San Giuseppe, ora pro nobis
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May 1, 2024
Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker
Festa dei Serpari — Feast of the Snake Handlers
San Domenico Abate, ora pro nobis |
Stemma di Cocullo |
April 30, 2024
Feast of Santa Caterina da Siena
Santa Caterina da Siena, ora pro nobis |
April 30th is the Feast of Santa Caterina da Siena (1347-1380), Virgin, Mystic, Stigmatic, Dominican tertiary, and Doctor of the Church. Invoked against fire, sickness, sexual temptation, and miscarriages, she is also the patron saint of nurses, firefighters and those who are derided for their faith. In 1999, along with St. Gertrude of Sweden and St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (St. Edith Stein), she was proclaimed co-patroness of Europe by St. Pope John Paul II, thus joining St. Benedict of Nursia, and Saints Cyril and Methodius as the continent's special protectors. In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to St. Catherine of Siena for expectant mothers. The accompanying photo was taken at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Franklin Square, Long Island. Evviva Santa Caterina da Siena!
Prayer to St. Catherine of Siena for expectant mothers
Humble virgin and Doctor of the Church, in thirty-three years you achieved great perfection and became the counselor of Popes. You know the temptations of mothers today as well as the dangers that await unborn infants. Intercede for me that I may avoid miscarriage and bring forth a healthy baby who will become a true child of God. Also pray for all mothers, that they may not resort to abortion but help bring a new life into the world. Amen.
Feast of Beato Benedetto da Urbino
Beato Benedetto da Urbino, ora pro nobis |
April 30th is the Feast of Bl. Benedict of Urbino, Capuchin Priest. In celebration, we’re posting a prayer and petition from a Papal Zouave on February 10th, 1867, asking for the intercession of Bl. Benedict of Urbino, who had just been beatified by Bl. Pope Pius IX on January 15, 1867.
O thou who art now so glorious in Heaven, be not selfish in the midst of thy felicity! I expect a miracle at thy hands, for thy power is only equalled by thy compassion. Look down on a poor Zouave who has to fight and struggle, as thou didst during thy life on earth; make me a chaste and worthy soldier of Christ, detach me from this world, in order that I may be united to God. I desire to love the cross now, that I may win Heaven hereafter.
Bl. Benedict of Urbino, Pray for us!
By Brendan Cassell (Papal Zouave History @PapalZouaveUS)
April 29, 2024
Review: Briganti
Spoiler alert! I repeat, spoiler alert! If you haven’t already seen Netflix's Brigands: The Quest for Gold, this review will definitely spoil it for you. Do not read beyond this point.
Io sono un principe italiano illegalmente spogliato del suo potere, è qui l'unica casa che mi è rimasta, qui è un lembo della mia patria, qui sono vicino al mio Regno ed ai sudditi miei… vengono chiamati assassini e briganti quegli infelici che difendono in una lotta diseguale l'indipendenza della loro patria e i diritti della loro legittima dinastia. In questo senso anche io tengo per un grand'onor di essere un brigante! ~ Re Francesco II delle Due Sicilie (durante la permanenza in esilio nello Stato Pontificio) [1]
Not surprisingly, I have little good to say about Netflix’s new Italian ahistorical drama Briganti. Released on St. George’s Day (Tuesday, 23 April 2024), the six-episode miniseries tells the fanciful tale of the struggle between bands of brigands and occupying Piedmontese soldiers in Southern Italy looking for pilfered Bourbon gold. Buried somewhere in the “Badlands” of Basilicata two years after Garibaldi’s invasion of Sicily, the fabled treasure map unexplainably ends up in the possession of Don Clemente Degli Orti (Gianni Vastarella), a wealthy (and exceedingly violent) collaborator with the nascent Italian state.
As someone who enjoys period pieces, I thought the sets, scenery, and costumes were fantastic, though I’m not sure how authentic some of the firearms were. The one main exception to this is the cheering townspeople in the final episode. Dressed with heavy eye makeup, dyed beards, and braids, the menfolk looked a little too much like Captain Jack Sparrow from The Pirates of the Caribbean (2003-2017) for my taste.
