Throwing Down the Gauntlet

Brigand and His Wife in Prayer (1824)
Léopold Robert, the Met Fifth Avenue

Meglio na buona morte
ca na mala vita.1

A good friend recently informed me that I come off as too dour and humorless in my latest editorials, which considering my usually sunny disposition, seemed very out of character to him. While I don’t believe I ever shied away from unpleasant topics before, the dearth of cultural events due to the ongoing lockdowns has afforded me few opportunities to write about less weighty topics. If anything, considering how mind-numbingly stupid society has become, I think I’ve been too restrained with my criticisms. 

It goes without saying, our coverage will broaden as society opens up again. This, of course, doesn’t mean when things “go back to normal,” because after the year we were just subjected to, we are never going back to “normal.” Anyone who believes otherwise is simply deluding themselves. Our current masters have no intention of relinquishing their ill-gotten gains. 

Even if that were an option, the very notion of returning to the pre-Covid status quo of pretending everything is just fine and dandy while our liberties are gradually eroded is just not acceptable. 

Naturally, our more celebratory posts about masses, feasts, et cetera, should not be seen as a form of escapism—quite the opposite. They should be viewed as a blatant affront to our adversaries who would have us live insipid and meaningless lives consumed with material and base pursuits. These religious and cultural celebrations are by their very nature acts of defiance showing that we won’t be easily cowed or betray who we are.

Doubling down on what we’ve written in previous posts, by living well ordered lives, celebrating our culture and practicing our faith, we are actively resisting the specious allure of globalization, newly rebranded as “the Great Reset,” or “Build Back Better.” Something so simple as keeping our identity in the face of such great hostility is a rebellious and heroic path. It is the very antithesis of the cultural leveling and social engineering being imposed on us by power hungry madmen hell bent on world domination. 

Wading through the crumbling debris of our civilization, who in their right mind believes materialist uniformity and virulent secularism is progress? Under the guise of the common good, the rootless and atomized masses slavishly cling to effete, mechanized and sterile lifestyles for paltry baubles, fleeting gratification, and crushing debt. It’s long past time to break the insidious chains of modernity.

 

Considering the amount of drivel being churned out by the news and entertainment apparat, detachment gets easier by the day. Crass and offensive, the bread is stale and the circuses are banal. The fourth estate is a fifth column. Subversive to the core, Hollywood, big tech, and mainstream media march in lockstep. Put down your phones, turn off the monitors and tune out the infernal din.

Not limited to mass communication, the rot has spread to all aspects of our society. Politics, education and finance are all in the toilet. Art, fashion, music, and sports have been utterly debased. Perversion and drugs are ubiquitous. Churlish dolts run amok online while state sanctioned criminals run riot on the streets without consequences. In complete moral decline, we are witnessing the last days of Rome—American style. All that remains is the imminent collapse.

I know I painted a bleak picture, but all is not lost. In these days of confusion and uncertainty, we don’t have to sit quietly or in fear, especially if we unite our hardships with Christ. These evils, in one form or another, have always existed and like it or not they always will exist. Utopia is a pernicious lie fabricated to dupe the weak-minded and cowardly. Pain and suffering are a part of life. The difference is today, with the loss of faith, people are morally unprepared to deal with them. We have succumbed to temptation and lost our way. In order to truly revivify our society, a spiritual life is imperative. Live a life of prayer and reparation, deliverance from evil lies with our Lord and Savior.

It goes without saying, along with faith we need reason and action. At the risk of sounding overly simplistic and a bit repetitive, learn to live modestly and enjoy the simple things. Don’t get bogged down with counterproductive or trivial matters. Whenever possible, withdraw from the rat race, refuse to participate in the perfidy, and form pockets of old-world civilization in our homes, businesses, and churches. Forge bonds with like-minded people and support those willing to fight the good fight. Start families and if possible, homeschool your children, or at the very least deprogram them of all the undesirable nonsense when they get home. In short, build a tight-knit Catholic community, one home at a time. 

I’m throwing down the gauntlet to all God-fearing men, myself included. Be steadfast and chivalrous. Defend the natural and supernatural order against the unrelenting scourge of corruption and decadence. Uphold the time-honored ways of our ancestors and find your raison d'être, a true purpose in life founded on the traditional guiding principles of faith, family and culture. Let’s be better men and look to the hearth, throne and altar once more. Viva Cristo Re!

