Feast of San Francesco Saverio Maria Bianchi, Apostolo di Napoli

San Francesco, ora pro nobis

When you hear that I cannot celebrate Mass any more, count me as dead. ~ San Francesco Saverio Maria Bianchi

January 31st is the Feast of San Francesco Saverio Maria Bianchi (Saint Francis Xavier Mary Bianchi), Barnabite Priest and Scholar. Born in Arpino on December 2, 1743, he was raised in a loving and pious household. At the age of twelve he was entrusted to the Barnabites, which awakened in him, against his parents wishes, the call to the priesthood. While attending seminary at Nola, San Francesco had the good fortune of meeting Sant’Alfonso de Liguori, who convinced the irresolute young novitiate to fully embrace a religious life.

Completing his studies at Naples, San Francesco was ordained a priest on January 25, 1767. First assigned to the Barnabite Collegio dei Santi Carlo e Filippo in Arpino as a professor of humanities, he was later transferred in 1769 to the Collegio di San Carlo alle Mortelle in Naples as a professor of philosophy and mathematics.

Thanks to the guidance and friendship of the great Neapolitan mystic Santa Maria Francesca delle Cinque Piaghe (St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds), San Francesco gave up his scholarly pursuits and withdrew to a more-fulfilling life of prayer and contemplation. Spending long hours in the confessional working with poor penitents he earned the celebrated appellation: “Apostle of Naples.”

In addition to working with the city’s lazzaroni, San Francesco offered spiritual guidance to King Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia and his wife Queen Marie Clotilde when the French Revolution had forced the northern monarchs to flee Turin and go into exile in Naples.

A great miracle worker, San Francesco famously stopped the spewing lava of Mount Vesuvius from destroying the towns of Torre del Greco and Portici. Holding a framed portrait of St. Mary Frances, he gathering the panicked townspeople together in prayer. Raising his right hand, he commanded in the name of God the torrents of lava to stop and to everyone’s great relief and amazement it did. 

San Francesco Saverio Maria Bianchi died in Naples on January 31, 1815. Originally interred at the Chiesa di San Giuseppe delle Scalze a Pontecorvo, on June 18, 1972 his relics were translated to the Chiesa di Santa Maria di Caravaggio.

In celebration, we're posting a prayer to St. Francis Xavier Mary Bianchi. The accompanying photo, courtesy of Andrew Giordano, was taken at the Chiesa di Santa Maria di Caravaggio in 2019. Evviva San Francesco!

Prayer to St. Francis Xavier Mary Bianchi

God, our Father, through the deep charity of St. Francis Xavier Mary Bianchi, you wanted to attract your people to your love. Help us now, through his intercession and by his example, to come to recognize and love you in our brothers and sisters. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Additional reading: 
• St. Francis X. Bianchi at Barnabite Holiness

Novena to San Giovanni de Matha

San Giovanni de Matha and
San Felice di Valois, orate pro nobis

Pray novena for nine consecutive days, January 30th to February 7th, in preparation for the Feast on February 8th. Evviva San Giovanni de Matha!

O God, You were pleased to institute by heavenly direction, through St. John, the order of the Holy Trinity, for redeeming captives from the power of the Saracens; grant, we implore You, that by the suffrage of his merits, we may be delivered by Your grace from captivity of soul and body. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who being God, lives and reigns with You in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity (For the imprisoned)

Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Thou didst call John De Matha to be a liberator of those who suffered the pains of captivity. Through his intercession, give patience and love to those who are persecuted for their faith in Christ; bestow Thy liberating grace on all who are enchained by any form of addiction; and instill a sense of purifying purposefulness in all who serve time in correction institutions.

Holy and Blessed Trinity, instill in my heart and in the hearts of all who are associated with the Trinitarian Order that love which moved John de Matha to labor for the spiritual and physical freedom of all Thy sons and daughters. Instill in us a deep compassion for the poor and the less fortunate of society, and transform us into apostles of Thy kingdom of justice and peace in our world.

We ask this, Trinity Most Holy, because Thou art at once our loving Father, our compassionate Redeemer, and the Spirit from Whom all blessings come. Amen.

Mention you intentions here...

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…

(Repeat three times) St. John De Matha, Pray for us.

* Photo of stained glass window of St. John of Matha and St. Felix of Valois, the Founders of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity, was taken at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Photo courtesy of Anthony Scillia.

