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Tag Archives: Shrine of Philadelphia

St. Vincent de Paul

27 Tuesday Sep 2022

Posted by Brian in Miraculous Medal

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Tags

Miraculous Medal Shrine, Shrine of Philadelphia, St. Vincent de Paul, Vincentians, Vincentians Catholic

4 Vincent de Paul

St. Vincent dePaul is founder of the Vincentians Catholic religious order. A peasant from birth, he chose the priesthood to make something of his life and succeeded in reaching the highest levels of society through his charm and social skills. A turning point came in midleife when he heard the dying confession of a peasant and determined afterward to devote his life to serving the poor.

The Vincentians operate The Miraculous Medal in Germantown, Pennsylvania which is a suburb of Philadelphia. Along with St. Loiuse de Maillac, Vincent founded the Daughters of Charity to serve the poor and sick. They have a presence in Germantown PA today.

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Vincent instructed priests and religious, “The poor are your masters and you are their servants.”

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A view of the Miraculous Medal Shrine in Germantown Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia.

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Vincent icon in front of St. Vincent’s Seminary building, which is next to the Miraculous Medal Shrine they operate. Vincent died on September 27, 1660 at the age of eighty. He was later named patron of all charitable societies. Sources: Blessed Among Us/Give Us This Day Daily Prayer Guide.

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Inside the Miraculous Medal Shrine.

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Inside the Lower Level Shrine – The Virgo Potens.

John Neumann’s World

22 Saturday Feb 2014

Posted by Brian in Saints, St. John Neumann

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Alphonsus Liguori, Cathedral Basillica of St. Peter and Paul, John Nuemann, National Shrine of John Neumann, Redemptorist, Saint, Shrine of Philadelphia, St. Peter the Apostle Church

outside of church peter and paulSt. Peter the Apostle church, Upper Church of St. John Neumann Shrine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, built in 1843.

John Neumann (1811-1860) celebrated Midnight Mass (Christmas) in 1859, a few days before his death. After his funeral services he was laid to rest in a grave in the basement of St. Peter the Apostle church. The body now lies in state, enclosed in glass under the altar at what has become the world renowned National Shrine of St. John Neumann. Feast day is January 5.

Lower Church Neumann shrine National Shrine of St. John Neumann, in Lower Church.

Prayer requests can be made to John Neumann for intersession by God to make the request realized. Saints themselves do not perform miracles, but recognized in Heaven as Saints, they can request from God to intercede on their behalf. The National Shrine of John Neumann has on record many of these realized prayer requests.

alphonsus liguori founder redemptorists Alphonsus Liguori is the founder of the Redemptorist religious order. (1732)

Saint Alphonsus Liguori is also a Doctor of the Church. Liguori was influenced by St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) and St. Vincent de Paul. (1581-1660). As Neumann became a Redemptorist and eventually its leader, he spread knowledge about these great saints.

liguori at rest Saint Alphonsus Liguori, in state in Italy.

Pope Pius IX proclaimed Liguori a Doctor of the Church in 1871. In his book Preparation for DeathLiguori says, “While we are in the body, we are absent from the Lord.” (2 Cor. v. 6). While the soul is united to the body, it is at a distance from the vision of God, as if in a strange land, and excluded from its true country. Hence, according to St. Bruno, the departure of the soul from the body should not be called death, but the beginning of life.”

neumann icon in Upper Church Neumann in St. Peter the Apostle church, Upper Church of the Neumann Shrine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

biship nuemann diocese4
A large diocese to manage.

First appointed Superior of the Redemptorist American Mission in 1850, then on March 19, 1852 Nuemann was consecrated bishop of Philadelphia, a role he really didn’t want.

Nuemann at st. peter and paul At Cathedral Basilica of Saint Peter and Paul, St. John Neumann Chapel.

Opened in 1864, the Cathedral is the motherchurch of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. One of the first tasks when Neumann became Bishop was to complete the Cathedral. Unfortunately due to money constraints, the Cathedral completion was delayed. The cathedral was finally dedicated on November 20, 1864, where it stands today.

Neumann shrine  p and p More of Neumann in the Basilica of St. Peter and Paul.

