Catholic Patron Saints

Holy Face of Jesus Rosary Beads

2012-02-15T06:57:00.000-05:00

**Sold**

This is a traditional set of five-decade Catholic rosary beads wrapped with 20 gauge silver plate wire. It will last a lifetime.

All of my wire wrapped rosaries - should the construction break during normal prayer - may be returned at any time for free repairs. You'll never need to buy another rosary.

Length: 27" (This measurement represents the length from the bottom of the crucifix to the middle of the third decade.)

Beads: Shiny black onyx gemstones - 6mm round for the Ave beads and 12mm twisted ovals for the Paters.

Crucifix: 1.5" Black enamel crucifix. Made in Italy.

Center: 5/8" Heart-shaped Virgin Mary medal with the Holy Face of Jesus on the reverse. Made in Italy.

Santa Maria Goretti

2011-10-09T19:51:00.000-04:00

Maria Teresa Goretti (October 16, 1890 – July 6, 1902)
Feast Day: 6 July

Honored as one of the first Passionist martyrs. Maria is the patron saint of chastity, rape victims, youth, teenage girls, poverty, purity and forgiveness.

Santa Maria Goretti was born 16 October 1890 in Corinaldo Italy to Luigi Goretti and Assunta Carlini. She was the third of six children born into a poor farming family. Maria's father died of malaria when she was only nine years old.

Shortly after, Maria and her family moved to Le Ferriere, Lazio, Italy where they shared a residence with another family, which included Giovanni Serenelli and his son Alessandro.

On 5 July 1902, finding eleven year-old Maria alone in the home caring for her baby sister, Alessandro Serenelli, a nineteen year-old farm hand, entered the home and attacked Maria with the intent to sexually assault her. She fought to stop Alessandro, screaming "No! It is a sin! God does not want it!" Alessandro started to choke Maria, but when she insisted she would rather die than submit to him, he stabbed her eleven times. The injured Maria tried to reach for the door, but Alessandro stabbed her three more times before running off.

Maria was found bleeding and near death by her mother and Alessandro's father. They took her to a nearby hospital in Nettuno where she was operated on without anesthesia, however her injuries were too grave and she died some twenty hours after the attack. Prior to her death Maria expressed forgiveness for her murderer, stating that she wanted to have him in Heaven with her.

Alessandro Serenelli was sentenced to 30 years in prison. After his release he visited Maria's still-living mother and begged her forgiveness. She forgave him, saying that if Maria had forgiven him on her deathbed then she couldn't do less, and they attended Mass together the next day, receiving Holy Communion side by side. Alessandro reportedly prayed every day to Maria Goretti and referred to her as "my little saint." He attended her canonization in 1950.

Serenelli later became a lay-brother of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, living in a monastery and working as its receptionist and gardener until dying peacefully in 1970.

On 24 July 1950, Maria Goretti was declared a saint in Saint Peter's Square by Pope Pius XII. Her body is kept in the crypt of the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie e Santa Maria Goretti in Nettuno, south of Rome. It has been often reported that her body is incorrupt but this is not the case. Her remains are kept inside a statue which is lying down beneath the altar.

Tomb of St. Maria Goretti

St. Maria Goretti Rosary in 7mm Fancy Jasper.

To purchase this rosary please visit my Unbreakable Rosaries.

Reference Links:

Wikipedia

The Passionists of Holy Cross Province

A Pilgrimage To The Shrines of St. Maria Goretti (Beautiful photos!)

Biography of St. Maria Goretti

Seven Sorrows of Mary Unbreakable Rosary in Gray Hematite

2011-10-02T21:47:00.001-04:00

Also known as the habit rosary for the Servants of Mary Passionist Order.

Length: 27.5"

Beads: 8mm Gray Hematite

Construction: Unbreakable Wire Wrapped - Single Cage

Also available in black onyx and white howlite stones.

To purchase this rosary please visit my Etsy shop.

The Cross of Saint James

2011-09-15T18:11:00.000-04:00

St. James Conquering The Moors

by Giovanbattista Tiepolo, 1749-1750

The cross of St. James, or "cross fleury" is the emblem of the Knights of Santiago, also know as the Order of Santiago de Compostela, which was founded in the 12th century in Northern Spain. The bottom of the cross is sword-shaped in reference to the military aspect of the order and is considered a cross of a warrior - symbolizing taking up the sword in the name of Christ.

The order, which owes it's name to St. James the Great, patron saint of Spain, received its first rule in 1171 from Cardinal Jacinto (later Pope Celestine lll); and, was recognized as religious by Alexander III. The order was originally established to provide protection to pilgrims visiting the tomb of St. James at Compostela, who were frequently harassed by the Moors.

The Order of Santiago is still in existence today under the Spanish crown. It currently exists of 35 knights and 30 novices. Candidates must be practicing Catholics and admission is determined upon nobile ancestry.

Rosary of St. James the Great in red mountain jade by Unbreakable Rosaries.

Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Links to learn more about the Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela and the Royal Knights of Santiago:
Mary Pages
Chivalric Orders
Wikipedia - Cross of St. James
Wikipedia - The Knights of Santiago
New Advent
Royal Knights of Santiago

Miraculous Medal Rosary Bracelet in Topaz

2011-08-04T18:26:00.003-04:00

Madonna Dello Scoglio, Calabria, Italia

2011-06-24T23:16:00.003-04:00

Madonna Dello Scoglio

Fratel Cosimo Fragomeni was born in 1950 in Santa Domenica di Placanica, a village of Calabria, one of the poorest regions in Italy. From an early age he was a committed Roman Catholic and when he was 18, he reported to the village priest, don Rocco Gregorace, having had four visions in which the Mother of God, standing on a rock (scoglio), appeared to him. The first of these visions took place on the 11th May 1968. The Virgin Mary asked Cosimo to transform the valley into a shrine in order to bring people closer to God.

For that reason on the rock of the apparition, Cosimo built a little chapel, and called the shrine “Madonna dello Scoglio” (Our Lady of The Rock) because the Virgin Mary appeared to him on the top of the rock. He also placed a marble statue of Our Lady on the rock of the apparitions. Pilgrims come from all over the world to pray and touch the sacred rock, through the metal fencing that circumscribes it, testifying great miracles and conversions.

Shortly after the apparitions of the Virgin Mary, Cosimo began to lead prayer and healing sessions for pilgrims and many people were cured from diseases. Although he had received little formal education, he was admitted to the lay order of the Franciscan brothers with the name of "Fratel Cosimo”. He leads a mystical life, living in solitude in a house near the apparition rock, fasting and praying like an hermit, and avoiding any sense of celebrity.

Fratel Cosimo is a man of God, appreciated by his Bishop for his obedience and humility to the Catholic Church. He emphasizes prayer as the primary vehicle for opening oneself to God and for receiving spiritual and physical healing.

