March 28, 2024

HM Charles of Bourbon

Carlo di Borbone, Re di Napoli
e di Sicilia 
(1716-1788)
Reprinted from Western Exile @westernexile

Born the heir to thrones lost in war, when he became a man he set forth, for duty to his father, lineage and country, to reclaim the kingdoms of his ancestors in Italy, venturing well beyond comfort to do so. Finding and forging his courage across victorious battlefields of the Peninsula, he triumphed over the armies of Austria and entered Naples to popular adulation in 1734 and Palermo thereafter, reuniting the southern crowns once more.

As King, he displayed vision, ever tempered by the humility to consult and to delegate, and in fifty three years never lost sight of his calling to better the lives of his subjects. He found the South an outpost of empires past. He left her a realm proud once more of her ancient roots, yet the enlightened cradle too of the neoclassical world, buoyed by his enthusiastic patronage that would see Pompeii and Herculaneum rediscovered and revealed to the world.

Under his rule, the poor of Naples were fed, clothed, sheltered and educated, medieval dwellings became palaces and painters and musicians found ready patronage. Yet when Providence then bestowed upon him the throne of Spain, he, forgoing personal ambition and desiring peace in Europe, entrusted his beloved Naples and Sicily to his third son Ferdinand as kingdoms independent of his own, asking only that he be kept abreast of new discoveries of archaeology, as he turned then to build a second nation. So fundamental and sweeping would his deeds in Spain be that the very flag and anthem of that nation are still today his own.

To his realms he gave his industry and his honour. Yet above all, he gave them and their subjects dignity, and even three centuries later, he is remembered as one of the greatest of the Bourbons, and the very model of kingship.

Giovedì Santo (Holy Thursday)

Holy Thursday is the memorial of Christ’s Last Supper, when He established the Sacrament of Holy Communion and the institution of the priesthood. In celebration, I'm posting a prayer for Holy Thursday. The accompanying photos of sepolcri (lavureddi in Sicilian), potted wheat sprouts divested of their color, were taken in a friend’s basement. Traditionally in Southern Italy, people would grow wheat or legumes (lentils) in the dark to deprive them of their pigment. Symbolizing death, rebirth and heralding the Resurrection on Easter Sunday, the pale plants (sometimes decorated with silk ribbons and spring flowers) are brought to church on Holy Thursday and placed around the Altar of Repose, which represents the Holy Sepulcher or tomb of Our Lord.
Holy Thursday Prayer
O Lord Jesus, in order that the merits of your sacrifice on the Cross might be applied to every soul of all time, you willed that it should be renewed upon the altar. At the Last Supper, you said: 
"Do this in remembrance of me."
By these words you gave your apostles and their successors the power to consecrate and to the command to do what you yourself did. I believe that the Mass is both a sacrifice and a memorial- reenacting your passion, death and resurrection. Help me to realize that the Mass is the greatest gift of God to us and our greatest gift to God. Amen

Remembering Princess Cristina Pia of the Two Sicilies

24 December 1869 – 28 March 1870
In memory of Princess Maria Cristina Pia Anna Isabella Natalia Elisa di Borbone delle Due Sicilie, daughter of SG King Francesco II and Queen Maria Sophia of the Two Sicilies, we pray for the happy repose of her soul.

Eternal rest grant unto her, 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 Giovanni da Capestrano

San Giovanni da Capestrano, ora pro nobis
March 28th is the Feast of San Giovanni da Capestrano, Franciscan friar and priest. Patron Saint of military chaplains and jurists, he is also the protector of Capestrano, a commune in the Province of L'Aquila (Abruzzo), where he was born in 1386. 
San Giovanni is revered as the "soldier saint" for his role in the valiant defense of Belgrade against the Ottoman Turks in 1456. With his fiery sermons, he helped raise a peasant army and assisted John Hunyadi, the heroic White Knight of Wallachia, in breaking the siege and routing the invaders. 
In celebration, I'm posting a Prayer in honor of St. John of Capistrano. Evviva San Giovanni!
Prayer to St. John of Capistrano
Lord, you raised up Saint John of Capistrano to give your people comfort in their trials. May your Church enjoy unending peace and be secure in your protection. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Charla-coloquio «¿Qué es un círculo tradicionalista?» el 31 de marzo

Círculo Tradicionalista San Rafael Arcángel
Con la presencia del antiguo Jefe Nacional de las Juventudes Tradicionalistas, Víctor Javier Ibáñez, a las seis de la tarde (D.m.) del Domingo de Resurrección.

