Remembering Marie Antoinette, Queen of France

Viva 'a Reggina!

After Mass, Wednesday evening, members and friends of the Fratelli della Santa Fede (Brothers of the Holy Faith) met up for fellowship and meatless dinner in memory of Marie Antoinette (2 Nov. 1755–16 Oct. 1793), Queen of France and Navarre. Her Majesty was murdered 231 years ago during the French Revolution. Viva 'a Reggina!

Eternal rest grant unto Her Majesty, 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.

Her Majesty's portrait by the San Rocco di Montpellier shrine

Olive assortiti

Gamberi al forno

Milinciani fritti

Trofie al pesto Trapanese

Pesce spada alla Siciliana

Feast of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Disciple of the Sacred Heart

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, ora pro nobis

October 17th is the Feast of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690), Virgin and Mystic. Patroness of the devotees of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Visitation nun is also invoked by those suffering from polio or with the loss of parents. Her visions of Christ helped spread the devotion to the Sacred Heart across the Catholic World. 

In celebration, I’m posting a Prayer to St. Margaret Mary. Pictured is an image of Our Lord appearing to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque I salvaged from a yard sale and is now a treasured part of my private oratory. Evviva Santa Margherita Maria Alacoque!

Prayer to St. Margaret Mary

Saint Margaret Mary, thou who wast made a partaker of the divine treasures of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, obtain for us, we beseech thee, from this adorable Heart, the graces we need so sorely. We ask these favors of thee with unbounded confidence. May the divine Heart of Jesus be pleased to bestow them upon us through thy intercession, so that once again He may be loved and glorified through thee. Amen.

V. Pray for us, O blessed Margaret;
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who didst wondrously open the unsearchable riches of Thy Heart to blessed Margaret Mary, the virgin: grant unto us, by her merits and our imitation of her, that we may love Thee in all things and above all things, and may be worthy to have our everlasting dwelling in the same Sacred Heart: who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

Announcing the 123rd Annual Feast of San Vincenzo Martire di Craco in New York City

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

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.

Novena to San Gavino Martire

San Gavino Martire, ora pro nobis

Pray novena to San Gavino Martire for nine consecutive days, October 16th to October 24th, in preparation for the feast of October 25th. Evviva San Gavino!

O glorious St. Gavinus you served God in humility and confidence on earth and are now in the enjoyment of his beatific vision in heaven because you persevered till death and gained the crown of eternal life. Remember now the dangers that surround me in the valley of tears, and intercede for me in my needs and troubles (Mention your intentions here). St. Gavinus, pray for us.

The accompanying photo, courtesy of Anthony Scillia, was taken at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

Remembering Marie Antoinette, Queen of France

Marie Antoinette in a Park, ca. 1780-81, by Elizabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun

In memory of Marie Antoinette (2 November, 1755 – 16 October, 1793), Queen of France, executed during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror, we pray for the happy repose of her soul. Viva ‘a Reggina!

Eternal rest grant unto Her Majesty, 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.

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

A Look at the "Paris Through the Eyes of Saint-Aubin" Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC

The Marriage of Mérope and Polyhonte, ca. 1750, black chalk with stumping, red and white chalks, on beige paper, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (French, 1724-1780)

Friday afternoon we returned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the ongoing Paris Through the Eyes of Saint-Aubin exhibit currently on view in Gallery 690. Marking the 300th anniversary of the artist's birth, the exhibition, running through February 4, 2025, features a wide array of drawings and prints demonstrating the prolific draftsman's many interests. Pictured are a select few on view.  