Thanks to the donations of the pilgrims, the shrine grounds and facilities have been expanded. A foundation and a rosary prayer group have been established and on the 8th December 2007 the local Bishop Mons. Morosini, declared the “Scoglio” official Catholic shrine.

The Mysterious Painting of Madonna Dello Scoglio

In the small chapel built by Fratel Cosimo, there is a stunning painting of the Virgin Mary, painted by the local painter Ilario Tarsitani, following Fratel Cosimo's suggestions. Apparently, the artist had painted the body of the Madonna according to the indications of Fratel Cosimo and was about to begin painting the face, but he found himself unable to do it. He simply could not work further. He put the painting aside, took a new canvas and began again by painting the body, but he could not do the face. The same problem occurred with a third canvas and the painter had to surrender.

Discouraged, he asked Fratel Cosimo what to do and was told: “Don’t worry, the Mother of God will think of it.” The next day Fratel Cosimo, returning to his house, found the painter in tears and the painting finished. The artist denied having worked on it during the previous night, concluding that it was a miracle and that the Virgin Mary painted Her face by Herself.

Madonna Dello Scoglio Rosary in Blue Fire Agate

To purchase this rosary please visit my Etsy shop.

Information taken from http://patriziacattaneo.com/lang3/index.html

Saint Therese of Lisieux Mother of Pearl Catholic Rosary

2011-01-22T12:03:00.000-05:00

Saint Therese "The Little Flower" Rosary in 6mm creamy white Mother-of-Pearl with 15mm lamp work glass roses for the Pater beads. The center is a 1" 3-dimensional statue of Saint Therese. The 2.25" Basilica crucifix shows one of the major Basilica's of Rome on each arm - Saint Mary Major, Saint Peter, Saint John Lateran and Saint Paul. All parts made in Italy. Measures 29". $165

To purchase this rosary please use this link to visit my online Etsy shop.

Per L'Amore Del Dio Unbreakable Rosaries

Pope John Paul II Unbreakable Rosary Bracelet

2011-01-19T04:46:00.000-05:00

Wire-wrapped 6mm faceted Czech glass beads in a beautiful shade of peridot green. 3/4 Traditional crucifix paired with a 1/2" medal of Pope John Paul II with Our Lady of Czechostowa on the reverse. Measures 7.75". $18

To purchase this bracelet please use this link to visit my Etsy store.

Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina Unbreakable Catholic Rosary

2011-01-19T04:38:00.000-05:00

Wire-wrapped dream agate stones in 6mm size for the Aves and 8mm for the Pater beads. 5/8" Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina centerpiece with Our Lady of Perpetual Help on the reverse. 1.5" Traditional crucifix from the Italian Cipolletti collection. Both medals made in Italy. $49

To purchase this rosary please use this link to visit my Etsy store.

Saint Rita of Cascia Unbreakable Catholic Rosary

2011-01-08T21:24:00.000-05:00

Wire-wrapped 6mm white howlite paired with 14mm stabilized turquoise ovals. 1" Saint Rita of Cascia center and a 1.75" crucifix from the Cipoletti Collection. Measures 30" in total length. All parts are made in Italy.

To purchase this rosary please use this link to visit my Etsy shop.

Saint Anthony of Padua Unbreakable Catholic Rosary

2011-01-08T21:20:00.000-05:00

8mm Red leopard skin jasper paired with 8mm sponge coral and 6mm dream agate. Saint Anthony of Padua center with a Basilica's of Roma crucifix. 30" Length. All parts are made in Italy.

To purchase this rosary please use this link to visit my Etsy store.

Chaplet Of The Immaculate Conception

2010-11-02T04:48:00.000-04:00

The Chaplet of The Immaculate Conception

This chaplet consists of three groups of four beads each. A large bead separates each group, and a medal of the Immaculate Conception is attached to the end. It was composed by St. John Berchmanns, S. J. and recited by him daily to obtain, through the intercession of Mary, the grace never to commit any sin against the virtue of purity.

How to say this chaplet:
Make the sign of the Cross:
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

On the first beads:
Blessed by the Holy and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Then say an;
Our Father....
On the next four beads say;
a Hail Mary for each bead
after the last Hail Mary say one Glory be to the father...

On the next single bead of group 2:
Blessed by the Holy and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Then say an;
Our Father....
On the next four beads say;
a Hail Mary for each bead
after the last Hail Mary say one Glory be to the father...

On the next single bead of group 3:
Blessed by the Holy and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Then say an;
Our Father....
On the next four beads say;
a Hail Mary for each bead
after the last Hail Mary say one Glory be to the father...

Per l'Amore Del Dio Unbreakable Rosaries

The Rosary Chaplet of Saint Joseph

2010-09-20T20:21:00.000-04:00

Feast Day: March 19, May 1
Patron of the Universal Church

Everything we know about the husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus comes from Scripture and that has seemed too little for those who made up legends about him.

We know he was a carpenter, a working man, for the skeptical Nazarenes ask about Jesus, "Is this not the carpenter's son?" (Matthew 13:55). He wasn't rich for when he took Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised and Mary to be purified he offered the sacrifice of two turtledoves or a pair of pigeons, allowed only for those who could not afford a lamb (Luke 2:24).

Despite his humble work and means, Joseph came from a royal lineage. Luke and Matthew disagree some about the details of Joseph's genealogy but they both mark his descent from David, the greatest king of Israel (Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38). Indeed the angel who first tells Joseph about Jesus greets him as "son of David," a royal title used also for Jesus.

We know Joseph was a compassionate, caring man. When he discovered Mary was pregnant after they had been betrothed, he knew the child was not his but was as yet unaware that she was carrying the Son of God. He planned to divorce Mary according to the law but he was concerned for her suffering and safety. He knew that women accused to adultery could be stoned to death, so he decided to divorce her quietly and not expose her to shame or cruelty (Matthew 1:19-25).

We know Joseph was man of faith, obedient to whatever God asked of him without knowing the outcome. When the angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him the truth about the child Mary was carrying, Joseph immediately and without question or concern for gossip, took Mary as his wife. When the angel came again to tell him that his family was in danger, he immediately left everything he owned, all his family and friends, and fled to a strange country with his young wife and the baby. He waited in Egypt without question until the angel told him it was safe to go back (Matthew 2:13-23).

We know Joseph loved Jesus. His one concern was for the safety of this child entrusted to him. Not only did he leave his home to protect Jesus, but upon his return settled in the obscure town of Nazareth out of fear for his life. When Jesus stayed in the Temple we are told Joseph (along with Mary) searched with great anxiety for three days for him (Luke 2:48). We also know that Joseph treated Jesus as his own son for over and over the people of Nazareth say of Jesus, "Is this not the son of Joseph?" (Luke 4:22)

We know Joseph respected God. He followed God's commands in handling the situation with Mary and going to Jerusalem to have Jesus circumcised and Mary purified after Jesus' birth. We are told that he took his family to Jerusalem every year for Passover, something that could not have been easy for a working man.