Los interesados pueden llamar al número de teléfono 655 865 257.

March 27, 2024

Feast of the Madonna dei Bagni

Madonna dei Bagni, ora pro nobis
Holy, or spy, Wednesday is the Feast of the Madonna dei Bagni, one of the so-called "Seven Sisters of Campania,” an appellation given to the region's major Marian devotions under different titles. Patroness of Scafati, Salerno, she gets the title Our Lady of the Baths from a fountain and spring renowned for their healing properties, especially for skin maladies, near where the sanctuary was later built. In ceelebration, I’m posting A Prayer to Our Lady for Healing. The image of the Madonna dei Bagni with St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist comes courtesy of the Santuario Madonna dei Bagni in Scafati. Ave Maria.
A Prayer to Our Lady for Healing
Mary Immaculate, you have given yourself to us as our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. You have asked us to pray with confidence, and we will receive great graces. We know your compassion, because you saw your Son suffer and die for us. In your union with his suffering you became the mother of us all. Mary, my mother teach me to understand my suffering as you do and to endure it in union with the suffering of Jesus. In your motherly love, calm my fears and increase my trust in God's loving care.  According to God's plan, obtain for me the healing I need. Intercede with your Son that I may have the strength I need to work for God's glory and the salvation of the world. Amen. Mary, health of the sick, pray for us.

Remembering Charles III, Duke of Parma

14 January 1823 – 27 March 1854
In memory of Carlo III di Borbone, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, we pray for the happy repose of his soul. While out for a stroll on Sunday 26 March 1854, the Duke was mortally wounded by an assassin’s blade and died at 5:30 PM the following evening on 27 March.

Eternal rest grant unto him, 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.

Easter Sunday at Our Lady of Peace Church in Brooklyn, New York

March 26, 2024

Celebrating Palm Sunday and Monthly Lecture by Dr. John C. Rao

The High Altar and shrine to the Madonna
Addolorata at Our Lady of Peace Church

Palm Sunday, we celebrated Traditional Latin Mass at Our Lady of Peace Church in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Blessing and distributing the palm before the church procession, Mass was sung by Fr. Christopher Cullen.

I bought a copy of The Complete Works of Alberto Caeiro by Fernando
Pessoa and Wlliam Blake at the Huntington by Robert N. Essick

With some time to kill before Dr. John Rao’s Lecture at Most Holy Redeemer Church in Manhattan, we had our morning cortado at Despaña and croissant at Maman. While in the city, we picked up some much-needed art supplies at the Blick and found a couple of interesting titles at the Strand. Currently going through a renewed interest in the great Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa (1888–1935), I found a copy of The Complete Works of Alberto Caeiro (New Direction Books, 2020), written under one of his three main heteronyms.

A look inside Most Holy Redeemer Church

Arriving early to the talk, we took the opportunity to explore Most Holy Redeemer’s beautiful nave and crypt and pray before the Reliquary and Our Lady of Perpetual Help chapels.

The statues and Crucifix in the Sanctuary were veiled in violet cloth. Signifying Christ's hiding from the Jews until he entered Jerusalem (commemorated of Palm Sunday), they will remain covered until the Glória is sung on Holy Saturday, which signals the end of Lent and the beginning of Eastertide
(L-R) The Reliquary and Our Lady of Perpetual Help chapels
(L-R) Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and ex-voto
Altar in the crypt
A half-hidden stained glass window depicting
the Resurrection of Christ in the church crypt

Joining our friends in the meeting room, we listened to and discussed Dr. Rao’s riveting and revealing talk, “The Grand Coalition of the Status Quo and the Temptation to Obey the Zeitgeist: 1000s-1500s.” Most of Dr. Rao’s writings can be found at For the Whole Christ and his lectures (including this one) can be heard on Soundcloud.

