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The Miraculous Medal

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Alhough the Miraculous Medal is worn almost as often as a crucifix by Roman Catholics, few realize that the designs on the front and back owe their inspiration to a series of apparitions of the Virgin Mary. 

It is said that the year 1830 announced the dawning of the Marian era. Until then, the last Church-sanctioned apparition of Mary was of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico almost three hundred years before. Within that time frame, the entire religious world of western Europe was shaken to its core by the upheaval of the Reformation, Counter-Reformation, and the French Revolution. In France, religious worship was demonized, and the clergy was ostracized as ancient monasteries and artworks were destroyed. 

On the night of July 18, 1830, in the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity in Paris, a barely literate twenty-four-year-old novice named Catherine Laboure was shaken from her sleep by a beautiful five-year-old boy. Catherine was in her curtained bed in a dormitory with other novices. Shocked at the dazzling garments the child wore, she was certain the other nuns would wake up.

“Catherine,” said the boy. “Come to the chapel; the Blessed Virgin is waiting for you.”

Catherine was too shocked to speak but thought the words, “But I shall be heard.”

The child calmly spoke, “Be calm, it is half past eleven, everyone is asleep; come, I am waiting for you.”

Catherine dressed quickly and followed the child. As they reached the chapel, the door opened at the light touch of his finger. The room was glowing in light as all of the candles were lit as if for Midnight Mass. Catherine knelt to pray. 

As it neared midnight, the child said, “Here is the Blessed VirginCatherine heard the rustle of a silk dress and a beautiful woman sat down in the Father Director’s chair next to her. The woman was dressed in an ivory-colored dress with a blue mantle and a white veil covering her head and draping over her shoulders. Her hands radiated beams of light, the color of jewels. 

In a much stronger voice, the child said, “Here is the Blessed Virgin.”

Catherine knelt in front of the woman, putting her hands in her lap as she looked into the woman’s eyes. In her own words, Catherine later recounted, “I do not know how long I remained there; it seemed but a moment, but the sweetest of my life.”

When the Virgin Mary spoke, she said, “The good God, my child, wishes to entrust you with a mission. It will be the cause of much suffering to you, but you will overcome this, knowing that what you do is for the glory of God. You will be contradicted, but you will have the grace to bear it; do not fear! You will see certain things; give an account of them. You will be inspired in your prayers. Tell with confidence all that passes within you. Tell it with simplicity. Have confidence. Do not be afraid.”

Mary then went on to relate the misfortunes that were about to befall France and the rest of the world. When Catherine wondered to herself when these things were to happen, “I understood clearly, forty years.”

The Virgin ended the conversation by saying, “Come to the foot of this altar; there, graces will be poured on all those who ask for them with confidence and fervor. They will be poured out on the great and the humble.” And in Catherine’s words, “the Virgin disappeared like a light is extinguished.” 

The child then led Catherine back to bed, where she remained awake for the entire night, wondering exactly what her mission would be.

Catherine did not see Mary again until November 27, 1830, which was the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent. Though she was with other nuns in the chapel at the 5:30 p.m. prayers, Catherine was the only one who saw the apparition. At the point reserved for interior meditation, when the chapel was at its quietest, Catherine heard the sound of the rustling silk.

In her words, “When I looked in that direction, I saw the Blessed Virgin. She was standing, dressed in a white robe of silk, like the dawn, her feet resting on a globe, only half of which I could see. In her hands, held at the level of her breast, she held a smaller globe, her eyes raised towards heaven . . . her face was beautiful, I could not describe it . . . Then suddenly, I saw rings on her fingers, covered with jewels, some large and some small, from which came beautiful rays . . At this moment, when I was contemplating the Virgin, she lowered her eyes and looked at me and an interior voice spoke to me: ‘This globe you see represents the entire world, particularly France . . . and each person in particular.’”

As Catherine marveled at the beauty of the rays of light exuding from Mary, the voice said, “This is a symbol of the graces which I shed on those who ask me.” When Catherine wondered why some of the jewels on Mary were not radiating light like the others, the voice said, “Those jewels which are in shadow represent the graces which people forget to ask me for.” Then the apparition changed, and Mary appeared with a white dress, a blue mantle, and a white veil. She was standing on the globe and had one foot on the head of a serpent that lay at her feet. The year 1830 was marked at the globe’s base. The Virgin’s hands were pointing downward, and a cascade of light rays were falling from her hands onto the globe.

An oval then formed around Mary, and on it were written these words in gold, “O MARY CONCEIVED WITHOUT SIN, PRAY FOR US WHO HAVE RECOURSE TO THEE.”

The same interior voice said, “Have a medal struck after this model. Those who wear it will receive great graces; abundant graces will be given to those who have confidence.”As the voice faded out, the oval turned and Catherine saw what was on the reverse of the medal: The letter M surmounted by a bar and a cross; beneath the M were the hearts of Jesus and Mary, the one crowned with thorns, the other pierced with a sword. Encircling these symbols were twelve stars. 

For the next year, Catherine saw this vision six times. Having little contact with the outside world and feeling pressured to complete her mission, she told her spiritual director, Father John Marie Aladel, about the Virgin’s mandate. Just as Mary predicted in the first vision, he did not believe her. As she persisted to repeat her story to him throughout the year, he and Catherine had many stormy disagreements. At his request, she wrote out a detailed report of what happened. At a loss about what to do with this young girl who not only had these visions, but was so insistent upon having this medal struck, Father Aladel visited the archbishop of Paris in 1832. Having a special devotion to the Virgin Mary, the archbishop did not share Father Aladel’s skepticism and he immediately gave permission to create the medal. 

In June 1832, fifteen hundred copies of the medal then known as the Medal of the Immaculate Conception were created. By 1836 more than two million medals had been produced. Because of the many stories of cures, wonders, and death-bed conversions attributed to the medal, it gradually became known as the Miraculous Medal.

Catherine Laboure never revealed to anyone but her spiritual director that it was she who received the visions that caused the medal’s creation, and she could never be induced to attend any of the canonical hearings investigating the apparitions. Eventually, this visit of the Virgin Mary was sanctified and officially recognized by the Church based on the miraculous effects of the medals. For the next forty-six years of her life, Catherine nursed the sick and tended the chickens at the Sisters of Charity residence outside of Paris. Her fellow sisters found her “cold and apathetic” and were quite shocked upon learning that it was this obscure, forgettable person whom the Virgin Mary entrusted with her mission. She died on December 31, 1876, and is buried in the convent chapel in Paris, where the Blessed Virgin Mary first appeared to her.

