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Contents1 From Our Lady of Victory to Our Lady of the Rosary2 The Saints Under Our Lady of the Rosary3 Our Lady of Pompeii Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on the 7th of October. Born from the memory of a Christian military victory,…
Contents1 The Holy Sepulchre: What is it, and where is it located?2 The History of the Holy Sepulchre3 The Holy Sepulchre Today The Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is a spiritual landmark for Christians worldwide, regardless of their denomination. Let’s explore its history…
What could be better than a nice relaxing foot bath, especially when in the evening you find yourself with swollen feet and tired legs after a day spent standing up to work? Or maybe the fatigue in the legs is due to excessive physical exertion, or even a pathology? Whatever the origin of the disorder, a foot bath for swollen feet is an easy and inexpensive remedy to reduce swelling, defaticate the legs and reactivate circulation, especially when combined with cold water sponges. In any case, the foot bath is a small gift for our feet, to repay them for the hardships of the day, to apologize for forcing them into tight and heavy shoes. Dedicate ourselves for a moment to them, let them breathe and pamper you with some natural remedy. Moreover, this practice has been widespread and appreciated since ancient times.
But what is a foot bath? Very simple: is to dip your feet in a basin of warm or warm water and leave them to soak. Depending on the benefit we want to get we can then add salt, bicarbonate, vinegar, essential oils, or special products, such as foot bath salt. The feet should be left immersed in water for at least 15-20 minutes to get a good result.
By placing stones or balls on the bottom of the bowl you can add to the foot bath the effect of reactivating the circulation. Alternating hot and cold water baths is also an excellent way to reactivate circulation and reduce swelling of the feet: immerse your feet for ten minutes in a basin full of hot water, then pass them for a minute under cold running water, then back into the bowl and vice versa, 3 times.
Let’s see how to deflate the feet and what can be all the recipes for an effective foot bath for swollen and tired feet.
Water obviously comes first. It is important that it is not too hot, because it could dry the skin and promote the onset of frostbite. Adding a little milk to the foot bath water we will get softer and more hydrated feet, while a glass of white vinegar or the juice of two lemons will fight sweat and bad smell.
White vinegar also relieves tired feet, reduces heel cracks, and also combats fungus and infections. Coarse salt and baking soda help to deflate and cool feet, ankles and legs.
Lavender or chamomile essential oil or even dried flowers will have a beneficial effect on mood, as well as dissolve tensions and deflate the feet.
In addition to natural remedies in our store, you will find a wide selection of natural cosmetics and products of monasteries useful for your foot bath. The ideal aim is to create your own beauty and wellness routine for your feet and legs, perhaps using products specially created in the Camaldoli Monastery. You can start with a foot bath with the Balsamic Toning Foot Salts and continue with a nice massage with the Foot Cream of the Camaldolese monks or the Foot Cream of Camaldoli.
The Podological Salts of Camaldoli for example are unsurpassed to give relief to your feet especially if they are tired and swollen. Produced by Camaldolese monks contain essences of Menthol, Eucalyptus and Hypericum that not only perfume the water for the foot bath with a pleasant balsamic aroma but above all give a sense of well-being and freshness to the feet. The effect will be wonderfully stimulating, relaxing and strengthening.
For a truly complete treatment, it is advisable to follow the foot bath with a good massage made with the Camaldolesi Monks’ Foot Cream, refreshing and deodorant, which prevents excessive sweating of the feet and gives a sense of well-being.
Also the Leg and Foot Cream of Camaldoli is an excellent cosmetic product for outdoor use. Made only with natural ingredients and herbs, it is a wellness and beauty treatment for legs, ankles and feet, and fights swelling, fatigue and heaviness.
It also soothes and eliminates small problems of varicose veins and capillaries, but not only: it has a draining, refreshing and invigorating action.
If you have problems with small calluses and calluses, finally apply the Camaldoli Drops, an unbeatable emollient balm to eliminate calluses.
