Posted in ART DEI, MARIAN TITLES, MARTYRS, SAINT of the DAY

Dedication of the Church of MonteVergine, near Naples, Italy (1126) and Memorials of the Saints – 30 May

Monday within the Octave of Ascension

Dedication of the Church of MonteVergine, near Naples, Italy (1126) – 30 May:
The story of Our Lady of MonteVergine here:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/01/1-september-the-memorial-of-our-lady-of-montevergine/

In the Church is the large icon of the Mother and Child “of Constantinople” (said to have been brought to Italy by King Baldwin of Jerusalem). Tradition holds that the original was painted by St Luke. The painting, came into the possession of the Monastery in 1310. King Baldwin was only able to take away the upper portion of the large image. The dark figures on the icon of Our Lady of Montevergine stand out strikingly from the gold background – the present lower part of the picture is a later addition.
The image is quite large, with a height of over 12 feet and width of over 6 feet, showing the Blessed Virgin seated on a throne with the Divine Infant Jesus seated on her lap. The image is dark, so the icon is often referred to as one of the “Black Madonnas.” There have apparently been several renovations made to the original painting, as in 1621 two crowns were placed on the heads of the Virgin Mary and her child Jesus, and other additions were made in 1712 and 1778.
During World War II the Sanctuary was used to hide the famed Holy Shroud of Turin, the burial cloth of Christ. A new Basilica was begun in 1952 in the Romanesque style and this structure was consecrated in 1961. There are over one and one half million pilgrims yearly who come to Monte Vergine to visit Our Lady of Montevergine, most notably at Whitsuntide. There have been numerous miracles attributed to this portrait of the Mother of God and her Divine Son.

St Ferdinand III of Castile (1199-1252) King of Castile and Toledo, Knight, a man of great virtue and goodness who sought sanctity in all things, a man of great justice who sought to elevate even those he conquered, a man who was a great father, bringing his children up in the fear and love of God alone, a diplomatic genius because of his great goodness, a unifier of all, he had a great devotion to Our Lady – born in 1198 near Salamanca, Spain and died on 30 May 1252 at Seville, Spain of natural causes. Patronages – authorities, governors, rulers, engineers, large families, magistrates, parenthood, paupers, poor people, prisoners, Spanish monarchy, tertiaries, Seville, Spain
The Life of the Holy St Ferdinand:

https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/30/saint-of-the-day-30-may-st-ferdinand-iii-of-castile-1199-1252/

St Joan of Arc (1412-1431) “The Maid of Orléans” Holy Virgin. The Church officially remembers Joan of Arc not as a Martyr but as a virgin—the Maid of Orleans.   Of course, Joan was a Martyr, but not in the technical sense.   Yes, she died because she did what she thought God wanted her to do. But she was killed for her politics, not for her faith.   Pagans did not execute her for refusing to worship their gods. Infidels did not slay her for defying them.   Political enemies burned her at the stake for defeating them at war.
St Joan!

https://anastpaul.com/2018/05/30/saint-of-the-day-30-may-st-joan-of-arc-1412-1431/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/05/30/saint-of-the-day-30-may-st-joan-of-arc/

St Anastasius II of Pavia
St Basil the Elder
St Crispulus of Sardinia

Bl Elisabeth Stagel
St Emmelia
St Euplius
St Exuperantius of Ravenna
St Pope Felix I (Died 274) Martyr, the 26th Bishop of Rome from 5 January 269 to his death in 274.

St Gamo of Brittany
St Gavino of Sardinia
St Isaac of Constantinople
Bl Lawrence Richardson
St Luke Kirby
St Madelgisilus
St Reinhildis of Riesenbeck
St Restitutus of Cagliari
Bl Richard Newport
Blessed Thomas Cottam SJ (Died 1549) Priest Martyr
St Venantius of Lérins
St Walstan of Bawburgh
Bl William Filby
Bl Willilam Scott

Martyrs of Aquileia – 3 Saints: Three Christians Martyred together. We have no other details than their names – Cantianus, Euthymius and Eutychius. Aquileia, Italy.