~ Giovanni di Napoli, July 29th, Feast of Blessed Urban II

1) Better a good death than a bad life. ~ Neapolitan proverb

Novena to the Fourteen Holy Helpers

Fourteen Holy Helpers, orate pro nobis

For private devotion, I'm posting the Litany of the Fourteen Holy Helpers to be recited for nine consecutive days, July 30th – August 7th, in preparation for the Feast celebrated on August 8th.*

Preparatory Prayer by St. Alphonsus Liguori

Great princes of heaven, Holy Helpers, who sacrificed to God all your earthly possessions, wealth, preferment, and even life, and who now are crowned in heaven in the secure enjoyment of eternal bliss and glory; have compassion on me, a poor sinner in this vale of tears, and obtain for me from God, for whom you gave up all things and who loves you as His servants, the strength to bear patiently all the trials of this life, to overcome all temptations, and to persevere in God's service to the end, that one day I too may be received into your company, to praise and glorify Him, the supreme Lord, whose beatific vision you enjoy, and whom you praise and glorify for ever. Amen.

Litany of the Fourteen Holy Helpers

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, queen of martyrs, pray for us.
St. Joseph, helper in all needs, pray for us.
Fourteen Holy Helpers, pray for us.
St. George, valiant martyr of Christ, pray for us.
St. Blase, zealous bishop and benefactor of the poor, pray for us.
St. Erasmus, mighty protector of the oppressed, pray for us.
St. Pantaleon, miraculous exemplar of charity, pray for us.
St. Vitus, special protector of chastity, pray for us.
St. Christophorus, mighty intercessor in dangers, pray for us.
St. Dionysius, shining mirror of faith and confidence, pray for us.
St. Cyriacus, terror of hell, pray for us.
St. Achatius, helpful advocate in death, pray for us.
St. Eustachius, exemplar of patience in adversity, pray for us.
St. Giles, despiser of the world, pray for us.
St. Margaret, valiant champion of the Faith, pray for us.
St. Catherine, victorious defender of the Faith and of purity, pray for us.
St. Barbara, mighty patroness of the dying, pray for us.
All ye Holy Helpers, pray for us.
All ye saints of God, pray for us.
In temptations against faith, pray for us.
In adversity and trials, pray for us.
In anxiety and want, pray for us.
In every combat, pray for us.
In every temptation, pray for us.
In sickness, pray for us.
In all needs, pray for us.
In fear and terror, pray for us.
In dangers of salvation, pray for us.
In dangers of honor, pray for us.
In dangers of reputation, pray for us.
In dangers of property, pray for us.
In dangers by fire and water, pray for us.
Be merciful, spare us, O Lord!
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord!
From all sin, deliver us, O Lord.
From Thy wrath, deliver us, O Lord.
From the scourge of earthquake, deliver us, O Lord.
From plague, famine, and war, deliver us, O Lord.
From lightning and storms, deliver us, O Lord.
From a sudden and unprovided death, deliver us, O Lord.
From eternal damnation, deliver us, O Lord.
Through the mystery of Thy holy incarnation, deliver us, O Lord.
Through Thy birth and Thy life, deliver us, O Lord.
Through Thy cross and passion, deliver us, O Lord.
Through Thy death and burial, deliver us, O Lord.
Through the merits of Thy blessed Mother Mary, deliver us, O Lord.
Through the merits of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, deliver us, O Lord.
On the Day of Judgment, deliver us, O Lord!
We sinners, beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou spare us, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou pardon us, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou convert us to true penance, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou give and preserve the fruits of the earth, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou protect and propagate Thy holy Church, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou preserve peace and concord among the nations, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou give eternal rest to the souls of the departed, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou come to our aid through the intercession of the Holy Helpers, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. George Thou preserve us in the Faith, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Blase Thou confirm us in hope, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Erasmus Thou enkindle in us Thy holy love, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Pantaleon Thou give us charity for our neighbor, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Vitus Thou teach us the value of our soul, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Christophorus Thou preserve us from sin, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Dionysius Thou give us tranquillity of conscience, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Cyriacus Thou grant us resignation to Thy holy will, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Eustachius Thou give us patience in adversity, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Achatius Thou grant us a happy death, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Giles Thou grant us a merciful judgment, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Margaret Thou preserve us from hell, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Catherine Thou shorten our purgatory, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Barbara Thou receive us in heaven, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of all the Holy Helpers Thou wilt grant our prayers, we beseech Thee, hear us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord.

