St. Catharine of Siena - Virgin

 

 

 

Today is the Feast of St. Catharine of Siena, another of the great Canonised Holy Women, and, along with SS Teresa of Avila, Therese of Lisieux and Hildegard of Bingen, one of the female Doctors of the Church.

This brief life of St Catharine is taken from Catholic Online:

"The 24th child of a wool dyer in northern Italy, St. Catherine started having mystical experiences when she was only 6, seeing guardian angels as clearly as the people they protected. She became a Dominican tertiary when she was 16, and continued to have visions of Christ, Mary, and the saints. St. Catherine was one of the most brilliant theological minds of her day, although she never had any formal education. She persuaded the Pope to go back to Rome from Avignon, in 1377, and when she died she was endeavouring to heal the Great Western Schism. In 1375 Our Lord give her the Stigmata, which was visible only after her death. Her spiritual director was Blessed Raymond of Capua. St, Catherine's letters, and a treatise called "a dialogue" are considered among the most brilliant writings in the history of the Catholic Church. She died when she was only 33, and her body was found incorrupt in 1430."

Among a number of Patronages, St. Catharine of Siena is associated with the protection of women in pregnancy and childbirth, her elder sister, Bonaventura, having died in labour. It would therefore be fitting to invoke her prayers for her namesake, HRH Katherine, Duchess of Cambridge, at the time of the impending birth of the fourth in line to the British Throne, and, of course for the new Prince or Princess.

Sancta Catharina, ora pro nobis

Princess Katherine, Duchess of Cambridge

 

St. Mark - Apostle, Evangelist and Martyr

Ora pro nobis.

 

St. Mark is traditionally represented by the symbol of the lion, one of the Four Living Creatures of the Apocalypse,, which are identified with the four Evangelists.

 

Happy Feast!

St.Fidelis of Sigmaringen - Priest and Martyr

Today is the Feast of St. Fidelis, one of the numerous Franciscan Saints who were members of the Capuchin Order. The Capuchins have had a presence in my home town since the 19th. Century, and were influential in the development of my Faith, particularly during my teenage years, and so I am delighted to be able to post about St. Fidelis.

The following is taken from the website of the Capuchin Province of Mary, which serves the North East USA:-

"Fidelis was born Mark Rey, in the town of Sigmaringen in Germany in the year 1577. He was born to wealth, power and prestige. He studied Civil Law at Freiburg in Germany and was a practicing lawyer who was known for his zealous advocacy for the poor when he entered the Capuchin Order. He was given the name Fidelis, which means 'faithful', a very fitting name. He led an austere life in vigils and prayers. After his ordination to the priesthood in 1612, he dedicated himself to preaching God's Word. The Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith commissioned him in 1612 to preach sound doctrine in South Germany and Switzerland. He labored for ten years in this area when, in 1622, he was attacked by heretics at Seewis in Switzerland and died a martyr’s death. This same year the Congregation Propaganda Fidei was formally established and Fidelis was proclaimed the patron of the Propagation of the Faith.

He was beatified by Pope Benedict XIII on March 12, 1729, and canonized by Pope Benedict XIV on June 29, 1745."

Prayer

God our Father, you were pleased to adorn Saint Fidelis with the palm of martyrdom. He burned with love for you in propagating the faith. Through his prayers grant that we may be firmly rooted in love and merit to experience with him the power of Christ’s resurrection who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God, for ever and ever.

Ora pro nobis.

Feast of St. George

 

Ora pro nobis

Happy feast to all of my readers here in England, and also in the numerous other countries who also claim St. George as their Patron Saint.

May the other Patrons of England also pray for us, especially Our Blessed Lady ('Be England thy dowry, as in days of yore'), St. Alban, St. Augustine of Canterbury, St. Anselm, St. Bede and the Blessed John Henry Newman.

Orate pro nobis

Easter Vigil - Alleluia

Surrexit Christus. Alleluia

 

 

 

Easter Vigil - Exultet

 

 



Holy Saturday

Good Friday - Crux Fidelis

 

 

 

Good Friday - Improperia

Veneration of the Cross

For a change, here is a rather different setting of the Improperia or Reproaches. I think it works very well.