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Contents1 Liturgical times of the Catholic Church2 Advent3 Christmas4 Ordinary Time 15 Lent6 Easter Season7 Ordinary Time 28 Colours of Catholic liturgical vestments9 The liturgical year explained to children The liturgical times of the Catholic Church are the seasons in which the liturgical year is…
Contents1 How to clean old icons2 Who to contact for the care of ancient icons3 How to store old icons Sacred icons and artistic creations are imbued with an ancient sacredness that transcends the centuries. Let’s find out how to clean the old icons and…
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Sometimes we take for granted certain objects that belong to the ceremonial of the Mass, but that perhaps pass a little in the background compared to other liturgical objects, such as the chalice or the paten, and the sacred furnishings in general.Si tratta dei servizi da messa, o servizi da altare.
Made of fabric, they are usually four coordinated pieces: the corporal, the pall, the purifier and the towel.
Then there are other liturgical objects in fabric that can be combined with these four, such as the tablecloth for the altar, the amitto and others.
Here is in detail what it is:
These vestments, precisely because of their importance in the liturgical celebration, cannot be common pieces of cloth. Must be quality, packaged with fine fabric, or at least carefully.
Also the colors of the services from mass are very important. In a previous article we talked about the importance of colors in the Catholic liturgy and their significance. The liturgical vestments of Catholic priests during religious celebrations and the many sacred vestments they use differ according to a range of colors that has a precise symbolic meaning. The main liturgical colors, codified in the Roman Rite in 1969, are four: white, green, red and purple.
The colours of the Catholic liturgy and their meaning
The liturgical vestments of Catholic priests during religious celebrations and the many sacred vestments used by them…
The white symbolizes the joy and purity deriving from the Faith and the Resurrection, and is linked in particular to the adoration of Jesus and Our Lady. It is used practically every day, regardless of the liturgical season and the current festivity.
Green is a symbol of hope, perseverance and listening.
Purple symbolizes penance, expectation and mourning and is therefore used during Advent and Lent, or for Masses for the deceased.
Red symbolizes the passion of Christ and is used for liturgical vestments on Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Pentecost, and so on.
Other colors have not been codified, but they also recur in the sacred vestments and also in the services for mass, or at least in their decorations and embroideries, such as the blue, Marian color par excellence, or the gold, which symbolizes royalty.
Here is some more information about the services you can find in our store. All items are available both in sets and sold individually.
The services used to be made mainly of linen, the most resistant natural fiber that exists. Today you will find mass services packed with many other types of fabric, each with its own characteristics.
Still very used, it is light and always stylish. Among its advantages is that it dries very quickly and this allows frequent washing without the risk of damage. The regular weave makes it particularly suitable for cross stitch embroidery and other counted thread embroidery, and this too represents a nice advantage to realize the precious decorations of the services from mass.
Soft and with high absorption properties, even cotton is particularly suitable for drying the hands of the priest and the chalice. Shiny looking, can be washed by hand or in the washing machine without any special problems.
Some modern services are made partly of polyester and partly of cotton. Polyester is very resistant especially to tearing and abrasion and does not require much attention. It also has the advantage of being rather elastic and does not crease.
Since ancient times, precious fabrics such as silk and satin have also been used for sacred vestments and services. They are smooth, soft to the touch, shiny fabrics that immediately communicate the elegance and refinement of the product. Unlike the previous fabrics, however, they are all very delicate, and require more care to keep intact their characteristics of shine and softness.
The services for mass differ also for the type of decoration with which they are embellished.
First the hem, which can be open or simple, made by hand or machine.
The embroidery can also be done by machine or by hand, depending on the quality of the article, but also depending on the subject represented. There are mass services decorated with simple designs such as small white crosses on a white background or more elaborate designs. The embroideries usually depict the symbols of the liturgy: the cross, the chalice, the grapes, the ears, the Eucharist, the golden symbol IHS, the dove or Marian symbols. The different symbologies adapt perfectly to the sensitivity and preference of each and the liturgical time.
Among the elements that make up the service from mass, the pall, or cup cover, deserves a further deepening. The pall can be different shape, round or square. It can also be made with a more or less rigid fabric, such as starched linen or polyester.
