Feast of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian

St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian, orate pro nobis

September 16th is the Feast of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, Martyrs. St. Cornelius was elected Pope in 251 and died in exile under Emperor Gallus in 253. St. Cyprian was the Bishop of Carthage and was martyred under Emperor Valerian in 258.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to Saints Cornelius and Cyprian. The accompanying photo is of my Saint Cornelius pocket shrine. Evviva Saints Cornelius and Cyprian!

Prayer to Saints Cornelius and Cyprian

God our Father, in Saints Cornelius and Cyprian you have given your people an inspiring example of dedication to the pastoral ministry and constant witness to Christ in their suffering. May their prayers and faith give us courage to work for the unity of your Church. Amen.

The Warrior Prelate: Cardinal Fabrizio Ruffo

Cardinal Fabrizio Ruffo
b. Sept. 16, 1744—d. Dec. 13, 1827

Today we remember and honor the great counter-revolutionary hero Cardinal Fabrizio Ruffo, the warrior prelate who liberated the Kingdom of Naples from Franco-Jacobin tyranny. 

When Napoleon’s Grande Armée invaded the Kingdom of Naples in December 1798 and installed the Jacobin satellite state (Repubblica Partenopea), Ruffo followed the Bourbon Royal Family to Palermo, Sicily. Named vicar-general on January 25th, 1799, the grey-haired Cardinal crossed the Strait of Messina to his native Calabria with just seven companions to recapture the Kingdom. 

On February 8th they landed at Punta del Mezzo in Reggio, Calabria. Armed with only a banner emblazoned with the royal coat-of-arms and a cross, Ruffo began to raise an army. Issuing an encyclical letter commanding the clergy and magistrates to preach the crusade, men from all walks of life readily rallied to defend their faith and traditions, and to restore their legitimate rulers, King Ferdinand IV and Queen Maria Carolina. In less than a month 17,000 Calabrese, including many soldiers from the disbanded Bourbon army, joined the burgeoning ranks of his Royal Christian Army of the Holy Faith (Sanfedisti). Continue reading

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

Saint Michael the Archangel at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Shrine in East Harlem, New York

Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Madonna Addolorata

Mater Dolorosa, ora pro nobis

September 15th is the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Madonna Addolorata, Our Lady of Sorrows. Often depicted as seven swords piercing Mary's heart, the Seven Sorrows are The Prophecy of Simeon; The Flight into Egypt; The Loss of Jesus in the Temple; The Meeting of Jesus and Mary on the Way of the Cross; The Crucifixion; The Taking Down of the Body of Jesus from the Cross; and Jesus laid in the Tomb. 

In remembrance, we're posting "For the Sorrowful Lady" (Pi l'Addulurata), a prayer from Prayers and Devotional Songs of Sicily, edited and translated by Peppino Ruggeri.(*) The accompanying photo of Madonna Addolorata was taken during my 2010 pilgrimage to the Chiesa dell'Addolorata in Sorrento. 

For the Sorrowful Lady

Of God you heavenly queen
Oh Mother in grief immersed
By you my soul be possessed
And from you a favor granted.

This ungrateful heart is ready
To be wounded and impaled
By your very holy sword.

Throughout my whole life
With sinning I delighted,
Now with sorrow weeping
Of my sins I am repenting,
I no longer want to sin
Better dead and by you consoled.

When to heaven your body ascends
With the precious power you hold
Shows its purity and its might
Mother forever hold me tight.

You must keep your eyes on me
As a mother watchful be,
If to us you are committed
God his pardon will provide
By this rosary that we recite
Glory we expect in paradise.

Who recites it three times a day
In high heaven with Mary will stay,
When at night three times is recited
From painful death one is released.

When for forty days is supplicated
From hell's pain one is liberated.
And who will proffer in sincere devotion
Prays a "credo" to his death and Passion.

