Dedication of the Abbey of Our Lady, Pontigny, France (1114) – 20 October:
The Abbot Orsini wrote: “The Dedication of the Church of Pontigny, four leagues from Auxerre, under the title of Our Lady. This Abbey was founded in 1114 by Thibaud, Count of Champagne.”
The former abbey of Pontigny is nestled in the Serein valley in the north of Burgundy, and is one of the oldest sites of the Cistercian order. Being only the second Cistertian monastery, it was established in the year 1114 by Blessed Hugh of Macon, the companion of Saint Bernard, in this valley north of Auxerre in the French Department of Yonne. It is notable, that Hugh later became the Bishop of Auxerre.
The Monks valued the land, the woods and streams they were surrounded by and cultivated large farms around their Abbey. They raised various crops, bread pigs and sheep and made terracotta bricks. It was that strong economic base that enabled them to construct the great Romanesque style Church that reached an impressive length of 120 metres that still stands intact today. In the year 1164 the Abbey received the Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of England St Thomas à Becket while he was an exile due to his opposition to King Henry and in 1206 the Queen of France, Alix de Champagne, was buried in the choir of the Abbey. The wealthy Abbey was looted and burned by the Huguenots in about 1529 during the Wars of Religion. During the French Revolution the Abbey was suppressed, and its buildings largely sold or destroyed, save for the Church. Unlike most Churches during the time of the French Revolution, the Abbey of Pontigny is completely preserved and is now thought to be the largest Cistercian Church in France. The Church is notable for its arches and columns with twin bays, its vaults on two columns and portal with tympanum cross and wrought iron hinges. Known as the Church of Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Edme Pontigny, or Our Lady of Saint Edmond of Pontigny, the old Church Abbey monastery became the Parish Church of the village of the same name after the French Revolution. The church of Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Edme Pontigny is now abandoned and it is used simply as a kind of cultural meeting place.
St Adelina St Aderald St Aidan of Mayo St Andrew of Crete St Artemius Megalomartyr St Barsabias St Bernard of Bagnorea St Bradan St Caprasius of Agen St Cornelius the Centurion (1st Century) traditionally believed to have become th First Bishop of Caesarea
Blessed James Strepar OFM (c 1340-1409) Archbishop of Halicz, Poland from 1392 until his death Religious Priest of the Order of Friars Minor, Missionary. St Pius X proclaimed Blessed James, along with St Anthony of Padua, the Patrons of the Conventual Franciscan Order of Krakow Province. He was given the title of “Protector of the Kingdom, Defender and Guardian of the Homeland,” for his exceptional merits, including civil ones. Such was he considered by all. He was Canonised by by Pope Pius VI on 11 September 1791. His body is incorrupt. His Life: https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/20/saint-of-the-day-20-october-blessed-james-strepar-ofm-c-1340-1409/
Virgen del Camino / Our Lady of the Way, Valverde de la Virgen, León, Castile and León, Spain (1505) – 19 October:
On 2 July 1505, while watching his sheep, Alvar Simón Fernández saw the Virgin, radiant with light and heard her say: “Go to the city and tell the Bishop to come to this place and install this image my Son wishes to appear here, for the good of this land.” The shepherd answered, “Señora, how will they believe it was you who sent me?” She asked for his slingshot and with it launched a small stone, saying, “When the Bishop sees this stone it will be so large that he will know I have sent you and where you find the stone, is where my Son and I want you to put the image.”
The miraculously-located Shrine was outside the City of León on the Camino de Santiago, the pilgrim road to Compostela, hence the title Virgin of the Way The Virgen del Camino was declared Patron of the León region in 1914. The Statue is a 84 centimetre wooden Pietà, which the Basilica’s website dates to 1514. Its coronation, which Pope Benedict XI authorised in 1917, was carried out on 19 October 1930. The large, modern Sanctuary was completed in 1961 and houses the Statue. The Virgin of the Way is honoured today and on 15 September, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.
St Paul of the Cross CP (1604-1775) Priest, Mystic, Preacher, endowed with miraculous powers of healing and prophecy, Founder of the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ known as the Passionists. Canonised on 29 June 1867 by Blessed Pope Pius IX who placed his Feast on 28 April. It was moved in 1969. So great was his eloquence when he spoke of the Passion that both he and his hearers would shed tears and the most hardened hearts were moved to repentance. (Optional Memorial) About St Paul here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/10/19/saint-of-the-day-st-paul-of-the-cross-1604-1775/
Bl Agnes of Jesus St Altinus St Aquilinus of Evreux St Asterius of Ostia St Beronicus of Antioch St Desiderius of Longoret St Ednoth St Ethbin St Eusterius of Salerno St Frideswide
St Varus of Kemet St Verano of Cavaillon — Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: 18 Beati • Blessed Antonio Elizalde Garvisu • Blessed Constantino Miguel Moncalvillo • Blessed Dionisio Arizaleta Salvador • Blessed Emiliano Pascual Abad • Blessed Eusebio de Las Heras Izquierdo • Blessed Ferran Castán Messeguer • Blessed Francesc Solá Peix • Blessed Francisco Marco Martínez • Blessed Francisco Milagro Mesa • Blessed Francisco Simón Pérez • Blessed Josep Ferrer Escolà • Blessed Josep Ribé Coma • Blessed Julio Leache Labiano • Blessed Juan Senosiaín Zugasti • Blessed Manuel Font y Font • Blessed Narcís Simón Sala • Blessed Nicolas Campo Giménez • Blessed Pere Vives Coll
Thought for the Day – 18 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Month of the Holy Rosary” The Fifth Glorious Mystery The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth
“Mary is also styled, ‘Queen of the Patriarchs‘ because, it was through her, that they came to possess the object of their desires, the divine Redeemer, Who released them from Limbo and brought them to Heaven. She is ‘Queen of the Prophets‘ because, their prophecies were realised through her. She is ‘Queen of the Apostles‘ whom she assisted and encouraged after the departure of her divine Son. She is the ‘Queen of Martyrs‘ because, her maternal heart was pierced by a sword of sorrow. She is ‘Queen of the Confessors‘ because, nobody else was capable of so deep and lively a profession of the Faith. She is ‘Queen of Virgins‘ because, her virginal purity was crowned by the supreme dignity of Mother of God. She is ‘Queen, moreover, of all the Saints‘, for no other human creature could ever surpass, or even dream of the summit of holiness, to which she attained. Above all, however, she is our Mother and our most powerful Queen. She loves us because, we have been redeemed by the Blood of her Son, Jesus Christ and she desires to obtain God’s favours for us and to take us under her maternal protection.
We, the children of Eve, in exile in the vale of tears, should turn to Mary with confidence and trust in her power to save us.”
Notre-Dame de Reims / Our Lady of Rheims – Dedication of the Church of Our Lady of Rheims (405) built by St Nicasius – 18 October:
Dedication of Our Lady of Rheims, built by St Nicasius (died c 407), Archbishop of that City period in the year 405. It was Saint Nicasius who prophesised that France would be invaded by the Vandals, telling the people of Rheims to prepare themselves. When the Vandals finally arrived at the City gates, St Nicasius went out to meet them with his sister, a faithful deaconess. All were killed but their sacrifice gave time for more of the people of Rheims to flee to safety. It is interesting to note, that when St Nicasius was beheaded he was praying Psalm 119. He was slain at the moment when he reached the phrase “Adhaesit pavimento anima mea,” which means, “my soul is attached to dust.” After he was decapitated, his head struck the ground and he miraculously continued the psalm, saying: “Vivifica me, Domine, secundum verbum tuum,” which means, “revive me, Lord, with your words.” This was the Church where King Clovis humbly confessed his belief in the Triune God and was baptised by St Regimius in 496 and where, all of the subsequent French Kings were crowned. In the Gallery of the Kings there is a magnificent painting of the baptism of King Clovis surrounded by images of all of his successors.
The Baptism of King Clovis by the Master of Saint Giles (16th cent)
This Church, having fallen to ruins, was later rebuilt by Ebo and Hincmar. It was finished in the year 845 and still remains a place of pilgrimage to the Mother of God. At one time enemies of the Cathedral chapter set fire to a monastery of Rheims. Among the relics which the sacristan tried to save was an ivory statue of the Virgin, containing some of her hair. The sacristan prayed fervently to the Virgin that she would preserve this relic. The Abbot, entering the ruins of the Church, found the Statue upright and unharmed as if placed there reverently. From thence forward, the image was believed to be miraculous. The present Cathedral takes the place of the older churches, the previous one having been damaged by fire in 1210. It was not completed until the 14th century, and is the beautiful Gothic Cathedral that can still be seen today, after much restoration work after the bombardments of WWI and II.
St Acutius of Pozzuoli St Amabilis of Auvergne (c 397- c 475) Priest, Confessor St Asclepiades of Antioch St Athenodorus St Brothen Bl Burchard I St Cadwaladr of Brittany Bl Domenico of Perpignano St Eutychius of Pozzuoli St Gwen St Gwen of Tagarth St Gwendoline
Bl Margherita Tornielli St Monon of Nassogne St Proculus of Pozzuoli Bl Theobald of Narbonna St Tryphonia of Rome — Martyrs of Africa – 9 saints: A group of Christians martryed together in Africa. The only details that have survived are the names – Beresus, Dasius, Faustinus, Leucius, Lucius, Martialis, Victoricus, Victrix and Viktor. They were martyred in c.300 in Africa.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Alfredo Almunia López-Teruel • Blessed Francisco Roselló Hernández • Blessed Isidro Juan Martínez
Twenty First Sunday after Pentecost Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Könnyezo Szuz Mária / Our Lady of Tears or the Weeping Madonna (Sajópálfala, Miskolci, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Hungary) (1717) – Third Sunday of October, 16 February:
During the Turkish occupation of the late 1600s, the town of Sajópálfala in northeastern Hungary was destroyed and deserted. Not long after Greek Catholics resettled the area. The painting of the Madonna and Child in their village Church perspired and wept bloody tears, from 6 January to 16 February 1717.
