#its over the front(?) door of a bone church in portugal

[cicada-candy]

Its Think About Tattooed Robbie Reyes Hours

"We Bones Are Here Awaiting Yours" Aka Was Memento Mori Not Already Metal Enough For You?

[pamphletstoinspire]

Catholic Religious Stories - Part 39 - The Saints - Part 4

Story with image:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/catholic-religious-stories-part-39-saints-4-harold-baines/?published=t

ST AMBROSE OF MILAN

AMBROSE was born in the year 340, not very many years after the Emperor Constantine had made Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire. At that time the Empire had four great governors, and one of these, the Prefect of Gaul (who was responsible for Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, as well as parts of Germany, and for the islands of Sardinia, Corsica, and Sicily), was Ambrose's father. It was natural that Ambrose too should train to become a governor, and he was sent to Rome to prepare himself for his career. When he was twenty-nine he was made Governor of Northern Italy and went to live in the great palace at Milan, where at that time was the Court of the Emperor of the West. He ruled well, and the people came to love and trust him.

Five years after Ambrose became governor the Bishop of Milan died, and there was such a dispute as to who should become the next Bishop that on the day of the election Ambrose decided that he, as Governor, ought to attend in state in case the two different parties began to fight. He spoke to the people, reminding them how they should behave on such a solemn day. Then in the silence after he had finished speaking a child's voice suddenly called out: "Ambrose, Bishop." It seemed like a sign from Heaven. The crowds took up the cry, and the Governor found himself faced by the whole of the city roaring, "Ambrose must be our bishop."

But Ambrose was not a priest. It was quite impossible for him, said Ambrose, to become their bishop. He was their governor, and their governor he would remain. Then, when they still called for him as bishop, he decided to run away. He left secretly at night by a side-door of the palace, and started to travel to Rome. But in the dark he took the wrong turning, and just as day broke he found that he had gone in a circle and had come back to Milan again by another gate. This time the people surrounded him in his palace, and he was practically made a prisoner. So at last he gave in, was baptized, and seven days later made Bishop of Milan. He was thirty-four, and for the remaining twenty-three years of his life he stayed in Milan as Bishop.

He had found when he was governor that it had been difficult to raise enough money to keep the city in proper repair; but with his power then he had been able to tax the people. Now that he had to keep the churches in repair and to find money for the poor he found things still more difficult. He gave away to the Church all his own money and possessions, and made others follow his example. And when people were starving and no more money could be found he decided to sell the gold and silver vessels of the Church itself. His enemies said that this was an insult to God.

"Which do you think is more valuable," said Ambrose, "church vessels or living souls?" And he went on selling the treasures in the marketplace, calling, "Behold, the gold of Christ that saves men from death!"

Ambrose's enemies were people called Arians, who claimed to be Christians but who did not really believe that Jesus was God. The Empress herself and most of the courtiers and the wealthy people of Milan were Arians, and at last the Empress, who hated Ambrose, determined to take one of the Christian churches to use for Arian worship. Because she was head of the State she had the right to take any building she wanted, but, all the same, Ambrose knew he must refuse her. He would not allow a Catholic church to be taken for Arian services. "Palaces are matters for the Emperor," he said, "but churches belong to the Bishop."

The Empress would not listen to his arguments, but ordered her soldiers to occupy one of the churches of Milan. Then Ambrose called on the faithful Christians, and day after day, night after night, they filled every church in the city, saying their prayers, singing hymns, and listening to sermons, so that there was not room for a single soldier to get inside a church. The citizens who had insisted that Ambrose should become Bishop now showed how loyal they were to him. And on Good Friday, 386, the Empress admitted she was beaten and withdrew her order.

Ambrose's next step was to build a great new cathedral (which is known today as St Ambrose's) in which he determined to make a shrine for two martyrs, the twin brothers Gervase and Protase, who had given their lives for Christ in Milan over two hundred years before in one of the great persecutions. But no one knew where the martyrs had been buried, and the people did not want to wait until their bones were found — if ever they could be — before the cathedral was dedicated. But Ambrose was sure that the saints themselves would make it possible for him to discover their tomb; and one night the answer was given to him in a dream.