The 5-Finger Prayer is an effective method suggested by Pope Francis to ensure that no one is forgotten in our prayers. When Pope Francis was the Bishop of Buenos Aires, he already manifested all the human and faithful qualities that we still appreciate today. Chief…
Contents1 History of San Gennaro2 The relics of the saint at the Cathedral of Naples3 The treasure of San Gennaro The story of San Gennaro is set during the terrible persecution of Diocletian, but immediately covered with legend There are many mysteries related to the…
When we talk about saints, we are used to imagining them all having lived long before we were born. Since childhood, we have seen pictures depicting them dressed in long robes, tunics, and sometimes armour, immortalised by great masters of painting on canvases and frescoes, sculpted in marble and wood by excellent sculptors and skilled craftsmen, or simply handed down to popular devotion on holy cards and sacred depictions by unknown artists who died centuries ago. But there are also modern saints, such as Carlo Acutis, the millennial saint beatified in October 2020, a boy like many others passionate about computers (one of his attributes is a personal computer…) active on social networks like all his peers but driven by a rare vocation and religious fervour.
Carlo loved Jesus; he saw in the Holy Eucharist his Highway to Heaven, and considered the Madonna the “only woman in my life“. A boy who spent his free time going around the city to bring hot meals and comfort to the homeless or serving in soup kitchens for the poor. And he prayed; Carlo prayed a lot, reciting the Holy Rosary every day. Very young, while his peers engaged in decidedly more carefree interests, he organised a travelling exhibition dedicated to Eucharistic Miracles worldwide in collaboration with the Institute of St. Clement I, Pope and Martyr, which has travelled and still travels worldwide as The Exhibition of Eucharistic Miracles of Carlo Acutis. Blessed Carlo Acutis died too soon, too young, and we can only wonder what this exceptional boy would have done if he had only had more time. He has been proposed as the Patron of the Internet, and even in this recognition, we realise how much our modern world still needs saints, men and women capable of living Faith and immersing themselves completely in the human and spiritual experience for themselves and all of us.
How to pray the rosary – 10 important steps
The crown of the rosary is formed by grains held together by a wire or a cord…
The biography of Carlo Acutis will never require a very thick book to be collected. Yet, there is so much in the life of this special boy that in the few years he was given to live, he managed to leave an indelible mark not only on the lives of those fortunate enough to know him but also on the thousands of people who have only heard of him. Born in London to parents from the upper-middle class of Turin, he grew up in Milan, where he attended school, graduating from the Classical High School. From a young age, he manifested a great love for Jesus and an intense spirituality that led him to obtain his First Communion at just seven years old. While his friends idolised boy bands and football players, his idols were Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto, the shepherd children of Fatima, Saint Dominic Savio, the youngest non-martyr Catholic saint and pupil of Don Bosco, Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, the patron saint of youth, and Saint Tarcisius, a Roman martyr and patron saint of altar servers, killed as a boy by his pagan peers because he made himself available to bring the Eucharist to imprisoned Christians.
The life of Carlo Acutis was made up of the same things that make up the life of any boy: school, friends, affections, passions. And among his passions was, above all, God, which he lived with the freshness of his age but also with impressive awareness and rare maturity. Even when in 2006 he fell ill with fulminant leukaemia at only 15 years old, he offered his suffering to the Pope and the Church. He died in just three days and was buried in the cemetery of Assisi, to be moved a year later to the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, Sanctuary of the Spoliation, where he rests today.
Saint Louis Gonzaga, patron saint of youths
Saint Louis Gonzaga is one of those young people who, in the history of the Church…
His beatification process began in 2013, and on 5 July 2018, Carlo was declared venerable by Pope Francis.
The canonisation of Carlo Acutis required a miracle, and the miracle was recognised. It concerns the healing through the intercession of little Matheus, a six-year-old Brazilian boy. The child, suffering from a severe pancreatic malformation, had the opportunity to touch a piece of the pyjama worn by Carlo shortly before he died and stained with his blood. The boy prayed to Carlo to help him get better, and subsequent tests showed that his pancreas had returned perfectly healthy. The Medical Council of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints recognised the miracle through intercession, and on 10 October 2020, Carlo Acutis was declared a saint in his beloved Assisi.