The investigating Bishop took the picture to Eger, where it stayed in the Franciscan Church until the Communists dissolved the religious orders in 1950. Then the painting was lost to the faithful of Sajópálfala, who had made an annual pilgrimage to Eger on the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.
In 1969, they located the original weeping image in a Church in the Diocese of Pécs, where a friar had taken it when the Eger Monastery closed. On 25 October 1973, after 256 years, the Weeping Virgin Mary returned to the Church of the Visitation in Sajópálfala, where the main pilgrimage days are now Pentecost Sunday and the third Sunday in October.
Bl Battista de Bonafede St Berarius I of Le Mans St Catervus St Colman of Kilroot Blessed Contardo Ferrini TOSF (1859-1902) Layman, Third Order Franciscan
St Ethelbert of Eastry St Ethelred of Eastry St Florentius of Orange
Bl Gilbert the Theologian St Heron of Antioch Bl Jacques Burin St John the Short/Dwarf St Louthiern St Mamelta of Persia St Nothelm of Canterbury St Richard Gwyn St Rudolph of Gubbio St Rufus of Rome St Serafino of Montegranaro St Solina of Chartres St Zosimus of Rome — Martyrs of Nicomedia – 3 saints: A group of Christians martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian. The only details about them that have survived are their names – Alexander, Marianus and Victor. 303 in Nicomedia (in modern Turkey).
Martyrs of Valenciennes -5 beati: A group of Ursuline nuns martyred in the persecutions of the French Revolution. • Hyacinthe-Augustine-Gabrielle Bourla • Jeanne-Reine Prin • Louise-Joseph Vanot • Marie-Geneviève-Joseph Ducrez • Marie-Madeleine-Joseph Déjardins
Martyrs of Volitani: A group of martyrs who were praised by Saint Augustine of Hippo. In Volitani, proconsular Africa (in modern Tunisia).
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • BlessedFidel Fuidio Rodriguez • BlessedJosé Sánchez Medina • BlessedPerfecto Carrascosa Santos • BlessedTársila Córdoba Belda de Girona
Dedication of the Church of Our Lady of Milan (1417) by Pope Martin V – 16 October:
The Abbot Orsini wrote: “Dedication of Our Lady of Milan, by Pope Martin V, in the year 1417. This Church was built in 1388 by John Galleas, Duke of Milan.”
The magnificent Milan Cathedral is a Gothic Cathedral that has its roots in the fourth centurY. Today it is one of the most famous and celebrated structures in all of Europe. It is the second largest Church in Italy after St Peter’s Basilica in Rome and the third largest Catholic Church in the world.
Dedicated to the Mother of God, the present Cathedral was begun in the 14th century but was not completed until the 20th century when the last gate was finally installed in 1965. Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte himself ordered that the façade be finished in the year 1805, as he desired to see the beautiful structure completed. He guaranteed that the French would pay for the work, although they never actually did. Even so, it took seven years to complete the work. There were other additions that followed, including stained glass windows and various arches and lace-like spires. In the end it can be said, that the Cathedral required 6 centuries to complete and is one of the largest Cathedrals in the entire world.
The Madonnina Spire or guglia del tiburio (“lantern spire“), one of the main features of the Cathedral, was erected in 1762 at the height of 108.5 m (356 ft), as designed by Francesco Croce. At the top of the spire is the polychrome Madonnina Statue, designed and built by Carlo Pellicani in 1774, during the episcopacy of Bishop Giuseppe Pozzobonelli who supported the idea to place the Madonnina at the top of the Cathedral, By tradition, no building in Milan may be higher than the Madonnina.
The first Church thought to occupy the location was built by Saint Ambrose, although there is an old baptistery which was constructed in about 335. The good Abbot appears to have been incorrect in dating the Cathedral from 1388, as there is a plate attached to a stone on the Church which states: “El Principio del Duomo di Milano Nel Anno 1386.”
St Ambrose barring Theodocius from Milan Cathedral
The Milan Cathedral houses a Holy Nail which was used to Crucify Christ. It is marked by a tiny red light located in the dome above the apse. There are more Statues on this Cathedral than any other in the world, 3159 in total. 2245 of these are on the exterior together with 96 gargoyles and 135 spires. It is said that if the Statues were placed on top of each other, they would reach a height of about 5,300 meters (3.3 miles).
The Cathedral is 158.5 meters (520 feet) long, 92 meters (302 feet) wide. It has a cruciform plan in the form of a Latin cross that covers nearly 12,000 square meters. 40,000 people can fit comfortably within. Its construction was up five naves, a central and two lateral on each side, resting on 40 columns of 24.50 meters (80 feet) each.
Access to the Cathedral is made through five large bronze doors from Piazza Duomo. The central one [pic. below] is the oldest and was created in the nineteenth century by Ludovico Pogliaghi.
After exploring the inside, visitors can pay a small fee to take a fascinating trip to the Duomo’s roof via steps or elevator. It is an amazing experience to walk among the forest of spires and the view from the roof is unmatched. On a clear day you can see as far as the Alps and Apennines.
St Amandus of Limoges St Ambrose of Cahors Bl Anicet Koplinski Bl Augustine Thevarparampil St Balderic St Baldwin St Bertrand of Comminges St Bolonia St Conogon of Quimper St Dulcidius of Agen St Eliphius of Toul St Eremberta of Wierre St Florentinus of Trier
Bl Gerald of Fossanuova St Hedwig of Andechs (1174-1243) Mother, Widow, High Duchess of Poland Bl Jesús Villaverde Andrés Bl Józef Jankowski St Junian St Lull St Magnobodus of Angers
St Martinian of Mauretania St Mummolinus St Saturian of Mauretania St Silvanus of Ahun St Victor of Cologne St Vitalis of Noirmoutier — Martyrs in Africa – 220 saints: A group of 220 Christians martyrs about whom we know nothing but that they died for their faith.
Martyrs of North Africa – 365 saints: A group of 365 Christians who were martyred together in the persecutions of the Vandal king Genseric. The only details that have survived are the names of two of the martyrs – Nereus and Saturninus. 450 in North Africa.
Virgen de los Remedios / Virgin of the Remedies, Rubite, Granada, Spain (12th Century) – 15 October:
The Virgin of Los Remedios is the title of the Virgin Mary which was promoted by the Trinitarian Order, founded in the late 12th century. The devotion became tied to the re-conquest of Spain, then still at its height. In the following century it spread to other parts of Europe. When Spain began the exploration and conquest of the Americas, it was a favourite devotion of the Spanish conquistadores. It remains a popular devotion in Spain. Patronages – Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, the island of Tenerife, and the city of Cali, Colombia.
This Statue of the Virgin of Los Remedios, is kept in the Cathedral of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna (Tenerife, Spain)
St Antiochus of Lyon St Aurelia of Strasbourg (Died 1027) Virgin Recluse, Princess St Callistus of Huesca St Cannatus of Marseilles Bl Cipriano Alguacil Torredenaida St Euthymius the Younger Bl Josefa Martínez Pérez St Leonard of Vandoeuvre Bl Narcis Basté y Basté Bl Pere Verdaguer Saurina Bl Ramón Esteban Bou Pascual St Sabinus of Catania St Severus of Trier
St Willa of Nonnberg — Martyrs of Cologne: A group of 360 Christian soldiers martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian and Maximian. They were martyred in 303 outside the city walls of Cologne, Germany.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Cipriano Alguacil Torredenaida • Blessed Josefa Martínez Pérez • Blessed Narcis Basté y Basté • Blessed Pere Verdaguer Saurina • Blessed Ramón Esteban Bou Pascual
Our Morning Offering – 13 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” and the 104th Anniversary of the Last Apparition of Our Lady of Fatima and the Miracle of the Sun
Our Lady of Fatima. Queen of the Most Holy Rosary
O Most Holy Virgin Mary, Queen of the most holy Rosary, you were pleased to appear to the children of Fatima and reveal a glorious message. We implore you, inspire in our hearts a fervent love for the recitation of the Rosary. By meditating on the mysteries of our redemption that are recalled therein, may we obtain the graces and virtues that we seek, through the merits of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. Amen.
Our Lady of Fatima: The Sixth & Final Apparition & the Miracle of the Sun (1917) 13 October (104th Anniversary +2021)
The Day the Sun Danced… The Miracle of the Sun which occurred miraculously on 13 October 1917, attended by a large crowd who had gathered in Fátima, Portugal, in response to a prophecy made by three shepherd children, Lúcia Santos and Francisco and Jacinta Marto. The prophecy was that the Virgin Mary (referred to as Our Lady of Fátima), would appear and perform miracles on that date. Newspapers published testimony from witnesses who said that they had seen extraordinary solar activity, such as the Sun appearing to “dance” or zig-zag in the sky, careen towards the Earth, or emit multicolored light and radiant colours. According to these reports, the event lasted approximately ten minutes.
The local Bishop opened a canonical investigation of the event in November 1917, to review witness accounts and assess whether the private revelations from Mary were compatible with Catholic doctrine. The local Priest conducting the investigation was particularly convinced by the concurring testimony of the extraordinary solar phenomena, received from secular reporters, government officials and other skeptics in attendance. Bishop José da Silva declared the miracle “worthy of belief” on 13 October 1930, permitting “officially the cult of Our Lady of Fatima” within the Catholic Church.
At a gathering on 13 October 1951 at Fátima, the Papal Legate, Cardinal Federico Tedeschini, told the million people attending, that on 30 October, 31 October, 1 November and 8 November 1950, Pope Pius XII himself witnessed the miracle of the Sun from the Vatican gardens.
