St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Optional Memorial (1969 Calendar): October 16
Double (1955 Calendar): October 17

Today the Church celebrates and remembers the life of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, who spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Born July 22, 1647, at L'Hautecourt, Burgundy, France, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was healed from rheumatic fever, a crippling disorder, at a young age by a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. During her suffering, she developed an intimate relationship with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, the Holy Eucharist. In the vision, Our Lady prompted St. Margaret to give her life to God. In 1671 after receiving a vision of Christ's Scourging, she entered the Order of the Visitation.

Beginning on December 27, 1673, through 1675, Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque asking her to receive Him in Holy Communion on the first Friday of every month and to meditate on His passion from 11:00 PM to 12:00 midnight each Thursday. He also revealed to her twelve promises for all who are devoted to His Sacred Heart; he asked for a Feast of the Sacred Heart to be instituted in the liturgical calendar of the Church.

Yet, St. Margaret Mary would suffer much for the sake of the Sacred Heart. She was immediately rebuffed by Mother de Saumaise, her superior. She finally won over Mother de Saumaise, but theologians and members of her community would not believe the validity of the apparitions.

In 1675, St. Margaret Mary met St. Claude la Colombière, a newly ordained priest who was the Superior of a group of Jesuits in Burgundy. St. Claude would serve as her confessor for many years. He would specifically assist St. Margaret Mary in spreading devotion to the Sacred Heart before he was sent to England to serve as the confessor to the Duchess of York.

Finally in 1683 Mother Melin was elected Superior of the Community, and Margaret Mary was made her assistant. St. Margaret Mary would even become the Novice Mistress. In 1686 the convent began to privately observe the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Two years later a chapel was built at the Paray-le-Monial in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Following this, several nearby convents would begin to observe the feast. It was not until after her death on October 17, 1690, that the Feast of the Sacred Heart was approved for specific dioceses by Pope Clement XIII in 1765. Pope Pius IX would extend the Feast of the Sacred Heart to the entire Church in 1856, and in 1899 Pope Leo XIII finally dedicated the whole world to the Sacred Heart.

St. Margaret Mary was finally canonized by Pope Benedict XV in 1920. In 1928, Pope Pius XI upheld the Church's position regarding the credibility behind her visions of Jesus Christ. 

Fr. Pierre Duverger in "Devotion to the Sacred Heart" summarizes the lasting importance of St. Margaret Mary:

What was lacking in the devotion to the Sacred Heart before the time of St. Margaret Mary? 

Before St. Margaret Mary, this devotion was practiced not only by a few privileged souls, such as St. Gertrude and St. Catherine of Siena, but also, thanks to St. John Eudes, by a large part of the Christian people. What, then, was lacking? 

First of all, the spirit of the devotion was perfected. Until this time those devoted to the Sacred Heart had chiefly rendered praise and thanksgiving to Him. 

There was no emphasis on reparation.  

It was, however, our Lord’s desire that we realize how unknown is His love and make reparation. Recognition of the infinite tenderness of the Divine Love is important, but it is of equal import to make reparation for the sins of the world. 

Of course fervent souls had already thought of this. But in a time where the Faith was weakening and the Divine Love was increasingly disregarded and insulted, it became important to emphasize reparation. It was Margaret Mary’s mission to draw the attention of loving souls toward this aspect of the devotion and to inspire souls to reparation, inviting them to turn to the forgotten and scorned Love.

Her body is incorruptible

For more information on the 12 promises and devotion to the Sacred Heart, see my post: Devotion to the Sacred Heart.

Prayer:

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who to the blessed virgin Margaret Mary didst in a wondrous manner reveal the unsearchable riches of Thy Heart: by her merits grant, that loving Thee after her example in all things and above all things, we may obtain an abode in Thy Heart forevermore. Who livest and reignest.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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Canonization of Mother Guerin and three others!