V. Pray for us, ye Fourteen Holy Helpers.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promise of Christ.

Let us Pray

Almighty and eternal God, who hast bestowed extraordinary graces and gifts on Thy saints George, Blase, Erasmus, Pantaleon, Vitus, Christophorus, Dionysius, Cyriacus, Eustachius, Achatius, Giles, Margaret, Catherine, and Barbara, and hast illustrated them by miracles; we beseech Thee to graciously hear the petitions of all who invoke their intercession. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

O God, who didst miraculously fortify the Fourteen Holy Helpers in the confession of the Faith; grant us, we beseech Thee, to imitate their fortitude in overcoming all temptations against it, and protect us through their intercession in all dangers of soul and body, so that we may serve Thee in purity of heart and chastity of body. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Invocation of the Holy Helpers

Fourteen Holy Helpers, who 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 you gained the crown of eternal life. Remember the dangers that surround us in this vale of tears, and intercede for us in all our needs and adversities. Amen.

Fourteen Holy Helpers, select friends of God, I honor you as mighty intercessors, and come with filial confidence to you in my needs, for the relief of which I have undertaken to make this novena. Help me by your intercession to placate God's wrath, which I have provoked by my sins, and aid me in amending my life and doing penance. Obtain for me the grace to serve God with a willing heart, to be resigned to His holy will, to be patient in adversity and to persevere unto the end, so that, having finished my earthly course, I may join you in heaven, there to praise for ever God, who is wonderful in His saints. Amen.

* For more on the Fourteen Holy Helpers, Project Gutenberg offers a free ebook, Mary, Help of Christians and the Fourteen Saints Invoked as Holy Helpers, compiled by Rev. Bonaventure, O.F.M. It has instructions, legends, novenas and prayers, with thoughts of the saints for every day of the year.

Lecture on Karl of Austria by Charles A. Coulombe at St. Thomas Apostle Church in Washington DC

New Book — Naples: Life, Places, Facts Through Historical Photographs

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• Naples: Life, Places, Facts Through Historical Photographs by Stefano Benedetti

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Publication Date: May 23, 2021

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Language: English

Pages: 171

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A Look at the 111th Annual Feast of Saint Ann in Hoboken, New Jersey

Sant'Anna, ora pro nobis

The ornate high altar inside Saint Ann's Church

After Mass, the Holy Name Society present St. Ann to the expectant crowd

The color guard leads the procession through the streets of Hoboken

The roisterous John Duke Band play our favorite festival songs

(Above & below) Members of the St. Ann's Guild

A good time was had by all

The procession wends its way through the neighborhood

The Company Kafé offered us refreshing drinks, watermelon & cookies

Failla Memorial Home generously handed out water, cookies & sandwiches

The procession arrives at the Madonna Dei Martiri clubhouse

The Society had plenty of delicious focaccia and cold water for everyone

The procession Arrives at the Monte San Giacomo clubhouse

San Giacomo greets Good Saint Ann

San Giacomo joins the procession

(Above & below) We briefly stopped by St. Francis' Church and venerated several saints, including the Madonna Dei Martiri and San Rocco

Stained glass windows depicting the Mater Dolorosa and Santa Lucia

Shrines to St. Marianne Cope and Our Lady of the Rosary

(Above & below) The procession continues past St. Ann's Church

A highlight of the day, we stopped by the Santa Febronia Chapel

Fr. Salvatori tolls the chapel's bell

The Madonna di Tindari and Santa Febronia

Outdoor shrines to Sant'Anna

After the procession, the statues are returned to the church

Back at St. Ann's Church, the statues are placed before the altar

(L) During Mass, I got to sit beneath two of my favorites patrons.
(R) After Mass, I visited the church's many statues and windows

After confession, I followed the priest's advice and fulfilled my penance beneath the statues of San Michele and the Immaculate Heart of Mary

After the benediction, we returned to the Monte San Giacomo Clubhouse

Revelers were treated to delicious roast beef and pepper sandwiches

Returning to the fairgrounds we met up with some good friends
and enjoyed some homemade wine

John Duke played a few more ditties

Photo of the Week: The Martyrdom of San Pantaleone, Cappella di San Pantaleone, Duomo di Ravello

The Martyrdom of San Pantaleone (1638) by Gerolamo Imperiali,
the Cappella di San Pantaleone, Duomo di Ravello
Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Celebrating the Ninth Sunday After Pentecost and the Feasts of San Giacomo il Maggiore and San Cristoforo

