March 19, 2024

The Bells of Santa Maria delle Grazie a Toledo

In the Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie on the Via Toledo in Naples, sit two bells by the side entrance depicting the portraits of King Ferdinando II, Beato Maria Cristina di Savoia, and the royal coat of arms of Bourbon–Two Sicilies.

Erected in 1628 in honor of the Madonna di Loreto by the Theatine Fathers of the Holy Apostles, the church underwent remodeling in 1721. Expelled by the French in 1806, the church was temporarily used as a tribunal by the pretenders to the throne Joseph Bonaparte and Joachim Murat.

In 1835, His Majesty King Ferdinando II commissioned the architect Carlo Parascandolo to renovate the church and entrusted it to the Reale Arciconfraternita di Nostra Signora dei Sette Dolori dei nobili di Santo Spirito di Palazzo.

The main altar was created in 1759 by Giuseppe Sanmartino based on the design by Michelangelo Porzio. It is flanked by statues of Faith and Hope by the sculptor Tito Angelini. Throughout the church interior can be found many fascinating works of art, including neoclassical paintings, wooden sculptures and, of course, these two magnificent bells.

~ Photos courtesy of Angela Cuccillato (Facebook)

Feast of San Giuseppe

San Giuseppe, ora pro nobis
March 19th is Saint Joseph's Day. As a carpenter and spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster-father of the Infant Jesus, he is the patron saint of workers and protector of the family. He is also invoked in the fight against Communism and the grace of a happy death. 

In Sicily the day is popularly celebrated with La Tavulata di San Giuseppe or Saint Joseph's Table. Dating back to Medieval times, the ritual meal is held in honor of the Saint's intercession during an especially bad famine. According to legend, a severe drought struck the island inflicting widespread suffering and starvation. Saint Joseph answered the peoples' prayers and relieved them from the dreadful plight. 

Eternally grateful, a special feast was prepared by wealthy families to help those less fortunate. Fava beans are a staple because it is said the hardy vegetable was the only food that would grow during the famine. Toasted breadcrumbs are sometimes sprinkled over pasta dishes, which symbolizes sawdust from Saint Joseph's workshop. Other delicacies include sculpted breads (Pane di San Giuseppe) and the famous sfinci di San Giuseppe, decadent cream puffs filled with sweetened ricotta, chocolate and candied fruits. Traditionally meat is not served during the Feast because it takes place during Lent. The celebration is still observed by devout Sicilians around the world and variations of the Table are found in Campania, Puglia and other places in Southern Italy.

In the South, Saint Joseph's Day also serves as Father's Day (Festa del Papa). It's a wonderful opportunity for us to show appreciation to our fathers and honor our forefathers. 

In celebration, I'm posting a Prayer to Saint Joseph. The accompanying photo of the Saint was taken during my 2010 pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Carmine in Sorrento, Campania. Evviva San Giuseppe!

~ Giovanni di Napoli, March 18th, Feast of St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Prayer to Saint Joseph

Blessed St. Joseph, I consecrate myself to your honor and give myself to you, that you may always be my father, my protector and my guide in the way of salvation. Obtain for me great purity of heart and a fervent love of the interior life. After your example, may I perform my actions for the greater Glory of God, in union with the Divine Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Pray for me, Saint Joseph, that I may experience the peace and joy of your holy death. Amen.

Happy Spring!

Photo by New York Scugnizzo
The March or vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring, a time of rebirth and fertility. In celebration of the new season I would like to share a poem by the acclaimed Sicilian poet and 1959 Nobel Laureate Salvatore Quasimodo from The Night Fountain: Selected Early Poems translated by Marco Sonzogni and Gerald Sawe, Arc Publications, 2008, p. 26-27. 
The accompanying photo of Primavera (Spring), or Flora, the goddess of fertility and springtime, from the Villa Arianna, Stabiae, first century AD, was taken at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli in 2010.
Wild Flowers

Blood clots hanging over torn green velvet:
the wounds of the fields!
Breathing in the sweet air, spring has broken
the veins of its swollen breasts.
Wind gusts with eager lips: a kiss!
Blood-red wild flowers float on threadlike
and foamless waves.

