A Sinner's Guide to the Saints

St. Peter the Apostle (c.1 to c.67)

2010-12-31T00:00:00.070-05:00

   "I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."   (Matthew 16:17-20)

   Since I've visited St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City three times in my life, the final resting place of St. Peter the Apostle, I like to think it increases my chances of getting into Heaven since he holds the keys. Therefore, symbolically, I consider him the most appropriate saint to conclude my blog with.
   St. Peter the Apostle was born Simon in Bethsaida c.1. He was a fisherman by trade and a disciple of Jesus who renamed him Peter meaning "rock" since he would be the foundation on which the church would be built. His brother was St. Andrew the Apostle.
Tradition says St. Peter the Apostle caught so many fish that he fell down in front of Jesus who told him not to be afraid because "from now on you will be catching men."
   To Roman Catholics, St. Peter the Apostle was the first Bishop of Rome, Italy and first Pope from c.30 to c.64. He was with Jesus during the Transfiguration, the Last Supper, and the Passion. And, the Risen Christ appeared to him first.
When St. Peter the Apostle was crucified c.67 in Rome, he asked that it be done head downward because he felt he was not worthy of the same death as Jesus. His feast day is celebrated with St. Paul the Apostle on June 29 as the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

2010-12-30T00:00:00.005-05:00

My cousin Anthony, age 51, recently informed me that he doesn't believe in everlasting life. Since he is one of the smartest people I've ever known, his disbelief in Heaven made me perk up and listen.
Did he feel this way because we grew up in a dysfunctional family? Was I a fool for believing? Afterall, someone I hold in the highest regard was saying there's nothing after we die.
Anthony gave me this explanation:
"Many people, and maybe you are one of them, need to believe that everything happens for a reason - that everything is part of the grand plan of some benevolent being...and that even the terrible things that befall us, would make sense if we only knew God's plan, which of course, we never will. I understand why people want to believe this and how comforting it would be to think there is a good reason for horrible things - I just don't believe it."
My cousin continued:
"I don't take many things on faith. I believe in evolution and I think man created religion and God to control other men - what better way to do that than telling people the meek shall inherit the Earth or your reward will come in the next life? That's how you get folks to behave and keep the 'have-nots' from massacre-ing the 'haves.' If poor people thought that this life was all there is, do you think they'd accept their poverty? I think not."
Anthony said animals live and die: some live long lives, some get hit by cars as babies, and some get eaten by predators. That we don't have to believe all those early deaths happen for a reason. We accept they're animals and that is their fate. So he asks why can't we accept that we are animals too, and things happen to us just as randomly, good or bad?
"The fact that our brains are of a higher order, doesn't change what happens when we die as opposed to all other animals, at least not in my mind," he concluded. "And the fact that we can imagine there is a God, doesn't mean there is one."
Maybe I would have agreed with Anthony many years ago, but as I've said earlier, when I saw the robe and sandals of St. Francis of Assisi, at age 26, that all changed. I know there is everlasting life.
Since Anthony lives in New Hampshire, I felt I should write about the state's patron saint, Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
I didn't realize the significance of it at the time, but when I was just 27-years-old, I wandered into the Church of St. Alphonsus in Rome, Italy, and my eyes met the amazing icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. It is there under the care of the Redemptorist Fathers.
The Blessed Virgin Mary, with a solemn expression, wears the traditional blue veil and mantle. The baby Jesus hugs her.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help's message is "You can come to me."
The Byzantine icon is thought to have been painted in the 13th century although the artist is unknown and many historians feel it was made in Crete. To the left, is St. Michael the Archangel, holding the lance and sponge from the Crucifixion, and at right is St. Gabriel the Archangel with a three-bar Cross and nails, respectively.
The feast day of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is June 27.

"O Mother of Perpetual Help, grant that I may ever invoke thy most powerful name, which is the safeguard of the living and the salvation of the dying. O Purest Mary, O Sweetest Mary, let thy name henceforth be ever on my lips. Delay not, O Blessed Lady, to help me whenever I call on thee, for, in all my needs, in all my temptations I shall never cease to call on thee, ever repeating thy sacred name, Mary, Mary."

St. Paul the Apostle (c.5 to c.67)

2010-12-29T00:00:00.185-05:00

  "Love is patient, love is kind, love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way, it is not irritable or resentful, it does not rejoice in wrong doing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes in all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."
     (St. Paul the Apostle)

Since I started writing "A Sinner's Guide to the Saints," at the beginning of the year, I've encountered people of all faiths who have expressed an interest in my blog. They want to know what inspired me, ask me specific questions, or are eager to tell their own stories about Roman Catholic saints.
But, perhaps one of the most interesting things I've noticed is that many lapsed Catholics, who claim they will never go to Mass again and bash the church, are hooked on my blog.
Since I only have three entries left, I feel compelled to mention a letter I just finishing reading in the local Catholic newspaper by Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, my homestate. It's one of the most insightful things I've read all year. In it, Bishop Tobin encourages "inactive Catholics" to return to the church.
He doesn't say former Catholic because once you're baptized a Catholic, you're one for life (your soul is infused with Catholic DNA). And, forget fallen Catholic. Bishop Tobin states it reminds him of someone falling out of a tree or off a fence.
Next, he states four reasons that people are inactive Catholics, myself included. I think I fall under #4. (#1 doesn't apply to me because I tend to make my own rules.)
1. You disagree with the teachings and practices of the church. (Matters of faith and morals aren't negotiable. They can't be changed. They were given to us by Christ. He encourages readers to understand what the church teaches and why.)
2. You found it boring and didn't get anything out of it. (He agrees that sometimes church leaders haven't fed the flock very well, haven't provided sound and challenging teaching and preaching, and haven't very kind or welcoming. He also apologizes, then says it's not all about us. It's about God and we should go to Mass to ask forgiveness, thank him, pray for others, and to receive the Body and Blood of Christ adding you can't do that anywhere else.)
3. You left the church because another member of the church offended or disappointed you. (He says that bishops and priests included are completely human and often make statements that are unacceptable or even immoral. We belong to a community of sinners and that the virtue of forgiveness is an essential part of Christian life. He suggests we give it another try.)
4. You left the church because of your own spiritual laziness. (The ball's in our court. We must think about our relationship with God and understand how important the church is in helping us fulfill our God-given potential. It was founded by Christ and is guided by the Holy Spirit. He says that the church has much to offer and if we feel it's imperfect in serving its mission, in serving the Lord, and caring for one another, perhaps we can help it to do better.)
   Bishop Tobin concludes by saying that inactive Catholics should return to the church and if there's an issue or problem to contact our local parish or him. Again, his letter was brilliant.
St. Paul the Apostle is a patron saint of many things including the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island and evangelists. He was born c.5 in Tarsus, Turkey.
St. Paul the Apostle was known as Saul the Jew and persecuted Christians. On his way to Syria one day between the years 33 and 36, he was struck to the ground and blinded by a heavenly light. The message was that by persecuting Christians, he was persecuting Christ.
He then changed his ways. St. Paul the Apostle was baptized a Christian and spent the rest of his life teaching the words of Christ. Thirteen of his epistles are in the New Testament. He was beheaded in Rome, Italy c.67.
St. Paul the Apostle shares his feast day, June 29, with St. Peter as the Solemnity of Saints Peter and St. Paul.

St. Demetrius of Sermium (2nd century)

2010-12-28T00:00:00.005-05:00

"Anyone who does not believe in the Devil does not believe in the Gospel." (Pope John Paul II)

Just before my grandfather passed away in 1979, he told the family that he only wanted to be in the funeral parlor for the shortest time possible because it gave him the creeps. This was an educated man who was a registered architect.
My grandfather was always afraid of the dead. So, to honor his wish, his wake was one night instead of two which was the tradition in those days.
My grandmother would tell me stories about how she'd have to accompany him to the basement of the centuries-old house they lived in during the 1940s, when the boiler went out. And, once it was fixed, my grandfather would run upstairs and leave her behind.
I've heard people say that if you're afraid, to make the Sign of the Cross and you'll be safe. As a child, we always had a crucifix in each bedroom and rosary beads had to be blessed before they could be brought into the house.
Evil spirits or ghosts creep people out for a variety of reasons. I wouldn't want to see a ghost because I'd be afraid it would hurt me or the simple fact that it would be startling.
But, many people fear seeing one because they think it means their own death is soon to follow. I recently read an account where one woman felt the ghost of her dead mother was keeping her from finding a husband. And, I have to draw the line at this one, but another woman was afraid she'd be impregnated by a ghost. (Could this be from watching "Rosemary's Baby" too many times?)
Christians believe that evil spirits are fallen angels and the Roman Catholic Church says that angels and demons are real beings.
We all have our own superstitions about evil spirits. And, back in 2nd century, people were no different. That is when St. Demetrius of Sermium, the patron saint against evil spirits, lived. He was raised by rich Christian parents in Thessalonia.
St. Demetrius of Sermium was a soldier and a deacon. Then, when it was discovered he was a Christian, he was imprisoned in a bathhouse (sounds like fun to me). Eventually, he was martyred.
St. Demetrius of Sermium had a bit of a revival 300 years after his death when he appeared to soldiers during a battle in 586. His feast day is Oct. 8.

St. Guy of Anderlecht (c.950 to 1012)

2010-12-27T00:00:00.149-05:00

"Be the living expression of God's kindness, kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness."
                (Blessed Teresa of Calcutta)

   We were hit by a blizzard during the night. And, as much as I enjoyed listening to the wind howling wildly from the confines of my loft bedroom, I knew there was a chance that the power might go out. I kept watching the lights on the Christmas tree twinkle all the while hoping that work would be cancelled in the morning. Then, I fell asleep.
Today, I awoke to the disaster of more than a foot of drifted snow. I drive a small sporty car, so forget four-wheel drive. I had my work cut out for me with at least three feet of snow between where I was parked and the street. But, I didn't panic.
It has been said that timing is everything and I lucked out. A town worker was driving by in a snowplow just as I was about to dig my car out. I waved him over and he gave me the thumbs up sign.
Without hesitating, he plowed me out and went on his way. Someone I didn't even know took the time to help me. And, that kindness stayed with me throughout the day.
   St. Guy of Anderlecht is a patron saint of laborers. He was born into a life of poverty in Aderlecht, Belgium c.950. All that he knew was poverty and he spent his time helping others less fortunate.
During the day, St. Guy of Anderlecht tended the fields and, oftentimes, his guardian angel would work the plow so that he could pray.
He spent so much time at church that his parish priest named him the sacristan. St. Guy of Anderlecht began investing in a trading venture, but when that fell through, he felt he was being punished. So, he went to Rome, Italy for penance. Then, he travelled to Jerusalem to work as a guide for pilgrims.
St. Guy of Anderlecht died on his way back to Belgium in 1012. He is also a patron saint of convulsive children and horned animals. His feast day is September 12.

St. Odilo of Cluny (c.962 to c.1048)

2010-12-26T00:00:00.098-05:00

"But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."
(Matthew 12:36-37)

If getting out of Purgatory isn't hard enough, we Roman Catholics believe that when Jesus comes again at the end of the world, everybody who ever lived will be judged. So, that's two times. Or is it?
What most concerns me, is who will be on this planet when Jesus returns? And, if the Last Judgment takes place in eternity, where there is no sense of time, is there a chance that the two judgments might take place simultaneously?
It's not something that I care to think about at this point in my life because the possibilities of what it could mean are endless. For now, I'll let St. Odilo of Cluny take care of it, as he is the patron saint of the souls in Purgatory.
He was born in France in c.692 and became an abbot at the monastery in Cluny at age 32. St. Odilo of Cluny is credited with establishing the feast of All Souls Day on November 2.
To help feed the poor, it is said that he sold riches that were found within the monastery. St. Odilo of Cluny died in Souvigny c.1048.
Within a day or two of my family members dying (in particular, my maternal grandmother and my mother), I felt an overwhelming sense that they were in Heaven. It's not something that I was even thinking about at the time which makes it even more remarkable.

Christmas Day

2010-12-25T00:00:00.129-05:00

"She wrapped him in clothes and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:7)

Many people I encountered this month said they weren't in the spirit of the season, it didn't feel like Christmas, or they were depressed about the holiday. Why did they feel this way?
No matter what happens to me throughout the year, as soon as Advent comes along, I am ready to put up a Christmas tree, decorate the house, send cards, do more baking, and listen to Christmas carols. All of these things are a comfort to me at a time that can be sad or stressful.
We remember our loved ones who are no longer with us to celebrate and worry about not having enough money to buy presents. My deceased family members would want me to recall happy times, not cry about them. And, as far as money, if I plan wisely during the year, I'm debt free when it comes time for holiday shopping.
I am definitely a kid at heart and although I never force others to be happy at Christmas, I try to bring a little bit of joy to people I know are hurting.
It's the middle of the night right now which is thought to be the time of Christ's birth. Tradition says he was born in a stable with farm animals. St. Francis of Assisi is recognized for creating the first living nativity.
In 1223, he was in the tiny hill town of Grecio, Italy about to celebrate Midnight Mass and discovered that the chapel in the Franciscan hermitage was too small to fit everyone. So, St. Francis of Assisi received permission from the sovereign Pontiff to create an outdoor altar and manger. He gathered hay, an ox, an ass, and sheep to commemorate the nativity of the Infant Jesus.
In "St. Francis and the Christmas Creche" by Rev. William Saunders, he writes that "although the story is long old the message is clear to us... May we never forget to see in our hearts the Little Babe of Bethlehem, who came to save us from sin."
Merry Christmas!

(The image above is by James Christensen.)

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T00:00:00.108-05:00

"The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory." (John 1:14)

   The magic of Christmas is still with me as an adult. Long before DVDs were invented, my dad would record A Charlie Brown Christmas television special so that my older brother and I could listen to the audio over and over and over during the month of December.
   I loved to go outside and look at the bright, twinkling lights that decorated the houses and yards of our neighbors. And, I will never forget the trips to LaSalette Shrine in Attleboro, Mass. to view the annual Christmas lights and burn colorful prayer candles.
   I was thrilled as a child to get our Christmas tree. It would have to stay on the porch overnight so that the branches opened up. My dad would not budge when I'd ask each year that we decorate it that night.
But, the most important part of Christmas Eve was the Feast of the Seven Fishes at my grandparent's home, a commemoration of the wait for the birth of Jesus. I hate seafood, however being half Italian-American, I could not escape it. My mother would have to cook her contribution of fish at my grandmother's house because I did not want it to smell up our house or my hair.
There was always plenty of pizza and broccoli rabe available for me and my 13 cousins, if we didn't want to each the fish or spaghetti and clam sauce that was readily available.
   As this blog will come to a close on Dec. 31, 2010, I would like to say that Christmas Eve stands out as one of the most important days for me as a Roman Catholic. We always went to Mass at 5:15 p.m. at St. Michael's Church in Georgiaville. When I got older, I would walk with my cousins Dorothy, Melanie, and Isabel to St. Lawrence Church in Centredale. And, Christmas caroling would follow.
Most important, tonight I remember the words of St. Luke: "Suddenly a great company of heavenly host appeared, with the angel praising God and saying "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

St. Victoria (? to 250)

2010-12-23T00:00:00.099-05:00

"Behold, I make all things new." (Book of Revelation 21:5)

My former landlord, Phil, an older bachelor, died unexpectedly at the end of October from a heart attack. He was a self-proclaimed collector of junk, so it took his family several weeks to empty out his house and storage unit.
I saw his niece, Amanda, today and she was still devastated and in shock over the loss of her uncle. I told her I understood because when I was teenager, my Uncle Vinnie dropped dead from a heart attack at age 44. When someone close to you dies, they stay with you for the rest of your life.
Amanda told me that Phil was cremated and it got me to thinking about how as a Roman Catholic, it's against the rules. In part, it goes back to the times of the early Christian martyrs. Roman emperors scattered their ashes to ridicule Christian belief in the Resurrection.
Nowadays, it is required that, in most cases, the body of the deceased be brought in the church for the Mass of Christian Burial.
Can you rise to Heaven in a destroyed body? I suppose a cremated person has just as much a chance as a decomposed body. Because St. Thomas the Apostle (Doubting Thomas) felt the wounds of Jesus after he was resurrected, he is convinced that we will all rise to Heaven in the perfect body.
I recall my dad telling me that we will be around age 33 in Heaven, the age Jesus was when he died. This is considered the best possible age of our life. But, how can we all be the same age?
It is said that we will have an identity with those we had in earthly life, although we may not be immediately recognized as was the case when St. Thomas the Apostle encountered Jesus.
For now, I'd like to forget about the whole thing and think happy thoughts. But, I would like to remember St. Victoria whose feast day is today. She was martyred, so there is the possibility her ashes were scattered.
St. Victoria refused to marry a nobleman so was thrown in prison and starved. (Imagine if that happened today? Half the male population would be behind bars.) She refused to sacrifice herself to pagan gods and was eventually stabbed through the heart at Monteleone Sabino, Italy in 250.

(The image above is from saintscards.com)

St. Deochar (8th century)

2010-12-22T00:00:00.049-05:00

  "...and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk and blind men see."
(Charles Dickens)

   My friend, Nancy, is an artist who specializes in intricate bead work and is a well known member of a local Indian tribe. Her art requires excellent vision, so three years ago, when she was almost legally blind as a result of an intestinal disease, she was devastated.
Her friend is an acupunturist to international celebrities and lives in Paris, France. And Nancy thought she had nothing to lose by seeing her (excuse the pun) for treatment, although she was apprehensive about the whole idea of it.
   "I thought God was playing tricks on me," Nancy said after the treatment. "I could see again and wasn't even wearing my glasses."
When she returned to her doctor in the United States, he was baffled. He had never seen anything like it. She was cured.
  What Nancy experienced was a miracle. And, sometimes, miracles happen to those who don't believe. Her faith was restored although she's not sure if it was the acupunture or God that helped her.
  There are many patron saints of eye disease, blind people, and eye patients, with St. Lucy being the most notable. It doesn't matter who you invoke, they will work just the same.
St. Deochar was born in 8th century Bavaria. He found peace living alone in the forests. A Benedictine monk and the first abbot of Herriedon Abbey, he is responsible for healing a young boy's blindness. St. Deochar is a patron saint of blind people and eye patients. He died in 847 and his feast day is July 7.