New Book — Goddesses of Akragas: A Study of Terracotta Votive Figurines from Sicily

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

• Goddesses of Akragas: A Study of Terracotta Votive Figurines from Sicily by Dr. Gerrie Van Rooijen

Publisher: Sidestone Press
Publication Date: Jan. 22, 2021
Hardback: $245.00
Paperback: $95.00
Language: English
Pages: 388

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Ponderable Quote from “The Song of Roland”

I recently (nine days ago, to be exact) dusted off my old, slightly musty copy of The Song of Roland to serve as a kind of novena for the Feast of Bl. Emperor Charlemagne. I did this last year with In Praise of the New Knighthood for the feast of St. Bernard of Clairvaux and found the exercise extremely edifying. Needless to say, I feel the same way about revisiting this masterpiece of medieval literature. If you haven't already read this glorious chanson de geste, I cannot recommend it highly enough. With no shortage of inspirational passages to choose from, I decided to simplify my decision and share the following excerpt solely because it's where I’m currently at in the book. Carolo Magno Imperatore, ora pro nobis.

The emperor has had his trumpets sounded;
then, with his mighty host, the brave lord rides.
The men from Spain have turned their backs to them;
they all ride out together in pursuit.
The king, on seeing dusk begin to fall,
Dismounts upon the green grass in a field,
Prostates himself, and prays Almighty God
that He will make the sun stand still for him,
hold back the night, and let the day go on.
An angel he had spoken with before
came instantly and gave him this command:
“Ride on, Charles, for the light shall not desert you.
God knows that you have lost the flower of France;
you may take vengeance on the guilty race.”
And at these words, the emperor remounts. AOI

* Reprinted from The Song of Roland, author unknown, translated and with an introduction by Robert Harrison, A Signet Classic, 2002, p.131-132

Photo of the Week: Statue of Roberto d'Altavilla, Duke of Apulia and Calabria, at Montecassino Abbey

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Novena to San Biagio Martire

San Biagio Martire, ora pro nobis

Prayers compiled by Rev. Bonaventure, O.F.M. to be recited for nine consecutive days, January 25th — February 2nd, in preparation of the Feast on February 3rd.

Preparatory Prayer

Almighty and eternal God! With lively faith and reverently worshiping Thy divine Majesty, I prostrate myself before Thee and invoke with filial trust Thy supreme bounty and mercy. Illumine the darkness of my intellect with a ray of Thy heavenly light and inflame my heart with the fire of Thy divine love, that I may contemplate the great virtues and merits of the saint in whose honor I make this novena, and following his example imitate, like him, the life of Thy divine Son.

Moreover, I beseech Thee to grant graciously, through the merits and intercession of this powerful Helper, the petition which through him I humbly place before Thee, devoutly saying, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Vouchsafe graciously to hear it, if it redounds to Thy greater glory and to the salvation of my soul. Amen.

Prayer in Honor of St. Blase

O God, deliver us through the intercession of Thy holy bishop and martyr Blase, from all evil of soul and body, especially from all ills of the throat; and grant us the grace to make a good confession in the confident hope of obtaining Thy pardon, and ever to praise with worthy lips Thy most holy name. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Invocation of St. Blase

St. Blase, gracious benefactor of mankind and faithful servant of God, who for the love of our Saviour didst suffer so many tortures with patience and resignation; I invoke thy powerful intercession. Preserve me from all evils of soul and body. Because of thy great merits God endowed thee with the special grace to help those that suffer from ills of the throat; relieve and preserve me from them, so that I may always be able to fulfil my duties, and with the aid of God's grace perform good works. I invoke thy help as special physician of souls, that I may confess my sins sincerely in the holy sacrament of Penance and obtain their forgiveness. I recommend to thy merciful intercession also those who unfortunately concealed a sin in confession. Obtain for them the grace to accuse themselves sincerely and contritely of the sin they concealed, of the sacrilegious confessions and communions they made, and of all the sins they committed since then, so that they may receive pardon, the grace of God, and the remission of the eternal punishment. Amen.

Prayer

My Lord and my God! I offer up to Thee my petition in union with the bitter passion and death of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, together with the merits of His immaculate and blessed Mother, Mary ever virgin, and of all the saints, particularly with those of the holy Helper in whose honor I make this novena.

Look down upon me, merciful Lord! Grant me Thy grace and Thy love, and graciously hear my prayer. Amen.

* For more on St. Blase and the Fourteen Holy Helpers, I highly recommend Project Gutenberg's free ebook, Mary, Help of Christians and the Fourteen Saints Invoked as Holy Helpers, compiled by Rev. Bonaventure, O.F.M. It has instructions, legends, novenas and prayers, with thoughts of the saints for every day of the year. Photo of San Biagio at the Chiesa dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo in Napoli courtesy of Andrew Giordano.