St Maurice of Carnoet St Regimbald of Speyer St Romulus of Genoa St Simbert of Augsburg St Theophilus of Antioch St Venantius — Three Crowns of Cordoba – (3 saints): Three Christian men martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian – Faustus, Januarius and Martial. They were burned to death in 304 in Cordoba, Spain.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Àngel Presta Batllé • Blessed ángel Ramos Velázquez • Blessed Antonio Ayet Canós • Blessed Ruperto García Arce • Blessed Salustiano González Crespo • Blessed Tomás Pallarés Ibáñez • Blessed Francesc Mitjá i Mitjá • Blessed Herminio Motos Torrecillas • Blessed Joan Puig Serra
Virgen de Zapopan / Our Lady of Zapopan, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, (1541) – 18 January, 12 October:
Today the village of Zapopan is a quiet little place not many miles from Guadalajara, reached by an excellent highway. Its tranquility and religious atmosphere must be a far cry from pre-Conquest times, when it was a feudal district and tributary of the powerful King of Tonala. In those days the Indians of the district worshiped an idol called Teopintzintl, “The Child God,” to which they offered gifts of hare and partridge. When the kingdom of Tonala bowed to Nuno de Guzman in 1530, Zapopan came under Spanish dominion. The Indian Queen, Chihuapili Tzapotzinco, ordered all the chieftains under her rule, to render their obedience to the Spanish Crown and in March of 1530 the Governor of Atemajac, under whose jurisdiction lay Zapopan, complied with this order. The Mixton War of 1541, however, depopulated the district and the Commander of Tlaltenango, Francisco de Bobadilla, obtained the Viceroy’s permission to repopulate Zapopan with Indians from Tlaltenango, thus lessening the chance of another uprising.
On the eighth of December, 1541, the people of Zapopan was resettled in accordance with the agreement, and on that day, the Franciscan Fray Antonio de Segovia, gave to the newly settled colony, a small image of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. For ten years it had accompanied him on his apostolic journeys. In fact, only a short while before, while the Mixton War was still in progress, Fray Antonio, with his missionary companion Fray Miguel de Bolonia, had gone among the warring Indians, the image about his neck, exhorting them to make peace with the Spaniards. It is related that while Fray Antonio was preaching, the Indians saw luminous rays issuing from the image of Our Lady, and that this fact, as much as his preaching, caused them to stop fighting. In thirty-six hours Fray Antonio de Segovia brought to the Viceroy for pardon, more than six thousand Indians, who had laid down their arms. From that time Fray Antonio called the image La Pacificadora, “She Who Makes Peace.”
The image is made of paste – pieces of cornstalk, smoothed and cemented together with glue. It is little more than 30 centimetres in height and represents the Virgin Mary under her title of the Immaculate Conception. The hands, joined before the breast, are of wood. The original sculpture donated by Fray Antonio de Segovia consisted only of the upper half, it is believed, the lower section having been added at a later date. As the lower half is not in proportion to the upper, the reconstruction gives a stunted effect to the image. However, nowadays the Statue is always covered with rich vestments of fabric, the disproportion is not apparent.
In its sculptured form, the Statue represents Our Lady standing with her feet upon a rudely formed crescent moon. She wears a red tunic and a dark blue mantle outlined in gold. One may find much to be desired in the image, considered as a work of art. Yet we must remember that it has the honour of being the first image of the Virgin Mary venerated in the State of Jalisco and that it has seen the Church, in that part of Mexico, grow from the tiniest seed to the great, many-branched tree of the present-day Catholic Faith. Furthermore, for over four centuries, Our Lady of Zapopan has been a constant channel of heavenly favours to the people of Jalisco. A beautiful Church has bee built to house and enshrine her and it remains a vital source of devotion and pilgrimage. Our Lady under this title is celebrated on 18 January and 12 October.
St Amelius of Mortara St Amicus of Mortara
St Carlo Acutis (1991-2006) Aged 15 Layman
St Cyprian St Domnina of Anazarbus St Edisto St Edistius of Ravenna
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Bartolomé Caparrós García • Blessed Eufrasio of the Child Jesus • Blessed José González Huguet • Blessed Pedro Salcedo Puchades • Blessed Rafael Lluch Garín
Thought for the Day – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
Mary, Mother of God
“The near-infinite greatness of Mary, flows from the fact, that she is the Mother of God. The Eternal Word of the Father, consubstantial with Him in nature and equal to Him in majesty, willed to become man in order to set us free from the slavery of sin and to regain Heaven for us. He became man in the chaste womb of the Virgin Mary. He took a human body and soul and was born of her, as the God-Man. For this reason, there is attributed to His Divine Person, the title of Son of Mary and to Mary, the title of Mother of God.
There is a relationship between Mary and each of the three Divine Persons, for she is the daughter of God the Father, the spouse of the Holy Spirit by whose power the Word became incarnate in her and the mother of the Word made Man. She is, moreover, in the words of Dante, the “termine fisso di eterno consiglio” (Paradiso 33:1-3). In other words, she is the centre of the eternal plan which God established for the redemption of the human race. It was God’s eternal design to reunite creation to the Uncreated, by means of Mary. She became the mother of the Eternal Word, in whom the divine and human natures were indissolubly united. He redeemed us by His infinite merits but, in this work of redemption, He employed the co-operation of His holy Mother. All the graces, privileges and virtues of Mary, flow from this great mystery of her divine Motherhood. As befitted the future Mother of God, she was conceived free from the stain of original sin and full of grace. Her mortal life was a continuous ascent towards the highest peak of sanctity. When she died, she was assumed body and soul into Heaven, where she was crowned in glory, as Queen of Angels and Queen of Saints. When we consider the sublime nobility of Our Lady, we should be moved to love and venerate her. This love and veneration does not subtract in the slightest from God’s glory, because, she is the Mother of God. In fact, it is a great advantage to us, to imitate her and to call on her to intercede for us.”
Quote/s of the Day – 11 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Feast of the Divine Maternity – Readings: Ecclus 24:23-31, Gospel: Luke 2: 43-51
But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.
Luke 2:19
“Having confidence in you, O Mother of God, I shall be saved. Being under you protection, I shall fear nothing. With your help, I shall give battle to my enemies and put them to flight, for devotion to you, is an arm of Salvation.”
St John Damascene (676-749) Father and Doctor of the Church
Alma Redemptoris Mater Loving Mother of the Redeemer By Blessed Herman of Reichenau/the Cripple OSB (1013–1054)
Loving Mother of the Redeemer! Hear thou thy people’s cry, Star of the deep and portal of the sky! Mother of Him Who thee from nothing made, Sinking we strive and call to thee for aid; Oh, by that joy which Gabriel brought to thee, Thou Virgin first and last, let us thy mercy see.
“Wherefore, in the same holy bosom of His most chaste Mother, Christ took to Himself flesh and united to Himself, the spiritual Body formed by those who were to believe in Him. Hence Mary, carrying the Saviour within her, may be said, to have also carried, all those. whose life was contained in the life of the Saviour. Therefore, all we who are united to Christ and, as the Apostle says, are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones (Eph 5:30), have issued from the womb of Mary, like a body united to it’s head.”
St Pius X (1835-1914) Pope from 1903 to 1914
Encyclical “Ad diem illum laetissimum” #10-11
Hail O Mary, Mother of God By St Cyril of Alexander (376-444) Doctor of the Incarnation Known as ‘The Pillar of Faith”
Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Virgin and Mother! Morning Star, perfect vessel. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Holy Temple in which god Himself was conceived. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Chaste and pure dove. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Who enclosed the One who cannot be encompassed in your sacred womb. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, From you flowed the true light, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Through you the Conqueror and triumphant Vanquisher of hell came to us. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Through you, the glory of the Resurrection blossoms. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, You have saved every faithful Christian. Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 11 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Feast of the Divine Maternity – Readings: Ecclus 24:23-31, Gospel: Luke 2: 43-51
“And his mother kept all these words in her heart.” – Luke 2:51
REFLECTION – “Often, it seems to us, Mary forgot to eat and to drink, keeping vigil in order to think about Christ, to see Christ in His flesh. She burned with love of Him and passionately loved to serve Him. She often did what the Song of Songs sings about: “I was sleeping, but my heart kept vigil.” (Song 5:2) Even when she was resting, she continued to dream of Him who filled her thoughts throughout the day. Whether she was keeping vigil or resting in peace, she always lived in Him, was always occupied with Him.
Where her treasure was, there also was her heart (Mt 6:21); where her glory was, there also was her mind. She loved her Lord and her Son with all her heart, with all her mind, with all her strength (Mt 22:37). She saw with her eyes, touched with her hands, the Word of Life (1 Jn 1:1). How blessed was Mary, to whom it was given to embrace Him who embraces and nourishes everything! How happy was she who carried Him, who carries the universe (Heb 1:3), she who nursed a Son, who gives her life, a Son who nourishes her and all beings on earth (Ps 145:15).
The One Who is the wisdom of the Father, put His arms around her neck, the One Who is the strength, that gives movement to everything sat in her arms. He Who is the rest of souls, (Mt 11:29) rested on her motherly breast. How gently He held her in His hands, peacefully looked at her, He Whom the angels wish to contemplate (1 Pet 1:12) and He gently called her, He Whom every being calls upon when in need. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she held Him close to her heart … She never had enough of seeing Him or of hearing Him, Whom “many prophets and kings wished to see … but did not see.” (Lk 10:24) Thus Mary grew evermore in love and her mind was unceasingly attached to divine contemplation.” – St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159) Bishop (Homily on the Motherhood of Mary, 4).
