November
2 Feast of All Souls:
PURGATORY - - CONFESSIONS FROM
THE SAINTSCommemorátio ómnium Fidélium Defunctórum. The Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed. Solemnity of All Souls Purgatory “God speaks to us every day by His creatures and by this universe which we behold. He speaks to us by His gospel, wherein He teaches us what we ought to do both for others and ourselves. What more can Marcian say that can be of use?” 387 St. Marcian Hermit and founder born in Cyrrhus; miracles Mary Mother of GOD 15 Promises of the Virgin Mary to those who recite the Rosary
Saints of this Day November
02 Quarto Nonas Novémbris
Et álibi aliórum plurimórum sanctórum Mártyrum et Confessórum, atque sanctárum Vírginum. And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins. Пресвятая Богородице спаси нас! (Santíssima Mãe de Deus, salva-nos!).
-- St. Peter
Eymard
Make a Novena
and pray the Rosary to Our Lady of Victory November 2 - Our Lady of Montligeon
(France, 1843) Our
Lady, deliverer of all mankind, Have mercy on all our dearly departed, Especially
those who are most In need of the Lord's mercy. Intercede for those
who have passed away So that the purifying love of God May lead them to full
deliverance. May our prayers, united with the prayers Of the whole
Church, Obtain for them a joy beyond all expectations, And bring consolation
and relief To our friends in sorrow and distress Here on earth. Mother of
the Church, On our journey towards life everlasting, As pilgrims here on
earth, Help us to live better lives each day...Heal the wounds of our hearts
and souls. Help us to become witnesses of the Invisible, To already
seek that which the eye cannot see. Make us apostles of Hope, Like watchmen
awaiting the dawn.
Refuge
of Sinners and Queen of All Saints, Gather us all together one day in the
Father's House, For the eternal Resurrection, Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen. Adapted
from http://www.sanctuaire-montligeon.com/en
PURGATORY - - CONFESSIONS
FROM THE SAINTS
“The Church,
to which Jesus Christ promised the presence of the Holy Ghost and which therefore
cannot be in error or mislead us, clearly teaches us the existence of Purgatory. It is then
certain that there exists a place where the souls of the just complete the
expiation of their sins before they are admitted to the joys of heaven.” From Writings
of Saint John Vianne Curé d'Ars.
“How right are they who say that the memory of the dead fades with the notes of the passing bell. Suffer, poor souls; in vain do you weep in the fire lit by God's justice. No one is listening to you, no one will bring you succor.” “Yet how quickly we could empty purgatory if we but really wished to.”
Sister
Faustina
(1905-1938) Feast Oct 05, was shown by Jesus Heaven, hell
and Purgatory, where she was to suffer one
day there. “God
is just in all that he does. When he rewards us for the smallest of our good
deeds, he does so far beyond anything that we could desire; a good thought,
a good wish--that is to say a wish to do good even if it cannot be carried
out--all are rewarded. But also when it is time for him to punish us
he does so with severity, and we will be thrown into purgatory for even the
smallest offense. We cannot doubt the truth of this, for we see in
the lives of the saints that several of them have gone to heaven only after
first passing through the flames of purgatory.”
“Saint Peter Damian
{(born 1007, Ravenna—died Feb. 22, 1072, Faenze; feast day February
21) Italian cardinal and Doctor of the Church.} tells that his
sister remained in purgatory several years for having once listened to a
dirty song with a certain amount of pleasure.”“The
story is told of two monks who promised
each other that the first one to die would return to tell the other what
had happened to him. One of them died and God allowed him to appear to his
friend. He told him that he had spent fifteen days in purgatory for having
been too fond of having his own way, and when his friend congratulated him
on having spent so short a time there, he replied: ‘I would rather have been
flayed alive for 10,000 years, for even that would have been nothing when
compared with the tortures that I endured in the flames.’”
“A priest told one of his friends that God had condemned him to several months in purgatory for having delayed the execution of a will which made provision for good works.”
Alas, my brothers, how many of us have just such a fault
on our consciences? How many are there who perhaps eight or ten years ago were charged by their parents or friends to give alms and have Masses said for them, but have done nothing? “But
perhaps some of you will tell me: ‘Our parents lived good lives, they were
upright people.’”
Yet how little it takes to be sent to those fires of purgatory!
Remember that Albert the Great {St Albert the Great--1207-1280 Feast day Nov 15}, whose virtue shone with such extraordinary brilliance, said about that. “One day he told one of his friends that God had sent him to purgatory for having felt just a little conceited about his learning. And what is even more astonishing is that some of the saints, even canonized ones, have been through purgatory.” “A long time after his death, Saint Severin, Archbishop of Cologne {420 St.
Severinus Bishop of BORDEAUX; distinguished himself by his zeal against
Arianism; Burdígalæ sancti Severíni, Epíscopi Coloniénsis et Confessóris. At Bordeaux, St. Severin, bishop of Cologne and confessor [Feast Day Oct 23}, appeared to a friend and told him that he had been in purgatory for having postponed until evening a prayer that he should have said in the morning.” “How many years in purgatory await those Christians who find it easy to postpone their prayers on the excuse that they have a lot of work to do! “If we sincerely desired the joy of possessing God we would avoid the little faults as well as the great ones, since separation from God is such a fearful torture for these poor souls.”
The Church has encouraged prayer for the dead from the earliest
times as an act of Christian charity. “If we had no care for the dead,” Augustine noted, “we would not be in the habit of praying for them.” Yet pre-Christian rites for the deceased kept such a strong hold on the superstitious imagination that a liturgical commemoration was not observed until the early Middle Ages, when monastic communities began to mark an annual day of prayer for departed members. In the middle of the 11th century, St. Odilo, abbot of Cluny (France), decreed that all
Cluniac monasteries offer special prayers and sing the Office for the Dead
on November 2, the day after the feast of All Saints. The custom spread from Cluny and finally adopted throughout the Roman Church. The theological underpinning of the feast is the acknowledgment of human frailty. Since few people achieve perfection in this life but, rather, go to the grave still scarred with traces of sinfulness, some period of purification seems necessary before a soul comes face-to-face with God.