The Symbols on the Medal On the front of the medal, Mary stands alone with her foot crushing the head of a serpent. She is the Victorious Woman of Genesis (Genesis 3:15), where God says to the serpent, “I will put enmities between you and the woman.” In Catholic art, Mary is frequently depicted crushing the head of a serpent that represents Satan. In this way, Mary as the highest developed form of human life is shown triumphing over evil. It is believed that the date 1830 at the base of the medal signifies the advent of the Marian age, when apparitions of Mary were to intensify and become more frequent. Mary is standing on the globe of the world, which gives her spiritual dominion with the title Queen of Heaven and Earth. Brilliant rays of light cascade to earth from Mary’s hand. She is showering the world with grace from God. This is where her titles Mediatrix and Advocate for Humanity come from. She is so filled with God’s grace and love she needs to share it with others. She looks upon all humankind as her children and tries to show them the path to light and God as any mother would. The words around the frame of the medal, “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee,” is a brief prayer in itself. In it we are recognizing Mary’s help in interceding for us with God and the belief that she was the only human creature to ever be conceived without original sin.

The imagery on the back of the medal is equally symbolic. There is a cross on the back with a bar through its base. This symbolizes the foot of the Cross. This bar runs through the letter M, which stands for both Mary and Mother. This signifies that Mary as Christ’s mother stood at the foot of his Cross while he endured his Crucifixion. Beneath the M are two hearts, one with thorns running through it (this is the Sacred Heart of Jesus); and the other with a sword in it (the Immaculate Heart of Mary). One of the Seven Sorrows of Mary predicted by the prophesy of Holy Simeon is “the Mother pierced with a sword of sorrow beneath the cross so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (according to Luke 2:34–35: “you yourself a sword may pierce”). Because Mary had to endure the great sorrow of watching her only son die a humiliating and tortuous death, many on Earth look to her for comfort in their own troubles. They know that she went through the worst agonies a mother could withstand and triumphed over them. Both hearts are equal in size, and both hearts are inflamed by ardent love. Encircling the cross, the M, and the two hearts are twelve stars. In art, Mary is frequently depicted crowned by twelve stars. It is believed that the Twelve Apostles looked to her quiet devotion and acceptance of her son’s fate for spiritual inspiration. Stars also pertain to the book of Revelation (Apocalypse) as a reference to the “great sign” described as “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Revelation 12:1). In the Miraculous Medal lie the symbols of Mary’s role in salvation from Genesis to Apocalypse. As the Victorious Woman she is destined to take part in the final defeat of the devil. 

The Miraculous Medal is considered a physical manifestation of the gift of grace, which exudes from the Virgin Mary. It is considered Mary’s token reminder that she is always ready to offer assistance. 

“Catherine heard the rustle of a silk dress and a beautiful woman sat down in the Father Director’s chair next to her. The woman was dressed in an ivory-colored dress with a blue mantle and a white veil covering her head and draping over her shoulders.“

Visions of Mary

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Photograph by Lisa Silvestri

Home altar in Havana,Cuba
Photographs by Lisa Silvestri

Altar in family mausoleum in Havana, Cuba
Photograph by Lisa Silvestri

Religious Statues from the flea market in Mexico City, Mexico.

The “Sweetheart Statue” was brought to the Ursaline Convent in New Orleans in 1785.

visions of Mary Our Lady of Guadalupe

A traveler visiting Mexico or the American Southwest meets Our Lady of Guadalupe hundreds of times a day. Her image adorns the walls of businesses, is prominently displayed in homes, is on the hubcaps of cars, and at the center of small sidewalk shrines. This image of Mary is the preeminent cultural icon for most Latin Americans, sacred to Catholics and highly honored by non-Catholics, and it is the only apparition of Mary sanctioned by the Church on the North American continent.

On December 9, 1531, an Aztec convert to Catholicism named Juan Diego was on his way to early morning Mass in the area that is now known as Mexico City when he heard the sound of birds singing. When they quieted down, the hill at Tepeyac seemed to respond to their song. From the top of the hill a woman gently called to Diego, “Ihuantzin. Ihuan Diegotzin.” She was speaking the Aztec language of Nahuatl. As he approached her, he saw that she was an Indian noblewoman. He was amazed at how her clothes glimmered like the sun and how the rocks and foliage around her had a heightened glow. The crag where her foot rested gave off rays of light and the earth sparkled like a rainbow. 

She spoke to him courteously and with great charm, “Know my dearest, littlest, and youngest son, I am the forever whole and perfect maiden Saint Mary, honorable mother of the true God, honorable mother of the giver of life, honorable mother of the creator of men and women, honorable mother of the one who is far and close, honorable mother of the one who makes the heavens and the earth. My wish is for them to build my temple here where I will give people all my love, compassion, assistance, and protection. I am the compassionate mother of you and your people here in this land and all of the other people who love me, call to me, search for me, and confide in me. I will listen to their pain, suffering, and crying and heal them from their misery.” 

She then sent him to see the bishop to make the request for the church. After a long wait he related his story to the bishop who told him that he must obtain a sign proving that this was truly an appearance of Mary. Juan Diego returned to the woman on the hill and begged her to get someone more prestigious to give her message to the bishop. She told him that she had many people who could deliver her request, “but it is of precise detail that you yourself solicit and assist and that through your mediation my wish be complied.” 

On his next visit to the bishop he was once again greeted with suspicion. When he left, the bishop sent servants to spy on him and to see to whom he was really speaking. But as soon as Juan Diego crossed the wooden bridge to the hill at Tepeyac, they lost sight of him. The next day, a Monday, Juan Diego decided to take another route around the hill in order to avoid the woman. His uncle had taken ill, and he needed medical attention. Juan Diego did not want the woman to detain him, as he feared that his uncle would die waiting for help. Much to his dismay, she came down the hill to meet him from where she was watching. When she asked him why he was so upset and why he was in such a rush, he sadly told her about his uncle’s illness and how his requests for her to the bishop had fallen on deaf ears.

Her answer was, “Listen, put it into your heart, youngest and dearest son, nothing should scare or concern you. Don’t worry. Don’t be afraid of the sickness, or any other illness or hardship. Am I not right here who is your mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not in the foundation of your being, your sustenance, your happiness, peace, and effortlessness? Are you not in the fold of my garment? Do you need anything else? Don’t allow anything to worry or disturb you anymore. Don’t worry about your uncle’s illness. He will not die. Be assured, he is already well.”

She then told Juan Diego to gather roses among the rocks. He was surprised to find them in full bloom since it was winter. She carefully arranged them in Juan Diego’s cloak and he brought them to the bishop. After another humiliating wait, he was finally granted an audience. As he unwrapped his cloak and the roses fell out, the bishop gasped. The flowers uncovered an elaborate portrait of the Virgin Mary imprinted on the cloak. The bishop fell to his knees in tears and begged Juan Diego’s forgiveness. The bishop then insisted on being taken to the hill where the lady from heaven wanted her temple. After he had done this, Juan Diego ran home to his sick uncle and was quite shocked to see him happy and healthy. His uncle told him that a heavenly lady had come to heal him, asking him to tell the bishop of his cure. She also wanted him to convey the proper name for her image: The Perfect Virgin Holy Mary of Guadalupe.

