Saint Ignatius Of Loyola (1491 - 1556). Founder Of The Jesuits. Feast Day 31 July.

Text (unless otherwise stated) is taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
which is available from ST. BONAVENTURE PRESS

Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
Confessor.
Feast Day 31 July.

Double.

White Vestments.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

Artist: Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640).

Date: 1600s.

Source/Photographer: AllPosters.com

(Wikimedia Commons)

Ignatius was born in Northern Spain in 1491. He was the eleventh child of the Lord of Loyola, and, at the age of fifteen, came as Page to the Court of King Ferdinand V of Spain.

His ardent and martial nature caused him to choose a military career. At the Siege of Pamplona, he was severely wounded in the leg. During his long convalescence, in the absence of books of chivalry, for which he had a passion, they gave him to read the Lives of Jesus Christ and of the Saints.

This reading was for him a revelation. It dawned on him that the Church also has her Army, which, under the Orders of the Representative of Christ, fights to defend here below the Sacred Interests of the God of Hosts [To the Three Religious Vows, Saint Ignatius adds a fourth, by which the Members of the Society of Jesus bind themselves to go wherever the Pope will send them for the Salvation of Souls].

English: Choir of the l'Escolania de Montserrat

in the Basilica of the Abbey of Montserrat, Catalonia, Spain,

where Saint Ignatius laid down his sword at the feet of the statue of The Virgin.

Français: Choeur de l'Escolania de Montserrat

dans la basilique de l'abbaye de Montserrat, Catalogne, Espagne.

Photo: 21 September 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: Bernard Gagnon.

(Wikimedia Commons)

He then laid down his sword at the feet of The Virgin, in the famous Benedictine Abbey at Montserrat, and his generous Soul, once enamoured of worldly glory, now only longed for the greater glory of the King, whom, henceforth, he would serve (Collect).

Throughout the night of 25 March, when the Mystery of the Incarnation of The Word is Solemnised, after confessing his sins, he kept his Knightly Vigil, and The Mother of God armed him for Christ and the Church Militant, His Spouse.

Soon, he became General of the Society of Jesus, raised by Providence to combat Protestantism, Jansenism and returning Paganism.

English: Benedictine Abbey of Montserrat, Spain.

Deutsch: Unterhalb des „Roca de St. Jaume“.

Español: Vista desde la roca de Sant Jaume.

Photo: 2003.

Source: Own work.

Author: Richard Schneider.

(Wikimedia Commons)

On the mountain, the Sons of Benedict, as a prelude to the Liturgy in Heaven, will continue the Solemn Celebration of The Divine Office, which Ignatius will recommend to the Faithful, and whose Sacred Melodies he never heard without tears ["The Third of the Eighteen Rules, made by Saint Ignatius, as the crowning of the Spiritual Exercises, "that we may have the true sentiments of the orthodox Church," recommends to the Faithful the Canticles of the Church, the Psalms and the difference Canonical Hours at their appointed times. And, at the head of this book, in order to enable one to draw most profit from these Exercises, he rules in his twentieth note that, he who can do so, is to choose, for the duration of the Exercises, a dwelling whence he may easily go to the Offices of Matins and Vespers, as well as to Mass" (Dom Guéranger: The Liturgical Year: 31 July. Saint Ignatius of Loyola)]; and he, sacrificing himself to his mission, goes down into the plain, to oppose with his valiant troops, the attacks of the hostile army , whose violent onslaughts are always directed against his Institute (Epistle).

Wherefore, to preserve in his sons the intense interior life required by the militant activity to which he devotes them, Saint Ignatius subjects them to a strongly organised hierarchy and teaches them, in a masterly treatise, highly approved of by the Church, his Spiritual Exercises, which have Sanctified thousands of Souls.

It has been affirmed that it was the practice of the Exercitatorium of the Benedictine Cisneros, Abbot of Montserrat in 1500, which inspired him with the idea. Guided by Grace, he realised it, however, at Manresa, Spain, in a different and very personal way.

The Life of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/gw1zISAgwuY.

Saint Ignatius arms his sons by giving them, for their shield; the name of Jesus (Introit), for their breastplate; the Love of God, which The Saviour came to enflame on Earth (Communion) [when he sent Missionaries abroad, he used to say to them: "Go, my brothers, inflame the world and spread everywhere the fire which Jesus Christ came to kindle on the Earth"] and Whose symbol, The Sacred Heart, they gloriously bear in the folds of their flag; and for their sword; Preaching, Writing, Teaching, and all other forms of Apostolate.