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Posted in ART DEI, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Plague in Rome ends after Saint Pope Gregory the Great leads a procession with a painting of Our Lady by Saint Luke (591) and Memorials of the Saints – 24 February

Plague in Rome ends after Saint Pope Gregory the Great leads a procession with a painting of Our Lady by Saint Luke (591): – 24 February

The Abbot Orsini wrote: “On this day, in the year 591, St Gregory the Great, having had the picture of Our Lady, which was painted by St Luke, carried in procession, the plague ceased at Rome.”

The miseries that afflicted Rome in the year 591 were substantial. The Gothic War between the Byzantine Empire and the Goths had substantially depopulated Italy, so much so that a Germanic tribe of Lombards had entered the peninsula and established their own kingdom. They were pagans and Arians who did not respect Catholics, burning the famous Benedictine Monastery of Monte Cassino and pillaging the land at will.
The instability and warfare caused famine in large regions, though Rome was still able to obtain grain by sea. Then came earthquakes and flooding to further the suffering, and from this plague Rome was not immune. The banks of the Tiber overflowed and when the waters did not recede, all of the low-lying lands became swamps that brought death and the plague. The disease struck with such rapidity that the victim would often die shortly after realising he had contracted the disease, although there were some who sickened but recovered. Our custom of saying, “God Bless you,” to someone who sneezes came about at this time, for sneezing was one of the signs that someone had contracted the disease.
Even the Roman Pontiff died of the plague on 7 February 590. His successor, was Pope Saint Gregory the Great, who was both a humble and pious man. It would be an understatement to say he did not want the honour of being the next Pope but once in that position, he did everything in his power to try to save his people. He understood that the plague was a chastisement from God and encouraged the faithful to repent of their sins and pray for deliverance while he and the religious cared for the people of Rome.
Finally, Saint Gregory called for a procession to take place at dawn on 24 April. On that day, the faithful first assembled in their groups throughout Rome and then walked through the streets of the City praying and singing as they approached the Church of Saint Mary Major. The plague was so potent at that time, that eighty people collapsed and died as they walked toward the meeting place.
Pope Saint Gregory met them upon their arrival, joining them in prayer as he took his place with them holding aloft the miraculous image of Our Lady painted by Saint Luke the Evangelist. This image is the very famous, Salus Populi Romani (the health or salvation, of the Roman People) As the procession neared the Vatican the participants all saw Saint Michael the archangel standing upon the cupola of Hadrian’s mausoleum as he sheathed his flaming sword. It was a sign that the chastisement had come to an end and, at once, the heaviness in the air abated and the air itself seemed to freshen and clear. Indeed, at that moment the plague ended, as the faithful rejoiced and lifted up their voices to thank the Mother of God.

Regina Coeli laetare, Alleluia! (Queen of heaven, rejoice, Alleluia!)

Quia quem meruisti portare, Alleluia! (Son whom you merited to bear, Alleluia!)

Resurrexit sicut dixit, Alleluia! (He has risen as He said, Alleluia!)


St Adela of Blois
Bl Antonio Taglia
Bl Arnold of Carcassonne
St Betto of Auxerre
Bl Berta of Busano
Bl Constantius of Fabriano OP (1401-1481)
Biography
:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/02/24/saint-of-the-day-24-february-blessed-constantius-of-fabriano-op-1401-1481/
St Cummian Albus of Iona
St Ethelbert of Kent (552-616) King and Confessor
Evetius of Nicomedia
Blessed Ascensión of the Heart of Jesus/Florentina Nicol y Goñi OP (1868-1940)
Her Story:

https://anastpaul.com/2020/02/24/saint-of-the-day-24-february-blessed-ascension-of-the-heart-of-jesus-op-1868-1940/
Bl Ida of Hohenfels
Bl Josefa Naval Girbes
St Liudhard
Bl Lotario Arnari
Bl Marco De’ Marconi
St Modestus of Trier
St Peter the Librarian
St Praetextatus of Rouen
St Primitiva
St Sergius of Caesarea
Bl Simon of Saint Bertin
Blessed Tommaso Maria Fusco (1831-1891)
Blessed Tommaso;s life:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/02/24/saint-of-the-day-24-february-blessed-thomas-mary-fusco-and-tommaso-maria-fusco-1831-1891/