The bishop had the church built and the cloth put on public display where it immediately attracted crowds of pilgrims. Almost as suddenly, the Franciscans, who had been in Mexico for the past ten years and who had very little previous success, were receiving thousands of Aztecs who wanted to convert to Catholicism. This cloth and its image, which should have deteriorated in twenty years, is still on view at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. After almost five hundred years it remains in pristine condition. Attracting more than ten million pilgrims a year, Our Lady of Guadalupe is the most popular Marian shrine in the world.

At the time of this apparition of Mary, the Aztecs, the original inhabitants of Mexico City, had been suffering brutally under domination of the Spanish colonialists. Disease and depression were rampant. Hernán Cortés, the conquistador, had landed in 1519 and had succeeded in destroying much of the Aztec civilization by 1521. Why, then, were the Aztecs eventually such willing converts to Catholicism? The Aztecs had hundreds of gods in their pantheon. It was their spiritual habit to co-opt the gods of tribes that they conquered. They believed that their own god Huitzilopochtli depended on human sacrifices to be kept alive. They invaded neighboring tribes to obtain these victims. As they as a people became more aggressive against their neighbors, the gods of the Aztecs took on more monstrous forms. Portrayals of the female gods became the most frightening and grotesque. When the Spanish arrived in the Aztec city, they were amazed at its beauty and grace, and equally horrified at the blood-soaked temples with the racks of human skulls and demonic-looking statuary. All Aztec places of worship were considered satanic and systematically destroyed.

The hill where Mary appeared was once the site of the goddess Tonzantin. She was considered a household god, the goddess of corn and fertility. With Our Lady of Guadalupe, the feminine traits of love, compassion, and forgiveness were returned to spirituality and the sick-at-heart population had an entity to whom they could take their sorrow. 

Statue of Blessed Juan Diego wearing the tilma with the imprint of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Following pages: Statues being sold at a flea market, an outdoor shrine with Our Lady of Guadalupe surrounded by lights so that she can be worshiped at night.

The portrait of Our Lady of Guadalupe conveyed a message interpreted differently by Aztecs and Europeans, yet triggered the same spiritual response. To the Aztecs, the basic announcement that Mary was making with this image was the dawning of the age of the Sixth Sun. Dividing up their history into solar ages, it was thought that the Fifth Sun, the Sun of Movement, ended with the Spanish conquest. Since the birth of a new sun always follows a time of darkness, it was believed that the appearance of Mary after ten years of destruction signaled the beginning of the Sun of Flowers. According to their lore, this was a time when humanity would come into its own and bloom. In this image, Mary wears a belt worn by pregnant women, thus announcing the birth of a new age. Gold-leaf Nahuatl glyphs symbolizing plenitude appear on her gown. They are arranged over her womb in a pattern that represented the four points of a compass, a basic symbol in the Aztec faith. The womblike light she is wrapped in, the rays of the sun and the crest of the moon, the folds of her robe and the subdued serpent all had hidden messages that were easy for the Aztecs to read. Her eyes do not stare ahead as depictions of the gods do; rather she is looking down at humanity, much as a mother looks at her child. Her hands are in a praying position that the Aztecs used to signify something coming from one’s heart. The fact that her robe is touching the angel signifies protection and love.

For the Christians the iconography of this image was directly related to the book of Revelation where John says, “A great sign appeared in the heavens, a woman clothed with the sun.” This image is associated with the Immaculate Conception. December 9, the first day of her appearance, was also the original day devoted to the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The halo Mary is wrapped in is called a mandorla. Originally, this type of almond-shaped body halo represented the cloud in which Christ ascended; in time it came to signify the light that emanates from those divinely inspired. In Western art it is used to depict those with a complete bond to Christ. As the Mother of God, Mary is exalted above all angels, offering her protection and love to humanity.

By appearing as a mixed-race woman, Mary was announcing the new face of Catholicism. The brutal, fundamentalist way that Catholicism was practiced by the Spanish was softened. In her appearance Mary was reminding the Europeans that they had the same mother that the Aztecs did. She was the first Christian image that the Mesoamericans could relate to, and the messages embedded in her picture offered hope, love, and comfort to a people when these qualities had been driven out of their own religion.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of Mexico, North and South America, and the Caribbean.

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is December 12, the day the miraculous cloth was revealed.

Holy Thursday

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“So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.”

—John 13:14-15

The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN 3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH./Public Domain

Preparation

As you begin this time of quiet prayer, I invite you to find a comfortable place to sit with your back straight and your legs planted on the ground. Take a few moments to breathe in and breathe out.

Spend this time centering yourself to listen to what God may be saying to you during this time of prayer, to listen to what rises up in your heart. Close your eyes for a few moments. As you sit with your eyes closed, use these or similar words: “Here I am, Lord. Here I am.” When you are ready, open your eyes and pray.

Washing Feet

The dining table is scattered with the remains of a meal enjoyed by all there. Imagine you are sitting at this table. Your hands are on your belly, and you’re feeling full and satisfied. The food and wine were savory and sweet. It brought back such memories of meals you shared with friends and family through the years—meals where love was shown, forgiveness offered, and hurts healed. A smile comes across your face as you recall the hours your mother spent in the kitchen getting ready to feed those she loved. Humming softly, she would carefully knead and fold the dough that would become her delicious, crusty bread.

There is much chatter around this table. You look over at these people you have traveled with through many towns and villages, bringing the message of hope and love. A peace comes over you, a peace that tells you what a good job you’ve done. Across the table you see Jesus. He is looking around the table, but his face is serious. He stands up, puts a towel around his waist, and comes toward you. You don’t understand what’s happening. Jesus stands before you, wrapped in a towel and carrying a basin of water. He looks at you and asks you a question. What does Jesus ask you? How do you respond?

Jesus kneels in front of you. You move back in your chair. “No, Jesus. Please get up,” you say. He looks in your eyes. His eyes seem to look right into your soul. He smiles and offers his hand to take your foot. You hesitate. How can this be? you think. Jesus gently cups your foot in his hand. With his other hand, he pours the warm, perfumed water on your foot. He looks at you and smiles. It feels like there are just the two of you there. Jesus speaks to you. What does he say? What do you respond?

You look down and notice how dirty your feet are from walking on the dusty paths. Jesus simply and gently washes them and then dries them with the towel around his waist. Your eyes fill with tears. Here is Jesus, whom you left your home to follow, washing your feet like a servant. You lower your face and quietly weep. Jesus reaches up and puts his hands on your face. He gently whispers to you, “You are loved. You are loved.” He stands and hands you the jug of water and basin. Taking a towel, you wrap it around your waist and…

Do I let Jesus accept me for who I am, “dirty feet” and all? Who are the people in my life whose “feet” need to be washed? On this Holy Thursday, how can I accept Jesus’ call to follow his example of service?