It is with great jubilation that the Church celebrates the canonization of four blesseds, thereby declaring them saints. Such a declaration ensures that the four are in Heaven today interceding for mankind. For more information on basics of the Church's teaching on saints, see my posts What is a Catholic Saint and how does one become one?, Why pray to saints?, and Are saints even alive?

Today the universal Church rejoices as it declares that Mother Theodore Guerin, Rafael Guizar Valencia, Rosa Venerini, and Filippo Smaldone are in Heaven! Hallelujah!



(Photo Source: AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Rafael Guizar Valencia (April 26, 1878 - June 6, 1938) was the Catholic bishop of Veracruz, who cared for the wounded and dying in Mexico's Revolution between 1910-1917.

On April 26, 1878, he was born to Prudenzio Guizar and Natividad Valencia, wealthy and pious landowners in Mexico. In 1901 he was ordained a priest, and he founded the Congregation of Missionaries of Our Lady of Hope in 1903. Rafael Valencia traveled throughout Mexico on missions. In 1911, the persecution of the Church began in Mexico.

Fr. Valencia's missions were stopped and his congregation was disbanded. He started a Catholic magazine in Mexico City, which was quickly shut down by the government of Mexico. In order to continue his ministry, he disguised himself as a traveling merchant to minister to the poor and preach to them. He was shot several times by soldiers and condemned to death.

Fr. Valencia escaped to the United States and later to Guatemala, where he sent a year preaching missions. From 1917 to 1919, Raphael Guizar Valencia preached in Cuba. On August 1, 1919, he was named bishop of Veracruz-Jalapa, Mexico. Fr. Valencia continued; his missionary work in Colombia at that time, but he finally returned to Veracruz, Mexico on January 4, 1920.

The government persecution of the Church in Mexico increased. The diocese's seminary was shut down, so Bishop Valencia transfered his students to Mexcio City so to learn properly. He was a saintly man and cared especially for his diocese's seminary.

In 1931 Governor Tejada of Veracruz decreed that there could only be one priest per 100,000 Catholics. Bishop Raphael responded by closing all churhces in his diocese in protest. Tejeda ordered that Raphael be shot on sight, so Raphael went straight to the governor's palace and walked into his office. Fearing the uprising if he killed Bishop Valencia, the death sentence was revoked. Raphael spent the rest of his life fighting to continue the work of the Church in the face of the government opposition. He died of natural causes on June 6, 1938.

In 1950, his body was exhumed and found to be incorruptible - it had not decayed at all according to witnesses. From henceforth, he shall be known as Saint Rafael Guizar Valencia!



(Photo Source: Vatican)

Filippo Smaldone (July 27, 1848 - June 4, 1923) was born in Naples, Italy. While still in the seminary, Filippo Smaldone worked extensively with deaf-mutes in Naples, Italy. In 1871, he was ordained. While working with plague victims, he contracted the disease too, but he was miraculously cured through the intervention of Mother Mary under the title of Our Lady of Pompei.

At one point, Fr. Smaldone was depressed over the frustration of his mute students, so he asked to give up his teaching and instead work in the foreign missions; his spiritual advisor convinced him to stay. In March 1885, with the aid of Father Lorenzo Apicelia and several nuns he had trained, a school for deaf-mutes was at last founded by Fr. Smaldone in Lecce, Italy. The school would become the foundation of the motherhouse of the Congregation of the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Hearts.

Father Filippo soon expanded the work of his schools to include not only the mute but also the blind, orphaned, as well as abandoned children. He also founded the Eucharistic League of Priest Adorers and Eucharistic Leage of Women Adorers and was the Superior of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Saint Francis de Sales. On June 4, 1923, he died due to a combination of diabetes and a heart condition. From henceforth, he shall be known as Saint Filippo Smaldone!