The interior of the Basilica is in Roman-Corinthian style with a dome at 156 feet high. St. Katherine Drexel, a contemporary of John Nuemann, also has a side chapel, one in which she donated while she was alive! The Basilica is one of the finest east coast examples of architecture expressing our Catholic faith.

neumann shrine entranceThe future planned entrance of the St. John Neumann Shrine.
The Shrine continues to thrive and remains active in the local community, much as Nuemann did while alive.

Jesus rises 2 In St. John Nuemann Shrine, looking up, in all its glory.

All Around St. Katharine Drexel Shrine

03 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by Brian in Saints, St. Katharine Drexel

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Tags

Bensalem PA, Drexel Mission Center, Drexel Shrine, monastery, Saint, Shrine of Philadelphia, Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, St. Katharine Drexel

Celebrating the feast day of St. Katharine Drexel, March 3.

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Katharine Drexel Shrine looks like a medieval monastery from this side view.

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The modern front entrance. The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament operate the St. Katharine Drexel Mission Center and National Shrine in Bensalem PA.

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The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament motto: Guided by the spirit of Katharine Drexel, we are called to share the Gospel message with the poor, especially among the Black and Native American peoples and to challenge the deeply rooted injustice in the world today.

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Windows outside gift shop.

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From the Osservatore Romano:

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. on 26 November 1858, Katharine was the second daughter of Francis Anthony Drexel, a wealthy banker, and his wife, Hannah Jane. The latter died a month after Katharine’s birth, and two years later her father married Emma Bouvier, who was a devoted mother, not only to her own daughter Louisa (born 1862), but also to her two step-daughters. Both parents instilled into the children by word and example that their wealth was simply loaned to them and was to be shared with others.

Katharine was educated privately at home; she traveled widely in the United States and in Europe. Early in life she became aware of the plight of the Native Americans and the Blacks; when she inherited a vast fortune from her father and step-mother, she resolved to devote her wealth to helping these disadvantaged people. In 1885 she established a school for Native Americans at Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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Later, during an audience with Pope Leo XIII, she asked him to recommend a religious congregation to staff the institutions which she was financing. The Pope suggested that she herself become a missionary, so in 1889 she began her training in religious life with the Sisters of Mercy at Pittsburgh.

In 1891, with a few companions, Mother Katharine founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People. The title of the community summed up the two great driving forces in her life—devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and love for the most deprived people in her country.

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Requests for help reached Mother Katharine from various parts of the United States. During her lifetime, approximately 60 schools were opened by her congregation. The most famous foundation was made in 1915; it was Xavier University, New Orleans, the first such institution for Black people in the United States.

In 1935 Mother Katharine suffered a heart attack, and in 1937 she relinquished the office of superior general. Though gradually becoming more infirm, she was able to devote her last years to Eucharistic adoration, and so fulfill her life’s desire. She died at the age of 96 at Cornwell Heights, Pennsylvania, on 3 March 1955. Her cause for beatification was introduced in 1966; she was declared Venerable by Pope John Paul II on 26 January 1987, by whom she was also beatified on 20 November 1988.

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The design of St. Elizabeth Chapel is similar to other monasteries, where the pews are aligned to the center of the chapel. In this way, the religious face each other, to know and pray with their neighbor. The hexagon arrangement in modern churches also utilizes this concept of parishioners facing their neighbor.

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A closeup of St. Katharine.

Sister Anne (Basil)

Pictured diligently in front of the crypt of St. Katharine Drexel is Sister Anne, who knew the saint personally. She describes Katharine as frugal, hard working, yet joyous and liked to joke.

When Sister Anne joined the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, she requested her religious name be Sister Basil. St. Katharine tried to dissuade Anne of this name, but to no avail. Anne explained her strong devotion to St. Basil. It was elevated to the local Bishop for a decision. Again Anne, determined to be called Sister Basil, made her case. Seeing the determination of this young sister, the bishop gave in and allowed her to be called Sister Basil. Years later, on religious assignment in Louisiana, Sister Basil decided to revert back to her baptized name, Anne.

shoes and pencils

The frugality of St. Katharine can be seen in the pencil stubs.

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Inscription on stone of Drexel Shrine, “And it shall be in the place where it was said unto them, ‘you are not my people’, there they shall be called the sons of the living God.”
Romans Chap IX

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This chair inscribed with the date, 1892, was used by Saint Katharine during her life.

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For more on Katharine Drexel, see

http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/2010/03/urban-legend-global-saint.html

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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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