While exploring the church, we ran into Dr. Rao preparing for his lecture

Ponderable Quote from Iamdudum Cernimus (1861)

Bl. Pope Pius IX, ora pro nobis

Allocution of the Supreme Pontiff Pope Pius IX


For a long time, we have seen, Venerable Brothers, what a miserable conflict civil society is agitated by, especially in these unhappy times of ours, due to the war raging between truth and error, virtue and vice, light and darkness. In fact, some on the one hand support some maxims of, as they call it, modern civilization; and others on the other advocate the rights of justice and our holy Religion. The former ask that the Roman Pontiff reconcile and make peace with Progress, with Liberalism, as they say, and with today's civilization. The latter rightly ask that the immovable and unshakable principles of eternal justice be kept inviolate and intact; and may the healing virtue of our divine Religion be preserved unharmed, which propagates the glory of God, provides an appropriate remedy for the many evils that afflict the human race, and is the sole and true norm by which the children of men, after having been educated in every virtue in this mortal life, they are led to the port of eternal bliss.


But the patrons of today's civilization do not consent to this difference, since they proclaim themselves true and sincere friends of Religion. We would certainly like to believe them, if the very sad facts, which are there for all to see, did not fully demonstrate the opposite. To be sure, there is only one true and holy Religion throughout the earth, founded and instituted by Christ himself, Our Lord; she, fruitful mother and nurturer of every virtue, dispeller of vices, liberator of souls, indicator of true happiness, is called Catholic, Apostolic, Roman. We have already declared another time what should be thought of those who live outside this ark of salvation in Our Consistorial Address of 9 December 1854; here we confirm the same doctrine. Therefore we ask those who invite us to extend a friendly hand to today's civilization, whether the facts are such as to be able to induce the Vicar of Christ on earth, divinely established by Christ Himself to defend the purity of His celestial doctrine and feed the lambs and sheep, confirming both in it; we ask whether the facts can induce him, without the gravest fault of conscience and without the greatest scandal for all good people, to associate himself with the aforementioned modern civilization, through whose work such great and never sufficiently deplored evils occur, so many horrible opinions are promulgated and many errors and false principles completely opposed to the Catholic religion and its doctrine. Nor is anyone unaware that among these deeds is the total destruction of the same solemn concordats, formally made between this Apostolic See and the royal Sovereigns, as recently happened in Naples. Of which We, in this very large Assembly of yours, with all the strength of Our spirit We lament, Venerable Brothers, and above all we protest in the same way in which on other occasions we have cry out against similar attacks and violations.


Translated from the Italian at www.vatican.va

Photo of the Week: Terracotta Hydria Depicting the Abduction of Persephone by Hades

Terracotta hydria (water jar) depicting the abduction of Persephone
by Hades. Greek, Apulian, red figure, ca. 340-330 B.C. Found at
Canosa, Puglia before 1878. Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Lingue, patrimonio culturale e mass media: il caso del Napoletano

In Napoli

March 25, 2024

Next Enrollment Window to Help Convert Your Loved Ones

www.margaretofcortona.org

Feast of the Madonna di Picciano

Madonna di Picciano, ora pro nobis
March 25th is the Feast of the Madonna di Picciano and the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, protectress of the Santuario della Madonna overlooking the nearby hamlet of Picciano in Matera. Once guarded by the Knights Templar and later the Knights of Malta, the ancient sanctuary continues to draw pilgrims attracted to the miraculous image of the Blessed Mother, despite its suppression during the Napoleonic age. In celebration, I'm posting a Prayer for the Feast of the Annunciation. The accompanying photo of the sanctuary’s wooden processional statue comes courtesy of Andrew Giordano. Evviva Maria!

Prayer for the Feast of the Annunciation

O God, Who wast pleased that the eternal Word, according to the declaration of the angel, should take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Give to our humble petitions; and grant that we, who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, may be helped by her prayers. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

Novena to Santa Fara (Burgundofara)

Santa Fara, Ora pro nobis
Pray Novena to Santa Fara for nine consecutive days, March 25th to April 2nd, in preparation for the Feast on April 3rd. Evviva Santa Fara!
Glorious Saint St. Fara, beloved Patron, you served God in humility and confidence on earth. Now you enjoy His beatific vision in heaven. You persevered till death and gained the crown of eternal life. Remember now the dangers, confusion and anguish that surround me and intercede for me in my needs and troubles, especially...