Next day he ordered the workmen to dig in a certain place in front of the railing of a churchyard outside the city gates. The hole was dug, but there was no sign of any bodies buried there. But when it seemed that he had made a mistake an extraordinary thing happened. Blind and lame and sick people who had gone to the place, hoping to find the relics there, were suddenly cured. So the digging began again, and at last the two bodies were found and taken in state to be reburied in the new cathedral. One of the immense multitude who watched this was an African named Augustine, who was later baptized by Ambrose and became one of the greatest of Christian saints.

At the doors of the new cathedral some time later occurred an event which was one of the great landmarks of the early Christian church. In a town far from Milan the Governor had put in prison a charioteer who was a favourite of the people at the games in the Circus. The people thought the sentence was unjust, and they became so angry that they murdered the Governor. When news of it was brought to the Emperor, who was in Milan, he swore that he would take terrible vengeance on the town. Ambrose came to the Emperor, and, while not making light of the crime, asked him to be merciful. Ambrose thought that the Emperor had listened to him, but actually the Emperor sent secret orders to the soldiers of the town that there was to be a great massacre, and seven thousand men, women, and children were murdered.

When the news came to Milan Ambrose called the Emperor a murderer and refused to allow him to receive the sacraments until he had done penance in public. The Emperor said he was sorry, and came to the Cathedral in state, accompanied by his courtiers and his guards. But at the door Ambrose barred the way.

"How can you lift up in prayer the hands that are still dripping with blood?" said Ambrose. "Depart, I say."

"David sinned," said the Emperor; "yet David was forgiven."

"Yes," said Ambrose, "you have imitated David in his sin. Now imitate him in his repentance."

And not until the Emperor put off all his royal clothes and put on sackcloth and in the sight of all Milan confessed his sin, promised amendment, and lay on his face before the High Altar was he allowed once more to receive Holy Communion.

That he was indeed sorry we know, because he enacted a new law that between the pronouncement of a sentence of death and its execution a whole month must pass, so that there would be time to prevent any injustice. And the Emperor so loved and respected Ambrose for showing that the law of God is greater than the law of even the most powerful man that he said, "Ambrose is the only man I think worthy of the name of Bishop."

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The Bizarre Bone Chapels of Portugal

The first of Portugal’s many Capelas dos Ossos that I visited was in Faro, the capital of the Algarve region. This southernmost slice of the country is best known for its sunny beaches and lively nightlife. Finding out there was a chapel decorated with human bones just a short drive from the sun-loungers and karaoke bars definitely made me raise an eyebrow.

It was certainly quirky enough to earn a place on my travel itinerary, and I jotted it down before absent-mindedly scrolling down to see what else Faro had to offer. It wasn’t until I was actually standing in the chapel, looking around, that I really began to think about what I had come out of my way to visit: a chapel made up of literally thousands of human bones.

There wasn’t a single section of wall that didn’t have a skull, a femur or even a phalange on it. Believe me, I looked. I’d seen skeletons before, of course, but only in museums (or the ubiquitous Kiehl’s pharmacies you find on every high street, although I’m not sure that counts). I’d never seen so many bones at once, and that lent this chapel extra power. Everywhere I looked there were bones, bones and more bones.

But they aren’t just bones, are they? That’s the thing. They’re human bones. They’re the bones of people that once existed, and now no longer do. The bones of people who had walked the same medieval streets that I had on my way to the chapel, who had prayed in the church I’d just toured.

I could feel my eyes darting around the room, looking for somewhere safe to rest – somewhere where I wouldn’t be staring back at an empty skull. But, there wasn’t anywhere.

