Feast of Sant’Andrea Apostolo

Sant'Andrea Apostolo, ora pro nobis

November 30th is the Feast of Sant'Andrea Apostolo, protokletos, or "First-Called." St. Andrew is the patron Saint of fishermen and the Southern Italian coastal city of Amalfi, where he is also fêted on June 27th. In celebration, I'm posting a Prayer to Saint Andrew. The accompanying photo was taken at the 2012 Feast of Saint Andrew in New Haven, Connecticut. Evviva Sant'Andrea Apostolo!

Prayer to Saint Andrew

O glorious Saint Andrew, you were the first to recognize and follow the Lamb of God. With your friend, Saint John, you remained with Jesus for that first day, for your entire life, and now throughout eternity. As you led your brother, Saint Peter, to Christ and many others after him, draw us also to Him. Teach us to lead others to Christ solely out of love for Him and dedication in His service. Help us to learn the lesson of the Cross and to carry our daily crosses without complaint so that they may carry us to Jesus. Amen.

New Music — Il Soffio Di Partenope: Music For Woodwinds From 18th Century Naples

New music that may be of interest to our readers.

• Il Soffio Di Partenope: Music For Woodwinds From 18th Century Naples by Ensemble Barocco Di Napoli / Abchordis Ensemble

Label: Deutsche Gram France
Release Date: November 29, 2019
Audio CD: NA
Number of Discs: 1

Available at Amazon.com

Read description

Venerating St. Padre Pio’s Relics at Immaculate Conception Church, in Tuckahoe, New York

On 23 November 2019 members of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George and the Comitati delle Due Sicilie had the honor of venerating St. Padre Pio’s relics at Immaculate Conception Church, in Tuckahoe, New York, originally founded in the parish in 1853 as the area’s second Catholic church.

Graciously overseen by the Saint Pio Foundation, with founder and CEO Maestro Luciano Lamonaca in attendance, a steady crowd of the faithful filed in to the hilltop church to venerate the relics which were comprised of Saint Pio’s crusts of the wounds, cotton-gauze with Saint Pio’s blood stains, a lock of Saint Pio’s hair, Saint Pio’s mantle, Saint Pio’s handkerchief soaked with his sweat hours before he died.

The Saint Foundation made available a variety of prayer and relic cards, as well as novenas, Rosaries, a sculpture of the Saint and a special commemorative necktie by E. Marinella of Naples, as well as a silk foulard with his image.

A special thanks to the Parish and the members of the Saint Pio Foundation for their tireless efforts to promote the faith and the legacy of Padre Pio and for their warm welcome to pilgrims and devotees, many of whom stayed for the evening mass.

Photos and article by Cav. Charles Sant’Elia and Silvia Sant’Elia

Immaculate Conception Church

Saint Pio's relics on display near the sanctuary

Devotees take turns venerating the relics 

A silk foulard with Padre Pio's image 

Cav. Charles Sant'Elia with Saint Pio Foundation
founder and CEO Maestro Luciano Lamonaca

Celebrating the Feast of San Giovanni della Croce at the Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents

"The Return Crucifix"
Photos by New York Scugnizzo

Continuing our amazing weekend of prayer, members of the Fratelli della Santa Fede (Brothers of the Holy Faith) gathered at the Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents (128 West 37th St.) in Manhattan Sunday morning for the Feast of San Giovanni della Croce (St. John of the Cross). Arriving early, we attended both the 9:00am Tridentine Low Mass and the 10:30am Tridentine High Mass. Our Pastor, Fr. James L.P. Miara was the celebrant at both.

Between the two Masses, we took the opportunity to pray our daily Rosary and meditate on the Glorious Mysteries. Briefly taking leave of my brethren, I quietly wandered around the church and lit a few candles by the saints.

The Infant of Prague

Praying for the remission of the sins of the poor and forgotten Souls in Purgatory, I lingered awhile by the life-size “Return Crucifix” near the northwest entrance. Made famous by the artist Charles Bosseron Chambers (1882-1964), the Crucifix was thus named because of his moving depiction of a young French soldier he found praying before it. The story goes that the Frenchman was seeking a return to faith before heading to France to fight in World War I.