Celebrating the Second Annual King Louis XVI of France Memorial and the Feast of Sant’Agnese

Portrait of King Louis XVI of France with royalist flags

Domine salvum fac Regem et exaudi nos in die qua invocaverimus te. Gloria Patri et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio et nunc et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. (1)

My Sanfedisti brethren and I happily returned to Joe’s of Ave U (287 Ave. U) in Gravesend, Brooklyn Thursday evening to commemorate the memory of King Louis XVI of France, the Feast of Sant’Agnese di Roma, and (most appreciatively) my birthday. After the miserable Wednesday we endured, admittedly more so for Napoli’s disappointing loss to Juventus in the Supercoppa than the sham inauguration, a convivial dinner was just what we needed to lift our spirits. While we can never truly forget what great evil we are up against and where our duty lies, its always nice to get together with friends, thumb our noses at our perfidious overlords and enjoy a few of the simple things in life while we still can. Evviva Sant'Agnes and Vive le roi!

~ Giovanni di Napoli, January 23rd, Feast of St. Emerentiana

Centerpiece with flags of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George, and the Spanish Cross of Burgundy

Makeshift table shrine with St. Louis IX of France, Servant of God King Francis II of Bourbon Two Sicilies, St. Joan of Arc, St. Agnes of Rome, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a green scapula, and reliquary with stones from the Apparition Grotto at the Santuario di San Michele Arcangelo in Gargano, Puglia

Panelle e crocchè di patate

Vastedda Palermitana

Caponata

Arancini speciali

Vongole al forno

Spaghetti aglio e olio

Pollo alla Milanese

Someone waggishly transposed the numbers on our dessert

Caffe and spirits complete the meal

Raffaele, Andrew, Tony and John with the flag of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies

Notes: 

(1) Lord, save the King, and hear us when we call upon thee. Glory to the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning and is now, and it shall be, for ever without end. Amen.

New Book: Textile Activity and Cultural Identity in Sicily Between the Late Bronze Age and Archaic Period

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

• Textile Activity and Cultural Identity in Sicily Between the Late Bronze Age and Archaic Period by Gabriella Longhitano

Publisher: Oxbow Books
Publication Date: July 31, 2021
Paperback: $55.00
Language: English
Pages: 288

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Feast of Sant'Irene the Healer

Sant'Irene di Roma, ora pro nobis

January 22nd is the Feast of Sant'Irene di Roma, patron saint of the sick and the wounded. Widow of St. Castulus, who was martyred during the great persecutions of Emperor Diocletian, she famously nursed St. Sebastian back to health after he was left for dead, his body riddled with arrows. 

In celebration, we're posting a Prayer to Saint Irene of Rome. The accompanying photo of Saint Sebastian Cured by Saint Irene and Her Handmaid by Luca Giordano was taken at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Evviva Sant'Irene di Roma!

Prayer to Saint Irene of Rome

O Glorious Saint Irene 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

Novena to Beata Maria Cristina di Savoia, Queen of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies

Beata Maria Cristina di Savoia, ora pro nobis

Pray novena for nine consecutive days, January 22nd to January 30th, in preparation for the Feast celebrated on January 31st.

O God, You adorned Blessed Maria Cristina with diligent and wise charity, so that by her witness, she would contribute to the building up of Your Kingdom. Grant us also, by her example, to do good, drawing on the true riches of Your Love. Through her intercession, grant us the grace of [Mention request here] which we ask with confidence. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

* Pictured is my makeshift shrine.

Celebrating the Feast of Sant'Antuono Abate

Sant'Antuono Abate, ora pro nobis

Saturday, January 16th — A handful of us gathered in Bellmore, Long Island Saturday evening to commemorate the birthday of Servant of God Francesco II di Borbone, the last king of the Two Sicilies, and the eve of the Feast of Sant’Antuono Abate with prayer and a traditional Fucarazzo di Sant'Antuono, or St. Anthony bonfire. Said to ward off evil spirits, the purifying conflagration also signifies the coming of spring and the end of winter.  

(L) Fucarazzo di Sant'Antuono, or St. Anthony’s Bonfire.
(R) Andrew removes the potatoes from the ashes

Since we abstain from meat on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays as part of our Brown Scapular devotion and Friday penance, as well as being a vigil to a great feast, the evening was more solemn and contemplative than festive. Meditating in silence most of the night, devotees finally broke the fast at midnight with potatoes baked in the hot ashes and a few shots of amaro in honor of His Majesty and our glorious Wonderworker.

