Sacred Path to the Summit of Mt. Carmel with John of the Cross and Teresa of Jesus

01 Saturday Oct 2022

Posted by Brian in Carmelite Monestary, Saints, Shrines of Philadelphia

Tags

Ascent of Mount Carmel, Carmelite Spirituality, Chapel of the Holy Spirit, Discalced Carmelites, Friends of Carmel, Philadelphia Carmel, Prayer, saints, soul, St. Albert, St. John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, Teresa of Jesus, The Dark Night

I followed John of the Cross
and Teresa of Jesus
inside the Carmelite Monastery,
seeing their pleasant ways
I ran up the mountain’s
sacred path
seeking The Almighty God
reaching for the
Summit of Mt. Carmel.
– Shrinetower

I. Spiritual Guides: St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross

Opening Prayer: Love and honor to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, to Saint Joseph, Saint Anne, to our Holy Mother Saint Teresa, to our Holy Father Saint John of the Cross, whose powerful intercessions we invoke that the spirit of prayer, penance and apostolic zeal may flourish in the community. Amen

The Triumphal arch, with crucifix suspended, inspired by the crucifix of Fra Innocenzo de Palermo (1637) in the Church of San Damiano, Assisi. – Holy Spirit Chapel Sanctuary at Philadelphia Carmel. Photo courtesy of Friends of Carmel Pinterest.

The origins of Triumphal arch comes from the Roman era when captives were led under an arch to symbolize their submission to the authority of Rome. In later centuries the liturgical procession through the triumphal arch symbolizes Christians, as captives of Christ, being lead to the Kingdom of Heaven. The sacred space of the Sanctuary represents the Kingdom of Heaven.

The round medallion of Teresa of Jesus (Ávila) as she looks upward on the altar terra cotta wall over the cloister grilles of the Sanctuary. Her feast is celebrated by the Discalced Carmelite Order on October 15.

The round medallion of John of the Cross, with the Christ on the Cross in his arms on the altar terra cotta wall over the cloister grilles of the Sanctuary. His feast is celebrated by the Discalced Carmelite Order on December 14.

II. The Sanctuary Mosaic

The Sanctuary of the Holy Spirit Chapel; the heart, joy and beauty of Mount Carmel – Detail

From left to right, Teresa of Jesus; the sanctuary doors with the Cross; St. Elisha with hand reaching to the Lamb of God, reaching for the summit of Mt. Carmel; where the Prophet Elijah rides a chariot on the wings of a cloud. The Holy Spirit is in winged flight above St. Teresa who is in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

The images of the Sanctuary mosaic express the reality of divine love in the charism of Carmel. It is love revealed by God in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New, a love that en-kindles our hearts and transforms them. Ultimately this transformation enables one to enter, body and soul into full union with God. Horizontal and spatial concepts of the mosaic echo passages of time in the Old and New Testament history of the Carmelite Order. – The Chapel of the Holy Spirit booklet, Mount Carmel Philadelphia

Symbolic images in the mosaic are:

Fire
Fire symbolizes divine love.
– St John of the Cross, Spiritual Canticle 39:14, St. Teresa of Jesus Life 30:20

Fire and Water
Oh, God help me, what marvels there are in this greater en-kindling of fire by water. The water does not impede the fire though it’s the fire’s contrary, but rather makes its fire increase! – St. Teresa of Jesus, The Way of Perfection 19:3

These lamps of fire are living waters of the spirit…although it is fire, it is also water.
– St. John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love Stanza 3, #8

Chariot of Fire
in Christian art, St. Elijah is carried into heaven on a chariot of fire, a symbol of Christ’s Ascension. In the Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena, Christ himself is referred to by the Father as a fiery chariot.
St. Elijah en-route to Heaven “You make the clouds your chariot, traveling on the wings of the wind. You make the winds your messengers, flaming fire your ministers.” Psalm 104:3-4

Elijah the Prophet is called the founder of the Carmelite ideal. There are two accounts of him being taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot (2 Kings 2:1-12 and Sirach 48:9). His feast is celebrated by the Carmelite Order on July 20.

The Holy Spirit (Dove)
The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Sanctifier, the living Flame of Love. – Romans 5:5

St. Teresa of Jesus
St.Teresa of Jesus (1515-1582), the foundress of the reformed Carmel (Discalced Carmelites) is portrayed on the mosaic in Adoration of the Eucharist. In her spiritual writings one finds frequent images of fire and water. The Carmelites celebrate her memory on October 15.

The Lamb of God and the Eucharist
Fulfillment is found in Christ, the Alpha and Omega, the sacrificial lamb of god, who gave himself for the life of the world. His sacrifice is perpetuated in the Eucharist. From this divine reality the graces symbolized by the fire and the water are sought and obtained. Mt. 26;26-29; 1 John 5:6-8; Rev:5:6-14

St. Elisha (hand raised)

St. Elisha (c. 840 BC) was the first disciple of St. Elijah. He was the leader of the prophets on Mt. Carmel. The Carmelite Order celebrates his memory on June 14.

Under the altar in Latin: Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto
meaning Glory [be] to the Father.

III. The Repository Doors

Between Elisha and Teresa of Jesus, with the Cross and triangle superimposed, are the bronze Repository Doors.

The Repository Doors Schematic Diagram. – from The Chapel of the Holy Spirit, Mount Carmel, Philadelphia (Booklet)

The symbols that are employed on the doors shows St. Teresa’s image of the Interior Castle, her guide to union with God. They are:

Door
“The door of entry to this castle is prayer and reflection.” – St. Teresa of Jesus, Interior Castle I:i,#7

Castle
The castle is the image of the soul: We consider our soul to be like a castle made entirely out of a diamond or of a very clear crystal in which there are many rooms, just as in heaven there are many dwelling places. – St. Teresa of Jesus, Interior Castle

The soul of the just person is nothing else than a paradise where the Lord says He finds His delight. I do not find anything comparable to the magnificent beauty of a soul and its marvelous capacity. – St. Teresa of Jesus, Interior Castle I:i, #1

Triangle
The triangle is the symbol of the Most Holy Trinity dwelling in the center of the soul.

The soul of the just person is a paradise where the Lord says He finds His delight. – St. Teresa, Interior Castle

Cross
The Cross is the symbol of the Paschal Mystery of Christ’s passion, Death and Resurrection.

Blood and Water
Blood and water flowed out of our Redeemer on the Cross. The Doctors of the Church interpret this to mean that from the pierced Heart of the Son, God the Father pours out through the Holy Spirit, the saving graces of the Church’s Sacraments.

Then the angel showed me the river of life, rising from the throne of God and of the Lamb and flowing crystal clear down the middle of the city street. – Revelation 22:1-2

Jesus Christ who came by water and blood, not with water only, but with water and blood. – 1 John 5:6

Center Room of the Castle
The castle has many dwelling places. Located at the center, is the abode of the most Blessed Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Shell
The shell is a symbol of Baptism, the sacrament of initiation to the divine life.

