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

   "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

   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)

  "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)

"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)

  "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)

   "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

  "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

  "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)

   "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)

  "...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)

  "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)

  "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)

   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)

  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)

   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)

 "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)

   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)

  "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

   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)

   "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!)