In memory of St. John of the Cross and my paternal grandmother, I offered a few prayers by the statue of the Infant of Prague near the sacristy. Like the great Carmelite friar and mystic my grandmother had a strong devotion to the Child Jesus, and through my father she passed down her love for the Infant of Prague to me.

Afterward, we joined our fellow parishioners for Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall. Catching up with old and new friends, we enjoyed the usual coffee, tea and wide selection of breakfast fare. In celebration of long-time parishioner Jolanta’s 40th year in the United States, guests were treated to some delicious chocolate or strawberry shortcake. A bottle of green Chartreuse made a fortuitous appearance and we all drank to her health. Offered a second shot of the French liqueur, the Sanfedisti toasted St. John of the Cross. Evviva San Giovanni!

~ Giovanni di Napoli, November 25, Feast of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria

Photo of the Week: Statue of Artemis (Diana) at Villa San Michele, Capri

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Bidding Farewell to the Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima at Holy Innocents Church in NYC

Evviva Maria!
Photos by New York Scugnizzo

Over the years, I’ve attended many memorable Masses at the Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents (128 West 37th St.) in Manhattan. Coming to mind are my first ever Tridentine Mass on the Feast of St. George back in 2015, and my investiture into the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George a year later. Both were edifying and life-changing.

More recently, there were the Votive Mass of Exposition, Missa Pro Pace (Peace Mass), and Mass of Reposition during the Forty Hours Devotion; and the consecration of the church's icon of Blessed Charles de Foucauld with the procession of Our Lady of Fatima in Times Square. Though a long time in coming, the beauty and solemnity of these Masses were a big part in my recent decision to only attend the Traditional Latin Mass.

This weekend’s Votive Masses with the Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima now ranks among them.

(L) Our friends Elena, Anna and Franca from the Madonna della Neve Society.
(R) My fellow lifters vesting in the sacristy 

Friday afternoon, the sixth Pilgrim Virgin Statue carved decades ago in the Fátima Sanctuary in Portugal arrived at Holy Innocents, the final destination of its month-long tour of the Archdiocese of New York. Traveling around the world, the international statues are meant to help “spread Our Lady’s Peace Plan and Message of Fatima,” which according to the November 10, 2019 church bulletin is “one of prayer, especially the prayer of the Holy Rosary, sacrifice and penance in reparation for sin, and Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary through the Brown Scapular.”

After Mass, the Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima
was processed by candlelight around the church

The most crowded I’ve seen the church thus far, devotees from far and wide gathered to venerate the Blessed Mother and celebrate the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Confession, the Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the praying of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, as well as the Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary were scheduled throughout the day.

Our Lady's message was brought to the streets

Culminating with a Solemn High Tridentine Votive Mass of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the rite for investiture in the Brown Scapular of the Carmelites was unexpectedly offered to those who haven’t already been enrolled in the confraternity. Congratulations to my friends Elena and Andrew, along with all the others present who took the vows.

After Midnight Mass, the statue was processed around the nave

The Mass was sung by Celebrant and Homilist Fr. James L.P. Miara, Pastor of Holy Innocents. Fr. Michael C. Barone, Chaplain for the Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey and the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George was the Deacon; and Fr. Christopher Salvatori, SAC, Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in East Harlem, New York was the Subdeacon. The Sacred Ministers were dutifully assisted by MC Eddy Toribio, nearly a dozen servers, and the very talented Schola Cantorum of Holy Innocents.

The statue circles the nave

Following Mass, the faithful sang and prayed during the outdoor candlelight procession with the Most Blessed Sacrament and Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima through the teeming streets of New York City. Joining fellow parishioners, members of the Fratelli della Santa Fede (Brothers of the Holy Faith), including yours truly, had the great honor of carrying the statue.

