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Tag Archives: Saint John Paul II

Saint John Paul II Canonization Day

27 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by Brian in Our Lady of Czestochowa, Saints

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

canonization, Our Lady of Czestochowa Shrine, Pauline Fathers, Saint, Saint John Paul II, Shrine, St. Faustina, St. John XXIII, St. Paul the Hermit, The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa

Saint John paul II

Saint John Paul II, The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Philadelphia Pennsylvania.

Yes, April 27 is the day St. Pope John Paul II was canonized. He attended the Second Vatican Council initiated by Pope John XXIII, who also was canonized on this day.

Born Karl Wojtyla, Pope John Paul was an actor, poet, athlete, playwrite, priest and philosopher.

As Charles Chaput, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia stated: He proved by his life the words of St. Irenaeus that “the glory of God is man fully alive.”

outside with JP2

St. John Paul II visited the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa on two occasions while a cardinal. Karol Cardinal Wojtyla first visit was in 1969 and again in 1976 while attending the Eucharistic Congress held in Philadelphia. He became the 264th Pope of the Catholic Church two years later in 1978. John Paul II was the first non Italian pope since Pope Adrian VI who died in 1523.

saint JP II COAT OF ARMS
Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul II with the Marian Cross. The Letter M is for Mary, the mother of Jesus, to whom he held strong devotion.

john paul at the door full view

John Paul II created Divine Mercy Sunday which is celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. It is originally based on the devotion to the Divine Mercy that Saint Faustina Kowalska reported as part of her encounter with Jesus.

St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun reported visions and visitations from Jesus and conversations with Him. She could read souls!

sainte-faustine_int

John Paul II beatified Sr. Maria Faustina Kowalska on April 18, 1993 and canonized her on April 30, 2000.

DSC_0314

St. Paul the Hermit, a strong influence at the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa.

The Pauline Fathers, like John Paul II, have a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Their main monastery is in Czestochowa, Poland, where they continue to reside. The Pauline Order received permission from the Holy See to establish a monastery in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and subsequently built Our Lady of Czestochowa Shrine.

upper church 2

In the main church is the Miraculous Icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa, which was blessed by Pope John XXIII on February 10, 1962, who also became a saint. The Icon of Our Lady hangs behind the altar in the main nave and depicts the Holy Trinity. God the Father, with His arms stretched out like the wings of a large bird, enfolds Jesus Christ and all God’s people. Above them is shown a dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit. Below them, a choir of angels, with their golden horns, extol the glory of God.

chapel of divine mercy
The Chapel of Divine Mercy, within The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Philadelphia Pennsylvania. John Paul II died on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, April 2, 2005.

sign
Entrance to the shrine complex.

john paul at the door
Saint John Paul II
Feast day is October 22nd, the anniversary of his inauguration to Pope in 1978.

Norbertines “Sound the Bell of Holy Freedom” for World Meeting of Families 2015

10 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by Brian in Music, Poetry

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Andrew D. Ciferni, Franklin Institute, hymns, Mary, Neilson Carlin, Our Lady of Sorrows, Pope Francis, Saint John Paul II, Sound the Bell of Holy Freedom, St. Gianna Molla, The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, WMF2015, World Meeting of Families 2015

abbey bells not altered
Norbertine bells at Daylesford Abbey, Paoli, Pennsylvania.

Sound the Bell of Holy Freedom is the hymn created for the World Meeting of Families (WWM2015) in Philadelphia this September.

Hymn lyrics were penned by Norbertine canon regular Andrew D. Ciferni, O.Praem., and music composition by Normand Gouin, the former music director at Daylesford Abbey. The Norbertines praise God in psalms, hymns and chants in their daily Mass, morning and noon prayers and vespers. Sacred sounds of word and tone have resonated in the Norbertine culture for centuries.

Liberty_Bell_2008
Liberty Bell in Philadelphia PA (1751)

Biblical verse on the Liberty Bell, “Proclaim liberty throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof” (Leviticus 25:10).

Sound the Bell of Holy Freedom

I. The first verse of the hymn is an invitation to prayer.

Sound the bell of holy freedom; call all nations of the earth.
Sons and daughters of one Father, sent to spread God’s saving Word.
Come, and gather, as one fam’ly at the table of the Lord.