St. Boniface (c.672 to June 5, 754)

2010-12-21T00:00:00.038-05:00

"On a lonely winter evening, when the frost Has wrought a silence."    (John Keats)

On this Winter Solstice, let us celebrate peace and light. Many traditions, both pagan and religious, are celebrated today and on the days surrounding the longest night of the year. One of my favorites is the legend of St. Boniface and the Donar Oak.
   He was a bishop who was born in Devonshire, England c.672. One day, in 725, St. Boniface decided to chop down a sacred and massive Donar Oak in Geismar, Germany. As the tree hit the ground, out popped a young fir tree.
"This is indeed a symbol of the Christ child," he told the townspeople. "Forever more, bring the evergreen into your homes at Christmastime and decorate it as a reminder of peace, joy, and love."
St. Boniface died in what is modern day Netherlands on June 5, 754. His feast day is June 5.

   If you don't want to freeze at a bonfire tonight, stay indoors and enjoy A Hermit's Soup from "Twelve Months of Monastery Soups" by Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette. It makes 1-2 servings.

    1 potato, 1 turnip, half a small cabbage, 2 carrots, 1 onion, 3 tablespoons oil of choice, 1/3 cup rice,
2 quarts water, salt and a pinch of thyme to taste

   1. Wash and trim the vegetables. Cut and slice all of them into tiny pieces.
   2. Pour oil into a soup pot, add the vegetables, and saute them for a few minutes. Add the rice and water. Stir well. Keeping the pot covered, cook over low heat for one hour. Add the salt and thyme just before serving. Stir well and serve hot.

Blessed Francis Patrizzi (1266 to May 26, 1328)

2010-12-20T00:00:00.069-05:00

"Snowy nights and Christmas lights, Icy windowpanes,
   Make me wish that we could be together again
   And the windy winter avenues just don't seem the same
   And the Christmas carols sound like blues,
   But the choir is not to blame."
                                    (Jim Croce)

   My great grandmother would wait until Palm Sunday each year to reconcile with family or friends she may have had a fallen out with. By simply handing someone palms was a gesture that meant things were forgiven.
   How many of us have cut ties with a person this year and would we really want them in our lives again? It seems that at Christmas, we often forget the real reason we've parted ways. Why not start small? Invite one person back into your life. I'll do the same and begin with my own family.
   Blessed Francis Patrizzi is the patron of reconciliation. He was born in Siena in 1266 and became a member of the Servites after hearing a speech by Blessed Ambrose Sansedoni.
   Blessed Francis Patrizzi could solve any kind of problem through meditation. He died on May 26, 1328 and is buried in the Church of Santa Maria de Servi in Siena. He was beatified in 1743.

St. Lufthild (? to c.850)

2010-12-19T00:00:00.135-05:00

And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
(Matthew 8:20)

It was brutally cold tonight. The ground was frozen, the tree limbs bare, and the bird feeders empty. Still, there was something quite beautiful about the moon above, the Christmas lights twinkling from nearby houses, and the chilly silence.
What are homeless people doing right now? Why is it, I wonder, that I only seem to think of them on the coldest nights that are close to Christmas?
Now my mind is preoccupied with people who need a place to sleep and a warm meal. I'm not about to rattle of homelessness statistics. I'm going to be more sensitive to the needs of other people even if it means having a less for myself.
In the words of Charles Dickens, "I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."
St. Lufthild is a patron saint of homeless people. She was born in the 9th century and was abused by her stepmother for sharing the family's food with the poor. Tired of being beaten up, but unwilling to stop giving to the needy, St. Lufthild ran away and lived as a homeless hermit.
She died c.850 and miracles continue to happen in her name. St. Lufthild's feast day is Jan. 23.

Blessed Helen of Udine (1396 to April 23, 1458)

2010-12-19T00:00:00.098-05:00

While I was enjoying a drink at a crowded Christmas caroling party tonight, a friend quietly told me for the past 30 or so years she's been a spiritualist. Intrigued by what that meant, I asked her a few questions then later did my own research into it.
Some of the principles are a belief in spirit communication, that the soul lives on after the physical body dies, and that after death it's possible for the soul to learn and improve. (I thought lessons were learned in this life and the choices we make while alive determine how long we wait in purgatory.)
Further, my friend, who's a gifted artist and intelligent woman, told me she was a medium and used to attend a Spiritualist Church where seances are held. It's for people who are intuitive and want to communicate with the dead.
I'm intuitive and I wish I knew where my dead relatives were, but that wouldn't make me a Spiritualist or want to join such a church. Still, I'm interested in what type of people are drawn to the concept.
And, personally, I don't think it sounds any stranger that the behavior of Blessed Helen of Udine. She was born Helen Valentini in Italy in 1396 and was so in love with her husband that when he died unexpectedly after 27 years of marriage, she cut off all her hair and buried it along with her best jewelry in her husband's grave.
Blessed Helen of Udine, a widowed mother of six, became a Augustinian tertiary performing charitable deeds. Then, she took a vow of silence and would only speak once a year on Christmas night. She had ecstatic trances brought on by a battle with worldy temptation.
For the last three years of her life, Blessed Helen of Udine was confined (by her wishes) to a bed of stone and straw.
Many people would think she sounds a bit eccentric or crazy, so why would my belief in saints such as Blessed Helen of Udine, sound more normal than a Spiritualist's belief in communication with the dead? In fact, it doesn't.
We may "try" different religions as we go through life and, after coming full circle, we are drawn to the one that feels most comfortable. Whether or not we attend a Mass or service, truly doesn't matter. It's how we conduct our lives and treat others that counts.
Blessed Helen of Udine, who had the gift of healing, died on April 23, 1458. She was beatified in 1848 (that's a long time to be waiting for sainthood) and her feast day is April 23.

St. Ezequiel Moreno y Diaz (April 9, 1848 to Aug. 19, 1906)

2010-12-17T00:00:00.065-05:00

There's no smoking in my house or car. Nothing annoys me more than someone lighting up a cigarette after I've just finished washing my hair. Besides, it's absolutely disgusting to inhale secondhand smoke.
It's my personal taste not to want to smell like an ashtray. I want my clothes to smell clean. And, the odd thing is, many people who smoke, just don't get it. They think the world is against them. They take it personally if a nonsmoker doesn't want to be around them.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies secondhand smoke as a known human carcinogen. If you do smoke, I'm not saying I dislike you. I'm saying have some respect for the people around you.
St. Ezequiel Moreno y Diaz is a patron saint against cancer. He was born on April 9, 1848 in Navarra, Spain. He served as a missionary to the Philippines and was later bishop of Pinara, Colombia.
St. Ezequiel Moreno y Diaz was known for his charity work. He died on Aug. 19, 1906. Canonized: 1992. His feast day is Aug. 19.

St. Bega (7th century)

2010-12-16T00:00:00.072-05:00

"In the bleak mid-winter frosty wind made moan
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow, in the bleak mid-winter, long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him,
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When he comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ."
                                (Christina Rossetti, 1872)

   In recent years, A Celtic Christmas Sojourn with Brian O'Donovan has become a holiday tradition for me. It's a fun night in Providence where I can dress festively and celebrate all things Irish in a month other than March.
   Being raised in an French/Italian American family this is all new to me although I remember my mother saying that her best friends were all Irish. She respected the faith they had in the Roman Catholic Church and would often ask Wini, Cynthia, Marie, or Joyce why good people die young.
"Marilyn," Marie said. "Sometimes, God takes people before their time because if they had lived longer they may have done something that couldn't be forgiven."
My mother loved having dinner at Joyce's because they would say the rosary in the evening which was unheard of at her house.
So, in my own life, I enjoy experiencing the music and traditions of other ethnicities like I did tonight at A Celtic Christmas Sojourn. "Mrs. Fogarty's Christmas Cake" and "All On a Christmas Morning" were my favorites and there were also traditional carols like "The Bleak Midwinter" and "Silent Night."
Among the hundreds of saints who were from Ireland is St. Bega (also known as St. Bee) who lived in the 7th century. She was an Irish princess, who instead of marrying a Norwegian prince, fled the Irish sea to England.
There St. Bega, a virgin, became a nun and founded St. Bee's Monastery. She lived for a time as a hermitess. Her feast day is Oct. 31.

St. Maria Crocifissa di Rosa (Nov. 6, 1813 to 1855)

2010-12-15T00:00:00.050-05:00

I got an e-mail this week from a guy in Switzerland whose heart was broken when his girlfriend left him in order to become a nun. What prompted him to contact me was that he'd read a previous blog entry where I mentioned that I like sex too much or I'd move to Assisi, Italy and become a Franciscan nun
"What? You should see what it's like to be cuckolded by God," he wrote.
I'm not quite sure what he means. Still, I hope he finds peace. In the meantime, today is the feast day of St. Maria Crocifissa di Rosa. She was a nun who didn't break any man's heart.
She was born Nov. 6, 1813 in Brescia, Italy. When she was 17-years-old, her mother died and she took care of her father. During the cholera epidemic, St. Maria Crocifissa di Rosa worked in a hospital.
She was a mother superior. In 1839, she founded of the Handmaids of Charity in Brescia. St. Maria Crocifissa di Rosa helped women and young girls who were exploited, sick, needy, or blind. She died in 1855. Canonized: 1954.

St. Augustine of Hippo (Nov. 13, 354 to Aug. 28, 430)

2010-12-14T00:00:00.150-05:00

"It is this one Spirit who makes it possible for an infant to be regenerated... when that infant is brought to baptism; and it is through this one Spirit that the infant so presented is reborn."
                                                                             (St. Augustine of Hippo)

   It's been more than 11 years since my mother passed away and equally as long that I spoke with her best friend, my godmother, Joyce. But, today, that all changed when I got a phone call from Joyce. She'd just received a Christmas package I sent to her earlier this week filled with a colorful Blessed Virgin Mary wall calendar for 2011, a nativity from South America, a Christmas novena booklet, and her favorite chocolates.
   Joyce is dear to me, of course, because she's my godmother. She met my mother when they were 12-years-old and she'll be 75 next month. And, for the first time, I noticed something a little different about her.
Throughout our conversation, Joyce seemed forgetful. She couldn't remember her age or how many grandchildren she had. Then, she'd asked her husband, my godfather, whose voice I could hear in the background and repeat the answers back to me.
It made me feel upset because it seems like she has a form of Alzheimer's disease like her mother did. Still, Joyce laughed it off by saying that she's older now and, as we age, we tend to forget things. She's right. Just some people do so a little bit faster.
In the Roman Catholic Church, baptism is very important, so I'm glad Joyce was chosen as my godmother. When I was born in the mid 1960s, women stayed in the hospital for several days after a birth. My mother told me I went home on March 19, six days after I was born.
  Back then, it was almost mandatory that a baby be baptized immediately. You weren't supposed to go driving around with a newborn. If, God forbid, they died, they could be stuck in limbo forever.
I couldn't be baptized right away because two days after I went home was Palm Sunday and the following Sunday was Easter.
  In the decades that followed, I remained close to Joyce. Her parish was St. Augustine Church in Providence, so I will write about him today.
St. Augustine of Hippo was a Doctor of the Church and one of the most influential saints of all time. He was born Nov. 13, 354 in what is now Algeria. His mother was St. Monica.
St. Augustine of Hippo was said to be a wild man who enjoyed partying and drinking. His sins of impurity blocked his mind from the Divine Truth. However, his mother continued to pray for him. Then one day, St. Augustine of Hippo snapped out of it and decided to live a life similar to Jesus.
He was a bishop and a prolific writer. St. Augustine of Hippo died on Aug. 28, 430 and his feast day is Aug. 28.

(Happy Birthday, Grandma Denise: Dec. 14, 1895 to Feb. 2, 1972)

Our Lady of Banneux

2010-12-13T00:00:00.010-05:00

At a news conference today at the Vatican, an Italian edition of a Dictionary of Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary revealed some startling news. Of the 2,400 claims of people seeing her throughout the centuries, only 15 have been recognized by the Roman Catholic Church.
We are all familiar with Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Our Lady of Fatima, to name a few. But, according to one of the co-authors of the book, Father Rene Lauretin, apparitions are considered the most controversial of all theological subjects and the least scientifically studied.
I, for one, believe that if a logical, intelligent person or even a small child believes they have seen the Blessed Virgin Mary, that there's a strong chance that it's true. Why would anyone make up such a thing?
Our Lady of Banneux proved to be a definite apparition in 1949. From Jan. 15 to March 2, 1933, a 12-year-old girl named Mariette Beco (pictured on the left above) saw the Blessed Virgin Mary in Banneux, Belgium.
Common to many apparitions, the young girl told her priest and family that a beautiful woman in white encouraged her to drink from a small spring that would heal and help all nations. The spring is said to now produce 2,000 gallons of water a day.
The Blessed Virgin Mary, who called herself the Virgin of the Poor, asked that a chapel be built on the site.
"I come to relieve suffering and believe in me and I will believe in you," she said.
The feast day of Our Lady of Banneux is Jan. 15.

(Happy Feast of St. Lucy!)

St. Abra (c.343 to c.360)

2010-12-12T00:00:00.062-05:00

"For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor..." (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4)

A person who was doing a Google search that St. Jude Thaddeus didn't help them, found their way to my blog this week. Hopefully, after reading the entry, they understand that sometimes things aren't meant to be. At least my dad told me that.
Still, I find it disturbing when you ask for help through saintly intervention and it doesn't work. I went the St. Jude Thaddeus (patron of hopeless cases) route many times and drew my own conclusions afterward. You can read about it by clicking on the blue link in the above paragraph.
I listened to my dad quite a bit growing up because he gave good advice. However, if I had been St. Abra, whose father was St. Hilary of Poitiers, that wouldn't be the case.
St. Abra was born c.343 in Poitiers, France. Her father made the suggestion that she take her vows as a consecrated virgin and nun. She did and devoted her time to doing charitable deeds. That was only for a short time since she died c.360 at age 18. Her feast day is today.

(Happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!)

St. Sperandia (1216 to Sept. 11, 1276)

2010-12-11T00:00:00.086-05:00

I read in the newspaper today that a Roman Catholic nun, who's a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph and vice president of finance at Iona College in New York City, embezzled more than $850,000. The thing I find most unusual is that Sister Marie Thornton spent the money on gifts for herself. I'm intrigued by what the 62-year-old may have bought since the majority of nuns take a vow of poverty.
As much as I love luxurious bath and beauty products, stylish clothing, Italian leather shoes, and exotic vacations, even I couldn't treat myself to lavish gifts that amount to that total. I'm pleased that Sister Marie Thornton is receiving emotional and spiritual support although her activities are being restricted.
St. Sperandia would never have behaved in such a manner. She was a Benedictine nun who was born in 1216 in Gubbio, Italy. She was a cousin of St. Ubaldo of Gubbio and became the abbess at a convent in Cingoli.
St. Sperandia received mystic visions, the most noted that she was told her to wear a tanned pig skin with its bristles against her skin (maybe that's why she's incorrupt after all these years). St. Sperandia was a miracle worker and one legend is told that she could produce delicious cherries to feed hungry laborers in the middle of January.
St. Sperandia died on Sept. 11, 1276. Her body, which is still incorrupt and exudes a sweet fragrance, has been exhumed eight times. It is on display in a sanctuary dedicated to her in Cingoli. St. Sperandia's feast day is Sept. 11.

(The lovely photo above is from the Standing on My Head blog by Father Dwight Longenecker.)

St. Dominic of Silos (1000 to Dec. 20, 1073)

2010-12-10T00:00:00.083-05:00

I am surrounded by pregnant friends and coworkers in their twenties and thirties all day long, but today I learned of something short of a miracle. My older brother's wife, who will be 47 in February, is pregnant with their first child. The baby is due in June. No egg donor and no in vitro fertilization. Something to regulate ovulation? I'm not going to ask.
"It happened the natural way," my younger brother said.
I'm so happy because this child will grow up in a loving household with devoted parents. And now, when I hear people say it's impossible for them to get pregnant if they are in their forties, I can say there is hope.
(I was also thrilled to hear the good news on Dec. 10 because for the past 42 years, it's been a solemn day in my family. I was 4-years-old when my second cousin, a police officer, froze to death while trying to save a child who fell through the ice while skating on a pond.)
St. Dominic of Silos, the founder of the Order of Preachers, is one of many patron saints of pregnant women. He was born to peasant parents in La Rioja, Spain in 1000.
St. Dominic of Silos worked as a shepherd then became a Benedictine monk. He founded a monastery which because a place for charity, book design, and gold and silver work.
St. Dominic of Silos died on Dec. 20, 1073. His feast day is Dec. 20.

(R.I.P. Norman: Dec. 8, 1930 to Dec. 10, 1968)

St. Ubaldo of Gubbio (c.1084 to 1160)

2010-12-09T00:00:00.082-05:00

I just finished flipping through a book about vacationing solo. It was written by a woman who is a travel writer and doesn't have to pay to go anywhere. Luckily, it only cost me a dollar at a used book sale.
She basically name dropped all the places she's been to and talked about her two husbands and boyfriends. What really turned me off was her lack of knowledge about Italy. I've been there several times and it's affordable and the people are friendly.
As a newly divorced 26-year-old in the early 1990s, I learned that if I wanted to get out and see the world, I'd have to do it on my own. I had plenty of friends and yet they either didn't have the money or the vacation time to travel. It would have been easy for me to say the same, but if a person really wants to do something, they will make the money and find the time.
Belgium, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, and France were all within my reach, because as humans, we all have the ability to manifest our desires. And so began a series of journeys that would provide we with comfort, guidance, and hope in the years to follow, although at the time, I had no idea.
As I travelled from province to province in Italy, I discovered that each tiny town had its own traditions be it food or music or art or a patron saint. St. Ubaldo of Gubbio is one such person who still has a following. He was born c.1084 to noble parents. His father died when he was young and his mother had a neurological disorder.
St. Ubaldo of Gubbio was a cousin of St. Sperandia. He was a monk and later a bishop. St. Ubaldo of Gubbio was responsible for many miracles and was known for helping the poor. He died in 1160.
To this day, St. Ubaldo of Gubbio is so popular that it is said in Gubbio, at least one person in every family there is named Ubaldo. And, on his May 16 feast day, religious and civil processions (pictured above) take place in his honor. He is the patron saint of obsessive compulsive disorder.

St. Hubertus (c.656 to May 30, 727)

2010-12-08T00:00:00.101-05:00

   Like out of a children's picture book, I pulled up to my house last night and there on the lawn was the most majestic deer with the largest antlers I'd ever seen. It looked like a reindeer you'd see with Santa Claus and it walked quietly across the street to eat some apples that had fall from a tree.
   This was exciting since I'd just finished Christmas shopping and the carols that were playing in the department store were still in my head. It was a magical moment to spot a creature that represents the "lure to adventures."
"Move gently into new areas. Practical pursuits bring surprising rewards," read a blurb in my animal symbolism book.
St. Hubertus is often shown as a huntsmen adoring a deer with a crucifix between its antlers. He was born in Toulouse, France c.656.
St. Hubertus loved to hunt and the legend is that as he was chasing a deer on Good Friday morning, he saw a vision of a crucifix between its antlers. Then, a voice cried out that if St. Hubertus didn't turn to God and live a holy life, he'd go to hell.
So, when his wife died giving birth to their son, St. Hubertus gave the baby to his brother and entered the priesthood. He was the first bishop of Liege and his friend and spiritual advisor was St. Lambert.
  St. Hubertus died in Tervuren, Belgium on May 30, 727. He is the patron saint of hunters and his feast day is Nov. 3.

(Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception!)

St. Philip Howard (June 28, 1557 to Oct. 19, 1595)

2010-12-07T00:00:00.028-05:00

"The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human."
(Elizabeth Edwards)

Elizabeth Edwards, an attorney and best-selling author, died today at age 61 from breast cancer. We all know she was the estranged wife of John Edwards, the former U.S. Senator from North Carolina, who will receive no other recognize in my blog for what he did to his wife while she was alive.
Elizabeth was an intelligent woman and wonderful mother who will be remembered for the numerous contributions she made to our country.
In her last entry on Facebook she said, "I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious."
St. Philip Howard is a patron saint of betrayal victims and separated spouses. He was born in Norfolk, England on June 28, 1557. A nobleman (second cousin of Queen Elizabeth I), he married his foster sister at age 14. They had one son who was born after St. Philip Howard was imprisoned in the Tower of London for being a Catholic and trying to leave England without permission.
He was in the tower beginning on April 25, 1585 and, as he lay dying a decade later, asked the queen if he could see his wife and child. She said he could, if he became a Protestant. St. Philip Howard refused and died on Oct. 19, 1595.
He was canonized in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. His feast day is Oct. 25. St. Philip Howard's tomb was moved to the Catholic Arundel Cathedral in 1971.

Blessed Imelda Lambertini (1322 to May 12, 1333)

2010-12-06T00:00:00.103-05:00

At a Christmas bazaar yesterday, I found an unusual ceramic ornament made by the monks at St. Andrew Priory, a Benedictine monastery in the desert in Valyermo, California. It was a First Communion angel girl with large brown eyes and a friendly face.
The ornament had a previous owner because a handwritten note on its original tag read "Grandpa spoke at a meeting with these monks in 1986." I learned that it was designed by Fr. Maur van Doorslaer.
Although I have no need for a First Communion ornament, I consider it a tiny treasure at a cost of just 25 cents.
Blessed Imelda Lambertini is the patron of first communicants. She was born in Bologna, Italy in 1322. As a small child, she wanted desperately to receive the Most Holy Eucharist. But, being too young (the age back then was 14) she was told she had to wait.
Blessed Imelda Lambertini thought that if she became a nun she'd be able to receive it sooner. So, at age 9, she joined a cloistered Dominican group. Again, she was not allowed to receive the Body of Christ.
Finally, at age 11, Blessed Imelda Lambertini's wish came true on the vigil of the Ascension. The Light of the Host appeared around her head while she was praying. It was witnessed by the sacristan and a priest who was convinced she was worthy of receiving the Most Holy Eucharist.
After receiving Jesus on May 12, 1333, she went into ecstasy, collapsed on the floor, and died. Blessed Imelda Lambertini was beatified in 1826. Her body, pictured above, remains incorrupt. Her feast day is May 12.

St. David Lewis (1616 to Aug. 27, 1679)

2010-12-05T00:00:00.122-05:00

It seems every time I wish for a second that I was a religion other than Roman Catholic, something happens to make me thankful that I am.
This morning I helped my friend sell his jewelry and deer antler nativity sets at a holiday bazaar at a Congregational Church on the East Side of Providence. My guess it that we were the only Roman Catholic vendors (that would be non-practicing).
Inside was aglow with fresh evergreens, tasty baked goods, and live choir music. Sunday school students skipped happily around dressed in adorable Christmas clothing while others held their parents hands and pointed at the toys and books that they wanted on their wish lists.
"Wow," I thought. "These Protestant families seem to have it all."
To occupy my time during the shopping lull, I bid on gifts baskets in the silent auction. The three I chose were Italian foods, pedicure/aromatherapy, and cupcake baking. I knew I had a good chance of getting all three, but my favorite was the cupcake-themed one. It had a fancy cupcake stand, all the mix, sprinkles, frosting, and baking liners you'd ever need and a set of pans. It came in a huge, colorful handwoven basket.
Basically, I kept going over to the bidding area and upping my amount each time someone made a new bid. I was finally at $65, it was the end of the event, and I figured it would be mine.
However, next thing I knew, the cupcake basket was gone while the two dozen others remained in place. I could see the silent auction coordinator gathering bid papers, so I went up and asked her what happened to the cupcake basket.
She said that it went to someone who bid $75 and they took it and left.
"Generally, I announce the end of the silent auction and say there's a chance to bid one last time," she explained. "This year I forgot."
I gathered my thoughts and responded, "You conveniently forgot because your friend wanted the basket. That's unfair. I would have bid $80."
Actually, I wouldn't have bid that much money for something I could buy at Marshall's department store for under $30. Still, I wasn't surprised at all by the behavior of the stodgy woman. I was in a Protestant church, afterall. Say what you want, but this never would have happened at a bazaar at a Roman Catholic Church.
I can guarantee that St. David Lewis wasn't turned off by the Protestant church over a silent auction, but he did convert Catholicism at age 16, when he was living in Paris, France. He was born in 1616 in Monmouthshire, England.
St. David Lewis studied for the priesthood in Rome, Italy and was ordained in 1642. Thirty six years later, he was arrested for being a Jesuit priest and saying Mass. He was accused of being an accessory to the Popish Plot.
St. David Lewis was hanged on Aug. 27, 1679. He was canonized in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. His feast day is Oct. 25.

Blessed Maria Fortunata Viti (Feb. 10, 1827 to Nov. 20, 1922)

2010-12-04T00:00:00.006-05:00

"A mother holds her children's hands for a while, their hearts forever." (Author unknown)

  As I was falling asleep last night, I could hear my mother's cheerful voice in the distance like she was in the next room. It was a comfort knowing she was nearby, although I was too tired to get up and speak with her.
But, just a few minutes later, she came into my room to say goodnight.
"Where are you?" I asked her although I could see her beside my bed.
"I'm right here with you," she answered.
"No. I mean, where are you, really?" I asked, again.
I was a bit confused because my mother died more than 11 years ago. Yet, I could see her and hear her familiar voice while I was in a semi-dream state. I wanted her to say she was in Heaven or give me some type of clue about the afterlife.
When I awoke the today, my eyes were puffy like I'd been crying. I thought about last night and tried to piece together what it all had meant. It could be that my mother was trying to tell me she was with me unconditionally. To paraphase, Matthew 28:20: "I am with you always, even until the end of the world."
Before my mother died from cancer, I tried to get her to take milk thistle as an alternative to chemotherapy once it had spread from her colon to her liver. She took her doctor's advise like she should have but, just weeks before her death, my mother said, "I should have listened to you. Maybe the milk thistle would have worked. I just didn't want to take something that might make me feel sick."
My mother trusted her doctors, although they admitted to giving her the wrong treatment during a major operation and wanted us (the family) to file a law suit, which we didn't.
I assured my mother that she was going to get stronger and, when she did, we would try an alternative treatment.
  Now, more than a decade after her death and the day after my strange "dream," I went into the local coffee shop and looked in the beverage cooler. The first thing that jumped out at me was a line of drinks called RESCUE (by the makers of Arizona iced teas). Right on the bottle, it said milk thistle in big letters. Why was I being reminded of this? Was it a subtle hint from my mother that she could really see me? Was I making something out of nothing because I wanted to believe?
The mystery continued tonight.
Two months ago, I lost a cuff bracelet made from silver, shell, and turquoise. The more time has gone by, the more I thought I'd never see it again.
I knew it was in my house, although I had searched every corner of it. I checked every inch of my car and even called a local clothing store to see if I had left it in the dressing room.
So, tonight, I decided to play a little game. I had nothing to lose, since the bracelet was already missing.
I said in a quiet voice in my bedroom loft, "Mom, if you really can see me, then tell me where my cuff bracelet is."
All of a sudden, the energy in my body made me go over to my bed and kneel down on the floor. I had already looked there numerous times before, but now I was drawn to the head of the bed. I looked underneath and didn't see a thing.
Then, I squinted and just beneath the radiator was what looked like the ends of the silver bracelet. It gave me chills.
   Skeptics might say that I forced myself to concentrate and that's how I located the bracelet. But, that's not the case here. I was drawn to the most unlikely place in the house. How did it get there in the first place?
My mother used to say she'd give anything just to see her late father for one day. I didn't know what she meant until I lost her.
My aunt told me that before my mother died she said to her, "Betty, I'm going to miss my children."
What did she mean? How will she miss us when she's dead?
Then, I think about St. Francis of Assisi (he's my only reason I believe that there is something after we die) and his famous quote: "It is in dying that we are born to eternal life."
Blessed Maria Fortunata Viti is a patron against the loss of parents. She was born in Veroli, Frosinone, Italy on Feb. 10, 1827. Her father was a heavy drinker and gambler and her mother died when she was a teenager.
Blessed Maria Fortunata Viti worked as a domestic servant to support her eight siblings. She joined the Benedictines at age 24 and remained with them for more than 70 years. She was devoted to the Blessed Sacrament and lived as a humble and hardworking person.
After her death on Nov. 20, 1922, numerous miracles happened in her name. Blessed Maria Fortunata Viti was beatified on Oct. 8, 1967. Her feast day is Nov. 20.

St. Lorenzo Giustiniani (July 1, 1381 to Jan. 8, 1456)

2010-12-03T00:00:00.074-05:00

The Christmas party at the company where I work had a masquerade theme this year which made it all the more reason to go. I chose to wear a simple black dress which was sleeveless with glittery trim and a festive red scarf. The mask would be my main accessory.
When we got to the Biltmore Hotel in Providence, there was such an array that I tried on four before making my selection. It was black with red trim around the eyes and feathers of which three protruded from the top. My friend's choice was easy: plain and black to go with his Lone Ranger hat.
Once I put on my mask, I didn't remove it all night for it was the perfect opportunity to pretend I was back in Venice. Not during my last trip there in 1992, but around 1436, when the mask was a staple in Venetian culture. And yet, it was not always that way.
The Roman Catholic Church banned masks in the 14th century at least three times with the exception that they could be worn from Christmas until Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday which was the start of Lent. This was during the time when St. Lorenzo Giustiniani, a miracle worker, lived in Venice. He was the city's bishop and first patriarch.
Against his mother's wishes (she wanted him to have a wife), St. Lorenzo Giustiniani was ordained in 1406. He spent much of his time begging for the poor and working as a teacher. He was known for writing about mystical contemplation.
St. Lorenzo Giustiniani died on Jan. 8, 1456. His feast day is Jan. 8.

St. Elizabeth (1st century)

2010-12-02T00:00:00.065-05:00

"And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month." (Luke 1:36)

Why is that that some women are able to have children so easily and others either have a miscarriage or encounter complications ? My friend, who lost her two-week-old son early this summer, is now five months pregnant and must have surgery next week to save her unborn child. Although there's a 70 percent chance of success, she is terrified that something will go terribly wrong.
This is where I question the phrase "God only gives you as much as you can handle." She's experienced enough trauma this year. I'm giving her a copy of "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne on audio so that she can permanently manifest positive thoughts.
St. Elizabeth is a patron saint of pregnant women. She was born and died in the 1st century. The quote above is St. Gabriel the Archangel telling the Blessed Virgin Mary that St. Elizabeth, her cousin, was pregnant with St. John the Baptist. The painting for this blog entry is by Rubens and depicts the Holy Family with St. Elizabeth and her baby.
It was a miracle that she had her child at such a late age. Many religious scholars believe she may have been in her fifties at the time. St. Elizabeth's feast day is Oct. 5. I know that if my friend believes in miracles she, too, will have a healthy baby.

St. Faustina (Aug. 25, 1905 to Oct. 5, 1938)

2010-12-01T00:00:00.095-05:00

Now that it's December, I am so ready for Christmas. That's why I couldn't miss the Annual Holiday Stroll & Luminaria in Westerly tonight. Well, with the heavy rain, it was less of a stroll and more of a run from building to building.
Highlights included a stop at Zoe & Company, a lingerie superstore, where even the mannequins have implants and a tarot reading at an indoor flea market by a woman named Stephany. I like that she didn't approach me as so many psychics do when they see a prospective customer. Instead, I saw a small poster than said readings were available.
"You will write a series of successful books. There is passion in your writing," she said in a knowing voice. "In the first book, you tell anecdotal stories. Some so heart-wrenching."
By the time my fifteen minutes were up, I left content and with the promise to recognize the real reason for Christmas.
Stephany is the equivalent of what some call mystics. Numerous Roman Catholic saints had that gift and one was canonized in 2000.
St. Faustina was born Helena Kowalska on Aug. 25, 1905 in Glogowiec, Russia. She joined the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy and became a nun at age 20. As an offering to God, she asked to experience the sufferings of huge sinners and the dying.
St. Faustina wrote about seeing Jesus in Purgatory and later speaking with Jesus and Mary. She wanted to establish a religious order, but her superiors wouldn't give her time off. They thought she suffered from mental illness. However they were wrong. One of the visions St. Faustina had in 1935 is now called of Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
She died from tuberculosis on Oct. 5, 1938 in Krakow, Poland and her feast day is Oct. 5.

Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio (Jan. 20, 1502 to Feb. 25, 1600)

2010-11-30T00:00:00.003-05:00

"Give, and it will be given to you... For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
(Luke 6:38)

In October, when I was on Block Island helping unload my friend's car for a crafts guild show, another participant, "Emma," opened her vehicle door against it. Then, she walked away leaving her car unattended. Next thing I knew, my friend drove away and, in the process, ended up scraping Emma's car.

Obviously, she was at fault and also admitted her vehicle door was previously damaged in another accident and her mother hoped that she would get it fixed. My friend offered to help Emma bang out the dent, which he did. In a couple of days, she would be driving home to Los Angeles and told him not to worry about it. Funny thing is, it should have been the other way around.

Now, two months later, Emma's insurance company contacted my friend saying that she was making a claim against him. She failed to tell what really happened, so my friend did.
The point being, there are a lot of deceitful people in this world. They say one thing and turn around and do another. Yet, there are just as many honest people.
I would say, if you're not going to file a police report for any kind of accident, make sure the other person puts what they say in writing.
And I wouldn't want to be Emma because whether you do something kind or evil, it's guaranteed, you'll get the same in return.
Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio is a patron saint of automobile drivers. He was born in Orense, Spain on Jan. 20, 1502. He moved to Mexico to work in the fields and subsequently began to build roads to help agricultural trade and commerce.

It took Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio a decade, but he built a 466-mile road from Mexico City to Zacatecas. He went from being a peasant to an extremely wealthy rancher.
When he was in his sixties, Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio married for the first time to a young virgin. Some people thought she married him for his money, while he wanted to provide for his wife because she had no savings. It ends up, she died.
So, Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio married another young virgin and she died, too. This prompted him to give away all his riches to the poor and become a Franciscan at age 72. He lived to be 98-years-old and because of his dedication to charity he was nicknamed "Angel of Mexico."
He died on Feb. 25, 1600. Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio is responsible for hundreds of miracles and he was beatified in 1789. His feast day is Feb. 25 and he remains incorrupt.

St. Colette (Jan. 13, 1381 to March 6, 1447)

2010-11-29T00:00:00.154-05:00

"I thought you were European," said Faye, a woman from China, when she was introduced to me today at a company meeting. "I was surprised when I heard you speak."
I told Faye that she was right, in a way, since my grandfather was born in Italy and my ethnicity is half Italian and half French.
It's not the first time I've been mistaken for a non-American although I was born in Rhode Island. It could be the way I dress or put outfits together (scarves, leather boots and handbags, tailored black coats, and dressy shirts). Maybe Faye noticed a look or a spirit in me that she has seen in Europeans.
My mom always said the best looking people were a mixture of nationalities. When she'd ask my grandfather who I looked like, he'd say I looked like myself.
It's funny. As much as I try to break away from my heritage and where I came from, it seems the older I get, I am drawn to things that are like me.
St. Colette was born Nicolette Boylet in Picardy, France on Jan. 13, 1381. She was orphaned as a teenager and left to the care of Benedictines. Yet, St. Colette was drawn to the Franciscan Order and had dreams that St. Francis of Assisi wanted her to restore the Rule of St. Clare.
She founded the Colettine Poor Clares and established 17 monasteries. St. Colette and the sisters in her order lived a life of poverty and refused any form of income. She died on March 6, 1447. Canonized: 1807. St. Colette's feast day is March 6.

Servant of God, Brother Juniper (? to 1258)

2010-11-28T00:00:00.077-05:00

                 "For it is in giving that we receive." (St. Francis of Assisi)

    As I took two loaves of freshly baked pumpkin bread out of the oven this afternoon (I just cut up my last pumpkin of the season), I thought about how I would like to share them with someone the way St. Francis of Assisi and his companions would have shared their food.
   All year long, I think about ways to help less fortunate people (not just at Thanksgiving or Christmas) and I contribute by donating clothing or books or just doing something kind for someone each day. It's the only way I know as a secular person to emulate a Franciscan way of life without giving up my car, job, clothing, and visits to the salon.
   And today is my first blog entry devoted to a Servant of God who was also a Franciscan. Brother Juniper was a close friend and one of the first followers of St. Francis of Assisi. He had such compassion for the poor that he continually gave away whatever he had including his coat and shirt.
Brother Juniper joined the Franciscan Order in 1210 and he helped establish monasteries in Viterbo and Gualdo Tadino, Italy. He is depicted in the "Little Flowers of St. Francis" written by an unknown author. Brother Juniper was with St. Clare of Assisi during her final days. He died in 1258 and is buried at Aracoeli Church in Rome.
Brother Juniper's feast day is Jan. 29.