Far from over, we returned to the church for the Night Vigil, which included praying the twenty mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary, the St. Michael Chaplet, and prayers of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

A generous woman handed out mementoes for us to wave during the procession

At Midnight, we again celebrated a Solemn High Tridentine Votive Mass of Our Lady. This time, Fr. Miara was joined by Deacon, Fr. Joseph Zwosta, in residence at St. Mark RC Church in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn and Subdeacon, Mr. Jeffrey Collins. 

At the conclusion of Mass, the congregation sang the Te Deum and the traditional Fatima Farewell while waving white handkerchiefs as the Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima was processed around the nave. Placed back in the sanctuary beneath a flower arch, devotees filled the altar rails for a final opportunity to pray or deposit their written intentions into the prayer box next to the statue.

The statue returns to the sanctuary

Having fasted all day on Friday, I joined the die-hards (and there were many) for some refreshments at the late night “coffee hour” in the Parish Hall. Expecting to have just a little caffè and maybe a croissant before hitting the road, I was pleasantly surprised to see a full-on catered meal, with platters and trays of Italian and Polish specialties. Since it was now Saturday and I could eat meat, I decided to stay out way past my bedtime, mingle with the other partygoers, and partake in some delicious affettati e formaggio, kielbasa and bigos.

(L) Fr. Miara says grace before dinner. (R) Trays of affettati e formaggio

God Bless Fr. Miara, his faithful staff, and members of the greater Parish family for keeping Holy Innocents a true bastion of traditional Catholicism during the current crises of the Church. As always, it was a great joy to celebrate our faith together. Evviva Maria!

~ Giovanni di Napoli, November 24, Feast of St. John of the Cross

Assorted salumi, cheeses, fruit, and stuffed grape leaves 

Pork kielbasa 

Chicken with fava beans 

Beef with barley 

Cakes adorned with Our Lady's image

Feast of San Giovanni della Croce

San Giovanni della Croce, ora pro nobis

November 24th is the Feast of San Giovanni della Croce (St. John of the Cross), Doctor of the Church and patron saint of contemplatives, poets, and mystics. A major figure of the Counter-Reformation, St. John was a reformer of the Carmelite Order and, with St. Teresa of Avila, a founder of the Discalced Carmelites. In celebration, I’m posting a Prayer to St. John of the Cross. The accompanying photo was taken outside St. Athanasius School in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn before it was replaced with a statue of Christ the King. Evviva San Giovanni della Croce!

Prayer to St. John of the Cross

Saint John of the Cross, in the darkness of your worst moments, when you were alone and persecuted, you found God. Help me to have faith that God is there especially in the times when God seems absent and far away. Amen 

Feast of Santa Cecilia Martire

Santa Cecilia Martire, ora pro nobis

November 22nd is the Feast of Santa Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr. Patroness of music and musicians, Saint Cecilia’s Day marks the beginning of the Christmas season in Southern Italy. Traditionally celebrated with music and concerts, it is also customary to enjoy regional delicacies, such as le pettole di Santa Cecilia, a fried dough specialty sometimes sprinkled with sugar or stuffed with anchovies, capers and codfish. In celebration, I'm posting A Prayer to Saint Cecilia. The accompanying photo of The Ecstasy of St. Cecilia is by Bernardo Cavallino (ca.1616-1656), courtesy of the Museo di Capodimonte in Napoli. Evviva Santa Cecilia!

A Prayer to Saint Cecilia

O glorious saint, who chose to die instead of denying your King, we pray you please to help us as His fair praise we sing. We lift our hearts in joyous song to honor Him this way. And while we sing, remembering, to sing is to doubly pray. At once in our hearts and in our tongues we offer double prayer sent heavenward on winged notes to praise God dwelling there. While in our hearts and tongues we try with song to praise God twice, we ask dear saint, to help us be united close to Christ! Amen.

Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis

Deus, qui beátam Mariam semper Virginem Spiritus Sancti habitáculum, holdiérna die in templo præsentári voluísti: præsta, quæsumus; ut, ejus intercessióne, in templo glóriæ tuæ præsentári mereámur. Per Dóminum…in unitate ejusdem.