And that’s exactly the experience the 19th Century Carmelite Monks, who designed the chapel in Faro, want you to have. Written above the door to the chapel are the words “Pára aqui a considerar que a este estado hás-de chegar” (stop here and consider that you will reach this state too). The bone chapel in Évora, the largest of all of Portugal’s bone chapels, has a similar inscription: “Nós ossos que aqui estamos pelos vossos esperamos” (We bones that are here, for yours await”). How’s that for a memento mori?

Why do these bone chapels exist?

It all started in Évora, home to Portugal’s largest bone chapel. In the 16th Century, the cemeteries in and around the city were becoming overcrowded. A solution to the overflowing graveyards was desperately needed. Unable to bring themselves to simply move the bones to another location, the Franciscan monks of Évora decided to give the corpses the honor of being a part of something with a higher purpose.

At the time, Évora was a very wealthy city. The monks felt that this wealth was leading local citizens astray and making them forget about the fleeting nature of life. So, to kill two birds with one stone, they exhumed more than five thousand bodies from the packed graveyard. They then made them a part of the new chapel, using cement to hold them together.

Just to make sure they got their point across, they hung two corpses from the wall – one of which was the body of a child. Subtlety wasn’t exactly their thing, although interior design clearly was. They even used some of the bones to craft a chandelier. The trend soon spread across Portugal and more bone chapels were built, including the one in Faro.

Standing inside the chapels is both harrowing and hallowing in equal measure. The monks certainly got what they wanted, because it’s impossible not to be reminded of the transient nature of life when you’re staring into the empty eye-sockets of a 16th Century Portuguese person.

Which chapel should I visit?

The chapel in Évora is much larger than the one in Faro, and five times as many bones adorning the walls (quite literally: there are five thousand in Évora versus one thousand in Faro). As well as being bigger and older, it’s also the more famous of the two and appears frequently on Instagram and Pinterest. Despite this, I found the chapel in Faro considerably more powerful.

The fact that I’d visited Faro first probably makes me feel biased towards it, but I think I enjoyed it more because it’s a lot less touristic than the one in Évora. I was the only person in the chapel in Faro, and could really take time to be in the moment and let the morbid sight sink in. In Évora there were at least twenty other people in the chapel with me, jostling for space.

There’s definitely something very powerful about being the only person in the room, alone in the tomb-like silence. You’re much more likely to experience that in Faro, or one of Portugal’s smaller bone chapels, but it wasn’t just being with other people that made the experience in Évora less meaningful.

The irony of it all

When I walked into the chapel in Évora, every single person in there was standing still with one arm stretched out in front of them trying to snap the perfect selfie. As I walked in, under the doorway with its ominous inscription, I had to sidestep crowds of tourists as they stood rigidly on the spot. The irony of what was written on the mantle and what was happening in that room was completely lost on everybody.

Nobody was present or reflecting on the transient nature of life. Everyone was thinking about how many likes their picture would get on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. The value of the perfect picture was worth enough to them that it was worth ignoring the grim sight around them and the message of the 16th Century monks.

Seeing all of those people standing like that is such a bizarre image and it’s stayed with me ever since – maybe even more than the bones themselves. I often have my phone out and am normally the last to complain about other people being distracted by theirs, but the juxtaposition of the chapel’s message with all of these people acting like zombies was incredibly jarring.

As unique as that experience is, I would recommend visiting a smaller chapel over Évora if you get the chance. Of course, I’m going to recommend the Capela dos Ossos in Faro, or the nearby chapel in Alcantarilha: another under-the-radar option.

If you do decide to visit the chapel in Évora, it’s worth getting there early to avoid the throngs of tourists. When I arrived, there were already more than fifteen people in the chapel. Just as I was leaving, a tour group of around twenty more showed up. This is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Évora, if not the country, and during the spring and autumn months, it can become incredibly busy.

Finding a bone chapel

There are at least six different bone chapels in Portugal, as well as several others throughout Europe. The chapels at Évora and Faro are the most famous and are the best for tourists as they have the most convenient opening hours. I’ve tried to visit the chapels at Lagos and Alcantarilha a few times, but they weren’t open when I turned up. As well as Évora, Faro, Alcantarilha, and Lagos, there are also bone chapels in Campo Maior and Monforte.