(Mention your need here...).

Amen.

Saint Fara, pray for us.

Our Father…, Hail Mary… and Glory be…
* The accompanying photo comes courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella. The holy card is part of Father Carrella’s impressive collection of religious artifacts.

Infant Jesus of Prague Chaplet

O Infant Jesus, Whose truth enlightens the
darkness of our heart, have mercy on us
On the 25th of every month, devotees of the Divine Infancy should pray the Chaplet of the Infant Jesus of Prague, which includes three Our Fathers and twelve Hail Marys in celebration of the Holy Family and the first twelve years of Our Lord’s childhood. The Chaplet was composed by Venerable Sister Marguerite Parigot of the Blessed Sacrament (March 6, 1590—May 24, 1660), a Discalced Carmelite nun with a strong devotion to the Christ Child. Pleased with the devotion, Our Lord revealed Himself to Sister Marguerite and promised special graces to all who piously recite the Chaplet. In 1855 Pope Pius IX granted an Indulgence of 300 days, applicable to the Poor Souls in Purgatory, for its devout recitation.* 
In celebration, I’m posting the Infant Jesus of Prague Chaplet. The accompanying photo was taken at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Newark, New Jersey.
Infant Jesus of Prague Chaplet

Divine Infant Jesus, I adore Thy Cross and I accept all the crosses Thou wilt be pleased to send me. Adorable Trinity, I offer Thee for the glory of Thy Holy Name of God, all the adorations of the Sacred Heart of the Holy Infant Jesus.

(3x) “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us” and pray The Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)

(12x) “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us” and pray The Angelical Salutation (Hail Mary)

Holy Infant Jesus, bless and protect us. Amen.
www.sistersofcarmel.com

Sacred Triduum Anno Domini 2024 at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Shrine in East Harlem, New York

March 24, 2024

Feast of the Pupazze

Photos of the Pupazze courtesy of Made in South Italy Today
Every year on Palm Sunday (Domenica delle Palme) in Bova Superiore, a scenic commune in the Province of Reggio Calabria, the locals celebrate the Messiah’s triumphal entrance into Jerusalem with a unique ritual known as the Feast of the Pupazze.

On Palm Sunday, as the name suggests, it is traditional for devotees to weave palm leaves into religious symbols. However, in southern Italy palm was hard to come by, so during the feast celebrants used olive branches instead. In Bova, this art form was taken to new heights. Townspeople skillfully weave ornate female figures out of the branches and adorn them with flowers and local produce. The verdure effigies are carried through the town in a colorful procession to the shrine of St. Leo, Bova’s beloved patron, where they are blessed. Continue reading

Feast of San Gabriele Arcangelo

San Gabriele Arcangelo, ora pro nobis
March 24th is the Feast of San Gabriele Arcangelo, the exalted messenger of God. He is the patron saint of postmen, diplomats, messengers and telecommunication workers. 
In celebration, I’m posting a Prayer to Archangel Gabriel. The accompanying photo of The Annunciation by Luca Giordano was taken at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Evviva San Gabriele!
A Prayer to the Archangel Gabriel
O Blessed Archangel Gabriel, we beseech thee, do thou intercede for us at the throne of divine Mercy in our present necessities, that as thou didst announce to Mary the mystery of the Incarnation, so through thy prayers and patronage in heaven we may obtain the benefits of the same, and sing the praise of God forever in the land of the living. Amen.

Feast of Sant’Aldemaro da Capua

The Abbey of Monte Cassino
March 24th is the Feast Day of Sant’Aldemaro il Saggio (St. Aldemar the Wise), Abbot and miracle worker. Born in Capua, as a young boy he was sent to the Abbey of Monte Cassino, where he became a Benedictine monk. Renowned for his wisdom and holiness, he was appointed rector of the Monastery of San Lorenzo di Capua, which was founded by the Lombard Princess Aloara (d.992). Performing many miracles, Sant’Aldemaro was eventually recalled to Monte Cassino by his superiors, which caused a bitter dispute between the Abbot Aligerno (949-86) and the Princess. Wanting no part in the quarrel, Sant’Aldemaro moved on to Boviano in Molise, where he miraculously escaped a crossbow attack by a man outraged by his brother’s generous donation of land to the Saint. Relocating again, Sant’Aldemaro settled in Bocchignano, Abruzzo, where he founded the Monastery of Santa Eufemia. Traveling around the Diocese of Chieti preaching and performing miracles, he built several more religious houses before dying in 1080.

