Feast of San Raimondo di Fitero

San Raimondo di Fitero, ora pro nobis

February 1st is the Feast of St. Raymond of Fitero (also known as St. Raymond Sierra), twelfth century Priest and Canon of the Cathedral of Tarazona in Spain, Cistercian monk at the Escaladieu Abbey in Gascony, founder and first abbot of the Abbey of Fitero in Spanish Navarre, and founder of the military Order of Calatrava to defend Navarre from invading Moors.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Raymond of Fitero. 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 Raimondo di Fitero!

Prayer to St. Raymond of Fitero

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the examples of St. Raymond of Fitero may effectually move us to reform our lives; that while we celebrate his feast, we may also imitate his actions. Look upon our weakness, almighty God, and since the burden of our own deeds weighs heavily upon us, may the glorious intercession of St. Raymond of Fitero protect us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena to Santa Scolastica da Nursia

Santa Scolastica da Nursia, ora pro nobis

Pray novena to Santa Scolastica da Nursia for nine consecutive days, February 1st — February 9th, in preparation for the Feast celebrated on February 10th.

O God, to show us where innocence leads, you made the soul of your virgin Saint Scholastica soar to heaven like a dove in flight. Grant through her merits and her prayers that we may so live in innocence as to attain to joys everlasting. This we ask through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen

 

(Mention your request here…)

St. Scholastica, pray for us.  

Our Father…  Hail Mary… Glory Be…

* The accompanying photo was taken during my 2007 pilgrimage to the Abbey of Monte Cassino.

Catholic Movie Night at Atrium Stadium Cinemas in Staten Island, New York

This Year's Shrine to Beata Maria Cristina di Savoia

Beata Maria Cristina, ora pro nobis

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 our Lord Jesus, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen

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

Beata Maria Cristina, ora pro nobis

January 31st is the Feast of Blessed Maria Cristina di Savoia, Queen of the Two Sicilies. Daughter of King Vittorio Emanuele I and Maria Theresa of Austria-Este, she married King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies in 1832. Immensely pious, “la Reginella Santa di Napoli” as she was popularly called, performed numerous acts of charity and important social works for the poor people of Naples. On January 31, 1836, at the age of 23, she died shortly after giving birth to her son SG Francesco II, the last King of the Two Sicilies. Queen Maria Cristina was Beatified on January 25, 2014 at the Basilica Santa Chiara in Naples, where she is interred. In celebration, we're posting a prayer to Blessed Maria Cristina di Savoia. Viva 'a Reggina!

Prayer to Blessed Maria Cristina di Savoia, Queen of the Two Sicilies

O God, who has placed a great light in Your saints and a provident support for Your people along the path, listen with goodness to our prayer, and glorify Your Servant Blessed Maria Cristina di Savoia, in whose life as a wife and queen You have offered us a shining model of wise and courageous charity, and grant us, through her intercession, the grace [mention here the graces you are asking for] which from You, with trust, we invoke. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Feast of San Ciro di Alessandria

San Ciro di Alessandria, ora pro nobis

January 31st is the Feast of San Ciro di Alessandria (Saint Cyrus of Alexandria), Doctor, Hermit and Martyr. Widely venerated across Southern Italy, he is the principal patron of Portici (NA), Vico Equense (NA), Nocera Superiore (SA), Grottaglie (TA) and Marineo (PA), among others. In celebration, we're posting a Prayer to Saint Cyrus. The accompanying photo of San Ciro was taken at Saint Francis of Paola Church (219 Conselyea St.) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Evviva San Ciro di Alessandria!

Prayer to Saint Cyrus

O Glorious St. Cyrus, Doctor, Martyr and our merciful Patron, I implore your intercession with confidence. Watch with equally pitiful eye my spiritual and physical infirmities. Do not forsake me, listen to the voice of my heart, and give me your help and your protection. Amen.