* * *

Our gracious host Stephen with image of Sant'Antuono

Sunday, January 17th — Continuing the observance the next day at sundown, we joined our San Rocco Society brethren in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn for their annual Feast Day celebration. The festivities kicked-off with prayers by our host Stephen La Rocca, which were unintentionally accentuated by the 6pm tolling of church bells. 

Revelers enjoying the protective flames of the bonfire

Less austere than the vigil, partygoers ate, drank and mingled around the fire. Since it's customary to eat pig on the feast, most of the dishes had at least some pork in them. 

Continuing well into the night, the fire was steadily fed Christmas trees, dried palm fronds from Palm Sunday, and other kindling from the garden. Considering how tough things have been of late and how grim our Nation's prospects look, it was no surprise a few diehards didn't want the time-honored tradition to end.

Hot and sweet sausages on the grill

Heartfelt thanks to The Giordano family in Long Island and the La Rocca family in Brooklyn for your warmth and hospitality. As always, it was a great joy to celebrate our faith and culture together. Evviva Sant'Antuono!

Photo of the Week: Statue of St. Peter Attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

Photo by Andrew Giordano

Celebrating the Feast of San Felice di Nola and Sant’Ilario di Poitiers in Brooklyn, New York

(L-R) Servant of God King Francis II di Bourbon,
flag of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and San Felice di Nola

After a short hiatus, members of the Fratelli della Santa Fede (Brothers of the Holy Faith) got back into the swing of things and celebrated the Feast of San Felice di Nola and Sant’Ilario di Poitiers at Joe’s of Avenue U (287 Ave. U), an old-school Sicilian eatery in Gravesend, Brooklyn. Our first get-together in 2021 (outside of Mass, of course), the little shindig was a modest, but good start to the new year. It also served as a nice warm-up for our upcoming Second Annual Feast of St. Agnes and King Louis XVI of France Memorial Dinner Party. [See last year's celebration.]

Makeshift table shrine with prayer cards for Sant'Antonio Abate, San Sebastiano, and Servants of God Pauline-Marie Jaricot and HM Francis II di Bourbon

As is our custom, we concluded grace with a Litany of Saints. In addition to our group’s patrons, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Andrew the Apostle, St. John the Baptist and the Madonna del Soccorso, we included several saints commemorated in mid-January: St. Hyginus, St. Paul the First Hermit, St. Maurus the Abbot, St. Marcellus I, St. Anthony the Abbot, St. Prisca, St. Canute, St. Fabian, St. Marius, St. Martha, St. Audifax, St. Abachum, and St. Sebastian. We also honored the Venerable Servants of God Pauline-Marie Jaricot and HM Francis II di Bourbon, the last King of the Two Sicilies.

Mista polpo e calamari

While Comrade De Blasio’s mandated outdoor dining area was ridiculous and unsightly, the restaurant's food and service were excellent and more than made up for it. Refusing to let the politburo’s awful policies hinder their success, Paolo, Caterina and the rest of the crack waitstaff were exemplary. Despite the government's hinderances, they did a tremendous job keeping us patrons well fed and satisfied. 

Caponata

With so much happening in the world that is out of our control, at the very least we can try and help keep our favorite local businesses afloat and prevent the devious, fearmongering political tyrants from completely gutting our struggling communities. Practice the faith, celebrate your culture, and support those who make it possible for you to do so. Evviva San Felice di Nola and Sant’Ilario di Poitiers!

~ Giovanni di Napoli, January 15, Feast of San Mauro Abate

Panelle e crocchè di patate

Cavolfiore alla palermitana

Salsiccia e patate

Blessed wine from the Feast of San Giovanni Evangelista

Profiterole

Ricotta cheesecake

John, Andrew and Raffaele with the flag of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies

Around the Web — IAP 171: The King Who Would be a Saint: Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies, with Special Guest Lou Mendola

On December 11, 2020, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, the outgoing Archbishop of Naples, Italy, announced that he was opening a case on the beatification of King Francesco II of the Two Sicilies. If approved, the Vatican will begin an investigation into the “heroic virtues” of the King, which is the first step towards canonization; His Majesty will then be proclaimed a Servant of God and join his mother, Blessed Maria Cristina of Savoy (1812-1836), on the path to sainthood.