Primule

Grumi pensili di sangue sul lacero velluto verdognolo.
Oh le ferite dei prati!
La primavera respirando voluttuosamente l'aria soave, ha rotte
le vene del suo seno turgido.
Un fiotto di vento con le labbra avide; un bacio! E le
primule sanguigne galleggiano su l'onde filamentose e
senza spuma.

Good Friday Procession in Brooklyn, New York

March 18, 2024

Celebrating the Fourth Annual Sanfedisti Tavola di San Giuseppe in Brooklyn, New York

This year's Tavola di San Giuseppe
After Mass, some thirty devotees gathered at Amunì Ristorante (7217 3rd Avenue) in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Sunday afternoon to celebrate our Fourth Annual Sanfedisti Tavola di San Giuseppe.

San Giuseppe, ora pro nobis
Heartfelt thanks to our dear friends from the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George, the Roman Forum, the Hapsburg Restoration Movement, San Rocco Society of Potenza in NYC, the Italian Enclaves Historical Society, the Brooklyn Latin Mass Society, the Italian Mass Project, and the Holy Name Society of the Shrine Church of St. Bernadette for joining us in the festivities.

Special thanks to Chef Vincent Dardanello, who treated us to another delicious Sicilian repast. His warmth and hospitality are second to none. We are especially grateful to Fr. Basil for joining us on this joyous occasion and blessing our table and bread. As always, celebrating our faith and culture together was a great honor and pleasure. We are looking forward to doing it again next year. Evviva San Giuseppe!
(L) Another look at the table. (R) Portrait of SG Francesco II of the Two Sicilies
Miniature traditional Sicilian cart
Prayer cards for SG Francesco II of the Two Sicilies
Prayer cards for Beata Maria Cristina di Savoia
Fr. Basil blessed our table and bread
Caponata
Arancini
Stuffed artichoke
Pasta con sarde with toasted breadcrumbs
Pasta alla Norma
Eggplant parmigiana
Shrimp oreganata
Stuffed swordfish
Zeppole and sfingi di San Giuseppe from Fortunato Brothers' Bakery
A good time was had by all
(L) The Cross of Burgundy and Kingdom of the Two Sicilies flags. (R) Amaro dell'Etna  
Thirty loaves of blessed Pane di San Giuseppe
were generously donated by the Sanfedisti
After dinner, partygoers took a commemorative photo with the
flags of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and
Cross of Burgundy
The Sanfedisti hierarchy

Feast of San Salvatore da Horta

San Salvatore da Horta, ora pro nobis
March 18th is the feast of St. Salvator of Horta (1520-1567), Franciscan Lay Brother, ascetic, and wonderworker. Renowned for his holiness and humility, St. Salvator miraculously healed the sick with the sign of the Cross.

Attracting thousands of desperate pilgrims wherever he settled, his superiors and confreres viewed him with suspicion and considered him a nuisance. In Barcelona, he was even denounced to the Inquisition but was soon found innocent of wrongdoing.

Expelled repeatedly from the friaries, St. Salvator did, however, spend almost twelve years at Horta in Tarragona, Catalonia. Transferred from here as well, he finally arrived at a friary in Cagliari, Sardinia, in November 1565, where he died two years later, saying, “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.”

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Salvator of Horta. The accompanying photo comes courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella. The sculpture is part of Father Carrella’s impressive collection of religious statuary and relics. Evviva San Salvatore da Horta!

Prayer to St. Salvator of Horta

Almighty God, author of all miracles, we thank you for your wonder-working servant, St. Salvador. Throughout his life he was known to call down special heavenly graces for many who sought his intercession. By his great faith and exceptional humility, he was able to move mountains in the lives of your people and inspire them to seek you above all else. On this day, I too call upon his saintly help to assist with this most challenging need (mention intention). Grant that, above all, I may have the grace of joyful surrender to your Divine Providence. Through the intercession of St. Salvador, I abandon myself to your Holy Will. Amen.