Since Joseph does not appear in Jesus' public life, at his death, or resurrection, many historians believe Joseph probably had died before Jesus entered public ministry.

Joseph is the patron of the dying because, assuming he died before Jesus' public life, he died with Jesus and Mary close to him, the way we all would like to leave this earth.

Joseph is also patron of the universal Church, fathers, carpenters, and social justice.

We celebrate two feast days for Joseph: March 19 for Joseph the Husband of Mary and May 1 for Joseph the Worker.

Saint Joseph Chaplet in Amethyst and Mother-of-Pearl

The Chaplet Of Saint Joseph

The chaplet of Saint Joseph rosary is divided into fifteen groups of four beads consisting of one white and three purple beads. On the white bead, symbolizes Saint Joseph's purity, announce one of the mysteries of the Rosary, and say two Hail Marys on that bead. On the purple bead, symbolizes his saintly piety, say the prayer on each bead in that group, "Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!"

1st Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

1st White
The Annunciation (say 2 Hail Marys)

group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

2nd White
The Visitation
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

3rd White
The Nativity (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

4th White
The Presentation in the Temple (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

5th White
The Finding of Our Lord in the Temple (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

6th White
The Agony in the Garden (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

7th White
The Scourging (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

8th White
The Crowing with Thorns (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

9th White
The Carrying of the Cross (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

10th White
The Crucifixion (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

11th White
The Resurrection (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

12th White
The Ascension (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

13th White
The Descent of the Holy Spirit (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

14th White
The Assumption (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

15th White
The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin (say 2 Hail Marys)
group of 3 Purple
Praised and blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

End the chaplet with the following prayers:
V Pray for us, O holy St. Joseph.:
R That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let Us Pray:
O God, Who has predestined St. Joseph from all eternity for the service of Thine Eternal Son and His Blessed Mother, and made him worthy to be the spouse of this Blessed Virgin and the foster father of Thy Son; we beseech Thee, through all the services he has rendered to Jesus and Mary on earth, that Thou wouldst make us worthy of his intercession and grant us to enjoy the happiness of his company in heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Per l'Amore Del Dio

The Unbreakable Rosary

Source: http://www.catholic.org

Our Lady Of Altagracia

2010-09-09T01:53:00.000-04:00

Our Lady of Altagracia

Also known as:

Our Lady of Grace
Our Lady of High Grace
Protector and Queen of the hearts of Dominicans
Virgen de la Altagracia
Virgin of Altagracia

Feast Day: 6 January
Memorial Day: 21 January

Patronage: The Dominican Republic

Our Lady of Altagracia is portrait of the Virgin Mary in a Nativity scene. It is 13 inches (33 centimeters) wide by 18 inches (45 centimeters) high, and is painted on cloth. It is a primitive work of the Spanish school, painted c.1500. The Spanish brothers Alfonso and Antonio Trejo, two of the first European settlers on Santo Domingo, brought the portrait to the island some time prior to 1502, and eventually donated it to the parish church at Higuey. It's first shrine was finished in 1572, and in 1971 it was moved to its present Basilica. The image was crowned on 15 August 1922 during the pontificate of Pius XI. Due to its age, centuries of handling by the faithful, and exposure to candle smoke, it was in sad shape, and was restored in 1978. On 25 January 1979 by Pope John Paul II who crowned the image with a gold and silver tiara, his gift to the Virgin. It's frame is made of gold, enamel and precious stones, and was constructed by an unknown 18th century artisan.

The Dominicans see the image as exemplifying Our Lady watching over the island and the growth of Christianity there. The feast day is marked by services, all-night vigils, singing, dancing, and festivals in many of the towns.

Legend says that the pious daughter of a rich merchant asked him to bring her a portrait of Our Lady of Altagracia from Santo Domingo, but no one had heard of that title. The merchant, staying overnight at a friend's house in Higuey, described his problem as they sat outdoors after dinner. An old man with a long beard, who just happened to be passing by, pulled a rolled up painting from his bindle, gave it to the merchant, and said, "This is what you are looking for." It was the Virgin of Altagracia. They gave the old man a place to stay for the night, but by dawn he was gone, not to be seen again. The merchant placed the image on their mantle, but it repeatedly disappeared only to be found outside. They finally returned it to the church.

Novena to the Virgin of Altagracia

Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our
Patroness.
Look at us here, prostrate in your presence, desiring
to offer you this novena as a testimony of our love
for you and in thanksgiving for the innumerable
favors that we have received from your hands.

You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our
needs.

You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to
learn from the example of your holy life.

You are our Mother, and like children, we come to
offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive,
dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively
to our supplications. Amen

[Here ask for one of the graces you would like to
obtain from the Holy Virgin of Altagracia]

Supplications

1. Oh sweetest Mother of Altagracia,
all pure and Immaculate from your Conception! We
beseech you to bless us, your children, with the grace
to love the purity you practiced and to preserve the
innocence of our children.

Hail Mary…

2. Oh sweetest Mother of Altagracia,
admirable model of Christian mothers and wives in the
humble house of Nazareth, we beseech you to bless our
homes, making them flourish in the holiness of
matrimony.

Hail Mary…

3. Oh sweetest Mother of Altagracia,
you received into your arms the Holy Infant who died
for us on the Cross, we give you all of our
sufferings, so that at the hour of our death we may
die with the name of Jesus on our lips and in our
hearts, and fly to heaven with the help of your
maternal arms.

Hail Mary …

Final Prayer

Holy Virgin of Altagracia!

From your hands and your maternal heart we receive
each day the sustenance that you give to us from Our
Father in heaven.
You are our defense in danger,
our indispensable help in our necessities and our hope in the sacrifices required of the Christian
life.
Through your Immaculate Heart we desire to pay tribute
to God with a hymn of thanksgiving for all the
benefits you have distributed.
We promise you, Oh Mother, gratitude and fidelity.
You will always reign in our homes and in our town,
where all venerate you as Our Lady and Mother, you who
make all virtues increase and thrive.
We are honored to be called your children.

We hope to finish our lives serving God and you until
we reach the highest grace possible, the grace you
will help us to attain, the great gift of heaven
itself.

Amen

The Unbreakable Rosary

Source: http://saints.sqpn.com/

Our Lady of Divine Providence

2010-08-29T14:56:00.000-04:00

"Mater Divinae Providentiae"

Artist - Scipione Pulzone circa 1850

Our Lady of Divine Providence

Feast Day: 19 November

Patronage: Puerto Rico and Indiana

The name and worship of Our Lady of the Divine Providence originated in Italy in the thirteenth century. It was a very popular devotion which later passed to Spain, where a shrine was built in Tarragona, Catalonia.

When Gil Esteve Tomas, a Catalan, was named bishop of Puerto Rico, he brought with him this devotion which he had become acquainted with during his seminary years.

The bishop had to place his diocese in the hands of Divine Providence, for he found the cathedral nearly in ruins and the finances of the diocese in similar condition. The bishop's trust and work bore fruit quickly; in less than five years the cathedral church had been restored, and immediately worship of the Virgin of Providence was established there.