PRAYER – Lord open our hearts to Your grace. As You brought joy to the world through the incarnation of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, grant that through the prayer of His Immaculate Ever-Virgin Mother, our hearts too may grow in virtue and love by learning to reflect constantly on His commandments and counsels. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 11 October – Feast of the Divine Maternity
Mother of my God, Lady Mary, Queen of Mercy By St Alphonsus Ligouri (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Mother of my God and my Lady Mary, as a beggar, all wounded and sore, presents himself before a great Queen, so do I present myself before you, who are Queen of heaven and earth. From the lofty throne on which you sit, disdain not, I implore you, to cast your eyes on me, a poor sinner. God has made you so rich that you might assist the poor and has made you Queen of Mercy, that you might relieve the miserable. Behold me then and pity me. Behold me and abandon me not, until you see me changed from a sinner into a saint. Amen
Feast of the Divine Maternity – Second Sunday in October or 11 October:
The object of this feast is to commemorate the dignity of the Mary as Mother of God. Mary is truly the Mother of Christ, who in One Person unites the Human and Divine Nature. This title was solemnly ratified by the Council of Ephesus on 22 June, 431. It was long celebrated in Portugal, where the Maternity of Our Lady was declared a feast on 22 January in 1751, at the request of King Joseph Manuel. The feast, granted to the Dioceses of Portugal, Brazil, and Algeria, was assigned to the first Sunday in May. In the following year it was extended to the Province of Venice; in 1778, to the Kingdom of Naples; in 1807, to Tuscany. It was finally instituted in 1931 by Pope Pius XI in view of the fifteenth Centenary of the Council of Ephesus. At the same time the Pope ordered, at his own cost, the restoration of the Marian mosaics in Saint Mary Major, much decayed through age. He issued an encyclical letter, “Lux veritatis.”In this, among the objects of the new festival, is named one truth that was particularly close to the heart of Pius XI, “…that Mary, who is loved and revered so warmly by the separated Christians of the East, would not suffer them to wander and be unhappily led further away from the unity of the Church and, therefore, from her Son, whose Vicar on earth we are.” At present the feast is not found in the Universal Calendar of the Church but nearly all Diocesan calendars have adopted it.
St Alexander Sauli CRSP (1534-1592) Bishop “The Apostle of Corsica,” Clerk Regular of the Congregation of Saint Paul (The Barnabites) – St Alexander is referred to as “The Second Founder,” Missionary, Writer, Teacher of philosophy and theology at the University of Pavia, Reformer, Evangeliser, Confessor, Superior-General of the Barnabites in 1565. In addition, St Alexander Sauli was both friend, advisor and spiritual comfort to St Charles Borromeo, who held him in very high esteem. His Life: https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/11/saint-of-the-day-11-october-saint-alexander-sauli-crsp-1534-1592/
St Anastasius V St Anastasius the Apocrisarius St Andronicus of Ephesus St Andronicus the Soldier St Ansilio St Bruno the Great St Canice St Digna of Sicily St Dionisio de Santarem St Emilian of Rennes St Ethelburgh of Barking St Eufridus St Firminus of Uzes St Germanus of Besancon St Gratus of Oloron St Guiadenzio of Gniezno St Gummarus (717-774) Lay Hermit Bl James Grissinger St Juliana of Pavilly
St Nectarius of Constantinople St Phêrô Lê Tùy St Philip the Deacon St Philonilla St Placid St Placidia St Probus of Side St Santino of Verdun St Sarmata St Taracus of Cladiopolis St Zenaides — Martyrs of Vilcassin – 4 saints: Four Christians who were martyred together. We know little more than the names – Nicasius, Pienza, Quirinus and Scubicolus. Their martyrdom occurred in Vexin Lugdunense territory of Gaul (modern Vilcassin, France), date unknown.
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
La Naval de Manila / Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary , Quezon City, Philippines (1593) – Second Sunday of October: Also known as Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario / The Grand Lady of the Philippines.
In 1593, the Governor General of the Philippines commissioned a Statue of Our Lady of the Rosary for the Dominican Church in Manila. A un-named Chinese sculptor carved the hardwood body and ivory hands and face, which has Asian features. About 4’8″ tall, the image is dressed in cloth of gold, with a crown and a halo of 24 stars and adorned with precious donated jewels. Our Lady holds the Child Jesus with her left hand and a Rosary with her right. The title “La Naval” refers to Our Lady’s help in the naval battles of Lepanto in 1571 and Manila in 1646, when a small Catholic fleet repeatedly repelled Dutch invaders. The Catholic Church in Manila first celebrated the feast of “La Naval” on 8 October 1646. Pope Pius X’s Apostolic Delegate crowned the Statue on 5 October 1907. Pope Pius XII also sent an Apostolic Letter on the occasion of the tricentenary of the Battle of La Naval de Manila on 31 July 1946. The Japanese bombing of 27 December 1941 destroyed the Church of Santo Domingo in Manila’s old walled city. Hidden for safekeeping, the holy Statue moved in 1954 to its present location in the Santo Domingo Shrine in Quezon City.
In 1646, naval forces of the Dutch Republic made several repeated attempts to conquer the Philippines in a bid to control trade in Asia. The combined Spanish and Filipino forces who fought, requested the intercession of the Virgin through the Statue prior to battle. They were urged to place themselves under the protection of Our Lady of the Rosary and to pray the Rosary repeatedly. They went on to rebuff the continued attacks by the superior Dutch fleet, engaging in five major battles at sea and losing only fifteen members of the Spanish Navy. After the Dutch retreat, in fulfillment of their vow, the survivors walked barefoot to the Shrine in gratitude to the Virgin. Later, on 9 April 1662, the Cathedral chapter of the Archdiocese of Manila declared the naval victory a miraculous event owed to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, declaring:
“Granted by the Sovereign Lord through the intercession of the Most Holy Virgin and devotion to her Rosary, that the miracles be celebrated, preached and held in festivities and to be recounted amongst the miracles wrought by the Lady of the Rosary, for the greater devotion of the faithful to Our Most Blessed Virgin Mary and Her Holy Rosary.“
St Cassius St Cerbonius of Populonia St Cerbonius of Verona St Clarus of Nantes Bl Demestrius of Albania Bl Edward Detkens St Eulampia St Eulampius St Florentius the Martyr St Fulk of Fontenelle St Gereon St Gundisalvus Bl Hugh of Macon St John of Bridlington OSA (1319-1379) Priest, Prior of the Monastery of the Canons Regular of St Augustine. Bl Leon Wetmanski St Maharsapor the Persian St Malo the Martyr St Patrician St Paulinus of Capua
Bl Pedro de Alcantara de Forton de Cascajares St Pinytus of Crete Bl Pontius de Barellis St Tanca St Teodechilde St Victor of Xanten
Martyrs of Ceuta – 7 beati: A group of seven Franciscan Friars Minor missionaries to Muslims in the Ceuta area of modern Morocco. Initially treated as madmen, within three weeks they were ordered to convert to Islam and when they would not they were first abused in the streets, then arrested, tortured and executed. • Angelo • Daniele di Calabria • Donnolo • Hugolinus • Leone • Nicola • Samuele They were beheaded in 1227 in Mauritania Tingitana (Ceuta, Morocco). Local Christians secreted the bodies away and gave them proper burial in Ceuta. They were Beatified in 1516 by Pope Leo X.
St John Leonardi (1541-1609) (Optional Memorial) Priest, Founder of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of Lucca, wherein he assumed the name of “Giovanni of the Mother of God”, Confessor, Reformer, Apostle of the Holy Eucharist and Eucharistic Adoration, Marian devotee. Biography here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/10/09/saint-of-the-day-9-october-st-john-leonardi-1541-1609/
Bl Aaron of Cracow St Abraham the Patriarch St Alfanus of Salerno St Andronicus of Antioch St Athanasia of Antioch Bl Bernard of Rodez St Demetrius of Alexandria St Deusdedit of Montecassino St Domninus St Dorotheus of Alexandria St Donnino of Città di Castello (Died 610) Lay Hermit St Eleutherius St Geminus St Gislenus St Goswin Bl Gunther
St Publia St Rusticus St Sabinus of the Lavedan St Valerius — Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War – Martyrs of Astoria – (9 saints): Also known as Martyrs of Turon: A group of Brothers of the Christian Schools and a Passionist priest martyred in the persecutions during the Spanish Civil War. They are – • Aniceto Adolfo • Augusto Andrés • Benito de Jesús • Benjamín Julián • Cirilo Bertrán • Inocencio de la Immaculada • Julián Alfredo • Marciano José • Victoriano Pío They were martyred on 9 October 1934 in Turón, Spain and Canonised on 21 November 1999 by St Pope John Paul II. — Martyrs of Laodicea – (3 saints): Three Christians martyred together in Laodicea, but no other information about them has survived but their names – Didymus, Diodorus and Diomedes. They were martyred in Laodicea, Syria.
Notre-Dame du Bon Remède / Our Lady of Good Remedy, France (1197) – 8 October:
In 1197, a Sorbonne Doctor of Theology and newly Ordained Priest, Jean de Matha, while saying his first Holy Mass, saw a vision of an Angel with a red and blue cross on his chest and his hands resting on the heads of two captives. The following year, St Jean founded a religious order dedicated to the redemption of Christians held as slaves by Moslems — the Hospitaler Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of Captives, commonly called the Trinitarians. On their habit, Jean placed the Cross he had seen on the Angel,and, as their Patron, he gave them Notre-Dame du Bon Remède, a popular devotion in his Provençal homeland. Now devoted largely to education and evangelisation, for three centuries they raised funds and travelled from Europe into Africa to buy thousands of captives’ freedom with Our Lady’s help. A painting (right) in the Trinitarian Motherhouse of Cerfroid in northern France, shows Our Lady of Good Remedy giving a bag of money to St Jean/John of Matha, while a grateful freedman and St Felix of Valois, look on. The Order celebrates her feast day 8 October.
800 years ago Christians were being captured and sold into slavery by the thousands, and nobody knew what to do about it. Then, in the year 1198, a man had an idea. St. John of Matha founded the Trinitarians to go to the slave markets, buy the Christian slaves and set them free. To carry out this plan, the Trinitarians needed large amounts of money. So, they placed their fund-raising efforts under the patronage of Mary. They were so successful that, over the centuries, the Trinitarians were able to free thousands and thousands of people and to return them safely home. In gratitude for her miraculous assistance, St. John of Matha honoured Mary with the title of “Our Lady of Good Remedy.” Devotion to Mary under this ancient title is widely known in Europe and Latin America and the Church celebrates her feast day on 8 October. Our Lady of Good Remedy is often depicted as the Virgin Mary handing a bag of money to St. John of Matha. When in need – for whatever reason but especially where you have had difficulty obtaining help – invoke the aid of Our Lady of Good Remedy and you will surely experience the power of her intercession.