(Photo Source: Vatican)

Rosa Venerini (February 9, 1656 - May 7, 1729) entered a convent after the death of her finace. When her father died, she returned home to care for her mother. At this time, Rosa Venerini started to invite neighborhood women to pray the rosary in her home. Her had little religious education, so she began to teach them. Rosa's spiritual director, Jesuit Father Ignatius Martinelli, convinced her that she was called to be a teacher instead of a contemplative nun.

With two of her friends, she opened a free pre-school for girls in 1685, and in 1692, Cardinal Barbarigo asked her to oversee training of teachers in his diocese of Montefiascone. Rosa organized schools in many parts of Italy, including Rome, and by the time of her death there were 40 schools under her direction. She frequently met opposition and some of the teachers were shot at with bows and their houses were burned. But, she was not swayed from her ministry. She was a friend and co-worker with Saint Lucia Filippini.

Today, the so-called Venerini Sisters work with Italian immigrants in the United States and elsewhere. Rosa Venerini died on May 7, 1728, in Rome. From henceforth, she shall be known as Saint Rosa Venerini!


Mother Theodore Guerin (October 2, 1798 - May 14, 1856) is an American saint. She joined Sisters of Providence at Ruillé-sur-Loir, France on 18 August 1823, and she was sent to the diocese of Vincennes, Indiana, USA on October 22, 1840. Along with five other sisters, she established the Academy of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on July 4, 1841, at Terre Haute, Indiana, which was the first Catholic women's liberal-arts college in the United States. She estalished several schools throughout the Midwest as well as an orphanage for girls and one for boys in Vincennes, Indiana.

On May 14, 1856, Mother Guerin died at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, of natural causes. She is buried at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, USA. Her canonization miracle involved the cure of a non-Catholic Sisters of Providence employee. From henceforth she shall be known as Saint Mother Guerin!


Let us thank God for these wonderful saints!!! May they intercede for all humanity! Rejoicing, we pray the Te Deum:



O God, we praise Thee, and acknowledge Thee to be the supreme Lord.
Everlasting Father, all the earth worships Thee.
All the Angels, the heavens and all angelic powers,
All the Cherubim and Seraphim, continuously cry to Thee:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy glory.
The glorious choir of the Apostles,
The wonderful company of Prophets,
The white-robed army of Martyrs, praise Thee.
Holy Church throughout the world acknowledges Thee:
The Father of infinite Majesty;
Thy adorable, true and only Son;
Also the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
O Christ, Thou art the King of glory!
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When Thou tookest it upon Thyself to deliver man,
Thou didst not disdain the Virgin's womb.
Having overcome the sting of death, Thou opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all
believers.
Thou sitest at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father.
We believe that Thou willst come to be our Judge.
We, therefore, beg Thee to help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy
Precious Blood.
Let them be numbered with Thy Saints in everlasting glory.

V. Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thy inheritance!
R. Govern them, and raise them up forever.

V. Every day we thank Thee.
R. And we praise Thy Name forever, yes, forever and ever.

V. O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day.
R. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.

V. Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in Thee.
R. O Lord, in Thee I have put my trust; let me never be put to shame.

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Help Catholic Wikipedia

If you like the concept of user-generated content that is monitored for correctness as is the case with Wikipedia, then I will suggest that you help out the Catholic Wikipedia Project.  Join the project and start clarifying and expanding upon articles concerning the Catholic Faith.

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The Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco

I have just recently joined the Yahoo Group: Catholic Book Subscriptions. We have just started to read "The Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco". Every few days another segment is sent out, so it is very easy to keep up with the reading. We are now on part three, and I am absolutely loving it.

This book is a collection of forty of Saint John Bosco's dreams. Each entry is several pages long captures in vivid detail the experience of this saint as he dreamt. These entries demonstrate the remarkable insight that John Bosco had into the depths of his own soul and the souls of those around him. He often used these striking personal and prophetic dreams to instruct and guide his students and colleagues. It is as if he could read the consciences of others through his dreams. This book gives the reader a glimpse into the life of a truly remarkable man.

Read it here!