THE COUNCIL OF TRENTSession XXV - which is the ninth and last under the Supreme Pontiff, Pius IV, begun the third and closed on the fourth day of December, 1563 affirmed this purgatory state insisted that prayers of the living can speed the process of purification. Decree Concerning Purgatory Since the
Catholic Church, instructed by the Holy Ghost, has, following the sacred
writings and the ancient tradition of the Fathers, taught in sacred councils
and very recently in this ecumenical council that there is a purgatory, and
that the souls there detained are aided by the suffrages of the faithful
and chiefly by the acceptable sacrifice of the altar, the holy council commands
the bishops that they strive diligently to the end that the sound doctrine
of purgatory, transmitted by the Fathers and sacred councils, be believed
and maintained by the faithful of Christ, and be everywhere taught and preached.
The more difficult and subtle questions, however, and those that do not make for edification and from which there is for the most part no increase in piety, are to be excluded from popular instructions to uneducated people. Likewise, things that are uncertain or that have the appearance of falsehood they shall not permit to be made known publicly and discussed. But those things that tend to a certain kind of curiosity or superstition, or that savor of filthy lucre, they shall prohibit as scandals and stumbling-blocks to the faithful. The bishops shall see to it that the suffrages of the living, that is, the sacrifice of the mass, prayers, alms and other works of piety which they have been accustomed to perform for the faithful departed, be piously and devoutly discharged in accordance with the laws of the Church, and that whatever is due on their behalf from testamentary bequests or other ways, be discharged by the priests and ministers of the Church and others who are bound to render this service not in a perfunctory manner, but diligently and accurately. Superstition still clung to the observance. Medieval popular belief held that the souls in purgatory could appear on this day in the form of witches, toads or will-o’-the-wisps. Graveside food offerings supposedly eased the rest of the dead. Observances of a more religious nature have survived. These include public processions or private visits to cemeteries and decorating graves with flowers and lights. This feast is observed with great fervor in Mexico. Whether or not one should pray for the dead is one of the great arguments which divide Christians. Appalled by the abuse of indulgences in the Church of his day, Martin Luther rejected the concept of purgatory. Yet prayer for a loved one is, for the believer, a way of erasing any distance, even death. In prayer we stand in God's presence in the company of someone we love, even if that person has gone before us into death. “We must not make purgatory into a flaming concentration camp on the brink of hell—or even a ‘hell for a short time.’ It is blasphemous to think of it as a place where a petty God exacts the last pound—or ounce—of flesh... St. Catherine of Genoa {Feast day September
15, mystic of the 15th century, wrote ‘fire’ of purgatory is God’s love ‘burning’
the soul so that, at last, the soul is wholly aflame. It is the pain
of wanting to be made totally worthy of One who is seen as infinitely lovable,
the pain of desire for union that is now absolutely assured, but not yet
fully tasted”
(Leonard Foley, O.F.M., Believing in Jesus). |
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Publius,
Victor, Hermas, & Papias Martyrs in northwest Africa 303 St. Justus of Trieste Martyr; devoted to penance and charity; Records at the cathedral in Trieste show that his relics were still there in 1040 and 1624 304 St. Victorinus of Pettau Bishop and martyr Originally a Greek 315 St. CarteriusMartyr with 9 other companions soldiers of Emperor Licinius Licinianus 334 St. Theodotus Bishop of Laodicea signature to Council of Nicaea 325 345 St. Acyndinus & Companions Persian Christian priests and clerical assistants martyred by King Shapur II 362 Saint Eustochium of Tarsus died in prison, while engaged in prayer
387 St. Marcian
Hermit and founder born in Cyrrhus; miracles; “God speaks to us
every day by His creatures and by this universe which we behold. He speaks
to us by His gospel, wherein He teaches us what we ought to do both for others
and ourselves. What more can Marcian say that can be of use?”
St. Maura
the Irish sister of St. Brigid Scottish princesses martyred by pagan
outlaws while pilgrimage to Rome523 Saint Ambrose abbot of Sainte Barbe, near Lyons 582 Saint Ambrose of the abbey of Agaune, Saint Moritz, Switzerland 699 Saint George Bishop of Vienne 10th v. Scottish Saint Baya instructed Saint Maura in the eremitical life 1045 St. Amicus Benedictine hermit priest esteemed in Monte Cassino 1340 St. Jorandus Benedictine hermit at Kergrist and Saint-Juhec in Pedernec 1430 Blessed Thomas of Walden King Henry V chose him as his confessor and died in his arms 1583 Bl. John Bodey English martyr and schoolmaster 1843 Our Lady of Montligeon France |
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“The
saints must be honored as friends of Christ and children and heirs of God,
as John the theologian and evangelist says: ‘But as many as received him,
he gave them the power to be made the sons of God....’ Let us carefully observe
the manner of life of all the apostles, martyrs, ascetics and just men who
announced the coming of the Lord. And let us emulate their faith, charity,
hope, zeal, life, patience under suffering, and perseverance unto death,
so that we may also share their crowns of glory” Exposition of the Orthodox
Faith
BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR FOR NOVEMBER Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for November is: “That victims of drugs or of other dependence may, thanks to the support of the Christian community, find in the power of our saving God strength for a radical life-change”. His mission intention is: “That the Churches of Latin America may move ahead with the continent-wide mission proposed by their bishops, making it part of the universal missionary task of the People of God”. Called in the Gospel “the Mother of Jesus,” Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as “the Mother of my Lord” (Lk 1:43; Jn 2:1; 19:25; cf. Mt 13:55; et al.). In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father's eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly “Mother of God” (Theotokos). Catechism of the Catholic Church 495, quoting the Council of Ephesus (431): DS 251.
The saints “a cloud of witnesses over our head”, showing us life of Christian perfection is possible. Patron_Saints.html THE PSALTER OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY PSALM 134 Praise the name of the Lord: bless the name of Mary, His Mother. Be diligent in prayer to Mary: and she will raise up for you eternal delights. Let us come to her in a contrite soul: and sinful cupidity will not besiege us. He who thinks of her in tranquillity of mind: shall find sweetness and the rest of peace. Let us breathe forth our souls to her in our end: and she will lay open to us the courts of them that triumph. Glory be to the Father. Glory be to the Father who created Heaven and earth; His only Son who lived and died for all of us; and the Holy Spirit the Lord giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father and Son, with the Father and Son He is Worshiped and Glorified, and He has spoken through the prophets: Amen. November 2 – All Souls’ Day - OUR LADY OF MONTLIGEON (France, 1884) Prayer to Our Lady of Montligeon Our Lady Liberatrix, have
mercy on all our dearly departed, especially those who are most in need of
the Lord's mercy. Intercede for those who have left us, so that
God’s purifying love may lead them to full deliverance. May our
prayers, united with the prayers of the whole Church, obtain for them a joy
beyond all their desires, and bring consolation and relief to our loved ones
in sorrow and distress here on earth.
