Feast of the Apparition of San Michele Arcangelo

San Michele Arcangelo, ora pro nobis

May 8th is the Feast of the Apparition of San Michele Arcangelo, glorious Prince of the Heavenly Host. It commemorates a great battle in the 5th century, when the warrior angel appeared with flaming sword on Mount Gargano in the province of Foggia, Apulia, and led the people of Siponto to victory over a band of barbarian invaders. In celebration I'm posting a prayer to Saint Michael. The accompanying photo of the Archangel Michael smiting Satan was taken at the Shrine Church of the Most Precious Blood (113 Baxter St.) in New York City's historic Little Italy. Evviva San Michele Arcangelo!

Prayer to Saint Michael

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the Divine Power of God, cast into hell, Satan and all the evil spirits who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Feast of Blessed Luigi Rabatà

Beato Luigi Rabatà, ora pro nobis

May 8th is the Feast Day of Blessed Luigi Rabatà, Carmelite priest and ascetic. Born in Monte San Giuliano (Erice), Sicily c. 1443, he entered the Monastery of the Annunziata in Trapani, where he completed his studies and was ordained a priest. Reluctantly elected Prior of the reformed Carmelite Convent of San Michele Arcangelo in Randazzo (CT), he worked tirelessly for the Order and local community. Unafraid to condemn sinful practices, a local lord castigated by Luigi retaliated by ordering his murder. Shot in the head with an arrow, Luigi forgave his attacker. After months of suffering, he succumbed to his wound and died on this date in 1490. Luigi was Beatified on December 10, 1841 by Pope Gregory XVI. In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to Blessed Luigi Rabatà. The accompanying photo of Blessed Luigi Rabatà comes courtesy of the Santuario Maria SS. Annunziata di Trapani. Evviva Beato Luigi Rabatà!

Prayer to Blessed Luigi Rabatà

O God, who have adorned Blessed Luigi of love for the poor and patience in enduring offenses, grant us to live, in his imitation, in the meditation of eternal joys, in charity towards one's neighbor and towards our enemies. For Christ our Lord. Amen.

Feast of Sant’Agazio Martire

Sant'Agazio Martire, ora pro nobis

May 8th is the Feast of Sant’Agazio (St. Achatius), Centurion and Martyr. One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, he is the patron saint of soldiers and invoked against migraine headaches. Glorious Sant’Agazio is also the patron saint of Squillace and Guardavalle in Provincia di Catanzaro in Calabria.

According to tradition, Sant’Agazio was a Cappadocian Greek soldier in the Roman imperial army. Rising to the rank of centurion, during a battle a voice from the heavens said to him, "Call on the God of the Christians!" Doing as he was told, after the fray he converted, was baptized and began evangelizing his cohorts. 

Exposed as a Christian by his superiors, the steadfast warrior for Christ was arrested. Refusing to apostatize, Sant’Agazio was brutally tortured and marched back to Byzantium in chains, converting his fellow prisoners along the way. Beaten and scourged, he was condemned and beheaded in 311. 

After vanquishing Emperor Maxininus at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312, Constantine the Great issued the Edict of Milan, which granted religious tolerance throughout the Empire. Converting to the faith, the Emperor built a number of churches, including one in honor of Sant’Agazio at the location of his martyrdom.

Dating back to the seventh century (c. 630), ever-devoted Squillace also celebrates the translation of the Saint’s holy relics to their town on January 16th. From Squillace the Saint’s relics and patronage spread to nearby Guardavalle in 1584 and then to Ávila and Cuenca in Spain.

In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to St. Achatius. The photo comes courtesy of the Parrocchia Sant'Agazio Martire – Guardavalle Facebook page. Evviva Sant’Agazio!

Prayer to St. Achatius

Valiant Martyr of Christ, St. Achatius, who preached Christ faithfully before kings and judges, and didst gain the victory over the enemies of God; help me through thy powerful intercession to resist and gain the victory over all the enemies of my salvation, over the world and its allurements, over the concupiscence of the flesh, and over the temptations of Satan. I implore thee particularly to assist me in my agony, when the powers of Hell rise against me to rob my soul. Then do thou come to my aid and repel the assaults of the enemy, so that I surrender my soul into the hands of my Redeemer in faith, hope, and charity, and confiding in His infinite merits. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Traditional May 8th Supplica — Petition to the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii

Ave Maria!