James writes the travel blog Portugalist, a blog about Portugal and all things Portuguese. He has spent time living in Lisbon, the Algarve, and the North of Portugal, and has traveled extensively throughout the country. He is almost always daydreaming about his next Portuguese city to visit.

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[gomacau]

St Joseph Seminary Church –

St Joseph Seminary Church

Constructed over a span of twelve years between 1746 and 1758, St Joseph Seminary Church is an important heritage building and testimony to the missionary history of Macau. The Church is an excellent example of Baroque architecture in Macau but also assimilates both western and local influences in its structure and ornamentation.

St. Joseph is beautiful church and is a favorite subject for artists. The church is located on top a hill called Mato Mofino in the St. Lawrence Area, southeast section of the City. It is at the back of Saint Lawrence Church.

  The seminary itself is located across Saint Augustine Church on the square of the same name, but access to the Church is only through the back.

The entrance, which was added later, is a classical arch with shell carvings and top by an iron cross.

Note the Jesuit symbols on the iron gates.

The construction of St. Joseph Seminary Church took 12 years, from 1746 to 1758. However, the Jesuits were not able to use it for long.

In 1762 a decree of the then Portuguese Prime-Minister, the Marquis of Pombal, suppressed the Jesuit Order and ordered the expulsion of the Jesuits from all territories under the Portuguese crown, thus ending the academic life of the University College of St Paul.

The Lazarist took over the school in 1784. Vincentian, as the Lazarist are also known, provided a very high education such that the seminary eventually received the distinction of “Royal Seminary” from the Queen of Portugal.

The school was also elevated into a university. Many famous missionaries passed through these doors and pushed the evangelization of China and other countries in the region.

Similar to the Mater Dei Church of the St Paul Ruins, also done by the Jesuits, the public access to the St Joseph Seminary Church is via a grand staircase made of 54 solid granite slabs, probably imported all the way from mainland China.

Infront of the seminary is a hundred year old tree which had provided shade to many students and residents through the years.

The St Joseph Seminary had been created by the Jesuits in 1728 under the auspices of the Diocese of Macau.

St Joseph’s was an international institution with students and faculty coming from many countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas, including the territories under the Portuguese crown.

The curved pediment on top displays the Jesuit insignia at the centre.

In contrast to the seminary building, the St Joseph Seminary Church is renowned for its elaborate baroque style. The main façade of St. Joseph’s Seminary Church is a magnificent elevation, with two towers roofed with deep red glazed tiles. The façade is 26.4 metres wide and has three horizontal levels, measuring 17.5 metres at the highest point.

A broken arch, typical of Baroque architecture, tops the main entrance of the church. The whole composition of the façade is symmetrical and the windows on the first floor, corresponding to the inner high-choir, follow the rhythm dictated by the entrances below.

The church, even if located on a hill, is hidden by ugly modern buildings in a basically residential neighborhood.

The entrance and the Floor Plan….

There are three entrances in the main façade of the church, with the central entrance leading directly into the nave and the other two entrances leading to side altars.

The floor plan of St Joseph Seminary Church follows the cruciform shape. The latin shape church is a fine example of Baroque architecture. The decoration inside the church is well preserved.

From 1998 to 1999, the church underwent restoration work, returning the building to its original image, and was reopened to the public on the 3rd of December 1999.

St Joseph Seminary Church is laid out in the shape of a Latin cross with the longer arm measuring 27 metres and the shorter arm measuring 16 metres.

The three altars are elaborately ornamented.

The main altar houses a statue of St. Joseph. He is flanked by the top two most famous Jesuits, St. Ignatius de Loyola and St. Francis Xavier.

The Blessed Sacrament is not preserved in this church.

In fact there are no regular Masses in this church as of 2010.

The baroque half arch pediments are supported by four solomonic columns – spiral columns – complete with gold-leaf motifs. Baroque flowery designs and religious symbols are found all over the place.