Mother of the Church,
on our journey towards life everlasting, as pilgrims here on earth, help
us to live better lives each day. Heal the wounds of our hearts
and souls. Help us to become witnesses of the Invisible, and already seek
what the eye cannot see. Grant us the grace of living as apostles of
Hope, like watchmen awaiting the dawn.
Refuge of Sinners and
Queen of All Saints, gather us all together one day in the Father's House,
for the eternal Resurrection. Amen. Our Lady of Montligeon, pray for
our dearly departed. Adapted from: www.montligeon.org/-rubrique5-.html Join us on CatholicVote.org. Be part of a new movement committed to using powerful media projects to create a Culture of Life. We can help shape the movement and have a voice in its future. Check it out at www.CatholicVote.org THE EUCHARIST,
A MYSTERY TO BE BELIEVED POST-SYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
SACRAMENTUM CARITATIS OF THE HOLY FATHER BENEDICT XVI Morning
Prayer and Hymn Meditation
of the Day
Prayer
for Priests
The great psalm of the Passion, Chapter 22, whose first verse “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Jesus pronounced on the cross, ended with the vision: “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him. For kingship belongs to the LORD, the ruler over the nations. All who sleep in the earth will bow low before God; All who have gone down into the dust will kneel in homage. And I will live for the LORD; my descendants will serve you. The generation to come will be told of the Lord, that they may proclaim to a people yet unborn the deliverance you have brought.” Saint Frances Xavier Seelos Practical Guide to Holiness 1. Go to Mass with deepest devotion. 2. Spend a half hour to reflect upon your main failing & make resolutions to avoid it. 3. Do daily spiritual reading for at least 15 minutes, if a half hour is not possible. 4. Say the rosary every day. 5. Also daily, if at all possible, visit the Blessed Sacrament; and toward evening, meditate on the Passion of Christ for a half hour, 6. Conclude the day with evening prayer & an examination of conscience over all the faults & sins of the day. 7. Every month make a review of the month in confession. 8. Choose a special patron every month & imitate that patron in some special virtue. 9. Precede every great feast with a novena that is nine days of devotion. 10. Try to begin & end every activity with a Hail Mary breviary.net/martyrology/mart10/mart1102 stlukeorthodox.com/html/saints/august/ usccb.org ewtn.com Irondequoit .org Saints Alive domcentral.org/life/martyrSeptember syriac oca.org glaubenszeugen.de/tage/September/ Serbian http://www.copticchurch.net Melkite Monthly Saints with pics here http://www.stfrancisenid.com/memorials.htm One Saint per day stthomasirondequoit.com/SaintsAlive/index.htm stjohndc.org God's Humourous Saints |
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God loves variety. He doesn't mass-produce his saints. Every
saint is unique, for each is the result of a new idea. As the liturgy
says: Non est inventus similis illis--there are no two exactly alike. It
is we with our lack of imagination, who paint the same haloes on all the saints.
Dear Lord, grant us a spirit
that is not bound by our own ideas and preferences. Grant that we may
be able to appreciate in others what we lack in ourselves. O Lord,
grant that we may understand that every saint must be a unique praise of
Your glory. Catholic saints are holy people and human people
who lived extraordinary lives. Each saint the Church honors
responded to God's invitation to use his or her unique gifts.
God calls each one of us to be a saint in order to get into heaven:
only saints
are allowed into heaven. The more "extravagant" graces are bestowed
NOT for the benefit of the recipients so much as FOR the benefit of others.
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| DAY 41 534 babies -- and their moms -- spared from abortion Dear Readers, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." -- Matthew 19:26 I've known about this for the past few weeks, but now I can finally share the HUGE NEWS! The director of the Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Bryan/College Station, Texas -- where 40 Days for Life first began -- has resigned her job, experienced a profound conversion, and joined our pro-life efforts. AMAZING! Here's what happened ... Abby Johnson worked at Planned Parenthood in Bryan, Texas for eight years. She was there when the first-ever 40 Days for Life campaign was conducted outside of her workplace in the Bryan/College Station community in 2004. She was there for the next 40 Days for Life effort as well -- the one that helped to launch the first nationally coordinated 40 Days for Life campaign in the fall of 2007. And she was there for the one after that, and the one after that, and the one after that -- and the one after that! In fact, Abby was able to look out the window of Planned Parenthood and see 40 Days for Life campaigns on six different occasions -- as well as the regular year-round prayer presence organized by the local Coalition for Life, under the leadership of our own 40 Days for Life campaign director Shawn Carney. For all those years, people outside the clinic prayed for Abby. And with all those prayers, Abby finally had a change of heart. She said, "Over the past few months I had seen a change in motivation regarding the financial impact of abortions," she said, "and I reached my breaking point after witnessing a particular kind of abortion on an ultrasound." She quit her job and went across the street to the headquarters of the Coalition for Life where Shawn has been helping her over these last few weeks. Fox News just reported on Abby's conversion, stating: Abby Johnson, 29, used to escort women from their cars to the clinic in the eight years she volunteered and worked for Planned Parenthood in Bryan, Texas. But she says she knew it was time to leave after she watched a fetus "crumple" as it was vacuumed out of a patient's uterus in September. "When I was working at Planned Parenthood I was extremely pro-choice," Johnson told FoxNews.com. But after seeing the internal workings of the procedure for the first time on an ultrasound monitor, "I would say there was a definite conversion in my heart ... a spiritual conversion." Johnson said she became disillusioned with her job after her bosses pressured her for months to increase profits by performing more and more abortions, which cost patients between $505 and $695. "Every meeting that we had was, 'We don't have enough money, we don't have enough money — we've got to keep these abortions coming,'" Johnson told FoxNews.com. "It's a very lucrative business and that's why they want to increase numbers." Read the whole story (and see Shawn with Abby) at: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,571215,00.html Abby finally saw the truth. The truth which Planned Parenthood often tries to hide -- even from its very own management staff. She left on good terms, and says that Planned Parenthood tried to offer her more money to stay. "But this was not about money or me being angry," she said. "It was about my change of heart on abortion." Planned Parenthood has responded by going to court to seek a restraining order against both Abby and the Coalition for Life. The requested court action warns against disclosing any "confidential information." An initial court hearing is set for November 10, so please keep Abby, Shawn, and the Coalition for Life in your prayers. Seeing is believing, and you have to see this video report aired by KBTX-TV in Bryan/College Station: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=502 Abby's amazing conversion demonstrates the importance of a constant, persistent, peaceful prayer presence in front of abortion facilities. >From that first campaign in 2004, we've prayed for Abby -- and for all abortion workers -- that they would come to see what abortion really is, and that they would leave the deadly business. In this case, those prayers have been answered. We are so proud of Abby's courage to leave the abortion industry and publicly announce her reasons for leaving. And now a familiar face has been seen praying outside Planned Parenthood in Bryan/College Station during the final days of this fall's 40 Days for Life -- yes, Abby Johnson. God can and will do amazing things -- if only we ask! We must continue to pray and fast for more conversions just like Abby's. In fact, we WILL continue. In the days ahead, you'll learn how -- together -- we will keep this amazing momentum growing. In all, eight clinic workers left their jobs during the 40 Days for Life campaign that just ended -- and reports are still pouring in from across the 212 participating cities, so it could be even more! I have another updated total for you as well. The number of babies (and their moms) spared from abortion during this campaign is now up to ...542! Praise God for ALL these miracles! For Life, David Bereit National Director 40 Days for Life P.S.