#Basilica of St. Ambrose

[dramoor]

Basilica di Sant' Ambrogio, Milan, Italy

(Photo © dramoor 2015)

[cruger2984]

THE DESCRIPTION OF SAINT SEBASTIAN The Praetorian Guard who Martyred for Faith Feast Day: January 20

"The devil strains every nerve to secure the souls which belong to Christ. We should not grudge our toil wrestling them from Satan and giving them back to God."

Sebastian was born circa 256 AD in Narbonne, France, but was educated in Milan, Italy. In 283 AD, he entered the Roman army under the banner of Emperor Carinus, and because of his courage, he became one of the captains of the Praetorian Guards.

Sebastian had prudently concealed his faith; but in 286 AD, he was detected and accused before Emperor Diocletian, who condemned him to be shot with arrows. The sentence was carried out by certain archers of Mauretania, who left him for dead.

Restored to health by the care of St. Irene of Rome, a good Christian widow and wife of Castulus, he boldly appeared before the emperor and reproached him for his injustice against the Christians. This freedom of speech, and from a person whom he supposed to have been dead, greatly astonished the emperor; and had Sebastian beaten to death with cudgels and thrown into a sewer in circa 288 AD. His body was later removed by a pious lady named Lucina, admonished by the martyr in a vision, privately removed the body and buried it in the catacombs at the entrance of the cemetery of Calixtus, where now stands the Basilica of St. Sebastian.

St. Ambrose of Milan venerated Sebastian as a saint in the early church. Sebastian is considered the patron saint of athletes because of his physical endurance and energetic way of evangelizing. He is also the patron of plague sufferers because of the healings said to have occurred by his prayers.

[anastpaul]

Our Morning Offering – 18 November – Æterna Cæli Gloria, Eternal glory of Heaven

Our Morning Offering – 18 November – Æterna Cæli Gloria, Eternal glory of Heaven

Our Morning Offering – 18 November – Feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Peter and Paul Æterna Cæli GloriaEternal Glory of HeavenBy St Ambrose (340–397)Father and Doctor of the ChurhTrans. John Mason Neale, (1818-1866) Eternal glory of the sky,Blest hope of frail humanity,The Father’s Sole-begotten One,Yet born a spotless Virgin’s Son! Uplift us with Thine arm of might,And let our…

[adventism-atheism-orthodoxy-me]

Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan

My mind often turns to St Ambrose this time of year. Not only is his feast day December 7, but he also wrote, Veni redemptor gentium, which comes to the English through Martin Luther, Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, as Savior of the Nations, Come.

Sadly, there aren't many English versions that respect the Ambrosian Chant from which it was derived.

He's also widely considered to have applied Stoic thought to Christian Theology.

Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, was born in the year 340 into the family of the Roman prefect of Gaul (now France). Even in the saint’s childhood there appeared presentiments of his great future. Once, bees covered the face of the sleeping infant. They flew in and out of his mouth, leaving honey on his tongue. Soon they flew away so high that they could no longer be seen. Ambrose’s father said that the child would become something great when he reached manhood.

After the death of the father of the family, Ambrose journeyed to Rome, where the future saint and his brother Satyrius received an excellent education. About the year 370, upon completion of his course of study, Ambrose was appointed to the position of governor (consular prefect) of the districts of Liguria and Aemilia, though he continued to live at Mediolanum (now Milan).

In the year 374 Auxentius, the Arian Bishop of Mediolanum, died. This led to complications between the Orthodox and the Arians, since each side wanted to have its own bishop. Ambrose, as the chief city official, went to the church to resolve the dispute.

While he was speaking to the crowd, suddenly a child cried out, “Ambrose for bishop!” The people took up this chant. Ambrose, who at this time was still a catechumen, considered himself unworthy, and tried to refuse. He disparaged himself, and even tried to flee from Mediolanum. The matter went ultimately before the emperor Valentinian the Elder (364-375), whose orders Ambrose dared not disobey. He accepted holy Baptism from an Orthodox priest and, passing through all the ranks of the Church clergy in just seven days, on December 7, 374 he was consecrated Bishop of Mediolanum. He dispersed all his possessions, money and property for the adornment of churches, the upkeep of orphans and the poor, and he devoted himself to a strict ascetic life.

Ambrose combined strict temperance, intense vigilance and work within the fulfilling of his duties as archpastor. Saint Ambrose, defending the unity of the Church, energetically opposed the spread of heresy. Thus, in the year 379 he traveled off to establish an Orthodox bishop at Sirmium, and in 385-386 he refused to hand over the basilica of Mediolanum to the Arians.