Some models even have inside a cardboard or a small plastic panel, which allows the pall to remain rigid. The card can be removed thanks to convenient openings to make washing easier. In some particular palls and with important processing the card can not be pulled off, to avoid ruining the object.
Another peculiarity, present only in some models, is the plastic angle. Some models have one of the corners covered with plastic. This allows the celebrant to grab the pall without the fabric getting dirty or wearing over time.
Some cup covers are much more valuable than others, not only for the type of fabric used, but especially for the more elaborate embroidery and made exclusively by hand.
This type of product, given its preciousness, can also become a gift idea for a special occasion: a seminarian who becomes a priest, a priest who celebrates a particular anniversary, and so on.
Since ancient times, silver jewels have exercised a deep fascination. Let’s find out how to clean the silver jewelry to keep them bright and beautiful. Why it is important to know how to clean silver jewelry? The answer to this question lies in the very…
Contents1 Jesus starts from the history of the Jewish people2 Judaism and Christianity differences3 The value of numbers4 Jesus, Adam and the tree of life5 The Women in Jesus geneaology The lineage of Abraham, or the genealogy of Jesus, has a fundamental importance in the…
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We have spoken in other articles about Our Lady of Medjugorje and what has happened in this small village in the former Yugoslavia since the first miraculous apparitions took place on 24 June 1981. Ivanka Ivanković and Mirjana Dragičević, who were then fifteen and sixteen years of age, said that they had met, during a walk, a beautiful lady who floated standing on a cloud. Returning to the place of that prodigious encounter that evening, along with Vicka Ivanković, Ivanka’s cousin, they found the woman this time with a child in her arms. The group of young seers expanded in the following days, with the involvement of Marja Pavlović, Mirjana’s cousin, Jakov Čolo and Ivan Dragičević and from that moment began the daily talks between the group of six boys and the woman, whom they had identified without a shadow of a doubt with the Madonna.
Our Lady of Medjugorje: how Our Lady of Peace is represented
Our Lady of Medjugorje is also called Our Lady of Peace, because the message she entrusted…
This is known history, as the “five stones” are known, that is, the five passages that make up the path to Peace promised by Our Lady of Medjugorje, who for this very message is also called Lady of Peace:
Fasting as proposed by Our Lady of Medjugorje
The fasting proposed by Our Lady of Medjugorje is just one of the forms of fasting encouraged by the Church…
But other aspects of this cult may be interesting. We speak of the places that were the scene of the apparitions, and that still today constitute the obligatory destinations for all those who go there to seek comfort and peace in Our Lady of Medjugorje.
Let’s find out together.
With 520 metres, this hill is the highest relief in the vicinity of Medjugorje. It is located about a kilometre south of the town, and its real name is Mount Sipovac. On its summit in 1934, an 8.56 m high reinforced concrete cross was erected, at the behest of the then parish priest, Father Bernardin Smoljan, who involved all his parishioners in the enterprise. The cross would have consecrated the parish to Christ the Redeemer of the world, protecting the inhabitants and the cultivation of vines and tobacco from the threat of hail, very frequent in this area.
The cross was assembled in less than a month on the spot after the material to build it was carried on the shoulders of the parishioners along an impervious path. For the occasion, Rome donated some relics of the Cross of Jesus that were placed at the crossroads of the arms.
Here are the words engraved on the Cross of Mount Krizevac: “To Jesus Christ, Redeemer of humanity as a sign of faith, love and hope, and in memory of the 1900th anniversary of the Passion of Christ.”
The Cross of Mount Krisevac has been the subject of miraculous events over the years. Some say that they have seen her disappear, turn on herself, or even transform into the silhouette of the Madonna.
The Virgin herself, in one of her messages to the Seers, would state that: “The Cross was also part of God’s plan when you built it.”
Every year, on the day of the Exaltation of the Cross at the foot of the monument, a solemn mass is celebrated.
On the occasion of the first anniversary of the death of Father Slavko, historian and beloved parish priest of Medjugorje, who passed away on 24/11/2000, the boys of the Cenacle Community, founded by Sister Elvira in 1983 in Saluzzo (CN) in Italy to offer help to drug addicts, placed on the top of Krisevac a huge boulder that bears a bronze relief depicting the parish priest, who died right on the top of the hill where he had just completed the rite of the Via Crucis, as every Friday, surrounded by pilgrims and parishioners.