St Amor of Aquitaine St Artemon of Laodicia St Badilo St Benedicta of Laon St Benedicta of Origny-sur-Oise St Evodius of Rouen St Felix of Como (Died 390) Bishop St Gratus of Chalons
Our Morning Offering – 7 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Memorial of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary and of Victory
Through Thee, to Us, our Saviour Came To Our Lady of the Rosary By St Amadeus of Lausanne O.Cist (1108-1159)
Through thee, to us, our Saviour came, Through thee, to Him, we fain would go. Our lives are marred by wrong and shame, Yet, confidence in thee we know. The friendship thou dost give to all Who love thy name, shall ever be Assurance thou wilt hear our call, Sweet Lady of the Rosary!
Thou art our Strength upon the way, Our Morning Star, to cheer and guide; Our Beacon Light to show the day, And lead us to the Saviour’s Side; A Comforter in ev’ry pain We find, O Mother blest, in thee, And seek we, never, thee in vain, Fair Lady of the Rosary!
Thy praises, Mary, we would sing, And all our faculties employ, That unto thee our hearts might bring A glory-crown of love and joy. Bless thou each humble effort made In thy regard and grant that we, May by thy influence be swayed, Our Lady of the Rosary!
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary/Our Lady of Victory – (Commemorating the Victory of Lepanto – 1571 [Mandatory Memorial):
On Sunday 7 October 1571 the combined Christian fleets under Don John of Austria achieved a significant naval victory over the Turks in the Straits of Lepanto. Thousands of Christians were liberated, the Turkish fleet was destroyed and they suffered their first great defeat at sea. In gratitude to God and Our Lady, Pope Saint Pius V ordered an annual commemoration to be made of Our Lady of Victory. In 1573 Pope Gregory XIII transferred the feast to the first Sunday of October with the title Feast of the Most Holy Rosary since the victory was won through invocation of Our Lady of the Rosary. In 1716 Pope Clement XII extended the feast to the whole Latin Rite calendar, assigning it to the first Sunday in October. Saint Pope Pius X changed the date to 7 October in 1913. In 1969 Pope Paul VI changed the name of the feast to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.
St Adalgis of Novara (Died c 850) Bishop St Apuleius of Capua St Augustus of Bourges (Died c 560) Priest and Abbot St Canog ap Brychan St Dubtach of Armagh St Gerold of Cologne St Helanus
St Martin Cid Bl Matthew Carreri St Osith St Palladius of Saintes St Quarto of Capua St Rigaldo
Martyrs of Arima: Eight lay people Japan who were martyred together in the persecutions of Christianity in Japan: • Blessed Hadrianus Takahashi Mondo • Blessed Ioanna Takahashi • Blessed Leo Hayashida Sukeemon • Blessed Martha Hayashida • Blessed Magdalena Hayashida • Blessed Didacus Hayashida • Blessed Leo Takedomi Kan’Emon • Blessed Paulus Takedomi Dan’Emon They were martyred on 7 October 1613 in Arima, Hyogo, Japan and Beatified on 24 November 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI.
Mercedarian Nuns of Seville: Five Mercedarian nuns at the monastery of the Assumption in Seville, Spain noted for their piety – Sisters Agnese, Bianca, Caterina, Maddalena and Marianna.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War • Blessed José Llosá Balaguer
St Firmatus of Auxerre St Flaviana of Auxerre Bl Flora of Beaulieu St Gallo of Aosta St Jerome of Nevers Bl John Hewett St Magdalveus of Verdun St Mamlacha St Marcellinus of Ravenna Bl Marian Skrzypczak St Meinulph St Palmatius of Trier Blessed Pietro of Imola (c1250-1320)
Bl Robert Sutton Bl Sante of Cori St Thraseas of Eumenia St Tranquilino Ubiarco Robles Bl William Hartley — Martyrs of Messina or St Placidus and Companions – 30 saints: A group of about 30 Benedictine monks and nuns, some blood relatives, who were sent in the early days of the order to establish monasteries in the vicinity of Messina, Sicily, Italy and who were martyred. We know the names, and a few details, about seven of them – • Donatus • Eutychius • Faustus • Firmatus • Flavia • Placidus • Victorinus 6th century Messina, Sicily, Italy.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Eugenio Andrés Amo • Blessed Sebastià Segarra Barberá • Blessed Rafael Alcocer Martínez
La Madonna della Riconciliazione e della Pace / Our Lady of Reconciliation and Peace, Balestrino Italy (1949) – 4 October
Caterina Richero was born on 7 October 1940 in Bergalla, the highest hamlet of Balestrino, of a humble peasant family. She was the first of four siblings and her life passed in the serenity of childhood until the age of nine. On 4 October 1949, something radically changed her life. Something that will lead Catherine to humbly sacrifice her life with a continuous and silent witness of faith. A life devoted to prayer and devotion to that female figure who appeared to her 138 times until 5 November 1986 and who, on 5 June 1950 when asked: ” Who are you?” replied: ” I am the Immaculate Conception.” Catarina’s life, from that distant day in 1949 was by no means easy. She had to face the ridicule and mistrust of many and above all, she had to stick to what was given to her by the Bishop. She was also forbidden to go to Mount Croce but the Madonna began to appear in Catarina’s home. In all those years, Our Lady asked her to pray constantly for the conversion of sinners and to do many penances for all, without faith. On 5 October 1971 she said: “ On Mount Croce you will find light and strength and I, in this place, will obtain many graces for you.” Now on Monte Croce there is a splendid Chapel with a Statue of Christ awaiting pilgrims at the top of a staircase. Inside, intent on arranging the flowers on the Altar or absorbed in prayers, Catarina … who with her silent presence tells everyone much more than thousands of articles and books could say. The Statue venerated in the Chapel of the Sanctuary was crowned on 7 October 1992 by Msgr. Mario Oliveri.
St Adauctus of Ephesus Bl Alfonso Tabela St Ammon the Great (c 286-c 348) Hermit, Layman St Aurea St Berenice St Caius of Corinth St Callisthene of Ephesus St Crispus of Corinth St Damaris of Athens St Diogenes of Milan St Domnina St Hierotheus Bl Julian Majali St Lucius of Alexandria St Peter of Damascus
St Prosdoce St Quintius of Tours — Martyrs of Alexandria – 2+ saints: A group of Christians, men and women, young and old, murdered together for their faith. The only names that have come down to us are the brothers Mark and Marcian.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Alfredo Pellicer Muñoz • Blessed Avelí Martínez de Arenzana Candela • Blessed Dionisio Ibáñez López • Blessed Francisco Martínez Granero • Blessed Fulgencio Martínez García • Blessed José Aloy Doménech • Blessed José Gafo Muñiz • Blessed José Miguel Peñarroya Dolz • Blessed Juan de Francisco Pío • Blessed Juan José Orayen Aizcorbe • Blessed Martina Vázquez Gordo • Blessed Publio Fernández González • Blessed Tomás Barrios Pérez
Notre-Dame de Bonne Nouvelle / Our Lady of Good News (Rennes, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, France) 1720 – First Sunday of October, 23 December:
Jean de Montfort founded the Dominican Convent of Our Lady of Good News in Rennes to pay a vow taken during the battle of Auray in 1364, where his victory settled him as Duke of Brittany. In the following century, a panel painting in the Convent’s cloister gained a reputation for miracles, resulting in the building of a separate Chapel to give due veneration to Our Lady and to accommodate the pilgrims.
Another vow was paid after the plague of 1632, which spared Rennes the serious devastation which the surrounding regions suffered. In thanks,giving to the Madonna, the City gave Our Lady of Good News a solid silver model of the town and, from 1634, observed a votive celebration every year on 8 September, the Feast of Mary’s Birth. Another miracle occurred during the great fire of 23 December 1720, when, as their wooden houses burned, the people of Rennes saw Our Lady of Good News look down in compassion from the sky.
During the French Revolution, the silver model, was melted down. The Chapel was destroyed and the Convent used to store fodder. A gardener saved the holy image, which he gave to the neighbouring Church of St Aubin. In 1849, a cholera epidemic inspired a new vow. A new silver-plated model city was commissioned from Napoleon III’s goldsmith and the September votive feast reinstated. When St Aubin’s became too small for all the pilgrims, a new Church was built, dedicated in 1904 to St Aubin and Notre-Dame de Bonne Nouvelle.
The painting was canonically crowned in 1908. In recent years the votive feast has been held on the first Sunday in October rather than 8 September.
St Adalgott of Chur Bl Agostina of the Assumption St Candidus the Martyr St Cyprian of Toulon Bl Damian de Portu St Dionysius the Aeropagite Bl Dominic Spadafora St Ewald the Black St Ewald the Fair St Froilan
Bl Utto of Metten St Virila OSB (Died c 950) Abbot St Widradus — Martyrs of Alexandria – 9 saints: A number of Christian martyrs remembered together. We know the names Caius, Cheremone, Dionysius, Eusebio, Fausto, Lucio, Maximus, Paul, Peter and that there were at least two more whose names have not come down to us, and that’s about all we know.
Martyrs of Brazil – 30 beati: On 25 December 1597 an expedition of colonists, with two Jesuit and two Franciscan evangelists, arrived at Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The region was colonized by Portuguese Catholics but was invaded by Dutch Calvinists who soon took over the whole territory. They immediately made a policy of the persecution of Catholics. On Sunday 16 July 1645 at Cunhau, Brazil, 69 people were gathered in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Candles for Mass celebrated by Father Andre de Soveral. At the moment of the elevation a group of Dutch soldiers attack the Chapel, murdering many of the faithful including Father Andre; the parishioners died professing their faith and asking pardon for their sins. On 3 October 1645, 200 armed Indians and a band of Flemish troops, led by a fanatical Calvinist convert, hacked to death an unknown number of people of Rio Grande including: • Blessed Ambrosio Francisco Ferro • Blessed André de Soveral • Blessed Antônio Baracho • Blessed Antônio Vilela • Blessed Antônio Vilela Cid • Blessed Diogo Pereira • Blessed Domingos Carvalho • Blessed Estêvão Machado de Miranda • Blessed Francisco de Bastos • Blessed Francisco Mendes Pereira • Blessed João da Silveira • Blessed João Lostau Navarro • Blessed João Martins • Blessed José do Porto • Blessed Manuel Rodrigues de Moura • Blessed Mateus Moreira • Blessed Simão Correia • Blessed Vicente de Souza Pereira and other lay people whose names have not come down to us.