Displaying a pastoral boldness, Saint Ambrose placed a severe penance on the emperor Theodosius I (379-395) for the massacre of innocent inhabitants of Thessalonica. For him there was no difference between emperor and commoner. Though he released Theodosius from the penance, the saint would not permit the emperor to commune at the altar, but compelled him to do public penance.

The fame of Bishop Ambrose and his actions attracted to him many followers from other lands. From far away Persia learned men came to him to ask him questions and absorb his wisdom. Fritigelda (Frigitil), queen of the military Germanic tribe of the Markomanni, which often had attacked Mediolanum, asked the saint to instruct her in the Christian Faith. The saint in his letter to her persuasively stated the dogmas of the Church. And having become a believer, the queen converted her own husband to Christianity and persuaded him to conclude a treaty of peace with the Roman Empire.

The saint combined strictness with an uncommon kindliness. Granted a gift of wonderworking, he healed many from sickness. One time at Florence, while staying at the house of Decentus, he resurrected a dead boy.

The repose of Saint Ambrose, who departed to the Lord on the night of Holy Pascha, was accompanied by many miracles. He even appeared in a vision to the children being baptized that night. The saint was buried in the Ambrosian basilica in Mediolanum, beneath the altar, between the Martyrs Protasius and Gervasius (October 14).

Saint Ambrose was also a reformer of Church singing. He introduced antiphonal singing (along the Eastern or Syrian form) into the Western Church, which became known as “Ambrosian Chant.” He also composed twelve hymns which were used during his lifetime. The hymn, “Thee, O God, we praise” (Te Deum), attributed to Saint Ambrose, entered into the divine services of the Orthodox Church (Molieben).

A much longer Hagiography, including his many literary contributions to Christian thought he made, can be found at the OCA Website.

Lord have mercy upon me, A Sinner.

[italianartsociety]

By Jennifer D. Webb

November 18th, the Memorial of the Dedication of the basilicas of St Peter and of St. Paul, is a feast dedication that likely dates to the 11th century. Both of the churches, built to mark the burial places and typical of the 4th-century basilica type, have since been renovated or reconstructed. Each also became associated with imperial patronage very early in their building histories. For example, Prudentius records the involvement of Emperor Honorius in the completion and dedication of San Paolo fuori le Mura.

Saint Peter’s Basilica was not only an imperial foundation but also a place of assistance to the poor, a pilgrimage destination, and a structure central to the ceremonial life of the city. According to Ambrose, by the papacy of Pope Liberius (352-66) mass was being celebrated in St. Peter’s even though, at that time, the Feast Day of Saint Peter and Paul was still being celebrated in the catacombs. This was soon to change, however; by the end of the 4th century, the June 29th celebrations began at St Peter’s basilica and concluded at San Paolo fuori le Mura.

References: McKitterick, Rosamond, John Osborne, Carol M. Richardson and Joanna Story Eds. Old Saint Peter’s, Rome. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013; "S Paolo fuori le Mura (Rome),” Gorve Art Online. Oxford Art Online.

Bernhold Werner, San Paolo fuori le Mura, Rome, Italy. Photo credit: Wikipedia Commons.

Interior, San Paolo fuori le Mura, 4th century. Rome, Italy. Photo credit:Wikipedia Commons.

Saint Peter’s, Rome, Italy. Photo credit: Jennifer D. Webb

Further reading: Roberta Vicchi. The Major Basilicas of Rome: Saint Peter’s, San Giovanni in Laterano, San Paolo fuori le Mura, Santa Maria Maggiore. London & New York: Scala Group, 1999; Peter Brown. The Cult of the Saints: Its Rise and Function in Latin Christianity. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2014.

[aheronn]

The Basilica of St. Ambrose in Milan, Italy

[globetrottingwino]

Buon Natale and Christmas: Feast of Saint Ambrose and Holiday Events in Milan Italy

Buon Natale: Feast of Saint Ambrose and Holiday Events in Milan Italy

Milan was founded by the Gauls in the early 4th century B.C. and grew rapidly following the Roman conquest in 222 B.C.  By 1277, Archbishop Otto Visconti imposed hegemony over the city and 130 years of Visconti rule ensued.

Gian Galeazzo Visconti (1351-1402) was a generous patron of the arts and initiated the construction of the magnificent Gothic Duomo made of white marble with 135 spires www.d…

[troybeecham]

Today, the Church remembers St. Monica of Hippo.

Ora pro nobis.