We too can ask for the intercession of the young saint by reciting the Novena to the Venerable Carlo Acutis for nine days:
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I thank
You for all the favours and graces You have
enriched the soul of Blessed Carlo Acutis during
his fifteen years spent on this earth, and for
the merits of this beloved Angel of Youth,
grant me the grace that I ardently ask of You… (followed by request)
We mentioned some young saints when talking about Carlo Acutis and the need we still have today for contemporary saints who make the world a better place. Well, besides Carlo, there are other saints beatified in recent times, such as the young José Sánchez del Río, a boy killed by a government officer during the Cristero War that took place in Mexico between 1926 and 1929 against the restrictive policies imposed on religious freedom by the government. José refused to renounce his Catholic faith and died for it. He was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 and canonised by Pope Francis in 2016. Also, Oscar Romero, a Salvadoran Catholic archbishop, was killed by death squads for condemning the government’s violence and was proclaimed a saint by Pope Francis in 2018. Charles Eugène de Foucauld, a French religious who dedicated his life to studying the Tuareg culture and died during an attack by bandits in the desert in the fort he built to defend the defenceless population, was proclaimed blessed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 and canonised by Pope Francis in 2022.
From a dissolute man to the founder of the Camillians, Saint Camillo de Lellis is the universal patron of the sick, nurses and hospitals Anyone who knew San Camillo de Lellis when he was young would never have imagined that that bully was devoted to…
Contents1 Biblical prophet names2 The meaning of the name Gioele3 Evangelist names4 Matthew/Matthias, name that means gift of God The names in the Bible have always provided an inspiration for parents to choose how they would like to call their unborn child. Here are the…
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The two blood vials attributed to San Gennaro and kept in the Cathedral of Naples (also called Duomo di San Gennaro) have been for centuries at the centre of a cult that is covered with legend and renewed every year on the Saturday preceding the first Sunday in May, on 19 September and 16 December, Dates when the blood of the Holy one miraculously returns to liquefaction. The miracle of San Gennaro is expected and celebrated every year with uncontrollable enthusiasm and warmth by the devotees, Who on all three occasions crowd to witness the miracle and see the blood-containing shrine of the precious relic, which is exposed to their devotion in the days after the miracle.
A relic that has had a long and adventurous history, as adventurous was the life of the saint, born in Naples in the third century A.D. Became bishop of Benevento, he was able to win the love of Christians and the respect of pagans. Saint Gennaro died during the persecution of Diocletian against Christians. He went to visit his friend Sosso, a deacon in the Christian community of Miseno and was imprisoned by judge Dragonio, proconsul of Campania, together with friends, the reader Desire and the deacon Phaistos. Three other men were imprisoned just for daring to protest the judge’s decision: Procolo, deacon of Pozzuoli, Eutiche and Acuzio. Condemned to be eaten by lions (or bears) in the amphitheatre of Pozzuoli, Dragonio commuted his sentence to beheading, He was aware of the support and sympathy that Gennaro and his friends enjoyed among the population. Popular devotion has explained this change with the story that the beasts would kneel before the Saint refusing to harm him. On 19 September 305, San Gennaro and his friends were beheaded.
The cult of the relics of Saint Gennaro began long before his sanctification, which took place in 1586. Before that date, devotional pilgrimages had already begun to his burial in the Catacombs of San Gennaro, where his remains were transferred from the tomb of Agro Marciano in the fifth century. The Neapolitans turned to the saint, especially on the occasion of the earthquakes and eruptions of Vesuvius and their increasingly frequent visits made it necessary to enlarge the catacombs.
The Cathedral of Naples was also built on the remains of a church erected by Bishop Stefano I during a particularly violent eruption, in 512 A.D., when the prelate invoked San Gennaro to protect the citizens. Within this church the bishop Stefano placed the skull and two blood vials of San Gennaro, saving them from the plunder that the Longobardi would have accomplished in 831, Taking away the saint’s bones. The bones were then found in 1492, and joined to the skull and two vials, In the meantime, they had been arranged in a sumptuous silver bust made by Charles II of Anjou in 1305. Today the treasure of San Gennaro is kept inside the Chapel of the Treasury, in the Cathedral, and the ampoules in a coffer commissioned by Roberto D’Angiò.