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

Feast of San Giovanni Bosco

San Giovanni Bosco, ora pro nobis

January 31 is the Feast of San Giovanni Bosco, priest and founder of the Salesians. Known affectionately as Don Bosco, the renowned “Apostle of Youth” is the patron saint of schoolchildren, apprentices, juvenile delinquents and educators. In celebration, we’re posting of prayer to St. John Bosco. The accompanying photo is my makeshift shrine dedicated to the saint. Evviva San Giovanni Bosco!

Prayer to St. John Bosco

O glorious Saint John Bosco, who in order to lead young people to the feet of the divine Master and to mould them in the light of faith and Christian morality didst heroically sacrifice thyself to the very end of thy life and didst set up a proper religious Institute destined to endure and to bring to the farthest boundaries of the earth thy glorious work, obtain also for us from Our Lord a holy love for young people who are exposed to so many seductions in order that we may generously spend ourselves in supporting them against the snares of the devil, in keeping them safe from the dangers of the world, and in guiding them, pure and holy, in the path that leads to God. Amen.

Novena to Sant’Apollonia di Alessandria

Sant'Apollonia di Alessandria, ora pro nobis

Pray novena for nine consecutive days, January 31st to February 8th, in preparation for the Feast of Sant’Apollonia di Alessandria celebrated on February 9th. Evivva Sant’Apollonia di Alessandria!

O Glorious Apollonia, Patron Saint of dentistry and refuge to all those suffering from diseases of the teeth, I consecrate myself to thee, beseeching thee to number me among thy clients. Assist me by your intercession with God in my daily work and intercede with Him to obtain for me a happy death. Pray that my heart like thine may be inflamed with the love of Jesus and Mary, through Christ our Lord. O My God, bring me safe through temptation and strengthen me as thou didst our own Patron Saint Apollonia, through Christ our Lord. Amen

(Mention your request here…)

St. Apollonia, pray for us

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…

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

Novena to San Sabino Vescovo

San Sabino Vescovo, ora pro nobis

Pray novena for nine consecutive days, January 31st to February 8th, in preparation for the Feast of San Sabino Vescovo celebrated on February 9th. Evviva San Sabino!

Glorious San Sabino Vescovo, beloved Patron, you served God in humility and confidence on earth. Now you enjoy His beatific vision in heaven. You persevered till death and gained the crown of eternal life. Remember now the dangers, confusion and anguish that surround me and intercede for me in my needs and troubles, especially…[Mention your need here]. Amen.

San Sabino, pray for us. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

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

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

Feast of Santa Martina

Santa Martina, ora pro nobis

Deus, qui inter cétera poténtiæ tuæ mirácula, étiam in sexu frágili victóriam martýrii con- tulísti: concéde propítius, ut, qui beátæ Mártinæ Vírginis et Mártyris tuæ natalítia cólimus, per ejus ad te exempla gradiá- mur. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum.

January 30th is the Feast of St. Martina of Rome, Virgin and Martyr. According to tradition, St. Martina was arrested and dragged before Emperor Alexander Severus for refusing to make a sacrifice to the gods. Brutally tortured, milk and blood gushed from her wounds. She was condemned to die by ravenous beasts, but was left unscathed by the unusually docile animals. Then thrown onto a burning pyre, she miraculously emerged from the flames unharmed. Finally, she was beheaded. At her death, fire and thunder rained down from the heavens and an earthquake violently shook the city, toppling pagan statues and temples. Santa Martina is the patron saint of nursing mothers.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Martina in Latin and English. 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 Santa Martina!

Prayer

O God, who among the other marvels of Thy power, hast granted even to the weaker sex the victory of martyrdom: mercifully grant, that we who celebrate the heavenly birthday of blessed Martina, Thy Virgin and Martyr, may by her example draw nearer to Thee. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.

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.

First Friday Fatima Devotion at Corpus Christi Church in South River, New Jersey

Candlemas at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Jersey City, New Jersey

Celebrating the Feast of Beato Carlo Magno in NYC

Since I've yet to obtain a better image of the Emperor, I brought
out a few pieces from my stamp collection for the occasion

After traditional Latin Mass Tuesday evening, I met with a friend at a cozy Parisian-style bistro in Manhattan for a celebratory drink and talk in honor of the Feast of Beato Carlo Magno, Imperator Romanorum, and Pater Europae. Finding it increasingly difficult to find absinthe at bars these days, we took advantage of the opportunity and imbibed the Green Fairy. Evviva Beato Carlo Magno!