(*) Prayers and Devotional Songs of Sicily, edited and translated into English by Peppino Ruggeri, Legas 2009, p.113-114

Photo of the Week: Outdoor Shrine at the 98th Annual Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy, New York

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

29th Annual Pilgrimage for Restoration in Auriesville, New York

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

In Hoc Signo Vinces

If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23)

September 14th is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by St. Helena in 320; the dedication of the basilica and shrine at Calvary by Emperor Constantine in 335; and the recovery and restoration of the Cross by Emperor Heraclius after the Battle of Ninevah in 627. 

In celebration, we're posting a Prayer on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The accompanying photo of the Crucifix, courtesy of Andrew Giordano, was taken at the Chiesa di San Giuseppe in Taranto, Apulia.

Prayer on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

O God, who willed that Your Only Begotten Son should undergo the Cross to save the human race, grant, we pray, that we, who have known his mystery on earth, may merit the grace of his redemption in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Our Lady of La Salette at the Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in Raritan, New Jersey

Remembering Maria Isabella of Spain, Queen of the Two Sicilies

6 July, 1789 — 13 September, 1848

In memory of Maria Isabella of Spain, Queen of the Two Sicilies, we pray for the happy repose of her soul. Viva ‘a Reggina!

Eternal rest grant unto Her Majesty, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Feast of San Gennaro at the Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in Raritan, New Jersey

Feast of the Holy Name of Mary

(Detail) King Jan III Sobieski by Jean Matejko, Vatican Museum

September 12th is the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary. Instituted in 1513 in the Spanish diocese of Cuenta, the Feast was extended in 1671 to all of Spain and the Kingdom of Naples.

Originally celebrated on the Sunday following the Nativity of the Blessed Mother, the Feast was transferred to September 12th and extended to the Universal Church by Pope Innocent XI after King Jan III Sobieski of Poland’s glorious victory against the Turks at the Battle of Vienna in 1683.

In celebration, we're posting a prayer by Saint Alphonsus de Ligouri. The accompanying photo of King Jan III Sobieski was taken at the Vatican Museum.

Most Holy Name of Mary

O Great Mother of God and my Mother Mary, it is true that I am unworthy to salute thee, but thou who loves me and desires my salvation must, not withstanding the impurity of my tongue, grant that I may always invoke thy most holy and powerful name in my aid, for thy name is the succor of the living and the salvation of the dying. Ah, most pure Mary, most sweet Mary, grant that henceforth thy name may be the breath of my life. O Lady, delay not to help me when I invoke thee, for in all the temptations that assail me, and in all my wants, I will never cease calling on thee and repeating again and again, Mary, Mary. Thus it is that I hope to act during my life and more particularly at death, that after that last struggle I may eternally praise thy beloved name in Heaven, O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

Ah Mary, most amiable Mary, with what consolation, what sweetness, what confidence, what tenderness is my soul penetrated in only naming, in only thinking of thee! I thank my Lord and my God, Who for my good has given thee a name so sweet and deserving of love, and at the same time so powerful. But my sovereign Lady, I am not satisfied with only saluting thee, I wish to salute thee with love. I desire that my love may every hour remind me to call on thee, so that I may exclaim with St. Bonaventure, "O Name of the Mother of God, thou art my love." O my Beloved Jesus and my own dear Mary, may Thy most sweet names reign in my heart and in all hearts.  Grant that I may forget all others to remember and always invoke thy adorable names alone. Ah, Jesus, my Redeemer, and my Mother Mary, when the moment of death comes when I must breath forth my soul and leave this world, deign, through thy merits, to grant that I may then pronounce my last words, and that they may be: "I love Thee, O Jesus; I love thee, O Mary; to thee do I give my heart and my soul." Amen

Feast of the Madonna di Montevergine and the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Madonna di Montevergine, ora pro nobis

September 12th is the Feast of the Madonna di Montevergine and the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary. One of the so-called "Seven Sisters of Campania,” an appellation given to the region's major Marian devotions under different titles, she is also venerated on February 2nd, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Mother.