Concluding Prayer

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/arts-faith-lent-holy-thursday-imaginative-prayer-exercise/

Arts & Faith: Lent—Holy Thursday Imaginative Prayer Exercise

Jesus In The City: Three Good Fridays

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by Larry Racioppo
This post contains the outline of JESUS IN THE CITY: THREE GOOD FRIDAYS, a book Larry Racioppo is hoping to publish. The book will contain approximately 100 photographs taken from 1974 through 2015, my personal notes, and an essay by a contemporary scholar 

Larry Racioppo was born and raised in South Brooklyn and has photographed New York City since 1971. He was a VISTA Volunteer and a participating artist in the Cultural Council Foundation’s CETA Artist Project. A Guggenheim Fellow and former staff photographer for NYC’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development, his work is held by the Museum of the City of New York, the Brooklyn Museum, El Museo del Barrio, the Center for Brooklyn History and the National September 11th Memorial and Museum. Recent books include Memorial’76, Here Down on Dark Earth: Loss and Remembrance in New York City, Coney Island Baby and Brooklyn Before: Photographs 1971-1983. 
www.larryracioppo.com

In the 1970’s a group of mostly Puerto Rican parishioners, connected to the growing Catholic Cursillo movement, introduced a livelier more personal liturgy to their Italian-American and Irish-American fellow congregants at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church on 21st Street, Brooklyn. The highlight of this group’s active devotion was their annual reenactment of the passion and death of Jesus Christ on Good Friday. Dressed as Jesus, Mary, Herod, and other New Testament figures, members of this group, informally known as de Colores, staged the traditional Stations of the Cross on the streets of the parish. Jesus was whipped, fell and met his Mother as hundreds watched. I photographed the first procession which took place in 1974 up until the last in 1981. 

In 1994 my wife, while working in NYC’s Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Bushwick field office, learned that a local church held an annual Good Friday procession. I was curious to see another one, and wondered if it would be as moving as the processions I had seen in the 1970’s. I hoped so, and on April 1st of that year brought two cameras with me to St. Barbara’s Roman Catholic Church on Central Avenue and Bleecker Street, Brooklyn

Completed in 1910 in the Spanish Baroque Revival style, St. Barbara’s is an incredibly beautiful church. It began as a “national parish” for German Catholics in the Bushwick-Ridgewood area but eventually became home to Italians, and in the 1960’s to Hispanic worshippers. 

What I saw that day exceeded my wildest hopes. I couldn’t believe my luck and realized that this was going to be another long-term photography project for me, not a one-day shoot.

Based on the Bible’s traditional 14 Stations of the Cross, El Grupo Dramatico de Santa Barbara (El Grupo) produced an elaborate and emotional reenactment of the passion and death of Jesus Christ. It began and ended on the large marble altar of St. Barbara’s Church, but most of the action took place along Evergreen, Central, and Wilson Avenues and their cross streets.  

It was no accident that the staging of the Stations of the Cross was so powerful. In the months leading up to Easter, El Grupo members devoted countless weekend and evening hours to rehearsing in St. Barbara’s school basement, and to making period costumes and props. Participation is an act of worship whether playing a major role such as Jesus Christ or a small one, like one of the serving girls at Herod’s court. There are parts for everyone: if there are more children one year, there will be more handmaidens and angels. If participants are scarce, members will play more than one part.

El Grupo starts every meeting by holding hands in a prayer circle.

On Good Friday participants spend hours putting on costumes, makeup and wigs in the Church rectory. They say a final prayer in the sacristy before starting the VIA CRUCIS (The Way of the Cross). It begins with the condemnation of Jesus on the main altar before a standing-room-only audience. Jesus is crowned with thorns, takes up his cross and leaves the Church. The procession continues down Bushwick’s streets where Jesus, followed by a huge crowd, enacts several Stations of the Cross including his three falls. In front of a building where Jesus has fallen, the late pastor Father John Powis would raise his voice to connect Jesus’ suffering with the pain caused by “the drug sales in this building” pointing to the building as he spoke. I was surprised when he did this. 

The Procession gradually wound its way back to St. Barbara’s for the last several Stations. The day’s highlight was the crucifixion of Jesus and the two thieves. I returned each year to a crucifixion scene that topped the year before: smoke, flashing lights and thunder enhanced the experience.

Mario Trochez, the group’s former director who now lives in Pennsylvania, has been returning to Bushwick each year to direct, act, and help in any way he can. He has promised that soon he will organize a Good Friday procession in his Puerto Rican hometown.

The Via Crucis ends when Jesus is removed from the cross and taken to his tomb (the 14th and last traditional Station of the Cross). The dramatists slowly leave the altar, and return a few minutes later to cheers from the audience. Afterwards they pose for photographs with family and friends in the sacristy. Kenia Vargas, dressed as Mary Magdalene in a turquoise robe and white head scarf.

Eventually El Grupo added Palm Sunday reenactments in the school auditorium as well.
In 2004, I found this flyer on a bulletin board at work andI contacted the church’s pastor for permission to photograph the “musical drama.” The musicians and singers were excellent, and the entire evening transcendent. I returned to the Greater Zion Shiloh Baptist Church in Brooklyn to continue this project.

Please contact Mr. Racioppo if you would like to learn more about this project.
https://www.larryracioppo.com/

Saint Anthony of Padua

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1195—1231

Saint Anthony is the Patron Saint of Debt, Lost Articles,

Poverty, Portugal

His Feast Day is June 13.

1195 – 1231

“Saint Anthony, please come around, there’s something lost that must be found.”

Doctor of the Church

Feast Day: June 13

Patron of: Lisbon, Portugal, Padua, amputees, barren women, domestic animals, draftees, oppressed people, orphans, paupers, the poor, pregnant women, prisoners, sailors

Invoked for: finding a husband, finding lost articles

Invoked against: debt, shipwreck, starvation

Symbols: baby Jesus, book of Gospels, lily

            Wonder and miracles are infused with every story of Saint Anthony. Though he has been dead for almost 800 years, he is still the most popular saint in the world and his statue is found in every Catholic Church.  Saint Anthony is best known as the patron saint of lost articles but he is invoked for help in all life situations. In his own day he was called the “Wonder Worker’ and credited with the ability to stop the rain, raise the dead and reattach severed limbs. He was such a charismatic preacher that when a crowd of heretics in Rimini refused to listen to his preaching, the fish raised themselves out of the water to hear him.

            Born Fernando de Bulhes in Lisbon, Portugal, he disappointed his noble family by rejecting his luxurious life and joining the Augustinian religious order. A scholar by nature, he read every book in the monastery, devoting his time to contemplative prayer. Eventually, he befriended a group of itinerant Franciscan monks and became fascinated with this new religious order. Much impressed by their dedication to simplicity, poverty and their belief in returning to the original words of  Christ, he joined their ranks, changing his name to Anthony in honor of Saint Anthony of the Desert, the patron of their little church. Returning home from a failed missionary venture in Morocco, his ship was blown off course and he wound up in Messina, Sicily. A group of Franciscan friars insisted he go north with them for a great gathering of all Franciscans, with their founder Francis of Assisi.