(L-R) Giuseppe Schiavone (1838-1864), Carmine Crocco (1830-1905), and Filomena Pennacchio (left) with two other female freedom fighters |
Perhaps, at times, a little too much in the case of Michelina Di Cesare (Matilda Lutz). While eye-catching, the crimson dress and warpaint she wore in the season’s penultimate episode was more than a little over the top. Standing on the “altar” of a ruined church with ciborium and bucranium she looked like a savage Amazon more suitable for Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto (2006) or George Miller’s upcoming Furiosa (2024) than the famed Brigantessa her character was supposedly based off of.
Top: Matilda Lutz as Michelina Di Cesare. Bottom: (L-R) Anya Taylor-Joy (Furiosa, 2024) and Charlize Theron (Fury Road, 2015) as Imperator Furiosa |
Even more ludicrous was the sex scene with Filomena (Michela De Rosa) and Giuseppe Schiavone (Marlon Joubert), aka Sparrowhawk (Sparviero). After protecting her from being raped by their cellmates, the battered and bloody “Murderess” and “Curse,” as she is often called, seduces him in the cage next to the sleeping prisoners and guards.
Since they aren't following the true story of Filomena and Giuseppe, I don’t understand why he didn’t just kill her when they were forced to fight each other to the death by the bloodthirsty Stonebreaker Gang (Spaccapietre). It was totally out of character for the self-serving double-dealing cad to sacrifice himself for her, especially when, as it turned out, he was really in love with another woman the whole time.
(L) Michelina posing with guns. (R) "Aiming higher," Briganti's Michelina posing for a portrait dressed as the Blessed Mother with a rifle |
(L) Michelina with a bouquet of flowers. (R) The Piedmontese's handiwork |
The more I think about the show, the more confusing and inane I find it. The storyline is dumb and the writing is terrible. Why would Don Clemente marry lowly Filomena, an orphaned peasant girl beneath his station and whom he has nothing but contempt for? Why would he murder Filomena’s friend over a cup of water and then throw his wife into a well? If the water was so valuable, why would he risk contaminating the cistern with his wife’s body? None of it makes any sense.
I know I focus a lot on Michelina, but Filomena De Marco is the story's main protagonist. Her character is based on Filomena Pennacchio (1841-1915) |
During the big battle scene outside the church, why didn’t Michelina retreat with everybody else when they made off with the gold? Declaring, “We want victory,” she foolhardily advances toward the general and gets shot and captured. I get her wanting to kill Fumel, but while lying on the ground wounded her very next line was, “We have already won.” [!?!] If that was the case, then why didn’t she flee?
Even crazier, is why the briganti didn’t just open fire on the soldiers standing guard. Not only did they allow them to get into position, they let them shoot first. [!?!] A barbarous occupational force, the Piedmontese had no qualms about murdering innocent civilians or burning whole villages to the ground. For heaven’s sake, they collected severed human heads for Lombrosian experiments, so the hesitancy to obey their general’s command to shoot the populace was one of the most historically inaccurate parts of a series glutted with inaccuracies.
(L-R) The corpses of Nicola Napolitano, executed "Briganti," and Ninco Nanco |
Mindful of their poor track record and today’s progressive climate, I never really expected Netflix to air a good show. We also saw the way Pasquale Squitieri’s far superior and much more accurate Li Chiamarono…Briganti (They called them Brigands) was received and suppressed in 1999. Other than affording us the opportunity to discuss the lawless period, there is little value in the show. In fact, Briganti's one saving grace is the rendition of Brigante Se More by Gennaro “Raiz” Della Volpe, which serves as the series theme song. Maybe I’m being overly critical, but not since Amazon’s abhorrent Rings of Power (2022) have I sat through something this awful.