The Podbrodo is nothing more than a barren hill scattered with red stones, once impractical except by flocks and wild animals. Located on the slopes of Mount Crnica, not far from the village of Bijacovici, the hometown of the six visionaries, it is located one and a half kilometres from the parish church of Saint James. What makes it so special is the fact that it is the place where the first apparitions of Our Lady of Medjugorje took place. For this reason today it is known as Apparition Hill and has become for all the faithful on pilgrimage to Medjugorje the place par excellence of meditation and personal dialogue with Our Lady.
The once impervious path has been transformed by the passage of the countless pilgrims who every day go to this place steeped in spirituality and suggestions, smoothing the roughness and making the climb much easier.
Along the path that climbs to the top of the Podbrdo, as we will see in the paragraph dedicated to the Paths of Medjugorje, are placed bronze reliefs representing the Mysteries of the Rosary.
At some point, we also come across a large wooden cross, where pilgrims stop to rest and meditate.
Going further there is the magnificent marble statue of the Virgin, the work of the Italian sculptor Dino Felici, gift of a Korean family for grace received. At the foot of the statue the words “I am the Queen of Peace 25/06/1981” recall the message in which Our Lady of Medjugorje presented herself as Queen of Peace. “I have come to tell the world that God exists and that in God there is life. Those who find God will find peace and life.”
This statue is another place of rest and meditation, where pilgrims stop to pray, each gathered in their inner dialogue with the Virgin, each looking for help, comfort, or just a little relief from the burden of life.
St. James the Elder, the protector of pilgrims, is the patron saint of Medjugorje. The parish church is dedicated to him that today gathers not only the faithful of the area but all the pilgrims who come to Medjugorje to seek contact with Our Lady. The old church, built on a landslide in 1897, was replaced in 1969 by this one, very large compared to the number of parishioners at that time. As if the builders had a prophetic vision of what would happen in Medjugorje in a few years. What remains of the old Church stands in the park to the left of the Sanctuary.
In the square of the Church of San Giacomo, there is another statue of the Madonna always carved by Dino Felici, like the one on the Podbrdo.
The Adoration Chapel, built in 1991 to the left of the church, welcomes all pilgrims who wish to gather in prayer and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The 25th of each month is also open all night for Silent Night Adoration. Every morning Holy Masses are celebrated here for the different language groups.
The Church of St. James has also been called the “confessional of the world” with its twenty-five confessionals where priests from every nation hear confessions in all languages of the world.
The church also has an external altar, equipped with 5,000 seats and used in summer for evening liturgical celebrations and large gatherings. At the back of the church a large hall was dedicated to John Paul II, which can hold up to 800 people, houses prayer meetings, the testimonies of seers and other solemn celebrations.
The Church of St. James is the centre of all spiritual activities in Medjugorje, from masses in all languages to blessings, to prayer meetings that take place every day according to a specific schedule.
We have already mentioned the bronze reliefs along the path that leads to the top of Apparition Hill. Created in 1989 by the Italian sculptor Carmelo Puzzolo, they represent the joyful, painful and glorious mysteries of the Rosary. The friars of the shrine every Sunday at 2 p.m. lead the pilgrims in a community Rosary to the top of Apparition Hill.
Even the path that goes up to the Cross of Mount Krisevac is marked by 14 wooden crosses next to which in 1987 bronze reliefs were placed, always the work of Carmelo Puzzolo, which represent the stations of the Via Crucis. On each relief is also engraved the face of the Virgin.
Every Friday afternoon the friars of the sanctuary lead the faithful along the Way of the Cross on the Mount of the Cross.