The last monarch of an ancient kingdom, which was for 730 years the independent nation of Southern Italy and the Island of Sicily, Francesco II is not well-known to most people, outside of a small circle. Continue reading

Listen to podcast: IAP 171: The King Who Would be a Saint: Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies, with Special Guest Lou Mendola

Around the Web: The Fata Morgana, Elusive Phenomenon in the Strait of Messina

Awakening of the Fata Morgana by Santina Orrico in Falvo, Palazzo della Cultura

Reprinted from Calabria: the Other Italy

“I have never beheld the enchantment of the Straits of Messina, that Fata Morgana, when, under certain conditions of weather, phantasmagoric palaces of wondrous shape are cast upon the waters – not mirrored, but standing upright; tangible, as it were; yet diaphanous as a veil of gauze.” Thus spake Norman Douglas in his Old Calabria. The extraordinary vision, looking across the Strait of Messina from Reggio Calabria to Sicily has eluded me, as well, in all my time spent in the Città della Fata Morgana. 

What is the Fata Morgana?

In Reggio, it is said that the Fata Morgana is best seen on particularly warm, muggy days, at daybreak when the special combination of refraction and reflection create the mirage-like effect over the water. Yet, I remember seeing a photo in a Calabrian newspaper a number of years ago of the phenomenon on a cold winter’s day. Continue reading

Photo of the Week: The Baptism of the Lord by Belisario Corenzio at the Duomo di Salerno

Photo by Andrew Giordano

Feast of Blessed Pauline-Marie Jaricot

Beato Paolina Maria Jaricot,
ora pro nobis

January 9th is the Feast of Blessed Pauline-Marie Jaricot (1799-1862), Victim Soul of Jesus Christ and Dominican Tertiary. Founder of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, she established the Living Rosary, whose adherents, in groups of fifteen people, had to recite ten Rosaries a day while meditating on a specific Mystery drawn by lot and changed every month.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to Blessed Pauline-Marie Jaricot courtesy of Catholictradition.org. Evviva Beato Paolina Maria Jaricot!

Prayer to Blessed Pauline-Marie Jaricot

Almighty and merciful God, Who has chosen a humble virgin, Pauline-Marie of Jesus Christ, the poor one of Mary, to found the great Catholic works of the Propagation of the Faith and the Living Rosary, and Who has wished in the midst of humiliations, trials and persecutions to purify her works, deign to hasten the day when Holy Mother the Church will publicly recognize her saintly life. We pray that by her example of patience and love for the Cross, her life-time prayer may be realized: the Universal propagation of the Faith in all its Purity. Amen

Novena to Sant’Antonio Abate

Sant'Antonio Abate, ora pro nobis

Pray novena for nine consecutive days, January 8th – 16th, in preparation for the feast on January 17th. Evviva Sant'Antuono!

O glorious Saint Antony, who, upon hearing only one word of the holy Gospel whilst assisting at the divine Liturgy, didst forsake the riches and ease of thy father's house, thy native land and the world, in order to retire into the wilderness; who, notwithstanding the heavy burden of years and the ravages of a lifetime of penance, didst not hesitate to leave thy solitude and go up to Alexandria in Egypt to reproach openly the impiety of heretics and to strengthen the wavering faith of Christians, as a true confessor of Jesus Christ, eager to receive the palm of martyrdom, had thy Lord permitted it; ah, give us the grace to be ever zealous in the cause of Jesus Christ and of His Church, and to persevere even to the end of our days in our adherence to Catholic truth, in the observance of His commandments, in the practice of His counsels and in the imitation of thy virtues; that so, having faithfully followed thine example here on earth, we may come to marvel at thy glory in heaven and to be partakers of the same, through all the ages. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be 3x

New Book: The Tyrants of Syracuse: War in Ancient Sicily Volume II (367-211 BC)

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

• The Tyrants of Syracuse: War in Ancient Sicily Volume II (367-211 BC) by Jeff Champion

Publisher: Pen and Sword Military
Publication Date: June 30, 2021
Paperback: $26.95
Language: English
Pages: 272

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Photo of the Week: Adoration of the Kings by Belisario Corenzio at the Duomo di Salerno

The Adoration of the Kings or Adoration of the Magi by Belisario Correnzio
Photo by Andrew Giordano

Happy Birthday Princess Maria Chiara!

HRH was born in Rome in 2005
Photo courtesy of Real Casa di Borbone

Happy Birthday Princess Maria Chiara of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duchess of Noto and Capri! We wish you a day filled with happiness and a year filled with joy! Auguri!