November 21st is the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple. In fulfillment of a vow, San Gioacchino and Sant’Anna brought Our Lady as a child to the Temple in Jerusalem to consecrate their daughter to God and unknowingly begin her preparation to be the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Byzantine Church the celebration is regarded as one of the twelve great feasts of the liturgical year, called the Dodecaorton. 

In celebration, I’m posting a prayer for the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Latin and English. The accompanying photo of a young Blessed Virgin Mary is a detail of my old beat-up statue of Sant’Anna. Evviva Maria!

Prayer

O God, Who wast pleased that on this day the Blessed Virgin, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, should be presented in the Temple, grant, we beseech Thee, that, by her intercession, we may deserve to be presented in the temple of Thy glory. Through…in the unity of the same.

Novena to Sant’Andrea Apostolo

Sant'Andrea Apostolo, ora pro nobis

Pray novena for nine consecutive days, November 21st to 29th, in preparation for the feast on November 30th. Evviva Sant'Andrea!

Day 1 — November 21st

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Andrew the Apostle as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his openness to Your call in our own lives, that we may be as ready to serve You as he was. St. Andrew, you were one of the first people to be called personally by Our Lord. He called you and your brother St. Peter to leave behind your lives as fishermen and to follow Him as Apostles. You followed His call to become “fishers of men.” And you remained faithful to that call, staying with Him throughout His ministry and spreading the Gospel after His death. You probably never would have guessed that you would be invited to be one of the closest friends of the Son of God, but you left everything behind in order to follow Him. Pray for me, that I may be as ready to serve Christ as you were. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). St. Andrew the Apostle, pray for us! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Day 2 — November 22nd

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Andrew the Apostle as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his virtue in our daily lives, throughout the work we do each day. St. Andrew, you were no stranger to hard work. You spent much of your life performing the physical labor involved in the life of a professional fisherman. You did not move away from the demands of this work. Instead, you embraced it and attempted to do it well. When Jesus called you to leave your work behind and become a “fisher of men,” you immediately left your old life and dived into a new kind of work for the glory of God. Pray for me, as I strive for holiness amidst my daily work. Pray that, like you, my life may revolve around devotion to Christ. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). St. Andrew the Apostle, pray for us! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Day 3 — November 23rd

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Andrew the Apostle as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his faith in our own lives, that we may follow You as unreservedly as he did. St. Andrew, you left behind your old life as a fisherman when Our Lord called you to be His apostle. You did not know what this new life might entail, but you chose to follow Him readily in faith. Throughout Christ’s public ministry, you remained close with Him and did not desert Him. After His death and resurrection, you carried out the mission of preaching the Gospel despite persecution. You had faith that God would reward you in Heaven. Pray for me, that I may remain faithful to God in my life, despite fears of the unknown or of suffering. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). St. Andrew the Apostle, pray for us! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Day 4 — November 24th

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Andrew the Apostle as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his devotion and his close friendship with You, that we too may have a deep friendship with You. St. Andrew, you were one of the people who was closest to Jesus during His time on earth. Along with the other Apostles, you saw Him perform miracles and heard Him teach. You were with Him at the Last Supper when He gave us Himself in the Eucharist. You saw Him after He had risen from the dead. During the time you spent with Him, you developed a deep friendship with Him. Pray for me, that I may have a deep friendship with Christ. Pray that I may grow to love Him and serve Him as faithfully as you did. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). St. Andrew the Apostle, pray for us! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Day 5 — November 25th

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Andrew the Apostle as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his zeal for Your glory and his deep desire to win souls for You. St. Andrew, you became a missionary for Christ after His death. He once called you to become a “fisher of men,” and you carried out this call by preaching the Gospel to others in the area near the Black Sea. Though Christians were persecuted and you knew that preaching about Christ could cause you to be killed, you did not waver in your mission. You continued trying to bring souls to God, until you were martyred for your missionary work. Pray for me, that I may be as zealous for souls as you were. Pray that I may never waiver in preaching the Gospel, even if I must suffer because of it. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). St. Andrew, pray for us! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Day 6 — November 26th