Matka Boża Różańcowa / Our Lady of the Rosary, Krakow, Poland (1600s) – First Sunday of October, 2 October:
In the Dominican Basilica of the Trinity in Cracow is a large Chapel dedicated to the Mother of God of the Rosary. The icon on its main Altar, crowned on 2 October 1921, is a copy of the ancient Salus Populi Romani (Health of the Roman People) image in the Basilica of St Mary Major of the Snows in Rome — the icon Pope Gregory the Great carried in procession to end the plague of 597. During the Battle of Lepanto (7 October 571), when ships of a coalition of Christian countries routed the Turkish navy off Greece, Pope Pius V prayed the Rosary with a large group of faithful before the Roman icon. The old image thus became associated with the newer devotion of the Rosary and with saving Europe from Ottoman rule.
Churches throughout Catholic Europe were dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary and copies of the Salus Populi Romani proliferated. Cardinal Maciejowski brought such a copy from Rome to Cracow in 1600. The image played a part in the “Polish Lepanto” in 1621, when at Khotyn, Ukraine (then Chocim, Poland) an allied force of Poles, Lithuanians and Ukrainians faced a Turkish army twice its size. On 3 October, the Bishop of Krakow led an hours-long Rosary procession with the holy icon. The entire population joined in. When the Turks gave up their attack and signed a treaty, Our Lady of the Rosary gained another victory. Her feast is celebrated in Krakow on the first Sunday of October.
The Swedish deluge contributed to the destruction of the original image of the Mother of God. T he cult, however, was so strong that a copy of the previous painting was quickly funded. The present one comes from the 50s and 60s of the 17th century. Numerous votive offerings made on the occasion of receiving favours have also survived from that time. The oldest exhibited in the Church are dated to 1703, the older ones are in the Archdiocese Museum. The love for the Blessed Mother is also evidenced by the silver dress donated in the 1770s by the Działyński family,and the sceptre of Our Lady of the “Pious Gregory of Pierzchno” foundation at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries.
St Leudomer St Maria Antonina Kratochwil St Modesto of Sardinia St Saturius of Soria St Theophilus of Bulgaria St Thomas de Cantilupe of Hereford (c 1218-1282) Bishop St Ursicinus II — Martyred in Antioch, Syria: Martyred in one of the early persecutions, date unknown. St Cyril of Antioch St Primus of Antioch St Secundarius of Antioch
Martyred in Nagasaki, Japan: A husband, wife and two sons, who were all martyred together in the persecutions in Japan. They were beheaded on 2 October 1622 in Nagasaki, Japan and Beatified by Pope Pius IX on 7 May 1867. • Blessed Andreas Yakichi • Blessed Franciscus Yakichi • Blessed Lucia Yakichi • Blessed Ludovicus Yakichi
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Elías Carbonell Molla • Blessed Enrique Sáiz-Aparicio • Blesssed Felipe González de Heredia Barahona • Blessed Francisco Carceller Galindo • Blessed Isidoro Bover Oliver • Blessed Juan Carbonell Molla • Blessed Juan Iñiguez de Ciriano Abechuco • Blessed Manuel Borrajo Míguez • Blessed María Francisca Ricart Olmos • Blessed Mateu Garrolera Masferrer • Blessed Pedro Artolozaga Mellique • Blessed Pedro Salcedo Puchades
Madonna di Valverde, / Our Lady of Valverde di Rezzato, Italy (1399 and 1711) – 1 October:
The Sanctuary of the Madonna di Valverde, belonging to the Parish of San Giovanni Battista di Rezzato Diocese of Brescia, is located in Valverde, at the foot of the Botticino and Serle hills. The Sanctuary was born in the places of the apparitions of 1399, the only one in history where both the Madonna and her Divine Son, Jesus Christ, the Saviour aooeared with His Mother and the second Marian Apparition of 1711.
For over six centuries the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Valverde has been a destination of pilgrimages from all over the north of Italy and is, above al,l in the heart of the community of Rezzato – Virle, which every year, on the Feast of St Anna on 26 July, recalls, with a solemn historical procession, the miracle of the apparitions.
In 1399, more than six hundred years ago, during the ploughing work in a field near Valverde, the oxen pulling the plough stopped and bent their knees. A man in a red robe and a blue mantle (Christ) appeared to the worker who guided them and ordered him to throw the three loaves that he kept in his saddlebag into the nearby pond. The peasant got ready to obey the order but was held back by the Apparition of the Madonna who advised him to return to beg the Lord, to revoke the order just given. If the three loaves had touched the waters of the lake, three scourges would have been unleashed (famine, plague and war) with which Christ intended to punish men for their impiety. Jesus, by the insistence of tHis Holy Mother, consented to the peasant’s plea and agreed that only one of the loaves need be thrown into the water and, therefore, only the scourge of the epidemic would spread throughout the area. Our Lady recommended to the peasant to announce to everyone, what he had seen with his own eyes, exhorting men to repent and to approach faith and the Sacraments again.
A Chapel was first built near the lake, then, in the early seventeenth century, a large and beautifully decorated Sanctuary followed.
St Thérèse of Lisieux/St Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face/The Little Flower OCD (1873 – 1897) Virgin, Carmelite Nun, Doctor of the Church (Memorial) She was Canonised by Pope Pius XI on 17 May 1925. The same Pope proclaimed her Universal Patron of the Missions, alongside Saint Francis Xavier, on 14 December 1927. Up until 1969 her Memorial was celebrated on 3 October. Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2018/10/01/saint-of-the-day-st-therese-of-lisieux-o-c-d-1873-1897-doctor-of-the-church/
St Aizan of Abyssinia St Albaud of Toul Bl Andrew Sushinda Bl Antoni Rewera St Aretas of Rome St Bavo of Ghent (c 589–654) Married. Widower, Monk and Hermit. Bl Cecilia Eusepi Bl Christopher Buxton St Crescens of Tomi St Dodo Bl Dominic of Villanova Bl Edward James St Evagrius of Tomi St Fidharleus Bl Gaspar Fisogiro St Gregory the Illuminator St John Kukuzelis Bl John Robinson
St Maxima of Lisbon Bl Nikita Budka St Piaton of Tournai St Priscus of Tomi Bl Ralph Crockett Bl Robert Widmerpool Bl Robert Wilcox
St Romanos the Melodist (c 490-c 556) Deacon, Hymnographer, Poet, Writer. He is said to have composed more than 1,000 hymns celebrating various festivals of the ecclesiastical year, the lives of the saints and other sacred subjects, some 60 to 80 of which survive. Wonderful Saint Romanos! https://anastpaul.com/2020/10/01/saint-of-the-day-1-october-st-romanos-the-melodios-c-490-c-556/
St Sazan of Abyssinia St Verissimus of Lisbon St Virila St Wasnulf — Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Carmelo Juan Pérez Rodríguez • Blessed Higinio Mata Díez • Blessed Juan Mata Díez • Blessed Álvaro Sanjuán Canet • Blessed Florencia Caerols Martínez
Nostra Signora di Loreto di Forno / Our Lady of Loreto of Forno, Alpi Graie, Italy (1629) – 30 September:
At the beginning of the Vallone di Sea, at about 1340 metres above sea level, in the Forno di Groscavallo hamlet, stands the Sanctuary dedicated to the Madonna di Loreto, built around 1630, after the apparition occurred to Pietro Garino, a native of Forno. In those times, the region was tormented by the wars fought by Carlo Emanuele of Savoy against the neighbouring states; by the increasingly high taxes that weighed on the poor people, by hunger and the plague.
It was customary for devotees to go annually to the Chapel of the Virgin on Rocciamelone. On that occasion, Pietro Garino found the small pictures, which are still preserved in the Church, depicting the Madonna of Loreto and San Carlo Borromeo, leaning against the facade of the Chapel. They were in bad shape. Pietro took them with him to have them restored and promised himself to bring them back to the Chapel the following year, keeping them in the meantime at his home in Forno. Twice the pictures eluded his custody – the first time he found them right up there, at the mouth of the Vallone di Sea, where he had gone to collect leaves for the litter intended for livestock. On that occasion he had an apparition – the Virgin appeared to him between two women and promised him to stop the plague that claimed victims among the population of the plain. Brought home by Pietro, the paintings again disappeared from his home and were found in the same place as the apparition – it was a precise indication of the Virgin’s desire to see a Chapel built in that place. A Chapel was built at the spot of the apparition, of which the remains have recently been found. The current building dates back to the second half of the 1700s; it is the work of Luigi Baretta; internally it has elements of considerable artistic and historical interest. The marvelous Altar by Prinotto, a masterpiece of eighteenth-century cabinet-making; the baroque reliquary, in which the pictures are kept; hundreds of ex-votos, including some of considerable value. Historically, a Madonna with black features did not appear but the Sanctuary is known as such, as the faces of the Madonna and the Child she holds in her arms are ebony. The current Statue is the work of Raimondo Santifaller, from Ortisei and replaces the original one from the 18th century, stolen in 1977.
To access the Sanctuary it is necessary to climb the 440 steps that must be taken to reach the small square where the Sanctuary stands and which, pilgrims climb on their knees and in prayer.
The Sanctuary is open from July to September and Our Lady is celebrated annually on the Feast of the Assumption (16 August), the Nativity of Mary (8 September) and the Apparition of the Virgin Mary (30 September). The video below shows this beautiful Sanctuary very clearly.
St Antoninus of Piacenza St Castus of Piacenza St Colman of Clontibret St Desiderius of Piacenza St Enghenedl of Anglesey St Eusebia of Marseilles Bl Frederick Albert
St Honorius of Canterbury (Died 653) Archbishop of Canterbury St Ismidone of Die Bl Jean-Nicolas Cordier St Laurus St Leopardus the Slave Bl Ludwik Gietyngier St Midan of Anglesey St Simon of Crépy St Ursus the Theban St Victor the Theban — Martyrs of Valsery Abbey: An unknown number of Premonstratensian monks at the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Valsery, Picardie, France who were martyred by Calvinists. They were martyred in 1567 at Valsery, Pircardy, France.
