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| Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg and Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria |
Eternal rest grant unto Their Highnesses, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen
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| Alfonso the Magnanimous, King of Aragon, Naples and Sicily sculpted by Achille D'Orsi on the western facade of the Royal Palace in the Largo del Palazzo Reale in Naples |
In memory of Alfonso the Magnanimous (1396 — 27 June, 1458), King of Aragon, Naples (as Alfonso I) and Sicily (as Alfonso V), we pray for the happy repose of his soul. Viva ‘o Rre!
Eternal rest grant unto His Majesty, 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
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| Photo by New York Scugnizzo |
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| San Pelagio di Cordova, ora pro nobis |
June 26 is the Feast of San Pelagio di Cordova (San Pelayo Mártir, St. Pelagius of Córdoba), Martyr. Held hostage by the caliph of Andalusia, Spain circa 926 AD, the young Christian boy was brutally tortured and beheaded for spurning the Moors lascivious advances and for refusing to renounce the Faith. He is the patron saint of chastity, abandoned people, torture victims and Carlist youth. In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to San Pelayo. Pictured is the martyrdom of San Pelayo. Evviva San Pelagio di Cordova!
Prayer to San Pelayo
Lord, our Father, who promised the pure of heart the reward of seeing your face, grant us your grace and your strength, so that, following the example of Saint Pelayo, martyr, we put your love before the seductions of the world and keep the heart clean from all sin. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit and is God for ever and ever. Amen
St. Agatha of the Goths
Prepaid tickets of $150 each are available for the reception (cocktail dress), and must be reserved no later than Monday, July 18.
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For tickets visit eventbrite
Falò di San Giovanni, or St. John's Fire
“He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30)
This year we celebrated the Vigil of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist at Joe’s of Avenue U in Brooklyn, New York. Smaller than previous years, we kept all our friends and brethren who could not be with us in our prayers. As always, the dinner and service were outstanding. Heartfelt thanks to Paolo and his crack waitstaff for another terrific evening.
Afterward, we honored my saintly namesake with a traditional Falò di San Giovanni, or St. John bonfire. Customarily a night of betrothal (St. John is invoked for good marriages) and moonlight bathing to help cure spiritual and physical ailments, we simply retired to a friends house for some prayer, wine and a little ballo di San Giovanni (St. John’s Dance) around the fire.[1] Evviva San Giovanni Battista!
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| We erected a small shrine to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, San Giovanni Battista, San Paolino di Nola and Sant'Andrea at the head of our table |
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| Panelle with lemon |
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| Mista polpo e calamari |
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| Vongoli Riganati |
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| Cavolfiore |
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| Scungilli fra Diavolo |
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| Spaghetti cu Niuru a Siccia |
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| Trippa Olivetana |
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| Purpittuni di Carni o Furnu |
Prayer:
P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.
Let us pray.
Lord God, almighty Father, the light that never fails and the source of all light, sanctify + this new fire, and grant that after the darkness of this life we may come unsullied to you who are light eternal; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.
The fire is sprinkled with holy water; after which the clergy and the people sing the following Hymn: Ut queant laxis
1. Ut queant laxis resonáre fibris
Mira gestórum fámuli tuórum,
Solve pollúti lábii reátum, Sancte Joánnes.
2. Núntius celso véniens Olýmpo
Te patri magnum fore nascitúrum,
Nomen, et vitae sériem geréndae
Ordinae promit. 3. Ille promíssi dúbius supérni,
Pérdidit promptae módulos loquélae:
Sed reformásti genitus perémptae
Organa vocis.
4. Ventris obstrúso récubans cubíli
Sénseras Regem thálamo manéntem:
Hinc parens nati méritis utérque Abdita pandit.
5. Sit decus Patri, genitaéque Proli
et tibi, compare utriúsque virtus,
Spíritus semper, Deus unus, omni
Témporis aevo.
Amen.
1. O for your spirit, holy John, to chasten
Lips sin-polluted, fettered tongues to loosen;
So by your children might your deeds of wonder
Meetly be chanted.
2. Lo! a swift herald, from the skies descending,
Bears to your father promise of your greatness;
How he shall name you, what your future story,
Duly revealing.
3. Scarcely believing message so transcendent,
Him for a season power of speech forsaketh,
Till, at your wondrous birth, again returneth,
Voice to the voiceless.
4. You, in your mother's womb all darkly cradled,
Knew your great Monarch, biding in His chamber,
Whence the two parents, through their offspring's merits,
Mysteries uttered.
5. Praise to the Father, to the Son begotten,
And to the Spirit, equal power possessing,
One God whose glory, through the lapse of ages,
Ever resounding.