            Anthony remained in Italy and discovered his great gift of preaching when a superior ordered him to speak at an ordination, telling him to say whatever the holy spirit had infused into him. He astonished his audience, not only by his skills as an orator but by the depth of his knowledge. He was sent throughout northern Italy and southern France on evangelical preaching missions which gathered crowds in the tens of thousands. His popularity among the people increased as he used his position to get real changes enacted for their protection. While based in Padua, he observed the crushing power of debt upon the common people. At Anthony’s insistence, the local municipality enacted a law protecting those who could not pay their debts that is still enforced today.

            Anthony exhausted himself preaching out in fields and in piazzas as there was not cathedral large enough to hold all who came to hear him. At the age of thirty six, his health began to fail him and a local Count donated a woodland retreat for his recovery. One morning the Count heard the sounds of a baby giggling and he looked out to see Anthony surrounded in light, playing with the baby Jesus. That Christ would choose to appear to one of his saints in such a vulnerable state is a testament to the loving and kind nature of Saint Anthony. Because he is depicted holding a baby, women having trouble conceiving invoke his aid. Being of Portuguese descent, Anthony’s feast day is very auspicious for marriages in Portugal and Brazil and in those cultures, he is known to assist women seeking a husband.

            According to legend, Saint Anthony earned the title patron saint of lost articles when a novice borrowed his psalter and failed to return it. Saint Anthony prayed to get  it back and the novice was visited by terrifying visions that sent him running back to Anthony with the book. In iconography, Anthony always holds the baby Jesus and a lily for purity. Many times the returned book of the gospels is included.

Novena to Saint Anthony of Padua

Holy Saint Anthony, gentle and powerful in your help, Your love for God and charity for His creatures, made you worthy when on earth, to possess miraculous powers. Miracles waited on your word, which you were always ready to request for those in trouble or anxiety. Encouraged by this thought, I implore you to obtain for me (mention your request here). The answer to my prayer may require a miracle. Even so, you are the saint of miracles. Gentle and loving Saint Anthony, whose heart is ever full of human sympathy, take my petition to the Infant Savior for whom you have such a great love, and the gratitude of my heart will be ever yours.

Amen

It is customary to donate to Saint Anthony’s Bread, a charity started in Saint Anthony’s lifetime, in gratitude to answered novena prayers.

Visit St. Francis of Assisi Church in New York City, it has a breadline every morning and a shrine to St. Anthony. 135-139 West 31st Street, New York, NY 10001.

  • Mass Schedule: Features daily masses (7:30 am, 12:00 pm, 5:30 pm) and weekend masses (Sat Vigil 4 pm; Sun 8 am, 9:15 am Korean, 10 am Spanish, 11 am, 5 pm).
  • Ministries: Includes a Migrant Center, LGBTQ+ ministry, adult education, counseling, and a daily breadline for the hungry.
  • Significance: Known for its Franciscan, peaceful atmosphere in a busy area, a piece of World Trade Center steel, and wood sculptures of St. Jude and St. Anthony.
  • Livestream: Select Sunday masses (9:15 am, 11 am, 5 pm) are streamed online. 

The church is staffed by the Franciscan Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael

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Angels—messengers from God—appear frequently in Scripture, but only Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are named.

Michael appears in Daniel’s vision as “the great prince” who defends Israel against its enemies; in the Book of Revelation, he leads God’s armies to final victory over the forces of evil. Devotion to Michael is the oldest angelic devotion, rising in the East in the fourth century. The Church in the West began to observe a feast honoring Michael and the angels in the fifth century.

Gabriel also makes an appearance in Daniel’s visions, announcing Michael’s role in God’s plan. His best-known appearance is an encounter with a young Jewish girl named Mary, who consents to bear the Messiah.

Raphael’s activity is confined to the Old Testament story of Tobit. There he appears to guide Tobit’s son Tobiah through a series of fantastic adventures which lead to a threefold happy ending: Tobiah’s marriage to Sarah, the healing of Tobit’s blindness, and the restoration of the family fortune.

The memorials of Gabriel and Raphael were added to the Roman calendar in 1921. The 1970 revision of the calendar joined their individual feasts to Michael’s.

Reflection

Each of the archangels performs a different mission in Scripture: Michael protects; Gabriel announces; Raphael guides. Earlier belief that inexplicable events were due to the actions of spiritual beings has given way to a scientific world-view and a different sense of cause and effect. Yet believers still experience God’s protection, communication, and guidance in ways which defy description. We cannot dismiss angels too lightly.

Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are the Patron Saints of:

Death
Germany
Grocers
Police Officers/First Responders
Radiologists

Saint Gabriel is the Patron Saint of:

Broadcasters/Communicators

Saint Raphael is the Patron Saint of:

The Blind
Travelers

From Franciscan Media

The Archangels in the Jesuit church in Venice

In the heart of Cannaregio in Venice, there is a beautiful 18th century church, built by the Jesuits in 1729 and dedicated to the Assumption. Inside there are many works of art (including a fantastic painting by Tiziano Vecellio), but it is also one of the few churches in the world where the six archangels are represented.


Usually the archangels are Gabriele, Michele and Raffaele, but here there are the statues another three. On either side of the high altar there are Uriel (the guardian of the gates of Heaven) and Barachiele (the archangel of divine goodness) to the four corners of the transept there are four other statues (like the previous work of Giuseppe Torretto): Michele (Prince of the heavenly hosts), Raffaele (the heavenly messenger), Gabriele (the patron of travellers) and Sealtiele (the archangel of temperance).

The other 4 archangels (missing here is Jehudiele, the praise of God) are not explicitly mentioned in the Bible but are found in the Apocalypse and in the book of Tobia. The Jesuits, the great scholars of the Holy Scriptures who were in close contact with the rabbis of the nearby Ghetto, wanted to put all the Archangels to guard and protect their Church.


Today “the other Archangels” are analysed by all those involved in the study of the Kabbalah and esoteric sciences.

Daily Word Of God—jesuit.org.sg

John 1:47-51

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, ‘There is an Israelite in who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ said Nathanael.   ‘Before Philip came to call you’, said Jesus, ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ Nathanael answered, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.’

Jesus replied, ‘You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ And then he added, ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.’

Today’s Pointers on God’s Word

As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?

  • Archangel Michael, Gabriel and Raphael were created by God to “protect, communicate and heal” us.  These are God’s ways of loving and caring for us at all times.
  • We should be grateful to God at all times for His constant and caring ways that continue to attend to our needs and desires of life.
  • As God is so caring toward us we, in turn, are called to care for the needs of others especially the aged, the weak, and the marginalized of our family, neighbours and the world.

Saint Michael: Luca Giordano, The Fall of the Rebel Angels ( c. 1666), Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

A Friar’s Notes, Precious Blood

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Fr. David Convertino, OFM
Executive Director of Development

Every 4th of July, I reflect on the spirit of the Day and reflect on our freedoms, what it took to secure them, and what it takes to defend them. When I do this, I often think about the blood of innocent people who endure wars and conflicts, the friars who provide help in war-torn countries and never leave the people there, and our Nation’s military heroes, who time and again protect our freedom to gather in protest or in celebration, in worship, and in pursuing the great “American Dream” of freedom and prosperity that so many strive to have.