- Please keep Abby in your prayers this week. She goes on the Laura Ingraham radio show to tell her story in a few hours, and is scheduled to be on the O'Reilly Factor on Friday. May God use her testimony to change many hearts and minds! P.P.S.- Want to share words of encouragement or prayers for Abby? Leave a reply on today's blog post and we'll make sure Abby sees your comments: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=502 40 Days for Life 3515-B Longmire #316 College Station, TX 77845 US To update your contact information: http://autocontactor.com/app/r.asp?c=1&ID=1048322280&D= Dear Readers, It's now the day after the end of the fall 40 Days for Life campaign. Go ahead and take a deep breath -- you need it! It's important to re-charge after 40 intense days of prayer, fasting, vigil and outreach. But you know what? Your efforts are working. So after you catch your breath, please don't stop! All the reports are still coming in, but as of now we know of at least ...... 534 babies -- and their moms -- spared from abortion during this fall's campaign! The credit belongs to God -- and YOU! A report from Houston, Texas shows just how much the abortion industry hates it when there are people on the sidewalk praying and offering real alternatives to women. There's a pro-life pregnancy resource center around the corner from the Planned Parenthood facility where the Houston 40 Days for Life vigil was conducted. A counselor met two women outside the abortion facility recently -- and convinced them to go to the pro-life center rather than entering Planned Parenthood. The clinic escorts were furious. The head escort told the women that if they didn't move their cars out of the Planned Parenthood parking lot, she would have them towed. Our Houston team reports, "The chances of these two women ever returning to Planned Parenthood are probably pretty slim based on the behavior of the escort. It is great when people are able to witness for themselves some of Planned Parenthood's true colors." Planned Parenthood wasn't the only one whose true colors were on display this fall. YOUR true colors also shined brightly for all to see! And we have pictures that tell the story. Here's a photo taken outside of Planned Parenthood in Phoenix, Arizona. The building's on a corner, so the 40 Days for Life vigil was able to almost surround the place with prayer. Check it out at: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=496 St. Cloud, Minnesota conducted its first 40 Days for Life campaign this fall. Here's where you can see a picture of a faithful group praying outside Planned Parenthood (photo courtesy of Sue Schulzetenberg of The Visitor, the Catholic newspaper in St. Cloud): http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=496 Also along for their first 40 Days for Life campaign this fall was the team in Kitchener, Ontario -- where it started getting chilly as the days got shorter: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=496 "We continue to be a small group, but we are strong and do our best to be a witness to those who come to Planned Parenthood," said Michelle in Lufkin, Texas. "We are confident that our prayers change lives even when we do not know the outcome. We will continue to pray in front of Planned Parenthood throughout the year." Here's where you can view a picture of Lufkin's 40 Days for Life vigil: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=496 Sandy in Toms River, New Jersey tells a story that sums up 40 Days for Life and explains why your presence at the abortion facility for 40 days -- and beyond -- makes such an important difference. A woman stopped her car at the vigil and told two volunteers that what they were doing is not in vain. "My daughter was impressed that you are out here in the rain and cold and asked why," the woman explained. "We had a good talk about standing up for what you believe in and what abortion means. A few days later my 16 year old told me she is pregnant and wants to have the baby. I know that seeing you all helped her to make the right decision, so thank you for being here!" The woman asked for prayers for her daughter. She also asked that her story be shared with other volunteers. "We won't even know until we meet the Lord how many more lives we have touched because of the continual presence at the abortion clinic during these 40 Days for Life," Sandy added. "What enormous graces we have received!" Over the coming days, I'll have more stories to share from the conclusion of this 40 Days for Life -- and I'll be sharing other ways you can speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves. Thanks again for all you've done, and may God bless you richly for having answered His call. Here's today's "bonus" devotional from Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life and President of the National Pro-life Religious Council... DAY 41 INTENTION Pray that the witness of 40 Days for Life bears abundant fruit, and that we begin again each day to storm the gates of hell until God welcomes us into the gates of heaven. SCRIPTURE On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.-- Matthew 16:18 REFLECTION by Fr. Frank Pavone When we read this verse, we usually think that the Lord is promising that the church, which is His Body, will withstand all the attacks launched against it. Of course, that is true. But when we think about it more carefully, we realize that in a battle, the gates do not run out into the battlefield to attack the enemy. Rather, they stand still to defend the city from the enemy attacking it. So when the Lord says that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church, who is doing the attacking? It is the church storming the gates! The church, all of God's people in Christ, is called to take the offensive, to run into enemy territory, and to gain ground for Jesus Christ. We do not wait for an invitation; we already have a command. We prepare, but we do not wait for circumstances to be perfect; we already have one who has gone before us. During these 40 days, we have stormed the gates. We have taken the offensive. We have pushed forward the boundaries of the kingdom. And we must keep doing so, in numerous ways. Indeed, the gates of hell will not prevail. The gates of falsehood will flee in the presence of truth. The gates of sin will melt in the presence of grace. The gates of death will fall in the presence of the church, the People of Life! PRAYER Father, we praise you. We have heard the voice of your Son, and therefore we can make our voices heard. We have done battle with the power of evil, and therefore we can have compassion on those still within its grip. We have been freed from the kingdom of darkness, and therefore we can bear witness to your Kingdom of Light. May the witness of all your people through these 40 Days for Life bear abundant fruit, and may we begin again each day to storm the gates of hell until You welcome us into the gates of heaven. We pray in the victorious name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL To download today's devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2009day41print.pdf For Life, David Bereit National Director 40 Days for Life P.S.- In a few hours, I'll be sending you a VERY important e-mail message with an urgent action alert. Please be on the lookout for it! 40 Days for Life 3515-B Longmire #316 College Station, TX 77845 US To update your contact information: http://autocontactor.com/app/r.asp?c=1&ID=1048322280&D= |