THIS festival has been kept with great solemnity on the 29th of September ever since the Fifth Century and was certainly initially celebrated in Apulia in 493. The Dedication of the famous Church of St Michael on Mount Gargano, in Italy, gave occasion to the institution of this feast in the West, which is hence called in the Martyrologies of St Jerome, St Bede and others, ‘The Dedication of St Michael.’ About the Apparition of St Michael at Mount Gargano in 492: https://anastpaul.com/2018/05/08/saint-of-the-day-8-may-apparition-of-michael-the-archangel-at-monte-gargano-italy-492/
The Apparition of St Michael at Gargano
The Dedication of the Church at Gargano
The Dedication of St Michael’s Church in Rome, which was performed by Pope Boniface IV. in 610 and that of several other Churches in the West, in honour of this Archangel, were also performed on this same day.
The name Michaelmas comes from a shortening of “Michael’s Mass,” in the same style as Christmas (Christ’s Mass) and Candlemas (Candle Mass, the Mass where traditionally the candles to be used throughout the year would be blessed). During the Middle Ages, Michaelmas was celebrated as a Holy Day of Obligation but this tradition was abolished in the 18th century.
The Church gives to St Michael four offices:
To fight against Satan.
To rescue the souls of the faithful from the power of the enemy, especially at the hour of death.
To be the champion of God’s people, the Jews in the Old Law, the Christians in the New Testament; therefore, he is the Patron of the Church and of the Orders of Knights during the Middle Age
To call away from earth and bring men’s souls to judgement.
Madonna di Tirano / Our Lady of Tirano, Sondrio, Lombardy, Italy (1504) – 29 September:
The Sanctuary of the Madonna of Tirano stands on the Swiss-Italian border, where the Virgin appeared to Mario Omodei on 29 September 1504, promising an end to the plague which was decimating the region, if a Church in her honour would be built, on the spot outside the City walls. The epidemic subsided and the townspeople placed the first stone of the Sanctuary on 25 March 1505.
Because of its crossroads location, it has always drawn pilgrims from throughout Europe.
The Virgin’s Statue was part of a silver-clad grouping executed by woodcarver G Angelo Mayno around 1520. Napoleonic raiders stripped off the precious metal and destroyed the other Statues.
In 1946 Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Blessed Virgin of Tirano “special heavenly Patron of all Europe.”
Bl Alericus St Anno of Eichstätt St Casdoe of Persia St Catholdus of Eichstätt
St Dadas of Persia St Diethardus of Eichstätt St Fraternus of Auxerre St Gabdelas of Persia St Grimoaldus of Pontecorvo St Gudelia St Guillermo Courtet
St Miguel de Aozaraza St Quiriacus of Palestine St Rene Goupil St Rhipsime Bl Richard Rolle St Sapor of Persia St Theodota of Thrace St Vicente Shiwozuka de la Cruz — Martyrs of Thrace – 3 saints: Three Christian men murdered in Thrace for their faith. They are – Eutychius, Heracleas and Plautus.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Antonio Arribas Hortigüela • Blessed Antonio Martínez López • Blessed Dario Hernández Morató • Blessed Francesc de Paula Castelló Aleu • Blessed Francisco Edreira Mosquera • Blessed José Villanova Tormo • Blessed Pau Bori Puig • Blessed Vicente Sales Genovés • Blessed Virgilio Edreira Mosquera
Nuestra Señora del Fresno / Our Lady of Fresno, Grado, Asturias, Spain (9th Century) – 8 and 28 September:
Copy of the original image
The Sanctuary of the Virgen del Fresno is one of the most visited Sanctuaries in the central area of Asturias despite the difficulty of its access. The Sanctuary is located on the Camino de Santiago hence it’s popularity dating from the 9th Century when pilgrims stopped to rest in the hostel provided. They were known as “the Novenarios” as, during their rest, they prayed the St Michael Novena before his Feast Day on 29 September.
In honour of the Virgen del Fresno two festivals are held, one on 8 September and the other 28 of the same month preceded by a Novena that has traditionally started at four in the afternoon.
The current image dates from 1975, since the original was lost in the looting it suffered in 1936. It is made of cedar from Lebanon, made in Madrid. She is dressed and holds the Child in her arms and the Rosary between her fingers. She remain above her Altar and another processional image accompanies the Novena.
Bl Aaron of Auxerre St Alodius of Auxerre St Annemond of Lyons St Bardomianus
Blessed Bernardine of Feltre OFM (1439-1494) Franciscan Priest and Friar, Missionary Preacher, Poet, peace-maker, Civil protestor against the practice of usury, defender of the poor. He was a true ‘child prodigy’ – by the time he was 12 he was fluent in Latin and at the age of 15 he composed a poem and read it in the Town Square to celebrate a local peace treaty. He is remembered most especially, in connection with the “Monti di Pietà” “Mount of Piety” of which he was the reorganiser and, in a certain sense, the Founder, together with the Blessed Michele Carcano. Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2020/09/28/saint-of-the-day-28-september-blessed-bernardine-of-feltre-ofm-1439-1494/
St Chariton of Palestine Bl Christian Franco St Conval of Strathclyde St Eucarpus St Eustochium St Exuperius of Toulouse St Faustus of Riez Blessed Francesco Piani of Caldarola OFM (1424-1507) Francisan Friar St John of Dukla St Laurence of North Africa St Lioba of Bischofsheim
St Solomon of Genoa St Stacteus St Tetta of Wimborne Bl Thiemo St Willigod of Moyenmoutier St Zama of Bologna — Augustinian Martyrs of Japan: The first Augustinian Missionaries arrived in Japan in 1602 and met with immediate success; many were brought to the faith; many of them became Augustinians; and many of them were martyred in the periodic persecutions of Christians. This memorial commemorates all of them, whether they have a sanctioned Cause for Canonisation or not. They include: • Blessed Bartolomé Gutiérrez Rodríguez • Blessed Ferdinand Ayala • Blessed Francisco Terrero de Ortega Pérez • Blessed Ioannes Mukuno Chozaburo • Blessed Laurentius Kaida Hachizo • Blessed Mancius Yukimoto Ichizaemon • Blessed Martín Lumbreras Peralta • Blessed Melchor Sánchez Pérez • Blessed Michaël Ichinose Sukezaemon • Blessed Pedro de Zúñiga • Blessed Petrus Sawaguchi Kuhyoe • Blessed Thomas Jihyoe of Saint Augustine • Blessed Thomas Terai Kahyoe • Blessed Vicente Simões de Carvalho • Saint Magdalena of Nagasaki
Martyrs of Antioch – 37 saints: A group of 30 soldiers and 7 civilians who were murdered together for their faith. The names that have come down to us are – Alexander, Alphinus, Heliodorus, Mark, Neon, Nicon and Zosumus. c 303 at Antioch, Pisidia (in modern Turkey).
Martyrs of China – 120 saints: A common memorial for the hundreds of the faithful, lay and clergy, who have died for their faith in the last couple of centuries in China.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Amalia Abad Casasempere de Maestre • Blessed Francesc Xavier Ponsa Casallach • Blessed Josep Casas Juliá • Blessed Josep Casas Ros • Blessed Josep Tarrats Comaposada • Blessed María Fenollosa Alcaina
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Matka Boża Leśniańska / Blessed Mother of Leśna, Leśna Podlaska, Biała Podlaska, Lublin, Poland (1683) – 26 September:
The Leśnia Sanctuary begins on 26 September 1683. On that day, two shepherds – Miron Makaruk and Aleksander Stelmaszuk – looking for the lost cattle in the bushes, noticed a stone image of the Mother of God hanging on a wild pear tree, which gave an extraordinary glow. Wanting to take the painting off, one of the bravest young men climbed the tree but each time fell to the ground. The local inhabitants, seeing what was happening, began to pray fervently. Soon, Zabłocki’s elders from nearby Bordziłówka arrived and only he, as an unusually prayerful man, took the painting off the tree. Droplets of “sweat” appeared on the image and this phenomenon continued for a long time. Then the painting was taken to the manor in Bukowice. This extraordinary find deeply touched the religious and secular authorities of the time. Soon a wooden Church was erected on the site of the appearance of the Image. On 26 September 1695, a Parish was established in Lesna. From the very beginning, the Image attracted crowds of believers who experienced many favours thanks to the Blessed Mother, especially cures of illnesses. The Bishop of Lutsk, Franciszek Prażmowski, issued a decree in 1700, in which he stated that the appearance of the Image should be considered miraculous.
In the Lesnian Image, Mary is presented, embracing the Child Jesus with her right arm. The Child Jesus is holding the book with his right hand and his left hand is raised up in a gesture of teaching. Mary, standing in half-figure, is facing the viewer. In her left hand she holds an open book, on which, with outstretched wings, a dove – a symbol of the Holy Spirit – is supported. The figure of the Mother of God is covered with a coat. The image of the Mother of God is a relief carved in field stone. The dimensions of the Image are: width 29.3 cm, height 31.4 cm, thickness 4.6 cm, weighs 9.5 kg.
On the site of the appearance of the Image of the Mother of God in 1718. a small Church was built. It exists to this day and is called the “Chapel of the Appearance of the Miraculous Image.” In 1727, the Parish of Leśna and the care of the Miraculous Image were taken over by the Pauline Fathers from Jasna Góra. They began the construction of a magnificent Church, which was erected in the years 1731 – 1758. It was consecrated under the invocation of the “Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul” on 8 September 1758. Huge crowds of the faithful of the Latin and Uniate rite were drawn to the Leśnia Sanctuary.