IV. Blessed Virgin Mary

Discalced Carmelites are known for their deep devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

The Blessed Virgin Mary, dwells with the Holy Trinity in the most profound union, supreme above all creatures, beloved Daughter of the Father, mother of the Son, Spouse of the Holy Spirit Mediatrix of all Graces. – Mt. Carmel prayer

V. Seal of Mount Carmel (Coat of Arms)

Discalced Carmelite Order (OCD) Coat of Arms plaque, located on balcony in front of Hook and Hastings organ at the Holy Spirit Chapel, Philadelphia Carmel.

Coat of Arms plaque in context within Holy Spirit Chapel.

The coat of arms is a roadmap to the background and religious beliefs of the Discalced Carmelite Order. There are multiple levels of meaning and symbolism of the Seal of Mount Carmel acquired over the centuries.

The Shield of Carmel

In the center of the seal is Mount Carmel, cradle of the Carmelite Order, and the star in the mountain refers to the Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The two stars above are the prophets Elijah and Elisha.

Mount Carmel is the Carmelite’s place of origin located in modern day Haifa, Israel. In the 9th century BC the prophet Elijah lived there and had a profound experience of God. In that same place in the early 12th century some hermits, inspired by the memory of Elijah, gathered there, with a desire “to live a life of allegiance to Jesus Christ” (Rule of St. Albert).

The cross on the summit of the mountain was added in the 16th Century by St. John of the Cross as a distinctive mark of the Discalced Carmelites (OCD) branch of the Carmelites. There is no cross for the Order of Carmelites. (O.Carm.)

The colors are the brown of the mountain and the white of the skies. Brown is the color of earth. White is the reflection of light. It is the color associated with the tunic of Christ at the resurrection, the transfiguration.

On this particular shield, there are three, eight pointed stars. The number three has numerous symbolic meanings; the Triune God in unity of three divine persons: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit; the three virtues of faith, hope and love; and three monastic vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

The three stars also represent the three great epochs in the history of Carmel; the first, or prophetic era, represented by the star inside the mountain, denotes the time of the prophet Elijah to the time of St. John the Baptist; the second indicates the era of those hermits living on Mount Carmel before the arrival of the Latin Crusaders; and the third signifies the present epoch spanning from the first Carmelite community living under the Rule of St. Albert until the end of time.

A deeper meaning of the stars is that they stand as a remembrance to the members of the Carmelite order. The star inside the mountain represents the Carmelites who are still on their way to the Summit of Mount Carmel (Heaven), the other two stars in the sky represent all the Carmelites who have gone before us and have reached the goal of their life’s vocation; union with God in love in the eternal Joy of Heaven.
– from Croatian Carmel Province

The Crown of the King

Placed atop the shield is a ducal crown and an arm wielding a fiery sword, representing the prophet Elijah.

The golden crown represents the Kingdom of God on earth, present through “Emmanuel,” “God with us,” Jesus Christ. Carmelites endeavor to serve God faithfully with “a pure heart and a steadfast conscience” (Rule of St. Albert). They understand their vocation to be a call to rooting and strengthening Christ’s Kingdom of self-sacrificing love and goodness in the world. In their service to this King they take their inspiration from the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose patronage they enjoy, and Saints Teresa of Jesus and John of the Cross, the great reformers of Carmel.

The Sword of The Spirit

Over the crown is an arm and hand brandishing a flaming sword, signifying the fiery spirit of Elijah. Burning with zeal for the Lord “burned like a torch” (Eccl. 48:1).

For Carmelites, Elijah is the solitary prophet who nurtured his thirst for the one and only God and lived forever in His presence. Elijah is the biblical inspiration of the Carmelite life and, like him, Carmelites seek both to continually carry in their minds and hearts “the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God” (Rule of St. Albert) and to live constantly with a loving, contemplative awareness of His presence.
– Discalced Carmelite Friars, Washington Province of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Another rendition of the Discalced Carmelite Order (OCD) Coat of Arms at Philadelphia Carmel, in the stained glass window of the Prophet Elijah.

Halo of Stars

In this stained glass window, the halo of twelve stars above the crown represents the prerogative of every Carmelite’s acclaim – the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom St. John saw in an apocalyptic vision as: “a woman clothed with the sun… on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Rev 12:1).

In the coat of arms of the Discalced Carmelites these stars also signify the twelve points of the rule, which are: Obedience, Chastity, Poverty, Recollection, Mental Prayer, The Divine Office, Chapter, Abstinence from meat, Manual Labor, Silence, Humility and Supererogation. (defined as those works or good deeds performed by saints over and above what is required for their own salvation, the merit of which is held to be transferable to others in need of indulgence). – Discalced Carmelite Friars, Washington Province of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Also shown on this particular Philadelphia Carmel shield or seal, is the Latin legend referring to the Prophet Elijah’s phrase: “Zelo zelatus sum pro Domino Deo exercitum,” which translated means: “With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of hosts.”

This is not present on the Coat of Arms plaque but present in this stained glass window and at the portico entrance to the Holy Spirit Chapel.

Coat of Arms Sources: Philadelphia Carmel Monastery
Discalced Carmelite of the Australia-Oceania Region
Croatian Carmel Province
Discalced Carmelite Friars, Washington Province of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

VI. St. Albert and the Carmelite Rule

St. Albert of Trapani (1250-1307), from Sicily, at Philadelphia Carmel.

St. Albert wrote the Rule for hermits living in the spirit of Elijah near the prophet’s spring on Mount Carmel near present-day Israel.

Teresa of Jesus and John of the Cross would have both prayed to St. Albert for intersessions. He was one of the first saints of the order to be venerated. He is represented here with a lily, a symbol of purity and an urn for water he had blessed. Water is still blessed with his relics and the Carmel and is used for healing the sick.
– The Chapel of the Holy Spirit booklet, Mount Carmel, Philadelphia

VII. Hearing God in Silence

The Great Spiritual Silence. Listening, loving, believing, preserving.

And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” Mark 6:31

The Apostle would have us keep silence, for in silence he tells us to work. As the Prophet also makes known to us: Silence is the way to foster holiness. Elsewhere he says: Your strength will lie in silence and hope … be careful not to indulge in a great deal of talk, for as Scripture has it – and experience teaches us – Sin will not be wanting where there is much talk, and He who is careless in speech will come to harm; and elsewhere: The use of many words brings harm to the speaker’s soul. – Carmelite Rule of St. Albert, [21a]

Angel on guard in praying stance. Inside the Holy Spirit Chapel, Philadelphia Carmel.

And our Lord says in the Gospel: Every rash word uttered will have to be accounted for on judgment day. Make a balance then, each of you, to weigh his words in; keep a tight rein on your mouths, lest you should stumble and fall in speech, and your fall be irreparable and prove mortal. Like the Prophet, watch your step lest your tongue give offense, and employ every care in keeping silent, which is the way to foster holiness. – Carmelite Rule of St. Albert, [21b]

Life on Mount Carmel: Contemplation and Prayer

Carmelite spirituality proposes silence and solitude as necessary prerequisites for prayer and contemplation. Silence refers not only to external noise but also to the stilling of one’s internal noises. Silence is the condition for listening attentively to the still small voice of God. Solitude provides the ambiance where one may be alone so as to focus more attentively on the Beloved. Solitude then is not primarily separation or isolation from others, but a place of privileged encounter with the Beloved. – Carmelite Spirituality, Discalced Carmelite of the Australia-Oceania Region

Teresa of Jesus and John of the Cross, speak of prayer and contemplation as ‘friendship with God’ and ‘union with God’ respectively.
– Carmelite Spirituality, Discalced Carmelite of the Australia-Oceania Region

Breviary of St. Therese of Jesus on display at the Museo Ferias, Spain in 2014.