The first liquefaction of the blood of San Gennaro would have occurred during the transfer of his relics to Naples. Bishop Severo met a woman named Eusebia along the road and in her presence the blood of the saint contained in two small ampoules melted. Although the first historical document mentioning the exhibition of vials dates back to 1389, it is certain that it took place already a long time ago.
Recognized by the church as a prodigious phenomenon, Not a miracle, the melting of the blood of San Gennaro has been the subject of scientific studies and refutations to show how it is possible to reproduce chemically the phenomenon with methods already known in antiquity. In particular, the study of CICAP (Italian Committee for Claims on the Paranormal) in the 1980s concluded that it is attributable to thixotropy, a physical phenomenon that causes some substances that occur in the solid state to become more liquid if subjected to mechanical stress. The ampoule with blood of San Gennaro is But no official denial about the prodigious nature of the liquefaction of the blood of St. Gennaro has ever been made.
The Saturday preceding the first Sunday of May is celebrated the memory of the translation of the relics from Pozzuoli to Naples with a solemn procession, during which the bust and the reliquary containing the ampoules are carried through the city. At the end of the procession, the blood is liquefied.
On 19 September, the anniversary of the decapitation of the saint. On the high altar of the Cathedral of Naples are exposed the bust and relics and the archbishop overturns the case containing the ampoules of blood raggrumato, renewing the miracle. The molten blood is left for eight days to the devotion of the faithful, then put back in its place.
On December 16, the memory of the terrible eruption of Vesuvius in 1631 is celebrated with a new exhibition of the prodigious ampoules, On the occasion of which the Neapolitans saved themselves by invoking San Gennaro.
Contents1 The Madonna and Saint Dominic of Guzmán2 Pope Francis’s Prayer3 Prayer for Good Humour October is one of the months dedicated to the Holy Rosary, but there are other ways to address God every day. Here is the prayer for good humour. The choice…
Contents1 Story of the saint2 Feast of Saint Rosalia3 The meaning of the name Rosalia Saint Rosalia, patron saint of Palermo, is celebrated on 4 September. We know better this beloved saint who defeated the plague and saved her city. Even today in Palermo and…
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Although Christianity is one of the most widespread monotheistic religions in the world, it would be wrong to speak of a single religious and spiritual expression. Indeed, while its heart and focus remain the life and human and divine experience of Jesus Christ, we can identify within it various professions of faith that differ in often fundamental aspects of doctrine, traditions, and Sacraments. Thus, we have Catholic Christians, Protestant Christians, Orthodox Christians, and in particular, we want to focus our attention in this article on the difference between Orthodox and Catholics.
The main differences between Catholics and Protestants
The differences between Catholics and Protestants are fundamental to the history of the Christian religion and the birth…
Orthodox Christianity boasts a number of baptized faithful not too far from Catholic Christianity, placing it as the second-largest Christian Church in the world. It officially emerged with the East-West Schism of 1054 AD, but the date is indicative only. Many historical events and discussions led to this split, from the Sack of Constantinople by the Venetians against the Byzantines in 1204, to the rejection of the Council of Florence, which was supposed, among other things, to heal the divisions between the Latin and Orthodox Churches in 1484, to which the Patriarch of Constantinople, Simeon I, responded by convening a Synod of Orthodox bishops. In any case, it is significant that Western historiography speaks of the East-West Schism, while the Orthodox refer to it as the Latin Schism.