The Supplica is a powerful petition invoked twice each year, on May 8th and the first Sunday of October, for the intercession of the Madonna del Rosario di Pompei.

Supplica (Petition to the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii)

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O August Queen of Victories, O Sovereign of Heaven and Earth, at whose name the heavens rejoice and the abyss trembles. O Glorious Queen of the Rosary, we, your devoted children, assembled (on this solemn day*) in your Temple of Pompeii, pour out the affection of our hearts and with filial confidence express our miseries to You.

From the Throne of clemency on which You are seated as Queen, turn, O Mary, your merciful gaze on us, on our families, on Italy, on Europe and on the whole world. Have compassion on the worries and trials which embitter our lives. See, O Mother, how many physical and spiritual dangers and how many calamities and afflictions press upon us.

O Mother, implore the mercy of your Divine Son for us and conquer the hearts of sinners with your benevolence. They are our brothers and your children who cause the heart of our sweet Jesus to bleed and sadden your sensitive Heart. Show us all what You are, the Queen of Peace and of Pardon.

Hail Mary…

It is true that, although we are your children, with our sins we are the first to crucify Jesus again in our hearts and pierce your heart anew.

We confess that we deserve the most severe punishments, but remember that on Golgotha You received, with the Divine Blood, the testament of the dying Saviour, who declared You our Mother, the Mother of sinners. You then, as our Mother, are our Advocate, our Hope. And we raise our pleading hands to You with sighs crying, "Mercy!".

O good Mother, have pity on us, on our souls, on our families, on our relatives, on our friends, on our deceased, especially on our enemies, and on so many who call themselves Christian and yet offend the Heart of your loving Son. We implore mercy for today's misguided Nations, for all Europe, for the whole world, so that, repentant, they may return to your Heart.

Have mercy on us all, O Mother of Mercy!

Hail Mary…

Deign kindly to hear us, O Mary! Jesus has placed in your hands all the treasures of His Grace and His Mercy.

You are seated crowned Queen at the right hand of your Son, resplendent with immortal glory above all Choirs of Angels. You extend your dominion throughout heavens, and earth and all creatures are subject to You.

You are omnipotent by grace and therefore You can help us. Were You not willing to help us because we are ungrateful children and undeserving of your protection, we would not know to whom to turn.

Your Mother’s heart would not allow seeing us, your children, lost. The Infant whom You hold on your lap and the mystical Rosary which we gaze at your hand, inspire confidence in us that You shall hear us. We confide totally in You and abandon ourselves to You, like helpless children into the arms of the tenderest of mothers, and on this very day, we expect from You the longed-for graces.

Hail Mary…

Let us ask for Mary's blessing.

One last favour we ask of You, O Queen, which You cannot deny us (on this very solemn day*). Grant us all your steadfast love and in a special way your maternal blessing.

We shall not leave You until You have blessed us.

Bless, O Mary, at this moment, our Holy Father. To the ancient splendours of your Crown, to the triumphs of your Rosary, whence You are called Queen of Victories, add also this, O Mother: grant the victory of the Faith and give Peace to human Society. Bless our Bishops, Priests and particularly those who work zealously to give honour to your Shrine. Finally, bless all those who are associated with your Temple of Pompeii and all those who cultivate and promote the devotion of the Holy Rosary.

O Blessed Rosary of Mary, sweet Chain which binds us to God, Bond of love which unites us to the Angels, Tower of salvation against the assaults of hell, safe Haven in the universal shipwreck, we shall never abandon You.

You will be our comfort in the hour of agony. For You is the last kiss of our dying life. And the last word on our lips will be your sweet name, O Queen of the Rosary of Pompeii, O Dearest Mother, O Refuge of Sinners, O Sovereign Consoler of the Afflicted. May You be blessed everywhere, on Earth and in Heaven, today and forever. Amen.