Lot and His Daughters, ca. 1750-55, pen and black ink, brush and gray wash, over black and red chalk, heightened with watercolor and gouache, on blue paper, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (French, 1724-1780)

Laban Searching for His Household Gods, ca. 1753, etching,
Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (French, 1724-1780)

The Hôtel-Dieu in Flames, 1772, pen and black ink over black chalk, with watercolor, pastel, and gouache, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (French, 1724-1780)

The Fortune Teller, ca. 1725-28, pen and black ink, brush and gray wash,
watercolor and gouache, over black chalk underdrawing,
François Boucher (French, 1703-28)

The Chestnut Seller (La marchande de chataignes), 1762, etching,
Chevalier de Parlington (active late 18th century)

(L) Self-Portrait in a Medallion, ca. 1764, black chalk with stumping, graphite, pen and gray ink, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (French, 1724-1780). The Child and the Bulldog, 1778, etching, Marguerite Gérard (French, 1761-1837)

The Venetian Festivals (Les fêtes vénitiennes), after 1759, watercolor and gouache over pen and brown ink, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (French, 1724-1780)

The Village Festival, ca. 1735-40, etching,
Jean Baptiste Marie Pierre (French, 1714-1789)

The Triumph of Pompey, 1765, watercolor and gouache, pen and black ink, graphite, over black chalk, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (French, 1724-1780)

(L) Allegory of Louis XV as Patron of the Arts with Paintings and Sculpture from the Salon of 1769, ca. 1769, oil paint over black chalk underdrawing, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin. (R) Dorimel bidding farewell to his wife and her parents before his execution, an illustration for the play Le Déserteur, by Louis Sébastien Mercier, 1770, Black chalk and oil on paper laid down on panel, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin

County Fair, 1762, etching, Pierre Charles Lévesque (French, 1736-1812)

After viewing the Saint-Aubin exhibit, we strolled through the European painting and sculpture galleries to see some of our old favorites.

Inferno, 1908, oil on canvas, Franz von Stuck (German, 1863-1928)

The Afternoon Meal (La Merienda), ca. 1772, oil on canvas,
Luis Melendez (Spanish, Naples 1716-1780 Madrid)

Still Life with Dead Hares, ca. 1808-12, oil on canvas,
Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (Spanish, 1746-1828)

A City on a Rock, 19th century, oil on canvas, style of Goya, Spanish

(L) Louis XV (1710-1774), 1757, marble, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne (French,
1704-1778). (R) Orpheus and Eurydice, modeled ca. 1887, carved
1893, marble, Auguste Rodin (French, 1840-1917)

(L-R) Saltash with the Water Ferry, Cornwall, 1811, oil on canvas; Venice, from the Porch of Madonna della Salute, ca. 1835, oil on canvas; and Whalers, ca. 1845, oil on canvas, Joseph Mallord William Turner (British, 1775-1851)

The Night-Hag Visiting Lapland Witches, 1796,
oil on canvas, Henry Fuseli (Swiss, 1741-1825)

By the time we publish this, the Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300-1350 exhibit will have already opened. Expect our exploration in the near future. 

Advertisement for upcoming exhibit outside the museum

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.

Photo of the Week: Bronze Bust of Dionysus, Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Feast of San Callisto I

San Callisto I, ora pro nobis

October 14th is the Feast of St. Callistus I, second-century Pope and Martyr. A former slave and fugitive, Callistus was sentenced to work in the mines. Eventually pardoned, he was put in charge of a Christian cemetery, now known as the Catacombs of St. Callistus. Ordained as a deacon, he served as an advisor to Pope Zephyrinus. Elected Pope himself in 217, he was merciful in dealing with sinners and built a church in Rome, which became the foundation for the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere. He is credited with reinvigorating the Ember Days, which are days of fasting and prayer. Murdered in a popular uprising, his body was discarded in a well in 222.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Callistus I. The accompanying photo comes courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella. The statue is part of Father Carrella’s impressive collection of religious statuary and relics. Evviva San Callisto I!

Prayer to St. Callistus I

God of mercy, hear the prayers of your people that we may be helped by St. Callistus, whose martyrdom we celebrate with joy. 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.

Meme Dump (Part Deux)

Last year's Columbus Day "Meme Dump" went over well, so we decided to do it again this year. Considering the heated contention surrounding the great explorer and his holiday, we feel this is the perfect opportunity to share some of our favorite memes expounding controversial ideas and unpopular opinions. Happy belated Italian American Heritage Month and Happy Columbus Day!