

• Sunday, October 17th - 21st Sunday After Pentecost with Commemoration of the Propagation of the Faith, 2nd Class - Low Mass 9:00 a.m. and Chant Mass 10:30 a.m.

Source: October 10, 2021 Bulletin

Feast of the Blessed Martyrs of Turón

Blessed Martyrs of Turón, orate pro nobis

October 9th is the Feast of the Blessed Martyrs of Turón, eight De La Salle Brothers and a Passionist Priest summarily executed in 1934 by a radical Left-wing death squad prior to the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). The Martyrs were St. Inocencio de la Immaculada (pictured), St. Cirilo Bertrán, St. Marciano José, St. Julián Alfredo, St. Victoriano Pío, St. Benjamín Julián, St. Augusto Andrés, St. Benito de Jesús, and St. Anicet Adolfo. Beatified on April 29, 1990, they were Canonized by St. Pope John Paul II on November 21, 1999. In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to the Blessed Martyrs of Turón.

Prayer to the Martyrs of Turón

God our Father, in the Martyrs of Turón we see the transforming power of the Gospel. Empower us with your Spirit and inspire us to take the Gospel seriously that we, too, may embrace the cross with courage and be credible witnesses of your love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Feast of San Dionigi e Compagni (St. Dionysius and Companions)

San Dionigi di Parigi, ora pro nobis

Deus, qui hodiérna die beátum Dionysium, Mártyrem tuum atque Pontificem, virtúte constántiæ in passióne roborásti, quique illi, ad prædicándurr, géntibus glóriam tuam, Rústicum et Eleuthérium sociáre dignátus es: tribue nobis, quæsumus; eórum imitatióne, pro amóre tuo próspera mundi despícere, et nulla ejus advérsa formidáre. Per Dóminum.

October 9th is the Feast of San Dionigi di Parigi (St. Dionysius, or Denis, of Paris), first century Bishop and Martyr. One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, the glorious "Apostle to the Franks" and first Bishop of Lutetia (now Paris) is invoked against demonic possession, headaches, rabid dogs and syphilis. 

Also called San Dionigi l’Areopagita, he was a prominent jurist in Athen’s high court (Areopagus) before being converted and baptized by San Paolo Apostolo. He would later become Athen’s first Bishop and one of the Seventy Disciples.

After the martyrdom of San Paolo during the reign of Emperor Nero, San Dionigi decided to travel to the Occident and preach in the Greek settlements. Briefly settling in Calabria, he became the first Bishop (and patron Saint) of Crotone. Journeying to Rome, San Dionigi was sent to Gaul by Pope St. Clement I with a group of missionaries to evangelize the idolators.

Converting many to the Faith, his pagan rivals denounced him as a Christian, who were being viciously persecuted throughout the Empire. Incarcerated and tortured, San Dionigi and his companions, Rusticus and Eleutherius, were beheaded atop Montmartre, the Martyrs Mountain.

According to tradition, San Dionigi's decapitated corpse picked up his severed head and, guided by angels, carried it down the mountain along the historic Rue des Martyrs (street of the martyrs) to the place of his burial. The Basilique royale de Saint-Denis was built at that location.

In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to St. Dionysius and Companions in Latin and English. The accompanying photo, courtesy of the Basilica of St. Denis, is a detail from a 13th century illustrated manuscript depicting the life and martyrdom of the holy cephalophore (head-carrier). Evviva San Dionigi!

Prayer to St. Dionysius and Companions

O God, Who on this day didst strengthen blessed Dionysius, Thy martyr, with the virtue of fortitude in his suffering, and didst vouchsafe to join with him Rusticus and Eleutherius to preach Thy glory to the nations, grant us, we beseech Thee, to imitate them in contemning the prosperity of the world for the sake of Thy love, and to fear none of its adversity. Through our Lord.

Feast of Santa Brigida di Svezia

Santa Brigida di Svezia, ora pro nobis

October 8th is the Feast of Santa Brigida di Svezia, Mystic, Franciscan Tertiary, and Foundress of the Order of the Most Holy Savior, later called the Brigittines. Patron saint of widows and unwed mothers, Santa Brigida is also one of the co-patrons of Europe.