Hail, Holy Queen…

(*) Only on the 8th of May and the first Sunday of October.

Feast of the Madonna della Fontana & Arcangelo San Michele at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Newark, NJ

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Photo of the Week: Terracotta Red-Figure Lebes Gamikos, Archaelogical Museum of Paestum

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Lecture by Dr. John C. Rao in NYC (May 12th)

Feast of San Giovanni a Porta Latina

San Giovanni Apostolo ed Evangelista,
ora pro nobis!

May 6th is the Feast of St. John at the Latin Gate, a secondary feast to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist. Invoked against oil burns, poison and food poisoning, he is the patron saint of virgins, widows, theologians, writers, artists, armorers, alchemists, oil mills, and lamp oil. His principal feast is kept on September 26th.

According to tradition, an elderly St. John was arrested at Ephesus and brought to Rome in 95 AD. Emperor Domitian sentenced him to be boiled in a huge vat of oil outside the Porta Latina, but like the three children in the fiery furnace of Babylon, he miraculously emerged from the blistering cauldron cleansed and refreshed as if he took an invigorating bath. The Emperor seeing this had the holy man banished to the Isle of Patmos. Returning to Ephesus, St. John wrote his Gospel and three Epistles.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer St. John at the Latin Gate. The accompanying photo of The Martyrdom of St. John the Evangelist by Charles le Brun (1641-42) is from the church of St. Nicholas du Chardonnet in Paris. Evviva San Giovanni Apostolo ed Evangelista!

Prayer St. John at the Latin Gate

O God, Which seest that sins and sufferings do on every side rise up to trouble us, grant, we beseech thee, that we may find a shield in time of need through the glorious intercession of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist John. Through our Lord.

The Lesser Rogations

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

The Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension Thursday are the Lesser Rogation Days, or Litania Minor (Minor Litanies). First introduced in Gaul in the 5th century by St. Mamertus of Vienne to appease Our Lord and protect against natural disasters such as fire, earthquakes and blight, the three days in time became universal and helped prepare the faithful for the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ. They were traditionally observed with fasting, abstinence, public prayer and solemn processions called litania because participants recited various litanies while processing around the parish. However, in 1601 Pope Clement VIII suppressed the public use of numerous invocations and the Litany of the Saints became the norm. Rogation is simply the English form of the Latin rogatio, which comes from the verb rogare, which means “to ask.”

April 25th is the Greater Rogations, or Litania Major (Major Litanies). Similarly, it is kept with fasting, processions and prayer. Dating back to pagan times, the ancient custom, like Ember Days, supplanted an old Roman festival (in this case the Robigalia) with a sanctified Christian observance. It was revitalized in the 6th century by St. Pope Gregory the Great to invoke God’s mercy and ask for a bountiful harvest.

In celebration, I’m posting the anthem and prayer for Rogation Days from Blessed Be God: A Complete Catholic Prayer Book by Very Rev. Charles J. Callan, OP., S.T.M. and Very Rev. John A. McHugh, OP., S.T.M (Preserving Christian Publications, 2010). The accompanying photo of painted ceramic tiles depicting a procession was taken in Vietri Sul Mare, Salerno.

Prayer for Rogation Days

Ant. Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you; for every one that sketch receiveth and he he that seekers finders, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

V. He heard my voice from His holy temple.

R. And my cry before Him came into His ears.

Let us pray

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we, who in our affliction confide in Thy loving kindness, may be ever defended by Thy protection against all adversity. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

New Book — Adéodat and Emmanuel Dufournel: Officers of the Papal Zouaves and Martyrs for the Pope

New title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com

• Adéodat and Emmanuel Dufournel: Officers of the Papal Zouaves and Martyrs for the Pope edited by Brendan Cassell

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Fatima Masses & Processions at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Shrine in East Harlem, New york