Detail of first-day cover and stamp depicting Emperor Charlemagne

(L) Art Deco base of absinthe fountain. (R) Pontarlier
glass with absinthe spoon and sugar cube

Dave and John partake in la fée verte

Feast of San Francesco di Sales

San Francesco di Sales, ora pro nobis

Deus, qui ad animárum salútem beátum Franciscum Confessórem tuum atque Pontificem ómnibus ómnia factum esse voluísti: concéde propítius; ut caritátis tuæ dulcédine perfúsi, ejus dirigéntibus mónitis, ac suffragántibus méritis, ætérna gáudia consequámur. Per Dóminum.

January 29 is the Feast of San Francesco di Sales (21 August 1567 – 28 December 1622), Bishop of Geneva, Confessor and Doctor of the Church. He is the patron saint of Catholic writers, educators, and the deaf because during his episcopate, he developed a sign language to help catechize a young deaf man. In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Francis de Sales in Latin and English. The accompanying photo is my makeshift shrine dedicated to the saint. Evviva San Francesco di Sales!

Prayer to St. Francis de Sales

O God, Who for the salving of souls didst will that blessed Francis, Thy Confessor and Bishop, should become all things to all men, be pleased to grant that we, being filled with the sweetness of Thy love, guided by his teachings, and helped by his merits and prayers, may attain the joys of everlasting life. Through our Lord.

Remembering S.A.R. Elisabetta delle Due Sicilie

2 February 1933 – 29 January 2022

In memory of S.A.R. Elisabetta delle Due Sicilie, Princess of Württemberg, Dowager Duchess of Calabria, Dame Grand Cross of Justice of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George, we pray for the happy repose of her soul.

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

Days of the Blackbird and the Coming of Persephone

Mythological Scene with the Rape of Persephone, early 1680s,
oil on canvas, Luca Giordano, The National Gallery

"Nature, as such, has become extinct in our century. Only in the art of previous centuries do we discover, to our astonishment, that nature is not just a simple physics experiment operated by industrious little organisms." ~ Nicolás Gómez Dávila, The Authentic Reactionary

In Italy, the last three days of January (29th-31st) are known as I giorni della merla or the days of the blackbird. Rooted in folklore, it refers to a number of old legends about a family of blackbirds and the coming of spring. In the Anglosphere, it is often referred to as Italy’s cousin to Groundhog Day. Continue reading

Presentazione del libro Bari e Maria Sofia

In Bari

Feast of Beato Carlo Magno

Carolo Magno Imperatore, ora pro nobis

January 28th is the Feast of Beato Carlo Magno (Blessed Charlemagne, or Charles the Great), Imperator Romanorum and Pater Europae. Canonized at the behest of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in 1165 by antipope Paschal III, the decree was ultimately abrogated by the Third Lateran Council in 1179. However, the Emperor's public cultus persisted and was eventually confirmed in the 18th century by Pope Benedict XIV. Though not a saint yet, he is beatified. In Celebration, we're posting a Prayer to Blessed Charlemagne by Dom Prosper Gueranger O.S.B. The accompanying photo was taken at the Abbey at Montecassino in Southern Italy. Evviva Beato Carlo Magno!

Prayer to Blessed Charlemagne

Hail, O Charles, beloved of God, Apostle of Christ, defender of His Church, protector of justice, guardian of good customs, terror of the enemies of the Christian name!

The tainted diadem of the Caesars - purified by the hands of Leo - sits on your august forehead; the globe of the Empire rests in your vigorous hand; the ever-victorious sword in your combats for Our Lord is sheathed at your waist, and on your forehead the imperial anointing was added to the royal unction by the hand of the Pontiff who consecrated you and confirmed your authority. As the representative of the figure of Christ in His temporal Royalty, you desired that He would reign in you and through you.