Páteant azures misericórdiæ tuæ, Dómine, précibus supplicántium: et ut peténtibus desideráta concédas; fac Eos, quæ tibi sunt plácita, postuláre. Per Dóminum. ~ Collect 1 

Sunday morning members of the Fratelli della Santa Fede (Brothers of the Holy Faith) gathered at the packed Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents (128 West 37th St.) in Manhattan for both the 9:00 am Tridentine Low Mass and the 10:30 am Tridentine High Mass for the Ninth Sunday After Pentecost and the Feasts of San Giacomo il Maggiore and San Cristoforo Martire. Our Pastor Fr. James Miara was the Celebrant at both. 

During the High Mass, Fr. Miara was dutifully assisted by fourteen servers, and cantor and organist Pedro d’Aquino. Following the Gospel, he consecrated a parishioner to the Guardian Angel.

After coffee hour, many of us returned to the church for the final day of the novena and candlelight Eucharistic procession in honor of Sant’Anna, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandmother of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We prayed the Most Holy Rosary, Memorare to St. Anne, Act of Consecration to St. Anne and Invocations. The novena concluded with the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

1) Let Thy merciful ears. O Lord, be open to the prayers of Thy suppliant people: and that Thou mayest grant their desire to those that seek, make them to ask such things as shall please Thee. Through our Lord.

Feast of San Giacomo il Maggiore

San Giacomo il Maggiore, ora pro nobis

July 25th is the Feast of San Giacomo Apostolo, also called James the Greater, son of Zebedee, to distinguish him from James the Lesser, son of Alphaeus. Widely venerated across Southern Italy, he is the principal patron of Monte San Giacomo (SA), Calvizzano (NA), Casalnuovo di Napoli (NA), Cicala (CZ), Fuscaldo (CS), Pietrapertosa (PZ), Roccamandolfi (IS) and Capizzi (ME), among others. Invoked against rheumatism and bad weather, he is also the patron saint of pilgrims, wayfarers, knights, soldiers, grocers, pharmacists, hatters and hosiers. 

In celebration, I’m posting a Prayer to Saint James the Apostle. The accompanying photo, courtesy of Anthony Scillia, was taken at the Santuario di San Giacomo Apostolo Maggiore in Capizzi, Sicily. Evviva San Giacomo il Maggiore!

Prayer to Saint James the Apostle

O glorious Apostle, St. James, who by reason of thy fervent and generous heart was chosen by Jesus to be a witness of His glory on Mount Tabor, and of His agony in Gethsemane; thou, whose very name is a symbol of warfare and victory: obtain for us strength and consolation in the unending warfare of this life, that, having constantly and generously followed Jesus, we may be victors in the strife and deserve to receive the victor's crown in heaven. Amen.

Feast of San Cristoforo Martire

San Cristoforo Martire, ora pro nobis

July 25th is the Feast of San Cristoforo Martire, patron saint of pilgrims and travelers. One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, San Cristoforo is invoked against storms and the plague. Widely venerated across Southern Italy, he is the principal patron of Ricigliano (SA), San Cristoforo (SA), Moscufo (PE), Valguarnera Caropepe (EN), and Giuggianello (LE), among others. 

In celebration, we're posting a prayer to St. Christopher. Pictured is a statue of the Saint carrying the Christ Child from my private makeshift shrine. Evviva San Cristoforo!

Prayer to St. Christopher

Dear Saint Christopher, protect me today in all my travels along the road's way. Give your warning sign if danger is near so that I may stop while the path is clear. Be at my window and direct me through when the vision blurs from out of the blue. Carry me safely to my destined place, like you carried Christ in your close embrace. Amen.

Novena to Sant'Alfonso Maria de Liguori

Sant'Alfonso de Liguori, ora pro nobis

Pray Novena for nine consecutive days, July 24th — August 1st, in preparation for the Feast on August 2nd.

Glorious Saint Alphonsus, loving father of the poor and the sick, all your life, you devoted yourself with a real heroic charity to lightening their spiritual and bodily miseries. Full of confidence in your tender pity for the sick, since you yourself have patiently borne the cross of illness, I come to you for help in my present need. 

(Mention your request here...) 

Loving father of the suffering, Saint Alphonsus, whom I invoke as the Arthritic Saint, since you suffered from the disease in your lifetime, look with compassion upon me in my suffering. Beg God to give me good health. If it is not God’s will to cure me, then give me strength to bear my cross patiently and to offer my sufferings in union with my crucified Savior and His Mother of Sorrows, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, in reparation for my sins and those of others, for the needs of this troubled world, and for the souls in purgatory. 