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Andrew the Apostle as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his love for You, especially for the Eucharist that he encountered for the first time at the Last Supper. St. Andrew, you were one of Our Lord’s closest friends while He was on earth. With the other Apostles, you spent much time with Christ. You were one of the privileged men who shared the Last Supper with Him. You were there when He gave us His own Body and Blood in the Eucharist. You received from Him the immense gift of Himself that He continues to give us at each Mass. Pray for me, that I may always show the Eucharist the reverence It is due. Pray that I may always recognize what a gift Christ has given us in His Body and Blood. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). St. Andrew the Apostle, pray for us! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Day 7 — November 27th

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Andrew the Apostle as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his courage in preaching the Gospel, that we may always be firm in our faith, no matter what it may cost us. St. Andrew, you readily accepted the mission from Jesus to become a “fisher of men,” and you carried out that mission until the end of your life. After Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension, Christians were often persecuted and killed. But despite this, you carried on courageously in your mission to preach the Gospel. You continued trying to win souls for Christ until your martyrdom, and you did not let the threat of suffering or death stop you. Pray for me, that I may have the courage to preach the Gospel against all obstacles as you did. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). St. Andrew the Apostle, pray for us! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Day 8 — November 28th

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Andrew the Apostle as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his courage amidst suffering, that we may be ready to even give our lives for our faith if necessary. St. Andrew, you knew that being a Christian and spreading the Gospel would not be easy. You knew that Our Lord’s words about the need to suffer for Him would be true in your own life. But even though remaining faithful to Him would mean your death, you did not waver in your faith. You willingly suffered for Christ and ultimately died for Him, knowing that your reward would be great in Heaven. Pray for me and for all who face the threat of suffering or death over their faith in Christ. Pray that we may have the strength to stand strong in our faith, even to the point of death if necessary. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). St. Andrew, pray for us! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Day 9 — November 29th

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Andrew the Apostle as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his humility, that we may be as humble as he was when he thought himself unworthy to die in the same manner as Christ. St. Andrew, you worked with great bravery for the sake of the Gospel throughout your life, even continuing on courageously to the point of death. But like your brother St. Peter, you did not feel worthy to die in the same manner as Jesus did. When you were sentenced to death by crucifixion, you requested your cross to be different from Our Lord’s, feeling that your death as a sinful man should not look outwardly identical to the death of Jesus. Pray for me, that I may have a true, humble understanding of my own sinfulness. Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). St. Andrew the Apostle, pray for us! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

* Photo of reliquary bust of Sant’Andrea Apostolo was taken inside the Duomo di Amalfi by Andrew Giordano

The Long Awaited Return of the Tridentine Mass to St. Finbar Church in Bath Beach, Brooklyn

Saint Finbar RC Church
Photos by Cindy Brolsma and New York Scugnizzo

The plan on Sunday was to attend High Mass at Holy Innocents Church (128 West 37th St.) in Manhattan, briefly mingle with friends at coffee hour, then bolt back to Bath Beach, Brooklyn for the first Traditional Latin Mass to be celebrated in 49 years at St. Finbar Church (138 Bay 20th St.). However, due to subway track maintenance and the MTA’s less than stellar bus and shuttle service I could not make it into the city in time. One cannot help but wonder why two hours is not enough time to get from one part of the city to another?

Looking to avoid a similar commuting fiasco (and having to go to a local Novus Ordo Mass), I decided to go to St. Finbar’s straight away. Good thing I did, because I actually walked the distance before spotting a bus.

The Sanctuary and High Altar

Annoyed with the MTA, my real grievance is with the current state of the Catholic Church. Unfortunately, you expect bad service from a bureaucratic government agency; but why must one have to travel hours, passing several other churches on the way, just to be able to attend a Tridentine Mass? If made available at every church, the way it should be, traditionalists (i.e. Catholics) wouldn’t have to go gallivanting around the city every Sunday or holy day.

Unquestionably worth all the effort, we’ll continue to support the Traditional Mass wherever it is held and will not rest until its celebrated everywhere.

Parishioners filled the pews around the scaffolding

Now with the unpleasantries out of the way, let’s discuss the more pertinent part of the day.