One of the fundamental points that led to this rupture was that the Western Catholic Church claimed the primacy of the Pope, Bishop of Rome and successor of the Apostle Peter, investing him with true jurisdictional power even over the other centers of Christianity at the time, the so-called pentarchy, formed by Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem, the five most important episcopal sees of the Roman world. The other cities of the pentarchy were willing to accept this superior authority of Rome only over Western Christians. Of course, there were other issues on which Eastern and Western Christians did not agree, and some of these differences are still identifiable today between the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
Already the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD had brought out the differences and determined the first separations between some Eastern churches, but also the tendency of the Western church to concentrate power in the hands of the Pope, to the detriment of the Eastern patriarchs. On that occasion, the Patriarch of Constantinople also attempted to claim a role of superiority over the other patriarchs, presenting himself as “ecumenical patriarch,” which did not please the Bishop of Rome.
But what are the main differences between Catholicism and Orthodoxy? First of all, Orthodox Christians do not recognize a single religious authority. Individual bishops govern their churches through local synods without being accountable to a single head comparable to the Catholic Pope. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is considered primus inter pares (“first among equals”), but his figure and role are mostly representative of the religious profession.
Orthodox Christians consider bishops the direct successors of the Apostles, and as such, they are invested with the mandate wanted by Christ himself when he created the Church. They thus refer to the early Church and the original Christian faith, based on holy tradition: Holy Scriptures, teachings of the Church Fathers, dogmatic principles elaborated in the seven historic ecumenical councils.
Orthodox Christians consider the seven Sacraments valid, show devotion to the Virgin Mary Theotókos, Mother of God, and also venerate the Saints.
Regarding Original Sin, which they call Ancestral Sin, they do not consider it: humans are born pure, not tainted by the guilt of Adam and Eve, but naturally predisposed to sin by their very nature.
Who were the 12 apostles and discover the difference between apostles and disciples
Who were the 12 apostles, companions of Jesus in the short span of his…
A difference between Orthodox and Catholics concerns the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Orthodox and Catholic Christians hold in high regard the figure of Mary, Mother of Jesus, whom the Orthodox call Theotókos, Mother of God. But Catholics maintain that, although born to ordinary man and woman, Joachim and Anne, the Virgin Mary was conceived free from Original Sin, as she was destined to bear Jesus Christ in her womb. For the Orthodox, however, Mary was conceived with Original Sin and was purified precisely at the moment when Jesus was placed in her womb. The Orthodox do not recognize the dogma of the Assumption of Mary.
The Assumption of Mary and the most characteristic celebrations
15 August is not just an occasion for partying and outings. We remember the Assumption of Mary into heaven…
As for the figure of the Pope, we have already seen how the fundamental difference between Orthodox and Catholics from the dawn of time is precisely the refusal by the former to recognize the authority of the Supreme Pontiff or any religious authority superior to the Bishops, heirs, and successors of the Apostles. Instead, we know that for Catholics, the Pope is the sole descendant of Peter, head of the apostles and representative of Christ on earth, chosen by Jesus himself as the guide of His church.
The symbolic value of bishop rings
The Bishop is among the priests, one of the most important and invested figures with meaning for the faithful…
Western Catholics consider Purgatory a place between Heaven and Hell where men who have sinned can atone for their sins, at least in part, to purify themselves and ascend to Heaven.
For the Orthodox, however, who also encourage prayers for the deceased, Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient to save all men, or at least those willing to live according to God’s laws. However, when the body dies, the soul must undertake a journey through the stars, during which it must stop at various stations, the telonia, where evil spirits interrogate it and demand payment of a toll for actions committed, true or presumed. In this journey, the virtuous soul is helped and supported by angels.
The more a person has loved God and lived a holy life, the easier it will be to pass the trials and reach Heaven.
Orthodox and Catholic Christians both practice baptism, the former by immersion, completely immersing the baptized in sanctified water to be reborn to new life, the latter by infusion, where the priest pours sanctified water over the baptized’s head. The Orthodox refer to the Greek term baptisma, which means “immersion,” and their rite involves three full immersions.
For the Orthodox Church, baptism is the moment a person is born in Christ, receiving a new name, exclusively that of a saint.