Photo of the Week: Detail of the Seven Archangels Vanquishing Demons, Chapel in the House of St. Pius V in the Vatican

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

"The Grand Coalition of the Status Quo and the Temptation to Obey the Zeitgeist (1000s-1500s)" Lecture by Dr. John C. Rao in New York City

March 17, 2024

Passion Sunday

Angel holding the Sudarium, Vatican
The fifth Sunday of Lent is Passion Sunday and marks the beginning of Passiontide, the last two weeks of Lent. The first of the two weeks is known as Passion Week, and the second as Holy Week. During this period all sacred images (statues, icons, etc.), except for the Stations of the Cross, are veiled with violet cloth, signifying Christ’s hiding from the Jews (John 8:59) until he entered Jerusalem (commemorated on Palm Sunday). The Júdica Me psalm and Glória Patri doxology are omitted from the Masses for the same reason. The images will remain covered until the Glória is sung on Holy Saturday, which signals the ending of Lent and the beginning of Eastertide. During this solemn stretch, meditation on the Passion of Christ (the suffering and death of our Lord) is to be our principal point of focus. 

In celebration, I’m posting the anthem and prayer for Passiontide from Blessed Be God: A Complete Catholic Prayer Book by Very Rev. Charles J. Callan, OP., S.T.M. and Very Rev. John A. McHugh, OP., S.T.M (Preserving Christian Publications, 2010). The accompanying photo of the Angel holding St. Veronica's Veil by Cosimo Fancelli was taken during my 2007 visit to the Ponte Sant' Angelo (Bridge of Angels) in the Eternal City. On this day in Rome, the Sudarium, or Veil of Veronica, used to wipe the Volto Santo (Holy Face) of Jesus while He marched the Via Dolorossa (Sorrowful Path) to Golgotha is briefly revealed for veneration. 

A Prayer for Passiontide 

Ant. It behooves us to glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in Whom is our salvation, life, and resurrection, by Whom we are saved and delivered. 
V. Spare, O Lord, spare Thy people. 
R. Whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood. 

Let us pray 
O God, Whom to love above all is righteousness, multiply in us the gifts of Thy ineffable grace; and since Thou hast given us, in the death of Thy Son, to hope for those things which we believe grant us in the Resurrection of the same to attain the end to which we aspire. Who liveth and reigneth forever and ever. Amen.

Feast of Santa Gertrude di Nivelles

Santa Gertrude di Nivelles, ora pro nobis
March 17th is the Feast of St. Gertrude of Nivelles, Abbess, Ascetic, and Foundress. Born in Nivelles, Brabant, in 626, St. Gertrude was the daughter of Blessed Pepin I of Landen and St. Itta of Metz. Her older sister St. Begga was an ancestor of Charles Martel and Emperor Charlemagne.

When her father died in 639, her mother founded a Benedictine double monastery for men and women at Nivelles and appointed St. Gertrude as the first abbess. Primarily focused on instructing the monks and nuns in Holy Scripture, she also used her family’s wealth to build several churches, monasteries and hospices.

Enfeebled by her severe penances and self-deprivation, she resigned her office and appointed her niece St. Vulfetrude as her successor. She was revered as a saint immediately following her death in 659.

Patron saint of sailors and travelers, St. Gertrude is invoked against fever, plague, rats and mice. Her patronage of cats appears to be a recent attribute—possibly associated with her protection against rodents. Her patronage of sailors and travelers stems from her miraculous intercession at sea, famously protecting a ship under attack by a giant sea monster.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Gertrude of Nivelles. The accompanying photo comes courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella. The holy card is part of Father Carrella’s impressive collection of religious artifacts. Evviva Santa Gertrude di Nivelles!