The original image, venerated by the Servants of Mary, and other Italian religious orders and saints, was a beautiful oil painting in which the Virgin is shown with the Divine Child sleeping peacefully in her arms. The title "Of Divine Providence" has been attributed to St. Philip Benicio, fifth superior of the Servants of Mary. On a day when his friars had nothing to eat, having invoked the help of the Virgin, he found, at the door of the convent, two baskets full of food whose origin could not be found.

The image that Don Gil Esteve ordered was carved in Barcelona according to the prevailing taste. It is a handsome seated figure, made to be dressed, and it was in the cathedral sixty-seven years, until 1920 when it was replaced by a magnificent all wood carving, which is the image of Our Lady of Divine Providence most familiar and best known to the Puerto Rican communities.

Mary leans over the Child, who in an attitude of complete trust sleeps peacefully on her lap. The Virgin's hands are folded in prayer while she gently supports her Son's left hand. The whole carving suggests tenderness, abandonment, devotion and peace.

Pope Paul VI, by a decree signed on November 19, 1969, declared Our Lady Mother of Divine Providence principal patroness of the island of Puerto Rico. In this document it was also decreed that the Virgin's solemnity be transferred from January 2 to November 19, the day that the island was discovered. The intention was to join together the two great loves of the Puerto Ricans: love of their gorgeous island and love for the Mother of God.

The oldest carving, which dates from 1853, was the one chosen to be solemnly crowned during the meeting of the Latin American Bishops Council (CELAM), that took place in San Juan de Puerto Rico on November 5, 1976. On the eve of this event, the image was vilely burnt in the Parish of Little St. Therese in Santurce. And in this condition, the image was crowned amid the emotion and tears of thousands of her children and in the presence of cardinals, archbishops and bishops from all Latin America.

The burnt statue was sent to Spain to be restored and is presently awaiting the construction of the projected grand national sanctuary, where it will be placed.

Our Lady of Divine Providence Rosary in Hematite and White Howlite

Prayer To Our Lady of Providence

Let us ask Our Lady of Providence, Mary most holy, who is the refuge of sinners, the consolation of the afflicted, and the help of Christians, to assist us in all our necessities.

Litany of Our Lady of Providence

God the Creator of heaven and earth, have mercy on us.
God the son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Most Holy Trinity, Divine Providence, have mercy on us.
Our Lady of Providence, mother of grace and mercy, pray for us.
Our Lady of Providence, help of the sick, pray for us.
Our Lady of Providence, hope of the oppressed, pray for us.
Our Lady of Providence, star of the sea, pray for us.
Our Lady of Providence, tower of David, pray for us.
Our Lady of Providence, queen of the home, pray for us.
Our Lady of Providence, model of disciples, pray for us.
Our Lady of Providence, mother of the Church, pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, hear us O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Pray for us, Our lady of Providence, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

O God, whose ever-watchful Providence rules all things, we humbly implore you through the prayer of the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of your son, to remove from us whatever is harmful and to bestow on us only that which will be helpful. We ask this through Jesus Christ, your son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Adapted for a novena prior to the Feast of Our Lady of Providence (Saturday preceding the third Sunday in November). Ecclesiastical approval 1983.

Source: The Mary Page

Saints Damian and Cosmas

2010-07-21T01:44:00.000-04:00

Saints Damian and Cosmas

Saints Cosmas and Damian were twin brothers, born in Arabia, who had become eminent for their skill in the science of medicine. Being Christians, they were filled with the spirit of charity and never took money for their services. For this reason they were known as "the Silverless."

During the persecution under Diocletian, Cosmas and Damian were arrested by order of the Prefect of Cilicia, one Lysias who is otherwise unknown, who ordered them under torture to recant. However, according to legend they stayed true to their faith, enduring being hung on a cross, stoned and shot by arrows and finally suffered execution by beheading. Anthimus, Leontius and Euprepius, their younger brothers, who were inseparable from them throughout life, shared in their martyrdom.

Their most famous miraculous exploit was the grafting of a leg from a recently deceased Ethiopian to replace a patient's ulcered leg, and was the subject of many paintings and illuminations.

Birth: 3rd Century of Arabic descent.

Died: Circa 303, tortured and beheaded.

Canonized: Pre-Congregation

Feast Day: September 26th.

Patronage: Against blindness, against hernias, apothecaries, barbers, druggists, physicians, surgeons, midwives, hairdressers, hernia patients and the blind. In Brazil they are also regarded as the protectors of children.

Rosary Chaplet of Saints Damian and Cosmas

Unbreakable Catholic Rosaries and Patron Saint Chaplets

The Caravaca Crucifix

2010-07-20T01:19:00.000-04:00

Caravaca Crucifix

The Caravaca Cross with double cross bar, body of Christ, and two angels takes its name from Caravaca (now known as Caravaca de la Cruz), Spain, a town in the province of Murcia. The Cross is a popular religious symbol in Mexico and is said to be the first Christian cross to be brought into the country. Mexican Christians believe the cross has special powers to grant wishes and prayers.

Franciscan missionaries brought the cross to the new world. In 1943, when the burial crypt of Father Serra (1713-1784), the Franciscan founder of the California missions, was opened, a Caravaca style relic cross was found. The cross is now on display at the Carmel Mission.

One version of the legend of the origin of the Caravaca cross is as follows.

When the Moors captured their prisoners they determined whether they had any particular skill, and if the skill was worthwhile their life would be spared. One day they captured a priest and asked him what tools he needed to show his trade. He asked for a table, three linen cloths, two candles, a cup, bread, wine, and a crucifix. He was provided with everything except for the crucifix. Without the crucifix, he could not perform his trade. On the verge of being put to death, two angels arrived carrying a cross. They held it over the table while the priest said mass and his life was spared. The cross was attributed to the patriarch of Jerusalem and included a piece of the True Cross.

Another version has the cross appearing while the priest was taken to be executed. The Moorish lord converted, and the priest was saved. The townspeople of Caravaca, Spain shaped a replica of the cross out of metal and provided space for relics to be inserted. A Festival of the Holy Cross is held there every May.

The Rosary Chaplet of Saint Ann

2010-07-15T18:50:00.000-04:00

The Rosary Chaplet of Saint Ann

~ Mother of Mary ~

Origin:

The Little Chaplet of Saint Anne dates from 1875 and is the pious invention of a devout client of our Saint. If his name is unknown to man, he is surely known to God and dear to Good Saint Anne, for these beads have been the beginning of a chain of blessings, spiritual and temporal. Many graces and favors have been obtained through their recitation.

Explanation and signification:

The Little Chaplet of Saint Anne is composed of three Our Fathers and fifteen Hail Marys and is divided into three parts; the first part, one Our Father and five Haily Marys, is said in honor of Jesus, the Author of Grace; the second in honor of Mary, the channel through which all graces come to us from Jesus; the third in honor of Saint Anne, our advocate.