Now God rewards you for the love you had for Him, for the zeal you displayed for His glory, for the respect and confidence you showed toward His Spouse. In exchange for an earthly kingship, transitory and uncertain, you enjoy now an immortal kingdom where so many million of souls, who by your hands escaped idolatry, today honor you as the instrument of their salvation.

During the days of celebration of the birth of Our Lord by Our Lady, you offered to them the gracious temple you built in their honor (the Basilica of Aix-la-Chapelle), and which is still today the object of our admiration. It was in this place that your pious hands placed the newborn garment worn by her Divine Son. As retribution, the Son of God desired that your bones should gloriously rest in the same place to receive the testimony of the veneration of the peoples.

O glorious heir to the three Magi Kings of the East, present our souls before the One who wore such a humble garment. Ask Him to give us a part of the profound humility you had as you knelt before the Manger, a part of that great joy that filled your heart at Christmas, a part of that fiery zeal that made you realize so many works for the glory of the Infant Christ, and a part of that great strength that never abandoned you in your conquests for His Kingdom.

O mighty Emperor, you who of old was the arbiter of the whole European family assembled under your scepter, have mercy on this society that today is being destroyed in all its parts. After more than a thousand years, the Empire that the Church placed in your hands has collapsed as a chastisement for its infidelity to the Church that founded it. The nations still remain, troubled and afflicted. Only the Church can return life to them through the Faith; only she continues to be the depositary of public law; only she can govern the powerful and bless the obedient.

O Charles the Great, we beseech you to make that day arrive soon when society, re-established at its foundations, will cease asking liberty and order from the revolutions. Protect with a special love France, the most splendid flower of your magnificent crown. Show that you are always her king and father. Put an end to the false progress of the faithless empires of the North that have fallen into schism and heresy, and do not permit the peoples of the Holy Empire to fall prisoner to them.

Feast of Beato Antonio da Amandola

Beato Antonio da Amandola, ora pro nobis

Among the Augustinians, January 28th is the Feast of Blessed Anthony of Amandola (17 January 1355—25 January 1450), Friar and Priest of the Augustinian Order. Renowned for his strict asceticism, devotion to the poor and apostolic zeal, many healing miracles have been attributed to his prayers. 

Preaching for several years in Bari, Apulia, he eventually returned to his native Amandola in Le Marche. There, he expanded the old monastery and built a new church in memory of Saint Augustine. 

Interred in the church after his death, his shrine and incorrupt body were desecrated in 1798 by revolutionary forces during the Napoleonic invasions of Italy.

 

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to Blessed Anthony of Amandola composed by Archbishop Norberto Perini of Fermo. The accompanying photo comes courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella. The holy card is part of Father Carrella’s impressive collection of religious artifacts. Evviva Beato Antonio da Amandola!

Prayer to St. Blessed Anthony of Amandola

We come to You, O Lord, full of gratitude and filial confidence because You are rich in graces and ready to forgive. In the name of Blessed Anthony, Your faithful servant and our protector, we ask You to bless our country; to make families prosper by preserving prayer, peace, mutual love; to make young people docile, job-loving, honest; to give bread to the poor who suffer so much; to instill serenity and patience in the sick so that their pain becomes a means of purification for all; to comfort our elders; to assist the dying with Your grace so that, having overcome the last trials, they come to enjoy You in Your paradise. O Blessed Anthony, we all honour you and invoke your intercession with the Lord, so that He may allow us to always live your faith and to imitate your example made up of few words and many good works. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

* Prayer courtesy of anastpaul.com

Feast of San Pietro Nolasco

San Pietro Nolasco, ora pro nobis

January 28th is the Feast of St. Peter Nolasco (1189-1259), Confessor and Founder of the Order of Our Lady of Mercy (Mercedarians). Prompted by a Vision of St. Peter the Apostle, the great Saint founded the religious order in Barcelona, Spain, in 1218 with the support of St. Raymond Penafort and King James I of Aragon. Establish for the redemption of Christian slaves in North Africa, the Mercedarians were required to give all, including themselves, if necessary, to save those in danger of losing their faith.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to Saint Peter Nolasco. 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 Pietro Nolasco!