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Tridentine Vespers Video

This video is the Magnificant being sung during Solemn Tridentine Vespers.

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Anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun

On October 13, 1917, Mary appeared again to the three children and said, "I want to tell you that a chapel is to be built here in my honor. I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the Rosary every day. The war is going to end, and the soldiers will soon return to their homes." By then there were thousands of witnesses.

Mary also said, "Do not offend the Lord our God anymore, because He is already so much offended."

At that, the Miracle of the Sun was witnessed by 70,000 people as it danced in the sky, changed colors, and was hurled towards earth as if to destroy it. It is truly an amazing miracle and a proof of the Truth of the Catholic Faith.

The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared later in 1929 to Sister Lucia as well to request the First Saturday Devotion.  Read more on the apparitions in Fatima.

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Ukrainian Catholic Seminarians and Priests Evangelizing Soldiers

This is a very positive story, and in our negative world, positive stories are, I believe, extremely important. Remember, the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church is part of the Universal Catholic Church.

From Catholic News Agency:

Konigstein, Oct. 13, 2006 (CNA) - Fr. Bohdan Prach, rector of Holy Spirit Seminary in Lviv, Ukraine, said his seminarians have had great success in their efforts to evangelize men and women serving in the armed forces of Ukraine.

Prach said the pastoral work of many of Holy Sprit Seminary’s 220 seminarians involves outreach and evangelization in the Ukranian Army. “There are already young priests serving military units in Lviv and Western Ukraine. As a result, the atmosphere in the army has considerably improved,” Fr. Prach said.”

“Also, there are many adult baptisms which come as a fruit of these catechetical efforts,” he added.

Military service is compulsory in Ukraine, thus a large number of Ukrainian young people can be reached through such spiritual support of the military.

The rector made his comments on a recent visit to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) headquarters in Königstein, Germany. Fr. Prach was visiting to thank the international aid organization for their support, which has helped with the construction and upkeep of his seminary’s physical plant as well as with the formation of its seminarians, he said.

“ACN and its benefactors are indeed our most outstanding friends,” Prach said.

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Orthodox Priest Murdered in Mosul

From the International Herald Tribune:

Relatives of an Orthodox priest who was kidnapped and found beheaded three days later said Thursday that his captors had demanded his church condemn the pope's recent comments about Islam and pay a US$350,000 (€280,000) ransom.

More than 500 people attended a memorial service Thursday for Father Amer Iskender in the northern city of Mosul after his decapitated body was found Wednesday evening in an industrial area of the city.

Iskender was a priest at the St. Ephrem Orthodox church in Mosul.

"He was a good man and we all shed tears for him," said Eman Saaur, a 45-year-old schoolteacher who said she attended Iskender's church regularly. "He was a man of peace."

Relatives, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said the unidentified group that seized Iskender on Sunday had demanded a ransom and that his church condemn a statement made by Pope Benedict XVI last month that ignited a wave anger throughout the Muslim world.

Before Iskender was kidnapped, his relatives said, the church already had put up signs condemning the statement and calling for good relations between Christians and Muslims. The message was posted again, they said, after the priest's kidnappers made their demand.

"It was a tragedy," said Hazim Shaaiya, 60, who had come to the memorial service to pay respects. "Father Amer Iskender was a peaceful, kind religious man."

Please say a prayer for this priest. Indeed, he died the death all followers of Christ are supposed to die: "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13). And who better to lay down your life for than for Our King and Lord, who died for our sins and forgives us each time in Confession.

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine. Et lux perpetua luceat eis.

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Motivational Poster

My entry into the Inspirational, Motivational Poster contest:

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St. John Chrysostom on the Holy Eucharist

"This Fountain [of the Holy Eucharist] is a fountain of light, shedding abundant rays of truth. And beside it the angelic powers from on high have taken their stand, gazing on the beauty of its streams, since they perceive more clearly than we the power of what lies before us and its unapproachable dazzling rays"

(St. John Chrysostom)

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