Feast of San Nunzio Sulprizio

San Nunzio Sulprizio, ora pro nobis

May 5th is the Feast of St. Nunzio Sulprizio (Pescosansonesco 1817–Napoli 1836), orphan and young layman. Losing his parents at an early age, the pious boy was taken in by his cruel and abusive uncle. Beaten and starved, the child was made to do back-breaking labor in his uncle’s blacksmith shop. Nunzio was hospitalized in Aquila, then Naples, suffering from bone cancer and gangrene in one leg. In Naples, the boy was cared for and raised by Colonel Felice Wochinger, a kindly soldier known as “the father of the poor.” During his time in the hospital, Nunzio teaches the other sick children catechism and prepares them for their first confessions. Despite his sickness, the boy is recognized as a living saint by St. Gaetano Errico and welcomed into the incipient congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary; however, Nunzio’s health took a turn for the worse and died at the age of 19. St. Nunzio Sulprizio is the patron saint of workers, blacksmiths, the disabled, and Pescosansonesco, Abruzzo.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Nunzio Sulprizio. The Accompanying photo was taken in the rectory of St. Rita’s Church in Staten Island, New York. Evviva San Nunzio Sulprizio!

Prayer to St. Nunzio Sulprizio

Lord Jesus Christ, help us to trust always in you even when life is difficult, as St. Nunzio did. Although he endured so much suffering, he remained a person of faith. May we reach out to other people who need a caring word or gesture. Help us to love you as St. Nunzio did and know that you are with us in all times and places of our lives. Amen.

Feast of the Blessed Martyrs of Motril

Blessed Martyrs of Motril, orate pro nobis

"Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God ... and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God" (Rom 5:1-2). Today, in beatifying the martyrs of Motril, the Church puts these words of St. Paul on her lips. In fact, Vicente Soler, his six Augustinian Recollect companions and the diocesan priest, Manuel Martín, obtained access to "the glory of the sons of God" by the heroic witness of their faith. They did not die for an ideology but freely gave their lives for the One who had first died for them. They offered Christ the gift they had received from him. ~ Pope John Paul II*

May 5 is the Feast of the Blessed Martyrs of Motril. Between July 25 and August 15, 1936, a group of seven Augustinian recollect friars and one diocesan priest in Motril, Granada were murdered for their Faith by Communist thugs during the Spanish Civil War. The Blessed Martyrs José Ricardo Díez, Augustinian priest (d. July 25); León Inchausti, Augustinian priest (d. July 25); Julián Benigno Moreno, Augustinian priest (d. July 25); Deogracias Palacios, Augustinian priest (d. July 25); José Rada, Augustinian priest (d. July 25); Vicente Pinilla, Augustinian priest (d. July 26); Manuel Martín Sierra, parish priest at the Church of the Divine Shepherd in Motril (d. July 26); and Vicente Soler, Augustinian priest (d. August 15) were Beatified by Pope John Paul II on 7 March 1999.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer for the Blessed Martyrs of Motril. Evviva Blessed Martyrs of Motril!

Prayer

Lord, hear the prayers of the martyrs Blessed Vicente Soler and Companions and give us the courage to bear witness to your truth. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen

* From the homily of Pope John Paul II during the Beatification of Eight Spanish Martyrs, Third Sunday of Lent, 7 March 1999

Feast of Sant'Angelo Martire

Sant'Angelo, ora pro nobis

May 5th is the Feast of St. Angelo, Mystic, Ascetic, Hermit, Priest and Martyr. He is the patron Saint of converts and Licata in Provincia d'Agrigento, Sicily. In celebration, I'm posting a Prayer to Saint Angelo. The accompanying photo of the Saint was taken at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary–Saint Stephen RCC, located in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Evviva Sant'Angelo!