Manner of reciting:

Make the sign of the cross; then kiss devoutly the medal of Saint Anne saying the prayer: Jesus, Mary, Anne.
While reciting the first part thank Jesus for His favors, ask pardon for sins and future favors. While reciting the second part praise Mary and ask her to present your petition to Saint Anne. The third part is a petition to the Good Saint Anne. Each group is concluded with a Glory Be as an act of praise to the Blessed Trinity.

This information is quoted from TWENTY-FOUR ROSARIES AND CHAPLETS by Patrick Shaughnessy, O.S.B., S.T.D. Reprinted 1984 by Our Lady's Rosary Makers.

Rosary Chaplet: Our Lady of Mount Carmel

2010-06-07T05:03:00.001-04:00

Virgin of Carmel Traditional One Decade Rosary Chaplet

Chaplet Prayer: The Fifteen Secret Tortures and Suffering of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

2010-06-07T03:57:00.001-04:00

The Fifteen Secret Tortures and Suffering of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Rosary Chaplet

This rosary chaplet consists of eighteen beads in total - fifteen on the loop and three on the drop.

Revealed to the pious, God-loving Sister Mary Magdalen of Sancta Clara Order, Franciscan, who lived, died and was beatified in Rome. Jesus fulfilled the wish of this Sister, who desired to ardently know something about the secret sufferings which He endured the night before His death.
This devotion is approved and recommended by His Holiness Clement II, (1730-1740)

On the first 3 beads is said:
"I looked for one that would comfort me, and I found none"
followed by an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be....

On each single bead:
Meditate upon the secret tortures and sufferings.

The Fifteen Secret Tortures and Suffering of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:

1. They fastened My feet with a rope and dragged Me over the stepping stones of the staircase, down into a filthy, nauseating cellar.

2. They took off My clothing and stung My body with iron joints.

3. They attached a rope around My body and pulled Me on the ground from end to end.

4. They hanged Me on a wooden piece with a slip knot until I slipped out and fell down. Overwhelmed by this torture, I wept bloody tears.

5. They tied Me to a post and pierced My body with various arms.

6. They struck Me with stones and burnt Me with blazing embers and torches.

7. They pierced Me with awls; sharp spears tore My skin, flesh and arteries out of My body.

8. They tied Me to a post and made Me stand barefoot on an incandescent metal sheet.

9. They crowned Me with an iron crown and wrapped My eyes with the dirtiest possible rags.

10. They made Me sit on a chair covered with sharp pointed nails, causing deep wounds in My body.

11. They poured on My wounds liquid lead and resin and, after this torture, they pressed Me on the nailed chair so that the nails went deeper and deeper into My flesh.

12. For shame and affliction, they drove needles into the holes of My uprooted beard. They tied my hands behind My back and led Me walking out of prison with strikes and blows.

13. They threw Me upon a cross and attached Me so tightly that I could hardly breathe anymore.

14. They threw at My head as I lay on the earth, and they stepped on Me, hurting My breast. Then, taking a thorn from My crown, they drove it into My tongue.

15. They poured into My mouth the most immodest excretions, as they uttered the most infamous expressions about Me.

Then, Jesus added,
"My daughter, I desire that you let everybody know the Fifteen Secret Tortures in order that everyone of them be honored." "Anyone who daily offers Me, with love, one of these sufferings and says with fervor the following prayer, will be rewarded with eternal glory on the day of judgment."

On the Crucifix:
Say the prayer that Jesus gave to Sister Mary Magdalen of Santa Clara.
My Lord and My God, it is my unchangeable will to honor you in these Fifteen Secret Torments when You shed Your Precious Blood; as many times as there are grains of sand around the seas, as fruit in the orchards, as leaves on the trees, as flowers in the gardens, as stars in the sky, as angels in Heaven, as creatures on earth. So many thousands of times may you be glorified, praised and honored, O Most love-worthy Lord Jesus Christ - Your Holiest Heart, Your Precious Blood, Your Divine Sacrifice for mankind, the Holiest Sacrament of the altar, the Most Holy Virgin Mary, the nine glorious choirs of Angels and the Blessed Phalanx of the Saints, from myself and everyone, now and forever, and in the eternal ages.
In like manner, I desire, my dear Jesus, to give You thanksgiving, to serve you, to repair and atone for all my ignominies, and to offer You my soul and body as Your possession forever. Likewise, I regret all my sins and beg Your pardon, O my Lord and my God. And I offer You all the merits of Jesus Christ to repair everything, to obtain a happy dying-hour and the deliverance of the souls from Purgatory. This prayer I desire to renew at each hour until my death, O lovable Jesus. Sweet Savior, fortify my resolution and permit not that neither wretched men nor Satan destroy it. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fifteen Secret Tortures of Christ Chaplet

The Chaplet of Saint Philomena

2010-06-04T04:40:00.000-04:00

The Rosary Chaplet of Saint Philomena

St. Philomena is a most powerful helper of students at examinations. She cures the sick in the most desperate cases. She obtains great help for mothers at childbirth. She is also the Patron of The Living Rosary and Patron of The Children of Mary. To read more about Saint Philomena please click here.

The Chaplet of St. Philomena consists of a Medal of her likeness with 3 white beads in honor of the three Divine Persons of the Blessed Trinity in thanksgiving for all favors obtained through her intercession, and 13 red beads representing the thirteen years she spent on earth.

How to pray this chaplet:

On the medal pray:
The Apostle's Creed - to ask for the grace of faith.

1st White Bead pray:
The Our Father - in honor of The Father

2nd White Bead pray:
The Our Father - in honor of The Son

3rd White Bead pray:
The Our Father - in honor of The Holy Spirit

On each Red Bead pray:
Hail, O holy St. Philomena, whom I acknowledge, after Mary, as my advocate with the Divine Spouse, intercede for me now and at the hour of my death.

St. Philomena, beloved daughter of Jesus and Mary, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Amen.

In conclusion say:
Hail, O illustrious St. Philomena, who shed so courageously your blood for Christ! I bless the Lord for all the graces He has bestowed upon thee during thy life, and especially at thy death. I praise and glorify Him for the honor and power with which He has crowned thee, and I beg thee to obtain for me from God the graces I ask through thy intercession.

Saint Philomena: Patron of The Living Rosary

2010-06-04T04:15:00.001-04:00

Portrait of St. Philomena commissioned by St. John Vianney.

Saint Philomena is venerated as a virgin martyr saint of the Catholic Church, said to have been a young Greek princess martyred in the 4th century. Her veneration began in the early 19th century after the archaeological discovery in the Catacombs of Priscilla of the bones of a young woman, which were interpreted as those of a martyr. Nothing else was known about her, but an inscription found at the tomb was taken to indicate that her name was (in the Latin of the inscription) Filumena; corresponding to the English name Philomena.