In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to St. Aldemar the Wise. The accompanying photo was taken during my 2007 pilgrimage to the Abbey of Monte Cassino in Southern Italy. Sant'Aldemaro da Capua, ora pro nobis.

Prayer to St. Aldemar the Wise

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the examples of St. Aldemar the Wise may effectually move us to reform our lives; that while we celebrate his festival, we may also imitate his actions. Look upon our weakness, almighty God, and since the burden of our own deeds weighs heavily upon us, may the glorious intercession of St. Aldemar protect us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Solemn Candlelight Good Friday Procession in Brooklyn, New York

March 23, 2024

The Handwriting of a Saint

Photo courtesy of Cav. Danny Toma
The personal diary of Servant of God King Francesco II of the Two Sicilies, in the National Archives in Naples. Photo from 2023.

Some Thoughts on Cabrini

“We must pray without tiring, for the salvation of mankind does not depend upon material success, but on Jesus alone.” ~ The real St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

“Men can never do what we do.” ~ Cabrini’s cringe girlboss
I have mixed feelings about Alejandro Gómez Monteverde’s Cabrini (2024), a dramatic depiction of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini’s (1850–1917) early travails in these United States. Considering I genuinely dislike most movies these days, I guess the fact that I like some things about it can be considered an endorsement of sorts.

Let’s begin with what was good. I thought the acting, cinematography, film score, and costumes were all top-notch. It was visually and aurally up to scratch. I thought Cristiana Dell’Anna was fantastic as Mother Cabrini and her supporting cast all put in good performances. Little details, like her pectoral cross and childhood fondness for making paper boats filled with violets, were nice touches. The tableaux vivants recreating the portraits of Mother Cabrini and dramatic photos from Jacob A. Riis’s How the Other Half Lives (1890), specifically his “Street Arabs at Night on Mulberry Street,” were especially impressive.
Street Arabs at Night on Mulberry Street
by Jacob A. Riis, How the Other Half Lives (1890)
I also liked that they depicted the great Catholic missionary and the first U.S. citizen [1] to be canonized as a strong, driven and capable woman. It shows what a person of faith and intelligence can achieve with the grace of God. Her many accomplishments are even more impressive considering that they were brought to fruition in a society that once (!?!) was rife with anti-Catholic and anti-Italian bigotry.

Often forgotten today, Cabrini is a much-needed reminder of the great hardships our ancestors endured and overcame during the mass exodus from Southern Italy throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. However, the choice to have Mother Cabrini save young Vittoria (Romana Maggiora Vergano) from a brothel in Five Points, Lower Manhattan, seemed fanciful and expedient, especially if renowned historian Thomas Sowell’s Migrations and Cultures: A World View (1997) can be believed. Our problems were many, but according to Sowell, “Prostitution was virtually unknown among Italian American women.” 

Mother Cabrini, 1880
As for what I didn’t like about the movie, let's begin with the most obvious criticism: First and foremost there was nothing remotely religious about the film. Her faith and piety were glaringly omitted. She was portrayed as an uppity “dago” who just happened to wear a habit and was repeatedly told “to know her place.” Too often, she seemed only motivated by pride, ambition and sticking it to the patriarchy, not her feminine vocation as a nun, compassion, or love for God. The script was lousy with feminist claptrap.

This seemed like an odd creative choice for a movie allegedly “based on the true story” of a Catholic saint. There can be no doubt that they faced many hardships, but Mother Cabrini and her Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus were no feminists. Urged by Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903), the indomitable sisters obediently, dutifully and lovingly helped the orphans, foundlings, and struggling Italian immigrants in America. They were too busy founding missionary institutions to serve the sick and poor to be corrupted by the pernicious cancer of feminism.