The soul does not use words. Is surrounds words with space, and that is what I mean by silence” – Richard Rohr, Silent Compassion

In order to foster and facilitate relationship with God, through prayer and contemplation, Carmelite spirituality proposes certain means, both personal and communal, namely meditation on the word of God, liturgy, silence and solitude, and asceticism (avoidance of indulgence). The Rule of St. Albert urges an unceasing pondering of the Law of the Lord in Scripture and the strengthening of one’s heart with holy thoughts, so that the word of God may abound in one’s heart and lips, and guide all one’s actions. Carmelite Spirituality, Discalced Carmelite of the Australia-Oceania Region

Asceticism is the means of freeing self from the tyranny of self-will, simplifying one’s life, and preserving all of one’s energy for journeying to God. For St. John of the Cross, the main expression of asceticism involves a radical detachment from inordinate or disordered desires and appetites. Detachment is a way of prioritizing God above all creatures. As such, it witnesses to the primacy and all sufficiency of God. Asceticism is not only at the service of a deeper life with God, but it is also geared to the demands of the apostolic ministry. – Carmelite Spirituality, Discalced Carmelite of the Australia-Oceania Region

Holy Spirit Chapel, side aisle, Philadelphia Carmel. Holy Spirit is principle guide in spiritual life. Photo courtesy of Friends of Carmel Pinterest.

Although Carmelite spirituality highly esteems prayer and contemplation these are always in service of the apostolate. For St. Teresa, while prayer and contemplation are paramount, they are not ends in themselves but are orientated to the support, welfare, and apostolic fruitfulness of all those engaged in the work of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Carmelite spirituality, then, is not simply about self salvation, but a way of co-operating with God in bringing about God’s reign on earth. – Carmelite Spirituality, Discalced Carmelite of the Australia-Oceania Region

Finally Carmelite spirituality teaches that authentic prayer and contemplation is accompanied by and promotes growth in the human and theological virtues. This leads to a flowering in the Carmelite of the two-fold gospel commandment of love of God and love of neighbor. – Carmelite Spirituality, Discalced Carmelite of the Australia-Oceania Region

From credence niche side wall of Holy Spirit Sanctuary. Pattern from church of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy (6th century). At the center of the radiating disc contains the first letter of the Greek alphabet, Alpha, the symbol of creation, “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1)

Both Saints Teresa of Jesus and John of the Cross teach us that God, the Blessed Trinity, dwells within the human person. Hence, one need not go out of self in search for God but enter progressively ever deeper within oneself to be with God who dwells at the very center of our being.

St. Teresa speaks of this journey within as an itinerary through a castle with seven mansions. St. John of the Cross hymns this reality:

“What more do you want, O soul! And what else do you search for outside, when within yourself you possess your riches, delights, satisfactions, fullness and kingdom – your Beloved whom you desire and seek? Be joyful and gladdened in your interior recollection with Him, for you have Him so close to you. Desire Him there, adore Him there. Do not go in pursuit of Him outside yourself. You will only become distracted and wearied thereby, and you shall not find Him, or enjoy Him more securely, or sooner, or more intimately than by seeking Him within you.” (S.C. 1:8)

VIII. The Path of John of the Cross

St. John of the Cross, Poet and Doctor of the Church (1542-1591)

The model of this portrait of St. John of the Cross was the brother of one of the foundresses of the Carmel of Philadelphia. Contrary to what is seen here, St. John was actually of very slight stature, had a oval lean face with a beard, a broad receding forehead, and was also quite bald. St. John of the Cross was associated with St. Teresa of Jesus in the reform of Carmel. The writings of both these Saints speak about the deepest communion with God and the way that leads to it. – The Chapel of the Holy Spirit booklet, Mount Carmel Philadelphia.

The “discalced” in the name “Discalced Carmelites”, references the practice of wearing sandals or going barefoot instead of shoes. In the stained glass window, John is shown wearing sandals. In Teresa’ s reformed convent of St. Joseph’ s, which she founded in 1562, the nuns wore strap sandals as well.

Drawing of the Crucifixion From Above, by John of the Cross 1641
It influenced Salvador Dali’s Christ of St. John of the Cross 1951.

John of the Cross said that “all prayer is reducible to the pater noster” (Our Father).

John and Teresa Team Up

St. John of the Cross, co-reformer of the Carmelite Order, was born in Spain in 1542 to a loving but struggling family. At the age of fourteen, John took a job at the hospital of Median caring for the poor and incurable. He spent the rest of his time learning at a nearby Jesuit school.

John eventually joined the Carmelites of Medina. He was ordained a priest in 1567, but John became overwhelmed at the idea of fulfilling the duties of the priesthood, and decided to join the Carthusians instead.

St. Teresa of Avila who had come to Medina to found a convent for her Carmelite nuns convinced John to stay with the Carmelites, and he began to help her in the reform of the order. But his fellow Carmelites were against his attempts at reform and they went so far as to kidnap and lock him up in a small cell. During this time, John wrote much of his mystical poetry, from his hours of silent prayer, including:

Beloved, in you I find
The mountains, wooded vales;
Choice islands, distant, strange.
The river’s voice resounds
With ever-changing flow.
As whisper soft of breeze
Now sings our love.

After nine months, John escaped the prison cell. Several of John’s books are available on-line:

Dark Night of the Soul

Ascent of Mount Carmel

Spiritual Canticle (poem)

John spent the rest of his life establishing monasteries, spreading his reform, and writing many spiritual works, which are now treasured by the Church. He died in 1591 at the age of 49 – his body is still incorrupt to this day. He was canonized on December 27, 1726, and was also named a Doctor of the Church. St. John of the Cross is one of the Church’s most beloved mystics, known for his compassion and deep understanding of the inner workings of the soul. – Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus

IX. The Path of Teresa of Jesus (Avila)

St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila, Spain 1515-1582) Doctor of the Church.

In the stained glass window above, St. Teresa of Jesus is writing at a desk. The scroll hanging from the desk reads:

“Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things are passing. God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God wants for nothing. God alone suffices.”

Saint Teresa of Jesus is the foundress of the Discalced Carmelite life and is one of the thirty three Doctors of the Church, who are considered guides due to their great significance in our understanding of Church theology. St. Teresa believed in the presence of God in every person.

tersa with Jesus and nails
Jesus gives St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila) a nail. Mt. Carmel Philadelphia.

St. Teresa of Jesus received a profound mystical grace during Holy Communion on November 18, 1572. Our Lord appeared to her and gave her a nail as He declared that she was His bride. At this time she entered the highest degree of the spiritual life, that of Spiritual Marriage. – St. Teresa of Jesus, Spiritual Testimonies #31 – from The Chapel of the Holy Spirit booklet, Mount Carmel Philadelphia.