Baptism: meaning, symbols and how to organise one
Baptism is the first of the sacraments that enshrine the true birth of a Christian…
The Orthodox Christian Church is still widespread mainly in Southeastern and Eastern Europe and in the nations of the former Soviet Union. Russia has its own autocephalous Orthodox Church, headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
In the past, this Orthodox Church was also linked to other patriarchates, including the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, the Patriarchate of Antioch, and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. But the Russian Orthodox Church has always maintained a strong bond with secular power. Especially after the end of the Soviet Union, Russia entrusted its church with the custody of ancient traditions and imperial vestiges, and Muscovite Orthodoxy became part of the cultural and political project of the “Russian world.” Today, Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, has come under EU sanctions for blessing Putin’s war against Ukraine.
Contents1 What the Confessions of Saint Augustine are About2 What Prompted Him to Write These Confessions3 The Confessions in Brief The Confessions of Saint Augustine are a timeless testimony of a journey of faith and self-awareness. The Confessions of Saint Augustine constitute the autobiography and…
On August 24, the commemoration of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, is celebrated. He is the patron saint of butchers, shoemakers, and anyone who uses cutting tools. Saint Bartholomew the Apostle is primarily remembered for his martyrdom, one of the most…
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They have always played an undeniable role in spreading the cult of men and women deemed blessed over the centuries. From the earliest Christian relics found in the catacombs to the many sacred remains and fragments brought from Jerusalem by Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, relics and holy bodies have represented for Christian communities the hope of greater participation in grace and holiness through direct contact or at least the veneration of what had contact with a saint, or even more, was a part of them. Naturally, this conviction assumes even greater value if we speak of relics directly related to Jesus, such as the thorns of the Crown of Thorns, the Holy Nails, or the Shroud.
Jesus’ crown of thorns and its meanings
Jesus’ crown of thorns is one of the most emblematic symbols of the Passion. Let’s find out why and what has happened to it over the…
But what are saint relics? The word “relic” derives from the Latin “reliquiae” and means remains. Thus, a relic can first and foremost be the body of a saint, or more often a part of it, preserved in some way and fractionated over the centuries. It is not uncommon to find fragments of a single saint’s body in churches scattered around the world. In the case of Christian relics, the concept of holiness also extends to anything that had direct contact with the saint in question, from their clothes or jewelry to the instruments used for their martyrdom. Additionally, over time, the custom of venerating so-called contact relics has spread. These are objects that had no direct contact with the saint but did with one of their relics, and somehow absorbed part of the saint’s holiness. If we consider the Holy Nails, for example, there are about 33 considered authentic worldwide, 16 in Italy alone, along with an unspecified number of copies made using filings from the original nails, whose sacred power was transmitted by assimilation.
In this article, we do not wish to dwell on the most famous relics, such as the already mentioned symbols of Jesus’ Passion, but rather on the most curious and fascinating relics of the saints.
Easter: 10 curiosities about the symbols of the Passion of Christ
The symbols of the Passion of Christ are an integral part of the Solemnity of Christian Easter…
Saint Apollonia, celebrated on February 9, is the patron saint of dentists, dental hygienists, and dental technicians. She lived in the 3rd century AD and, according to various traditions, was either an elderly unmarried woman who was a friend of Christians in Alexandria, Egypt, and herself engaged in apostolic work, or a young girl, as she is usually depicted in sacred iconography. In this same iconography, she is shown with a pair of pincers in her hand because during her martyrdom, all her teeth were pulled out. In the Church of Saint Apollonia in Rome, one of these teeth is still kept clamped between the pincers that extracted it.
We have already dedicated a specific article to the blood of Saint Januarius, which liquefies three times a year. Contained in two ampoules kept in the Cathedral of Naples, it belongs to Saint Januarius, who died during Diocletian’s persecutions along with his friends and companions in faith. Each year, on the Saturday before the first Sunday of May, September 19, and December 16, the blood in the ampoules, which the Bishop shakes in front of the gathered faithful, miraculously returns to its liquid state. The miracle of Saint Januarius is one of the most famous and awaited in Italy, a reference point for thousands of devotees in Naples and beyond.