Saint Monica (c. AD 322–387)[2], also known as Monica of Hippo, who was an early Christian saint and the mother of St. Augustine of Hippo. She is remembered and honored in most Christian denominations, albeit on different feast days, for her outstanding Christian virtues, particularly the suffering caused by her husband's adultery, and her prayerful life dedicated to the reformation of her son, who wrote extensively of her pious acts and life with her in his Confessions. Popular Christian legends recall Saint Monica weeping every night for her son Augustine.

Because of her name and place of birth, Monica is assumed to have been born in Thagaste (present-day Souk Ahras, Algeria). She is believed to have been a Berber on the basis of her name. She was married early in life to Patricius, a Roman pagan, who held an official position in Thagaste. Patricius had a violent temper and appears to have been of dissolute habits; apparently his mother was the same way. Monica's alms, deeds and prayer habits annoyed Patricius, but it is said that he always held her in respect.

Monica had three children who survived infancy: sons Augustine and Navigius and daughter Perpetua. Unable to secure baptism for them, she grieved heavily when Augustine fell ill. In her distress she asked Patricius to allow Augustine to be baptized; he agreed, then withdrew this consent when the boy recovered.

But Monica's joy and relief at Augustine's recovery turned to anxiety as he misspent his renewed life being wayward and, as he himself tells us, lazy. He was finally sent to school at Madauros. He was 17 and studying rhetoric in Carthage when Patricius died.

Augustine had become a Manichaean at Carthage; when upon his return home he shared his views regarding Manichaeism, Monica drove him away from her table. However, she is said to have experienced a vision that convinced her to reconcile with him.

At this time she visited a certain (unnamed) holy bishop who consoled her with the now famous words, "the child of those tears shall never perish." Monica followed her wayward son to Rome, where he had gone secretly; when she arrived he had already gone to Milan, but she followed him. Here she found Ambrose and through him she ultimately had the joy of seeing Augustine convert to Christianity after 17 years of resistance.

In his book Confessions, Augustine wrote of a peculiar practice of his mother in which she "brought to certain oratories, erected in the memory of the saints, offerings of porridge, bread, water and wine." When she moved to Milan, the bishop Ambrose forbade her to use the offering of wine, since "it might be an occasion of gluttony for those who were already given to drink". So, Augustine wrote of her:

In place of a basket filled with fruits of the earth, she had learned to bring to the oratories of the martyrs a heart full of purer petitions, and to give all that she could to the poor—so that the communion of the Lord's body might be rightly celebrated in those places where, after the example of his passion, the martyrs had been sacrificed and crowned. — Confessions 6.2.2

Mother and son spent six months of true peace at Rus Cassiciacum (present-day Cassago Brianza) after which Augustine was baptized in the church of St. John the Baptist at Milan. Africa claimed them, however, and they set out on their journey, stopping at Civitavecchia and at Ostia. Here death overtook Monica, and Augustine's grief inspired the finest pages of his Confessions.

Saint Monica was buried at Ostia, and at first seems to have been almost forgotten, though her body was removed during the 6th century AD to a hidden crypt in the church of Santa Aurea in Ostia. Monica was buried near the tomb of St. Aurea of Ostia. It was later transferred to the Basilica of Sant'Agostino, Rome.

Anicius Auchenius Bassus wrote Monica's funerary epitaph, which survived in ancient manuscripts. The actual stone on which it was written was rediscovered in the summer of 1945 in the church of Santa Aurea. The fragment was discovered after two boys were digging a hole to plant a football post in the courtyard beside Santa Aurea.

A translation from the Latin, by Douglas Boin, reads:

“Here the most virtuous mother of a young man set her ashes, a second light to your merits, Augustine. As a priest, serving the heavenly laws of peace, you taught [or, you teach] the people entrusted to you with your character. A glory greater than the praise of your accomplishments crowns you both – Mother of the Virtues, more fortunate because of her offspring.”

O Lord, through spiritual discipline you strengthened your servant Monnica to persevere in offering her love and prayers and tears for the conversion of her husband and of Augustine their son: Deepen our devotion, we pray, and use us in accordance with your will to bring others, even our own kindred, to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

[lawrenceop]

HOMILY for Saint Cecilia

Dan 2:31-45; Luke 21:5-11

In the oldest Eucharistic Prayer in the West, the so-called First Eucharistic Prayer or Roman Canon which dates to the 7th-century, a group of saints encircle the words of Institution, like a court gathered around Christ the King. Among these saints, after the apostles and early popes, are a group of martyrs; the “white-robed army of martyrs”, as the ‘Te Deum’ of St Ambrose put it. Many of these martyrs who were included in the Roman Canon were especially venerated in Rome, and they died in Christian persecutions by the Roman state in the 3rd and 4th-century which is the date of some of the oldest sections of the Roman Canon. St Cecilia was one of these virgin martyrs of Rome, and a beautiful basilica is built over her family home in Trastevere where she was killed for refusing to renounce her vow of virginity which she had made to Christ.