The Child Jesus Appears to St. Teresa. Mt. Carmel Philadelphia.

This episode is recounted in the life of St. Teresa. One day the saint was passing a flight of stairs and saw a Child.

He asked her, “Who are you?”
“I am Teresa of Jesus” she replied,
“Who are you?”
I am Jesus of Teresa,” the Child said.

St. John became the spiritual director (confessor) of St. Teresa who was 27 years his junior.

It is right that you pray for all those, living and dead, who have helped us. – St. Teresa of Jesus (Foundations 25:9)

Teresa of Jesus in 1828 by François Gérard (1770-1837) – Original

Teresa was born in Avila, Spain, on 28th March 1515 and entered the Carmel of the Incarnation there in 1536. She lived there for about 20 years until she felt that God was asking something more of her. After many tribulations and heart-searching Teresa, left the Incarnation on 24th August 1562 to found St. Joseph’s, a new monastery in which she planned and hoped that the original Rule of Carmel would be kept faithfully. There was a great deal of opposition to the new Carmel and it was sometime before she was able to live there in peace. Many condemned her as a woman deceived by her experiences in prayer.

Teresa of Ávila by François Gérard (1770−1837) detail

Eventually the hostility died down and Teresa was asked to found more of these houses of prayer in other cities of Spain. Over a period of twenty years she founded 15 more houses for the nuns and, in association with St John of the Cross, at least two for the friars. Teresa introduced a fresh orientation into Carmelite life combining silence and solitude with community living and giving the life of prayer a specific apostolic role in the Church and the world.

Prayer was to be the great outreach to others, the one and only work of her nuns. Her energy, resolution and sense of humor were unfailing, animated as they were by her immense desire to serve the Lord as lovingly as she could. She died at Alba de Tormes on 4th October 1582. She was sixty seven years old. When the bells of Avila tolled for her the local citizens said: “The Saint has gone to heaven.” Her feast day is kept on 15th October. – Carmelite Spirituality, Discalced Carmelite of the Australia-Oceania Region

St. Teresa of Jesus sculpture. Shared by Philadelphia Carmel.

St. Teresa’s writings on the four states of mental prayer. In the first stage, believers learn to pray. In the second, they experience the supernatural aspect of prayer. In the third, the soul is bathed in the pleasure of God’s presence, and in the fourth, senses are abandoned in a sort of out-of-body experience where the soul feels only divine union. – from The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus of the Order of Our Lady of Carmel (Autobiography)

Incorrupt right foot of St. Teresa of Jesus.

Teresa entered a Carmelite convent when she was eighteen, and later earned a reputation as a mystic, reformer, and writer who experienced divine visions. She wrote the book The Way of Perfection for her nuns. Other important books by her include her Autobiography and The Interior Castle.

The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa by Bernini, Basilica of Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome. 1652. St. Teresa’s life has inspired great works of art. This marble sculpture was finished 30 years after her canonization.

As St. Teresa of Avila’s friend and confidant, St John of the Cross remarked, ‘At the end of the day, it is by the quality of our loving that we shall be judged.’

In 1571 Teresa wrote to her sister about John, “The people take him for a saint; in my opinion he is one, and has been all his life.”

X. In Closing

Christ Has No Body
by Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

A change in seasons at Mt. Carmel.

Inserted into the cornerstone of the Holy Spirit Chapel dated April 15, 1915:

Praise and thanksgiving forever to the Triune God!

Credits:
Philadelphia Carmelite Monastery
The Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Philadelphia – Facebook
The Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Philadelphia – website
The Chapel of the Holy Spirit, Mount Carmel, Philadelphia (Booklet)
Discalced Carmelite of the Australia-Oceania Region website
Croatian Carmel Province
Discalced Carmelite Friars, Washington Province of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Friends of Carmel Pinterest
Opening poem – I followed John of the Cross… – by ShrineTower
Opening prayer – Love and honor to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel . . . – From the cornerstone of the Holy Spirit Chapel dated April 15, 1915.

The Miraculous Medal Shrine Goes Green

15 Tuesday Mar 2022

Posted by Brian in Miraculous Medal, Saints, Shrines of Philadelphia

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Miraculous Medal Shrine, Mother Mary, st catherine laboure

The Miraculous Medal is expanding into nature with St. Vincent’s Rosary Walk and a new grotto of Our Lady of Knocks. The outdoor sanctuary will include:

A Rosary Walk
A Meditation Garden
A Marian Garden for Children
Our Lady of Knock Statue and Grotto
Our Lady of knock Mosaic

The centerpiece of Vincent’s Rosary Walk is our Lady of Knock Shrine which will highlight the Irish heritage of Germantown. On future St. Patrick’s day of March 17th, there will surly be activity in the Garden, once it is complete in late 2022.

Artist edition of the St. Vincent Rosary Walk and Our Lady of Knock Groto._¹

St. Vincent’s Rosary Walk design plans. Currently the area is under construction. (Spring 2022)²

According to the Miraculous Medal, the outdoor shrine will expand the spiritual experience for visitors and members. The Meditation Garden will also “serve as an outdoor sanctuary and green space for devotees and the Children’s Garden will provide an educational opportunity to teach the next generations of Catholics and Marian devotees to learn to pray the rosary and love the story of the miraculous medal.”³

Mary, the Mother of God, appeared in an 1830 apparition in Paris, France to Catherine Labourè, now a Saint. November 28th is St. Catherine’s feast day. Her born name is Zoe Labouré.

“Then the Blessed Virgin said to me: ‘Get a medal struck after this model; those who wear it when it is blessed will receive great graces, especially if they wear it round their neck. Graces will be abundant for those who have confidence’.” – St. Catherine Labourè

The Miraculous Medal Shrine is located in Germantown (Philadelphia). As St. Catherine was a member of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul and a Marian visionary, the Miraculous Medal Shrine is operated and influenced by The Vincentian religious order.

The chair below is at side altar in Miraculous Medal Shrine.

This is an exact replica of the chair Immaculate Mary sat in while on earth in Paris France.

There is a blessing following each Mass and/or Novena Service at the Miraculous Medal Shrine for those who wish to reverence the relic of St. Catherine Laboure. Reverencing a relic whether with a kiss, or having it placed on a different part of the body [i.e. over the heart or on the head] is a tradition which dates back to the Middle Ages when the cult of Saints became a devotional practice. In this, the faithful express their belief in the intercessory prayer of the saint whose relic it is. In this case, the relic of St. Catherine is offered as the one who first received the message of Mary and faithfully kept to the mission entrusted to her in the making of the medal of the Immaculate Conception [aka. The Miraculous Medal.] – – – From correspondence with Fr. Bill Allegretto, C.M. Associate Director for the Central Association for the Miraculous Medal in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

This is a rare photo of St. Catherine Laboure herself!

The medal was designed by Mary, herself, which is amazing! Here is what Mary, Mother of God said, “Have a medal struck after this model. All who wear it will receive great graces; they should wear it around the neck. Graces will abound for persons who wear it with confidence”. The Miraculous Medal shows an image of Our Lady of Grace with her hands emitting rays of light, just as she appeared to Saint Catherine. This devotion to Our Lady of Grace on the medal marked a true renewal of devotion to Our Lady in Europe in the mid to late 1800’s.