Swedish noblewoman, born in 1303, she married Ulf Gudmarsson, Lord of Ulvåsa, at the age of fourteen. Mother of eight, including her second daughter St. Catherine of Vadstena, she served as a lady-in-waiting for Queen Blanche of Namur. Widowed in 1344, she became a Third Order Franciscan and devoted her life to prayer and charity.

Establishing the Order of the Most Holy Savior, Santa Brigida travelled to Rome in 1350, a Jubilee Year, to obtain the Pope’s approval for her religious community, which she received from Pope Urban V in 1370.

In 1365 Santa Brigida made her first visit to the Kingdom of Naples and befriended Queen Johanna I at the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle in the Basilica di San Tommaso in Ortona, Chieti. Miraculously healing the sick son of a noble pilgrim she entered the Neapolitan court and served for two years before making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and returning to the Papal States.

Santa Brigida died in Rome on July 23, 1373. Despite her harsh criticisms of Johanna I and the Kingdom, after her death the Queen played an important role in the early canonization efforts for Santa Brigida and established her cult in Naples. She was canonized on October 8, 1391.

The Chiesa di Santa Brigida was built in Naples in 1610 and is one of the few buildings to survive the construction of the Galleria Umberto in the historic Santa Brigida district in the late 1880s. An important religious site, the church once served as the seat of L'Ordine Militare del Santissimo Salvatore di Santa Brigida di Svezia, a chivalric religious order established to protect Christians from heathen raiders in Northern Europe.

In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to St. Birgitta, courtesy of the Order of St. Bridget. Pictured is my makeshift shrine erected in honor of the feast. Evviva Santa Brigida di Svezia!

Prayer to St. Birgitta

With hearts full of con­fidence, we turn to you, O Blessed Birgitta, in these times of darkness and unbelief, to invoke your powerful intercession on behalf of those who are separated from the true Church of Jesus Christ. Conscious of your deep knowledge of the cruel sufferings of our crucified Saviour, we beseech you to obtain the gift of Faith for all those who are outside the one fold, so that all the scattered sheep may return to the one true Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

St. Birgitta, fearless in the service of God, pray for us.
St. Birgitta, patient in suffer­ing and humiliation, pray for us.
St. Birgitta, marvellous in thy love towards Jesus and Mary, pray for us. Pater, Ave, Gloria.

Upcoming Feasts and Holy Days at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Jersey City, New Jersey

Feast of Our Lady of Victory and the Most Holy Rosary

Our Lady of the Rosary, ora pro nobis
Photos by New York Scugnizzo

October 7th is the Feast of Our Lady of Victory, a celebration of the Holy League's victory over the Ottoman Turks at the Battle of Lepanto on this day in 1571. The Christian victory was attributed to the praying of the Rosary. In celebration, I'm posting "Mother of the Rosary" from Prayers and Devotional Songs of Sicily, edited and translated by Peppino Ruggeri.(*) The photo of La colonna spezzata (the broken column), a monument to lost sailers, was taken at Piazza Vittoria (Victory Square) during my 2010 pilgrimage to Naples. The accompanying photo of Our Lady of the Rosary was taken at the Our Lady of Pompeii Church (25 Carmine Street) in New York's West Village.

La colonna spezzata

Mother of the Rosary

Of Heaven you are our Grand Lady
With Jesus our defender you have been
I saw a precious rose and a white lily
Mother and son for ever blessed be.

Oh dear Mother of the Rosary
Give me council and your favor grant
Oh Mother of the Word who is incarnate
From the pains of hell please liberate.

(*) Prayers and Devotional Songs of Sicily, edited and translated into English by Peppino Ruggeri, Legas 2009, p.127

Fatima Rosary Rally at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in East Harlem, New York

Feast of Santa Maria Francesca delle Cinque Piaghe

Santa Maria Francesca delle Cinque Piaghe, ora pro nobis

October 6th is the Feast of Santa Maria Francesca delle Cinque Piaghe (St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds), Mystic and Stigmatic. Patroness of expectant mothers and women having difficulty conceiving, she is the protectress of the Quartieri Spagnoli, or Spanish Quarter of Naples. 

In 1856, King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies transformed her house on the Vico Tre Re a Toledo into a small church, which he named after her. To this day, pregnant women and couples trying to conceive make a pilgrimage to the sanctuary and pray for her intercession while sitting on her miraculous chair. 