Prayer to Saint Angelo

O glorious St. Angelo, mirror of all heroic virtues, we rely on you. Support our faith, our hope and inflame our desire to copy your virtues in order to give glory to God. Remember, O powerful advocate, your Licata and all Licatesi, at home and scattered around the world, who look to you always as a pillar of strength. Continue to protect us from the scourge and to implore all your devotees to greet the joy of divine mercy. Amen

Feast of Santissimo Crocifisso di Ciminna

Domine, miserere nobis

In Ciminna (PA), Sicily, the first Sunday of May is the Festa del SS. Crocifisso Padre di Grazia, or Feast of the Crucified Father of Grace. In celebration, I'm posting the prayer Together We Call, reprinted from the Societá SS. Crocifisso San Giovanni Bosco di Cimminna of Chicago website. The accompanying photo was taken at the 2015 Festa del Santissimo Crocifisso di Ciminna at St. Athanasius Church in Brooklyn, New York. Evviva Gesù!

Together We Call

Father, your arms are open to everyone. Give us your blessing and grace that we as sinners ask for. We all call out — Viva SS. Crocifisso! Father, you are the healer of the sick. You make the blind see, the deaf hear and the mute speak. We call you — Father of Grace. Forgive our sins and with all our hearts we say — Viva SS. Crocifisso!

Feast of the Madonna di Setteporte

Madonna di Setteporte, ora pro nobis

The first Sunday of May is the Feast of the Madonna di Setteporte, patroness of Rocca di Neto, a small town in the Province of Crotone in Calabria. In celebration, I'm posting Prayer to Mary, Refuge of Sinners by St. Alphonsus Liguori. The accompanying photo of the Madonna di Setteporte was taken at Saint Rocco’s Church in Glen Cove, New York. Evviva Maria!

Prayer to Mary, Refuge of Sinners

O most holy and pure virgin! O my mother! You who are the mother of my Lord, the queen of the world, the advocate and refuge of sinners! I, a most wretched sinner, now come to you. I honor you, great queen, and give you humble thanks for the many favors which have come to me in the past through your intercession. I love you, Lady most worthy of all love, and by the love which I bear you, I promise ever in the future to honor you, and to do what lies in me to win others to your love. Receive me as your servant, and cover me with the mantle of your protection, you who are the mother of mercy! And since you have so much power with God, implore him to deliver me from all temptations, and to give me the grace ever to overcome them. Pray for me that I may love Christ in this world as you love him, and intercede for me that I may have the grace of a good death. O my mother! by your love for God I beseech you to be at all times my helper, but above all at the last moment of my life. Cease not your supplications until you see me safe in heaven, there for countless ages to bless you and, your holy company, to worship and adore your son, for ever and ever. Amen.

Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ at Corpus Christi Church in South River, New Jersey

Domenica 5 maggio 2024, Festa della Traslazione delle Reliquie di San Gaetanno: S. Messa cantata nel Santuario di San Gaetano, ore 11.30

www.messatridentinanapoli.com

Feast of Santa Monica

Santa Monica, ora pro nobis

May 4th is the Feast of Santa Monica (c.322-387AD), mother of St. Augustine of Hippo. She is the patron saint of wives, difficult marriages, victims of adultery and abuse, widows, despondent mothers, and the conversion of relatives. In celebration, we're posting a Prayer to St. Monica. The accompanying photo of Santa Monica, courtesy of Nancy Loguercio Speranza, was taken in the Chapel of the Crucifix in the Chiesa di Santo Stefano on the Isle of Capri in the Bay of Naples. Evviva Santa Monica!

Prayer to St. Monica 

Exemplary Mother of the Great Augustine, you perseveringly pursued your wayward son, not with wild threats but with prayerful cries to heaven. Intercede for all mothers in our day so that they may learn to draw their children to God. Teach them how to remain close to their children, even the prodigal sons and daughters who have sadly gone astray. Amen.

Feast of San Floriano di Lorch

San Floriano di Lorch, ora pro nobis

May 4th is the Feast Day of St. Florian of Lorch, Martyr. Patron saint of firemen, chimneysweeps, innkeepers and brewers he is invoked against fires and floods. 

In celebration, we're posting a Prayer to St. Florian for Firefighters. The accompanying photo was taken at Saint Ephrem Church in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. Evviva San Floriano di Lorch!