Prayer to Saint Peter Nolasco

O God, St. Peter was divinely guided by the example of Your won love to enrich Your Church with a new community dedicated to the ransoming of imprisoned Christians. Release us from the slavery of sin through his intercession so that we may enjoy the eternal freedom of our home in heaven.

The Second Feast of Sant’Agnese, Virgin and Martyr

Sant'Agnese, ora pro nobis

Deus, qui nos ánnua beátæ Agnétis Virginis et Mártyris tuæ solemnitáte lætificas: da, quæsumus; ut, quam venerámur offício, étiam piæ conversatiónis sequámur exémplo. Per Dóminum.

January 28th is the Feast of St. Agnes for the Second Time. According to tradition, seven days after her martyrdom (January 21st), St. Agnes appeared before her grieving parents to reassure and console them. She also visited the ailing Princess Constantia, daughter of Emperor Constantine, who was praying at her grave. St. Agnes convinced the princess to get baptized, and she was healed. Filled with gratitude for the graces received, Constantia built a basilica in honor of St. Agnes.

St. Agnes is the patron saint of young girls, virgins, gardeners, and victims of sex abuse, as well as Pineto (TE), Corropoli (TE), and Sava di Baronissi (SA) in Southern Italy.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Agnes in Latin and English. The accompanying photo comes courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella. The Olot statue is part of Father Carrella’s impressive collection of religious statuary and relics. Evviva Sant’Agnese di Roma!

Prayer

O God, Who dost gladden us with the yearly solemnity of blessed Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, grant us, we beseech Thee, to follow the example of pious living set by her whom we venerate in our devotions. Through our Lord.

Remembering Papal Zouave Philippe Marie Jean de Vassal-Cadillac

Philippe Marie Jean de Vassal-Cadillac

Born on August 14, 1850, Philippe Marie Jean de Vassal-Cadillac joined the Papal Zouaves in February 1868 at the age of 18. He was promoted to Sergeant in November 1869. 

The outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in July, 1870 led France to enact a conscription. Jean was one of those conscripted so he was forced to resign from the unit in August 1870.

Jean became Sergeant Fournier in the French Mobiles and was then promoted to Lieutenant in the 119th Line Infantry Regiment.

During the 2nd Battle of Dijon on December 18, 1870, he received two gunshot wounds and was seriously injured. Never truly recovering, he died in Angers on January 28, 1873.

The above portrait comes from my personal collection and once belonged to the Vassal-Cadillac family.

Archduchess Maria Theresa

On the back is an additional portrait of the Countess of Chambord Maria Theresa of Austria-Este, the wife of legitimist French King, Henry V.

I also have Jeaan's Papal Zouave Manual Prayer Book. Page 117 is circled which includes a prayer of thanksgiving after Communion and instructions on how to receive an indulgence.

Below is the translation.

ACT OF KINDNESS    

The tenderest and most generous of friends! what could now separate me from you, after you have given me such touching proof of your love? Ah! I renounce with all my heart what had taken me away from you; and I propose, with the help of your grace, to fall no more into faults which have so often afflicted your heart. 

Papal Zouave Manual prayer book

Those who, after going to confession and after receiving Holy Communion, recite the following Prayer before an image of the Crucifix, can gain a plenary indulgence and deliver a soul from purgatory.  (Pius VII, April 10, 1821.)

O good and sweetest Jesus, before Thy face I humbly kneel, and with all fervour of soul I pray and beseech Thee to vouchsafe to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope, and charity, true contrition for my sins, and a most firm purpose of amendment; whilst I contemplate with great sorrow and love Thy five Wounds, and ponder them over in my mind, having before my eyes the words which, long ago, David the prophet spoke in his own person concerning Thee, my Jesus: Foderunt manus Meas et pedes Meos; dinumeraverunt omnia ossa Mea.*

Five Paters and five Aves are then said, for the ordinary intentions of the Holy Church, to receive the plenary indulgence.