Many women and men have sacrificed on the battlefield, in factories, offices, schools, and in their homes, living difficult lives of sacrifice so that they can have this great dream for themselves or for their children.

As a friar, my faith defines much of who I am. Besides the 4th of this month, July is also a time when the Church dedicates the entire month to the Precious Blood of Jesus.

The Precious Blood of Jesus is the ultimate expression of God’s love and mercy.

Just as so many have shed their blood to secure liberty, Jesus shed His Precious Blood to free us from sin and death. One offers civic freedom—the other freedom from death.

My friends, as fireworks light up the sky this week, may they remind us of both the freedoms that belong to us in this democratic nation and the brilliance of Christ’s precious love.

We honor those who gave and still give their lives for our country, and we give thanks to the Savior who gave His life for ours.

But as we celebrate this July, we cannot forget those who still struggle for freedom from fear, poverty, a lack of healthcare, and other forms of suffering that many continue to fight for every day. Precious blood is still being shed every day.

Wishing you a blessed Feast of the Precious Blood and a joyful 4th of July.

Many Blessings,

Fr. David, OFM

The month of July is dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of the Redeemer. Supreme homage is given to the Sacred Blood.   As we adore the Sacred Heart, because it is the Heart of Jesus, who is God, so we adore the Most Precious Blood.

The Blood of Jesus is the fountain of salvation.   Each drop that flowed from the wounds of the Savior is a pledge of man’s eternal salvation.   All races of the earth have been ransomed, and all individuals, who will allow the saving power of the Sacred Blood to be applied to their soul, are heirs of heaven.   St. John Chrysostom calls the Precious Blood “the savior of souls”; St. Thomas Aquinas, “the key to heaven’s treasures”; St. Ambrose, “pure gold of ineffable worth”; St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, “a magnet of souls and pledge of eternal life”.   The sins of mankind, in their number, in their offense to the Supreme Being, in the effects on transgressors, are immense; yet, the Precious Blood of Jesus is not frightened by numbers, it has in Itself the power to appease an angered God and to heal wounded creatures.

The Precious Blood is a cleansing bath. Unlike all other blood, which stains, the Blood of Jesus washes clean and white.   According to the words of St. John, in the Apocalypse, the Angels wonder, and the question is asked: “These that are clothed in white robes, who are they?”  The Lord answers: “These are they that have washed their robes, and have made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”  For no other reason did the Precious Blood flow but to regain for the souls of men the beautiful dress of innocence, and, once regained, to preserve it throughout life and into eternity.

The Blood of the Savior is a well of consolation for troubled hearts.  Can anyone, confidingly, look at the Sacred Blood trickling down from the Cross without taking courage to carry on, in spite of the difficulties which are the common lot of all?   One glance at the Cross must be able to drive away fear.    And, another, must be able to instill trust in Him who did not rest until the last drop, mingled with water, flowed out of an opened Heart.    He, who was willing to do so much for men, must be willing to overlook and forget the frailties which they deeply regret; He must be willing to come to their assistance when harassed, to defend them when tempted, to comfort them when afflicted.   The Blood of Jesus must be for Christians what the north-star is to sailors.

Would that men on earth honored the Precious Blood in the manner in which they who are in heaven give honor and praise and thanksgiving!   They proclaim that It purchased the glory which they enjoy.   Without It, they would have remained slaves of Satan and outcasts from the eternal mansions of God.   Let us profess that we owe to the Sacred Blood of Jesus all that we have in this life, and that to It we shall owe all that we shall enjoy in a better and eternal life!
PASSIONIST NUNS, 8564 CRISP ROAD, WHITESVILLE, KY 42378

Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

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The call which comes from this important feast day is first of all a call to Eucharistic adoration, because in the Sacred Host the Lord Jesus is truly present and He offers each of us His Heart, His Merciful Love. To spend time in the Presence of the Eucharistic Lord, to adore Him, is the best expression of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus which, as we know, spread all over the world thanks to Jesus’ revelations to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 17th century: “Behold the Heart which so loved mankind”!

As a prolongation and accomplishment of this message, the Lord appeared to another Sister in the 20th century revealing the abyss of His unfathomable mercy; she was Saint Faustina Kowalska who wrote in her Diary, now world famous, these words of Jesus: “I have opened my Heart as a living source of Mercy, from it all souls draw life, all approach with deep confidence this sea of Mercy. Sinners will obtain justification and the just will be strengthened in goodness. I will fill the souls of those who put their trust in My Mercy with My divine peace at the hour of their death. My daughter, continue to spread devotion to My Mercy, in doing so you will refresh My Heart which burns with the fire of compassion for sinners. Tell my priests that hardened sinners will be softened by their words if they speak of my boundless Mercy and of the compassion which My Heart feels for them. I will give priests who proclaim and exalt My Mercy wondrous power, unction to their words and I will move all the hearts to which they speak” (Book 5, 21 January 1938).

The deepest longing of Christ’s Heart is that we discover how much he loves us, the extent of his tender love for creatures who, cooled by their selfishness, look only inwards at themselves, as if they were afraid to let themselves be loved unconditionally by their Creator, who asks nothing and gives all!

Close to the Heart of the Son is the Heart of the Mother whom the Church celebrates the day after the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Let it again be the Holy Father who illuminates us with regard to this mystery: “The heart that resembles that of Christ more than any other is without a doubt the Heart of Mary, his Immaculate Mother, and for this very reason the liturgy holds them up together for our veneration. Responding to the Virgin’s invitation at Fatima, let us entrust the whole world to her Immaculate Heart, which we contemplated yesterday in a special way, so that it may experience the merciful love of God and know true peace” (Benedict XVI, Angelus 5 June 2005). 

Photograph by Lisa Silvestri

O.C.S.O. Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance

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The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (also known as “Trappists”) is a Roman Catholic contemplative religious order, consisting of monasteries of monks and monasteries of nuns. We are part of the larger Cistercian family which traces its origin to 1098. As Cistercians we follow the Rule of St Benedict, and so are part of the Benedictine family as well. Our lives are dedicated to seeking union with God, through Jesus Christ, in a community of sisters or brothers.

Early Monasticism

Jesus in the desert

Jesus in the desert

The concept of monasticism is ancient and is found in many religions and philosophies. In the centuries immediately before Christ, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism all developed alternative styles of life which involved renouncing the world in some ways, in order to seek liberation or purification or union with God, sometimes as a solitary ascetic, sometimes in community.

Early Christian monasticism drew its inspiration from the examples of the Prophet Elijah and John the Baptist, who both lived alone in the desert, and above all from the story of Jesus’ time in solitary struggle with Satan in the desert, before his public ministry. Beginning with the Exodus and all through the Old Testament times, the desert was regarded as a place of spiritual renewal and a return to God.  Although there were ascetics, especially women ascetics, among the first generations of Christians, they generally lived in the towns and cities.