Prayer to St. Florian for Firefighters

O, Almighty God, whose great power and eternal wisdom embraces the universe, watch over all Firefighters. Protect them from harm in the performance of their duty to fight fire, save lives, and preserve property. We pray, help them to keep our homes and all buildings safe day and night. We recommend them to Your loving care because their duty is dangerous. Grant them Your unending strength and courage in their daily assignments. Dear God, protect these brave persons. Grant them Your Almighty protection and unite them safely with their families after duty has ended. Amen.

Novena to Our Lady of Fátima

Madonna di Fátima, ora pro nobis

Pray Novena to Our Lady of Fátima for nine consecutive days, May 4th to May 12th, in preparation for the Feast on May 13th. Ave Maria!

Novena Prayer

O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, you deigned to come to Fátima to reveal to the three shepherd children the treasures of graces hidden in the recitation of the Rosary. Inspire our hearts with a sincere love of this devotion, so that by meditating on the mysteries of our redemption that are recalled in it, we may gather its fruits, obtain peace for the world, the conversion of sinners, the conversion of Russia, and the favor which I ask of you in this Novena (state your request here). I ask it for the greater glory of God, for your own honor, and for the good of all souls, especially those most in need of thy mercy. Amen. 

Our Father (x3)
Hail Mary (x3)
Glory Be to the Father (x3) 

Litany to Our Lady of Fatima

Our Lady of Fátima, pray for our dear country.
Our Lady of Fátima, sanctify our clergy.
Our Lady of Fátima, make our Catholics more fervent.
Our Lady of Fátima, guide and inspire those who govern us.
Our Lady of Fátima, cure the sick who confide in thee.
Our Lady of Fátima, console the sorrowful who trust in thee.
Our Lady of Fátima, help those who invoke your aid.
Our Lady of Fátima, deliver us from all dangers.
Our Lady of Fátima, help us to resist temptation.
Our Lady of Fátima, obtain for us all that we lovingly ask thee.
Our Lady of Fátima, help those who are dear to us.
Our Lady of Fátima, bring back to the right road our erring brothers.
Our Lady of Fátima, give us back our ancient fervor.
Our Lady of Fátima, obtain for us pardon of our manifold sins and offenses.
Our Lady of Fátima, bring all men to the feet of thy Divine Child.
Our Lady of Fátima, obtain peace for the world.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

Let us Pray: O God of infinite goodness and mercy, fill our hearts with a great confidence in Thy Dear Mother, whom we invoke under the title of Our Lady of the Rosary and our Lady of Fátima, and grant us by her powerful intercession all the graces, spiritual and temporal, which we need. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 * Pictured: My collection of stamps issued by Portugal in 1950 for the Holy Year of Our Lady of Fátima.

Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Shrine in East Harlem, New York

Remembering El Tres de Mayo

The Third of May, 1808 in Madrid (1814) by Francisco José de Goya

Following the Spanish uprising in Madrid against Napoleon on 2 May 1808 (Dos de Mayo), the brave and loyal sons and daughters of Spain were rounded up on 3 May (Tres de Mayo) and massacred en masse. We pray for the happy repose of their souls. ¡Viva la Contrarrevolución!

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

In Voce Tubæ: Venetian Music for Ascension

www.musicatransalpina.org

Feast of the Madonna di Castello

Madonna di Castello, ora pro nobis

May 3rd is the Feast of the Madonna di Castello, one of the so-called "Seven Sisters of Campania,” an appellation given to the region's major Marian devotions under different titles. Patroness of Somma Vesuviana, she gets her title from the castle built on the summit of Mount Somma by Charles of Anjou in 1269. The fête is the culmination of the famed “Celebration of the Mountain,” which begins on the Saturday after Easter with bonfires and torchlight processions (the “Saturday of Fires”). The festivities for Mamma Pacchiana (of the people), as the miraculous image is affectionately called, harken back to the restoration of the statue, which was heavily damaged during an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1631. According to tradition, Our Lady appeared in a dream to the paralyzed daughter of the procrastinating artist commissioned to restore the statue. She commanded the girl to rise and place the neglected statue on her father’s worktable. The next morning, the astonished artist got the message and promptly completed the job. In celebration, we're posting a prayer to the Madonna di Castello. The accompanying photo is from the 2018 calendar from the Santuarrio di S. Maria a Castello. Evviva Maria!