Contents1 Saint Therese of Lisieux2 The most famous Doctors of the church3 Pope Gregory I, the Great4 Saint Ambrose of Milan, Sweet as honey5 St. Augustine, Doctor Gratiae6 St. Jerome On 1 October we celebrate Saint Therese of Lisieux, one of the four women proclaimed…
Where are the tombs of the popes? Let’s find out where the popes have been buried for centuries and how their burial takes place Where are the popes buried? A trivial question, perhaps, but that contains a deep meaning, closely connected to the very nature…
Each unto its own, even for saints and countries. Knowing the history of Europe and the countries that make it up, one realises that many of the important changes and passages of European history are linked to certain saints. Many of these during and after their lives helped change not only the Church but also the world – in one of our articles we presented some of these characters. Europe and its states, throughout history, with the contribution of the popes and the people’s devotion, have been entrusted to the protection of some particular saints. These are the patron saints of Europe as a continent and of some of its member states.
The saints that changed the world
The history of Europe and of the Western world as we know them goes through many and constant political and social changes….
Europe as a continent is entrusted to different patrons. St. Benedict of Norcia is one of them, proclaimed patron of Europe by Pope Paul VI in 1964. St. Benedict made a crucial contribution to the development of Europe and many of its countries with the foundation of the Order of St. Benedict.
Together with Saint Benedict, among the patron saints of Europe, we find Saint Catherine of Siena, to whom Europe was entrusted in 1999 by Pope John Paul II.
Saint Bridget of Sweden is also one of the patron saints of the European continent. She was also proclaimed co-patroness of Europe in 1999 together with Saint Catherine.
The other patron saints of Europe are Cyril and Methodius, brother evangelists of the Slavic peoples, and Saint Teresa Benedict of the Cross (Edith Stein).
The patron saints to whom Italy is entrusted are Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Catherine of Siena. They were proclaimed patrons of Italy by Pope Pius XI in 1939. St. Francis was the protagonist of the great change in the Church and the lives of Italians thanks to his choice of service to the Church in poverty. In the historical period when he lived, the Church needed reform to make it more consistent with its teachings and close to the faithful: the vocation of St. Francis and his dedication to Christ brought a great renewal in the life of the Church.
Saint Catherine of Siena was a prominent woman in medieval society and contributed to the pontiff’s return to Rome after the Avignon captivity. She was summoned by Pope Urban VI, something not taken for granted for a woman at the time, and during her life, she became a recognised prominent position among scholars, politicians and prominent figures of European society.
Thinking of France, one of the first names that come to mind is that of Joan of Arc, the flea of Orleans. Together with Maria SS. Assunta, St. Martin of Tours and St. Therese of Lisieux, she has been the patroness of the French state since the canonization of 1920. Saint Joan of Arc is famous for her feats in war. He helped to recover some of the French terroirs that England had conquered during the Hundred Years’ War and held high the banner of a Catholic state under God’s protection. She was captured by the British, tried, falsely accused of heresy and burned at the stake. The trial was declared null and void in 1456 by Pope Callistus III.
One of the patrons of Germany is St. Michael the Archangel. St. Michael, the warrior archangel, is a saint to whom many faithful are devoted. In one of our articles, we talked about the Sacred Line of St. Michael the Archangel: a straight line that connects seven shrines dedicated to St. Michael, mysteriously aligned perfectly. Several German churches are dedicated to St. Michael, such as those of Hamburg, Munich and Hildesheim.
Poland has several patron saints: Saint Casimir, Saint Cunegonde Queen, Saint Albert of Prague, Saint Stanislaus Bishop, Saint Stanislaus Kostka, Saint Andrew Bobola and Saint Florian. But the first protector of Poland, the most beloved and beloved figure of the Polish faithful is Mary Most Holy, Queen of Poland. The link between Poland and the figure of Mary is very ancient. Poland is a place where there are many representations of the Virgin, from icons to frescoes. St. John Paul II, the first Polish pope, also distinguished himself in the years of his pontificate by devotion to Mary.
The patron saints of Spain are the Madonna del Pilar, the Immaculate Conception, Saint Teresa of Avila and of course Saint James. In Spanish, the equivalent of James is Santiago. The Camino de Santiago is one of the places that attract more pilgrims from the world to Spain.
Portugal is attached to Mary Immaculate, St George, St Gabriel the Archangel, St Francis Borgia and St Anthony of Padua. For the latter, a great feast is celebrated in the Portuguese capital.