Prayer to St. Gertrude of Nivelles

Dear St. Gertrude, you have long been venerated as a patron against rats and mice. Please intercede for us, we pray, and ask God to rid our home of all mice. We ask for your prayers as we work to reclaim our home as ours alone, free from mice and any other pests. Amen

Feast of San Corrado di Baviera

San Corrado di Baviera, ora pro nobis

March 17th is the Feast Day of San Corrado di Baviera, Cistercian Monk, Hermit and patron saint of Molfetta, Puglia. It commemorates his dies natalis, or birth into heaven. His liturgical Feast day, recalling the translation of his holy relics, falls on February 9th.

 

In celebration, I'm posting the Supplica a San Corrado, Patrono di Molfetta. The accompanying photo was taken at Holy Face Monastery in Clifton, New Jersey. Unveiled on July 14, 2013, the statue was sculpted by Lyndhurst, New Jersey native Nicolò Scardigno in honor of his parents, Salvatore and Anna, who hail from Molfetta. Evviva San Corrado di Baviera!


Supplica a San Corrado, Patrono di Molfetta


Miracolo dei Principi, modello dei Religiosi, immagine limpida dei Pellegrini e degli Eremiti, glorioso San Corrado, noi ti onoriamo e ti scegliamo come nostro Patrono e Protettore. 

Benediciamo la Santissima Trinità che con tre esperienze da eremita volle perfezionare la tua santità. 

Benediciamo l’Eterno Padre, che con la sua onnipotenza ti chiamò nel monastero di Chiaravalle per renderti umile e povero sulla terra ma grande e ricco in Cielo. 

Benediciamo il Figlio Gesù, che con la sua sapienza ti spinse in Palestina per farti partecipe della sua vita onorando la memoria della sua passione, morte e risurrezione. 

Benediciamo lo Spirito Santo, che con la sua carità ti indicò la grotta di Modugno per renderti sconosciuto e nascosto negli ultimi anni della tua vita terrena ma rinomato, glorioso e santo agli occhi della Chiesa e del mondo. 

Ricordati, nostro Protettore San Corrado, che Dio Altissimo ti ha destinato a noi, e per noi ti ha guidato in questa nostra terra. 

A te affidiamo noi stessi, i nostri parenti, i nostri amici, la vita della nostra Chiesa diocesana e della nostra città.  

Intercedi per noi presso Dio Padre, affinché possiamo rendere ferma la nostra fede, salda la speranza e ardente la carità. 

Chiedi al Signore, per noi, la salute del corpo e la consolazione dello spirito, difesa nei pericoli, sicurezza nel lavoro, sollievo nel dolore, serenità nella famiglia, pace e concordia nella comunità cristiana e nel mondo intero. 

Proteggici nel pellegrinaggio di questa vita, in modo che, liberi da ogni attaccamento alle cose di questo mondo, possiamo ringraziarti per la tua protezione e, insieme con te, lodare, esaltare e glorificare il nome di Gesù Cristo che vive e regna per tutti i secoli dei secoli. Amen

Feast of Beata Bárbara Maix

Beata Bárbara Maix, ora pro nobis
“Più di tutto valle la Volontà di Dio.”

March 17th is the feast of Beata Bárbara Maix (Vienna, June 27, 1818—Rio de Janeiro, March 17, 1873), foundress of the Congregation of Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to blessed Bárbara Maix. Pictured is my makeshift shrine with reliquary prayer cards (ex indumentis) from Rome. Evviva Beata Bárbara Maix!

Prayer to Blessed Bárbara Maix

O loving and merciful God, who has chosen Bárbara Maix to always and in everything fulfill your holy will, especially together with those who are most needy; we ask you, who know all our hopes and sufferings, this grace which we need so much [mention here the graces you are asking for] We ask also, through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Beatification of your faithful servant. Amen!