Amen.
P: There was a man sent from God.
All: Whose name was John.
Let us pray. God, who by reason of the birth of blessed John have made this day praiseworthy, give your people the grace of spiritual joy, and keep the hearts of your faithful fixed on the way that leads to everlasting salvation; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.[2]
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| There was a little Catholic and Monarchist flair on display |
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| (L) Constantinian Order rosette. (R) San Giovanni, ora pro nobis |
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| (Above & below) Revelers received some old Two Sicilie patches and stickers |
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HRH was born in Rome, Italy on June 23, 2003 Photo courtesy of Real Casa di Borbone |
Bliss
Golden days of summer, facing the sun,
facing the sea, delighted, and content.
Days spent eavesdropping on the wind,
mindful of words whispered in secret.
Words I'd unravel; listening, alone,
for the voice of the world, the nothing beyond,
alone, while my nimble heart took flight
for untold trysts and destinations.
Perhaps for the very edge of the world,
where Our Lady of the Mariners
trims white roses in the morning.
And to find myself here, again, eyes
like a boy's, quick and bright, seeing, upon
the lace of waves, roses ride to shore...
(Translated by Anthony Molino)
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| Photo by New York Scugnizzo |
Comme He Pututo
Comme he pututo parlà d' 'a morte,
Dulure scanusciute e malatía,
Arret'a surrise e pazzíe,
Primm' 'e partì, nu saluto
Chiù lieggio 'e vapore,
Ancora chiù bello appriesso
A duje becchiere 'e vino
E vasille mmocca,
Appriess'a abballe mmiez' 'o viento d'autunno,
'O cuorpo tujo, n'ánema senza aità,
Prelibbata, na státola 'e brunzo,
Affunnato dint'a nu mare
Caudo, 'e na staggione
Addò nun penzammo,
Ma addò campammo,
Nziemme,
Tempeste e tumità
A l'ata parte d' 'a muntagna.
How Could You
How could you speak of death,
Unknown pains and illness,
Behind smiles and jokes,
Before departing, a gesture
Lighter than vapor,
Yet more beautiful after
Two glasses of wine
And little kisses on the mouth,
After dances in the autumn wind,
Your body, an ageless soul,
Delectable, a bronze statue,
Sunk in a hot sea,
Of a season
Where we do not think
But where we live,
Together,
Tempests and weightiness
On the other side of the volcano.
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| HRH was born in Saint-Raphaël, France on June 16, 1950 |
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| Carlo Capezzuto (left) with Gennaro De Crescenzo |
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| Photo by Andrew Giordano |
• Monarchy: A Study of Louis XIV by Hilaire Belloc (Foreword by Roger Buck)
Publisher: Arouca Press
Publication Date: May 27, 2022
Paperback: $24.95
Hardcover: $31.95
Language: English
Pages: 446
Click here to see more books
Listing does not imply endorsement
Via Toledo, 1963
Perhaps now it is too late to revive the Tradition of Naples. But, for those who still try to denigrate her or want to ignore her, there are vestiges of her in the books that are not read, in the people who are despised, and in the hearts of many who unconsciously feel them as I do. Therefore, walking many afternoons in the noisy Via Toledo I suffered the deep sadness of solitude, consoled only by the serene voice of the last Neapolitan traditionalist, my brotherly friend Silvio Vitale, when the call I felt in the depths of my being told me that it was impossible for the people of my ancestors, rich in generous loyalty, creator of great concrete freedoms, and champion of universal enterprises, to end up like this. I will die, but I want to die with the hope that, even if buried and derided, the tradition of my Naples cannot remain inert archeology. God's justice cannot allow a people who have been an instrument of him in the decisive battles of history to die amidst derision. Not even if, as seems to happen, the Neapolitans let themselves go into the madness of a collective suicide.
* La monarchia tradizionale, Francisco Elías de Tejada, Capitolo Settimo, La Tradizione di Napoli, 6 Via Toledo, 1963, Controcorrente Edizioni, 2001, P.153-154
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| Santa Margherita di Scozia, ora pro nobis |
June 10 is the Feast of St. Margaret of Wessex (c.1045—1093), Queen of Scotland. Sometimes called “The Pearl of Scotland,” she is the patron saint of large families, parents who have lost children, and service to the poor.
Prayer to St. Margaret of Scotland
Merciful God, you gave the holy Queen Margaret of Scotland great love for the poor. Lend your ear to the intercessions of this holy woman and help us to live after her example so that your goodness and mercy become visible in today’s world. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
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| In Search of Eldorado by William Heath Robinson |