Enshrined in the hilltop sanctuary in Mercogliano, Avellino, the miraculous icon of Mamma Schiavone in the Greek Galaktotrephousa (Nursing Madonna) style is traditionally attributed to St. Luke and possibly the first icon of Our Lady.

In celebration, we're posting a Prayer to Our Lady of Montevirgine. The accompanying photo was taken at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Grotto in Staten Island, New York. Evviva Mamma Schiavona!

Prayer to Our Lady of Montevergine

O Blessed Virgin who have deigned, centuries ago, to choose and consecrate Montevergine as your sanctuary, turn your eyes of mercy upon us kneeling at your feet, honoring you and invoking you in this Holy Image.

O most loving Mother of all the faithful, be always for each one of us a true Mother as you have been until now; and obtain for us the grace to be always your true, loving, respectful and devout children. – Hail Mary.

O Beneficent Treasure of divine graces, give us abundantly the favors we ask of you with confidence; you know well what are the many needs of our souls. – Hail Mary

O most powerful Advocate of poor sinners, assist us in dangers, fortify us in temptations and guard us from all sins; and do not cease to intercede with your Divine Son for the salvation of our souls. until you have led us with you into Heaven. Hail Mary

Feast of the Madonna del Lauro

Madonna del Lauro, ora pro nobis

September 12th is the Feast of the Madonna del Lauro, Patroness of mariners and Meta, a small town in Provincia di Napoli. 

According to popular tradition, during the eighth century a deaf mute named Teresita was grazing her cow in the fields when a strong light drew her to the ruins of a pagan temple. Beneath a laurel tree the old woman discovered a statue of the Blessed Mother and miraculously gained the ability to hear and speak. 

When the townspeople learned of the news, they decided to retrieve the statue and house it inside the Cathedral of Sorrento. However, the next day the statue disappeared and returned to its original location. After two more unsuccessful attempts, it became clear Our Lady didn't want the statue to be moved, so they built a church on top of the temple ruins. 

In celebration, we're posting a Prayer to the Holy Name of Mary by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. The accompanying photos of the Madonna del Lauro were taken at Sacred Hearts—St. Stephen Church (125 Summit St.) in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Evviva Madonna del Lauro!

Prayer to the Holy Name of Mary

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that Thy Faithful, calling upon the Name of the Virgin Mary and rejoicing in her protection, may, by her motherly intercession, be delivered from the evils of the earth and advance to the eternal happiness of heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Relief panel on base depicting the discovery of the statue

The Sacred Concerto: Religious Chamber Music of 18th Century Italy

www.musicatransalpina.org

Novena to Sant’Eustachio Martire

Sant'Eustachio Martire, ora pro nobis

Prayers by Rev. Bonaventure, O.F.M. to be recited for nine consecutive days, September 11th — 19th, in preparation for the Feast on September 20th.

Preparatory Prayer

Almighty and eternal God! With lively faith and reverently worshiping Thy divine Majesty, I prostrate myself before Thee and invoke with filial trust Thy supreme bounty and mercy. Illumine the darkness of my intellect with a ray of Thy heavenly light and inflame my heart with the fire of Thy divine love, that I may contemplate the great virtues and merits of the saint in whose honor I make this novena, and following his example imitate, like him, the life of Thy divine Son.

Moreover, I beseech Thee to grant graciously, through the merits and intercession of this powerful Helper, the petition which through him I humbly place before Thee, devoutly saying, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Vouchsafe graciously to hear it, if it redounds to Thy greater glory and to the salvation of my soul. Amen.

Prayer in Honor of St. Eustachius

O God, who didst lead Thy holy martyr Eustachius safely through many trials and dangers to the glorious crown of martyrdom; enlighten and strengthen us through his intercession, that we persevere in Thy love amid the trials of this life, and by resignation to Thy holy will come forth from the darkness of this earth into the light of Thy eternal glory. Amen.