The remains were removed to Mugnano del Cardinale in 1805 and became the focus of widespread devotion, with several miracles credited to the saint's intercession, including the healing of Venerable Pauline Jaricot in 1835, which received wide publicity. Saint Jean Vianney attributed to her intercession the extraordinary cures that others attributed to himself. Accounts of her life and martyrdom circulated on the basis of visions of a Neapolitan nun.

Her liturgical celebration was never included in the General Roman Calendar for universal use, but, beginning in 1837, it was approved for some places. The 1920 typical edition of the Roman Missal included a mention of her, under August 11, in the section headed Missae pro aliquibus locis (Masses for some places), with an indication that the Mass to be used in those places was one from the common of a Virgin Martyr, without any collect proper to the saint. On 14 February 1961, the Holy See ordered that the name of Saint Philomena be removed from all liturgical calendars that mentioned her. Accordingly, the 1962 Roman Missal, the edition whose continued use as an extraordinary form of the Roman Rite is authorized by the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, also has no mention of her.

Discovery of The Remains

On 24 May 1802 in the Catacombs of Priscilla on the Via Salaria Nova an inscribed loculus (space hollowed out of the rock) was found, and on the following day it was carefully examined and opened. The loculus was closed with three terra cotta tiles, on which was the following inscription: lumena paxte cumfi. It was and is generally accepted that the tiles were in a wrong order and that the inscription originally read, with the leftmost tile placed on the right: pax tecum Filumena (i.e."Peace with you, Philomena"). Within the loculus was found the skeleton of a female between thirteen and fifteen years old. Embedded in the cement was a small glass phial with vestiges of what was taken to be blood. In accordance with the assumptions of the time, the remains were taken to be those of a virgin martyr named Philomena.

The belief that such vials were signs of the grave of a martyr was still held in 1863, when a 10 December decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites confirmed a decree of 10 April 1668. But this view has been rejected in practice since the investigations of Giovanni Battista De Rossi (1822-1894).

Shrine to St. Philomena inside the church at Mugnano del Cardinale, Italy

In 1805, Canon Francesco De Lucia requested relics for a new altar, and on 8 June obtained the remains discovered in May 1802 (reduced to dust and fragments) for his church in Mugnano del Cardinale , where they arrived on 11 August, after being taken from Rome to Naples on 1 July. In 1827, Pope Leo XII gave to the church in Mugnano del Cardinale the three inscribed terra cotta slabs that had been taken from the tomb.

Church of Saint Philomena in Mugnano del Cardinale, Italy

Reported Life of Saint Philomena

On 21 December 1833, the Holy Office declared that there was nothing contrary to the Catholic faith in the revelations that Sister Maria Luisa di Gesù (1799-1875), a Dominican tertiary from Naples, claimed to have received from the Saint herself.

According to Sister Maria Luisa di Gesù, Saint Philomena told her she was the daughter of a king in Greece who, with his wife, had converted to Christianity. At the age of about 13 she took a vow of consecrated virginity. When the Emperor Diocletian threatened to make war on her father, he went with his family to Rome to ask for peace. The Emperor fell in love with the young Philomena and, when she refused to be his wife, he subjected her to a series of torments: scourging, from whose effects two angels cured her; drowning with an anchor attached to her, but two angels cut the rope and raised her to the river bank; being shot with arrows, but on the first occasion her wounds were healed, on the second the arrows turned aside, and on the third, they returned and killed six of the archers, and several of the others became Christians. Finally the Emperor had her decapitated, which occurred on a Friday at three in the afternoon, as with the death of Jesus. The two anchors, three arrows, the palm and the ivy leaf on the tiles found in the tomb were interpreted as symbols of her martyrdom.

In these visions she also revealed that her birthday was 10 January, that her martyrdom occurred on 10 August (the date also of the arrival of her relics in Mugnano del Cardinale), and that her name "Filumena" meant "daughter of light". (It is usually taken to be derived from a Greek word meaning "beloved".)

For prayers to Saint Philomena, including her rosary chaplet, please click here.

Article taken from Wikipedia.

La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre - The Virgin of Charity

2010-06-04T02:34:00.001-04:00

La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre

La Virgen de La Caridad del Cobre

"The Virgin of Charity"

The Virgin of Charity (La Virgen de la Caridad) is a miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary in the mining town of El Cobre, outside Santiago in southwest Cuba. Her shrine is the most important religious site on the entire island.

A focus of intese popular devotion—not just for Catholics but also for followers of Santería and even those who aren't otherwise religious—the beloved Virgin of Charity was declared the patron saint of Cuba by the pope in 1916.

History

The town of El Cobre was founded in 1550 as a Spanish copper mine, worked by slaves and Indians. One day in 1608, two Indians and a slave boy were gathering salt on the coast near El Cobre when they saw something floating in the water. It was a small statue of the Virgin Mary, carrying the Christ child and a gold cross. She floated on a board bearing the inscription, Yo soy la Virgen de la Caridad, "I am the Virgin of Charity."

At the time, the church in El Cobre was dedicated to Santiago, St. James, the powerful patron of the Spanish conquest. So the statue of the Virgin was placed in a thatched hut instead of in the church. But on three successive nights, the statue disappeared from the hut and was found on top of the hill above El Cobre.

Statue of the Virgin of Charity in the El Cobre Basilica, Santiago, Cuba

The Virgin of Charity resided in several small shrines until 1630, when the copper mine was closed and the slaves were freed. She then took St. James' place above the high altar in the church, a symbol of the triumph of the people over the Spanish conquerers.

Since then, the Virgin has continued to assist her people and has been credited with countless miracles. In 1731, when an attempt was made to reintroduce slavery, she became a symbol of emancipation for one of Cuba's largest slave insurrections. In the end, the slaves were declared free. This spread devotion to Our Lady of Charity even further.

In 1916, the pope visited the shrine of the Virgin of Charity and declared her the patron saint of Cuba. El Cobre Basilica was built to house her in 1927. In 1998, Pope John Paul II crowned her statue during his historic visit to communist Cuba.

The Virgin has collected many votive offerings from her grateful worshippers over the years. In the 1950s, Ernest Hemingway gave the Virgin the Nobel Prize for Literature he won after writing The Old Man and the Sea in Havana. The mother of Fidel and Raul Castro left a small golden guerrilla fighter at the feet of the Virgin as her sons battled the government of dictator Fulgencio Batista ahead of the Cuban Revolution (and they have lived into old age).

Today, the Virgin of Charity in El Cobre continues to receive streams of visitors and stacks of votive gifts. Common objects left in more recent times include replicas of rafts, representing safe journeys to America, and photos of activists who have been imprisoned by Castro's government.

El Cobre Basilica, Santiago, Cuba

Prayer to Our Lady of Charity, Patroness of Cuba

Most Holy Mother of Charity
who came to us as a messenger of peace across the sea.
You are the Mother of all Cubans
To you we come, Most Holy Mother of God
to honor you with love as your children.
To your motherly heart
we entrust our desires and hopes
our work and our prayers.
We pray for our torn country
that we may be able to build
a nation based on peace and unity.
We pray for our families
that they may live in fidelity and love.