La Bandiera di Gaeta (2024)

Le Associazioni "1° Reggimento Re", i "Cacciatori Ass. MILITES LUCI - IMAGO HISTORIAE" e il "Reggimento Real Marina" saranno presenti a Gaeta per l'alza Bandiera del Regno delle due Sicilie, Domenica mattina, 24 Marzo a cura del Capitano Alessandro Romano, in occasione del Raduno Identitario del 22 - 23 - 24 Marzo!

March 16, 2024

17 marzo 2024, I Domenica di Passione: S. Messa cantata in Rito Romano antico nel Santuario di San Gaetano, ore 11.30

www.messatridentinanapoli.com

Feast of Sant'Eriberto di Colonia

Sant'Eriberto di Colonia, ora pro nobis
March 16th is the Feast of St. Heribert (c.970–1021), German nobleman, provost at Worms Cathedral, Counselor to Emperor Otto III, Archbishop of Cologne and Wonderworker. Ordained a priest in 994, he was appointed the chancellor of Italy and later Germany by Otto III. Elected Archbishop of Cologne, he received ecclesiastical investiture and the pallium at Benevento from Pope Sylvester II on July 9, 999. During a severe drought, he prayed for rain and a torrential downpour saved the harvest and prevented a looming famine. For this miracle, he is invoked for rain and against drought.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Heribert of Cologne. The accompanying photo comes courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella. The holy card is part of Father Carrella’s impressive collection of religious artifacts. Evviva Sant'Eriberto di Colonia!

Prayer to St. Heribert of Cologne

God, Light and Shepherd of souls, You established St. Heribert as Bishop in Your Church to feed Your flock by his word and form it by his example. Help us through his intercession to keep the Faith he taught by his word. 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

Catholic Movie Night: 'The Passion of the Christ' at Atrium Stadium Cinemas in Staten Island, New York

March 15, 2024

Feast of San Longino Martire

San Longino, ora pro nobis
March 15th is the Feast of San Longino (St. Longinus), the Holy Martyr. According to tradition, St. Longinus was a Roman centurion from Lanciano, Abruzzo, present at the Crucifixion of Jesus on Mount Golgotha in Judea. In order to confirm Christ's death, Longinus pierced the side of Our Lord with his spear. Visually impaired from a wound he sustained in battle, Longinus miraculously had his eyesight restored when the blood and water of Christ spattered him in the face. Exclaiming "Truly, this was the son of God!" he converted and retired from the army. Taking instruction in the faith from the Apostles, Longinus became a monk and preached in Cappadocia. Arrested for profaning the gods, Longinus was brutally tortured and beheaded. Over the centuries, his lance, known as the Spear of Destiny, has been sought after by many conquerors as a weapon of great power. It is said, whoever possesses the sacred relic would be invincible in battle. 

In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to St. Longinus. The accompanying photo of Gian Lorenzo Bernini's magnificent marble sculpture of the Centurion was taken during my 2007 pilgrimage to the shrine of San Longino inside St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Evviva San Longino!
Prayer to St. Longinus
O St. Longinus, you crucified Our Lord out of unquestioning loyalty to a pagan empire. Yet, the blood of Christ opened your eyes to see the truth. You, who trembled in fear at the foot of the cross, and declared that “Truly, this was the Son of God,” pray with us now for that Sacred Heart you pierced. Pray with us now for the Body of Christ crucified today throughout the world. Implore Our Lord with us to touch the hearts of the persecutors, who act in perverse zeal and religious error to let the blood of these blessed martyrs open their eyes, just as Christ’s precious blood opened yours. May Our Lord lead them from these depraved acts toward a path of righteousness and deliver them from evil for the rest of their days. Amen.

Feast of Santa Luisa de Marillac

Santa Luisa de Marillac, ora pro nobis
March 15th is the Feast of St. Louise de Marillac (1591-1660), Mystic of the Holy Spirit, wife, mother, teacher, nurse, co-foundress and superior of the Vincentian Sisters of Charity, servants of the sick and poor. She is the patron saint of social workers.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Louise de Marillac. The accompanying photo comes courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella. The holy card is part of Father Carrella’s impressive collection of religious artifacts. Evviva Santa Luisa de Marillac!