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

Saint Alphonsus, patron of the sick, pray for me. Amen.

The accompanying photo was taken outside the Saint Anthony of Padua Shrine Church (155 Sullivan St.) in Manhattan. The statue is all that remains from the Church of Saint Alphonsus Liguori (308 W. Broadway), which was closed in 1980.

Solemn Vespers & Lecture by Charles Coulombe at the Parish of the Most Holy Redeemer in New York City

Celebrating the Eighth Sunday After Pentecost and the Feast of San Camillo de Lellis

Prayer cards for San Michele, Sant'Anna and San Camillo

O glorious St. Camillus, special patron of the sick, thou who for forty years, with truly heroic charity, didst devote thyself to the relief of their temporal and spiritual necessities, be pleased to assist them now even more generously since thou art blessed in heaven and they have been committed by Holy Church to thy powerful protection. Obtain for them from Almighty God the healing of all their maladies, or, at least, the spirit of Christian patience and resignation that may sanctify them and comfort them in the hour of their passing to eternity; at the same time obtain for us the precious grace of living and dying after thine example in the practice of divine love. Amen.

Following Pope Francis’ draconian motu proprio restrictions on the Latin Mass, I’m making it a point to start writing about our Traditional parish again. To be clear we never stopped attending the Latin Mass, we just felt that those posts were getting a bit formulaic and monotonous, which is an admission of my own limited writing skills and not a reflection on the beauty and grandeur of the Mass or our church devotions. 

* * *

Largire nobis, quǽumas, Dómine, semper spíritum cogitándi quæ recta sunt, propítius et agéndi: ut, qui sine te esse non póssumus, secúndum te vívere valeámus. Per Dóminum. ~ Collect 1

Sunday morning members of the Fratelli della Santa Fede (Brothers of the Holy Faith) gathered at the packed Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents (128 West 37th St.) in Manhattan for both the 9:00 am Tridentine Low Mass and the 10:30 am Tridentine High Mass for the Eighth Sunday After Pentecost and the Feast of San Camillo de Lellis. Our Pastor Fr. James Miara was the Celebrant at both.

At the conclusion of the Low Mass, Fr. Miara enrolled over fifty people in the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and reminded us of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s promise:

“Take this Scapular, it shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger and a pledge of peace. Whosoever dies wearing this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.” 

Our Lady further says: 

“Wear it devoutly and perseveringly. It is my garment. To be clothed in it means you are continually thinking of me, and I in turn, am always thinking of you and helping you to secure eternal life.”

Arriving early in the morning, we were greeted by
Most Precious Blood's new statue of San Michele

Prior to the High Mass, Father blessed the Church’s newly acquired statue of San Michele Arcangelo from Peru. 

During the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, he was dutifully assisted by ten servers, and cantor and organist Pedro d’Aquino.

(Above & below) A few members of our Holy Innocents family

Catching up with friends outside and at coffee hour, we returned to church for the Rosary and novena devotions with Memorare to St. Anne, Act of Consecration to St. Anne and Invocations. We had the great honor and privilege of carrying the statue during the solemn candlelight Eucharistic procession around the nave. The novena to Sant'Anna concluded with the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Temporary shrine to Sant'Anna and processional statue

Candlelight Eucharistic procession with ombrellino around the nave

Getting reacquainted with our Magna Graecian roots, we enjoyed a delicious Greek dinner at Meze restaurant (6601 13th Ave.) in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.

Stuffed grape leaves

Spanakopita (spinach pie)

Ohtapodi (marinated and char-grilled octopus)

Kalamarakia sta karvouna (char-grilled squid)

Loukanika (sausage)

New Zealand lamb chops

Lemon potatoes

Baklava cheese cake

Rizogalo (rice pudding)

We enjoyed Greek beer with dinner and ouzo and espresso for dessert

Afterward, we walked off our meal will a leisurely stroll around the old neighborhood, briefly stopping by the San Pio da Pietrelcina shrine outside the Basilica of Regina Pacis (1230 65th St.).

Outdoor shrine to San Pio outside the Basilica of Regina Pacis

1) Graciously grant to us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the spirit to think and do always such things as be rightful: that we, who cannot exist without Thee, may be enabled to live according to Thy will. Through our Lord.