On the medal Mary asked that this put on it, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”

Note that St. Catherine Laboure’s confessor put her account of the apparitions into writing, and that St. Catherine, before her death in 1876 also wrote down her accounts. Up until that time, no one outside her confessor was aware that she received the apparitions. She kept it secret for 47 years!

Exhumed in 1933, her body was judged to be incorrupt by the church, and now lies in a glass coffin in a chapel in Paris, at one of the spots where the Blessed Mother appeared to her.

The following video shows the Miraculous Medal Monday Mass and novena from March 7, 2022. There are many great clips of the shrine in this video.

Famous statue in the Miraculous Medal Shrine front altar.

A popular remembrance of Mary with St. Catherine kneeling at her side, just as she did on November 27, 1830. From theMiraculous Medal Shrine, Philadelphia, PA.

^{1 2 3} Miraculous Medal website https://miraculousmedal.org

St. Katharine Drexel is Back: An Update

10 Thursday Mar 2022

Posted by Brian in Saints, Shrines of Philadelphia, St. Katharine Drexel

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Archbishop Nelson Perez, Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, St. Katherine Drexel

St. Katharine Drexel has been one active saint in the last several years. This post highlights her new shrine at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul; her life story as Philadelphia’s own revered saint; and the latest redevelopment plans of the former shrine, vacated after she was moved to the Cathedral Basilica.

St. Katharine Drexel Former Shrine Saved from Development

St. Katharine Drexel lived and worked most of her religious life at the Motherhouse of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and the onsite Chapel of St. Elizabeth. The Sisters decided in 2018 to sell the campus along with the St. Elizabeth Shrine to developers due to declining numbers of the order. After a bidding process a developer was selected, Aquinas Realty. The buildings on the campus will be developed into townhomes (90), active adult rental units (260) and an assisted living facility (300 bed units).¹ The Louisa Drexel Morrell building, named after Katharine Drexel’s sister, will be used for events at the complex.

The good news is Len Poncia of Aquinas Realty, will not develop the St. Elizabeth Chapel as previously planned and has assurances from Archbishop Nelson Perez of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for the shrine to remain a Catholic chapel for perpetuity and the crypt to become a muti-religious cultural site.

The historic St. Elizabeth Shrine in Bensalem PA, where Mother Drexel lived and worked as head of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.

Inside St. Elizabeth Chapel which will be saved from development.

Developer Len Poncia who saved the St. Elizabeth Chapel and crypt from development. He has a long personal association with the campus.¹

Development plans for the campus that once was the home of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.
– Aquinas Realty Partners

The Current Home of St. Katharine Drexel

From the crypt under the Motherhouse at St. Elizabeth Chapel, the saint was moved in 2018 to the Saint Katharine Drexel Shrine at the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia, where she resides today.

The Tomb of Saint Katharine Drexel and wall mural at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. circa 2022

St. Katharine Drexel Shrine in Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul. circa 2022.

The Life and Times of St. Katharine

“On March 3, 2022 we celebrated the feast of our native Philadelphia saint, Katharine Drexel. She lived a long life, close to 97 years old, being born before the civil war started in 1858 in Philadelphia. Her father is one of the richest men in the United States. Her mother dies at birth and her step mother raises her. He Dad and Stepmother were beautiful people and were really devout Catholics and even had a chapel inside their home. They would pray in the morning and her Dad would come home from work and they prayed as a family. They were a great witness to her in their charitable giving, and it was really hands on. The mother would take Katherine out and give food, clothing and shoes to the poor and in some cases bring them into the house. Their father’s belief was their great wealth was entrusted to them to be used for the common good.” ²

Katharine Drexel as a young lady of status.

“Katharine had a charmed life; the best schools and activities. Around the age of 21, her step mother and father die a few months apart and Katherine is thrust into a dark period of her life; anxiety and constantly depressed and is struggling to find a purpose. She meets two priests who are missionaries and talk to her about the plight of the American Native Indians in the United States and goes on a journey to meet these people. Upon return, she is still depressed and then travels across the ocean to Italy seeking restoration. In the process she gets a meeting with Pope Leo 13th and asks him to do something about the plight of the Native American Indians, possibly to finding a religious order or any group to go minister to them. Famously, the Holy Father looks at her and says “You be the missionary, why not you?” As the story goes, she leaves the Vatican meeting and breaks into tears and unrelenting sobs. The challenge of the Holy Father moves something in her. She begins to discern if she is meant to be a religious sister. The idea of becoming a sister grows and she talks to her spiritual director and he doesn’t think it’s a good idea at first, her wealth and lifestyle would be hard to break, since she would have to live in poverty. (In todays money, her wealth is estimated at $300-400 million.) Eventually Katharine convinces the spiritual director and she goes out to the Mercy Sisters in Pittsburgh for about a year and gets some religious formation. Now in her early thirties, she starts her own order and it grows as women are attracted to this order. She then starts the Motherhouse in Philadelphia and take three years to become formed with spiritual practices and religious training. The sisters go south to the Native American community around Pueblo; and so starts the ministry of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, with orphanages, schools and services. She becomes sympathetic to the Black Community in the US. She was born during slavery times (1850) and with the Civil War being over and the slaves becoming emancipated, she sees the horrible conditions and great discrimination and starts to minister to build schools and services, famous for Xavier University of Louisiana, which she got a lot of pushback for this university for black America in early 1900’s.”³

St. Katharine Drexel at work for the Native and African Americans.

“She took her vow of poverty seriously, living on about a dollar a day. You could see Mothers room on tours or videos. She had a heart attack in early 70’s as she was extremely active. The doctors told her to slow down. She goes through this phase, probably not thinking she was going to live another twenty five years. She says this was her most fruitvile period of her life. She lived with incredible austerity. Meager things in her cell, from mending her own shoes to writing with a pencil so small it was hard to hold the pencil.” ⁴

“The world needs heroic virtue like that of Katharine Drexel.”⁵

Notes ^{2 3 4} ⁵: The Life and Times of St. Katharine (above) is paraphrased from the feast day sermon on March 3, 2022 by Fr. Gary Pacitti, St. Basil the Great Parish, Phoenixville PA.

Favorite Quotes:
“The patient and the humble endurance of the cross whatever nature it may be is the highest work we have to do.” – St. Katharine Drexel

“If we wish to serve God and love our neighbor well we must manifest our joy in the service we render to Him and them. Let us open wide our hearts it is joy which invites us. Press forward and fear nothing.”
– St. Katharine Drexel

From St. Katharine Drexel Facebook page.

Quote from St. Basil the Great Parish Facebook page on her feast day March 3, 2022.

St. Katharine Drexel is back, although she never really left.

¹“Inside the plan to redevelop the former Drexel shrine in Bensalem: How historic buildings will be saved and new housing built” by Peg Quann, Bucks County Courier Times, Feb 21, 2022, Updated March 9, 2022.