JPIIhand
Saint John Paul II hands of prayer. (From upcoming Franklin Institute exhibit Vatican Splendors.)

II. The second verse is about the family history of Jesus from David.

David branch from root of Jesse, Mary that vine’s flow’ring rose.
She brought forth for us the Savior as the angel did propose;
Overshadowed by the Spirit, by her “yes” new life arose.

HolyFamily
Holy Family with two Angels, Bologna Italy, 16th century.

This painting and the bronze cast of Saint John Paul II hands are from the upcoming Franklin Institute exhibit Vatican Splendors on display September 2015 to February 2016, direct from the Vatican.

III. The third verse is about St. Joseph and Mary.

Blessed Joseph, spouse of Mary, teacher of your God and Lord,
You did shelter and provide for wondrous child by kings adored.
Open to God’s Word in dreaming saved your child from Herod’s sword.

wmf2015 painting
Holy Family icon for WMF2015 by Neilson Carlin of Kennett Square, PA

IV. The fourth verse is about Jesus’ youth in Nazareth and the wedding at Cana.

Jesus, youth in low’ly Naz’reth, faithful son, and loving child,
Guest and host at Cana’s wedding, finest wine you did provide.
You, our rock and you our shelter, keep us ever by your side.

wedding at cana icon
The Wedding at Cana.

V. The fifth verse is about Mary’s sorrow at the cross and all mothers sorrow shared.

At the cross a grieving mother, on the cross, her only son,
With all mothers and their children, Blessed Mary, you are one.
In our joys, and in our sorrows may we do as you have done.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Our Lady of Sorrows.

VI. Closing verse

Sound the bell of holy freedom; call all fam’lies of the world
.
To be fed by love incarnate; to proclaim God’s holy Word;
Through the love of Christ our brother, in the Spirit make us one.

Eucharist stained glass window behind altarIn the line, “To be fed by love incarnate”, the hymn references the Eucharist.
Photo: Old St. Joseph’s Church, Philadelphia PA.

Hymn credits:
Text: Andrew D. Ciferni, O.Praem.,  St. Norbert College; Daylesford Abbey
Tune: PHILADELPHIA, 8 7 8 7 8 7:Normand Gouin; College of Holy Cross

Pope Francis twitter detailPope Francis will makes his first Papal visit to the USA for the WMF2015.

The Sound the Bell of Holy Freedom hymn will be heard throughout the Pope’s visit in Philadelphia. As St. Augustine said, “They who sing, pray twice.”

Pope Francis Visit 2015 to the USA:

September 23/23, 2015 – Pope Francis Visits Washington. Canonization Mass at Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception / White House meeting / Senate speech

September 25, 2015 – Pope Francis Visits New York. United Nations/ St. Patrick’s Cathedral /Ground Zero

September 26, 2015 – Pope Francis Visits Philadelphia. Children’s Hospital / Youth Prison/Festival of Families at Benjamin Franklin Parkway /Prayer Vigil for World Meeting of Families

September 26, 2015 – World Meeting of Families

Influencers
World Meeting of Families

 knotenloeserinw456
Influencer: Mary, Undoer of Knots
. This is the baroque painting by Johann Schmidtner from 1700, housed at St. Peter am Perlach, in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany.

Mary, Undoer of Knots is Pope Francis’s favorite Marian devotion.

St. Irenaeus said,

Eve, by her disobedience, tied the knot of disgrace for the human race; whereas Mary, by her obedience, undid it.

gianna center
Influencer: St. Gianna Molla
(Oct 14, 1922, – April 28, 1962). Eating lunch with her children in Magenta, Italy.

St. Gianna Molla is Patron Saint of WMF2015. St. Gianna once said:

Let us love the Cross and let us remember that we are not alone in carrying it. God is helping us. And in God who is comforting us, as St. Paul says, we can do anything.

pope-john-paul-ii-1
Influencer: Saint John Paul II, also a Patron Saint for WMF2015.

Per Saint John Paul II :

As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.”
and
“Love between man and woman cannot be built without sacrifices and self-denial.

john-paul-at-the-door
Saint John Paul II at The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Philadelphia Pennsylvania.

St. John Paul II was the last pope to visit Philadelphia in 1979.

