SAINT PATRICK'S GRAVE

"Saint Patrick was born in Britain. At sixteen he was captured and taken to Ireland, where he was sold into slavery. He escaped to France, but one night in a dream he heard the voice of the Irish calling him back. How Patrick answered that call and brought Christianity to Ireland is one of the most splendid chapters in our history.

According to tradition the remains of Saint Patrick with those of Saint Brigid and Saint Columba who is also known as Columcille, were reinterred on this site by John De Courcy in the 12th Century thus fulfilling the prophecy that the three Saints would be buried in the same place.

Down District Council Recreation / Tourist Department

September 1985" 

With thanks to Down District Council

PRAYER WAS OFFERED FOR YOU AT ST VALENTINE'S SHRINE, DUBLIN

 

Shrine of St Valentine

Dear Reader,

Prayer was offered for you at St Valentine's Shrine in White Friars' Church, Dublin.

St Valentine

St Valentine was a 3rd-century Roman saint, commemorated on February 14 by Western Christianity, Anglican communion and Lutheran churches. Eastern Orthodoxy commemorates St Valentine on July 6. 

From the High Middle Ages Valentine's Saints' Day has been associated with a tradition of courtly love. Valentine is patron saint of people in love, Terni, epilepsy and bee-keepers. 

Devoted clergyman

St Valentine was a clergyman - either a priest or bishop - in the Roman Empire. He ministered to Christians undergoing persecution in the Roman Empire. 

A common hagiography describes St Valentine as a priest of Rome or as the former Bishop of Terni - an important town of Umbria, in central Italy. 

While under house arrest of Judge Asterius and discussing his faith with him, Valentinus (the Latin version of his name) discussed the validity of Jesus. 

Valentine tested

The judge is said to have put Valentine to the test and brought the judge's adopted blind daughter to him. If Valentinus succeeded in restoring her sight, Asterius would do whatever he asked. 

Valentine, praying to God, laid his hands on the child's eyes and her sight was restored. The judge and his household of forty-four family members and servants were baptized.

Sentence of execution

Valentine was arrested again for arranging secret marriages for soldiers, in defiance of a marital ban imposed by Emperor Claudius II. After his arrest, Valentine was sent to the prefect of Rome and to Emperor Claudius Gothicus (Claudius II). 

Claudius took a liking to Valentine until the saint endeavored to convince Claudius to become a Christian. Claudius declined and condemned Valentine to death if he failed to renounce his faith. Valentinus refused and was sentenced to be beaten with clubs and beheaded. 

His execution took place outside the Flaminian Gate on February 14, 269. After Valentine's martyrdom, his body was buried at a Christian cemetery on the Via Flaminia.

Parchment hearts

It is believed that Valentine cut hearts from parchment which he gave to the married soldiers to remind them of their vows and God's love. 

St Valentine's Shrine - site of pilgrimage

St Valentine's Shrine in White Friar Street Carmelite Church is a popular place of pilgrimage, especially on St Valentine's Day, for those seeking love.

The holy shrine resides in the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and & Shrine of St Valentine (White Friar Street Church, Dublin).  The statue at the shrine, cast by Irene Broe, shows St Valentine as youthful and bare-footed. The martyred Saint is holding a crocus-plant, generally regarded as one of the symbols of Spring.

Pope Gregory XVI entrusted the holy body of St Valentine to Father Spratt in 1835. Saint Valentine was brought to White Friars' Street Church in a steel casket on the 10th November 1836, with great solemnity and celebration culminating in a solemn high Mass at which Archbishop Murray of Dublin presided.

Fr Spratt ensured the reverent interment of the holy saint beneath the altar in Saint Valentine's Shrine in the church.

St Valentine's cards

The custom of sending "Valentine's" or love cards, especially among young people came, possibly, from the belief that February 14 - the Saint's feast day - marks the beginning of Spring and the courtship season of birds.

ST VALENTINE - PRAY FOR US

Photographs taken by Catherine Nicolette

A CANDLE WAS LIT FOR YOU AT THE SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF DUBLIN

 

Our Lady of Dublin, Whitefriars Street Church

Dear Reader,

A candle was lit for your intentions at the Shrine of Our Lady of Dublin, Whitefriars' Street Church, Dublin.

Statue history

While Fr Spratt (O.Carm.) was strolling in Capel Street Dublin, Ireland,  he happened to notice a whitewashed figure of the Madonna and Child in a second-hand shop. He purchased his finding and brought the neglected statue back to Whitefriars' Street. The year was 1824.

Beneath the whitewash and grime a life-size statue of the Blessed Virgin and Child emerged, carved in oak and compared in style to the early sixteenth century sculptures in the Henry VII chapel in Westminster.

St Mary's Abbey

It is believed that the statue belonged to St Mary's Cistercian Abbey on the north bank of the River Liffey. St Mary's Abbey was a former Cistercian Abbey located near Abbey Street in Dublin. The abbatial territory stretched from the district known as Oxmanstown down along the River Liffey until it met the sea. 

The Abbey also owned large estates in other parts of Ireland. St Mary's Abbey was one of several liberties that existed in Dublin since the arrival of the Anglo-Normans in the 12th century, which gave it jurisdiction over its lands.

