#Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

[postcard-from-the-past]

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

British vintage postcard

[luxperpetualuceateis]

[bovvv]

the church my grandmother was married in

[chanthaburi-temples]

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

21 August 2024

[francisofgotham1]

For those that do not know, this part of the Basilica is the Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel, located beside the crypts underneath the Greater Church. It is dimly lit, with a solemn confessional to the left of it and a large amount of lit candles along the right wall. As you walk by, you can feel the heat emanating from the candles, while the smell of wax hits your nose. But it is solemn, it is also extremely peaceful and holy. I recommend everyone to go and visit. Also, just outside of it is the Crypt Church, which is just as dimly lit, and it looks amazing

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

[sokfkelfd]

[sylvanyowl]

Crypt in Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

[manessha545]

Catedral de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina: The Cathedral of La Plata in La Plata, Argentina, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, is the 58th tallest church in the world. This Neogothic edifice is located in the geographical center of the city, facing the central square, Plaza Moreno, and the City Hall. Wikipedia

[vulture-venom]

Continuing into the hunters’ side of things…they are NOT in New Jersey, Gotham is just the capitol city of a currently unnamed Kingdom. The vampire hunters are primarily led by “the Bat Hunter” / Viscount Bruce Wayne. They all still use their vigilante code names (or at least something reminiscent of them) to remain anonymous because hunters are seen as outlaws.

Hunting has been outlawed due to some of the nobility being acolytes from the Order of St. Dumas who have worked their way into high society, as well as the fact that various kinds of monsters live among humans and manage to get into positions of power. Hunters are demonized to the public, said to be exacting vigilante justice without having proof of their targets’ alleged monstrous natures. The hunters work isn’t contained to only vampires, some of the Gotham rogues are different kinds of monsters or casters who have been overtaken by magic (though most were human at one point).

The vampires as created by the Order are not the only ones in the world, there are others, but they are far weaker than the Azraels. There are lesser and greater vampires, lesser vampires do not possesses all the abilities of greater vampires, but they are easier to create because they do not require any sort of ritual. They also do not have to sire other vampires using their blood, instead, they have a sort of venom in their fangs that can be used to turn others. They spread more like an infection, but they are far weaker and more simple minded. The Order of St. Dumas are the only ones who have uncovered the secrets to creating greater vampires and refuse to share that knowledge, which is part of why Ra’s Al Ghul broke off their alliance.

Viscount Wayne runs a large caravan business which he uses to provide aid to villages which have been raided by monsters or pillaged during wars. The Wayne fortune was amassed through trading and real estate. His parents were killed by a lesser vampire after seeing a stage production, the pearls, justice, etc etc. (Most backstories are largely the same, the villains have just been made into monsters/mages or work in association with them.) At this point, he’s already taken in the Fledgling Hunter Robin, who is being trained by Nightwing when the story starts. Robin is the son of Baron Drake, whose estate is on the outskirts of Wayne’s territory. He’s also working with his steward Pennyworth, a blacksmith named Harold, the hunter Crow, and a seer called Oracle. Huntress is also active but she operates separately from Wayne’s merry band.

Oracle is largely how the hunters communicate, they use gems that she has enchanted to speak to each other (similar to a walkie talkie). She is also how they source much of their information, due to her various connections and her abilities. She was a hunter as well but began studying magic after an injury from the madking left her paralyzed.

When investigating the Order of St. Dumas, Oracle was sworn to secrecy because the Bat hunter had suspected there was a greater vampire behind it all (which has been considered a myth until meeting Azrael). She does eventually share their findings with Crow once Viscount Wayne goes missing (he was injured and in the care of the apothecary Shondra Kinsolving). Crow follows the Bat hunter’s trail which leads him to the vampire Azrael. From there it is all Crowzrael slowburn nonsense 🙏

Differences between greater and lesser vampires:

Greater vampires:

•Inherently magical creatures so they are not affected by most forms of magic

•Created through rituals and siring (which is consuming the blood of another greater vampire)

•Can fly, greater strength and speed, faster regeneration, heightened senses

•Only real weakness is silver and being pierced through the heart, can be in the sun as long as they’ve had enough blood.