~ Giovanni di Napoli, April 28, Feasts of St. Vitalis of Milan and St. Paul of the Cross
Notes:
[1] I am an Italian prince illegally stripped of his power, here is the only home I have left, here is a corner of my homeland, here I am close to my Kingdom and my subjects...those unfortunates who defend in an unequal struggle the independence of their homeland and the rights of their legitimate dynasty. In this sense, I also consider it a great honor to be a brigand! ~ King Francesco II of the Two Sicilies (during his stay in exile in the Papal States)
Feast of San Severo di Napoli
San Severo di Napoli, ora pro nobis |
According to an eleventh century account of the saint’s life, San Severo brought a dead man back to life to save his wife from an unscrupulous creditor. Threatening a poor widow and her young children with slavery, the man claimed her deceased husband put them up as collateral for a loan. Unable to convince the man to reconsider, San Severo brought him and several witnesses to the late husband’s sepulcher, and raised him from the dead. Confronted by the husband, the fraudster was forced to admit he lied about the debt and quickly made himself scarce.
Together with the Madonna del Soccorso and San Severino Abate, he is the patron saint of San Severo in Provincia di Foggia, Apulia.
In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to St. Severus of Naples. The accompanying photo, courtesy of Andrew Giordano, was taken at the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta in Napoli. Evviva San Severo di Napoli!
Prayer to St. Severus of Naples
O Glorious St. Severus of Naples 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 & Consecration to San Michele Arcangelo
The Archangel Michael smiting Lucifer, 16th century painting by Giovanni Angelo d'Amato da Maiori, Duomo di Ravello, Campania. Photos by New York Scugnizzo |
Consecration to St. Michael
St. Michael the Archangel, invincible prince of the angelic hosts and glorious protector of the Universal Church, I greet thee and praise thee for that splendor with which God has adorned thee, especially to remain faithful when Lucifer and his followers rebelled, and to battle victoriously for the honor of God and the divinity of the Son of Man.
St. Michael, I consecrate to thee my soul and body. I choose thee as my patron and protector and entrust the salvation of my soul to thy care. Be the Guardian of my obligation as a child of God and of the Catholic Church as again I renounce Satan, his works and pomps. Assist me by thy powerful intercession in the fulfillment of these sacred promises, so that imitating thy courage and loyalty to God, and trusting in thy kind help and protection, I may be victorious over the enemies of my soul and be united with God in Heaven forever. Amen.
San Michele Arcangelo by Renato Rossi, 1931, Vietri sul Mare, Salerno |
St. Michael the Archangel, loyal champion of God and His people, I turn to thee with confidence and seek thy powerful intercession. For the love of God, Who made thee so glorious in grace and power, and for the love of the Mother of Jesus, the Queen of the Angels, be pleased to hear my prayer. Thou dost know the value of my soul in the eyes of God. May no stain of evil ever disfigure its beauty. Help me to conquer the evil spirit who tempts me. I desire to imitate thy loyalty to God and Holy Mother Church and thy great love for God and men. And since thou art God's messenger for the care of His people, I entrust to thee this special request: (Here mention your request).
St. Michael, since thou art, by the will of the Creator, the powerful intercessor of Christians, I have great confidence in thy prayers. I earnestly trust that if it is God's holy will, my petition will be granted.
Pray for me, St. Michael, and also for those I love. Protect us in all dangers of body and soul. Help us in our daily needs. Through thy powerful intercession, may we live a holy life, die a happy death and reach Heaven where we may praise and love God with thee forever. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
April 28, 2024
A Look at the Napoli Ottocento Exhibit On View at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome
Reclining Woman Reading, Gioacchino Toma, c.1880 Photos courtesy of Cav. Danny Toma |
Country Road - A Hot Day in Sicily!, Francesco LoJacono, 1877 |
The Iconoclasts, Domenico Morelli, 1855 |
A Wall in Naples, Thomas Jones, c.1782 |
A View of Naples through a Window, Franz Ludwig Catel, 1824 |
View of Naples from Sant'Antonio a Posillipo, Ercole Gigante, 1840 |
The Painter's Studio in Naples, Massimo D'Azeglio, c.1827 |
View of Mergellina, Silvestr Feodosievich Shchedrin, 1826 |
Capri, Karl Theodor Boehme, 1896 |
Aurora Borealis Effect, Salvatore Fergola, 1848 |
Riviera di Chiaia from Mergellina, Anton Smink van Pitloo, 1829 |
Eruption of Vesuvius from the Maddalena Bridge, Pierre-Jacques Volaire, 1782 |
April 27, 2024
Feast of the Madonna Incoronata
Madonna Incoronata, ora pro nobis |
Hail to you Mary, Mother of Mercy
Life, sweetness, and spring of joy
In you we trust when in trouble or pain
To you we come when we are in tears
In affliction your comfort we obtain.