Saint Anthony of Padua, the Saint of miracles
Saint Anthony of Padua was already one of his contemporaries master of Christian…
The United Kingdom has different patron saints depending on the nation: St. David for Wales, St. Patrick for Northern Ireland, St. Andrew the Apostle and St. Columba for Scotland, Our Lady of Walsingham and St. George for England. St. George is a saint much loved in the English world, although many details of his history are not known. What is known is that he was a knight: he is often depicted on horseback, with a sword or spear, intent on destroying a dragon that represents evil and sin. If you want to know more about St. George and his legendary fight against the dragon, read the article we dedicated to him.
The story of St George who killed a dragon
The legend of Saint George and the dragon has become over time a parable of the struggle between good and evil…
Finally, how can we forget St. Patrick’s Day? Along with St. Bridget of Kildare and St. Columba, St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. In his representations, he is often dressed in green, symbolic colour of Ireland. He was a bishop with a very important role in the catechesis of the Irish: often we remember the analogy of the clover, used to explain the mystery of the Holy Trinity, attributed to St. Patrick.
Contents1 The History of the Saint2 Patron Saint of Students3 Other young saints Saint Louis Gonzaga is one of those young people who, in the history of the Church, have dedicated their short lives to cultivating the virtues and caring for others. Young saints who…
Contents1 The month of May month of Our Lady2 The lily, the flower of Santa Caterina3 Spikenard, the flower of St. Joseph4 The lily, the flower of Saint Anthony5 The Hypericum, the Flower of St. John6 All the flowers of Saint Teresa7 The Rose of…
Saint Joseph, symbol of all the fathers. Pope Francis dedicated 2021 to him. But today we talk about an unusual aspect that concerns him: the flower of Saint Joseph
Many words have been spent in order to express the importance of Saint Joseph, the putative father of Jesus, patron and protector of the universal Church, and symbol of the workers. Today we dwell on a somewhat unusual attribute referred to this so-important saint. Perhaps not everyone knows that there is a flower of Saint Joseph and that same flower heads in the coat of arms of Pope Francis. It is a flower of nard.
But why was this flower, very beautiful and intense and sweet, attributed to Saint Joseph? And why did the Supreme Pontiff want it in his emblem, along with the tiara and crossed keys, symbols of papal power, the radiant sun that represents Jesus and the star symbol of the Virgin Mary?
The particular devotion of Pope Francis to Saint Joseph is known to all. Not only does the Pope carry with him since the time of the seminary a statuette of Saint Joseph sleeping, to whom he claims to ask for advice through cards, but it was his decision to proclaim 2021 the year of Saint Joseph, through the Apostolic Letter Patris corde “With the heart of Father”. In this way, the Pontiff wanted to recognize the value of simple, humble people, who also spend every day helping others, just like this carpenter who dedicated his life to protecting his young wife and a child, not his.
Returning to the flower of Saint Joseph, while in the most common iconography, Saint Joseph is often depicted with a stick from which blooming lilies, symbol of the purity of the Virgin, In the sacred iconography of Hispanic countries Saint Joseph is often depicted with a branch of nard in his hand. Nardo is a plant of the valerian family, native to the great highlands of Central Asia, but widespread in particular varieties in Mexico and Central America. Its flowers have the shape of white or pink spikes. From these flowers is obtained a fragrant oil considered of great value since ancient times, used as incense: nard oil. It is obtained by crushing and distilling the content of the rhizome, the organ of accumulation of the plant’s nutrients, which allows it to survive for a long time even in hostile climatic conditions. Nard oil has always been used as a massage oil for its calming properties, but also for its antiseptic power. It calms the restless soul, lowers the pressure, promotes regular breathing, and for this reason, it is still widely used in aromatherapy, to perfume rooms and creates a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere.
This amber and extremely aromatic fluid obtained from spikenard has always been considered sacred, and often also occurs in the Bible, from the Song of Songs, as a symbol of boundless love, to the Gospels, as a symbol of divine love. It was used by a woman, perhaps Mary Magdalene, perhaps Mary of Bethany, to anoint Jesus’ head and feet. The precious oil cost the woman three hundred dinars, and for this, she was blamed when she unwittingly broke the jar that contained it, but in this episode, they wanted to read prophetic anticipation of the death of Christ, and in the precious oil poured the very symbol of His love, faithful love to the point of giving life, so immense to reach the ultimate sacrifice, so precious to spread at the very moment in which it is poured.
The Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is also inspired by this particular episode of the anointing of Jesus by the woman: as she anointed the members of the Saviour, the Order looks after and protects the Church, the Body of Christ. It is not by chance that nard oil has always been among the eleven herbs used for aromatic incense in the Temple of Jerusalem.
The nard flower linked to the iconography of Saint Joseph is very different from what we see in the coat of arms of Pope Francis: the first, which occurs on holy cards and sacred images, is already in full bloom and very reminiscent of a lily, while the one on the Pope’s coat of arms looks more like a bunch of grapes. Perhaps the Pope wanted to express in this way not only his devotion to Saint Joseph but also his hope of something good yet to come, hope for the world that has yet to open, and blossom, just like a flower.
Moreover, the attribution of the nard to Saint Joseph is also linked to the time of the flowering of this flower. Saint Joseph is always represented with a flowered stick in his hand because, according to tradition, someone made fun of him discovering that Mary was pregnant but not at his own work, and challenged him: if he really had been an angel, his stick should have bloomed. And so it happened. According to another tradition, it was precisely the blossoming of the staff the miraculous sign with which Heaven indicated to the priests what should be the bachelor to choose as a spouse for Mary.
Here are some gift ideas for Father’s Day. Special thoughts for those who have a very difficult ‘job’… “Dear dads, best wishes on your day! Be for your children like Saint Joseph: guardians of their growth in age, wisdom and grace.” This message was tweeted…
Contents1 The Origins and Meaning of Pentecost2 The Holy Spirit: What It Is and What It Represents3 Prayer to Mary who unties the knots while waiting for Pentecost4 What Mary’s knots symbolise 50 days after Easter, she will untie the knots and celebrate Pentecost, which…
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What do we really know about Saint Joan of Arc? Let’s start by saying that it is rightfully among the ten Christian Women who changed the Church and the world. Remembered among the saints not only for her spiritual strength but also for having held the sword in the name of faith. And what’s even more surprising considering she was just a young woman.
Books have been written about her, films have been made about her, which have now brought to light one aspect of her controversial figure. Controversial, because today we know of her that she was a very young peasant woman called by God to sustain a test of courage and faith that many mature men and military navigated would not be able to carry forward. But in her time, when her brief and tragic human affair was consummated, everything and the opposite of everything was said about her. Beloved some a saint, she ended up being accused of witchcraft and, just nineteen, knew death at the stake.
Nevertheless, in 1909 Pope Pius X beatified her, but already before him Pope Callistus III in 1456 had declared null and void the process that had led to her death and had rehabilitated her. In 1920 Joan was proclaimed a saint by the will of Benedict XV and from 1922 is among other things patroness of France. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI also expressed his interest in this young saint, in the general audience on 26 January 2011, and compared her to Saint Catherine of Siena, patroness of Italy.
How did an alleged witch become a saint? To understand this apparent contradiction we must immerse ourselves in the time and historical context in which Joan lived, fought and died. A time in which, more than in others, the human being knew how to rise to very high peaks of genius and artistic expression, and at the same time showed unsustainable barbarism and ferocity. Joan’s story is indeed only at the beginning of the Renaissance, but this contrast between spiritual, intellectual and artistic elevation, and cruelty, the little value of human life, was already well outlined.
Let us try to understand better the story of Joan of Arc, the holy warrior, “the Flea of Orléans”, as she was known to her contemporaries.
We have mentioned the time when Saint Joan of Arc lived and died, a period between the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Renaissance. In particular, a preponderant role in Joan’s life was played by the so-called Hundred Years’ War, a conflict that between 1337 and 1453 saw the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France opposed. To this, we add that the Western Schism between 1378 and 1417 had torn the Western Church with a clash between popes and antipopes for the control of the pontifical threshold.
It was in the setting of this long and terrible war that in 1412 Joan was born in Domrémy, in the north-east of France. Joan was born into a humble family of peasants. Ignorant and illiterate, she demonstrated a natural predisposition to help the poor and needy from an early age. Her childhood was characterised by charity, mercy and an aptitude for sacrifice.