Prayer to St. Louise de Marillac

Loving and compassionate God, we celebrate with great joy the faith and works of our patroness St. Louise de Marillac. Instill in us the fire of her love, the tenacity of her belief, and the tenderness of her care for the most abandoned. Draw us together into the light of your presence and help us to trust in the power of your Spirit, leading us to ever closer to you, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

Remembering The Ides of March

The Death of Julius Caesar by Vincenzo Camuccini (1771-1844),
Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte, Napoli
"Beware the ides of March," a warning given by a seer in Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar that has, like many of his phrases, survived centuries. Most have heard it, less have basic understanding of what it means, less still have a deeper understanding.

In ancient Rome, every month had an ides, sort of a midpoint, but not exactly. It was usually the thirteenth, but the fifteenth for four months (March, May, July, and October). The ides were sacred to Jupiter and religious observances were held to him on those days. The ides of March was also known for settling debts, and possibly because of that was chosen as the date for the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. Continue reading

Holy Week at the Church of St. Mary in Norwalk, Connecticut

March 14, 2024

Remembering S.A.R. Don Sisto Ferdinando di Bourbon Parma and Braganza

1 August 1886 — 14 March 1934
In memory of S.A.R. Don Sisto Ferdinando di Bourbon Parma and Braganza, Infant of Spain, Prince of Parma and Piacenza, 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.

Feast of Santa Matilde di Ringelheim

Santa Maltile di Ringelheim, ora pro nobis
March 14th is the feast of St. Matilda of Ringelheim (c.892–968), Saxon Queen and Benedictine Oblate. In 909, she married Henry the Fowler, Duke of Saxony and future King of East Francia, and bore him five children—three sons and two daughters. As queen, she built numerous hospitals and monasteries. When King Henry passed away in 936, she had a monastery built in Quedlinburg, Saxony-Anhalt, where he was interred, and she served as the first abbess.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Matilda of Ringelheim. The accompanying photo comes courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella. The holy card is part of Father Carrella’s impressive collection of religious artifacts. Evviva Santa Matilde di Ringelheim!

Prayer to St. Matilda of Ringelheim

O God, by whose grace the blessed Matilda enkindled with the fire of thy love, became a burning and a shining light in thy Church:Grant that we may be inflamed with the same spirit of discipline and love, and ever walk before thee as children of light; through JesusChrist our Lord. Amen.

Feast of Beato Giacomo Cusmano, Apostle of the Poor

Beato Giacomo Cusmano, ora pro nobis
March 14th is the feast of Beato Giacomo Cusmano (Palermo, March 15, 1834—March 14, 1888), Apostle of the Poor. Priest, physician and surgeon, he was the founder of the Missionary Servants of the Poor and Sisters Servants of the Poor. In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to Beato Giacomo Cusmano in Italian. Pictured is my makeshift shrine with reliquary prayer card (ex indumentis). Evviva Beato Giacomo Cusmano!


Prayer to Beato Giacomo Cusmano


O Dio, Padre onnipotente e misericordioso, ti ringrazio e ti benedico che hai adornato il cuore del beato Giacomo Cusmano in una caritá senza limiti nel soccorrere i poveri ed i miseri. Fá che anch’io, sul suo esempio, acceso dello stesso ardore di caritá, si sempre lieto di donare la vita a gloria del tuo nome e a servizio dei fratelli per essere da te benedetto nel Regno dei Cieli e concedimi, per sua intercessione, le grazie delle quali ho tanto bisogno. Gloria al Padre ecc.

Remembering Servant of God Empress Zita of Austria-Hungary

9 May 1892 – 14 March 1989

In memory of Servant of God Empress Zita of Austria-Hungary, Princess of Bourbon-Parma, we pray for the happy repose of her soul.

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.