As someone who often attends and participates in many Italian religious feasts and celebrations, I enjoyed the scene where she was arrested for organizing an outdoor festival featuring the fictitious Sicilian tenor Enrico DiSalvo. As of this writing, I found no evidence of her ever actually being arrested and would not be surprised if it, like other parts of the movie, was fabricated for dramatic effect, but I had a chuckle when the Deputy Mayor confidently told her, “There will never be another Italian feast in New York City again.”
The Feast of St. Rocco, Bandits' Roost
by Jacob A. Riis, How the Other Half Lives (1890)
Considering tens of thousands of devotees celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in East Harlem and St. Rocco in the Lower East Side, among other Italian religio-cultural celebrations throughout the city every year since the 1880s, this was almost certainly another apocryphal exchange.

The DiSalvo character, played by Rolando Villazón, was probably based on the great Neapolitan tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921). If so, the decision to portray him as anticlerical and tightfisted was grossly inaccurate and unfortunate. While not particularly religious, Enrico Caruso was born and baptized Roman Catholic in Naples and was famously generous and did extensive charity with great largesse.

Also unlikely, yet a grim reminder of what actually came to pass, was her closing exchange with the fictional Mayor Gould, played by John Lithgow. Reminding His Honor that Italian immigrants are fast becoming U.S. citizens, she portentously foretells a day when they will vote themselves into power. Sadly, as predicted, we are well on our way to being completely assimilated and our so-called political leaders, like all politicians, leave a lot to be desired.
Following the ugly row between Gov. Cuomo and Comrade de Blasio in 2019, statues of Mother Cabrini were erected outside Sacred Hearts and St. Stephen Church in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, and at Battery Park City Esplanade
There is no question that this film was meant to serve as feminist agitprop and not Catholic apologetics. If there were any doubts, releasing it on International Women’s Day all but confirms it. Nevertheless, attempts to co-opt our glorious patroness for their own agenda—like the recent She Built New York City monument debacle and subsequent Mother Cabrini row between disgraced New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and incompetent New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio—will only backfire on them.

Let’s be honest, the godless (if interested at all) will soon move on to some other flashy distraction. If her cult was genuinely adopted by lukewarm, misguided, or questionable Catholics, she can only help strengthen their devotion and bring them closer to Our Lord Jesus Christ. And finally, like it has for me and my circle of friends, the biopic's shortcomings have inspired us to do better, pray more, and work harder to emulate her God-fearing example. Santa Francesca Saverio Cabrini, ora pro nobis.

~ Giovanni di Napoli, March 22nd, Feast of Sant'Isidorio

Notes
[1] Mother Cabrini became United States Citizen in 1909.

Feast of San Giuseppe Oriol

San Giuseppe Oriol, ora pro nobis
March 23rd is the Feast of St. Joseph Oriol, Priest, Mystic, Ascetic, and Wonderworker. Born on November 23, 1650 to a poor family from Barcelona, Spain, his education was entrusted to a local parish priest. Thanks to some benefactors, he attended university and obtained a doctorate in theology at the age of twenty-three. He was ordained a priest in 1676.

One day while sitting for a sumptuous dinner, an invisible force stayed his hand and kept him from partaking in the meal. Seeing this as a divine warning to fast and abstain from creature comforts, St. Joseph Oriol engaged in a lifetime of rigid asceticism and mortifications.

Seized suddenly with an ardent desire to one day be able to die a martyr, he left for Rome to offer himself as a missionary to evangelize the infidels. However, while on the pilgrimage, he fell ill, and only a vision of the Blessed Mother convinced him to return to Barcelona and strengthen the Faith back home.

Dedicating himself to helping the poor and sick, he led a very active apostolate, ministering successfully to soldiers and children. Renowned for his many miracles, St. Joseph Oriol cured the sick, blind, deaf, and lame.

Realizing his death was near, he received extreme unction and Viaticum. During his last three days, he subsisted solely on the Eucharist. Announcing the end had arrived, on March 23, 1702 he requested the Stabat Mater to be recited and exhaled his last breath.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Joseph Oriol. 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 Giuseppe Oriol!

Prayer to St. Joseph Oriol

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the examples of St. Joseph Oriol may effectually move us to reform our lives; that while we celebrate his feast, we may also imitate his actions. Look upon our weakness, almighty God, and since the burden of our own deeds weighs heavily upon us, may the glorious intercession of St. Joseph Oriol protect us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Holy Week at the Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in Raritan, New Jersey