At thirteen she began to say she was visited by Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret. These three beneficent presences spoke to them with heavenly voices, sometimes manifesting themselves with flashes and true visions.
When in 1429 the British, aided by their Burgundian allies, were about to conquer Orléans, a city of inestimable economic and strategic value to the French, rumours ordered Joan to leave the house of her parents and go to the aid of Charles Valois, Dauphin heir to the throne of France (he would later rise to the throne under the name of Charles VII).
Joan, who was seventeen years old at the time and about to be forced into marriage, convinced her parents of the importance of her mission and managed to get to meet first the captain of the Vaucouleurs stronghold, then, the latter convinced of his good faith, the Dolphin himself in the castle of Chinon.
Charles did not immediately trust this strange girl who claimed to have been sent by God to save France and her right to the throne.
He subjected her to many thorough investigations, conducted by distinguished theologians and high-ranking ecclesiastics, first at Chinon, then at Poitiers.
Finally convinced, Charles granted her the task of accompanying the military expedition departing for Orléans. Although she had not been given any military commission, Joan began to impose an almost monastic lifestyle on the soldiers, driving out prostitutes, prohibiting looting and violence and even blasphemy. She also decreed that they often confessed and that twice a day they would gather in common prayer at the foot of the white banner depicting God granting His blessing to the cornflower symbol of the French monarchy, with the archangels Michael and Gabriel at their sides.
Joan rode a white horse, wore armour and carried the sword at her side, like a soldier. Soon everyone, soldiers and civilians, began to call her “Jeanne la Pucelle”, Joan the Maid. In addition to the travelling soldiers, many volunteers joined her, inspired by her figure and fervour.
At Orléans, now exhausted by the long siege, John the Bastard was dealing with the surrender with Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy and ally of the British. Joan came to the city carrying food and reinforcements for the exhausted troops.
Although the Bastard had warned her not to take military action, the same evening Joan took to the stands and, addressing the British troops, ordered them to surrender and leave, receiving in response only insults and threats. After days of fighting, during which Joan fought on the front lines, encouraging the French soldiers with her example, and receiving many wounds, the British were forced to retreat.
After the victory of Orléans Joan continued her march through France, bringing another resounding victory to Patay and thus paving the way for the consecration of King Charles VII at Reims.
Here begins the descending parable of Joan. Having won the war, at least for the time being, and brought ‘her’ King to the throne, she seems to have lost all reason to go on. However, she continued to oppose the British and Burgundians on French territory, ignoring the envy and growing hostility of the court towards her. The people who met her looked at her like a saint sent from heaven and asked for miracles.
It was at Margny on 23 May 1430 that she was finally captured by the Burgundians and, later, ceded for a conspicuous ransom to the British. Charles VII never attempted to free her, nor did he offer a ransom in turn, leaving her to her fate. The imprisonment in the hands of the British was very harsh, and in the end, Joan was brought to trial “strongly suspected of numerous crimes alluding to heresy”.
The trial of Joan of Arc was a farce from its earliest stages. The University of Paris, a depository of civil and ecclesiastical jurisprudence, was totally subservient to the English, who had already condemned Joan and wanted her dead. Her death would not only have freed them from a dangerous symbol much loved in France but would have discredited the authority of Charles VII.
She was tried for heresy by an inquisitorial tribunal, whose judgment Joan never accepted. She was convicted on false charges and forced to abjure. Even in prison, Joan continued to receive visits from her heavenly friends, who reassured her by exhorting her to accept her martyrdom.
She was burned alive in Rouen on 30 May 1431. She asked a priest to keep a cross high before the stake, so that she could die looking at Jesus Crucified, invoking His name.
Only after the French had completed the reconquest of all of France, in 1455, did Pope Callistus III order a review of the trial of Joan of Arc. The following year the trial was declared null and void and Joan was declared completely innocent on charges of heresy.
In 1909 Pope Pius X beatified her.
In 1920 she was canonised by Pope Benedict XV. Since 1922 Joan has been the patron saint of France.