In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to Santa Maria Francesca delle Cinque Piaghe. Pictured is a devotee's decade bracelet with the Neapolitan saint’s image. Evviva Santa Maria Francesca delle Cinque Piaghe!

Prayer to Santa Maria Francesca delle Cinque Piaghe

Santa Maria Francesca, who bearing humiliations and suffering you have shared the pain and anguish borne by Jesus in his Passion, help us to understand that pain, to look at Jesus crucified with the tenderness of a mother that would want to substitute herself with Him so to not make Him suffer anymore. Saint Maria Francesca, you who have made the Eucharist the only great desire of your life, help us welcome in us with faith and  awareness, the consecrated Host. Santa Maria Francesca, you who have exhorted us to have faith in God and in the Virgin Mary, help us to pray to them with the trust and ardor with which you prayed. Santa Maria Francesca, be our guide, teach us to listen to Jesus and to accompany us on the path that He has prepared for each of us. Amen

Feast of San Bruno di Colonia

San Bruno di Colonia, ora pro nobis

October 6th is the Feast of San Bruno di Colonia (St. Bruno of Cologne), eleventh century Hermit and Founder of the Carthusian Order (1084). Invoked against demonic possession, he is the Patron Saint of Serra San Bruno in the Calabrian Province of Vibo Valentia. Serving as a close advisor to Pope Urban II, San Bruno was offered the archbishopric of Reggio Calabria, which he refused. Seeking seclusion, he obtained Papal permission to return to monastic life and withdrew to the remote wilderness of Calabria. Granted land from Count Roger of Sicily, the Holy Hermit founded the Charterhouse of Saint Stephen and monastery at La Torre. Widely venerated in Calabria, during Pentecost devotees carry the saint’s relics in procession from the Certosa dei Santi Stefano e Bruno to the Eremo di Santa Maria. 

In celebration, I’m posting a Prayer to Saint Bruno. The accompanying photo, courtesy of Anthony Scillia, was taken at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey. Evviva San Bruno di Colonia!

Prayer to Saint Bruno

O glorious patriarch, holy Father Bruno, look down upon us with those eyes of kindness that so often won men's hearts. Day and night as of old, thou dost hear in heaven's court the voices of thy sons upon earth joined in God's praises, linked with the angel choirs. Sweet Father, if our voices may reach that Throne of Majesty, we ourselves are not yet come there. Guard and guide us on that heavenward road thou hast trod before us. Thou knowest its dangers; thou knowest our weakness. Be our helper that we may keep unquenched that fire of fervor which thou didst light up so long ago. Then shall we be thy crown of glory both here and hereafter. O glorious St. Bruno, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death! Amen

Feast of San Placido and his Companions, Martyrs

San Placido, ora pro nobis

October 5th is the Feast of St. Placido (St. Placidus) and his Companions. Arriving in Messina, Sicily from Monte Cassino in 534, the young Benedictine monk founded a monastery, drawing some thirty men to monastic life through his wondrous work and holy reputation. In 539 a band of pirates from North Africa raided the abbey in the dark of night, capturing the unsuspecting inhabitants, including Placido’s brothers, Eutychius and Victorinus, and their virgin sister Flavia, who was visiting from Rome. Bound and cruelly tortured, the captives were all eventually put to the sword when they refused to denounce their faith. Setting off with their ill-gotten-gains, the African marauders were soon swallowed up in divine retribution by Scylla and Charybdis, the mythical names of the infamous whirlpool in the strait of Messina.

Invoked against drowning because he was miraculously saved by San Mauro as a young child, San Placido is also the patron saint of religious novices, since he was an obedient disciple of San Benedetto Abate. Venerated across southern Italy, San Placido is the principal protector of Castel di Lucio (ME), Biancavilla (CT), Poggio Imperiale (FG), and, along with the Madonna della Lettera, he is the co-patron of Messina, Sicily. In celebration, we're posting a prayer to St. Placidus. The accompanying photo of the statue with relic was taken at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Easton, Pennsylvania by Anthony Scillia. Evviva San Placido!

Prayer to St. Placidus

O God, who by means of martyrdom made blessed Placidus and his companions pass from exile to eternal glory, keep us for their prayers from all adversities and grant us to be able to participate in their glorious company in heaven. Amen