Among the incorrupt bodies of saints, one of the most famous cases is that of Saint Catherine of Bologna, a nun belonging to the Poor Clares who died in 1463. Her intact body sits in the Church of Corpus Domini in Bologna, as if she had dozed off in a chair. The body was buried without a coffin, as was the custom of the Poor Clares, yet it has remained intact and is still visible today without any protection. Despite numerous attempts to find a scientific explanation for the phenomenon, it remains indefinable.
The story of the Holy House of the Madonna of Loreto is the foundation of the cult of the Madonna of Loreto. It is also the heart of the famous sanctuary, where the Lauretane Litanies of the Holy Rosary originated. Indeed, the sanctuary is built around the Holy House! But what is it? According to legend, the Holy House is where Mary of Nazareth was born, lived, and received the visit of the Archangel Gabriel. At one point, while infidels were ravaging the Holy Land, Angels decided to save the house by flying it to safety, ultimately choosing this location. Due to this picturesque story, the Madonna of Loreto is considered the patroness of aviators and those who travel by air.
On the hill of San Potito in Naples, since 1795, the Archconfraternity of Saint Joseph of the Opera of Dressing the Naked has preserved the staff of Saint Joseph. Arriving in Naples over two centuries ago, the staff is enclosed in a cedarwood case. It is believed to be the famous staff Joseph carried when he went to ask for Mary’s hand in marriage. All suitors carried a similar staff, but Joseph’s miraculously blossomed. Lost for centuries, the staff was found in England and brought back to Italy by Giuseppe Grimaldi, known as Nicolino, a famous Italian castrato singer in that country.
We all know the story of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, who baptized Him in the Jordan and prepared the world for His coming. We know he died at the behest of Salome, daughter of Herodias, princess of Judea, who asked for his head on a platter in exchange for a dance. Different traditions exist about what happened to his head. The head of Saint John is kept in the Church of San Silvestro in Capite in Rome. The mandible is in the Cathedral of San Lorenzo in Viterbo. However, the Cathedral of Amiens claims possession of the original head, as does the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. The platter that held the head is preserved in the Museum of the Treasure of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo in Genoa, along with part of the saint’s ashes. In the Siena Cathedral, there is one of his arms, a hand in Rapagnano, and the other hand in Montenegro. Many other places of worship hold fragments of bones, teeth, locks of hair, ashes, and even the blood of Saint John the Baptist. On the occasion of the beheading commemoration on August 29, these relics are displayed for the devotion of the faithful.
Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus with a kiss, condemning Him to death, is a well-known figure. However, little is known about what became of the 30 pieces of silver, the symbol of his betrayal—a paltry sum for the life of a man and friend, equivalent to about €3000 today! Before hanging himself, realizing what he had done, Judas returned the 30 pieces of silver to the Temple priests, who used them to buy the “Potter’s Field,” later called “Field of Blood,” in Aramaic Akeldama or Aceldama.
The true story of Judas Iscariot: known for betraying the Messiah
Judas’ name is linked to the sad story of the apostle who betrayed Jesus…
The relics of Saint Anthony of Padua, famous for his theological teachings and even more for his dedication to the poor and needy, are also spread across many different places of worship. Most of his remains are kept in the Chapel of the Ark in the Basilica dedicated to him in Padua. Devotees visit them daily, touching the marble of the altar where they are collected and praying to the saint for comfort and blessings. Other more delicate and particular relics of the saint are preserved in the chapel of relics: the tongue, which at the time of the transfer of the saint’s body to the new tomb was found still pink as if it were alive, the vocal cords, the chin, and a finger. Many other fragments and small parts of the saint’s body or objects belonging to him are in various churches in Italy and beyond. The friars of the Basilica of Padua organize an annual pilgrimage of the relics of Saint Anthony. Essentially, a friar from the basilica travels with a reliquary around Italy and the world, allowing the many distant devotees of Saint Anthony to worship him and feel closer to him.