Founded by Irish King

The abbey was founded by the Irish King Mael Sechnaill mac Maele Ruanaid in 846, according to the Annals of the Four Masters. It was originally Benedictine, but in 1139 was given by Malachy O'Morga, the legate of the Pope, to monks belonging to the Congregation of Savigny, which in 1147 joined the Cistercian Order.

Pig-trough

The Abbey was surrendered in 1539 during the reformation when the last abbot, William Laundie, surrendered his title. Following the dissolution of the house, the goods and chattels were sold off by royal commissioners. Thereafter the statue - the back having been hollowed out - was used as a pig-trough in a near-by yard. 

Mary's Lane chapel

The next information with regard to the statue dates back to 1749. The writer confirmed that a statue of the Virgin and Child which belonged to St Mary's Abbey at the time of the dissolution was now in "a parochial chapel" in Mary's Lane chapel. 

Historical statue discarded

In 1816 the old chapel was converted into a school and the statue was discarded, later to be discovered by Fr Spratt.

Shrine of Our Lady of Dublin

In 1915 the statue was cleaned and polished and the Shrine of Our Lady of Dublin was formally established in Whitefriars' Street Church, Dublin, Ireland.

Photographs taken by Catherine Nicolette

A CANDLE WAS LIT FOR YOU AT ST ALBERT'S WELL (ST ALBERT OF SICILY)

Saint Albert and Infant Jesus

Dear Reader,

A candle was lit for your intentions at St Albert's Well in White Friar Street Church (Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel & Shrine of St Valentine), Dublin.

St Albert of Sicily

St Albert was born in Trapani in Sicily about 1240. Some seventeen years later he entered the Carmelite Order and died in 1306. His feast day is celebrated on August 7th.

Preaching and miracles

This Sicilian Carmelite Friar distinguished himself for his dedication to mendicant preaching, the notoriety of his miracles and his purity of life. During the years 1280 and 1289, St Albert ministered in Trapani. 

Shortly afterwards he relocated to Messina where he gathered thousands with his preaching and miracles. In 1296 Albert was prior provincial of the Carmelite Province of Sicily. 

Albert is said to have written books, though none survive, and he is regarded as patron saint of Carmelite studies. The saint has been attributed for the 1301 lifting of the siege in Messina that could have seen hundreds die from starvation had it not been for his intervention. Messina was under siege and blockaded after Duke Robert of Calabria entered. St Albert responded to the pleas for succor and went on to celebrated Mass as a plea for the deliverance of God. Once he finished three ships loaded with grain ran the blockade, thus saving Messina as Duke Robert lifted the siege.

The saint eventually died in a convent in Messina.

Albert was among the first Carmelite saints to be venerated by the Order, of which he was later considered a patron or protector - (or "father") -  a title he shared with another saint of his time, Angelo of Sicily. 

In the 16th century, it was decided that every Carmelite church would dedicate an altar in his memory. Later Carmelite saints Teresa of Avila and Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi honored him.

St Teresa of Avila asked a Dominican (possibly Diego de Yanguas) to translate an old biography of St Albert from Latin, which he did. She then arranged that the translation be published by Don Teutonio de Braganza along with her book "The Way of Perfection." Both books were published in February 1683, four months after Teresa's death.  

Artworks

In the late 15th century Sforza Book of Hours we see St Albert preaching and healing. 

In the Cathedral at Prato in Italy, Albert's image occupies a prominent place on the end wall of the choir beside the cycle of the lives of SS Stephen and John the Baptist. The work is by Fra Filippo Lippi and was composed while he was in safety in Prato from 1452-1465. Lippi was also a Carmelite. 

The Carmelite artist Giovanni Maria da Brescia depicted Albert in a print. The saint is pictured second from the right at the bottom, alongside other saints.

Hieronymus Wierix portrayed the adoration of God and veneration of Mary by Saint Albert and his "companion saint", the Martyr Saint Angelus.

Miraculous cure

St Albert was miraculously cured by water given to him by Our Lady in a vision. He is renowned for his devotion to the Infant Jesus and his healing ministry by means of water blessed in honor of the Blessed Virgin.

Fr Spratt, O. Carm. who spent some time in St Albert's monastery in Spain, brought devotion to the Saint back to Dublin and was responsible for the inauguration of the well, now commonly known as "Albert's Well." 

Many people visit the shrine and well to avail of the waters blessed in honor of the Saint. St Albert's Wells in Dublin and Agrigento, Sicily, are said to bring healing and peace in mind and body to those who avail of the waters. I can attest to the truth of this during my pilgrimage to his holy shrine in Dublin.

                     Prayer to Saint Albert

A spotless lily of purity, glorious Saint Albert, through the merits of thy ever perfect stainlessness, which rendered thee in life so dear to God and made thee be called "Saint" by the angels shortly after death, we pray thee with our whole heart to obtain for us grace whereby we may become able through sincere repentance to clothe ourselves anew with the garment of holiness, lost by sin; and to wear it ever unsullied until death. 

May we, by imitating as far as in us lies, the innocence of thy holy life, reach in safety our heavenly home and receive from God that prize, which He has prepared for those who love Him.

Pater

Ave

Gloria 
(Pray the Our Father, a Hail Mary and Glory be)

Our Father

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy Name; Thy kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as It is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus; Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

Glory be

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.

 Photographs by Catherine Nicolette

Artwork with thanks to Idle Speculations blogspot

IDLE SPECULATIONS: Saint Albert of Sicily (Trapani) (idlespeculations-terryprest.blogspot.com)

 

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