Arriving early at St. Finbar, I was finally able to see the newly restored nave and sanctuary with the lights on. Having only visited the bedimmed church on Holy Thursdays, it is one of our favorite places to spend time at the Altar of Repose. Still under renovation (they are currently cleaning the ceiling murals), Pastor Fr. Michael Louis Gelfant has done an amazing job restoring the grandeur of the old church by reinstalling the altar rails and pews, as well as uncovering the original marble floor with inlaid roses.

Our new friends Vincent Maida, and Gianna and John Mazzola 

Warmly welcomed, longtime parishioner Vincent Maida was kind enough to show me some of the terrific restoration work he did for the church. In addition to touching up the Stations of the Cross, the former employee of the Guggenheim Museum restored two heavily damaged oil paintings depicting the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the narthex.

The restored paintings in the narthex

Following the Asperges rite, the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was celebrated by Fr. Rafael Perez, the Parochial Vicar at Divine Mercy Parish, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Sitting in choir, Fr. Gelfant was the homilist. The sacred ministers were dutifully assisted by Michael and Vinnie, who regularly serve at Our Lady of Peace Church (522 Carroll St.) in Gowanus, Brooklyn. The chants and organ accompaniments were performed by Director of Music Alex Violette and Andrew Violette.

Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii and a Guatemalan style St. Michael

Afterward, I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of several parishioners, who were very enthused about the prospect of celebrating the Extraordinary Form of the Mass regularly at the church. Sadly, we learned that Fr. Gelfant is scheduled for reassignment and will be leaving in January. Understandably, there are serious concerns that all the improvements he made at St. Finbar are in jeopardy. We pray for the incoming Pastor.

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and Saint Rose of Lima

Thank you to all the members of the congregation for your warmth and hospitality, it was a tremendous joy to celebrate our faith together. God bless Fr. Gelfant, we wish him great success at his new parish and will keep him in our prayers. Special thanks to my friend Cindy Brolsma from Brooklyn Latin Mass for giving me a lift home and helping me avoid another frustrating misadventure with public transportation.

~ Giovanni di Napoli, November 19th, Feast of Santa Elisabetta d'Ungheria

Saint Gerard Majella and Saint Andrew the Apostle

Santissimo Crocifisso and Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

As an aside, the 40 Hour Devotion will be celebrated at St. Finbar from Thursday 21st through Saturday 23rd.

Photo of the Week: The Certosa di San Giacomo, Capri

Carthusian monastery founded in 1363 by Count Giacomo Arcucci
Photo by New York Scugnizzo

The Once and Future Kingdom

Screengrab of Prince Filiberto's televised address

On Thursday, November 14th, the Pretender to the Italian throne, Prince Emanuele Filiberto, announced the return of the Royal Family to Italy in a live televised address. Despite providing no information on how “The Royal Family is coming back,” the teaser created a brief stir in monarchist circles, prompting texts and phone calls from friends. After doing a little fact-checking, it quickly became apparent the whole thing was an unbecoming publicity stunt to promote either the upcoming second season of The Crown on Netflix or a new line of clothing by Global Intuition called Casa Savoia. Uninterested in either, I stopped looking into the matter.

As unlikely as it may seem today, I do believe we will see a restoration of the monarchy in Italy one day. However, it won’t be the disgraced House of Savoy we see restored, it will be the Royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies in a newly independent Regno dell Due Sicilie. [Cue ridicule and scorn.]

For those of us who are traditionally minded, the Bourbons of Naples are anything but a footnote in history, they are a symbol of authority, sovereignty, and justice. They represent a possible future in the face of the present crises that threaten the remnants of our moribund civilization. A return to traditional religious and aristocratic principles, embodied by Their Sicilian Majesties, will be our foundation to confront globalism and the unholy secular worldview currently plaguing our society with wanton materialism and widespread apathy.

Thankfully, Massimo d’Azeglio’s often-quoted proposition that “We have made Italy; now we must make Italians” still rings hollow. After more than 150 years of social engineering and cultural leveling, Italian unification, which suppressed and destroyed, with varying degrees of success, the local history, culture, and identity of the Duosiciliano people, has yet to be completely realized.