Hear our pleas, our sweet defender
Virgin Mother with all sorrow laden
To our God you prayers direct
Because our actions have no effect
The door of paradise open to all
When death for comes to call. Amen.
Feast of the Madonna di Monserrato
Madonna di Monserrato, ora pro nobis |
In the 8th century, the statue was hidden in a grotto atop Mount Montserrat in order to protect it from being desecrated by the invading Umayyad infidels who were laying waste to the Visigoth Kingdom of Hispania.
Lost over time, the secret location was eventually discovered in 880 AD by shepherd boys tending their flock. Reporting strange lights and Seraphic music emanating from the mountain to the Bishop of nearby Manresa, they uncovered the small statue in a cave. Unable to remove it from Montserrat, a Benedictine sanctuary was built on the mountain to enshrine the statue in accordance to Our Lady's wishes.
Devastated during the Napoleonic Peninsular War (1807-1814), restoration of the monastery began in 1844. Damaged again during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), many of the monks were executed by the Republicans. Anticipating these savage attacks, the sacred image was hidden before the murderous swine could destroy it. Returned to the chapel, the Basilica was restored and monastic life returned, keeping the holy mountain a major destination for pilgrims today.
A prayer card with a photograph of the Madonna dl Monserrato statue in Craco Vecchio |
In Vallelonga, the Feast of the Madonna di Monserrato is also celebrated on the second Sunday in July. While the town's devotion to her can be traced back to at least the 1550s, the commemoration has existed since 1783 when Our Lady miraculously saved the townspeople from a violent earthquake.
In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to Our Lady of Montserrat. The accompanying photo of La Moreneta was taken at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola (980 Park Avenue) in New York City. The image of the prayer card comes courtesy of the Craco Society. Evviva Maria!
Prayer to Our Lady of Montserrat
My Lord Jesus Christ, who has been pleased to give into the hands of Thine Immaculate Mother Mary distribution of the graces merited for us by thy Life, Death and Resurrection; and Who hast answered the recommendations of Her Loving Heart by favors granted to numberless saints and sinners at Her Shrine of Montserrat; listen, I beseech Thee to her pleadings on my behalf: And do Thou, O Mother of Jesus – Mine also – present my plea before His Throne for all the graces that I need, but especially for the favor I now implore... [Mention your intentions here...] May His glory and the renown of Thy intercession be everywhere known and extolled. Amen.
Feast of Santa Zita
Santa Zita, ora pro nobis |
St. Zita, pray for us that we will patiently accept the daily chores Almighty God asks of us and that we will give generously of our time to the poor.
April 27 is the Feast of Santa Zita (1212-1272), Virgin. She is the patron saint of domestic workers, bakers and housewives. According to tradition, Zita was a humble and pious maidservant who, at the age of twelve, was sent to work for a wealthy family in the Serene Republic of Lucca. One day, losing track of time while in prayer at church, she returned late to her master’s kitchen and found the bread she was supposed to bake already made. Thanking her fellow servants for their assistance, they each told her they had not done so and that it was the angels who had baked the loaves for her.
In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Zita. The pictured prayer card was a gift from a friend. Evviva Santa Zita!
Prayer to St. Zita
Almighty and glorious God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we ask that through the intercession of your servant, St. Zita, we may grow in grace and virtue as she did. By her steadfast prayers may we find a renewed love for the poor and heartfelt compassion towards those less fortunate than ourselves. By her example of hard work done with great joy and diligence, may we learn how to serve you through earnest fidelity to our state in life and a spirit ready to embrace your will for us in our daily duties. Amen.