Invocation of St. Eustachius

Heroic servant of God, St. Eustachius, cast from the height of earthly glory and power into the deepest misery, thou wast engaged for a long time in the labor of a menial servant, eating the bitter bread of destitution; but never didst thou murmur against the severe probation to which God subjected thee. I implore thee to aid me with thy powerful intercession, that in all conditions I may resign myself to the holy will of God, and particularly that I may bear poverty and its consequences with patience, trusting in God's providence, completely resigned to the decrees of Him who humbles and exalts, chastises and heals, sends trials and consolations, and who has promised to those who follow Him in the spirit of poverty His beatific vision throughout all eternity. Amen.

Prayer

My Lord and my God! I offer up to Thee my petition in union with the bitter passion and death of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, together with the merits of His immaculate and blessed Mother, Mary ever virgin, and of all the saints, particularly with those of the holy Helper in whose honor I make this novena.

Look down upon me, merciful Lord! Grant me Thy grace and Thy love, and graciously hear my prayer. Amen.

* For more on St. Eustachius and the Fourteen Holy Helpers, I highly recommend Project Gutenberg's 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. Pictured is my makeshift shrine to Sant'Eustachio with photo of my father (checkered shirt) and his hunting buddies on a successful boar hunt.

A Prayer for the Victims of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks

Christ embracing the Twin Towers, 
St. Ephrem Church, Dyker Heights, Brooklyn

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families of the September 11, 2001 Islamist terrorist attacks—we still remember. May Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception protect and watch over you.

Prayer for Victims of Terrorism

Loving God, welcome into your arms the victims of violence and terrorism. Comfort their families and all who grieve for them. Help us in our fear and uncertainty, and bless us with the knowledge that we are secure in your love. Strengthen all those who work for peace, and may the peace the world cannot give reign in our hearts. Amen. 

Also see: 9/11: We Shall Never Forget

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost at St. Michael's Church in Staten Island, New York

Feast of San Nicola da Tolentino

San Nicola da Tolentino, ora pro nobis

September 10th is the Feast of San Nicola da Tolentino (St. Nicholas of Tolentino), Augustinian Friar and Mystic. Patron of the Poor and Forgotten Souls in Purgatory, he is also the principal protector of San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore (PE), Arsita (TE), Montoro (AV), Albi (CZ) and San Nicola Arcella (CS), among the others. In celebration, we're posting a prayer to St. Nicholas of Tolentino. The accompanying photo is my makeshift shrine to San Nicola da Tolentino. Evviva San Nicola da Tolentino!

Prayer to Saint Nicholas of Tolentino

O God, source of strength and courage, you gave your beloved preacher, Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, the conviction of faith to the very end. Grace us with the ability to translate your teaching into action, remain patient amid hardship, serve the poor and those who suffer, and live as your true and faithful servants. Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, pray for us.

Novena to San Gennaro in Latin

San Gennaro, ora pro nobis

Recite novena for nine consecutive days, September 10th — September 18th, in preparation of the Feast of San Gennaro, Bishop, Martyr, and principal Patron of Naples and the Region of Campania, on September 19th.*  Evviva San Gennaro!

Novena a San Gennaro

Salve potens urbis rector,

Salve pater et protector,

Ianuari, patriae.

Tu qui fidem Iesu Christi

Confitendo, suscepisti

Lauream martyrii,

Ad agonem usque mortis

Triumphasti athleta fortis

De tormentis asperis.

Caput Christo iam sacratum,

Flore aeterno coronatum,

Praebuisti gladio.

Gloriosum tot portentis,

Tot praeclarum monumentis

Nomen tuum canimus.

Celebremus exultantes,

Collaudemus venerantes

Nostrae signum fidei.

Tu, nos inter, in ferventi,

Mirabiliter loquenti

Vivis adhuc sanguine.

Iure Custos qui vocaris,

Fauste tegis et tutaris

Moenia Neapolis.