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God calls each one of us to be a saint in order to get into heaven. Benedict_XVI_Patriarch_Bartholomew
BenedictXVI_Archbishop_Hilarion
Benedict XVI receives
Orthodox Archbishop Hilarion n September 18th, Pope Benedict XVI; Archbishop
Hilarion, president of the Department for External Church Affairs of the
Patriarchate of Moscow.The Orthodox Archbishop is currently visiting the Vatican at the invitation of Cardinal Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. This Pontifical Council underlined that the visit will confirm the ties of friendship between the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, with a view to closer collaboration and to favor the presence of the Church in the lives of the peoples of Europe and the world. In addition, a further step in ecumenical relations is scheduled for the month of October in Cyprus: the meeting of the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, which will address the theme of Petrine Primacy. Cross Not Optional, Says Benedict XVI Reflects on Peter's "Immature" Faith CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, AUG. 31, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Taking up one's cross isn't an option, it's a mission all Christians are called to, says Benedict XVI. The Pope said this today before reciting the midday Angelus with several thousand people gathered in the courtyard of the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome. Referring to the Gospel reading for today's Mass, the Holy Father reflected on the faith of Peter, which is shown to be "still immature and too much influenced by the 'mentality of this world.'” He explained that when Christ spoke openly about how he was to "suffer much, be killed and rise again, Peter protests, saying: 'God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.'" "It is evident that the Master and the disciple follow two opposed ways of thinking," continued the Pontiff. "Peter, according to a human logic, is convinced that God would never allow his Son to end his mission dying on the cross. "Jesus, on the contrary, knows that the Father, in his great love for men, sent him to give his life for them, and if this means the passion and the cross, it is right that such should happen." Christ also knew that "the resurrection
would be the last word," Benedict XVI added.
Serious illnessThe Pope continued, "If to save us the Son of God had to suffer and die crucified, it certainly was not because of a cruel design of the heavenly Father. "The cause of it is the gravity of the sickness of which he must cure us: an evil so serious and deadly that it will require all of his blood. "In fact, it is with his death
and resurrection that Jesus defeated sin and death, reestablishing the lordship
of God."
Quote: Pope Paul VI’s 1969 Instruction
on the Contemplative Life includes this passage: "To
withdraw into the desert is for Christians tantamount to associating themselves
more intimately with Christ’s passion, and it enables them, in a very special
way, to share in the paschal mystery and in the passage of Our Lord from
this world to the heavenly homeland" (#1).
Benedict_XVI_Patriarch_Bartholomew
I "Christianity
is not a moral code or a philosophy,
"Evil, is only eradicated by holiness, not by
harshness. And holiness introduces into society a seed that heals and transforms.
It is like the tectonic plates of the earth’s crust: The deepest layers need
only shift a few millimeters to shatter the world’s surface. Yet for this
spiritual revolution to occur, we must experience radical 'metanoia'--a conversion
of attitudes, habits and practices--for ways that we have misused or abused
God’s Word, God’s gifts and God’s creation. The challenge before us is the
discernment of God’s Word in the face of evil, the transfiguration of every
last detail and speck of this world in the light of Resurrection." "The victory is al ready present in the depths
of the Church, whenever we experience the grace of reconciliation and communion."
but an encounter with a person" -- Benedict XVI Patriarch_Bartholomew I: SYNOD
OF BISHOPS VATICAN CITY, OCT. 17, 2008
"The answers
to many of life's questions can be found by reading the Lives of the Saints.
They teach us how to overcome obstacles and difficulties,how to stand firm in our faith, and how to struggle against evil and emerge victorious." God calls each one of us to be a saint in order to get into heaven. The more "extravagant" graces are bestowed NOT for the benefit of the recipients so much as FOR the benefit of others. Non est inventus similis illis |
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| His Holiness Aram I, current
(2008) Catholicos of Cilicia of Armenians,
whose See is located in Lebanese town of Antelias. The Catholicosate was founded in Sis, capital of Cilicia, in the year 1441 following the move of the Catholicosate of All Armenians back to its original See of Etchmiadzin in Armenia. The Catholicosate of Cilicia enjoyed local jurisdiction, though spiritually subject to the authority of Etchmiadzin. In 1921 the See was transferred to Aleppo in Syria, and in 1930 to Antelias. Its jurisdiction currently extends
to Syria, Cyprus, Iran and Greece.
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Christian priests from Edessa
evangelized Eastern Mesopotamia and Persia, established the first Churches
in the kingdom of the Sassanides. Atillâtiâ,
Bishop of Edessa, assisted at the Council of Nicæa (325). The
"Peregrinatio Silviæ" (or Etheriæ) (ed. Gamurrini, Rome, 1887,
62 sqq.) gives an account of the many sanctuaries at Edessa about 388.
Although Hebrew had been the
language of the ancient Israelite kingdom, after their return from Exile
the Jews turned more and more to Aramaic, using it for parts of the books
of Ezra and Daniel in the Bible. By the time of Jesus, Aramaic was the main language of
Palestine, and quite a number of texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls are also
written in Aramaic. Aramaic
continued to be an important language for Jews, alongside Hebrew,
and parts of the Talmud are written in it. After Arab conquests
of the seventh century, Arabic quickly replaced Aramaic as the main language
of those who converted to Islam, although in out of the way places, Aramaic
continued as a vernacular language of Muslims. Aramaic, however, enjoyed its greatest
success in Christianity. Although the New Testament wins written
in Greek, Christianity had come into existence in an Aramaic-speaking milieu,
and it was the Aramaic dialect of Edessa, now known as Syriac, that became
the literary language of a large number of Christians living in the eastern
provinces of the Roman Empire and in the Persian Empire, further east. Over
the course of the centuries the influence of the Syriac Churches spread eastwards
to China (in Xian, in western China, a Chinese-Syriac
inscription dated 781 is still to be seen), to southern India where
the state of Kerala can boast more Christians of Syriac liturgical tradition
than anywhere else in the world.