Prayer to the Madonna di Castello

O Holy Virgin, Mother of Jesus and I, listen to my fervent prayer and grant me that I am among those you love and keep in your heart. Purify, Virgin of Castle, my soul from every sinful desire; turn away from me all that is displeasing in your pure eyes. You know my needs because you are the Mother of the needy; you have always manifested the power of your maternal protection, hear my prayer. I promise to live in a Christian way and to spread your devotion. Bless, O Mother, my family and my work, and do not abandon me at the hour of death. Madonna di Castello, pray for me. Amen

Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross

God the Son, Redeemer of the World,
Have mercy on us

Fili Redemptor mundi, Deus, miserere nobis

May 3rd is the Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Sant’Elena (St. Helen of the Cross), Empress dowager and mother of Constantine the Great.

In celebration, I’m posting the Church’s Salutation to the Holy Cross. The accompanying photo of reliquary with relic of the True Cross was taken at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Newark, New Jersey.

Salutation to the Holy Cross

O glorious and venerable Cross! O most precious wood! O wonderful sign by which sin, the devil and hell were conquered, and the world redeemed by Jesus Christ! Great art thou above all trees of the cedars of the forest, for on thee hung the Life of the world! On thee Christ triumphed and by His death conquered death forever. Alleluia. 

La Festa di I Tri da Cruci — The Feast of the Three Crosses

Tropea (VV), Calabria

Coinciding with the Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross by St. Helena on May 3rd, Tropea's annual Festa di I Tri da Cruci (Feast of The Three Crosses) commemorates the discovery of three crosses that survived the destruction of an old church by a violent hurricane and their translation to the Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo (delle anime del Purgatorio). 

During the celebration, the Trupiani also recall the expulsion of the Saracens from Tropea, "The pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea," who for centuries harried the Coast of the Gods, Calabria's northern seaboard, for tribute and slaves. In what's facetiously called, il camiuzzi I focu, or "the dance of the burning camel," an effigy of the hated Moslem tribute-collector is paraded around town then set aflame with fireworks to the delight of the revelers.

The festival also evokes the memory of the town's victorious soldiers, particularly the heroic Colonel Gaspare Toraldo, who captured a Turkish ship and her crew—including its captain, Rais Zesbinassan, at the Battle of Lepanto on October 7th, 1571. The Holy League's miraculous triumph over the menacing Ottoman Empire during the famous sea-battle dealt a crushing blow to Turkish designs on conquering the Italian peninsula. 

In celebration, I'm posting a Prayer in Honor of the Holy Cross.

Prayer in Honor of the Holy Cross

O God, Who didst will to hallow the standard of the life-giving Cross by the Precious Blood of Thine only-begotten Son; grant, we beseech Thee, that they who rejoice in honoring the same holy Cross, may rejoice also in Thine ever-present protection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sanctity as Warfare: Day of Recollection with Fr. John Perricone

Feast of Sant’Atanasio il Grande

Sant'Atanasio il Grande, ora pro nobis

May 2nd is the Feast of Saint Athanasius the Great, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. Widely venerated across Southern Italy, he is the principal protector of Santa Sofia D’Epiro (CS), Firmo (CS), Bellante (TE), and Cellino Attanasio (TE), among others. 

In celebration, we're posting a prayer to St. Athanasius. The accompanying photo of reliquary was taken at Saint Athanasius Church in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Evviva Sant'Atanasio il Grande!

Prayer to St. Athanasius

Father, you raised up Saint Athanasius to be an outstanding defender of the truth of Christ’s divinity. By his teaching and protection may we grow in your knowledge and love. 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.

Remembering the Dos de Mayo Uprising in Madrid

The Charge of the Mamelukes or The Second of May 1808 by Francisco de Goya

In remembrance of the May 2nd Uprising of Madrid against Napoleon in 1808, we offer a prayer to the brave and loyal people of Spain who fought and died for Dios, Patria, Fueros y Rey. ¡Viva la Contrarrevolución!

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