Christo phialam ostendis,

Quo placato, nos defendis

Tuo patrocinio.

* Prayer courtesy of Messa Tridentina Napoli. Pictured is my makeshift shrine with second class relic (ex indumentis).

Our Lady of Sorrows at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Shrine in East Harlem, New York

Feast of San Gorgonio

San Gorgonio, ora pro nobis

Sanctus tuus, Dómine, Gorgónius sua nos intercessióne lætificet: et pia fáciat solemnitáte gaudére. Per Dóminum.

September 9th is the Feast of St. Gorgonius, Martyr. Born in Nicomedia, he served in the imperial palace of Diocletian. During the Emperor's persecution of Christians, Gorgonius and his companions Peter, Dorotheus and others were imprisoned and savagely tortured. Whipped and burned, the victims were finally strangled to death in 304 AD. Cast into the sea, their bodies were recovered by their brethren. St. Gorgonius’ relics were later translated to Rome. From there, portions of his body were distributed to several churches throughout France, but many were lost during the pillaging and desecration of churches during the French Revolution.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Gorgonius in Latin and English. The accompanying photo comes courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella. The holy card is part of Father Carrella’s impressive collection of religious artifacts. Evviva San Gorgonio!

Prayer to St. Gorgonius

May Gorgonius, Thy saint, o Lord, gladden us by his intercession, and make us joyful on his propitious festival. Through our Lord.

Photo of the Week: Shrine to the Madonna del Tindari inside Red Sauce Studios in Little Italy, New York

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Men's Penitential Rosary March in the Greater Cincinnati Area

Exaltation of the Holy Cross at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Shrine in East Harlem, New York

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Birth of the Virgin (ca. 1690) by Francesco Solimena

September 8th is the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Feast was introduced to Rome from the Eastern Church in the 7th century by Syro-Sicilian Pope San Sergio I (who, coincidentally, died on September 8th in 701). In celebration, I'm posting the prayer Our Lady, Queen of Heaven. The accompanying photo of the Birth of the Virgin by Francesco Solimena was taken at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Continue reading

Feast of the Madonna del Tindari

September 8th is the Feast of the Madonna del Tindari. Patroness of Patti, Sicily, she is invoked against natural disasters, sickness and invasion. According to tradition, the sacred image of the Black Madonna was smuggled from Constantinople to save it from the iconoclastic controversy troubling the Byzantine Empire in the 8th and 9th centuries. During the journey, a storm forced the ship carrying the statue to seek shelter at Tindari in Northeastern Sicily, where she was entrusted to the local monks. In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to Our Lady of Tindari. The accompanying photo of the Madonna del Tindari was taken at the Santa Febronia Chapel in Hoboken, New Jersey. Continue reading

Feast of the Madonna di Piedigrotta

September 8th is the Feast of the Madonna di Piedigrotta, patroness of Neapolitan seafarers, particularly the fishermen and sailors of the Mergellina quarter of Naples. In celebration, I’m posting the daily prayer of the Santuario di Piedigrotta in Italian. The accompanying photo of the Chiesa di Santa Maria di Piedigrotta, located at the foot of the grotto in Mergellina, was taken during my 2007 pilgrimage to southern Italy. Originally dedicated to the Annunciation, the sanctuary was destroyed by a tsunami on November 25, 1343. It was rebuilt in 1353 and reconsecrated to the Nativity of Mary. In 1571 Don Giovanni d’Austria, the commander of the fleet of the Holy League, visited the church before the Battle of Lepanto. After defeating the Ottoman armada he returned to give thanks. Continue reading

Feast of the Madonna di Ripalta

September 8th, is the Feast of the Madonna di Ripalta, Patroness of Cerignola, Foggia in Puglia. In celebration, I'm posting a prayer to the Madonna di Ripalta. The accompanying photo of the Byzantine icon in the style of the Hodegitria, She who shows us the way, was taken at the Shrine Church of the Most Precious Blood (113 Baxter Street) in New York City's historic Little Italy. Continue reading