St. Francesca Romana (1384 to March 9, 1440)

2010-11-27T00:00:00.114-05:00

   As a single woman who has vacationed in Rome, Italy three times, I can honestly say it's one of the safest places to travel alone. So, I was surprised to read an article by an ESPN public relations executive in "Marie Claire" magazine saying she was nearly raped by an artist named Marco on her last night in the Eternal City.
First off, if anyone is stupid enough to go on a tour of an art studio of a man you've just met, have drinks with him, and then go to his apartment, you're asking for it. She should have brought along the friend that she mentions, if she was really eager to get to know Marco. That's called safety in numbers.
  It seems that many American woman travel to Italy looking for romance with the handsome, well-groomed men that abound. And Italian men sense that about our culture. The public relations executive probably realized she was about to get used, so then decided to leave Marco's apartment. She admits that she hadn't been in a relationship in two years and was hoping something would transpire.
Speaking from experience, the culture in Rome is often that American women are loose. Believe me, there are enough attractive European women that an Italian guy isn't going to go chasing down an American for a one-night stand.
I found the article to depict Rome in an unfair way. No place is perfect. Just make wise choices. There are many beautiful places to stay including monasteries and convents.  The Casa di Santa Francesca Romana, at Via dei Vascellari, is where St. Francesca Romana lived and died.
She was born to a wealthy family in Rome in 1384. She wanted to be a nun and her parents married her off at age 13 to the commander of the papal troops of Rome.
Although St. Francesca Romana wanted her husband to be Jesus Christ, she stayed happily married for 40 years. She had six children and, along with being a mother, helped the sick and poor. This was not common for a rich person to do. The good thing is, St. Francesca Romana's acts of kindness rubbed off on other wealthy women who did the same.
She had what is called the gift of miracles. St. Francesca Romana founded the Olivetan Oblates of Mary, a hospital, and a convent. She died on March 9, 1440 and is the patron saint of automobile drivers and Benedictine oblates. Her feast day is March 9.

St. Louis IX (April 25, 1214 to Aug. 25, 1270)

2010-11-26T00:00:00.060-05:00

I have platinum blonde curly hair with gold highlights. That was until this afternoon. Every once in a while a hairdresser will tell me that they love my color, but perhaps I might want to add lowlights or tone it down.
Sometimes it's almost intimidating and I feel forced into doing something I don't want to. So, today, when I didn't have a chance to go to the salon where I usually do, I let someone new touch my hair. The result? A horrible, almost grayish-tinged color at the root and scattered throughout as lowlights.
I knew something wasn't right, when another hairdresser looked at me like something was wrong. I've been doing interesting things with my hair for 20 years. I also know that only bleach will lift the color of my dark roots.
But, the new hairdresser insisted that she could lift it with color instead of bleach. I made the mistake of letting her try and look what happened.
Since I am going to Block Island tomorrow, I won't be able to visit my usual salon until Tuesday. I know that Danielle will be able to fix it. Still, I will have to walk around looking like I rinsed my hair in dishwater for the next four days. At least tomorrow I will be able to set up my appointment and that will make me feel better.
This has happened to me several times before and I will not do it again. In the meantime, I will think about how happy my late mother would have been to have hair, no matter what color. She lost her beautiful, natural blonde hair to chemotherapy.
St. Louis IX is a patron saint of hairdressers. He was born in Poisy, France on April 25, 1214 and was crowned the king at age 12, when his father King Louis VIII passed away.
St. Louis IX's mother, Blanche of Castile, ruled as a regent until he was 22-years-old. He reigned for 44 years and made many contributions including spreading Christianity throughout France, establishing religious foundations, and was a patron of the arts. He married and had 11 children.
St. Louis IX died on Aug. 25, 1270 and his feast day is Aug. 25.

St. Mary of Egypt (c.344 to c.421)

2010-11-25T00:00:00.040-05:00

   It's okay for sex workers to use condoms, according to Pope Benedict XVI, but that doesn't mean prostitution is acceptable. This is to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. It's nice to know he's doing it for the greater good.
   The Roman Catholic Church teaches that sex is for married heterosexual couples and artificial contraception is against the rules. In my opinion, Pope Benedict XVI has made a big step in the progress of global health.
   I'm sure St. Mary of Egypt would agree. She is a patron saint of reformed prostitutes. She was born in Egypt c.344 and ran away from home at age 12. Legend states that she was a prostitute and dancer although she didn't always accept money for sexual favors.
St. Mary of Egypt went to Jerusalem on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, hoping to find customers. She was unable to open the door of the church, overcome with remorse for the way she lived for 17 years. She repented, crossed the River Jordan, and lived as a hermit in the desert for 50 years surviving on berries and whatever else she could find.
  St. Mary of Egypt died in c.421 and her feast day is April 3.

St. Sergius and St. Bacchus (? to 303)

2010-11-24T00:00:00.057-05:00

Pope Benedict XVI says in his new book, "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Sign of the Times," that homosexuality is incompatible with the priesthood.
Pope Benedict XVI states that it would be extremely dangerous if celibacy became a pretext for bringing men into the priesthood who don't want to get married anyway.
Still, I have to say I agree with the Pope on this one. If you're gay, there's no place for you in the priesthood. Find something else to do. Homosexuality is truly intolerable in the Roman Catholic Church, so why would you want to be a priest in a faith that is so against it?
There is not yet a patron saint against homosexuality, but in his book "Marriage of Likeness: Same Sex- Unions in Pre-Modern Europe," the late John Boswell said that St. Sergius and St. Bacchus, third century Roman soldiers, were lovers.
The saints were indeed close friends and several historians have spoken out against Boswell's claims. When it was discovered that St. Sergius and St. Bacchus were closet Christians (no pun intended), St. Sergius was beheaded and St. Bacchus was tortured to death. They died in Syria in 303 and are the patron saints of Syria and soldiers.
Their feast day is Oct. 7.

St. Victor of Marseilles (? to c.290)

2010-11-23T00:00:00.005-05:00

   Personally, I'm not fond of Facebook because many people use it to contact exes or to make themselves look intriguing when in actuality, it's not who they are. I've found the only positive thing about it is connecting with family or friends who I haven't seen in years.
   So, this summer when I was contacted by a high school classmate, "Karen," who married my cousin, "Jeff," I became "friends" with them right away. But, when I started looking at photos of Jeff, I noticed that he looked sick. Like perhaps he had been through treatment for cancer.
  This week, I found out that Jeff is terminally ill, although he's not the one who told me. When I got home, I had a Facebook message from him asking me what I'd been up to and to say "Happy Thanksgiving." I would love to see him and rather than think about how sad it would be for me, I should think about how Jeff feels.
We are in our forties, which is very young in today's world.
I want to tell him that miracles do happen and that's what helps canonize saints. I will when I see him.
The feast day of today's saint is July 21, Jeff's birthday. St. Victor of Marseilles was born in France in the third century. He was thought to be a Roman army officer. Because he was against idol worship, he was eventually brought before Emperor Maximian.
St. Victor of Marseilles was beaten, dragged through the streets, and thrown in prison. He converted three prisoners to Christianity who later became saints. When St. Victor of Marseilles refused to offer incense to the Roman god, Jupiter, (Emperor Maximian is pictured doing so in the painting above) he was crushed in a millstone and beheaded. He died c.290. Today, on the site where he died in the south of France, is the Abbey of St. Victor
St. Victor of Marseilles is a patron saint of torture victims, sick children, and cabinetmakers.

(This is an update. I found out on Nov. 26, that it's not Jeff who is terminal, but his brother Jim. It's still upsetting and I will leave this blog entry as is because it will document what it's like to hear that someone is dying and it ends up being someone else.)

Martyrs of Paraguay (17th century)

2010-11-22T00:00:00.119-05:00

At the Native Arts Festival, at the Towers in Narragansett yesterday, I enjoyed a late afternoon lunch of blueberry jonnycakes and succotash at a communal table with several couples. Even though I was having a roast beef dinner two hours later with friends, I couldn't miss out on some good Narragansett Indian food.
One of the woman sitting with me said she was Jewish and that someone told her Native Americans don't like Jewish people.
"That's ridiculous," I said. "They are a peaceful people."
The woman apparently had a problem. It was a beautiful event with interesting music, art, and quahog jewelry, and she had to bring up something negative that made no sense.
She continued to say that there were a lot of similarities between Native Americans and Jewish people because they were both persecuted tribal people. I felt like telling her that the French and Acadians, the Armenians, and probably every group except for the English were all slaughtered at one time or another.
In many American cities there are Holocaust monuments for people who died in Eastern Europe, but nowhere in this country are there equivalent monuments for Native American people.
In the spirit of my blog, I thought about how there are several saints who were born Jewish (and of course later converted) and the Pope will not canonize Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks, who would be the first Native American saint.
When the woman was leaving, she said she hoped that one day all religions and nationalities could live together in harmony. Finally, something I could agree with.
Although there is no Native American saint, the Martyrs of Paraguay are the patron saints of native traditions. St. Alonso Rodriguez, St. Juan de Castillo, and St. Roque Gonzalez (born in Paraguay in 1576) were Jesuit priests who helped establish about 40 settlements called reductions for Christian Indians. The missionaries were guardians/trustess of native people and their traditions.
The trio converted numerous people to Christianity in Paraguay and Brazil. St. Alonso Rodriguez and St. Roque Gonzalez were murdered on Nov. 15, 1628 and St. Juan de Castillo was murdered two days later, all in Brazil. They were canonized in 1988 and their feast day is Nov. 17.

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

2010-11-21T00:00:00.065-05:00

"All generations to come shall call me blessed." (Luke 1:48)

As I organize boxes of Christmas decorations this weekend and pick through beach finds that I will make into ornaments, I'm excited about the coming holiday season. Little by little I'll ease into the merriment. I've been playing my Sheryl Crow "Home for Christmas" CD and pulling out festive winter clothing from last year that's been packed away. I also bought two dressy camisoles that will be perfect for upcoming parties.
Today is the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, far more important than my preparing for the company masquerade party at the Biltmore Hotel or the annual wreath making morning with friends in Perryville.
For a time, Mary's parents, Joachim and Anne could not conceive a child. Then, they received a heavenly message that they would indeed have a daughter. Tradition says that when the Blessed Virgin Mary was three-years-old, her parents took her to the Temple of Jerusalem to be consecrated to God. She was left there for some 10 years and then handed over to Joseph, her future husband, as her guardian.
The Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a time to remember the importance of the holiness bestowed upon Mary from the time of her conception throughout her life and beyond.
In the words of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, "Always stay close to this Heavenly Mother because she is the sea to be crossed to reach the shores of Eternal Splendour."

St. Moses the Black (330 to 405)

2010-11-20T00:00:00.090-05:00

Each November, I check out a local Salvation Army store to find interesting things like old Christmas bulbs, holiday cards in different languages, and items that I remember seeing in stores when I was a child. And just recently when I was there, I was happy to see that many families are able to buy enough clothing to get their children through the winter. It most certainly is not a place to be shunned. There are lots of nice things to be found there.
Furthermore, this weekend, I watched a documentary called "T-Shirt Travels" that showed how second-hand clothing in New Jersey finds its way to Zambia, Africa. Sometimes the Salvation Army doesn't even unpack it but sells it directly to companies.
It was funny in that it showed the exportation of America culture. Children who have no idea who Kurt Cobain or ACDC or the Detroit Pistons are can be seen playing outdoors and wearing t-shirts with such images. To me, they didn't look any different than African American kids running around on basketball courts or in playgrounds in New York City.
I think most people who donate items to the Salvation Army would be surprised to see where they might end up.
St. Moses the Black, the patron saint of Africa, had just as interesting a story. He was born in Egypt in 330. He was a gang leader and a slave to a government official who dismissed him from theft and a possible murder.
St. Moses the Black was described as being a tall, powerful man who terrorized people in the Nile Valley. One day, after committing a crime, he hid out with some monks. After being there for several days, he was so touched by their peaceful and calm ways that he converted to Christianity. Although at first St. Moses the Black found it hard to live a life of serenity, being a former wild man, he soon accepted it fully and became a priest.
Whenever St. Moses the Black was about to be attacked by robbers, he'd bring them back to the monastery and convert them. However, it finally caught up with him when he placed so much trust in a group of bandits and they ended up martyring St. Moses the Black and several other monks in 405.
His feast day is Aug. 28.

St. Margaret the Barefooted (1325 to 1395)

2010-11-19T00:00:00.039-05:00

When you're in a relationship with someone and they tell you it's not their job to pay attention to you, that can truly hurt. And, even worse, if they give you the silent treatment to teach you a lesson, that is abuse.
But, St. Margaret the Barefooted encountered such behavior most of her married life. She was born in San Severino, Italy in 1325. At age 15 she got married. Her husband verbally abused her for many reasons including her love for the Roman Catholic Church and because she took care of the sick and poor.
In order to better relate to the people she helped, St. Margaret the Barefooted dressed like a beggar and went shoeless. She died a widow in 1395. Her feast day is Aug. 27 and she is the patron saint of victims of abuse and difficult marriages.

St. Bibiana (? to 361)

2010-11-18T00:00:00.006-05:00

"To sleep, perchance to dream." (William Shakespeare)

If you are reading this right now and feel depressed or suicidal, please get help. Talk to a friend, a family member, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255). I write this today because many people who are seeking help online often find themselves reading my blog.
They search for a saint that will keep them from jumping off a bridge or some such thing. Although I believe the saints will help, if a person is that far along, they need quick intervention. For the sake of happiness, please read my blog for fun, too.
St. Bibiana is a patron saint against depression and mental illness. She was born in Rome, Italy in the 4th century. When St. Bibiana was a teenager, a local woman tried to force into prostitution. This went on for many months and the young girl continued to refuse, so she was locked away in a mental institution and beaten to death in 361. St. Bibiana's feast day is Dec. 2.
It's not every day, you get the chance to travel to Rome. I'm fortunate to have made the trip three times. There's a small church there dedicated to St. Bibiana which includes her remains . It is located at 154 Via Giovanni Giolitti. Although it was originally a 5th century structure, in the 17th century it was rebuilt and designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, when he was just 26 years old. He sculpted the beautiful statue of St. Bibiana pictured above.

St. Giuseppe Moscati (July 25, 1880 to April 12, 1927)

2010-11-17T00:00:00.056-05:00

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." (William James)

My friend Melissa's husband went into the hospital Sunday with breathing problems from asthma. He's been hooked up to oxygen for several days. They are a young couple with an 18-month-old daughter. Melissa works long hours and with all that's going she still remains calm and positive.
Unfortunately, sometimes we have to see another person's problems in order to put our own lives into perspective. Then, we can be thankful for what we have. But, it shouldn't be that way.
Melissa said she's confident that the doctors know what they're doing and that her husband is in good hands. All she can do now is pray.
For me, it brings to mind St. Giuseppe Moscati, a medical doctor who also performed miracles.He was the first modern day physician to be canonized a saint in 1987.
St. Giuseppe Moscati was born in Benevento, Italy on July 25, 1880 to a wealthy family. He was one of the first doctors to experiment with the use of insulin for diabetics. He also was known for giving his money to the poor to help people that couldn't afford health care.
St. Giuseppe Moscati's piety and love for humankind would seem unimaginable today. Hard economic times or not, doctors just don't do that today. Some won't even see you unless you have health insurance.
St. Giuseppe Moscati was also a professor. He died on April 12, 1927 and is a patron saint of physicians. His feast day is Nov. 16.

St. Lidwina of Schiedam (March 18, 1380 to April 14, 1433)

2010-11-16T00:00:00.081-05:00

The media has made such a big deal that a former speedskater, Kirstin Holum, who participated in the 1998 Winter Olympics, is now a Franciscan nun. Could it be that nuns aren't exactly known for doing cool things?
From what I've read over the years, numerous Roman Catholic clergy members have lived some pretty amazing lives and the saints, well that's a whole other story. Just read my blog starting with January 2010 and you'll find that it's hip to be saint. At least in my book it is.
St. Lidwina of Schiedam is the patron saint of skaters. She was born on March 18, 1380 in the Netherlands. And, unlike the fictitious Hans Brinker, she was a real person who lived long before he made it into print.
St. Lidwina of Schiedam was injured in an ice skating accident at age 16 and remained paralyzed for the rest of her life. Her only intake was the Eucharist and she was prone to visions. Many miracles are said to have happened in her name.
St. Lidwina of Schiedam died on April 14, 1433 and her feast day is April 14.

St. Alphonsa (Aug. 19, 1910 to July 28, 1946)

2010-11-15T00:00:00.075-05:00

"Yoga is bodily gospel." (Reaven Fields)

The global company where I work offers one-hour yoga classes during lunch break. It's convenient because I no longer have time in the evening to go to the yoga studio in my town. It's a fun way to relax in the middle of a busy day. And with so many people stressed out these days, it's no wonder the teacher is in demand all week long and travels to businesses across the state.
And although yoga has really taken off as the "in" thing to do (especially during the past decade), it's been around at least 5,000 years.
Since there is no patron saint of yoga, I will acknowledge the first person canonized a Roman Catholic saint from the country of India, where the practice originated. St. Alphonsa (also known as St. Alphonsa Muttathupadathu) was born on Aug. 19, 1910 in Kudamaloor, Palai.
Her mother died when she was young and she was raised by her aunt. St. Alphonsa was badly burned in an accident which left her disfigured.
She was a member of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation and received her religious habit in 1930. St. Alphonsa was frequently ill throughout her life and it kept her from teaching. She died on July 28, 1946. She was canonized in 2008 and is invoked as the patron saint against illness. Her feast day is July 28.

St. Peter the Exorcist (? to 304)

2010-11-14T00:00:00.054-05:00

There are only a handful of exorcists in the United States these days so the response to the growing demand prompted the Conference on the Liturgical and Pastoral Practice of Exorcism this weekend. It attracted 66 priests and more than 55 bishops.
There is a canon law that states that priests can perform exorcisms with the permission of their bishop and with proper training. I'm concerned as to what's going on in this country. Why are more and more people possessed by demons?
Some bishops are saying not to worry because even though there are more requests for exorcists many of the people in question do not need one. It is thought that the sacrament of penance can help more.
Reports state that especially in Europe exorcisms are common. It's the influence of Hollywood movies in this country that scares the hell out of people.
Holy water, a crucifix, and relics of saints are some of the items used in an exorcism and the person it is being performed on goes through a psychological exam. But, as in the movies, the victims speak in tongues, scratch and bite, and freak out around holy water.
Still, exorcisms are nothing new. St. Peter the Exorcist, who was born in the third century, performed many of them. He lived in Rome, Italy and many of the people he converted to the Roman Catholic faith became saints.
St. Peter the Exorcist died in 304 and his feast day is June 2.

St. Clelia Barbieri (Feb. 13, 1847 to July 13, 1870)

2010-11-13T00:00:00.002-05:00

    St. Clelia Barbieri was the youngest person to establish a Roman Catholic Order (May 1, 1868). It's called the Sisters Mimins of Our Lady of Sorrows (the Congregation of Suore Minime dell' Addolorata).
    She was born on Feb. 13 1847. Her parents were poor hemp farmers. In 1855, her father died and she helped her mother in the fields. She also became extremely religious and worked as a teacher when she was only 14-years-old.
St. Clelia Barbieri was absolutely gorgeous and by age 17, had turned away many marriage offers. She just wanted to live a religious life without men or sex. (I love sex so much that you'd never believe at one point in my life, I considered moving to Italy to join the Poor Clares in Assisi).
Through the Sisters Minims of Our Lady of Sorrows, St. Clelia Barbieri helped the sick, aged, hungry, and poor.
  She died on July 13, 1870 at age 23 from tuberculosis. To this day, a strange phenomenom occurs. St. Clelia Barbieri's voice is heard singing in a chorus in houses and churches where she visited when she was alive.
She was canonized on April 9, 1989 and her feast day is July 13. St. Clelia Barbieri is the patron saint of people ridiculed for their piety.