By Brendan Cassell (Papal Zouave History @PapalZouaveUS)

* They dug My hands and My feet; they numbered all My bones.

Remembering Henri du Vergier, Comte de la Rochejaquelein

The Death of Henri de La Rochejaquelein by Alexandre Bloch

"Friends, if I advance, follow me! If I retreat, kill me! If I die, avenge me!" ~ Henri du Vergier de la Rochejaquelein

In memory of Henri du Vergier, Comte de la Rochejaquelein (30 August 1772 – 28 January 1794), Généralissime of the Catholic and Royal Army during the wars in the Vendée, 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

Candlemas at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Shrine in East Harlem, New York

Brief Excerpt from “Rerum Novarum: Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII on Capital and Labor”

Portrait of Pope Leo XIII,
ca. 1878, Fabio Cipolla

"Those Catholics are worthy of all praise—and they are not a few—who, understanding what the times require, have striven, by various undertakings and endeavors, to better the condition of the working class by rightful means. They have taken up the cause of the working man and have spared no effort to better the condition both of families and individuals, to infuse a spirit of equity into the mutual relations of employers and employed, to keep before the eyes of both classes the precepts of duty and the laws of the Gospel – that Gospel which, by inculcating self-restraint, keeps men within the bounds of moderation, and tends to establish harmony among the divergent interests and the various classes which compose the body politic. It is with such ends in view that we see men of eminence meeting together for discussion, for the promotion of concerted action, and for practical work. Others, again, strive to unite working men of various grades into associations, help them with their advice and means, and enable them to obtain fitting and profitable employment. The bishops, on their part, bestow their ready goodwill and support, and with their approval and guidance, many members of the clergy, both secular and regular, labor assiduously on behalf of the spiritual interest of the members of such associations. And there are not wanting Catholics blessed with affluence, who have, as it were, cast in their lot with the wage-earners and who have spent large sums in founding and widely spreading benefit and insurance societies, by means of which the working man may without difficulty acquire through his labor not only many present advantages but also the certainty of honorable support in days to come. How greatly such manifold and earnest activity has benefited the community at large is too well known to require Us to dwell upon it. We find therein grounds for most cheering hope in the future, provided always that the associations We have described continue to grow and spread and are well and wisely administered. The State should watch over these societies of citizens banded together in accordance with their rights, but it should not thrust itself into their peculiar concerns and their organization, for things move and live by the spirit inspiring them and may be killed by the rough grasp of a hand from without."

Reprinted from Rerum Novarum: Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII on Capital and Labor, May 15, 1891, www.vatican.va

Feast of San Giuliano di Le Mans

San Giuliano di Le Mans, ora pro nobis

January 27th is the Feast of St. Julian of Le Mans, hermit, first Bishop of Le Mans (Gaul), and wonder-worker. In addition to many healing miracles, through his prayers, St. Julian is said to have vanquished a noxious dragon, brought forth a spring of water after striking the ground with his crozier, and raised the dead. Patron saint of Castrovillari in Cosenza, Calabria; Giugliano in Campania, Napoli; and Pollina in Palermo, Sicily; his cult was introduced to Southern Italy in the 11th century by the Normans.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Julian of Le Mans. 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 di Le Mans!

Prayer to St. Julian of Le Mans

Eternal and almighty God, You wanted Saint Julian to bring the light of the Gospel to those who have gone before us; since we take the name of Christians from him, let us conform our whole life to the faith of our heart. Through Jesus Christ, Your only Son, our Lord and our God who reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

Novena to Sant’Agata

Sant'Agata, ora pro nobis

Pray novena to St. Agatha of Sicily for nine consecutive days, January 27th — February 4th, in preparation for the Feast celebrated on February 5th.

O Holy St. Agatha pray for us and our troubled world. Pray for those survivors and victims of sexual abuse. Pray for those who are suffering with breast cancer. May we imitate you as a faithful servant of God. Amen 

(Mention your request here…)

St. Agatha, pray for us.  

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…

* The accompanying photo was taken at St. Joseph’s Church in Long Island City, New York.