In the cathedral of Catania, a large silver chest holds many relics of Saint Agatha, the city’s patron saint. A young Christian who died during the persecution of Decius, she endured a particularly brutal martyrdom, resisting until death, enduring every suffering to avoid renouncing her faith. Her relics had an adventurous history. Stolen by a Byzantine general who wanted to take them to Constantinople, they were partly recovered by two of his soldiers who returned them to the bishop of Catania. One of her breasts ended up in Gallipoli, while most of her remains were brought to the Cathedral of Catania, where they are still kept today in a precious silver bust and a large chest. Among them is also Saint Agatha’s veil, a veil that a woman would have laid on the burning coals to preserve the saint’s body from martyrdom.
For over 1600 years, two very particular relics have been preserved in the Basilica of Saint Anastasia on the Palatine Hill. They are the veil of the Madonna and a piece of Saint Joseph’s garment. It is said that Saint Jerome brought them to Rome after one of his apostolic trips to the Holy Land. Perhaps because they have been carefully guarded and rarely shown to the faithful, these relics have been very well preserved: the colours of the veil are still impressively vivid and bright.
Contents1 Madonna of Loreto in Italy2 Madonna of Czestochowa in Poland3 Madonna of the Pillar in Spain4 Madonna of Lourdes in France5 Madonna of Altötting in Germany6 Madonna of Fatima in Portugal7 Virgin of the Poor in Belgium8 Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil9 Our…
Contents1 Saint Roch of Montpellier2 The Story of Saint Roch and the Dog3 What Breed Was Saint Roch’s Dog? Why is Saint Roch depicted with a dog by his side? Read this article to discover the story of Saint Roch and the dog. A saint…
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On Holyart you will find a wide variety of sacred icons: Byzantine, Greek, Russian and Romanian icons. The tradition that unites all these works is the same: Orthodox iconography, an expression of spirituality and contemplation unique in its kind.
Sacred Icons: the ultimate guide
Sacred Icons. Only mentioning them evokes exotic and charming suggestions, a way to live religion that is far from the modern concept…
In particular, the trace of this spiritual tradition is still alive in ancient Russian icons. This type of icons is recognized and evaluated by experts; they are unique pieces that enclose a unique history: each icon was made by a monk according to the processes of iconographic tradition. All the Russian icons made approximately before 1920 in fact were produced according to a series of rules collected in manuals that have been lost.
This process involved several steps including sanding, mercury oil treatment, drying and application of gypsum layers. And the final phase: prayer and complete fasting by the monk during the creation of the icon. This path of spiritual art reached perfection with the realization of the discovered parts of the figure: face, hands, feet became thaumaturgic matter.
After 1920 the icons are no longer made with this same process, so the icons produced after this date are “only” sacred images. The Orthodox icons of the nineteenth century are therefore spiritual works different from any other religious representation.
In orthodox icons the author remains anonymous and takes second place: the protagonist of the work is always the sacred subject, the spiritual content. In some cases, it is spoken of acheropite icon: an icon not made by human hand but by direct divine origin. In the process of recognizing an icon, it is not so much the attribution of the artist as the identification of the period in which the icon was made and its authenticity.
Even knowing how to interpret an icon is not an obvious skill. The symbols and messages enclosed in the image, together with the specific history of the icon made, have a density of unique meaning. The power of the icon acts on another plane: it is said that the icon looks at you before being looked at. It represents the invisible world through a visible work and communicates the sense of the illusion of time and space: the figures are not inserted in realistic scenarios and the absence of perspective leaves the viewer immersed in contemplation. You never get tired of looking at an icon because the work is always alive.
The variety of images represented is infinite. There are different subjects: each icon has a story that opens a world of spirituality and faith. Icons of the Trinity, icons of the Holy Face or icons of the Twelve Great Feasts, typically Byzantine, are well known. However, among this variety of subjects, Marian iconography undoubtedly stands out for its central role. Famous are the icons of Our Lady of Vladimir, Our Lady of Kazan, and the Theotokos of Smolensk. The Virgin, often represented by the Child, is a recurring and emblematic subject.
This icon is an example of an ancient icon, dated to the nineteenth century. Mary is represented when she receives the announcement of the Angel. The golden details and the transcendent image make the viewer enter into the mystery of Mary’s call. The work comes from Russia and the technique used is that of egg tempera on wooden board. As an original Russian icon, it is certified by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage of Russia.