Feast of the Madonna dei Martiri

September 8th, is the Feast of the Madonna dei Martiri (Our Lady of Martyrs), Patroness of Molfetta, Puglia. According to tradition, Crusaders returning from the Holy Land in 1188 discovered a Byzantine icon of the Blessed Mother floating in the Adriatic Sea. Fishing it out of the water, the knights enshrined the image in the hospice at Molfetta, where many of their wounded brethren died as Martyrs of the Faith. In celebration, I'm posting a prayer to the Madonna dei Martiri in Italian. The accompanying photo was taken at Saint Ann’s Church in Hoboken, New Jersey. Continue reading

Feast of the Madonna della Stella

September 8th is the Feast of the Madonna della Stella (Our Lady of the Star), Patroness of Craco (MT), Adelfia (BA), Pazzano (RC), Pedagaggi (SR), Barrafranca (EN) and Militello in Val di Catania (CT), among others. She is also celebrated on August 15th, the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary. In celebration, I'm posting "The Patron of Craco," a poem by Vincenzo Montemurro.* The accompanying photo of Maria SS. della Stella was taken at now-closed Saint Joseph's Church (5 Monroe Street) in Manhattan. Continue reading

Feast of Santa Fortunata

Santa Fortunata, ora pro nobis

In Baucina, Sicily, the second Sunday in September is the patronal Feast of Santa Fortunata, Virgin and Martyr. According to tradition, the young maiden lived in Palestrina, Latium and converted to Christianity. Denounced as a Christian, she was arrested and brutally tortured to death in Rome in 200 AD. Santa Fortunata's liturgical memorial is celebrated on February 14th, which marks the arrival of her relics to Baucina from the Roman catacomb of San Lorenzo (also called San Ciriaca) in 1790.

In celebration, I'm posting a Prayer to Santa Fortunata. Pictured is my makeshift shrine dedicated to the glorious martyr. Evviva Santa Fortunata!

Prayer to Santa Fortunata

O virgin and martyr, Saint Fortunata from that sublime throne where you rest in your glory, deign to gaze upon me, your unworthy and devout servant. I pray that by your purity and heroism in glorious martyrdom, you may ask Jesus Christ and His most holy Mother, virgin of virgins, to protect me from every serious sin. I wish to offend Jesus no more, and when He sees me in temptation, may He deliver me from every thought and affection contrary to His law. Awake in me the memory of eternity and of Jesus crucified. Imprint deeply in my heart a sentiment of holy fear of God; inflame me with divine love, that imitating you on earth, I may merit happiness with you and with God in heaven, Amen.

Remembering Maria Carolina of Austria, Queen of Naples and Sicily

13 August, 1752 — 8 September, 1814

In memory of Maria Carolina of Austria, Queen of Naples and Sicily, we pray for the happy repose of her soul. Viva ‘a Reggina!

Eternal rest grant unto Her Majesty, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

The Most Holy Name of Mary at St. John Vianney Church in Colonia, New Jersey

"The Rescue," Monument to Firefighter Joseph Maffeo, in Staten Island, New York

Taking a short walk after my doctor's appointment Friday afternoon, I stumbled upon the Joseph Maffeo Monument outside Staten Island University Hospital along Seaview Avenue in Staten Island, New York. Titled "The Rescue," the bronze sculpture depicting the heroic Maffeo saving a baby was conceived by celebrated artist Gregory Perillo. The dramatic portrayal pays tribute to all the brave firefighters who lost their lives in the tragic events of September 11, 2001.

Feast of Santa Regina di Alise

Santa Regina, ora pro nobis

September 7th is the feast of St. Regina (Sainte Reine), Burgundian Virgin and Martyr. Born in Alise, Burgundy in the 3rd century to an aristocratic family, her mother died in childbirth. Secretly baptized by her Christian nurse, Regina embraced the Faith much to the consternation of her father. Disowned, he cast her out of their home and she lived as a poor shepherdess.