The woman in today’s Gospel is praised for giving all she had to live on to the Temple treasury. Among Christian women and particularly in those times and places and cultures when women they were given away in marriage to gain some kind of advantage for her family, one’s livelihood as a woman was linked to one’s fertility and marital status. As such, in St Cecilia’s time, for a woman to give her virginity to God was to give to God all one had to live on, to give away one’s livelihood and place in society, preferring instead to entrust one’s life to God and his providence. It was, and it still is, a radical and praiseworthy way of life. For the Christian virgin, and particularly when this is combined with the dramatic death of martyrdom is truly one who “from the little she had has put in all she had to live on.” Thus, these early virgin martyrs are honoured by having their names included in the Roman Canon.

These virgin martyrs who gave their lives to Christ, both in their living and their dying, are also a witness to the deep love of the martyrs for Christ, and indeed, of their joy in giving their all to the one whom they loved. St Cecilia especially embodies this for according to the earliest stories she died with a song in her heart, and thus she is now venerated as the patron saint of musicians.

For St Augustine once said, “Singing is for the one who loves”. This is because singing is not necessary. We can just as well communicate with words. But lovers want to do more than mere necessity - the lover does all that she can to express her love. Therefore, as she died and gave her all, her very life to Christ, St Cecilia does so with a song in her heart, singing out of love for Jesus Christ who first gave his life for us, for our salvation.

The responsorial psalm we take up this week, therefore, reminds us of this too. For it is the song of the three young men who were consigned to the fire by Nebuchadnezzar. But in the fiery furnace they took up a song of love and praise for God, the so-called Canticle of Daniel, and so as we take up their song this week, we’re reminded too of the love that filled the hearts of the martyrs of old, both in the Old Testament and in the New, who all took up a song of love for God both in their living and their dying! May this same love inflame our hearts, and fill our lips and our hearts with song!

May St Cecilia pray for us, and for all the musicians who fill this Rosary Shrine church with music and song.

[church-history]

St. Siricius - 4th Century Pope

Some of our separated brothers and sisters in Christ have a tendency to claim that the first papacy exercising supreme pontifical authority over The Church did not occur until the 6th century, this claim is erroneous by many historical accounts; so for the edification of my fellow Catholics and in the spirit of loving instruction to our Orthodox and Protestant siblings in Christ, I offer this article (not written by myself) pertaining to Pope St. Siricius of the 4th century, and period references to his pontifical predecessors.

 source: NewAdvent.org 

Born about 334; died 26 November, 399, Siricius was a native of Rome; his father's name was Tiburtius. Siricius entered the service of the Church at an early age and, according to the testimony of the inscription on his grave, was lector and then deacon of the Roman Church during the pontificate of Liberius (352-66). After the death of Damasus, Siricius was unanimously elected his successor (December, 384) and consecrated bishop probably on 17 December. Ursinus, who had been a rival to Damasus (366), was alive and still maintained his claims. However, the Emperor Valentinian III, in a letter to Pinian (23 Feb., 385), gave his consent to the election that had been held and praised the piety of the newly-elected bishop; consequently no difficulties arose. Immediately upon his elevation Siricius had occasion to assert his primacy over the universal Church. A letter, in which questions were asked on fifteen different points concerning baptism, penance, church discipline, and the celibacy of the clergy, came to Rome addressed to Pope Damasus by Bishop Himerius of Tarragona, Spain. Siricius answered this letter on 10 February, 385, and gave the decisions as to the matters in question, exercising with full consciousness his supreme power of authority in the Church (Coustant, "Epist. Rom. Pont.", 625 sq.). This letter of Siricius is of special importance because it is the oldest completely preserved papal decretal (edict for the authoritative decision of questions of discipline and canon law). It is, however, certain that before this earlier popes had also issued such decretals, for Siricius himself in his letter mentions "general decrees" of Liberius that the latter had sent to the provinces; but these earlier ones have not been preserved. At the same time the pope directed Himerius to make known his decrees to the neighbouring provinces, so that they should also be observed there. This pope had very much at heart the maintenance of Church discipline and the observance of canons by the clergy and laity. A Roman synod of 6 January, 386, at which eighty bishops were present, reaffirmed in nine canons the laws of the Church on various points of discipline (consecration of bishops, celibacy, etc.). The decisions of the council were communicated by the pope to the bishops of North Africa and probably in the same manner to others who had not attended the synod, with the command to act in accordance with them. Another letter which was sent to various churches dealt with the election of worthy bishops and priests. A synodal letter to the Gallican bishops, ascribed by Coustant and others to Siricius, is assigned to Pope Innocent I by other historians (P.L., XIII, 1179 sq.). In all his decrees the pope speaks with the consciousness of his supreme ecclesiastical authority and of his pastoral care over all the churches.