St. Ralph Sherwin (Oct. 19, 1550 to Dec 1, 1581)

2010-11-12T00:00:00.090-05:00

Two days ago, a young woman was searching my blog because her ex-boyfriend became a priest and she wants to forget him. My response to her is to "count your blessings. It's not like he left you for another woman. He left because he had a calling from God. How cool is that?"
Still, becoming a priest doesn't always have a happy ending. St. Ralph Sherwin was born on Oct. 19, 1550 in Derbyshire, England. He was a classical scholar who earned a master of arts degree from Exeter College in Oxford.
St. Ralph Sherwin converted to Catholicism and was ordained a priest in France in 1577. He studied in Rome, Italy then went back to England to convert other people to Catholicism. In 1580, he was arrested for the crime of priesthood and taken to Marshalsea prison.
St. Ralph Sherwin continued to try and convert people while there and a month later was imprisoned in the Tower of London, tortured on the rack, and thrown in the snow. Queen Elizabeth told him she'd make him a bishop if he left the Roman Catholic Church. He wouldn't and remained in prison one more year then was hanged, drawn, and quartered on Dec. 1, 1581.
St. Ralph Sherwin is one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales who was canonized in 1970 along with St. Anne Line and his feast day is Dec. 1.
(The image above is from englishcollegerome.org)

St. Maria Bertilla Boscardin (Oct. 6, 1888 to Oct. 20, 1922)

2010-11-11T00:00:00.101-05:00

If you think positive thoughts and follow your intuition. beautiful things will happen. So, if someone tells you that you're crazy if you feel certain something is true, trust yourself. I find the answers to questions just by putting them out into the universe.
There are cases where a premonition will be bad. When I was a teenager, I had a dream that my Uncle Vinnie, who was just 44 and in good health, was going to die. It was more of a nightmare. When I awoke, I told my mother. She said that maybe I had a cold and to go back to bed.
Then, three nights later, he died unexpectedly. From that moment, I learned to trust my instincts. When I'd have a feeling about something, it would happen and this pattern has continued for nearly 30 years. It has nothing to do with being born on the day of fateful predictions (March 13). It has to do with intuition. We all have it. We all can learn from it.
This afternoon, a question was on my mind about someone I had run into by chance in town. Then, a few hours later, when I was outside hanging clothes by moonlight, the answer came to me. It was more like a flash. I saw that person today because for two years, I wondered what their connection was to someone I know although, personally, I never thought there as anything notable or even attractive about them.
As this blog comes to a close in December, so too will things that have been on my mind. I will find the answers I've been looking for.
I was told by someone that I ask too many questions. I took it as an insult mainly because I'm a very quiet person. Most people ask questions. How else would you hold a conversion? It could be that the person has something against me and, therefore, although I ask just as many questions as the next person, they only see that as an annoyance from me. Perhaps it could be my years of being a journalist.
But, back to the topic of intuition and drawing things to yourself. I wanted to write about a saint that has a connection to World War I and on my first attempt I found one.
St. Maria Bertilla Boscardin was born Anna Francesca Boscardin on Oct. 6, 1888 in Veneto, Italy. Her father was an insulting drunk and she was only allowed to attend school sporadically. St. Maria Bertilla Boscardin was a peasant girl who worked in the fields.
She joined the order of the Teachers of St. Dorothy, Daughters of the Sacred Heart in Vicenza in 1904. St. Maria Bertilla Boscardin trained as a nurse and cared for children with diphtheria in a hospital ward.
Then, during the Battle of Caporetto, the military took over the hospital, and she took care of the wounded during the air raids and bombings.
St. Maria Bertilla Boscardin died from a tumor Oct. 20, 1922. She was canonized on May 11, 1961 and her feast day is Oct. 20.

St. Ada (7th century)

2010-11-10T00:00:00.050-05:00

    "Come, pensive nun, devout and pure, sober steadfast, and demure, all in a robe of darkest grain, flowing with majestic train."                      (John Milton)

   When people make of fun Roman Catholics, nuns are always a favorite subject. Even last night, when I went to see "The Town," starring Ben Affleck, in one of the biggest car chase scenes, the robbers were dressed like nuns. The masks were scary and the guys wore the traditional habits and robes.
  If the actors dressed up like Hitler, it certainly wouldn't be okay and the movie would probably be banned from theaters. But, I like that many nuns have a sense of humor and the ones who did see "The Town" probably got a kick out of the costumes.
One of the world's most beautiful nuns is one of my favorite saints, St. Clare of Assisi. It's more than the fact that I visited her basilica in Italy. I love her teachings. However, this entry is about St. Ada, the patron saint of nuns.
She was born in 7th century France, working first as a nun at Soissons and later becoming the abbess of St. Julien de Pres Abbey in Le Mans. St. Ada remained a virgin devouted to her faith. She is also the patron saint of all religious woman. Her feast day is Dec. 4.

Blessed Ambrose Sansedoni of Siena (April 16, 1220 to March 20, 1287)

2010-11-09T00:00:00.077-05:00

"Why one man rather than another? It was odd. You find yourself involved with one fellow for life just because he was the one that you met when you were nineteen." (Simeone de Beauvoir)

Is it possible that your high school sweetheart is your one true love? The man or woman you were destined to be with? Although in several cases such marriages or relationships have lastest past the golden anniversary, the answer is probably not. There are how many people on this planet, so what's the chance that you'd find your one and only on the first or second shot?
However, I believe in predestination, so even if a person is in a relationship with someone or marries and gets divorced, it was all mapped out prior to meeting them. There is a reason for everything.
So, logically speaking, it's unlikely that you'd meet the right mate in your teens, but intuitively I believe you can. Why do such things happen? I call them premonitions.
Today's blog entry is about a mystic who is a patron of betrothed and engaged couples. Blessed Ambrose Sansedoni of Siena was born on April 16, 1220 to a noble family. He was so horribly deformed that his mother didn't keep him around and handed him over to a nurse.
Blessed Ambrose Sansedoni of Siena was only a baby, but whenever he was a the local Dominican church with the nurse he perked up and was happy. One day, as she was about to cover his face, a parishioner told her not to. That the baby would be the glory of Siena. Within days, Blessed Ambrose of Sansedoni was no longer deformed.
He joined the Dominicans at age 17 and studied in France and Germany with several saints including St. Thomas Aquinas. And although Blessed Ambrose Sansedoni of Siena wanted to be a writer, he felt he could not match the work of St. Thomas Aquinas so took to preaching.
Blessed Ambrose Sansedoni of Siena died on March 20, 1287. He was beatified on Oct. 8, 1622 and his feast day is Oct. 8.

St. Eulogius of Cordoba (? to March 11, 859)

2010-11-08T00:00:00.060-05:00

At a consignment shop this week, I was immediately drawn to a pendant like the one pictured above (from crosscrucifix.com). It was pinned to a mannequin and hanging from an old chain.
When I got home, I examined it closer and found that it was a dogwood flower made from copper. I put it on a leather cord and haven't taken it off since. The beauty of it is not only visual, but in the legend of the dogwood tree.
It was thought that the Cross that Jesus died on was made from its wood. At the time, the dogwood tree grew tall and wide. To paraphrase the story, the tree was sad, so Jesus made sure its blossoms were a reminder of the Crucifixion. They have two long and two short petals and what looks like nail holes. Also, bits of red color representing the blood can be found on them. Yet, they are also a beautiful color. And so that the tree would never be used as a crucifix again, the branches became thin and delicate.
St. Eulogius of Cordoba is the patron saint of coppersmiths. He was born in Cordoba, Spain to wealthy parents. He worked as a priest and helped survivors during Islamic persecutions. Several times St. Eulogius of Cordoba was jailed for his religious beliefs, but he used his time wisely and wrote a book called "Exhortation to Martyrdom."
He was beheaded on March 11, 859 and is recognized as one of the martyrs of Cordoba. His feast day is March 11.

St. Gebetrude (? to 675)

2010-11-07T00:00:00.035-04:00

"Maybe I just want to fly, I want to live, I don't want to die. Maybe I just want to breathe, maybe I just don't believe, maybe you're the same as me, we see things they'll never see, You and I are gonna live forever." (from Live Forever by Noel Thomas Gallagher)

Most people at one time or another think about what dying will be like. Will they be in pain? Will they know? And I've heard many a conversation where someone says they want to live forever. But, seriously, if you really could, would you want to? All your family and friends would be gone, you probably couldn't get around easily, and who knows what you'd look like.
This week, the oldest person in the world died at age 114. Eugenie Blanchard was a French nun who was born on the Caribbean island of St. Barthelemy (St. Barts) in February 1896. For most of her life, Eugenie's home was in a convent in Curacao. Then, for the past 30 years, she lived in a hospital in St. Barts.
I don't think I'd want to live in a hospital for three decades just to be alive. Reports say that she appeared in good health yet could not speak. I would be afraid to hear people's voices and not be able to respond.
I dedicate today's post to the memory of Eugenie since Nov. 7 is the feast day of another French nun. St. Gebetrude was born in the late 6th/early 7th century in France. Little is known about her. St. Gebetrude lived in the Benedictine Abbey of Remiremont. She died in 675.
The painting above is called "A Nun," by Boris Kustodiev, 1901.

St. Kiara (? to c.680)

2010-11-06T00:00:00.078-04:00

Trinity College in Dublin recently announced the results of a study of more than 500 women in 12 counties in the Irish Republic which revealed that Irish Catholic women feel a lack of respect from the church. That was 74 percent of participants did not feel appreciated.
Big deal, one might say. However, when compared to the 6.3 of Protestant women who feel a similar way, what is this saying about the Roman Catholic Church?
A priest at an Irish parish in Dublin said he would ban the newspaper, "The Irish Catholic," that released the originial article from his church because it upset parishioners.
The survey has caused many people to speak up including one man who said if you go to church to feel appreciated, you'd better rethink the basics of Catholicism. But, the priest insists that the survey represented just a handful of people, not all Irish Catholic women in his country.
It seems like boisterous priests are everywhere this week. Yesterday, when I was at the local religious store dropping off some instrumental Christmas CDs, a priest from the church down the street stopped in to see if the books he ordered were ready. The proprietor told him they weren't and that he didn't realize they were a "rush" order.
The priest, speaking in a loud voice so everyone could hear, said that he could have bought them on Amazon and was trying to give the store business. He left in a huff.
The proprietor seemed a bit shaken that a priest had spoken to him that way. He said he planned to order the books with his weekly shipment.
"Don't let it ruin your day," I said. "His behavior was an example of why so many people are turned off by the church."
Yes. Apparently something needs to be done, if people don't feel comfortable at Mass. Yet, aren't we supposed to make our own happiness? There are things that should be overlooked. I'd say that the actions of one or two or even three clergy people shouldn't rule how we feel about church.
If you don't like the particular teachings of one priest, go to Mass when another priest is there or maybe to a neighboring parish.
And if the Irish Catholic survey made women feel left out by the church, imagine how it was in the days of St. Kiara (also known as St. Kiara of Kilkeary)?
She was born near Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland in the 7th century. The little that is known about her states that she could be a combination of many women. What is known is that St. Kiara was a virgin maiden who studied religion with St. Finian. She died c.680 and the Benedictine monks named the town Kilkeary for her.
St. Kiara's feast day is Oct. 13. The painting of her above is by Yoshihiko Wada.

St. Genevieve (422 to 512)

2010-11-05T00:00:00.105-04:00

How can people have so much admiration for Mark Twain when he said so many horrible things about the French? It's disgusting that he'll always be remembered as one of the greatest American writers when he could speak that way about a country and its people.
It could be that I'm half French and I don't want to hear negative things about my heritage. I also work for a French company. So, I've been thinking about France quite a bit lately and would love to return there for a visit.
Since this blog will come to an end on December 31, it wouldn't be complete without mention of St. Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris.
She was born a poor peasant girl in Nanterre, France in 422. When St. Genevieve was a young child, St. Germaine of Auxerre visited her neighborhood. She told him she wished to live a spiritual life devoted to God and he encouraged her to become a nun. At age 15, St. Genevieve took her vows.
She helped the poor through charitable acts. St. Genevieve was a vegetarian and ate just two meals a week. Her days included communicating with people in the afterlife and also experiencing visions and prophecies.
Many people made fun of her for this behavior. However, that stopped when Attila the Hun was about to invade Paris and St. Genevieve told them to fast and pray. Through divine intervention, he changed his course.
St. Genevieve died in 512 and her feast day is Jan. 3.

Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (May 29, 1769 to June 9, 1837)

2010-11-04T00:00:00.085-04:00

When I arrived in Siena, Italy, it was late at night and all the hotels were booked in the walled city. And since I had taken a bus there, it's not like I could easily move on to the next city or town. So, the later it became, panic set in. And then, just around midnight, a kind concierge found me a room. It was sparse, but it was better than sleeping outdoors.
The following night, I had a choice of hotels and a chance to explore the city's beauty and learn more about its patron, St. Catherine.
Since Siena is a place frozen in medieval times, I was surprised to find that lesser known Blessed Anna Maria (Giannetti) Taigi, who was born there on May 29, 1769, lived much like the women of today.
She was absolutely beautiful. Yet, she was always concerned about her appearance and clothing. Perhaps it was because her husband, Dominico Taigi, was verbally abusive. Since she was so appealing, he may have figured he'd better put her down and make her feel insecure. That way, she'd stay with him. And she did. They were married for 48 years and had seven children.
But, that didn't stop Blessed Anna Maria Taigi from having an extramarital affair. From my point of view, I can feel her pain. Maybe her husband paid no attention to her, so she figured he wouldn't care if she cheated on him. But, he continued to verbally abuse her for what happened, rather than think about how she only wanted to feel loved. He's the one who drove her away.
Then one day, while Blessed Anna Maria Taigi was at St. Peter's at the Vatican, a feeling came over her like the Holy Ghost was present. At that moment, she decided that worldly matters were no longer important. This woman who had cheated on her husband was now closer to God. Like many modern men, Dominic Taigi probably continued to taunt her.
The more spiritually she lived, the more intuitive she became. Blessed Anna Maria Taigi was a mystic. Her clairvoyance was spectacular. So, even though she helped the sick and poor, her neighbors would gossip about her. Who was this woman who could predict the future? Why did she walk amongst them?
At age five, Blessed Anna Maria Taigi moved to Rome with her parents who had lost their apothecary business. She was just 20-years-old when she married Dominico Taigi.
Blessed Anna Maria Taigi died on June 9, 1837. Her body is incorrupt. She was beatified on May 30, 1920. She is a patron of mothers, housewives, and victims of verbal and spousal abuse.

St. Bridget of Sweden (1303 to July 23, 1373)

2010-11-03T00:00:00.091-04:00

There's a chance that I am the only person in the world with an unused ticket for an audience with the Pope. Back when I was in my twenties, I had to obtain permission letters from priests, the bishop, and the head of my diocese and I still could have been rejected. But, I did receive a coveted ticket for a Wednesday morning audience with Pope John Paul II which was scheduled during my second trip to Europe.
As I mentioned in my blog in April, the night before the event, I was whisked away to Frascati, Italy by a man I had met that evening as I walked down the Via Condotti in Rome (read about it here). I stayed out all night and overslept.
At the time, I could care less that I missed a Papal blessing. I remember my mother's disappointment when she found out. Now, I often wonder what the experience would have offered.
Last week, Pope Benedict XVI dedicated his audience to St. Bridget of Sweden, in part, for being a pious wife and mother. She was a mystic born in Sweden in 1303.
St. Bridget of Sweden married a man named Ulf at age 13 and had eight children including St. Catherine of Sweden. After her husband's death in 1344, St. Bridget of Sweden devoted the remainder of her life to religion. She founded the Bridgettine Order c.1350 which was open to men and women.
St. Bridget of Sweden died on July 23, 1373. She is a patron saint of Sweden, Europe, and widows. Her feast day is July 23.

All Souls Day

2010-11-02T00:00:00.072-04:00

When I was at gallery night in Providence a couple of weeks ago, my favorite part of the evening was spent at Peaceable Kingdom looking at all the neat folk art items pertaining to the Day of the Dead (Nov. 2 ). What I like about the store is that the owners often go to the countries and purchase the wares directly from the artists.
I was surprised to find one of the most beautiful pieces of clothing I've ever seen and which I now own: a jacket with the image of Our Lady Guadalupe on the back with milagros (small religious charms found in Latin America) pinned to the front. It's cut like a traditional denim jacket and is made with beautiful dark blue cloth.
Today is All Souls Day. Although I think of my deceased relatives each and every day (it's hard not to remember the departed who played an important role in my life), Roman Catholics pay respect to the dead on Nov. 2: those who are in Heaven and the souls of the faithful in Purgatory.
Seventh century monks are credited with celebrating the first All Souls Day with a Mass on the day after Pentecost for deceased family, friends, and members of the community.
In the late tenth century, Benedictine monks at the monastery in Cluny, France moved the Mass to Nov. 2, so it would be the day after All Saints Day.
It may seem morbid to some, but recognizing the deceased is totally acceptable on Memorial Day, so All Souls Day shouldn't be any different.
Last week, I found a book on the history of the Day of the Dead in Mexico and other countries at a library book sale and now I consider myself more educated on the subject (especially the sugar candy skulls that are used as food offerings to the dead). And I got my five-year-old nephew Eric, whose birthday is Nov. 2, a special Day of the Dead puzzle as a Halloween gift with candy.

"The day which we fear as our last is the but the birthday of eternity." (Lucius Annaeus Seneca)

All Saints Day

2010-11-01T00:00:00.093-04:00

"I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints..."

(The Apostles' Creed)

As a 27-year-old, on my first trip to Europe, I wandered into the Pantheon in Rome, Italy not knowing its significance to All Saints Day. It was there on May 13, c.609/610 that Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon to the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the martyrs making it the first Solemnity of All Saints.
Although I neglected to attend Mass today, as it is a Holy Day of Obligation (and a national holiday in many Roman Catholic countries), I take comfort in knowing that I was at the place of the feast's origins and thus hope that counts for something.
All Saints Day as we know it celebrated on Nov. 1 is credited to Pope Gregory III (731-741) for the foundation of an oratory in St. Peter's at the Vatican for the relics of the Holy Apostles and all saints, martyrs, and confessors.
I began writing this blog in January 2010 as a way of offering recognition to Roman Catholic saints (it now includes blesseds and venerables) along with personal anecdotes. So it is my hope that whoever is reading this entry will say one big prayer for all the saints as well their favorites.
And to those of us who been far from saintly, remember the words of St. Francis of Assisi who said, "I have been all things unholy. If God can work through me, he can work through anyone."