St Joseph Seminary Church left side altar is dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.

The sinless Virgin Mother is flanked by famous Jesuit Saints.

St. Aloysius Gonzaga was beatified by Gregory XV in 1621 and canonized by Benedict XIII in 1726.

St. Stanislas Kostka was born at Rostkovo near Prasnysz, Poland, about 28 October, 1550; died at Rome during the night of 14-15 August, 1568. He entered the Society of Jesus at Rome, 28 October, 1567, and is said to have foretold his death a few days before it occurred.

A wooden relief carving of the Nativity Scene is displayed between the altar of the Virgin Mary and the Main Altar.

Details of the pediments and the roof.

The decorative motifs that adorn the interior of the church are mostly baroque in style. The ornamentation can be found in the semi-spherical dome of the church, the vaulted arched ceilings over the altars and the high-choir, the Corinthian pilasters and the pediments.

The decorative elements are in light yellow and white paint finishing with the occasional gold-leaf decoration. Elements used: carpenters tools; holy cup, lamp, cross; crown of thorns, whip, king crown, scepter

St Joseph Seminary Church other side altar is dedicated also to St. Joseph. The saint is shown holding the child Jesus.

St. Joseph is flanked by St. Margaret and St. Anthony de (Lisboa) Padua.

The relic of St. Francis Xavier is currently placed on the altar beneath this statue.

On some days, there will be guides inside the church. They will be very willing to explain many of the features of the church.

Relic of St Francis Xavier

After the great fire that destroyed the old Church of Mater Dei (St. Paul’s Ruins) in 1835, some relics and sacred objects of art were temporarily stored in St. Joseph’s Seminary.

One of the most important relics is a bone of St. Francis Xavier, which is kept inside a reliquary in one of the side altars.

St Francis Xavier died at Sancianfrom a fever on the 3 December, 1552, while he was waiting for a boat that would agree to take him to mainland China.

The body is now in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa, where it was placed in a glass container encased in a silver casket on since 1637.

One of Xavier’s arm bones was brought to Macau where it was kept in a silver reliquary. The relic was destined for Japan but religious persecution there persuaded the church to keep it in Macau’s Cathedral of St. Paul.

The relic was subsequently moved to St. Joseph’s and in 1978 to the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier on Coloane Island. More recently the relic was moved to St. Joseph’s Seminary and the Sacred Art Museum.

The Dome of St. Joseph Seminary Church

St. Joseph also has a high domed ceiling which gives this church exceptional acoustics. Sometimes musical concerts are done here.

The four joined vaults over the three altars and the high-choir form sub-spaces around the central dome, which is 12.5 metres in diameter and 19 metres at its highest point.

Macau’s most beautiful dome is decorated with three rows of sixteen clerestories.

Those on the top row are fixed and the others in the lower two rows serve as ventilators. The interior of the dome is painted white, with the insignia of the Jesuits placed at the centre.

St Joseph Seminary Church Choir Loft after the installation of the beautiful organ.

There is a barrel vault ceiling above the choir loft. Currently a new pipe organ is installed in the choir loft. Supporting the high-choir at the entrance of the church are four spiral Solomonic columns. In 1865, four Solomonic columns were taken from the remains of the old St. Francis Fort and reused to support the high-choir in the church.

In 1865, four Solomonic columns were taken from the remains of the old St. Francis Fort and reused to support the high-choir in the church.

The building underwent many alterations, especially in 1903 and again in 1953 under Bishop Jose da Costa Nunes (1890-1958), who set the scope of the church as seen today.

In the 1953 project, the building’s exterior was completely covered in a grainy plaster known as “shanghai-plaster” changing the original surface of the church drastically.

At this time, two wooden confessionals in a Gothic design were introduced.

Solomonic column

The Solomonic column, also called Barley-sugar column, is ahelical column, characterized by a spiraling twisting shaft like a corkscrew. It is not signified by a specific capital style and may be crowned with any design, for example, a Roman Doric salomonic,Corinthian salomonic or Ionic salomonic column.