Aramaic dialect of Edessa, now known as Syriac:
The exact date of the introduction of Christianity
into Edessa {Armenian Ourhaï in Arabic
Er Roha, commonly Orfa or Urfa, its present name} is not known. It
is certain, however, that the Christian community was at first made up from
the Jewish population of the city. According to an ancient legend, King Abgar
V, Ushana, was converted by Addai, who was one of the seventy-two disciples.
In fact, however, the first King of Edessa to embrace the Christian Faith
was Abgar IX (c. 206) becoming official kingdom religion.Christian
council held at Edessa early as 197
(Eusebius, Hist. Eccl., V,xxiii). In 201 the city was devastated
by a great flood, and the Christian church was destroyed ("Chronicon Edessenum",
ad. an. 201). In 232 the relics of the Apostle St. Thomas were brought from India,
on which occasion his Syriac Acts were written. Under Roman domination
martyrs suffered at Edessa: Sts. Scharbîl and Barsamya, under Decius;
Sts. Gûrja, Schâmôna, Habib, and others under Diocletian.
680 Shiite saint Imam Hussein, grandson of Islam's Prophet Muhammad Known as Ashoura and observed by Shiites across the world, the 10th day of the lunar Muslim month of Muharram: the anniversary of the 7th century death in battle of one of Shiite Islam's most beloved saints. Imam Hussein died in the 680 A.D. battle fought on the plains outside Karbala, a city in modern Iraq that's home to the saint's shrine. The battle over a dispute about the leadership of the Muslim faith following Muhammad's death in 632 A.D. It is the defining event in Islam's split into Sunni and Shiite branches. The occasion is the source of an enduring moral lesson. "He sacrificed his blood to teach us not to give in to corruption, coercion, or use of force and to seek honor and justice." According to Shiite beliefs, Hussein and companions were denied water by enemies who controlled the nearby Euphrates. Streets get partially covered with blood from slaughter of hundreds of cows and sheep. Volunteers cook the meat and feed it to the poor. Hussein's martyrdom recounted through a rich body of prose, poetry and song remains an inspirational example of sacrifice to many Shiites, 10 percent of the world's estimated 1.3 billion Muslims. |
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Meeting of the Saints walis (saints of Allah)Great men covet to embrace martyrdom
for a cause and principle.
So was the case with Hazrat
Ali. He could have made a compromise with the evil forces of his time and,
as a result, could have led a very comfortable,
easy and luxurious life. But he was not a person who would succumb to such
temptations. His upbringing, his education and his training in the lap of
the holy Prophet made him refuse such an offer.
Rabia Al-Basri (717–801 C.E.) She was first to set forth the doctrine of mystical love and who is widely considered to be the most important of the early Sufi poets. An elderly Shia pointed out that during his pre-Partition childhood it was quite common to find pictures and portraits of Shia icons in Imambaras across the country. Shia Ali al-Hadi, died 868 and son Hassan al-Askari 874. These saints are the 10th and 11th of Shia's 12 most revered Imams. Baba Farid Sufi 1398 miracle, Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki renowned Muslim Sufi saint scholar miracles 569 A.H. [1173 C.E.] hermit gave to poor, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti greatest mystic of his time born 533 Hijri (1138-39 A.D.) , Hazrat Ghuas-e Azam, Hazrat Bu Ali Sharif, and Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia 1236-1325 welcomed people of all faiths & all walks of life Sufi Saint Hazrath Khwaja Syed Mohammed Badshah Quadri Chisty Yamani Quadeer (RA) |
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To Save
A Life is Earthly; Saving A Soul is Eternal Donation
by mail, please send check or money order to:Support Catholic Television Network Supported entirely by donations from viewers help spread the Eternal Word, online Here Mother Angelica saving souls is this beautiful womans journey
Shrine_of_The_Most_Blessed_Sacrament
Colombia was
among the countries Mother Angelica
visited. In Bogotá, a Salesian priest - Father Juan Pablo Rodriguez
brought Mother and the nuns to the Sanctuary of the Divine Infant Jesus to attend Mass.
After Mass, Father Juan Pablo took them into a small Shrine which housed
the miraculous statue of the Child Jesus. Mother Angelica stood praying at
the side of the statue when suddenly the miraculous image came alive and
turned towards her. Then the Child Jesus spoke with the voice of a
young boy: Thus began a great adventure that would eventually result in the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, a Temple dedicated to the Divine Child Jesus, a place of refuge for all. Use this link to read a remarkable story about Father Reardon, Editor of The Catholic Bulletin for 20 years
Lover of the poor; "A very Holy Man of God"
Monsignor
Reardon P.A.
BASILICA OF SAINT MARY Minneapolis
MN
America's First Basilica
Largest Nave in the World
August 7, 1907-ground broke for the foundation
by Archbishop Ireland-laying cornerstone 5/31/1908Brief History of our Beloved Holy Priest Here and his published books of Catholic History in North America Reardon, J.M. Archbishop Ireland; Prelate, Patriot, Publicist,1838-1918. A Memoir (St. Paul; 1919); George Anthony Belcourt Pioneer Catholic Missionary of the Northwest 1803-1874 (1955); The Catholic Church IN THE DIOCESE OF ST. PAUL from earliest origin to centennial achievement 1362-1950 (1952); The Church of Saint Mary of Saint Paul 1875-1922; (1932) The Vikings in the American Heartland; The Catholic Total Abstinence Society in Minnesota; James Michael Reardon
B. 1872, Nova Scotia; Priest, ordained by Bishop
Ireland;
Member St. Paul Seminary
faculty
Sanctuary spaces filled between with grilles of hand-forged wrought iron Life of our Blessed Lady After the Crucifixon Apostle statues Replicas of those in St John Lateran--Christendom's
earliest Basilica. Ordered by Rome's first Christian Emperor, Constantine
the Great. It became the Popes' own cathedral and official residence
for the first millennium of Christian history. The only replicas ever made: in order from
west to east {1932}. Saints Simon (saw), Bartholomew (knife),
James the Lesser (book), John (eagle), Andrew (transverse cross), Peter
(keys), Paul (sword), James the Greater (staff),
Thomas (carpenter's square), Philip (serpent), Matthew (book), and Jude (sword). Every Christian
must be a living book
wherein one can read the teaching of the gospel
It Makes No Sense Not To Believe In GOD |
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The 15 Promises of the Virgin Mary to those who recite
the Rosary ) Revealed to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan)
1. Whoever shall
faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal
graces. 2. I promise my special protection and the greatest
graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary. 3. The
Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease
sin, and defeat heresies. 4. It will cause virtue and good
works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it
will withdraw the hearts of people from the love of the world and its vanities,
and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that soul would
sanctify them by this means. 5. The soul that recommends
itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish. 6.
Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying themselves to the consideration
of its Sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God
will not chastise them in His justice, they shall not perish by an unprovided
death; if they be just, they shall remain in the grace of God, and become
worthy of eternal life. 7. Whoever shall have a true devotion
for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church. 8.
Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life
and at their death the light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at
the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the Saints in
Paradise. 9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have
been devoted to the Rosary. 10. The faithful children of
the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven. 11.
You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary. 12.
I shall aid all those who propagate the Holy Rosary in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates
of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during
their life and at the hour of death. 14. All who recite
the Rosary are my children, and brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus
Christ. 15. Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
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By Father
John Corapi, SOLT
THE BLESSED MOTHER AND ISLAM
Among the most important titles we
have in the Catholic Church for the Blessed Virgin Mary are Our Lady of Victory
and Our Lady of the Rosary. These titles can be traced back to one of the
most decisive times in the history of the world and Christendom. The Battle
of Lepanto took place on October 7 (date of feast of Our Lady of Rosary),
1571. This proved to be the most crucial battle for the Christian forces
against the radical Muslim navy of Turkey. Pope Pius V led a procession around
St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City praying the Rosary. He showed true pastoral
leadership in recognizing the danger posed to Christendom by the radical
Muslim forces, and in using the means necessary to defeat it. Spiritual battles
require spiritual weapons, and this more than anything was a battle that
had its origins in the spiritual order—a true battle between good and evil.Today we have a similar spiritual battle in progress—a battle between the forces of good and evil, light and darkness, truth and lies, life and death. If we do not soon stop the genocide of abortion in the United States, we shall run the course of all those that prove by their actions that they are enemies of God—total collapse, economic, social, and national. The moral demise of a nation results in the ultimate demise of a nation. God is not a disinterested spectator to the affairs of man. Life begins at conception. This is an unalterable formal teaching of the Catholic Church. If you do not accept this you are a heretic in plain English. A single abortion is homicide. The more than 48,000,000 abortions since Roe v. Wade in the United States constitute genocide by definition. The group singled out for death—unwanted, unborn children. No other issue, not all other issues taken together, can constitute a proportionate reason for voting for candidates that intend to preserve and defend this holocaust of innocent human life that is abortion. As we watch the spectacle of the world seeming
to self-destruct before our eyes, we can’t help but be saddened and even
frightened by so much evil run rampant. Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Somalia,
North Korea—It is all a disaster of epic proportions displayed in living
color on our television screens. These are not ordinary times and this is not
business as usual. We are at a crossroads in human history and the time for
Catholics and all Christians to act is now. All evil can ultimately be traced
to its origin, which is moral evil. All of the political action, peace talks,
international peacekeeping forces, etc. will avail nothing if the underlying
sickness is not addressed. This is sin. One person at a time hearts and minds
must be moved from evil to good, from lies to truth, from violence to peace.
Islam, an Arabic word that has often been defined
as “to make peace,” seems like a living contradiction today. Although it
is supposed to be a religion of peace, Islam has been hijacked by Satan and
now operates in the dark space of international terrorism. As we celebrate the birthday of Our Lady, I
am proposing that each one of us pray the Rosary for peace. Prayer is what
must precede all other activity if that activity is to have any chance of
success. Pray for peace, pray the Rosary every day without fail. There is a great love for Mary among Muslim
people. It is not a coincidence that a little village named Fatima is where
God chose to have His Mother appear in the twentieth century. Our Lady’s
name appears no less than thirty times in the Koran. No other woman’s name
is mentioned, not even that of Mohammed’s daughter, Fatima.
In the
Koran Our Lady is described as “Virgin, ever Virgin.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen prophetically spoke
of the resurgence of Islam in our day. He said it would be through the Blessed
Virgin Mary that Islam would be converted. We must pray for this to happen
quickly if we are to avert a horrible time of suffering for this poor, sinful
world. Turn to our Mother in this
time of great peril. Pray the Rosary every day. Then, and only then will
there be peace, when the hearts and minds of men are changed from the inside.
Talk
is weak. Prayer is strong. Pray! God bless you, A
New Series by Fr. Corapi! The Moon Under Her Feet CD-Audio
Set: $39.00 DVD-Video Set: $45.00
call 1-888-800-7084 or go
to Site http://www.fathercorapi.com
The
four titles are: 1. The Real
War We Fight 2. The Battle for
Hearts & Minds 3. Leadership:
Essential for Victory 4. With the
Moon Under Her FeetIn this four part series Father John Corapi goes to the heart of the contemporary world's many woes and wars, whether the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia, or the Congo, or the natural disasters that seem to be increasing every year, the moral and spiritual war is at the basis of everything. "Our battle is not against human forces," St. Paul asserts, "but against principalities and powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness..." (Ephesians 6:12). The "War to end all wars" is the moral and spiritual combat that rages in the hearts and minds of human beings. The outcome of that unseen fight largely determines how the battle in the realm of the seen unfolds. The title talk, "With the Moon Under Her Feet," is taken from the twelfth chapter of the Book of Revelation, and deals with the current threat to the world from radical Islam, and the Blessed Virgin Mary's role in the ultimate victory that will result in the conversion of Islam. Few Catholics are aware of the connection between Islam, Fatima, and Guadalupe. Presented in Father Corapi's straight-forward style, you will be both inspired and educated by this four part series on topics more timely than ever. March 26, 2011 DeKalb, IL - Father Corapi Live in DeKalb, IL More information, tickets, hotel reservations, etc, can be found online by clicking here. MAIN EVENT: Saturday March 26, 2011 Fr. John Corapi Live! - All Day Conference 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Featuring four teachings by Fr. John Corapi 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Holy Sacrifice of the Mass Celebrated by Bishop Thomas Doran and concelebrated by Fr. John Corapi (Meets Sunday obligation) Limited Seating!! Get Your Tickets Early!! Click HERE to buy tickets OR GET VIP TICKETS...CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW About Father John Corapi, S.O.L.T. Father Corapi is a perpetually
professed priest member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity:
S.O.L.T.