All Hallows Eve

2010-10-31T00:00:00.074-04:00

Halloween is as exciting for me now as it was when I was a child. From my earliest memory of dressing up as Little Red Riding Hood and visiting my Aunt Violet and Uncle Frank... to when I was a 14-year-old watching the original "Halloween" when it hit the movie theaters with my friends in 1978... to, today, as I carve a huge jack-o-lantern in record time, roast pumpkins seeds, and dress for the occasion (last year, I was Blessed Kateri Tekawitha, and this year, I'm a coyote).
Yet, the real reason for the day is more often than not overshadowed by ghosts, goblins, or princesses. It is the vigil of All Saints Day (Nov. 1): an evening that should be filled with light. In a world abundant with sin, greed, hate, and poverty, the saints will help light our way.
In preparation for All Saints Day, I recall this quote by Blessed Teresa of Calcutta:
"Keep in mind that our community is not composed of people who are already saints, but of those who are trying to become saints. Therefore let us be extremely patient with each other's faults and failures."

Blessed John Slade (? to Nov. 2, 1583)

2010-10-30T00:00:00.059-04:00

"Halloween," "The Thing," "The Bride of Chucky," "Practical Magic," and "From Dusk Till Dawn," are on 24/7 this weekend and they're all movies that people recognize. However, there's a gruesome death that really did happen and few people know about.
Blessed John Slade was born in Manston, Dorsetshire, England. He was educated at New College in Oxford and later worked as a schoolteacher.
But, Blessed John Slade was true to his faith and refused to accept King Henry XIII's spiritual beliefs. So, on Nov. 2, 1583 Blessed John Slade was hanged, drawn, and quartered.
He was beatified on Dec. 15, 1929, just a week after being named a venerable. His feast day is today.

St. Stanislaw Soltys Kazimierczyk (Sept. 27, 1433 to May 3, 1489)

2010-10-29T00:00:00.096-04:00

A major literary agent in Boston contacted me today to say that although she loves "A Sinner's Guide to the Saints" and will continue to read it, she doesn't like Roman Catholic things. Is this because she's Jewish?
My intent is create a body of work that is spiritual and available to people of all religions. From the feedback that I'm getting, it exceeds anything I could have imagined. The saints are available to help all of us is, in part, my mantra.
The literary agent added that my personal anecdotes and adventures to basilicas, shrines, and such throughout Europe. Canada, and the United States would make this book one of mass appeal because it encompasses so many things that cannot be replicated.
She closed by saying she is certain an enthusiastic editor or agent will contact me soon.
I'm surprised that in this day and age, someone would feel a prejudice toward Roman Catholics, especially someone of a religion that is so frequently bashed. I understand she has a personal and professional bias for working with authors of her own faith, so I respect her honesty.
However, if you insult a Jew, it's antisemitic and considered a hate crime. If you insult a Roman Catholic, it seems to be okay.
When I was a young girl attending Mass at St. Michael's Church in Georgiaville, Rhode Island, one of the priests was the late Father Edward Flannery, author of the "Anguish of the Jews: Twenty-Three Centuries of Antisemitism."
Indeed, it was an honor to know Father Flannery. His book was published a year after I was born in 1965 and it is still being reprinted. It was his life's mission to reconcile Christians and Jews. Sometimes I wonder if listening to Father Flannery speak influenced my decision to marry a Jewish guy (my now ex-husband who I've been divorced from for more than 20 years) when I was 22-years-old.
There is no patron saint against religious prejudice, so I've decided to write about St. Stanislaw Soltys Kazimierczyk, one of the six most recent saints canonized on Oct. 17, 2010.
He was born on Sept. 27, 1433 in Kazimierz, Poland. He joined the Canons Regular of the Lateran in 1456. St. Stanislaw Soltys Kazimierczyk was a priest who earned two doctorates in theology and philosophy from Jagiellonian University of Krakow. He was a good friend of St. John Cantius.
St. Stanislaw Soltys Kazimierczyk died on May 3, 1489 and his feast day is May 5.

St. Dionysius the Aeropagite (? to c.95)

2010-10-28T00:00:00.073-04:00

"You shall not allow a sorceress to live." (Exodus 22:18)

It's the time of year when I wonder what it would have been like to live during the Salem Witch Trials. Being from New England, I think about visiting Salem every October although I do go there several times a year on the "off season."

Short of giving a history lesson, here's a quick refresher. In February 1692, Abigail Williams, age 11, and her cousin, Betty Parris, age 9, began throwing fits or seizures. A local doctor suggested it was "bewitchment." But, most of the townspeople said the girls were doing it for attention or had experienced food poisoning. Sometimes I think that if I were Abigail or Betty and had to live in Puritan New England, I probably would have done the same thing with my cousins, to spark some excitement.

In 1976, a scholar/scientist claimed that perhaps the strange behavior of Abigail and Betty was caused by eating fungus-infected rye.

Whatever the reason, it sparked the Salem Witch Trials, causing the deaths of 19 innocent people. The cousins soon had a following of young teenage girls who also acted in demonic fashion.

One of the first three people accused of being a witch was a slave named Tituba. Of course, she wasn't one. However, after being tormented by her accusers, she "confessed" that she had spoken with the Devil and thus set off the hysteria.

St. Dionysius the Aeropagite is the patron saint against the Devil. He lived during the time of Jesus Christ and a legend is told that he observed an eclipse during the Crucifixion (depicted above).

St. Dionysius the Aeropagite was converted by St. Paul. He was the first bishop of Athens, Greece. He died a martyr in c.95 and his feast day is Oct. 9.

St. Candida Maria of Jesus (March 31, 1845 to Aug. 9, 1912)

2010-10-27T00:00:00.052-04:00

When my mother was applying to colleges, my grandfather told her she could be either a registered architect like he was, a teacher, or a nurse. That was it. She desperately wanted to move to New York and study to be an investigative reporter, but he would not hear it.
My mother earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in education and was a school teacher for 35 years. Back then, in the mid 1950s, when she graduated from high school, women were expected to get married and have a family. Men were the ones who went to college, so I've been told.
But, one of the newest Roman Catholic saints, St. Candida Maria of Jesus, who was canonized on Oct. 17, 2010, made it part of her life's mission to help women have a proper education. And this was in the 1800s.
She was born Juana Josefa Cipitria Barriola on March 31, 1845 in Guipuzcoa, Spain. When she was 18, she left home to work as a maid, but soon had a spiritual calling.
St. Candida Maria of Jesus founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Jesus on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in 1871. Her spiritual teachings were based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
She worked to help women and children through education and the establishment of schools and colleges. St. Candida Maria of Jesus died in Salamanca, Spain on Aug. 9, 1912 and her feast day is Aug. 9.

St. Timothy (c.17 to c.80)

2010-10-26T00:00:00.087-04:00

"Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you." (Princess Diana)

It's tough to see good people go through bad times. Eighteen months ago, my friend Liane lost her job. She had bills to pay and no other means of income. She also had family problems. But, instead of sitting around feeling sorry for herself, she made an effort to find new employment. A few months later, she was hired by another company.
Now, she is six months pregnant and is expecting a daughter. Liane has colitis so she's on medication and will have a C-section on Jan. 24, which is the feast day of St. Timothy, the patron saint against intestinal disease. Since there's no such thing as a coincidence, I'm certain it's an indicator she'll be fine.
St. Timothy was born c.17 to a Christian father and a Jewish mother. At age 30, he became a follower of St. Paul the Apostle.
St. Timothy had a strong knowledge of the Scriptures and travelled with St. Paul the Apostle who named him bishop of Ephesus in 65. He was stoned to death c.80 because he refused to recognize Dionysius, a pagan God.
The painting above of St. Timothy and his pious grandmother is by Rembrandt.

Blessed John Licci (1400 to Nov. 14, 1511)

2010-10-25T00:00:00.026-04:00

On my way into the supermarket yesterday, after a hearty brunch and refreshing walk along an Aquidneck Island beach, I spoke with an acquaintance whose son had a brain injury seven years ago.
Apparently, the kid was in a fight when he was 19-years-old and never fully recovered from the blow to his head.
"It's something I have to deal with every day," said Pete, looking exhausted. "It's a daily battle. My son is disagreeable, confused, and he won't keep appointments. He'll be this way for the rest of his life."
I don't know Pete that well, so I certainly couldn't offer my idea to him, lest he think I'm a religious whack job. But, I'm often asked how a blessed becomes a saint by people who know I write this blog.
Blessed John Licci (also known as Blessed Giovanni Liccio), the patron against head injuries, needs one more miracle to reach sainthood. At this point, the number of miracles needed is two.
Even though Pete's son already received a head injury, he could be cured by intercession through Blessed John Licci who was born in Caccamo, Palermo, Sicily, Italy in 1400.
Blessed John Licci's mother died in childbirth and his father often had to leave him to work in the fields. The baby's diet consisted of mashed pomegranate. It was considered Italian peasant food along with polenta. Although, today, both are considered delicacies in a way, or are on menus in fancy restaurants. (I used to share pomegranates with my own grandfather when I was a kid.)
A legend is told that one day, the cries of baby Blessed John Licci, who had been left unattended, were heard by a neighbor. The woman took him into her house and cared for him while his father working. She put the baby next to her paralyzed husband and his disease was cured.
The woman told Blessed John Licci's father what had happened and at first he didn't believe her. But, as soon as the baby went home, the husband returned to being paralyzed. When Blessed John Licci's father took him back to the neighbor's house, the man's paralysis was cured.
So, the woman was allowed to care for the baby, so that her husband could walk.
At age 15, Blessed John Licci joined the Dominicans. He was in the order as a priest for 96 years, thought to be the longest time ever for a member.
Blessed John Licci founded the convent of St. Zita. He died on Nov. 14, 1511 at age 111. He was beatified on April 25, 1753.

St. Ulrich of Augsburg (c.890 to July 4, 973)

2010-10-24T00:00:00.053-04:00

More than a decade before my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she and my father did a novena for a happy death. I recall her being hopeful that when her time was up, she would leave this world in a peaceful way.
So, when I watched my mother suffer through chemotherapy and radiation treatments, lose all her hair, and dwindle down to under 70 lbs. at a very young age, it saddened me that the happy death novena didn't work. Through it all, she never complained. And, I encouraged her that the cancer would go away and she would be cured.
I often wish that I had prayed harder to the saints or a blessed for her recovery. I spent countless nights at St. Anne's Shrine in Fall River, Mass. lighting candles and asking for divine intervention, although in my heart, I knew the cancer would take her life.
The French essayist Jean de la Bruyere once said, "Out of difficulties grow miracles." In the situation I write about, it wasn't meant to be.
Who knows? Maybe my mother did have a happy death and she just didn't feel the need to talk about it. Perhaps she felt comfort from within during her final days. At least I'd like to believe that.
The first saint to be officially canonized by the Vatican on July 4, 993, was St. Ulrich of Augsburg, the patron saint of a happy death.
He was born c.890 in Zurich, Switzerland. St. Ulrich of Augsburg lived a life of humility, poverty, and simplicity. He studied at the monastic school of St. Gall in Switzerland. In 924, he was named the bishop of Augsburg, Germany.
St. Ulrich of Augsburg died on July 4, 973. It only took 20 years for him to become a saint. His feast day is July 4.

St. Mary MacKillop (Jan. 15, 1842 to Aug. 8, 1909)

2010-10-23T00:00:00.093-04:00

   When people bash the Roman Catholic Church, one of the first things they complain about is pedophile priests. This is certainly not what the earlier popes wanted to happen when they imposed celibacy on the priesthood. However, the sin of child molestation is certainly not confined to clergymen.
   There's a much wider societal problem than that. But, priests seem to be the easiest target. The "don't ask, don't tell" attitude has not benefitted the Roman Catholic Church. In my opinion, psychological testing during their time in the seminary might weed out potential offenders.
Still, the problem isn't something new. Last Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010, St. Mary MacKillop, who was excommunicated for a period of five months in 1871 for exposing a pedophile priest, was canonized the first Roman Catholic saint from Australia.
She was born in Fitzroy, Melbourne on Jan. 15, 1842, the oldest of eight children in a poverty-stricken family. St. Mary MacKillop is also known as St. Mary of the Cross. She taught Aboriginal school children for free.
   She  co-founded the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart in 1866, a group of women dedicated to helping the sick and poor. St. Mary MacKillop and, more than 45 nuns in her order, were excommunicated from the church, in part, for exposing a pedophile priest. The bishop later revoked his decision.
   St. Mary MacKillop died on Aug. 8, 1909 and her feast day is Aug. 8.

St. Pharaildis (c.650 to c.740)

2010-10-22T00:00:00.118-04:00

After work today, I stopped by a local shoe repair store, and was greeted by a large crucifix (the size you 'd see in a church) as I entered the door. I asked the cobbler, whose name was Mike, the story behind it (although it was my first time meeting him) and he told me he found it in a dumpster the day he was given a four percent chance of surviving melanoma.
"The doctors told me my chances of living were pretty slim and, the same day, I found that," Mike said, pointing to the crucifix above the doorway. "It saved me, but not my daughter or wife."
Mike talked openly about his 8-year-old child dying from cancer (the fifth-year anniversary of her death was the next day) and how four months later, on Valentine's Day, his wife died unexpectedly from a tumor on her ovary.
"The doctors in the emergency room kept telling her it was stress pains from the loss of our daughter," he continued. "I took her to the hospital four times and they said it was nothing. She died in the ER."
When my shoes were ready, I thanked Mike for sharing his story and wished him well with his store. He said he works non-stop to keep his mind off depressing things like illness and death.
"If you don't mind my asking, do you believe in God?" I said.
Mike said he'd survived car crashes, gunshot wounds, and cancer, so his answer was "yes."
When I left the store, I realized the insignificance of my worrying about trivial things. That Mike losing a daughter was something serious.
St. Pharaildis is the patron saint against childhood illness. She was born in Ghent, Belgium c.650 and was the sister of St. Gudula.
St. Pharaildis took a vow of chastity before she was forced to marry a rich nobleman. He physically abused her because she would not have sex with him. She insisted that she was "married" to God and would spend late nights praying in the church.
Finally, her husband died, and the widowed St. Pharaildis was free. She created a well where the waters cured sick children. She died c.740 and her feast day is Jan. 4.

St. Giulia Salzano (Oct. 13, 1846 to May 17, 1929)

2010-10-21T00:00:00.037-04:00

When I was a kid, the most popular catechism teachers were the ones that gave out candy at the end of class. Obviously, it was a way to keep the unruly students in line. I was one of the few who didn't need an incentive to stay in my seat and learn about the Holy Ghost, the Apostles, or the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Aside from loving ballet class, my second favorite "hobby" along with astrology was learning about the lives of the saints. I liked looking at their pictures in books and wondering what it would be like to be martyred.
  This week, on Oct. 17, 2010, six Roman Catholic saints were canonized. Among them were St. Andre Bessette whose home (St. Joseph Oratory in Montreal, Canada) I visited at age 12, two years before he was venerated, and St. Camilla Battista de Varano, an Italian princess, nun, and member of the Poor Clares.
  St. Giulia Salzano, was also canonized this week. She was a teacher and catechist born on Oct. 13, 1846 in Santa Maria Capua Vetere, Caserta, Italy.
  St. Giulia Salzano was raised and educated by the Sisters of Charity in the Royal Orphanage of St. Nicola La Strada until she was in her teens. She founded the Congregation of the Catechetical Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1905. Her deepest devotion was to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
St. Giulia Salzano died on May 17, 1929 in Casoria, Naples and her feast day is May 17.

St. Camilla Battista da Varano (April 9, 1458 to May 31, 1524)

2010-10-20T00:00:00.027-04:00

"Two angels came to me, dressed in resplendent white garments which I have seen only worn by Jesus. They had wings of gold. One of them took my soul from the right side, the other from the left side, and they elevated it in the air, laying it down near the crucified feet of the Son of God made Man."
(Camilla Battista da Varano, 1491)

Nearly 500 years after her death, St. Camilla Battista da Varano, a princess, a member of the Poor Clares, and a prolific writer, was canonized a saint on Oct. 17, 2010. It's an exciting contrast to St. Andre Bessette, also canonized that day, who lived in the 20th century.
St. Camilla Battista da Varano was born in Camerino, Macerata, Italy, on the Adriatic coast on April 9, 1458. Her father wanted her to have a husband, but she chose to enter the Poor Clares convent in Urbano at age 23.
The order was founded by St. Clare of Assisi who I first learned about at age 7, when I was taken against my will to see the Franco Zeffirelli film "Brother Sun, Sister Moon." Twenty years later, as a curious skeptic, I visited Assisi, Italy because of the movie and the experience of seeing the robe, sandals, and pillow (rock) of St. Francis, changed my life.
At age 25, St. Camilla Battista da Varano relocated to the monastery of Santa Maria Nuova in Camerino. Her father and brothers were killed under the persecution of Cesare Borgia in 1502.
Among her many writings was an autobiography written in 1491 and cited in the quote above. She died in Macerata on May 31, 1524 and her feast day is May 31.

(The image of St. Camilla Battista da Varano is from Frati Minori di Puglia e Molise)

St. Laura of Cordoba (? to 864)

2010-10-19T00:00:00.067-04:00

This lovely image of St. Laura of Cordoba is from http://www.olacathedralgifts.com/

"Saint Laura, in her sleep of death,
Preserves beneath the tomb
---'Tis willed where what is willed must be---
In incorruptibility
Her beauty and her bloom."
(from Gryll Grange by Thomas Love Peacock, 1860)

One summer, when I was in my teens, I had just finished boiling a dozen sweet corn for a cookout and was about to pour the water out and drain the ears into a colander in the sink. Unfortunately, the pot tipped backwards onto my bikini-clad body and the scalding water went, instead, onto my stomach.
The pain was excruciating and I've yet to feel anything quite so horrible. I remember my cousins scrambling to put cold water and ice packs on my skin. My stomach hurt for several days, but the pain I felt is nothing compared to the martyrdom of St. Laura of Cordoba.
She was born in Cordoba, Spain and lived amongst Muslims. After being widowed, St. Laura of Cordoba became a nun then eventually abbess at Cuteclara. The Muslims captured her and threw her into a pot of boiling oil, hence, she was scalded to death.
St. Laura of Cordoba is recognized as one of the Martyrs of Cordoba. Her feast day is today.