St John the Baptist

St John the Baptist

St. Anthony the Great (ca. 251-356) was the first well-known Christian to withdraw to the desert. According to the Life of Anthony written by St Athanasius in the mid fourth century, Anthony retreated to the wastelands of Egypt to lead an intensely ascetic life with the sole purpose of pursuing God in solitary prayer.  He remained alone until his holiness and evident wholesomeness attracted a growing circle of followers. So deep was his influence that he is considered the father, not only of the movement of Desert Fathers and Mothers of fourth – fifth century Egypt, but also the father of the entire Christian monastic family.

St Anthony

St Anthony
While the earliest Desert Fathers lived as hermits, they were rarely completely isolated, but often lived in proximity to one another, and soon loose-knit communities began to form in such places as the Desert of Nitria and the Desert of Skete.  The progression from hermit (“anchorite”) to monk (“cenobite”) living in community under one abbot, came quickly, when in 346 St Pachomius established in Egypt the first cenobitic Christian monastery.

Mary of Egypt

Mary of Egypt

The Eastern monastic teachings were brought to the western church by Saint John Cassian (ca. 360 – ca. 435).  As a young adult, he and his friend Germanus entered a monastery in Palestine but then journeyed to Egypt to visit the eremitic groups in Nitria. Many years later, Cassian founded a monastery of monks and probably also one of nuns near Marseilles, and partly to counter what he felt were the abuses he found in Western monasticism, he wrote two long works, the Institutes and Conferences. In these books he not only transmitted his Egyptian experience (they are perhaps the oldest written record of the thought of the Desert Fathers), but he also gave Christian monasticism a profound evangelical and theological basis.

Cassian’s influence was enormous and lasted for centuries – even the smallest monastic library in Europe’s Dark Ages would have its copy of Cassian. Furthermore, St. Benedict incorporated Cassian’s thought into his monastic Rule, and recommended that his monks read Cassian’s works. Since the Rule of St Benedict is still used by Benedictine, Cistercian, and Trappist monastics, the thought of John Cassian, and the desert tradition behind him, still guides the spiritual lives of thousands of men and women in the Catholic Church.

The fear of the Lord is our cross. Just as someone who is crucified no longer has the power of moving or turning his limbs in any direction as he pleases, so we also ought to fasten our wishes and desires, not in accordance with what is pleasant and delightful to us now, but in accordance with the law of the Lord, where it hems us in. Being fastened to the wood of the cross means: no longer considering things present; not thinking about one’s preferences; not being disturbed by anxiety and care for the future; not being aroused by any desire to possess, nor inflamed by any pride or strife or rivalry; not grieving at present injuries, and not calling past injuries to mind; and while still breathing and in the present body, considering oneself dead to all earthly things, and sending the thoughts of one’s heart on ahead to that place where, one does not doubt, one will soon arrive… 

John Cassian, Institutes, Book IV ch.35
https://ocso.org

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Meet the Holy Galilean Women

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These holy women may not be in the forefront in Scripture, but they had a front-row seat to Jesus’ extraordinary life and ministry.
Theresa Doyle-Nelson
July 2019, St. Anthony Messenger

It requires a bit of detective work—pulling a few threads here, a few more there, and so on throughout the Gospels—to form a viewable tapestry of the holy Galilean women. However, by taking the time to delve into the verses on these women, this lovely group slowly comes into focus, and we can better learn to appreciate them for who they were and all they did for Jesus. St. Mary Magdalene, Blessed Joanna, Susanna, St. Salome, St. Mary of Clopas, and many others unnamed are indeed a special collection of women to know.

It is Luke who gives a formal introduction to these women. At the start of his eighth chapter, he presents them as a unique cluster from the region of Galilee who ministered to Jesus from “their resources.” Luke also lets us know that at least some of these women had suffered terribly and found healing.

We can only imagine the day-to-day lives of these women while they traveled with and assisted Jesus and the Twelve Apostles. Obviously, they had “resources” to spare. Perhaps it was strictly financial assistance that they gave. However, it seems possible that they helped with other things too—maybe they did some cooking, helped with laundry and mending, or nursed anyone who got sick. With a bit of imagination, it is easy to envision them helping in a variety of ways. These women most certainly gleaned some significant insights and understandings during their time of accompanying Christ. It would be nice to have more biblical elaboration on their roles, but we don’t.

After pondering their time going from town to town with Jesus and the apostles, Bible readers pretty much have to wait until the Passion narratives in each Gospel to read anything more about these women (a short narrative on St. Salome is one exception).

Their Home of Galilee

The region of Galilee was the site of many wonderful New Testament events: the Sermon on the Mount, the miracle of the wine at Cana, the healing of the centurion’s servant, and the Transfiguration—just to name a few. And, of course, Jesus’ childhood home in Nazareth was in Galilee as well. This collection of women is another star for this region west of the Sea of Galilee.

St. Mary Magdalene

Poor Mary Magdalene has been stuck for centuries now with the reputation of having been a prostitute. In reality, though, all we know for sure about her past is that she had been burdened with seven demons that had left her—under the authority of Jesus (Lk. 8:2 & Mk. 16:9).

During the early medieval days, Pope Gregory the Great once connected Mary Magdalene to a passage shortly before Luke’s formal introduction to the Galilean women (Lk 7:36-39). In it, a sinful woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and then anointed them with a flask of ointment is presented.

Evidently, the pope had a hunch that the sin of this woman was prostitution and that she was likely the same as Mary Magdalene, who is mentioned just 12 verses later. Pope Gregory the Great (who we must remember really did do many “great” things) also linked Mary Magdalene with Mary of Bethany. These well-intentioned ideas stuck for a long time.

You still don’t have to go far to find someone who thinks Mary Magdalene was undoubtedly a prostitute and the same as Mary of Bethany. Many now assert that seven demons may actually represent mental illness—not prostitution. And most conclude that Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany, and the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears are most likely three separate women.

Of all the holy Galilean women, Mary Magdalene is the most prominent. Three evangelists name her specifically as being at the Crucifixion, two at the burial, and all four Gospel writers put Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb. Matthew, Mark, and John also assert that she saw and spoke to the risen Christ.

Blessed Joanna

Joanna is the next Galilean woman Luke introduces. Little is said about Joanna, but the brief mention that Luke presents offers an intriguing clue. He included the fact that Joanna had a close connection to Herod Antipas the Tetrarch, who had John the Baptist beheaded. Joanna was the wife of Herod’s steward, Chuza.

Being a steward, Chuza likely had the responsibility of overseeing Herod’s estate, a job that surely demanded a certain loyalty to this ruler. One can only guess how Joanna managed to support her husband and follow Jesus without any conflict. Perhaps Joanna and her husband were present at the ill-fated birthday banquet. Maybe they heard Herod’s order for the beheading of John the Baptist and perhaps even saw the gruesome platter. We can only wonder.

Popular Patron Saints

Joanna is mentioned by name only one other time in the Bible—Luke lists her as one of the women who went to the tomb on the day of the Resurrection.