Video of the latest redevelopment plans by Peg Quann, Bucks County Courier Times, Feb 21, 2022, Updated March 9, 2022:

https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/videos/news/2022/02/21/developer-talks-st-katharine-drexel-shrine-redevelopment/6882688001/

An earlier post about the former St. Katharine Drexel Shrine:

https://shrinetower.com/2013/03/03/all-around-st-katharine-drexel-shrine/

St. Rita of Cascia’s National Shrine on Her Feast Day

22 Tuesday May 2018

Posted by Brian in Saints, Shrines of Philadelphia, St. Rita of Cascia

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Augustine, Litany of St. Rita, Saint Intercession, Solemn Novena, St. Rita of Cascia, St. Rita of Cascia Feast Day

The National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

May 22 is the feast day of St. Rita. Like Elizabeth Ann Seton, Rita of Cascia was a wife, mother, widow and member of a religious community, in her case the Augustinians. Each year, a Solemn Novena from May 13 to May 21 precedes the feast day.

St. Augustine on watch at St. Rita’s Shrine.

St. Augustine is the founder of the order to which St. Rita belonged. The shrine complex (Upper Church and Lower Crypt) is managed and cared for by the Augustinians.

St. Patrick on watch at St. Rita’s Shrine.

Irish Americans in the South Philly area were the first benefactors of St. Rita, just before the immigration of Italian Americans.

National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia is in Philadelphia, PA. The Augustinians friars wanted a parish with Rita as patroness and therefore had the church built in 1907. St. Rita had been canonized a few years earlier in 1900.

The main Upper Church of the National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia, Philadelphia Pennsylvania.

The left side of the nave are Augustine themed stained glass windows. On the right side of the nave are St. Rita of Cascia themed stained glass windows.

St. Rita supported by patron saints window.

St. Rita approaching the entrance of the Augustinian Convent with her three powerful patrons; St. John the Baptist, St. Augustine of Hippo and St. Nicholas of Tolentine. The family strife within the community from the murder of her husband prevented her from enrolling in the convent. Upon brokering a deal with the warring families, she was later accepted into the convent. Rita is known today as The Peacemaker.

Rays of Light Window. National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia in Philadelphia, PA.

The rays of light from the power of prayer allowed Rita, through the intercession of her patron saints, to gain entrance to the convent building through locked doors and guarded nuns.

Stigmata window.

While praying before a crucifix, Rita received a mystical single thorn impression on her forehead (stigmata) that remained for the rest of her life. She shared Jesus’ wound from the crown of thorns. Rita had many mystical experiences during the forty years she lived in the convent. She died there while in her seventies. (May 22, 1457)

Rose window.

In midwinter, a bedridden and ill Rita asked her cousin to bring her a rose from her family’s garden. The cousin thought the request absurd due to the winter conditions. Rita responded with her now famous saying, “My dear cousin, there is nothing impossible to God.” The cousin went to the garden to find a single rose in full bloom on an otherwise barren rose bush. The rose circulated among the nuns of St. Rita’s Augustinian order. Today, roses are blessed each year in all churches of the Augustinian Order on the feast of St. Rita.

The Work of Peace mural in the Lower Crypt.

The mural shows St. Rita sitting under an oak tree extending an olive branch, a symbol of peace, to those drawn to her presence. To her left is Blessed Simon of Cascia, an Augustinian friar whose spiritual teachings influenced Rita. On a personal note, the boy releasing the dove, according to iconographer Anthony Visco, is Leonardo da Vinci of Sistine Chapel fame, whom he admires.

Detail One in the The Work of Peace mural. Lower level of National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia.

Saints Intercession. Detail Two in the The Work of Peace mural.

Looking closely at the lower right hand corner of the mural are St. Rita’s three patron saints, joined arm in arm; Augustine, John the Baptist, and Nicholas of Tolentino. Behind them are Mother Katharine Drexel and John Neumann, both Philadelphia Saints with their own shrines nearby: St. Katharine Drexel Mission Center and Shrine and The National Shrine of St. John Neumann. To the right, is recently canonized Saint John XXIII and to his left, Francis of Assisi.

Since saints are in heaven close to God, we pray with the saints to God and ask the saints to intercede and navigate the spiritual universe on our behalf. We also ask the saints to pray for us. Certain saints have a particular specialty. For Rita, it’s forgiveness, reconciliation and being the peacemaker.

Upper Church, Feast Day of St. Rita.
Photo credit: Father Dan McLaughlin, OSA, St. Rita’s Shrine.

Father Michael DiGregorio O.S.A., Provincial Prior of the Augustinian Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova , explains in the St. Rita Shrine Peacemaker newsletter, “a significant dimension of a devotion to Saint Rita includes prayers to seek her intersession before the Lord, who alone is the source and dispenser of graces.”

The Mass includes the general intercessions or prayer of the faithful. Although most intercessions are beautifully scripted some can be spontaneous petitions or intentions, especially at daily mass.

During Mass, in the Creed, we Catholics profess the belief in “the communion of saints” or the relationship we have with the saints. We ask in prayer to those believers in this life and beyond.

Specifically for the Mass on the Feast of St. Rita, the Celebrant says: By their way of life you offer us an example, by communion with them you give us companionship, by their intercession, sure support, so that encouraged by so great a cloud of witnesses, we may run as victors in the race before us.

St. Rita an influencer, given special grace in heaven. Another form of intercession is from recognizing the saints life.

Fr. Michael, in the St. Rita Shrine Peacemaker newsletter says, “The great popularity of Saint Rita is due as much to the power of her prayerful intercessions as the the force of her testimony.” Her life story is surely a testament to her holiness.

Looking up above the altar, St. Rita is received into heaven with joy. The Solemn Novena of St. Rita is a powerful method of intercession.

The Solemn Novena of St. Rita is prayer and Mass over a nine day period prior to her feast day, to obtain graces from God through her appeal.

The Litany of St. Rita are the prayers said after Mass as a subset of the Solemn Novena of St. Rita. There are many different aspects of her witness and appeal in these prayers.
Fr. Michael explains the Litany in the St. Rita Shrine Peacemaker newsletter, “She (St. Rita) invites individuals to consider particular dimensions of her character and witness, and stirring them, in fact, to invoke her accompaniment and intercession…”

Lord, you have signed your servant, Rita
With the marks of Your love and Passion.

Pray for us, St. Rita,
That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.

—————————————————————————-

More information on The National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia is here.

The Branches of Eastern Christianity

23 Monday Jan 2017

Posted by Brian in Eastern Byzantine Catholic, Shrines of Philadelphia

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Assyrian Church of the East, Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Christianity, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Ukrainian Byzantine Church, Greek Orthodox National Shrine, Oriental Orthodox Church

Eastern Christianity consists of four main church families:

(a) the Eastern Orthodox Church, which recognize the Patriarch of Constantinople;

(b) the Oriental Orthodox churches;

(d) the Eastern Catholic churches also called Byzantine Catholic, which are in communion with the Church of Rome and the Pope.

1. The Eastern Orthodox Church also called Orthodox Church has 300 million members.

The churches in Rome and Constantinople separated in an event known as the East–West Schism of 1054. In Rome, the church became the Roman Catholic Church (red line) and in Constantinople the church became the Eastern Orthodox Church (blue line).