Our Lady of Medjugorje

2010-10-18T00:00:00.074-04:00

Five months before Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia (Dec. 1991), I met a young guy from Sarajevo, who was in his twenties like me, on a train to Salerno, Italy. He noticed I was American by my sneakers (which I tossed away that afternoon and replaced with Italian leather sandals for the duration of my trip) and said he was curious to know how I felt about the war that was going in Yugoslavia.
He and his family had escaped from the country and were now trying to set up a home in Salerno, where his mother grew up.
"All I know about Yugoslavia is a place called Medjugorje," I said slightly embarrassed. "That people have seen a remarkable light or something like it that there has to do with the Virgin Mary. My mom's friend, Jackie, went there and the metal on her rosary beads turned to gold."
Since I had just had a life-altering experience in Assisi, Italy (birthplace of St. Francis) a few days earlier, I was eager to know how the young man felt about God with his country being torn to pieces as we spoke.
He said he didn't know what to believe and advised to me to stay away from Yugoslavia whether the Virgin Mary appeared there or not. I can still remember his fearful eyes and skinny body. He's the only person, I've ever met from Sarajevo.
Still, I was fascinated by the story. On June 24, 1981, the apparitions began. Six children claim to have seen the Blessed Virgin Mary in Medjugorje (which was then part of socialist Yugoslavia). Maria Lunetti said she saw it every 25th day of the month and Mirjana Soldo on the 2nd day of the month, respectively.
Since that time, 30 million people have visited the site where the sun spins around turning amazing colors with hearts and crosses whizzing by. Some people have gone blind from it; others have had miracles happen to them.
On June 4, 2008, Pope Benedict blessed a statue of Our Lady of Medjugorje in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. Even though there are still many skeptics, on March 17, 2010 the Vatican announced it would begin a formal investigation of the apparitions appearing at Medjugorje.

St. John the Dwarf (c.339 to c.405)

2010-10-17T00:00:00.117-04:00

    (Image of St. John the Dwarf by Michael Goltz)

At an art show I worked at this weekend, I met a young girl who said she was a Roman Catholic, but didn't practice it. It's not that I have conversations with people about religion every day. She just happened to notice the pink tank tops that were for sale with "A Sinner's Guide to the Saints" printed on them.
   I explained it's my blog and I write it help people, spiritual or otherwise. The teen said she was interested in knowing more and would definitely check it out. So, I handed her a tank top as a gift which she gladly accepted.
Since I started promoting Roman Catholic saint through this blog back in January, I've gotten a tremendous, positive response from the people who are reading it. They have no idea who I am, yet they've sent me comments thanking me for inspiring them.
  In my own life, I've had trouble "obeying," so I've been told. And it just happens to coincide with the feast day of St. John the Dwarf (Oct. 17) who is recognized for his obedience and humility.
He was born in Basta, Egypt in c.339 and as a young boy moved to the desert of Scetes. St. John the Dwarf was a disciple of St. Pambo who one day told him to plant a stick in the ground and water it each day.
St. John the Dwarf did not question it and for the next three years watered the stick twice a day. It involved walking 24 miles each day to get the water.
Then, one day. the stick sprouted into a bountiful fruit tree. St. Pambo distributed the fruit to the older monks preaching, "take, eat from the fruit of obedience."
The tree, known as the "Tree of Obedience," is said to still exist today in the deserted St. John the Dwarf monastery in the Nitrian Desert.
Before his death in c.405, St. John the Dwarf moved to Mount Colzim, Egypt.

(St. Andre Bessette was canonized today at St. Peter's Square, the Vatican. Please read the blog entry I wrote on Feb. 19, 2010, when the announcement was made that Blessed Brother Andre would be declared a saint, by clicking on his name in blue lettering.)

St. Wolfgang of Ratisbon (924 to 994)

2010-10-16T00:00:00.084-04:00

Every couple of months, I go to an open mic with musician friends who want to hang out and play. I'm not big on this type of thing, since I had my fill with an ex-boyfriend who founded a state songwriter's association more than 20 years ago.
But, this particular open mic is always a fun night, especially since it attracts a mixed crowd. There are teenagers who want to be "discovered," older folks who can no longer find a venue that will book them, average people passing through the city, and middle-aged non-musicians who are looking to pick up a date.
But, the most unusual part of the night is the people in their seventies and eighties that make pencil drawings of the performers. It's impressive in that the open mic participants only do two or three songs and when they're finished, the portrait is too.
Last night, at the open mic, I witnessed something very disturbing, which is the point of today's blog entry. There's a elderly man, partially paralyzed by a stroke, that's a regular attendee. When everyone was packing up to leave, another senior citizen, who is there every week, yelled and screamed at the man, saying that he spilled coffee on one of his drawings and he had better be more careful.
How could someone treat another person that way? The man is paralyzed so, obviously, he has a problem with motor skills. The situation reminded me of the mother I saw on Block Island last weekend yelling and swearing at her young son because he was having trouble keeping up with her on his bicycle.
There will always be people that treat the elderly and young children with disrespect. Even if there's not much I can do about it now, I'm certain that they'll get their payback time in purgatory.
St. Wolfgang of Ratisbon is a patron saint of stroke victims. He was born in Swabia, Germany in 924. He was bishop of Bavaria from 972 to 994.
St. Wolfgang was a dear friend to St. Aurelia, the hermitess. He spent his days doing charitable deeds for the sick and poor, preaching, promoting education, and restoring monasteries. St. Wolfgang died in 994. His feast day is Oct. 31, All Hallow's Eve.

St. Aurelia (? to 1027)

2010-10-15T00:00:00.069-04:00

"I want to be alone." (Greta Garbo in Grand Hotel, 1932)

No one ever seems to be happy with their living situation. I know a guy who hasn't been in a relationship in several years and whenever I see him he says he'd love to have a girlfriend to share his life and make a home with. Yet, a friend who has been married for 26 years, recently confided that she would love to live by herself. Come to find out, she suspects her husband is having an affair with a much younger co-worker.
We all have days that we want to be alone. But, if you're the person who asked someone to move in with you, and they share the expenses, you should probably keep your mouth shut instead of saying "I wish I could go away on a vacation alone and get some quiet time."
In other words, being in a relationship is a little give and a little take. Nothing about it will ever be perfect. So, if you're fantasizing about the woman or man who's 25 years younger, they're probably not easy to get along with either.
Personally, I don't take people for granted. Maybe it's because I've experienced the deaths of so many close relatives. So, I know how short life is. Instead of complaining about the relationship you're in, get out it if you're not happy.
St. Aurelia, a princess, was one tough woman. She didn't want to get married so took the easy way out. She became a hermitess and lived in a Benedictine Abbey in Salzburg, Austria for more than 50 years.
The only person that knew she existed was St. Wolfgang, Bishop of Ratisbon. Today, living like a hermit wouldn't be practical. Still, it's nice to think that's a possibility.
St. Aurelia's life in seclusion came to an end with her death in 1027. Her feast day is today.

St. Angadrisma (615 to 695)

2010-10-14T00:00:00.043-04:00

        "Having money is like being a blond. It is more fun but not vital."
                                                                                          (Mary Quant)

I love to be told that I look nice. Who doesn't appreciate a compliment every once in a while? Of course, we all know it's what's inside the person that counts. Still, I do notice that many times it's the least physically attractive people that tend to laugh outlandishly or tell dirty jokes or do something to draw attention to themselves, and it works. All eyes are on them.
   In the case of St. Angadrisma, looks really did matter. And, that worked to her advantage. She was born in 615 and it was her wish to become a nun. Yet, it was arranged as such that she would wed St. Ansbert of Chausey.
St. Angadrisma had the idea to pray and pray and pray that she would be allowed to pursue her dream job and contracted disfiguring leprosy just long enough for St. Ansbert of Chausey to find another woman to marry.
The legend goes that once the wedding vows were taken, St. Angadrisma's leprosy disappeared. Now, free to do as she pleased, she studied under St. Omer and her cousin, St. Iaambert, in preparation for work. Then, she became the abbess of the Benedictine monastery in Arver, France.
St. Angadrima's story is one of happily ever after. By purposely losing the guy, she lived on her own terms as an independent woman until her death in 695. Her feast day is today.

St. Bartholomew the Apostle (1st century)

2010-10-13T00:00:00.151-04:00

     "Once you begin to believe there is help 'out there,' you will know it to be true."                     (St. Bartholomew)

   After a long, beautiful beach hike earlier this week, I returned to my car in the parking lot to find an elderly man with Alzheimer's disease lost and confused. I asked him if he was okay and he said that he was but didn't know where his car was or who brought him there.
Fortunately, a town worker was on patrol and saw which car the man had emerged from. We figured that the people who took him there were walking the beach and had told him to stay put.
It upset me. It was irreponsible and disturbing that he was left behind since he was wandering around and could have fallen, or worse, disappeared.
I learned that his name was Armand and that he thought he was waiting for a man who sold automobiles in Fall River, Massachusetts. He told us to look at the vehicle registration to find out who owned the car. When we did, we learned that it was a rental.
What concerned me was how Armand got on the island in the first place. After waiting with the town worker for more than a half hour, I decided to leave. While I assured Armand that the person he was with would return for him and to just sit tight and wait, the town worker called the police to explain the predicament.
   Then that evening as I was waiting for the ferry, I spotted the town worker. He told me that five minutes after I had left, Armand's wife and daughter showed up. They thought he would have fallen on the rocky beach and that it was better for him to wait in the car.
I was happy that Armand was safe. It just made me aware that similar situations must be happening all over the world, every day.
St. Bartholomew (also known as Nathaniel) is the patron saint against neurological disorders. He was born in Galilee in the 1st century. He was a friend of St. Philip the Apostle who introduced him to Jesus.
It is thought that St. Bartholomew wrote a gospel that was lost. He preached in Ethiopia, Asia Minor, India, and Armenia, where he was flayed alive.
His relics are at St. Bartholomew-on-the-Tiber Church in Rome, Italy and Canterbury Cathedral in England. St. Bartholomew's feast day is Aug. 24.

St. Gervasius and St. Protasius (2nd century)

2010-10-12T00:00:00.021-04:00

Twice, in the past five years, while I was beachcombing on Block Island, Rhode Island, I found a stone rare to Rhode Island called amazonite. Its color varies, but my pieces are light turquoise with delicate white stripes.
Yesterday, I once again walking along a beach on Block Island and I thought I would find another piece of amazonite, since that would make three pieces, although I wasn't sure when. Then, 10 minutes later, my intuition set in and I knew I'd find more amazonite before our walk was finished.
Amazonite is believed to inspire confidence and hope, align astral bodies, make marriages happy (is it going to waste on a single gal like me?), and calm the mind. If you sleep with a piece of it under your pillow, the clarity of your dreams will be incredible.
A couple of hours later, I found two chunks of amazonite: a vivid turquoise and a greenish-yellow. They always appear to me in technicolor which makes me certain I'm one of the few people who can spot it among millions of other stones.
Amazonite can be found in Colorado, Russia, and Canada. It is also mined in Baveno, Italy, close to the Swiss border. Baveno is also known for its famous red granite quarries which were used to make the spectacular columns at Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral).
The city's patron saints are twin brothers, Gervasius and Protasius. They were born in Milan, Italy in the 2nd century.
According to legend, their parents were Sts. Vitalis and Valeria. During the reign of Emperor Nero, St. Gervasius and St. Protasius met their fate. They were scourged and beheaded. Their feast day is June. 19.

Canadian Martyrs (17th century)

2010-10-11T00:00:00.043-04:00

Three nights on Block Island gave me insight into why so many people make it their year-round home, or, after a decade, decide to call it quits.
They are drawn to its magic. They connect to the landscape. It's a place to find your inner self, make art, create, or explore. Then, the people that have had enough of the solitude or wild times or whatever it is that happens on a small island between January and December, pack up and leave.
My grandmother was born on Prince Edward Island, Canada, a place where my French ancestors settled in the late 1500s. And I believe that the mystique of island life was a part of me at birth.
I don't have to go to an island to find myself, write, feel productive, or connect with nature. It's something that's already within me, although I do enjoy waking up at the crack of dawn with an ocean view outside my window and walking the beaches for hours upon when I stay on any island.
The Canadian Martyrs are the patron saints of Canada. They were all born in France: St. Jean de Brebeuf, St. Noel Chabanel, St. Antoine Daniel, St. Charles Garnier, St. Rene Goupil, St. Isaac Jogues, St. Jean de Lalande, and St. Gabriel Lalemont.
The Canadian Martyrs died in the mid-17th century in Canada and upstate New York during the wars when the Iroquois attacked the Huron. The Iroquois were convinced the Jesuit priests were like the devil or evil spirits because their arrival coincided with the small pox epidemics.
They were canonized in 1930 and their feast day is Sept. 26.

St. Andronicus (239 to c.304)

2010-10-10T00:00:00.032-04:00

After walking a secluded beach this morning, in search of horseshoe crabs to send to a friend in Alaska, who has never seen them in person, I found my own treasure imbedded in the dirt in the parking lot. Lying face down. for who knows how long, was a sterling silver link bracelet with semi-precious aquamarine-colored stones. Perfect for a person born in March (that's me).
The island attracts daytrippers, so it wasn't like I could post an advertisement in the newspaper with hopes that owner of the sterling silver bracelet would see it. My interpretation is that I was searching for a "gift" for a friend and, in turn, found my own . Give and you shall receive.
St. Andronicus is the patron saint of silversmiths. He was born in 239. He was arrested, mauled by animals, and then tortured by Roman soldiers. St. Andronicus died c.304 during the persecutions of Diocletian and Maximian. His feast day is Oct. 11.

St. Deusdedit ( ? to c.836)

2010-10-09T00:00:00.001-04:00

My friend, the state poet laureate, went through a tough divorce during the past two years, and, still, she plugs along immersed in new projects and activities, always welcoming others to share in her life.
It's something that we can learn by. If you are feeling alone or misunderstood or think you can't go on, find an outlet that you are most comfortable with and that will help release the pain. Write poems or music, go for walks, mentor, or just do something to help another person. Find peace within yourself. And then, celebrate.
The saints that were martyred endured more pain and suffering than any of us can imagine. Now they are here to help if you need of guidance. All you have to do is pray to them.
Today is the feast St. Deusdedit, a martyr. He was a Benedictine abbot at the abbey at Monte Cassino in Italy. He was imprisoned by Sigardus of Benevento, a nobleman, who tried to get the other monks to hand over monastery funds.
St. Deusdedit died of hunger and abuse c.836.

St. Gall (c.550 to c.646)

2010-10-08T00:00:00.055-04:00

While picnicking with friends at Black Rock Beach on Block Island, I watched as a fluffy bird, exhausted and fearful after being chased by a hawk, plopped down in front of us. At first it appeared to be blood splattered, but when I went to stroke its back, I noticed that some of the feathers were a speckled red color.
It was a woodpecker which my friends believed had flown all the way from Long Island. We gave it some water in a soda bottle cap and then watched as it put its head under its wing and fell asleep, with the hawk still circling above it.
We also built a stone barrier around the woodpecker to protect it from the wind. Forty five minutes later, when our picnic was finished, the bird awoke and flew into a hole in the cliffs, safe from harm.
It reminded me that at times we all feel we're begin attacked by predators. Maybe not in a physical way, but in an emotional sense.
There will always be people who will try to intimidate or make us feel insecure like the hawk looking down at the woodpecker. How should one deal with it? Ignore it no matter how hard that might be.
St. Gall is the patron saint of birds. He was born in Ireland c.550 and studied at Bangor Abbey as a student of St. Columba.
St. Gall was an Irish disciple and one of the 12 companions of St. Columbanus. He followed him into exile in 610. St. Gall lived as a hermit on the Steinach River. He was a priest and exorcist who died c.646 in Switzerland. His feast day is Oct. 16.

St. Osgyth (? to 700)

2010-10-07T00:00:00.075-04:00

"Run away from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin againt your own body." (1 Corinthians 6:18)

We all know that premartial sex is a sin in the Roman Catholic Church. I just don't get how people are expected to hook up with a person for the first time on their wedding night. What if it's less than satisfying? What if you're not happy with the other person's body? What if they're not happy with yours?
That's why, although I am a Roman Catholic, I write my own rules. If I don't agree with something, I don't follow it which is why this is called "A Sinner's Guide to the Saints."
St. Osgyth (also known as St. Osyth) was forced to marry against her will and, to me, that's just as bad as "discovering" sex on your wedding night. She was born a princess and the daughter of a chieftain in Quarrendon, Buckinghamshire, England.
Most of what is known about St. Osgyth is a mix of conflicting legends. She married King Sighere of Essex and they had a son. Some accounts say she was raised in a convent. Others relate that St. Osgyth wanted desperately to become a nun and begged King Sighere to let her enter a convent.
What we do know is that, eventually, he allowed her to become a nun. He also gave her land on which to set up a monastery. St. Osgyth was the abbess there, until she was beheaded by Danish raiders. She died in 700 and her feast day is today.

Venerable Pierre Toussaint (June 27, 1766 to June 30, 1853)

2010-10-06T00:00:00.071-04:00

Slavery should never have happened. We all know that. But, instead of sitting around discussing it to no end, it's time take action.
Venerable Pierre Toussaint was a freed slave and abolitionist who devoted his life to helping the poor, giving to charities, and spreading his faith. He was a pious and humble man and the work that he did should not be forgotten. Any recognition to Venerable Pierre Toussaint will bring him that much closer to sainthood.
He was born in Haiti on June 27, 1766 on the plantation of Jean Berard. His grandmother taught him to read and write. Venerable Pierre Toussaint was a bright young man and Jean Berard allowed him to stay in the house to do his chores, not out in the fields.
In 1787, Jean Berard moved to New York City and it was there that Venerable Pierre Toussaint found work as an hairdresser's apprentice.
When Jean Berard died in 1807, he was a freed slave. Venerable Pierre Toussaint fell in love with another slave, Juliette Noel. He bought her freedom when she was 15-years-old and married her.
The couple opened their home as a shelter for orphans, a bank, an employment agency, and a place of refuge for priests, the sick, and the poor.
Venerable Pierre Toussaint became quite wealthy and helped fund the Old St. Patrick's Cathedral. He and Juliette raised his orphaned niece as their own child.
Venerable Pierre Toussaint died on June 30, 1853. He was venerated in 1996.

St. Theodore Guerin (Oct. 2, 1798 to May 14, 1856)

2010-10-05T00:00:00.015-04:00

Where I live, people are always trying to be a part of things that seem trendy, like performing reiki on vegetables, studying permaculture, calling themselves “poets,” or insulting the Roman Catholic Church. And, yet, these same people have probably never heard of something I find to be interesting and hip: spiritual ecology. It combines religion, spirituality, and the environment.