According to Luke, Joanna—along with other women of Galilee—saw two men in dazzling clothes at Jesus’ empty tomb, learned of Christ’s resurrection, and shared the great news with the apostles—who did not believe them! Although Joanna’s name is never mentioned again, it is reasonable to consider that she was likely a part of the group whenever there is a general reference to the Galilean women.

In the current Roman Martyrology, Joanna is listed as a blessed, rather than a saint. This is hard to discern; in the earliest days of the Church, the words blessed, holy, and saint were often used interchangeably. So you might see Joanna listed as a saint in some resources and as a blessed in others, similar to the way we call Mary the Blessed Virgin Mary or St. Mary.

It’s impossible to know with certainty what exactly was meant. Was Joanna considered an official saint in heaven or just a really good and pious person (perhaps not martyred)? Either way, she gave much and is an inspiration to all.

Blessed/St. Joanna’s memorial is May 24.

St. Salome

It is Mark and Matthew who let us know that Salome is another holy woman of Galilee. Mark provides us with her name—within his Crucifixion and Resurrection narratives. Matthew, who calls her “the mother of the sons of Zebedee,” gives an additional, somewhat amusing account of St. Salome. In his 20th chapter, he relates how this mother of two apostles—James the Greater and John the Evangelist—had big ideas for her sons and boldly requested: “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom” (Mt 20:21).

Of course, Jesus took the opportunity to preach on the importance of humility and that serving others would count for more than grand places of honor.

St. Salome is listed on the April 24 page of the Roman Martyrology.

Susanna

Susanna is mentioned one time only—in Luke’s introduction to the Galilean women. So we can only glean that she, like Mary Magdalene and Joanna, had been cured of some demon or malady, traveled with Jesus and the apostles, and offered assistance in whatever way she could. Susanna was credibly present at the Crucifixion, burial, and empty tomb. It would be nice to know more, but we just don’t.

Susanna is not listed in the current Roman Martyrology; however, that does not exclude her from sainthood. Actually, if you were to attend Mass at a Byzantine Catholic church two Sundays after Easter, you would notice that Susanna is given special notice and is commemorated as a part of a group called the Holy Myrrhbearers.

St. Mary of Clopas

St. Mary of Clopas is especially hard to pin down in the Gospels, for she is referred to by a variety of titles:

  • Mary, the Mother of James and Joseph;
  • The Other Mary;
  • Mary, the Mother of the Younger James and of Joses;
  • Mary, the Mother of Joses;
  • Mary, the Mother of James;
  • Mary, the Wife of Clopas.

It is through John’s labeling, “Mary, the wife of Clopas” (19:25), that she has received her name: St. Mary of Clopas. Although she doesn’t stand out like Mary Magdalene, one variation or another of her titles appears at the death, burial, and empty tomb scenes repeatedly. Matthew’s Gospel asserts that both Mary Magdalene and Mary of Clopas saw and heard Jesus that first Easter morning.

Some propose that Mary of Clopas’ husband was the Cleopas who traveled to Emmaus with a friend and met up with Jesus in Luke’s 24th chapter. Many even suggest that it was St. Mary of Clopas who was the unidentified traveling partner. This is not known for sure, but it is an intriguing thought to consider.

St. Mary of Clopas shares a memorial day with St. Salome: April 24.

The Unnamed Other Galilean Women

Although we don’t know their names, it is only fair to also remember the unnamed women of Galilee—many others, according to St. Luke. Perhaps these nameless women were shy or had other responsibilities that took them away from Jesus and the apostles from time to time.

Whatever the reason, the Gospels give plenty of assertions that there were others. And they deserve our notice—especially if we have ever experienced being overlooked or not named. When we get to heaven, we can meet these women, learn their names, and thank them for their rich contributions to the mission of Jesus, for bringing comfort to his crucifixion and love to his burial.

Honoring the Holy Galilean Women

Even though the Gospel writers vary somewhat in their placement of the holy Galilean women, we can still get the general idea. They were there, they were helpful, they were devout, they were fearless (braver than most of the apostles at the Crucifixion!), and they loved Jesus dearly and showed it. And at least Mary Magdalene and Mary of Clopas were highly blessed by being the first to see Jesus resurrected. Though not specifically mentioned, it seems highly probable that at least some of the holy Galilean women were present during the nine days in the upper room in Jerusalem, praying and awaiting the Holy Spirit.

The holy Galilean women were generous in many ways and great adorers of God; their good works are an example to all Christians. They fully and very bravely lived out Christ’s command to deny oneself and follow him.

Restoring St. Mary Magdalene’s Reputation

Hopefully St. Mary Magdalene’s mistaken reputation as a prostitute will continue to steadily diminish. It seems reasonable to offset this unfortunate label by putting a special emphasis on a far better one—a label given to St. Mary Magdalene by St. Thomas Aquinas: “The Apostle to the Apostles.”

This 13th-century Italian doctor of the Church wrote a commentary on the Gospel of St. John, a Gospel that offers particularly poignant highlights on Mary Magdalene’s role on that first Easter morning. John’s 20th chapter presents Mary Magdalene arriving at the empty tomb alone. His unique and rich portrayal of this special woman asserts that she tearfully glanced toward the empty tomb, was visited by two angels, mistook Jesus for a gardener, and then was overcome with emotion as she recognized her Lord. Then, Mary Magdalene—without hesitation—followed Jesus’ charge to share the news of his resurrection: “Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’” (Jn 20:18a), and shared what he told her.

It was Mary Magdalene carrying out Jesus’ wish to announce his resurrection with eager confidence that prompted St. Thomas Aquinas to call Mary Magdalene the Apostle to the Apostles within his commentary.

It is compelling to note that St. Thomas Aquinas also pointed out Matthew’s inclusion of another holy Galilean woman—”the other Mary” (St. Mary of Clopas)—during the first appearance of Jesus. Certainly, her role was profound as well, and more elaboration on her story would be welcome. However, St. Thomas Aquinas couldn’t help but notice Mary Magdalene’s overall prominence, especially in John’s Gospel, and felt inspired to highlight her apostle-like role.

Evidently, Pope Francis has read this commentary of St. Thomas Aquinas and agrees. In June 2016, the pope expressed a great appreciation for this title bestowed upon St. Mary Magdalene and felt it was time to elevate her day of remembrance (July 22) from a memorial to a feast. (The rank of Church celebrations are: optional memorial, obligatory memorial, feast, and solemnity.)

This seems a perfect counteraction: to start referring to St. Mary Magdalene as the Apostle to the Apostles in order to help restore her due reputation and highlight her holiness; to focus on her great love and devotion to Christ; and to recognize her rich contribution of proclaiming Christ’s triumph over the cross.

Sidebar: A Retreat with the Holy Galilean Women

Perhaps you would like a two-week, at-home retreat with these special women. If so, take some time each day for 14 days to read a biblical passage on them. Take in one or two surrounding verses and read the footnotes, if desired, and ponder their impact. Try to imagine yourself at the various scenes; maybe jot down your thoughts in a journal. Note which of these women each Gospel writer chose to highlight for the death, burial, and Resurrection accounts.