Christians of the Eastern Churches call themselves Orthodox, examples are the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Greek Orthodox Church of Constatinople. They are not in communion with Rome.

Rendering of Greek Orthodox Church National Shrine, currently under construction, at site of World Trade Center in NYC. Original church was destroyed by 911.

While Eastern Orthodox Christians have much in common with Eastern Catholics, they’re still in schism, split off from the Pope and therefore not Catholic.

Each Orthodox Church has a bishop, with a territory over which he governs. There is no central command like a pope in the Roman Catholic rite.

2. Oriental Orthodox Churches – 86 million members

The Assyrians and Orientals left the Orthodox Church in the years following the Council of Ephesus (431) and the Council of Chalcedon (451), in their refusal to accept those councils’ Christological definitions, which were based on St. Basil’s methodology and writings.

The Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches Annual Concelebrated Liturgy led by H.H. Mor Ignatius Aphrem

Oriental Orthodox icon.

3. Assyrian Church of the East – .6 million members
Headquarters in Erbil in Northern Iraq.

Coat of Arms of Assyrian Church of the East.

4. The Eastern Catholic Churches – 19 million members

Within Eastern Christianity are the Eastern Catholics that have their roots in the Orthodox East, with twenty three Eastern Churches in communion with Rome. They are autonomous self governing Eastern Catholic Churches. As an example, the Byzantine Catholic tradition is one of these and includes the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.

Aerial view of the Church of Transfiguration at the summit of Mount Tabor, which is divided into Eastern Orthodox (northeast) and Roman Catholic (southeast) areas.

Byzantine Catholic Churches include Ukrainian, Ruthenians, Melkites, Coptics and others.

Byzantine Ukrainian Church: Iconostasis of Uspenski Cathedral in Helsinki, Finland

Saint Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, Alberta, Canada

The Byzantine Ukrainian rite, the largest of the eastern catholic churches has 4.5 million members or 26% of all Eastern Catholics.

The Pantocrator “Ruler of All” Christ blessing his people with New Testament in left hand, seated on a holy chair in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Philadelphia. The Pantocrator is central to Eastern Byzantine Catholics.

St. John Neumann: From Manhattan to Buffalo NY to Philadelphia PA

05 Tuesday Jan 2016

Posted by Brian in Saints, Shrines of Philadelphia, St. John Neumann

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Buffalo NY, John the Evangelist Church, National Shrine of Saint John Neumann, Philadelphia, Saint, St. John Neumann, St. Peter the Apostle Church, Williamsville NY

Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral 1811, Manhattan, NYC

St. John Neumann was ordained in June 1836 at Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC.

Father Neumann celebrated his First Mass on Sunday, June 26. He wrote home, “Now, my dearest Jesus, I have obtained that for which my soul yearned. What I have always believed so far away, You have now given me.”

The Neumann Chapel, Buffalo NY.

Just 16 days after his arrival in Manhattan, John was ordained a priest and sent to rural Buffalo.

Father John established himself in a small log parish house. He hardly ever lit a fire and often lived on only bread and water.

Sts. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church, Williamsville NY. (today)

While in Williamsville New York, Father Neumann started the parish of Sts. Peter and Paul, which is in existence today (above). He also taught school four hours a day and used his knowledge of botany to make medicines from local herbs.

Village of Williamsville NY (Buffalo) today, where John Neumann was a priest.

He was assigned to the Buffalo, New York region which was a boomtown in the mid and late 1830s with commerce on the Erie Canal and stagecoach routes.

Creek in Williamsville NY that John Neumann would have surely saw.

The Sisters of Mercy were instrumental in working with Father Neumann while in the Williamsville New York region.

Glenn Falls Creek today, by Michael Frank Jr.

Father Neumann made rounds to attend to the sacramental life of about 400 families. A journal entry shows John’s concern for the German immigrants: “They have not received any schooling. They speak German poorly, and English just as poorly. The will soon have to work, and there will be no thought of religious instruction.” This thinking was the start of the Catholic Parochial school system.

Redemptorist seal at The National Shrine of St. John Neumann, located at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Father John joined the Redemptorist order and continued his missionary work until he was elected bishop of Philadelphia in 1852. Bishop Neumann was in attendance for Pope Pius IX’s proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

Saint John Nepomucene Neumann.

Cross at St. John the Evangelist Church, Philadelphia,

Bishop Neumann took up residence at St. John the Evangelist parish in downtown Philadelphia.

Also in the 1850’s a young Katharine Drexel received First Holy Communion at St. Johns the Evangelist Church. She later became founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, and a saint, St. Katharine Drexel!

Parish of St. Peter the Apostle in Philadelphia. The upper church is where St. John worshiped in Philadelphia.

Pulpit where St. John Neumann preached. Parish of St. Peter the Apostle in Philadelphia.

Lower church is the National Shrine of Saint John Neumann.

Under the altar are the remains of St. John Neumann in a glass reliquary.

St. John Neumann body incorrupt, (face with mask).

Bishop Neumann passed away in Philadelphia while doing errands on January 5, 1860. St. John collapsed and died due to a stroke, a few blocks from Logan Street, where he was building the Basilica of St. Peter and Paul, the regional Church that stands today. He is a patron of immigrants and of sick children.

Memorial of St. John Neumann, Bishop is January 5.

A man must always be ready, for death comes when and where God wills it.

– Saint John Neumann

St. Rita of Cascia and The National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia

21 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by Brian in Saints, Shrines of Philadelphia, St. Rita of Cascia

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feast day, Rita of Cascia, saints, Shrine, South Philly, St. Rita of Cascia Feast Day

National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia, Philadelphia, PA.

At the National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia, located in South Philadelphia PA, a relic of St. Rita and the pillow she laid here head are on display. Her incorrupt body resides in the chapel of Basilica of Santa Rita da Cascia in Umbria, Italy.

St. Rita is the patron of forgiveness and reconciliation and is known as being the peacemaker. Her feast day is May 22nd, the anniversary of her death. St. Rita had three patron saints that she followed throughout her lifetime. One was St. Nicholas of Tolentine, a friar committed to prayer for the faithfully departed. The other is St. Augustine and she became an Augustinian nun. The third patron saint but not the least is John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus.

St. Rita holding a single thorn that mystically pierced her forehead (stigmata). At the National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia, Philadelphia, PA.

St. Nicholas of Tolentine at St. Ritas National Shrine

St. John the Baptist. National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia, Philadelphia, PA.
Rita is remembered as the advocate of reconciliation and making peace.

St. Thomas of Villanova, Augustinian. National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia, Philadelphia, PA

St. Thomas of Villanova (1488–1555) is the patron of the friars who serve the National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia. As St. Thomas was an Augustinian, most friars at the shrine are also Augustinians. At the age of thirty-six Rita pledged to follow the Rule of Saint Augustine.

Later in life at the age of sixty years, she was meditating before an image of Christ and received a stigmata, a small wound on her forehead, resembling a thorn as shown earlier. For the next fifteen years she bore this thorn. In spite of the pain she constantly experienced, she offered herself for the physical and spiritual well-being of others.

St. Rita holding cross and roses with relic on display below. National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia, Philadelphia.