Holy Spirit in blue
“… in the Spirit make us one.” Quote from closing line of the WMF2015 hymn, Sound the Bell of Holy Freedom.

Saint John Paul II Embraces The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa

26 Saturday Apr 2014

Posted by Brian in Our Lady of Czestochowa, Saints

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Tags

canonization, Our Lady of Czestochowa Shrine, Pauline Fathers, Saint, Saint John Paul II, Shrine, St. Faustina, St. John XXIII, St. Paul the Hermit, The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa

Saint John paul II Saint John Paul II, The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Philadelphia Pennsylvania.

On April 27, 2014, Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Francis canonized Blessed Pope John Paul II. He attended the Second Vatican Council initiated by Pope John XXIII, who is also being canonized on this day. Born Karl Wojtyla, Pope John Paul was an actor, poet, athlete, playwrite, priest and philosopher. As Charles Chaput, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia stated: He proved by his life the words of St. Irenaeus that “the glory of God is man fully alive.”

outside with JP2

St. John Paul II visited the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa on two occasions while a cardinal. Karol Cardinal Wojtyla first visit was in 1969 and again in 1976 while attending the Eucharistic Congress held in Philadelphia. He became the 264th Pope of the Catholic Church two years later in 1978. John Paul II was the first non Italian pope since Pope Adrian VI who died in 1523.

saint JP II COAT OF ARMS
Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul II with the Marian Cross. The Letter M is for Mary, the mother of Jesus, to whom he held strong devotion.

john paul at the door full view

John Paul II created Divine Mercy Sunday which is celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. It is originally based on the devotion to the Divine Mercy that Saint Faustina Kowalska reported as part of her encounter with Jesus. St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun reported visions and visitations from Jesus and conversations with Him. John Paul II beatified Sr. Maria Faustina Kowalska on April 18, 1993 and canonized her on April 30, 2000.

DSC_0314
St. Paul the Hermit, a strong influence at the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa.

The Order of St. Paul the Hermit was founded during the first half of the 13th century in Hungary. The members of the Order were actual hermits who lived in the caves in Hungary. For their patron they chose St. Paul the Hermit, thereby acquiring the name “Pauline Fathers”. John Paul II had an affection for the Pauline Fathers religious order, and helped persevere the order in Poland. The Pauline Fathers, like John Paul II, have a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Their main monastery is in Czestochowa, Poland, where they continue to reside. The Pauline Order received permission from the Holy See to establish a monastery in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and subsequently built Our Lady of Czestochowa Shrine.

upper church 2

In the main church is the Miraculous Icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa, which was blessed by Pope John XXIII on February 10, 1962, who also became a saint. The Icon of Our Lady hangs behind the altar in the main nave and depicts the Holy Trinity. God the Father, with His arms stretched out like the wings of a large bird, enfolds Jesus Christ and all God’s people. Above them is shown a dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit. Below them, a choir of angels, with their golden horns, extol the glory of God.

our lady of czs lower church adoration day

The Chapel of Our Lady of Czestochowa, located at The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa on Adoration Day.

This chapel is a replica of the chapel found at the Jasna Góra Shrine in Poland. At the heart of the chapel is a copy of the Miraculous Icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa, blessed by Pope John Paul II, now a Saint.

Jesus

chapel of divine mercy
The Chapel of Divine Mercy, within The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Philadelphia Pennsylvania. John Paul II died on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, April 2, 2005.

sign
Entrance to the shrine complex.

john paul at the door
Saint John Paul II
Feast day is October 22nd, the anniversary of his inauguration to Pope in 1978.

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The Cover Art

Jan Van Eyck, “The Adoration of the Lamb” 1432 from the Ghent Alterpiece. Detail: The red altar where the lamb stands reads, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world” and “Jesus the way, the truth, and the life”, both quotes from Gospel of John. In this image and in the book of Revelation the Lamb is Jesus. Directly around the Lamb on the altar are angels who are carrying the instruments in the Passion scenes, like the cross and crown of thorns.

gichontree

There's beauty in sacred spaces; from the stories they tell in architecture, stained glass windows and icons; to the rituals and liturgy that arises our soul. Inside a shrine, the angels and saints praise God with us. I hope to relay the message for the kingdom, power and glory of God, now and forever.

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