Siricius was also obliged to take a stand against heretical movements. A Roman monk Jovinian came forward as an opponent of fasts, good works, and the higher merit of celibate life. He found some adherents among the monks and nuns of Rome. About 390-392 the pope held a synod at Rome, at which Jovinian and eight of his followers were condemned and excluded from communion with the Church. The decision was sent to St. Ambrose, the great Bishop of Milan and a friend of Siricius. Ambrose now held a synod of the bishops of upper Italy which, as the letter says, in agreement with his decision also condemned the heretics. Other heretics including Bishop Bonosus of Sardica (390), who was also accused of errors in the dogma of the Trinity, maintained the false doctrine that Mary was not always a virgin. Siricius and Ambrose opposed Bonosus and his adherents and refuted their false views. The pope then left further proceedings against Bonosus to the Bishop of Thessalonica and the other Illyrian bishops. Like his predecessor Damasus, Siricius also took part in the Priscillian controversy; he sharply condemned the episcopal accusers of Priscillian, who had brought the matter before the secular court and had prevailed upon the usurper Maximus to condemn to death and execute Priscillian and some of his followers. Maximus sought to justify his action by sending to the pope the proceedings in the case. Siricius, however, excommunicated Bishop Felix of Trier who supported Ithacius, the accuser of Priscillian, and in whose city the execution had taken place. The pope addressed a letter to the Spanish bishops in which he stated the conditions under which the converted Priscillians were to be restored to communion with the Church.

According to the life in the "Liber Pontificalis" (ed. Duchesne, I, 216), Siricius also took severe measures against the Manichæans at Rome. However, as Duchesne remarks (loc. cit., notes) it cannot be assumed from the writings of the converted Augustine, who was a Manichæan when he went to Rome (383), that Siricius took any particular steps against them, yet Augustine would certainly have commented on this if such had been the case. The mention in the "Liber Pontificalis" belongs properly to the life of Pope Leo I. Neither is it probable, as Langen thinks (Gesch. der röm. Kirche, I, 633), that Priscillians are to be understood by this mention of Manichæans, although probably Priscillians were at times called Manichæans in the writings of that age. The western emperors, including Honorius and Valentinian III, issued laws against the Manichæans, whom they declared to be political offenders, and took severe action against the members of this sect (Codex Theodosian, XVI, V, various laws). In the East Siricius interposed to settle the Meletian schism at Antioch; this schism had continued notwithstanding the death in 381 of Meletius at the Council of Constantinople. The followers of Meletius elected Flavian as his successor, while the adherents of Bishop Paulinus, after the death of this bishop (388), elected Evagrius. Evagrius died in 392 and through Flavian's management no successor was elected. By the mediation of St. John Chrysostom and Theophilus of Alexandria an embassy, led by Bishop Acacius of Beroea, was sent to Rome to persuade Siricius to recognize Flavian and to readmit him to communion with the Church.

At Rome the name of Siricius is particularly connected with the basilica over the grave of St. Paul on the Via Ostiensis which was rebuilt by the emperor as a basilica of five aisles during the pontificate of Siricius and was dedicated by the pope in 390. The name of Siricius is still to be found on one of the pillars that was not destroyed in the fire of 1823, and which now stands in the vestibule of the side entrance to the transept. Two of his contemporaries describe the character of Siricius disparagingly. Paulinus of Nola, who on his visit to Rome in 395 was treated in a guarded manner by the pope, speaks of the urbici papæ superba discretio, the haughty policy of the Roman bishop (Epist., V, 14). This action of the pope is, however, explained by the fact that there had been irregularities in the election and consecration of Paulinus (Buse, "Paulin von Nola", I, 193). Jerome, for his part, speaks of the "lack of judgment" of Siricius (Epist., cxxvii, 9) on account of the latter's treatment of Rufinus of Aquileia, to whom the pope had given a letter when Rufinus left Rome in 398, which showed that he was in communion with the Church. The reason, however, does not justify the judgment which Jerome expressed against the pope; moreover, Jerome in his polemical writings often exceeds the limits of propriety. All that is known of the labours of Siricius refutes the criticism of the caustic hermit of Bethlehem. The "Liber Pontificalis" gives an incorrect date for his death; he was buried in the cæmeterium of Priscilla on the Via Salaria. The text of the inscription on his grave is known (De Rossi, "Inscriptiones christ. urbis Romæ", II, 102, 138). His feast is celebrated on 26 November. His name was inserted in the Roman Martyrology by Benedict XIV.