•Vessels of St. Dumas

•One lineage

Lesser vampires:

•Not immune to magic, also weak to crosses and holy water, cannot out heal damage done by the sun

•Heightened strength and speed, somewhat heightened senses, slow regeneration

•Cannot sustain themselves off of inhuman blood whereas greater vampires can

•Have venom which, when injected into whoever they bite, turns them as well

Overall, greater vampires are significantly stronger and more resilient, but they have begun weakening over time and can only be created by the mages of the Order who know the ritual and have access to the blood of St. Dumas and the previous Azraels. Lesser vampires can be created in quick succession but are just undead rather than magical creatures.

The Dumas lore in the Azvamps AU !

I’ve tried to keep as much of it as I could but there are a few things that have had to change. This is all more fantastical so I do not strive for realism or modernity in any of it.

The Order of St. Dumas was formed by St. Dumas (shocking) who was a holy knight studying dark magic. He reached enlightenment through his studies and earned “immortality,” becoming the first vampire. When he first reached enlightenment he had a ravenous hunger and had fed on animals (reference to the frog mentioned in Agent of the Bat #61). After he had cleared his mind and fostered his newfound abilities, he recruited other dark mages to become his acolytes and form the Order.

He and his acolytes erected a plan to overthrow the kingdom and neighboring countries working alongside the warlock Ra’s Al Ghul. They tried to do this through infiltrating the ranks of the nobility with acolytes and mages who could control the politics of each nation to allow the Order more control and leeway. Due to their polarized views Dumas and Ra’s eventually broke off their alliance and Dumas continued to grow more power hungry over the centuries. One of his acolytes, Biis, had seen the growing corruption of St. Dumas and splintered off from the Order, forming his own cult in an attempt to gather enough forces to defeat Dumas. He, along with some of the knights of the Order of St. Dumas, banded together and managed to defeat him.

Dumas escaped within an inch of his life and asked that his mages use his blood to sire another ageless warrior using the body of one his most loyal knights, creating the first Azrael. The ritual they used to drain the blood of St. Dumas had preserved his spirit and he is believed to live on within the consciousness of his Azraels, effectively immortalizing himself.

The acolytes, in conjunction with the spirit of Dumas, trained the vampire Azrael to continue Dumas’ holy work in his stead and attempt defeat Dumas and his followers so that they can resume their conquest. Only one Azrael so sired at a time due to the lengthy ritual it takes to create one and the training they must undergo. It is also a precaution taken by the Order to avoid being overtaken by the immense strength multiple Azraels would possess. (Their major contingency for vampires is the Clench but because that is more of a widespread plague than a controlled solution it is their last resort.)

The Azrael’s are controlled through the use of dark magic and the spirit of St. Dumas in their mind (the hallucinations. they also tend to hallucinate other Azraels due to generations of them being mixed in with Dumas’ blood which is why JPV sees Ludovic so often). When they are first sired, they are often animalistic due to their hunger and the Order weaponizes this bloodlust, occasionally withholding blood from the Azraels so that they are especially violent went sent after their enemies. Azraels are expressly forbidden from reading any tomes or going into any of the areas where rituals are held and Dumas’ blood is stored. When an Azrael dies, their blood joins Dumas’ in the temple and is later given to the next Azrael. In doing this, the potency of Dumas’ blood has been diluted and the vampire get weaker overtime. Ludovic was weaker than his father, Jean Paul is weaker than Ludovic, etc etc.

To preserve the secrecy of everything, very few acolytes are thought dark magic. The head of the Order, (which I’ve dubbed the high priest/ess because “brother” felt too familiar for Rollo). Jean Paul is the seventh Azrael sired by the Order of St. Dumas. The Order has been around about 900 years since the death of St. Dumas, most Azrael’s don’t live very long despite their extended lifespan due to the rise in vampire hunters and the fact Azraels are constantly sent into battle (and their skills weakening each generation). The oldest Azrael was 110 years old, Ludovic’s father. He was considered one of the best Azraels, which is why Ludovic and Jean Paul seem to fall flat in comparison.

Ludovic’s incompetence was sort of excused as a product of the impotent blood from generations of dilution. Carleton Lehah, who was both their treasurer and one of the few dark mages during Ludovic’s time, had felt that the order grew weak between their feeble Azrael and High Priest Rollo’s narcissism. Being one of the more educated on their history, he was very familiar with the story of Biis and his battle with Dumas. He secretly began studying the teachings of Biis and embezzling from the Order to find his own attack on the acolytes.