Courted by a Roman proconsul, Regina refused to renounce her faith and marry him. Angered, he had her imprisoned, brutally tortured and then beheaded. Her great resolve and the appearance of a dove above her head at her death caused many witnesses to convert. She is the patron saint of the poor, shepherdesses and victims of torture.

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

Prayer to St. Regina

Lord God, You showered heavenly gifts on St. Regina. Help us to imitate her virtues during our earthly life and enjoy eternal happiness with her in heaven. Amen.

The Semi-Annual National Summorum Pontificum Pilgrimage for the Restoration of the Latin Mass

Ponderable Quote from “Meditations” by Emperor Marcus Aurelius

A branch severed from an adjoining branch necessarily becomes severed from the whole tree. A man, likewise, who has been divided from any of his fellows has thereby fallen away from the whole community. But whereas the branch is lopped by some other hand, the man, by his feelings of hatred or aversion, brings about his own estrangement from his neighbour, and does not see that at the same time he has cut himself off from the whole framework of society. Nevertheless it is in our power, by grace of Zeus the author of all fellowship, to grow back and become one with our neighbour again, so playing our part once more in the integration of the whole. Yet if such acts of secession are repeated frequently, they make it difficult for the recusant to achieve this reunion and restitution. A branch which has been partner of the tree's growth since the beginning, and has never ceased to share its life, is a different thing from one that has been grafted in again after a severance. As the gardeners say, it is of the same tree, but not of the same mind.

* Reprinted from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, translated by Maxwell Staniforth, Penguin Books, 1984, pp. 168-169

** Portrait bust of Marcus Aurelius Roman, Antonine period, A.D. 161-180, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (photo by New York Scugnizzo)

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Requiem Mass at the Shrine Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Raritan, New Jersey

Ponderable Quote: The Final Proclamation of SG King Francesco II of the Two Sicilies to His Neapolitan Subjects

Servant of God King Francesco II
of the Two Sicilies (1836-1894)

On September 5, 1860, King Francesco II of the Two Sicilies left Naples for Gaeta as the invading forces of Garibaldi approached the capital. Before leaving, the King issued a final proclamation to his Neapolitan subjects:

"People of Naples:Of all of the duties demanded of a monarch, those performed in times of adversity are the most difficult and solemn, and I intend to carry them out in a manner and spirit befitting a descendant of so long a line of kings .... Regretfully, I must now leave Naples. An unjust war, one which was not wanted by the people, has overrun my kingdom, despite the fact that I was at peace with all of the European powers .... My paramount concern now is to protect this illustrious city, ... to protect its people from ruin and war, to safeguard its inhabitants and their possessions, the holy temples, the monuments, the public buildings, the art galleries, and everything else that constitutes the patrimony of its civilization and greatness, which, belonging to future generations, must not be sacrificed to transitory passions of the moment .... 

"War is approaching the walls of the city; and it is with ineffable sadness that I leave .... I commend the devotion of the ministry ... and I call upon the honor and civic sense of the mayor of Naples and the commander of the police to spare our beloved city the horrors of internal disturbances .... 

"As a descendant of a dynasty that has ruled over this kingdom for 126 years, after having saved it from the prolonged miseries of the viceregal government, my affections remain here. I am a Neapolitan; and cannot bid farewell to my beloved people, my compatriots, without bitter grief. 

"Whatever my destiny may be, I will always cherish for them a lasting and affectionate memory. I recommend to them peace and concord and observance of their duties as citizens. Let not an immoderate attachment for my crown become a source of turbulence. If the course of the present war should lead me back among you, or if on some future day it may please God to restore me to the throne of my ancestors, rendered more splendid by the free institutions with which I have endowed it, what I most fervently pray for is to find my people united, strong, and happy."

* Reprinted from Modern Naples: A documentary history, 1799-1999 by John Santore, Italica Press, 2001, pp. 174-175