We continue to see a gradual awakening as people across the peninsula (Metternich’s famous “geographic expression”) abandon today’s ersatz culture and discover and embrace their true identity (Neapolitan, Venetian, et al.). To be sure, too many are effete and supine, but for us, the growing number of Duosiciliani who have embraced the counter-revolutionary neo-Bourbon cause is what really matters. For the sake of our future, it is important for us to build on these gains.

The South needs to return to its austere roots. This is not some sentimental longing for an idyllic past, but a stratagem for a future based on the immortal principles of spiritual authority (the Church) and temporal power (the Monarchy). With precious little worth safeguarding after unification, Southern Italy needs to diverge from this nihilistic path of modernity with its sterile sybaritic values (as opposed to invigorating spiritual ones) and look to the restoration of its Catholic Monarchy (as opposed to democratic-liberal or Marxist falsehoods) to bring about a well ordered (hierarchical), organic and sovereign state.

Altar and Throne! is our battle cry.

~ Giovanni di Napoli, November 17th, Feast of San Gregorio Taumaturgo

Praying for the Repose of the Souls of the Deceased Friars and Sisters of the Order of Preachers

The catafalque, a symbolic funeral bier with black funeral pall and candles
Photos by New York Scugnizzo and Peter Clemente

Dies iræ, dies illa,
Solvet sæclum in favilla:
Teste David cum Sybilla.
Quantum tremor est futurus,
Quando Judex est venturus,
Cuncta strict discussurus. *

Wednesday, November 13th, my Constantinian brethren and I joined some 200 parishioners at St. Vincent Ferrer Church (869 Lexington Ave.) in Manhattan for their Annual Sung Requiem Mass in the Dominican Rite. Sponsored by the New York Purgatorial Society, the Catholic Artists Society, and the Society of St. Hugh of Cluny, the Mass was offered for all deceased Friars and Sisters of the Order of Preachers (Dominican Order).

Before Mass, you can hear a pin drop

Arriving early, I was able to explore the imposing Gothic church a little more than last time I was here. Visiting all the shrines and chapels, I was able to light candles, invoke the saints, and peacefully meditate and pray for the remission of all the sins of the poor and forgotten Souls in Purgatory.

Spending a little extra time by the statue of St. Jude Thaddaeus, I also prayed for the intensions of an ailing loved one, whose condition recently took a turn for the worse.

The Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was sung by Celebrant and Homilist Fr. Sebastian White, O.P., who was dutifully assisted by several servers and the Schola Cantorum of St. Vincent Ferrer under the masterly direction of Mr. James D. Wetzel. At the end of Mass, Fr. White donned the black cope and offered absolution at the catafalque.

Afterward, all were invited to break bread at the reception held in the parish hall downstairs. Guests mingled, enjoyed some champagne, and partook in the wide variety of canapés, dips and other tasty hors d’oeuvres.

Thank you Very Rev. Walter Wagner, O.P., Pastor of St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Catherine of Siena Parish, and members of the congregation for your warmth and hospitality. God bless all the organizers for sponsoring the Mass and their righteous mission to promote prayer and succor for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. As always, it was a great joy to celebrate our faith together.

~ Giovanni di Napoli, Saturday, November 16, Feast of Santa Geltrude

* Excerpt from the Dies iræ (Day of Wrath) sequentia, chant for the dead

The day of wrath, that day
will dissolve all in ashes
as foretold by David with the Sibyl.
How much tremor there will be
when the Judge will come,
investigating all strictly.

Statues of St. Jude Thaddaeus and St. Dominic de Guzmán

Bye-altar with painting of The Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple

Statues of the Crucifixion and St. Vincent Ferrer

(Above & below) At the reception, a good time was had by all

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For more information about the New York Purgatorial Society visit www.nypurgatorial.com or write to nypurgatorial@yahoo.com

For more information about the Society of St. Hugh of Cluny visit www.sthughofcluny.org or write to contact@sthughofcluny.org

For more information about the Catholic Artists Society visit www.catholicartistssociety.org or write to catholicartistssociety@gmail.com