The concept of “Solomonic columns” is derived from the biblical descriptions of the two columns, Boaz and Jachin, which famously flanked the entrance to the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE.

What those columns actually looked like largely depends on the cultural context and imagination of the one who is working up a “restoration”, from hints in theBooks of Chronicles and Kings.

The glittering parquet flooring of St Joseph Seminary Church.

St Joseph Seminary Church has seven tombstones of prominent local residents inserted into the walls and floor.

Foundation Stone

Discovered in 1999; DOM – Domino Optimo Maximo, To the Lord, the Best and the greatest; Year of Construction: 10/10/1746

From 1998 to 1999, the church underwent restoration work, returning the building to its original image, and was reopened to the public on the 3rd of December 1999.

During construction, the foundation stone, shown above, was discovered. it is now protected and encased in glass. You can see it in the right front entrance and side altar.

Wordings written on the metal plate above the foundation stone.

Side Altars

Like any seminary elsewhere, the number of priest that need to celebrate Holy Mass everyday requires a number of side altars. The church have several side altars decorated with intricate carved wooden altars.

Sister Teresa of the Child Jesus

Carmelite of Lisieux, better known as the Little Flower of Jesus, born at Alençon, France, 2 January, 1873; died at Lisieux 30 September, 1897.

The fame of her sanctity and the many miracles performed through her intercession caused the introduction of her cause of canonization only seventeen years after her death, 10 Jun, 1914.

INRI – Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudeorum

INRI is an acronym of the Latin inscription IESVS NAZARENVS REX IVDÆORVM (Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum), which translates to English as “Jesus the Nazarene (Galilean),King of the Jews (Judeans)”.

Confessionals

A confessional is a small, enclosed booth used for the Sacrament of Penance, often called confession, or Reconciliation. It is the usual venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church, but similar structures are also used in Anglican churches of an Anglo-Catholic orientation, and also in the Lutheran Church. In the Catholic Church, confessions are only to be heard in a confessional or oratory, except for a just reason (1983 Code of Canon Law, Canon 964.3).

The Seminary of St. Joseph

The main building of the seminary was restored three times, in 1903, 1953 and 1995. The seminary building originally had only two floors and a third one was added at the end of the 19th century.

St. Joseph’s Seminary Church built in 1758 is directly connected to the corresponding seminary building and has both inner and outer cloisters.

With the seminary’s main entrance is on Seminario Street, access can also be gained via a flight of 54 granite steps, through a wooden door to the right of the church’s forecourt. Initially, the seminary building was a two-storey structure, not the three-storey building visible today.

Constructed predominantly of grey bricks, the solid walls stand on granite foundations. Inside, wide corridors give access to the various classrooms of the old seminary building.

The main corridor, extending in a north-south direction, is 3.8 metres wide and 80 metres long, with arched doors on one side and arched windows facing the inner patio. The ground floor is paved with stone and ceramic tiles, while most of the upper floors are laid with teak.

On the top floor of the seminary building, the timber structure with purlins and rafter supporting the roof similar to Chinese construction techniques is visible from the inside. The roof is covered with Chinese tiles.

The architectural design of the seminary building is simple, with few ornamental markings. It is fundamentally neo-classical in style.

For a virtual tour of the Church click here.

Other Catholic churches in this website Macau Catholic Cathedral, Ruins of St. Paul, Leal Senado Square St Dominic Church, St. Anthony Parish, St. Lazarus Parish, St. Augustine Church, St. Lawrence Church, Our Lady of Fatima Parish, St. Joseph the Worker Parish, St. Joseph Seminary, St. Michael Cemetery, Mt. Carmel Parish, Francis Xavier Coloane Parish, St. Francis Macau, Kaho Chapel in Coloane.

Chapels Our Lady of Guia Chapel, Sao Tiago Fortress Chapel, Penha Chapel.

Heritage Protestant Sites: Morrison Protestant Chapel and Cementery.