The situation changed with the partitions of Poland, when Leśna found itself under the Russian partition. After the fall of the January Uprising, the Lesnian Sanctuary found itself in a desperate situation. As part of the repression for helping the insurgents, on the night of 27-28 October 1864 , the Pauline Fathers were deported from Leśna. It was then, that the Bishop of Janów, Beniamin Szymanski, ordered to secretly take out the Miraculous Image and put a copy in its place. It was done in 1865. Soon the tsarist government abolished the Podlasie Diocese. The exiled Bishop took the Miraculous Picture with him to Łomża. He put it in the Church of the Benedictine Sisters. In 1875, the Church in Leśnia was taken over for the purposes of the Orthodox Church. Then the pilgrimages stopped. In 1889, an Orthodox nunnery was established in Lesna. It was to become the centre of Russification of Poles. In 1905 Tsar Nicholas II came to Lesna, whose relative was the superior of the nuns of Leśna. After the outbreak of World War I, the sisters left Leśna and took with them a copy of the painting of the Mother of God, still being firmly convinced that it was the original painting.
On 16 August 1915, the temple in Leśnia returned to Catholic worship. On 25 May 1919 . The Pauline Fathers returned to Lesna and immediately began renovation works in the Sanctuary. First of all, the search for the Miraculous Picture began, which was not found until 5 May 1926 in Łomża. It happened thanks to Fr. Aleksander Łaziński. After the canonical trial conducted by Bishop H. Przeździecki, the Miraculous Image returned in a triumphant parade from Siedlce to Leśna on 25 September 1927. It was a great celebration for the entire Podlasie Diocese and over 25,000 people attended this event. In the interwar period, the Pauline Fathers decorated the Sanctuary. They looked after the pilgrims who were again in large numbers at the feet of their Lesnian Mother.
In 1939, the difficult time of the Nazi occupation began. In the fall of 1940, the Germans occupied the Monastery and expelled the Pauline Fathers. After the war, in 1951, under the direction of the Prior – Father Jerzy Tomziński, the Church received a Pulpit and an Organ.
On 18 August 1963 , the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, together with the Bishop of Podlasie, Ignacy Świrski, crowned the Miraculous Image with papal crowns. From 11 to 12 June 1970, Cardinal Karol Wojtyła stayed in Leśna. On 25 September 1977, the 50th anniversary of the return of the Miraculous Image was solemnly celebrated. In 1983, the solemn celebrations of 300 years of the appearance of the Miraculous Image took place and in 1984 the Church in Leśnia was elevated to the rank of a Minor Basilica. In 1992, a break-in was made to the temple in Leśnia and attempts were made to steal the golden crowns from the Miraculous Image. In 1995, the 300th anniversary of the establishment of the Parish in Leśna Podlaska was celebrated. This time the ceremony was presided over by the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Józef Glemp. In 1996, works on frescoes and paintings in the Basilica began and they were completed in 2002. On 26 September 2019, the Leśnia Sanctuary celebrated the 100th anniversary of the return of the Pauline Order to Leśna Podlaska. – https://lesnapodlaska.paulini.pl/historia-sanktuarium/
A Bas Relief of the Image
St Cosmas (Optional Memorial) St Damian (Optional Memorial) (Died c 286 ) Martyrs. Twin brothers and Physicians, Apostles of Charity, Evangelists – born in the 3rd century, of Arabic descent and died by being tortured, without suffering any injury and finally they were beheaded c 286 in Aegea, Cilicia (modern Ayas, Turkey). The Martyr twins are remembered in the Roman Canon of the Mass in the prayer known as the Communicantes (from the first Latin word of the prayer). They are also recalled in the Litany of the Saints and in the older form of the Roman rite, in the Collect for Thursday in the Third Week of Lent, as the Station Church for this day is Santi Cosma e Damiano. Saints Cosmas and Damian: https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/26/saints-of-the-day-26-september-saints-cosmas-and-damian-died-c-286-martyrs/
St Amantius of Tiphernum St Callistratus of Constantinople St Colman of Elo St Cyprian of Antioch St Eusebius of Bologna St John of Meda Ord.Hum. (1100-1159) Priest, Monk, Abbot St Justina of Antioch
Blessed Louis Tezza MI (1841-1923) the “Apostle of Lima,” Blessed Louis was an Italian Priest, a professed member of the Camillians and Founder of the Daughters of St Camillus de Lellis M.I. (1550-1614), Apostle of Charity, Spiritual Director, Counsellor, Administrator, Teacher, Reformer, Advisor. An unknown visitor carved the words “Apostle of Lima” on his tomb.. Blessed Louis’ Story: https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/26/saint-of-the-day-26-september-blessed-louis-tezza-m-i-1841-1923-the-apostle-of-lima/
St Senator of Albano St Vigilius of Brescia — Martyrs of Korea – 12 saints: Twelve lay people in the apostolic vicariate of Korea who were imprisoned, tortured and martyred together in the persecutions in Korea. • Saint Agatha Chon Kyong-Hyob • Saint Carolus Cho Shin-Ch’ol • Saint Catharina Yi • Saint Columba Kim Hyo-Im • Saint Ignatius Kim Che-Jun • Saint Iulitta Kim • Saint Lucia Kim • Saint Magdalena Cho • Saint Magdalena Ho Kye-Im • Saint Magdalena Pak Pong-Son • Saint Perpetua Hong Kum-Ju • Saint Sebastianus Nam I-Gwan They were beheaded September 1839 in Seoul Prison, South Korea and Canonised on 6 May 1984 by St Pope John Paul II.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Amalia Abad Casasempere de Maestre • Blessed Andreu Felíu Bartomeu • Blessed Antonio Cid Rodríguez • Blessed Josefa Romero Clariana • Blessed Manuel Legua Martí • Blessed María Jord´ Botella • Blessed Pau Castell´ Barber´ • Blessed Teresa Rosat Balasch
Divina Pastora de las Almas ‘ The Divine Shepherdess of Souls, Cantillana, Sevilla, Andalucía, Spain (1703) – Fourth Saturday of September:
St. Isidore of Seville (560-636) Bishop of Seville, Father and Doctor of the Churrh, spread devotion to the Divine Shepherdess of Souls. The first image of the Divina Pastora in Cantillana was a banner, attributed to the painter Germán Llorente, carried in Rosary.
In 1800 a yellow fever epidemic ravaged the area,but Cantillana was largely spared, for which people thanked the Divine Shepherdess of Souls. Soon thereafter, the Hermandad de la Divina Pastora was chartered, a Rosary apostolate or brotherhood. The Brotherhood’s processional image is a seated statue, attributed to Francisco Antonio Ruiz Gijón (1653-1705).
For special occasions, of which there are many, she wears a large sombrero. On 31 August, a grand procession fetches the Statue from its Sanctuary into the Town, for celebrations leading up to the fiesta from 8 September. On the last weekend in September, with equal splendour and devotion, the Divine Shepherdess returns to her Shrine. A procession accompanies her canopied float on Saturday. On Sunday, there is Mass and music and then an all-night exposition of the Statue with devotions lasting into Monday morning.
St Anacharius of Auxerre St Aurelia of Macerata St Caian of Tregaian St Ceolfrid St Cleopas St Egelred of Crowland St Ermenfridus of Luxeuil
Saint Cleopas (First Century) Disciple of Christ – one of the two Disciples of the Way to Emmaus. Martyr. St Firminus of Amiens St Fymbert St Herculanus the Soldier
Blessed Herman of Reichenau/the Cripple (1013–1054) Benedictine Monk, Confessor, Scholar, Scientist, Writer, Hymnist, Poet, Musical Composer, Teacher. In his own day, the heroic cripple who achieved learning and holiness was called ‘The Wonder of His Age.’. Composer of the “Salve Regina” Hail Holy Queen, “Veni Sancte Spiritus” Come Holy Spirit and “Alma Redemptoris Mater” amongst many others. His Amazing Life and Works: https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/25/saint-of-the-day-blessed-herman-of-reichenau-the-cripple-osb-1013-1054-the-wonder-of-his-age/
Bl Marco Criado St Mewrog St Neomisia of Mecerata St Paphnutius of Alexandria St Principius of Soissons St Sergius of Moscow St Solemnis of Chartres
Martyrs of Damascus: A Christian family of six who were tortured to death in a persecution by Roman authorities. They were: Eugenia, Maximus, Paul, Rufus, Sabinian and Tatta. They were tortured to death in Damascus, Syria, date unknown.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Jose María Bengoa Aranguren • Blessed Josep Maria Vidal Segú • Blessed Juan Agustín Codera Marqués • Blessed Julio Esteve Flors • Blessed Pedro Leoz Portillo • Blessed Rafael Pardo Molina • Blessed Tomás Gil de La Cal
Feast of the Holy Bishops of Milan – a 1st Century Diocese!
Imagine being part of a Diocese in which 37 of your past Bishops are saints and some are also Doctors of the Church and Popes (and others being considered for sanctity)! The latest addition to this illustrious role-call, is Pope Paul VI. Today, the Church in Milan commemorates these holy Bishops. They are: • Blessed Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster • Blessed Andrea Carlo Ferrari • Pope Pius XI • Saint Ambrose of Milan • Saint Ampelius of Milan • Saint Anathalon of Milan • Saint Antoninus of Milan • Saint Auxanus of Milan • Saint Benedict Crispus of Milan • Saint Benignus of Milan • Saint Calimerius of Milan • Saint Castritian of Milan • Saint Charles Borromeo • Saint Datius of Milan • Saint Dionysius of Milan • Saint Eugene of Milan • Saint Eusebius of Milan • Saint Eustorgius II of Milan • Saint Eustorgius of Milan • Saint Gaius of Milan • Saint Galdinus of Milan • Saint Geruntius of Milan • Saint Glycerius of Milan • Saint Honoratus of Milan • Saint John Camillus the Good • Saint Lazarus of Milan • Saint Magnus of Milan • Saint Mansuetus of Milan • Saint Marolus of Milan • Saint Martinian of Milan • Saint Mirocles of Milan • Saint Mona of Milan • Saint Natalis of Milan • Saint Pope Paul VI • Saint Protasius of Milan • Saint Senator of Milan • Saint Simplician of Milan • Saint Venerius of Milan
You must be logged in to post a comment.