[dramoor]

“Jesus is our mouth, through which we speak to the Father; He is our eye, through which we see the Father; He is our right hand through which we offer ourselves to the Father. Unless He intercedes, there is no intercourse with God.”

~St. Ambrose of Milan

(Photo © dramoor 2015 Basilica of St. Ambrose, Milan, Italy)

[cruger2984]

Wind Boys! and its Saints Part 2

"The protagonist who returns to their hometown of Kanazawa as a new teacher at Ishikawa Prefectural Weibuki High School. A historic public high school that is 126 years old.

Considered a top-class preparatory school in the prefecture with both literary and military arts. The brass band club of Weibuki High School used to be strong and a regular at national competitions.

But that was long ago, and it’s now virtually abandoned. However, with the new storm of first-year students that have entered school. The protagonists is caught up in the great uproar of the revival of the brass band club..."

Here’s the second batch of the boys from Ishikawa Prefectural Weibuki High School and their corresponding saints! 

June 26 - Ikuzo Suzushiro

St. Vigilius of Trent: 5th century saint who is known as the first bishop of Trent, and is should not be confused with the pope of the same name. According to tradition, he was a Roman patrician, the son of Maxentia and a man whose name is sometimes given as Theodosius. He was educated at Athens and seems to have been a friend of St. John Chrysostom. According to a later tradition, Vigilius, who had been accompanied by his brothers Claudian and Magorian as well as a priest named Julian, was killed in the present-day parish of Rendena, in the Rendena Valley, where he had been preaching against the locals there, who worshipped the god Saturn. Vigilius said Mass and overturned a statue of the god into the Sarca River. As punishment, he was stoned to death near Lake Garda at the area called Punta San Vigilio. He is associated with the legend of St. Romedius, who is often depicted alongside or astride a bear.

September 17 - Yasuhito Irei

St. Robert Bellarmine: 17th century Italian Jesuit confessor and Cardinal from Italy and one of the most important figures in the Counter-Reformation. Robert was a professor of theology and later rector of the Roman College, and in 1602 became Archbishop of Capua. He supported the reform decrees of the Council of Trent. He is also widely remembered for his role in the Giordano Bruno affair, the Galileo affair, and the trial of Friar Fulgenzio Manfredi. Canonized and declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI in 1930, his remains, in a cardinal's red robes, are displayed behind glass under a side altar in the Church of Saint Ignatius, the chapel of the Roman College, next to the body of his student, Aloysius Gonzaga, as he himself had wished. He is the patron saint of canonists, canon lawyers and catechists.

December 13 - Junta Minoike

St. Lucy of Syracuse: 4th century virgin and martyr who died during the Diocletianic Persecution and is the patron saint of the blind. Absent in the early narratives and traditions, at least until the fifteenth century, is the story of Lucia tortured by eye-gouging. According to later accounts, before she died she foretold the punishment of Paschasius and the speedy end of the persecution, adding that Diocletian would reign no more, and Maximian would meet his end. This so angered Paschasius that he ordered the guards to remove her eyes. Another version has Lucy taking her own eyes out in order to discourage a persistent suitor who admired them. This is one of the reasons that Lucy is the patron saint of those with eye illnesses. When her body was prepared for burial in the family mausoleum it was discovered that her eyes had been miraculously restored. The Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, one of the Windward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, is named after her.

September 6 - Ryotaro Itsuki

St. Gondulphus of Metz: 9th century Frankish bishop who is the known as the bishop of Metz in France. As bishop, Gondulphus succeeded Angilram, him who caused Paul the Deacon to write the Liber de episcopis Mettensibus, and who died probably in 791.

July 11 - Izuru Taira

St. Benedict: 5th century abbot, mystic, exorcist, religious and founder of the Order of Saint Benedict (the Benedictine order). He founded twelve communities for monks at Subiaco, Lazio, before moving to Monte Cassino in the mountains of southern Italy. The Order of Saint Benedict is of later origin and, moreover, not an 'order' as commonly understood but merely a confederation of autonomous congregations. His main achievement, his 'Rule of Saint Benedict', contains a set of rules for his monks to follow. Heavily influenced by the writings of John Cassian, it shows strong affinity with the Rule of the Master, but it also has a unique spirit of balance, moderation and reasonableness, which persuaded most Christian religious communities founded throughout the Middle Ages to adopt it. As a result, his Rule became one of the most influential religious rules in Western Christendom. He is believed to have died of a fever at Monte Cassino not long after his twin sister, Scholastica, and was buried in the same place as his sister. He was named patron protector of Europe by Pope Paul VI in 1964, and in 1980, Pope St. John Paul II declared him co-patron of Europe, together with Cyril and Methodius.