St. Francis of Assisi is the first person that comes to my mind when I think of mixing the environment with religion, but St. Theodore Guerin deserves recognition as well as the foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in Indiana in 1840.

St. Theodore Guerin was born in Etables-sur-mer, France on Oct. 2, 1798. Along with five other nuns she settled in Vincennes, Indiana on Oct. 22, 1840. She helped Establish the Academy of Saint Mary-of-the Woods, the following summer in Terre Haute. It is the first Catholic women’s liberal arts college in the

United States

.
White Violet Center of Eco-Justice is a ministry of the Sisters of Providence.
St. Theodore Guerin founded numerous schools throughout Indiana and pharmacies that dispensed free medicine to the needy. She died in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on May 14, 1856. Canonized: 2006. Her feast day is Oct. 3.

Blessed Chiara Luce Badano (Oct. 29, 1971 to Oct. 7, 1990)

2010-10-04T00:00:00.053-04:00

Just last week, on Sept. 25, 2010, Blessed Chiara Luce Badano, a teenager, was beatified at the shrine of Divine Love in Rome, Italy. She was born in Sassello, Liguria, Italy on Oct. 29, 1971. Her parents had hoped for a child for more than a decade.
Blessed Chiara was like most young girls. She enjoyed playing tennis, dancing, singing, and skating. She loved going to the ocean and climbing mountains.
Then at age 17, it was discovered Blessed Chiara had bone cancer. She went through chemotherapy and surgery. She lost the use of her legs.
Blessed Chiara said "If I had to choose between walking or going to paradise, I wouldn't hesitate, I'd choose paradise."
She was a member of the Focolare Movement which was founded by Chiara Lubich in 1943.
Blessed Chiara died on Oct. 7, 1990.
Since the beatification just happened, more and more people are learning about Blessed Chiara. Numerous articles are appearing on the Internet and in newspapers including this one here and there's a website devoted to here. Please click here.
It's encouraging to see that there are modern day saints among us.
(Happy Feast of St. Francis of Assisi!)

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (July 15, 1850 to Dec. 22, 1917)

2010-10-03T00:00:00.107-04:00

   One evening, when I was having dinner in the hospitality center at a music festival, I noticed three adults and a little girl sitting by themselves at table. From what I could see, the other participants had no interest in speaking with them, probably because their skin was dark and they spoke minimal English.
   After filling my plate with pasta and garden salad, I joined them with three of my friends that I was at the event with. We introduced ourselves and then learned that the husband was a musician and the family was from the Cape Verde Islands. The 4-year-old girl was their granddaughter.
They had many interesting things to talk about and I was glad that we made an effort to converse with them. But, time and again, I notice that if people look different, be it the color of their skin or their clothing, they are often ignored.
   That was the case with my own grandfather who was an Italian immigrant that came to this country as a young boy a century ago. And just as there are people that turn away from foreigners, there are those that devote their lives to helping them have a comfortable life in a new country.
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (also known as Mother Cabrini) is the patron saint of immigrants. She was born Francesca Saveria Cabrini, two months premature, on July 15, 1850 in Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Lombardy, Italy to prosperous cherry tree farmers.
In 1877, she took her religious vows and was mother superior of the House of Providence, an orphanage in Codogno. Along with six other nuns, Mother Cabrini founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1880.
Because of her efforts with the order in opening schools and homes, Pope Leo XIII sent her to New York City to help Italian immigrants in March 1889.
Mother Cabrini founded an orphanage in New York that is known today as the Saint Cabrini Home and 66 other institutions throughout the United States, South America, and Europe.
In Chicago, she opened the first Italian immigrant school in 1899 and founded Columbus Hospital.
Mother Cabrini was naturalized as a United States citizen in 1909. She died in Chicago on Dec. 22, 1917 and her body is enshrined under glass at St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in Manhattan. On July 7, 1946, Mother Cabrini became the first American citizen to be canonized a Roman Catholic saint. Her feast day is Nov. 13.

St. John the Apostle (c. 6 to c.100)

2010-10-02T00:00:00.003-04:00

"A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him I may think aloud." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

At a party last year, I had a twenty minute conversation with a guy before we both realized that we met at age 12 and sat next to each other in homeroom for six years. (Could it be that I went from a brunette to a blonde?)
We became Facebook friends and would periodically post comments or "likes" on each other's pages.
Then, this week, I started wondering why I've chosen particular paths in life to get where I am today. I'm not going through a midlife crisis. Rather, I'm thinking about certain decisions I've made. And, does any of it have to do with what I was like when I was in junior high or high school?
So, I figured what better person to ask than my Facebook friend since we saw each other every morning through good times and bad.
I sent him a message and told him why I was asking. It included something like this: "... was I sweet, kind, nice to people, mean, shy? What was I like?"
Several days have gone by and no answer. He's on the Internet all the time, so it's not like he didn't get my message. It just goes to show that sometimes talking in person beats writing an e-mail. It eliminates awkwardness and is an easier way to communicate.
It also reinforced my belief that the decisions I've made were predestined. So, had my friend written back, whatever he said wouldn't have mattered.
St. John the Apostle is the patron saint of friendship. He was an Apostle of Jesus who was called the "beloved disciple." He obviously knew Jesus so his Gospel is true.
St. John was born in Galilee c.6. On Easter Sunday, he ran to the tomb with Peter. He is the first Apostle to believe that Jesus had risen.
St. John wrote three epistles. He was the last surviving Apostle and the only one to die a natural death. He passed away c.100 in Asia Minor and his feast day is Dec. 27.

(R.I.P. Grandpa Anthony: March 29, 1904 to Oct. 2, 1979)

St. Lawrence of Brindisi (July 22, 1559 to July 22, 1619)

2010-10-01T00:00:00.003-04:00

"God is love and all his operations proceed from love."                                                                          (St. Lawrence of Brindisi)

   I've always found my "adrenaline high" by travelling to faraway places and most times I do it alone. I discovered early on that's the best way do things, since most people will say that they can't come along because they don't have the time or money.
My words of advice are to take on any adventures that come your way. Do it when all is good in your life. Don't wait until you're divorced or find yourself in a state of boredom.
   That's why as I write this today, I can say I took the train to Brindisi, Italy (the heel of the boot) on the Adriatic coast, the last stop before the ferry to Greece.
The city's patron saint is St. Lawrence of Brindisi who was born Julius Caesar Rossi on July 22, 1559. By the time he was 12-years-old, his parents had died. So, he was sent to Venice to live with his uncle and be educated at the College of St. Mark.
   St. Lawrence of Brindisi joined the Capuchin Friars in 1575. He graduated from the University of Padua and was ordained a priest at age 23.
He spoke numerous languages including Italian, French, German, Latin, Greek, Spanish, and Hebrew which allowed him to communicate with all types of people, translate the Bible in its original form, and convert Jews and Protestants.
In 1601, St. Lawrence of Brindisi became the Chaplain of the Army of the Holy Roman Empire. And although he was a highly educated, brilliant person, he cared about the needs of the common man.
He died on his sixtieth birthday in 1619 in Lisbon, Portugal and is buried in Villafranca at the Cemetery of the Poor Clares.
St. Lawrence of Brindisi was named an Apostolic Doctor of the Church in 1959 and his feast day is July 21.

St. Pio of Pietrelcina (May 25, 1887 to Sept. 23, 1968)

2010-09-30T11:00:00.006-04:00

“After my death I will do more. My real mission will begin after my death.”
(St. Pio of Pietrelcina)

Every morning, I say I want to emulate the life of a Franciscan or follow the Rule of St. Francis. And, yet, yesterday, when I got home from a long day at work, my reaction to a series of events that happened this week, culminated in behavior more in tune with the devil.
I thought I would sit down and relax at my picnic table with an afternoon snack of frittata before attending a music event, but when I looked in the refrigerator, there was none to be found (although I did make two huge frittatas the night before).
Just as this happened, a friend and his 18-year-old son walked into my house without knocking. On top of that, I have house guests for two weeks who were enjoying a day in Newport and I just needed a little downtime.
So nothing happened as planned. I was upset and exhausted. All I want is eight hours of uninterrupted sleep each night and I’ll be fine.
St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) once said that the love of God was inseparable from suffering and that suffering all things for the sake of God was a way for the soul to reach God. Maybe I need to incorporate the Roman Catholic Church a little more into my life.
A family friend, Francesca, was from the same small town in Italy as St. Pio. Somewhere in my late mother’s house is a rosary that Francesca gave her that was blessed by him. Before St. Pio was canonized in 2002, she would tell my mother that he was going to be a saint one day. My mother never lived to see it since she died in 1999.
St. Pio was born Francesco Forgione on May 25, 1887. At age five, he knew he wanted to live a life devoted to God. He attended daily Mass and prayed the rosary at night. His family abstained from meat three days a week in honor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
As a young boy, St. Pio told his parents that he communicated with Jesus, Mary,and his guardian angel regularly as though it were something everyone did. When he desperately wanted to become a Capuchin friar, his father found him a tutor from the United States who educated St. Pio in the Capuchin ways.
St. Pio entered the order on Jan. 6, 1903 and was ordained a priest in 1910. He is said to have had apparitions of the devil who attacked his body and mind. At times, St. Pio received the stigmata and was also able to bilocate.
He founded a hospital and medical research center called Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (Home of the Relief of Suffering) in San Giovanni Rotondo. It is near the Sanctuary of Monte Sant’ Angelo sul Gargano, the oldest shrine in Western Europe dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel.
St. Pio died on Sept. 23, 1968 and his feast day is Sept. 23.

St. Aubert (? to 720)

2010-09-29T00:00:00.053-04:00

"The man who has seen the rising moon break out of the clouds at midnight has been present like an archangel at the creation of light and the world."      (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

  Today is the feast of the Archangels: St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael. It's the one day in particular that I believe you can invoke the heavenly spirits of all three simultaneously and receive immediate positive action.
Think of wishes, hopes, love, romance, work, and peace. Whatever you decide you need answers to or help with, they will intercede. You will feel them nearby and be able to make wise decisions or perhaps witness a miracle.
They are archangels in Christian, Jewish, and Islamic faiths. To Roman Catholics, they are saints.
St. Aubert, who lived in the 8th century France, had an amazing encounter with St. Michael. In 708, the archangel appeared in vision and told him to build an oratory on a rock at the mouth of the Couesnon River. This happened three times and St. Aubert took no action.
   Finally, St. Michael is said to have pierced his finger through St. Aubert's skull. The oratory, Mount Saint Michel, was dedicated the following year on Oct. 16.
St. Aubert became the bishop of Avranches. He died in 720 and his feast day is Sept. 10.
If you visit Saint-Gervais Basilica in Avranches, you can see the relic of St. Aubert's skull complete with the hole where St. Michael the Archangel pierced his finger through it.

St. Lorenzo Ruiz ( c.1600 to Sept. 29, 1637)

2010-09-28T00:00:00.082-04:00

Everywhere I go, I hear the same thing, one half of a relationship says "I love you," and the other half doesn't. When I was a naive 24-year-old, I believed that if someone didn't say it, they were just shy. Now, years later, I'm convinced that if a person doesn't say "I love you," it's that simple: they don't.
This is not an advice column. It's my way of helping people that I encounter along life's way. And since I began this blog, it's been very anonymous. Only a handful of people I've told know that it's me.
If you are upset about a relationship you are in or want to be in a relationship, just follow your heart and believe. There is someone out there that will give you the love and appreciation you deserve.
Today's saint is St. Lorenzo Ruiz. He was born in Binondo, Manila, the Philippines c.1600 to a Chinese father and Filipino mother. He was educated by Dominicans.
St. Lorenzo Ruiz was an altar boy and he later worked as a calligrapher. Accused of murder, he sought asylum on a ship with three Dominicans. They went to Japan during the Christian persecution and St. Lorenzo Ruiz stayed with missionaries. In Okinawa, it was discovered that he was a Christian and so he was arrested and taken to Nagasaki.
St. Lorenzo Ruiz was tortured by being hung from the gallows by his feet and dropped into a pit. He died from suffocation on Sept. 29, 1637.
He was canonized the first Filipino saint in 1987 and his feast day is Sept. 28.

Blessed Jane of Aza (1135 to Aug. 2, 1205)

2010-09-27T00:00:00.097-04:00

It was my plan to write about a Franciscan saint today because that is the order that I would join if I chose to become a nun and not live in sin. Then, I discovered I have something in common with St. Dominic, founder of the Dominican order. We both lost our mothers on Aug. 2, a day of extreme pain that I wish the calendar would skip over each year.
Blessed Jane of Aza (also known of Juana de Aza) was born in Castilla la Vieja, Spain in 1135. It is said that when she was pregnant with St. Dominic she had a dream of giving birth to a black and white dog. The animal carried a flaming torch and barked so loudly that it could be heard around the world.
Dream interpreters are convinced that it foretold that her child would be a preacher and a great man that would influence the faith of millions of people. The black and white colors she saw are those of the Dominican order.
All that is known of Blessed Jane of Aza are stories that historians have woven to form a real person, not just a legend. She was from a noble family and died on Aug. 2, 1205. She was beatified in 1828.
The painting pictured above is one of the Madonna and Child that I saw at the Basilicia of St. Dominic in Bologna, Italy, his final resting place.
Blessed Jane of Aza's feast day is Aug. 2.

St. Theresa Couderc (Feb. 1, 1805 to Sept. 26, 1885)

2010-09-26T00:00:00.061-04:00

"Let me live by love,
Let me die of love,
And let my last heartbeat be an act of perfect love."
(St. Theresa Couderc)

I couldn't help but notice this weekend that hotels seem to put people in romantic moods. At a party in a hotel conference room, I watched as a matronly middled-aged woman canvassed each table looking for an available guy. Just so happens that a 63-year-old poet friend welcomed her advances. I guess anything goes these days, since he's in the middle of a divorce and has a steady girlfriend on the west coast who was supposed to join him, but couldn't get the time out of work.
"I want to be famous, like a rock star," he told me when I picked him up from the airport last year for the same music and poetry festival.
His wish is coming true. And, as I've mentioned before, hand a guy a guitar or have him read poetry (I find it boring) and no matter how rude or ugly he is, it drives some women wild.
Of course, love can be more than romantic. I'm certain that St. Theresa Couderc wasn't referring to a guy in the quote above. Her love for God was so strong that she devoted her life to him.
St. Theresa Couderc was born in Le Mas, France on Feb. 1, 1805. She founded the Congregation of Our Lady of the Retreat in the Cenacle (better known as the Sisters of Cenacle) in 1826. It began as a mountain hostel for women pilgrims in search of a spiritual retreat.
St. Theresa Couderc resigned as Mother Superior in 1878. She died on Sept. 26, 1885 in Lyon. Canonized: 1970. Her feast day is today.

Venerable Matt Talbot (May 2, 1856 to June 7, 1925)

2010-09-25T00:00:00.077-04:00

I ran into my friend, Stephanie, today and before I could even ask how she was doing, she handed me a gift. Inside the small box was a necklace with a Stella Maris medal, black beads, and a toggle closure in the form of a rosary.
"It reminded me so much of you," Stephanie said.
Then, she asked me if I would write about Venerable Matt Talbot.
Since he is not yet a blessed or a saint, he's considered somewhat obscure.
Venerable Matt Talbot was born on May 2, 1856 in Dublin, Ireland and had 11 siblings. At age 12, he got a job at a wine bottling store and, as a result, developed an alcohol addiction. This went on until he was 28-years-old. Then, Venerable Matt Talbot went to confession and promised to stop drinking for three months.
After the time was up, he took a lifelong pledge to give up alcohol and he kept that promise. He went to Mass daily, worked hard as a laborer, and constantly prayed. Venerable Matt Talbot joined the Franciscan Third Order in 1890.
His bed was a plank and he used a piece of timber for a pillow. He was known for his piety and charity. Still, it wasn't until his death on June 7, 1925 from a fatal heart attack that people took notice. Perhaps because penitential chains were found on his body.
Venerable Matt Talbot is buried in Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Dublin. He was venerated on Oct. 3, 1975.

St. Mungo (c.518 to Jan. 13, 614)

2010-09-24T00:00:00.010-04:00

I won't eat salmon, but I will write about its patron, St. Mungo (also known as St. Kentigern).

He was born c.518 in Culross in Fife, Scotland. His mother was a princess and he was raised by St. Serf in a monastery.
At age 25, St. Mungo started work as a missionary at Cathures (modern day Glasgow). Around 540, he became a bishop. St. Mungo moved to Wales and founded a monastery in Llaneluy. He was friends with St. Columba.
Evenutally, St. Mungo returned to Scotland. He is considered the founder of Glasgow. He died there on Jan. 13, 614. St. Mungo is also the patron saint of Glasgow and his feast day is Jan. 13.

St. Erhard of Regensburg (7th century)

2010-09-23T00:00:00.085-04:00

"A pair of shoes can change your life. Just ask Cinderella."
(Anonymous)

   One day while we were at my mother's friend Paula's beach house in Snug Harbor, I met an old woman, who used a walker and could barely speak. When we got home that night, my mother told me that the woman was Paula's mother, Mrs. B. and she had gone to elementary school with my grandfather around 1915.
Mrs. B. came from a wealthy Protestant family and she rode a horse and buggy to school. She used to make fun of my grandfather because he was an Italian immigrant who didn't have much money. Mrs. B. particularly made fun of his worn shoes.
My grandfather became a United States citizen in the 1920s and graduated with a degree in architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. He became a registered architect and a contractor.
My grandfather was always polite to Mrs. B. even after she became senile and didn't know her own name. And he never mentioned anything to me about her insulting his worn shoes. But, it always stuck in my mind because even today, people are judged by their appearance. Shoes are something that people tend to notice first. However, when my grandfather was a kid, it was a pretty serious thing.
  Today, at work, a leather strap snapped off a pair of my high heel shoes. Since, I love them, I thought I'd take the to a cobbler. Then, I decided I'd buy a new pair at lunch.
   One might say, I was multi-tasking in the car because I also called my optometrist to make an appointment for later in the afternoon. For the past couple of days, my eyes have been burning.
Not that my day was so exciting, because I just doing mundane things. Yet, I did discover something pretty cool that makes it easy for me to tie in my days activities. There is a patron saint of cobblers and shoemakers who is also a patron saint against eye problems and eye disease.
   His name is St. Erhard of Regensburg. It is thought that he was born in Ireland in the 7th century, then moved to Germany. He was a missionary bishop. St. Erhard of Regensburg died c.686 and his feast day is January .