We pray for our children
that they may grow strong
in spirit and in body.

We pray for our young people
that their faith may increase,
as well as their attachment to
the truth.

We pray for the sick, the homeless,
the lonely, the exiled,
and for all suffering souls.
We pray for the Catholic Church in Cuba,
for its mission,
for its priests, deacons,
religious and laity.

We pray for the victory
of justice and love
in our country.

Mother of Charity!
We place ourselves
under your mantle of protection!
Blessed are you among women
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus!
And to Him be the glory and the power
now and forever. Amen.

Our Lady of Olives

2010-05-30T05:42:00.000-04:00

Our Lady of Olives

In a pleasant valley of France there lies a little city where, by the favor of God, lightning never falls. This favor, unique in the world, dates back to the time when the church of Murat (Cantal) was burned by lightning except for a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary. In 1493, and ever since, the town has been named Our Lady of Olives. The Virgin Mary is the Olive recalled in the scriptures (Sirach 24:14).

By virtue of the Medallion of Our Lady of Olives, the persons who carry it are preserved from lightning wherever they may be during a storm. It is a privilege attached to the medallion which bears the unique name in the annals of the church, "Our Lady of Olives." This marvelous way of being protected against lightning deserves to be known throughout the world and ought to be extended to the four corners of the universe.

The second privilege of the Medallion is to protect, in an unmistakable manner, women who are about to become mothers and to assist them in the hour of deliverance.

Those who are afflicted with sickness and who pray to the Divine Mother, are promptly relieved.

The Virgin was crowned June 18, 1881, by an apostolic brief given by Leo XIII on the tenth day of May 1878.

Our Lady of the Olives Basilica of Our Lady of the Sea Barcelona, Spain

Prayer to Our Lady of Olives

Kneeling at thy feet, we pray thee Virgin Mary, that through thine intercession, there may be borne a new generation who will unite all hearts and souls in the same faith and the same charity.

We pray thee "Divine Olive of Peace," to implore God that harmony may reign between nations, that true liberty be given to all people, that heresies and all bad doctrines condemned by the Pope may disappear.

We pray that all the treasures of the Divine Heart be showered upon all men and that we be preserved from all harm.

Pray for us, help us and save us. Amen.
Source: JMJ Book Company Catalog, p. 158

Saint Catherine of Siena

2010-05-07T05:05:00.000-04:00

The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine

Lorenzo Lotto 1506-07

Saint Catherine of Siena

1347 - 1380

Doctor of the Church

Patronage: Italy, Europe, Fire Prevention, Illness, Miscarriages, Nursing and Nurses

Feast Day: 29 April (formerly 30 April)

Canonized: July 1641 by Pope Pius II

The Middle Ages were drawing to a close and the brave new world of the Renaissance was springing to life when Catherine Benincasa was born. The place was Siena, and the day was the feast of the Annunciation, 1347. Catherine and a twin sister who did not long survive were the youngest of twenty-five children. The father, Giacomo or Jacopo Benincasa, a prosperous wool dyer, lived with his wife Lapa and their family, sometimes comprising married couples and grandchildren, in a spacious house which the Sienese have preserved to the present day.

As a child Catherine was so merry that the family gave her the pet name of Euphrosyne, which is Greek for Joy and also the name of an early Christian saint. At the age of six she had the remarkable experience which may be said to have determined her vocation. With her brother she was on the way home from a visit to a married sister, when suddenly she stopped still in the road, gazing up into the sky. She did not hear the repeated calls of the boy, who had walked on ahead. Only after he had gone back and seized her by the hand did she wake as from a dream. She burst into tears. Her vision of Christ seated in glory with the Apostles Peter, Paul, and John had faded. A year later the little girl made a secret vow to give her whole life to God. She loved prayer and solitude, and when she mingled with other children it was to teach them to do what gave her so much happiness.

When Catherine was twelve, her mother, with marriage in mind, began to urge her to pay more attention to her appearance. To please her mother and sister, she dressed in the bright gowns and jewels that were fashionable for young girls. Soon she repented of this vanity, and declared with finality that she would never marry. When her parents persisted in their talk about finding her a husband, she cut off the golden-brown hair that was her chief beauty As punishment, she was now made to do menial work in the household, and the family, knowing she craved solitude, never allowed her to be alone. Catherine bore all this with sweetness and patience. Long afterward, in "The Dialogue", she wrote that God had shown her how to build in her soul a private cell where no tribulation could enter.

Catherine's father at last came to the realization that further pressure was useless, and his daughter was permitted to do as she pleased. In the small, dimly-lighted room now set apart for her use, a cell nine feet by three, she gave herself up to prayers and fasting; she scourged herself three times daily with an iron chain, and slept on a board. At first she wore a hair shirt, subsequently replacing it by an iron-spiked girdle. Soon she obtained what she ardently desired, permission to assume the black habit of a Dominican tertiary, which was customarily granted only to matrons or widows. She now increased her asceticism, eating and sleeping very little. For three years she spoke only to her confessor and never went out except to the neighboring church of St. Dominic, where the pillar against which she used to lean is still pointed out to visitors.

At times now she was enraptured by celestial visions, but often too she was subjected to severe trials. Loathsome forms and enticing figures would present themselves to her imagination, and the most degrading temptations assailed her. There would be long intervals during which she felt abandoned by God. "O Lord, where wert Thou when my heart was so sorely vexed with foul and hateful temptations?" she asked, when after such a time of agonizing He had once more manifested Himself. She heard a voice saying, "Daughter, I was in thy heart, fortifying thee by grace," and the voice then said that God would now be with her more openly, for the period of probation was nearing an end.

On Shrove Tuesday, 1366, while the citizens of Siena were keeping carnival, and Catherine was praying in her room, a vision of Christ appeared, accompanied by His mother and the heavenly host. Taking the girl's hand, Our Lady held it up to Christ, who placed a ring upon it and espoused her to Himself, bidding her to be of good courage, for now she was armed with a faith that could overcome all temptations. To Catherine the ring was always visible, though invisible to others. The years of solitude and preparation were ended and soon afterward she began to mix with her fellow men and learn to serve them. Like other Dominican tertiaries, she volunteered to nurse the sick in the city hospitals, choosing those afflicted with loathsome diseases—cases from which others were apt to shrink.

There gathered around this strong personality a band of earnest associates. Prominent among them were her two Dominican confessors, Thomas della Fonte and Bartholomew Dominici, the Augustinian Father Tantucci, Matthew Cenni, rector of the Misericordia Hospital, the artist Vanni, to whom we are indebted for a famous portrait of Catherine, the poet Neri di Landoccio dei Pagliaresi, her own sister-in-law Lisa, a noble young widow, Alessia Saracini, and William Flete, the English hermit. Father Santi, an aged hermit, abandoned his solitude to be near her, because, he said, he found greater peace of mind and progress in virtue by following her than he ever found in his cell. A warm affection bound her to these whom she called her spiritual family, children given her by God that she might help them along the way to perfection. She read their thoughts and frequently knew their temptations when they were away from her. Many of her early letters were written to one or another of them.