July 26 - Daisuke Maruyama

Sts. Joachim and Anne: They are known as the parents of the Virgin Mary and grandparents of Jesus Christ. The story of Joachim, his wife Anne (or Anna), and the miraculous birth of their child Mary, the mother of Jesus, is told for the first time in the 2nd century apocryphal infancy-gospel the Gospel of James (Protoevangelium of James). Joachim is a rich and pious man, who regularly gave to the poor. However, at the temple, Joachim's sacrifice was rejected, as the couple's childlessness was interpreted as a sign of divine displeasure. Joachim consequently withdrew to the desert, where he fasted and did penance for 40 days. Angels then appeared to both Joachim and Anne to promise them a child. Joachim later returned to Jerusalem and embraced Anne at the city gate, located in the Walls of Jerusalem. An ancient belief held that a child born of an elderly mother who had given up hope of having offspring was destined for great things.

March 27 - Kojiro Maruyama

St. Rupert of Salzburg: 8th century Austrian bishop who is the first Bishop of Salzburg and abbot of St. Peter’s in Salzburg, and was the contemporary of King Childebert III. By the end of the 7th century, the Agilolfing duke Theodo of Bavaria requested that he come to his residence at Regensburg (Ratisbon) to help spread the Christian faith among the Bavarian tribes. In Christian art, he depicted with a barrel of salt in his hand, thus he is the patron saint of salt miners.

January 10 - Aoto Mochizuki

St. William of Donjeon (Guillaume de Donjeon): French prelate of the Cistercian order who served as the Archbishop of Bourges from 1200 AD until his passing. He was also known for his deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and for his conversion of sinners, and oversaw the construction of the new archdiocesan cathedral that his predecessor had authorized and in which he himself would be buried. It had been claimed that he performed eighteen miracles in life and a further eighteen in death.

August 28 - Yahiko Nanri

St. Augustine of Hippo: 5th century theologian, philosopher, and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings influenced the development of Western philosophy and Western Christianity, and he is viewed as one of the most important Church Fathers of the Latin Church in the Patristic Period. His many important works include The City of God, On Christian Doctrine, and Confessions. Born in Tagaste (now Souk Ahras, Algeria), his mother, Saint Monica was a devout Christian; his father Patricius was a pagan who converted to Christianity on his deathbed. At the age of 31, having heard of Ponticianus's and his friends' first reading of the life of Anthony of the Desert, Augustine converted to Christianity. As Augustine later told it, his conversion was prompted by hearing a child's voice say 'take up and read' ('tolle, lege'). Resorting to the Sortes Sanctorum, he opened a book of St. Paul's writings at random and read Romans 13. Ambrose baptized Augustine and his son Adeodatus, in Milan on Easter Vigil in the year 387. Augustine was ordained a priest in Hippo Regius in Algeria and become a famous preacher, and was noted for combating the Manichaean religion, to which he had formerly adhered. He is the patron saint of brewers and theologians, and his major shrine can be found in San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro in Pavia, Italy.

May 23 - Mashu Izumitani

St. Julia of Corsica: 5th century virgin and martyr, and is included in most summary lives of the saints. The details of those lives vary, but a few basic accounts emerge, portraying biographical data and events that are not reconcilable. Various theories accounting for the differences have been proposed. The quintessential icon of Saint Julia derives from the testimony of Victor Vitensis, contemporaneous Bishop of Africa. Julia was a Carthaginian girl who, after being captured from her city, came into the service of a man named Eusebius. In iconography, she is depicted with a martyr's palm and a crucifix, the symbol of her crucifixion. She and Saint Devota are the patron saints of Corsica in the Catholic Church.

September 30 - Mikio Kannoto

St. Jerome: 5th century hermit, priest, confessor, theologian, and historian. Born at Stridon, a village near Emona on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia, he is best known for his translation of most of the Bible into Latin (the translation that became known as the Vulgate) and his commentaries on the Gospels and his list of writings is extensive. A protégé of Pope Damasus I, Jerome was known for his teachings on Christian moral life, especially to those living in cosmopolitan centers such as Rome. In many cases, he focused his attention on the lives of women and identified how a woman devoted to Jesus should live her life. Declared a Doctor of the Church, his major shrine can be found in Basilica of Saint Mary Major. In art, he is often represented as one of the four Latin doctors of the Church along with Augustine of Hippo, Ambrose, and St. Gregory the Great.