He started with the other dark mages, trying to kill off as many as he could so that no more Azraels could be sired. He was intercepted by Ludovic, who he successfully defeated. Ludovic, struggling to regenerate due to his magic induced injuries and the sun rising, made his way to Jean Paul. He died in Jean Paul’s bed but Jean Paul had found a map on his person with notes about the ice cathedral, etc etc, so he follows it and manages to meet up with Nomoz. The Dwarflings story is largely the same. The Order no longer trained knights after so many had betrayed them during the first fight with Biis, so they subjugated a tribe of Dwarfling warriors to teach and serve the Azraels instead.

After this it’s all my take on the Sword of Azrael and a Knightfall adjacent arc which I plan to include in the fic once it’s all finished.

[hopefulkidshark]

Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh city: Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon, officially Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception is a cathedral located in the downtown of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Established by French colonists who initially named it the Church of Saigon, the cathedral was constructed between 1863 and 1880. Wikipedia

[asiablog-universe]

Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon, officially Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception is a cathedral located in the downtown of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Established by French colonists who initially named it the Church of Saigon, the cathedral was constructed between 1863 and 1880. Wikipedia

[jurakan]

I’m extra excited for my fun fact today! Have fun on vacation!!!

[claps] You got it, friendo! Today You Learned about the Clock of Comayagua in Honduras!

This clock, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Comayagua, Honduras. Doesn't look too exciting, does it? Welp, it is very exciting, because this is the oldest clock in the Americas, and the oldest working gear clock.

Made in Al-Andalus, or Spain under the Muslim Moors, it dates back to the 1100s, meaning this clock is around 900 years old, and was possibly installed in the Alhambra in Granada. When Honduras was colonized by Spain, they moved it there, where it was put on a church. At the time of the completion, the cathedral was the largest building in town.

A 900-year-old clock and it still works.

That's pretty cool, huh?

[coolvietnamlove]

Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon, officially Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception is a cathedral located in the downtown of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Established by French colonists who initially named it the Church of Saigon, the cathedral was constructed between 1863 and 1880. Wikipedia

[scotianostra]

On November 8th 1308 Scholar and philosopher John Duns Scotus died.

Followers of Duns Scotus were named Dunses without any negative connotations at the time. However, centuries later the term became used to indicate an "opponent to progress and learning" and subsequently a cap to be worn be pupils who misbehaved in class.

A humble man, John Duns Scotus has been one of the most influential Franciscans through the centuries. Born at Duns in the county of Berwick, Scotland, John was descended from a wealthy farming family. In later years, he was identified as John Duns Scotus to indicate the land of his birth; Scotia is the Latin name for Scotland.

John received the habit of the Friars Minor at Dumfries, where his uncle Elias Duns was superior. Afterwards John studied at Oxford and Paris and was ordained in 1291. More studies in Paris followed until 1297, when he returned to lecture at Oxford and Cambridge. Four years later, he returned to Paris to teach and complete the requirements for the doctorate.

In an age when many people adopted whole systems of thought without qualification, John pointed out the richness of the Augustinian-Franciscan tradition, appreciated the wisdom of Aquinas, Aristotle, and the Muslim philosophers—and still managed to be an independent thinker. That quality was proven in 1303, when King Philip the Fair tried to enlist the University of Paris on his side in a dispute with Pope Boniface VIII. John Duns Scotus dissented, and was given three days to leave France. This wasn't the French King's only involvment with one of our anscestors, Phillip also provided financial support and a letter of recommendation to William Wallace during Wallace's mysterious mission to Rome.

In Scotus’s time, some philosophers held that people are basically determined by forces outside themselves. Free will is an illusion, they argued. An ever-practical man, Scotus said that if he started beating someone who denied free will, the person would immediately tell him to stop. But if Scotus didn’t really have a free will, how could he stop? John had a knack for finding illustrations his students could remember!

After a short stay in Oxford, Scotus returned to Paris, where he received the doctorate in 1305. He continued teaching there and in 1307 so ably defended the Immaculate Conception of Mary that the university officially adopted his position. That same year the minister general assigned him to the Franciscan school in Cologne where John died in 1308. He is buried in the Franciscan church near the famous Cologne cathedral, I'm gutted I didn't see his grave when I was in the Cathecral in June, the last pic shows the grave.

Drawing on the work of John Duns Scotus, Pope Pius IX solemnly defined the Immaculate Conception of Mary in 1854. John Duns Scotus, the “Subtle Doctor,” was beatified in 1993.

[chanthaburi-temples]

New garden area at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

2 October 2024

[unhinged-soapbox]

I'm not Catholic even remotely but I think Mary of "Immaculate Conception" fame is really neat so you bet I got a magnet of her at a cathedral in Manila.