At this time public opinion about Catherine was divided; many Sienese revered her as a saint, while others called her a fanatic or denounced her as a hypocrite. Perhaps as a result of charges made against her, she was summoned to Florence to appear before the general chapter of the Dominicans. Whatever the charges were, they were completely disproved, and shortly afterwards the new lector for the order in Siena, Raymund de Capua, was appointed her confessor. In this happy association, Father Raymund was in many things of the spirit her disciple. Later he became the saint's biographer.

After Catherine's return to Siena there was a terrible outbreak of the plague, during which she and her circle worked incessantly to relieve the sufferers. "Never did she appear more admirable than at this time," wrote a priest who had known her from girlhood. "She was always with the plague-stricken; she prepared them for death and buried them with her own hands. I myself witnessed the joy with which she nursed them and the wonderful efficacy of her words, which brought about many conversions." Among those who owed their recovery directly to her were Raymund of Capua himself, Matthew Cenni, Father Santi, and Father Bartholomew, all of whom contracted the disease through tending others. Her pity for dying men was not confined to those who were sick. She made it a practice to visit condemned persons in prison, hoping to persuade them to make their peace with God. On one occasion she walked to the scaffold with a young Perugian knight, sentenced to death for using seditious language against the government of Siena. His last words were: "Jesus and Catherine! "

Her deeds of mercy, coupled with a growing reputation as a worker of miracles, now caused the Sienese to turn to Catherine in all kinds of difficulties. Three Dominican priests were especially deputed to hear the confessions of those whom she had prevailed on to amend their lives. In settling disputes and healing old feuds she was so successful that she was constantly called upon to arbitrate at a time when all through Italy every man's hand seemed to be against his neighbor. It was partly, perhaps, with a view to turning the energies of Christendom away from civil wars that Catherine threw herself into Pope Gregory's campaign for another crusade to wrest the Holy Sepulchre from the Turks. This brought her into correspondence with Gregory himself.

In February, 1375, she accepted an invitation to visit Pisa, where she was welcomed with enthusiasm. She had been there only a few days when she had another of the spiritual experiences which seem to have presaged each new step in her career. She had made her Communion in the little church of St. Christina, and had been gazing at the crucifix, when suddenly there descended from it five blood-red rays which pierced her hands, feet and heart, causing such acute pain that she swooned. The wounds remained as stigmata, visible to herself alone during her life, but clearly to be seen after her death.

She was still in Pisa when she received word that the people of Florence and Perugia had entered into a league against the Holy See and the French legates. The disturbance had begun in Florence, where the Guelphs and the Ghibellines united to raise a large army under the banner of freedom from the Pope's control, and Bologna, Viterbo, and Ancona, together with other strongholds in the papal domain, rallied to the insurgents. Through Catherine's untiring efforts, the cities of Lucca, Pisa, and Siena held back. From Avignon, meanwhile, after an unsuccessful appeal to the Florentines, the Pope, Gregory XI, sent Cardinal Robert of Geneva with an army to put down the uprising, and laid Florence under an interdict. The effects of the ban on the life and prosperity of the city were so serious that its rulers sent to Siena, to ask Catherine to mediate with the Pope. Always ready to act as a peacemaker, she promptly set out for Florence. The city's magistrates met her as she drew near the gates, and placed the negotiations entirely in her hands, saying that their ambassadors would follow her to Avignon and confirm whatever she did there. Catherine arrived in Avignon on June 18, 1376, and was graciously received by the Pope. "I desire nothing but peace," he said; "I place the affair entirely in your hands, only I recommend to you the honor of the Church." As it happened, the Florentines proved untrustworthy and continued their intrigues to draw the rest of Italy away from allegiance to the Holy See. When their ambassadors arrived, they disclaimed all connection with Catherine, making it clear by their demands that they did not desire a reconciliation.

Although she had failed in this matter, her efforts in another direction were successful. Many of the troubles which then afflicted Europe were, to some degree at least, due to the seventy-four-year residence of the popes at Avignon, where the Curia was now largely French. Gregory had been ready to go back to Rome with his court, but the opposition of the French cardinals had deterred him. Since in her letters Catherine had urged his return so strongly, it was natural that they should discuss the subject now that they were face to face. "Fulfill what you have promised," she said, reminding him of a vow he had once taken and had never disclosed to any human being. Greatly impressed by what he regarded as a supernatural sign, Gregory resolved to act upon it at once.

On September 13, 1376, he set out from Avignon to travel by water to Rome, while Catherine and her friends left the city on the same day to return overland to Siena. On reaching Genoa she was detained by the illness of two of her secretaries, Neri di Landoccio and Stephen Maconi. The latter was a young Sienese nobleman, recently converted, who had become an ardent follower. When Catherine got back to Siena, she kept on writing the Pope, entreating him to labor for peace. At his request she went again to Florence, still rent by factions, and stayed there for some time, frequently in danger of her life. She did finally establish peace between the city governors and the papacy, but this was in the reign of Gregory's successor.

After Catherine returned to Siena, Raymund of Capua tells us, "she occupied herself actively in the composition of a book which she dictated under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost." This was the mystical work, in four treatises, called "The Dialogue of St. Catherine". Her health was now so impaired by austerities that she was never free from pain; yet her thin face was usually smiling. She was grieved by any sort of scandal in the Church, especially that of the Great Schism which followed the death of Gregory XI. Urban VI was elected as his successor by the cardinals of Rome and Clement VII by the rebellious cardinals of Avignon. Western Christendom was divided; Clement was recognized by France, Spain, Scotland, and Naples; Urban by most of North Italy, England, Flanders, and Hungary. Catherine wore herself out trying to heal this terrible breach in Christian unity and to obtain for Urban the obedience due to the legitimate head. Letter after letter was dispatched to the princes and leaders of Europe. To Urban himself she wrote to warn him to control his harsh and arrogant temper. This was the second pope she had counseled, chided, even commanded. Far from resenting reproof, Urban summoned her to Rome that he might profit by her advice. Reluctantly she left Siena to live in the Holy City. She had achieved a remarkable position for a woman of her time. On various occasions at Siena, Avignon, and Genoa, learned theologians had questioned her and had been humbled by the wisdom of her replies.

Although Catherine was only thirty-three, her life was now nearing its close. On April 21, 1380, a paralytic stroke made her helpless from the waist downwards, and eight days later she passed away in the arms of her cherished friend, Alessia Saracini. The Dominicans at Rome still treasure the body of Catherine in the Minerva Church, but Siena has her head enshrined in St. Dominic's Church. Pope Pius II canonized Catherine in 1461.

- Taken from Lives of Saints, Published by John J. Crawley & Co., Inc.