October 24 - Kuri Tobaya

St. Anthony Mary Claret: 19th century Spanish archbishop and missionary, who founded the Congregation of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, commonly called the Claretians on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in 1849, and gave approval by Pope Pius IX in 1865. In addition to the Claretians, which in the early 21st century had over 450 houses and 3100 members, with missions in five continents, Claret founded or drew up the rules of several communities of religious sisters. His zealous life and the wonders he wrought, both before and after his death, testified to his sanctity. His major shrine can be found in Barcelona, and is the patron saint of the Catholic press, textile merchants and savings, in which Anthony taught the poor the importance of savings. Anthony is the confessor of Queen Isabella II of Spain.

November 25 - Akane Yoneya

St. Catherine of Alexandria: 4th century virgin who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the emperor Maxentius. According to her hagiography, she was both a princess and a noted scholar who became a Christian around the age of 14, converted hundreds of people to Christianity and was martyred around the age of 18. More than 1,100 years after Catherine's martyrdom, Joan of Arc identified her as one of the saints who appeared to and counselled her. Catherine is traditionally revered as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, in which she against sudden death and diseases of the tongue. She is the patron of philosophers, theologians, maidens and female students.

[anastpaul]

Saint of the Day – 29 April – Saint Severus of Naples (Died 409)

Saint of the Day – 29 April – Saint Severus of Naples (Died 409)

Saint of the Day – 29 April – Saint Severus of Naples (Died 409) Bishop of Naples for 46 years, Confessor, friend of St Ambrose, constructor of four Basilicas and the first Baptistry in the West. Died in 409 of natural causes. Patronages – Naples and St Severus in Foggis, Italy. The Roman Martyrology reads: “In Naples, St Severus, Bishop, loved by St Ambrose, as a brother and, by his Church ,as…

[books0977]

Françoise Hardy reading, 1960′s. Photograph by Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images.

Hardy is wearing a fur coat in the Piazza Sant’Ambrogio, Milan, 1960s. The Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio is one of the more ancient churches in Milan, It was built by St. Ambrose in 379–386, in an area where numerous martyrs of the Roman persecutions had been buried. The first name of the church was Basilica Martyrum.

[smallbitesofthechurchfathers]

St. Ambrose, one of the first four doctors of the western Church, was known for his deep faith, rigorous mind, and orthodox understanding of the Christian Faith. In this short writing to his sister, he relates the finding and translation of the relics of two early martyrs. As you read this letter contemplate that the bodies of these two very early Martyrs, Saints Gervasius and Protasius, lie in rest along with that of Saint Ambrose, under the altar, in the Basilica of St. Ambrose in Milan Italy where they may be venerated. https://www.instagram.com/p/CKOelPUjQfK/?igshid=1bultit8nyq5u

[reverendcanonbarry]

St Ambrose of Milan (340? - 397)

— A late antique mosaic of Saint Ambrose in the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio in Milan. This could be an actual portrait, made while Ambrose was alive.

Ambrose was born in Trier (now in Germany) between 337 and 340, to a Roman family: his father was praetorian prefect of Gaul. Ambrose was educated at Rome and embarked on the standard cursus honorum of Roman advocates and administrators, at Sirmium, the capital of Illyria. In about 372 he was made prefect of Liguria and Emilia, whose capital was Milan. 

In 374 the bishopric of Milan fell vacant and when Ambrose tried to pacify the conflict between the Catholics and Arians over the appointment of a new bishop, the people turned on him and demanded that he become the bishop himself. He was a layman and not yet baptized (at this time it was common for baptism to be delayed and for people to remain for years as catechumens), but that was no defence. Coerced by the people and by the emperor, he was baptized, ordained, and installed as bishop within a week, on 7 December 374.

He immediately gave his money to the poor and his land to the Church and set about learning theology. He had the advantage of knowing Greek, which few people did at that time, and so he was able to read the Eastern theologians and philosophers as well as those of the West.

He was assiduous in carrying out his office, acting with charity to all: a true shepherd and teacher of the faithful. He was unimpressed by status and when the Emperor Theodosius ordered the massacre of 7,000 people in Thessalonica, Ambrose forced him to do public penance. He defended the rights of the Church and attacked the Arian heresy with learning, firmness and gentleness. He also wrote a number of hymns which are still in use today.

Ambrose was a key figure in the conversion of St Augustine to Catholicism, impressing Augustine (hitherto unimpressed by the Catholics he had met) by his intelligence and scholarship. He died on Holy Saturday, 4 April 397.