St Rita in Heaven at the National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia in South Philadelphia, PA.

The enormity of this feast day can not be understated. There are thousands of roses distributed prior to the Masses that are brought up to the altar with faithful asking for intersessions. Roses are blessed after each Mass on the feast day which is May 22nd. Quite a celebration!

St. John Neumann and the SJN National Shrine

05 Saturday Jan 2013

Posted by Brian in Saints, Shrines of Philadelphia, St. John Neumann

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40 Hours Devotion, Buffalo NY, John the Evangelist Church, Philadelphia, Saint, St. John Neumann, St. Peter the Apostle Church

Memorial of St. John Neumann, Bishop January 5.

The National Shrine of St. John Neumann, in the spirit of the Redemptorist order, is located at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In the lower church, under the altar are the remains of St. John Neumann in a glass reliquary. The upper church is where St. John worshiped.

St. John was ordained in June 1836 at Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC.

He was assigned to the Buffalo New York region which was a boomtown in the mid and late 1830s with commerce on the Erie Canal and stagecoach routes. Father Neumann made rounds of attend to the sacramental life of about 400 families. A journal entry shows John’s concern for the German immigrants: “They have not received any schooling. They speak German poorly, and English just as poorly. The will soon have to work, and there will be no thought of religious instruction.” This thinking was the start of the Catholic Parochial school system.

While in Williamsville New York, Father Neumann started the parish of SS’s Peter and Paul, a parish in existance today. He also taught school four hours a day and used his knowledge of botany to make medicines from local herbs.

The Sisters of Mercy were instrumental in working with Father Neumann while in the Williamsville New York region. Several of the quotes in this article are from the Sisters research. For more info on the buffalo NY connection see http://jruthgang.wordpress.com/article/st-john-neumann-in-western-new-york-35d4f9dma4dbf-194/

A huge accomplishment for Father Neumann is the starting of the 40 Hours Devotion, practiced worldwide in the Catholic faith.

John became the fourth bishop of Philadelphia in 1852. Bishop Neumann was in attendance for Pope Pius IX’s proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

Bishop Neumann took up residence at St. John the Evangelist parish in downtown Philadelphia. Also in the 1850’s a young Katharine Drexel received First Holy Communion at St. Johns Church. She later became founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, and a saint – St. Katharine Drexel.

“A man must always be ready, for death comes when and where God wills it.” – Saint John Neumann

For more information, see:

http://www.stjohnneumann.org/index.html

http://catholicgene.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/st-john-neumann/

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine

04 Friday Jan 2013

Posted by Brian in Parish Shrines, Saints, Shrines of Philadelphia

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Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Shrine

The National Shrine of Elizabeth Ann Seton is located in Emmitsburg, Maryland, roughly two hours from Philadelphia. Her feast day is January 4th.

Elizabeth Ann Seton is the first American born saint, born in New York City on August 28, 1774. She was born to into an Episcopal family, her mother was the daughter of an Episcopal minister. Elizabeth Ann Bayley, (her maiden name) married William Seton and had five children. William died in 1803 leaving Elizabeth a widow. Her home in NYC is now the Shrine of Elizabeth Ann Seton.

She converted to Catholicism and founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph’s, the first Catholic religious order to originate in the United States, which after her death became linked with the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. As the name suggests the Daughters of Charity follows the rule of the Vincentian religious order. Therefore, you’ll find several miraculous medal icons on the Emmitsburg campus, influenced by the Vincentians in nearby Philadelphia, who manage the Miraculous Medal Shrine.

There are over 200 stained glass windows at the shrine.

Above photo from the 37th anniversary of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton’s canonization. (September 14, 1975)
For more information visit,
http://www.setonheritage.org
http://catholicgene.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/a-forest-path-and-a-favorite-rock-our-happy-discovery-of-the-stomping-grounds-of-a-saint/
http://acatholicview.blogspot.com/2013/01/st-elizabeth-ann-seton.html#links

St. John of the Cross Presents the Carmelite Monastery of Discalced Nuns

14 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by Brian in Saints, Shrines of Philadelphia

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Ascent of Mount Carmel, Carmalite, Discalced Carmelites, Philadelphia shrine, saints, soul, St. John of the Cross, The Dark Night

St. John of the Cross also called the Doctor of Mystical Theology, is a powerhouse of a saint. His feast day is December 14. As a priest he reformed his own religious order, the Discalced Carmelite Friars. Considered a threat to the Carmlelite order superiors, he was imprisoned in a dark cell for months on end and routinely tortured. A prolific writer and poet he is considered one the greatest religious poets know to mankind, although it took three hundred years before this recognition was achieved. In a cramped prison he wrote, “Faith and love will lead you along a path unknown to you, to the place where God is hidden.”

The Carmelite Monastery of Discalced Nuns is a testament to John of the Cross and Teresa of Ávila, the prayers and worship make this cloistered Order a spiritual stronghold in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

mount carmel front Carmelite Monastery of Discalced Nuns, Philadelphia, PA

From the authors of Collected Works of John The Cross, “In his oral teaching John used to point out that the more you love God, the more you desire that all people love and honor him and as the desire grows you work harder to that end, both in prayer and all spiritual works. His preferred work was spiritual direction, whereby you could help to free individuals from their moral and spiritual illnesses.

St. John of the Cross favorite feasts were the feasts of the Blessed Virgin.
With the bible, he was able to enter into intimacy with the three persons of the blessed trinity.

CM John and Theresa Saints at the Altar

His lyric poetry was actually meant to be sung instead of recited. Singing is popular in Carmelite monasteries especially on feast day Mass celebrations. St. John was know to frequently sing on journeys through the countryside. Nuns enjoyed putting his poems to music.

organ view 1902 Hook & Hastings Organ

One of the best know poems is The Spiritual Canticle. A free version of the poems is below:
Spiritual Canticle

Three prose books are The Dark Night, Ascent of Mount Carmel and The Living Flame of Love. A free version of Dark Night and Ascent of Mount Carmal are below:

Dark Night

Ascent of Mount Carmel

The “discalced” references the practice of wearing sandals or going bearfoot instead of shoes. St. John of the Cross was the spiritual director (confessor) of St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila) who was 27 years his junior.

The Carmelite order has three Doctors of the Church: Teresa of Ávila, Thérèse of Lisieux and John of the Cross. Other Carmelites include Edith Stein, Brother Lawrence and Sister Lúcia of Fátima.

Sayings of Light and Love are maxims attributed to St. John of the Cross. Selected from this book are:
29. A soul enkindled with love is a gentle, meek, humble, and patient soul.
30. A soul that is hard because of self-love grows harder.

39. My spirit has become dry because it forgets to feed on you.
59. Think not that pleasing God lies so much in doing a great deal as in doing it with good will, without possessiveness and human respect.
60. When evening comes, you will be examined in love. Learn to love as God desires to be loved and abandon your own ways of acting.
61. See that you do not interfere in the affairs of others, nor even allow them to pass through your memory; for perhaps you will be unable to accomplish your own task.
108. All the goodness we possess is lent to us, and God considers it his own work. God and his work is God.
126. The devil fears a soul united to God as he does God himself.