The pillars of father's preaching
are basically:
Love for and a relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary
Leading a vibrant and loving relationship with Jesus Christ Great love and reverence for the Most Holy Eucharist from Holy Mass to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament An uncompromising love for and obedience to the Holy Father and the teaching of the Magisterium of the Church
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DECREES OF THE CONGREGATION FOR
THE CAUSES OF SAINTS
VATICAN CITY, 17 JAN 2009 (VIS) - Today, during a private audience
with Archbishop Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the
Causes of Saints, the Pope authorised the congregation to promulgate the
following decrees:All Servants of God
MIRACLES: - 1909 Ciriaco Maria Sancha y Hervas, Spanish cardinal archbishop of Toledo, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Cardinal Sancha (1833-1909). - 1956 Carlo Gnocchi, Italian diocesan priest and founder of the "Pro Juventute" Foundation (1902-1956). - 1735 Bernardo Francisco de Hoyos, Spanish professed priest of the Company of Jesus (1711-1735). - 1919 Raphael Rafiringa (ne Louis), Madagascan professed religious of the Institute of Brothers of Christian Schools (1856-1919). - 1946 Eustachio Kugler, (ne Joseph), German professed religious of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God (1867-1946). HEROIC VIRTUES - 1659 Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, Spanish bishop of Osma (1600-1659). - 1888 Robert Spiske, diocesan priest and founder of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Hedwig (1821-1888). - 1932 Carolina Beltrami, Italian foundress of the Institute of "Immaculatine" Sisters of Alessandria (1869-1932). - 1998 Mary of the Immaculate e Conception Salvat y Romerio (nee Maria Isabella), Spanish superior general of the Institute of Sisters of the Company of the Cross (1926-1998). - 1842 Liberata Ferrarons y Vives, Spanish laywoman of the Third Order of Carmelites (1803-1842). In the course of a private audience with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. on 22 December 2008, the Pope authorised the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate a decree regarding the heroic virtues of 1871 Jose Tous y Soler, Servant of God Spanish professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchins and founder of the Capuchin sisters of the Mother of the Divine Shepherd (1811-1871). CSS/DECREES/AMATO VIS 090119 (320)
RITES OF BEATIFICATION APPROVED BY THE
HOLY FATHER VATICAN CITY, 8 SEP 2009 (VIS)
The Office of Liturgical Celebrations
of the Supreme Pontiff today announced that the following rites of beatification,
- Servant of God Eustachio Kugler (ne Joseph), German professed
religious of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God: at 2 p.m. on Sunday
4 October in the cathedral of Regensburg, Germany.approved by the Holy Father, will take place over the coming months: - Servant of God Ciriaco Maria Sancha y Hervas, Spanish cardinal and archbishop, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Cardinal Sancha, at 10 a.m. on Sunday 18 October in the cathedral of Toledo, Spain. - Servant of God Carlo Gnocchi, Italian diocesan priest and founder of the "Pro Juventute" Foundation: at 10 a.m. on Sunday 25 October in the Piazza del Duomo in Milan, Italy. - Servant of God Zoltan Lajos Meszlenyi, Hungarian bishop and martyr: at 10.30 a.m. on Saturday 31 October in the cathedral of Esztergom, Hungary. - Servant of God Maria Alfonsina Danil Ghattas (nee Soultaneh Maria), co-foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of Jerusalem: at 10.30 a.m. on Sunday 22 November, Solemnity of Christ the King, in the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, Israel. OCL/BEATIFICATIONS/... VIS 090908 (220) Holy Land Christians Welcome Beatification Maria Alfonsina Danil Ghattas to Be Named Blessed in Nazareth JERUSALEM, SEPT. 10, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Holy Land Christians are rejoicing over the forthcoming beatification, the first to take place in their country, of Maria Alfonsina Danil Ghattas, which is planned for Nov. 22 in Nazareth. Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custos of the Holy Land, affirmed this Wednesday, the day after the Holy See publicized the place and date of the beatification. The Vatican communiqué reported that "Mother Ghattas," born Soultaneh Maria, co- founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of Jerusalem, will be beatified on the solemnity of Christ the King in the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth. Father Pizzaballa told the Italian agency Sir that this celebration will be "an important event, which will bring the Palestinian Christian community together again after Benedict XVI's visit." He explained, "This beatification gives local Christians a symbol and spiritual example at a difficult time, in which their number is diminishing, with so many challenges such as secularization, formation and the political problems that continue unresolved." Mother Ghattas' spiritual daughters, the Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary, were very enthusiastic when the news was made public. Sister Ildefonsa, secretary general of the congregation, explained to Sir that not only her congregation but the whole Christian community, especially in Galilee have been preparing for a long time. She stated, "We have sent a letter from the congregation to all the convents spread across the Middle East, so that they will pray and fast faced to the beatification." The beatification "will be, for our Christian communities, an invitation to courage, to stay despite the difficulties," the nun added. "On our part we intend to give them education and instruction." Daughter of Palestine Ghattas was born on October 4, 1843 in Jerusalem. She entered religious life at age 14, with the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition, taking the name Alfonsina. She had visions of the Virgin Mary, who requested that she found a congregation dedicated to the Holy Rosary. In 1880, together with Father Joseph Tannous, she initiated the new religious community, which soon spread all over the Holy Land. The Custos of the Holy Land stated that Mother Ghattas was "a daughter of Palestine who lived in the Holy Land and who understood the importance of instruction and formation to give Christian witness in this tormented region of the world." HOLY FATHER TO CANONISE FIVE BLESSEDS ON 11 OCTOBER VATICAN CITY, 1 OCT 2009 (VIS) - At 10 a.m. on Sunday 11 October the Holy Father will celebrate Mass in St. Peter's Square, during which he will canonise five blesseds, according to a communique released today by the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff. The five future saints are: Zygmunt Szczesny Felinski (1822-1895), Polish former archbishop of Warsaw and founder of the Congregation of Franciscan Sisters of the Family of Mary; Francesc Coll y Guitart (1812-1875), Spanish professed priest of the Order of Friars Preachers and founder of the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Jozef Damian de Veuster (1840-1889), Belgian professed priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and of the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar (PICPUS); Blessed Rafael Arnaiz Baron (1911-1938), Spanish oblate friar of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, and Mary of the Cross Jugan (nee Jeanne) (1792-1879), French virgin and foundress of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor. OCL/CANONISATIONS/... VIS 091001 (190) |
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Widowed_Saints html LINKS: Marian Shrines India Marian Shrine Lourdes of the East Lourdes 1858 China Marian shrines 1995 Kenya national Marian shrine Loreto, Italy Marian Apparitions (over 2000) Quang Tri Vietnam La Vang 1798 Links to Related MarianWebsites Angels and Archangels Saints Visions of Heaven and Hell |
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