We have already mentioned how Pope Benedict XVI compared Joan of Arc to Saint Catherine of Siena, patroness of Italy and Europe. Both were young girls, and when they received their call, both were born from humble families and chose to serve God, not in the convent, but on the battlefield one, at the service of the poor and the sick the other.
In addition, both Joan of Arc and Catherine lived in a period of profound crisis for the Church, with the Schism of the West and the wars that ravaged Europe. While Joan struggled to bring Charles VII to the throne, Catherine pledged herself against the Anti-Papal League and tried to convince Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome from Avignon.
Of them, Pope Benedict says: “We could approach them (Joan of Arc and Catherine of Siena) to the Holy women who remained on Calvary, close to the crucified Jesus and Mary his Mother, while the Apostles had fled and Peter himself had denied him three times”.
Great women, who have made faith and service to God the ultimate goal of their lives and have not stopped even in the face of martyrdom, in the case of Joan, and suffering in that of Catherine.
Contents1 Life before becoming a Pontiff2 Pope from 1963 to 19783 When St. Paul VI is celebrated4 The Papal Encyclicals Pope Paul VI was a reserved and courteous man, with a refined intellect and great spiritual depth. He led the Catholic Church in a period…
Contents1 What is the supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii?2 Prayer to Our Lady of Pompeii: the text3 Padre Pio and the Rose at Our Lady of Pompeii4 The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Pompeii The Virgin of the Rosary is celebrated on 8 May.…
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That Saint Pio of Pietrelcina is one of the most beloved and venerated saints in our country, and not only, is well known. His fame as a miracle worker, in addition to the example of his own life marked by prayer, sacrifice and total dedication to others, have earned him a popular devotion begun when he was still alive. Every year thousands of people visit the Sanctuary of Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo, one of the most famous pilgrimage sites in the world. In this article, we want to dwell on Padre Pio and Our Lady of Pompeii, an aspect that on the one hand emphasizes the deep love that the Saint brought throughout his life to the Blessed Virgin, on the other tells a fascinating miraculous event related to his figure.
The Shrine of Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo
What drives thousands of people to visit the Shrine of Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo every year?
Let us remember that throughout his life Padre Pio was an Apostle of the Rosary. He loved immensely this devotional practice, which he recited several times a day, and always carried a Holy Rosary, wrapped around his hand or arm. Even at his death he held the rosary in his hand. As we well know, the Rosary is the most widespread devotional and contemplative prayer recited by Christians all over the world, especially for the possibility attributed to it of receiving indulgences, thanks to the intercession of Our Lady.
During his life, Padre Pio went on pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Holy Rosary in Pompeii, one of the most important and visited Marian shrines in Italy, at least three times, the first barely fourteen years old, together with his teacher then and some fellow students.
He then returned in 1911, when he was a young priest in the convent of Venafro, and again in 1916, during a licentiate.
It was September 20, 1968, and Padre Pio lived his last days in the world. Fifty years had passed since he received the Stigmata and a devotee offered him a basket of red roses to celebrate the anniversary. The Saint moved, took one and handed it to him, asking him to bring it as an offering to Our Lady of Pompeii. The devotee was very happy to satisfy him and worried that the rose would be placed right in front of the picture of Our Lady. Three days later Padre Pio had died, and a nun, removing the flowers in front of the effigy of the Madonna, noticed that, while all the flowers had withered, the rose of Padre Pio was still fresh, indeed, had even returned to close in a fragrant bud. Informed of the miraculous event, the bishop prelate of the Shrine of Pompeii wanted it to be placed in a precious reliquary in which it is still kept today.
In our store, you will find many articles, in particular pictures, rosaries, and statues, which recall this story of devotion and celebrate the link between Padre Pio and Madonna di Pompei
Padre Pio’s apparitions and spiritual visits have always been characterized by particular scents and smells. Already in life his person and his clothes emanated different scents, as many people who have known him testify. These scents spread like a scent in their passage, remaining in the environments in which they had stayed. After his death, perfume became his way of conveying messages to his devotees. In particular, the scent of rose would be the one chosen by Padre Pio to manifest his presence to those who invoke his help. However, not everyone can feel this perfume. Many of those who say they have heard him also claim to have benefited by the Saint a grace for themselves or for someone who was dear to them.