It was in a Benedictine Monastery in Spain, that, at the Feast of the Annunciation, Saint Ignatius first used these arms; in a Chapel of the Benedictine Abbey of Montmartre, that, on the Feast of the Assumption, in 1534, and later on at the Altar of The Virgin of the Basilica of Saint Paul-without-the-Walls, served by Benedictines, that was born the Society of Jesus, that noble chivalry of Christ, and, lastly, it was the Benedictine Pope, Pius VII, a native of Cesena and a Monk of its Abbey, who, in 1814, re-established it in all its rights.

It is, therefore, God, Himself, Who unites at the feet of The Blessed Virgin these two Orders, which powerfully help the Church, for Martha and Mary, action and contemplation, both contribute, by different means, to the Glory of God.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/h4ZLuk_X8u0.

The Mottoes of these two Religious families are alike: "In all things God be Glorified ! (I.O.G.D.)" and: "To the greater Glory of God ! (A.M.D.G.)"

Not to do anything, except for the Glory of God, and to do everything for His greater Glory, is the perfection of Holiness. It is the end of the Creation, the end of man's elevation to a Supernatural Life, the end, indeed, of the evangelical precepts, which cause generous Souls to renounce, by Vow, things that are lawful, in order to devote themselves more freely to the interests of God, and to render to Him, in its entirety, the accidental Glory He had been deprived of by man's use of unlawful things.

Benedict has filled Europe with his Missionary Monks, whose principal work is to Praise God, and Ignatius, with his Priest-Apostles (Gospel), who make manifest their Interior Life by their untiring activity.

Tomb of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

Church of Il Gesù,

Mother Church of The Society of Jesus,

Rome, Italy.

Photo: 13 November 2005.

Source: Own work.

Author: Torvindus.

(Wikimedia Commons)

From Montserrat, twelve Monks, with their Superior, started with Christoper Columbus, for the New Continent. From Lisbon, started Francis Xavier, who first evangelised Japan and China. It is the same Tree of the Love of God, which, on different branches, bears the same fruit.

On 31 July 1556, Saint Ignatius died, pronouncing the name of Jesus, and his Society of Jesus spread throughout the world. It numbers, nowadays, forty-four Provinces and several hundreds of Colleges [The Society of Jesus numbers: Twenty-three Canonised Saints; 142 Beatified; Three Venerables; and over 100, whose twenty-nine Causes are being discussed. It had, in 1934, 24,270 Members: There were 24,000 at the Time of the Suppression of the Society of Jesus in 1773 [Editor: By Pope Clement XIV, in the Brief "Dominus ac Redemptor" (21 July 1773)]. It has given to the Church illustrious Prelates and a large number of Apostles, learned men, educators and influential men, as is proved by the numerous Congregations or Religious Associations under the direction of the Sons of Saint Ignatius. The Apostleship of Prayer, for instance, is believed to number some thirty million Associates.]

May we obtain, by the intercession of Saint Ignatius, so to be Sanctified in Truth (Secret) by the Sacred Mysteries of Mass and Communion, the Source of all Holiness, that, with the help of this Saint, we may, after his example, so combat evil on Earth, as to be crowned with him in Heaven (Collect).

Church of the Gesù,

Rome, Italy.

Mother Church of The Jesuits.

Saint Ignatius Loyola is buried here.

Photo: 7 September 2013.

Source: File:Chiesa gesu facade.jpg (cropped).

Author: Alessio Damato.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Come To Mass. An Invitation To Blackfen, From Fr Finigan, For The Feast Of Saint Alphonsus. 1030 a.m., Saturday, 2 August 2014. Missa Cantata, Sung Vespers, Benediction.

Illustration: ST. JOHN CANTIUS PARISH

This Article can be found on Fr Finigan's Blog, THE HERMENEUTIC OF CONTINUITY

Saint Alphonsus.

The following Text is Fr Finigan's Invitation to Readers, Twitter and Facebook friends.

Saturday, 2 August, is the Feast of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, in the Old Calendar, and, in God's loving providence, this year it's the first Saturday of August, so we will have Missa Cantata at Blackfen, Sidcup, Kent, at 10.30 a.m. I'll be preaching on Saint Alphonsus (one of my favourite Saints); I haven't composed the Sermon, yet, but, following the great Doctor's example, I expect it will include some reflection on the Four Last Things.

As this will be my last Saturday Missa Cantata at Blackfen (I am moving to Margate on 2 September), I would like to take this opportunity to invite any Hermeneutic of Continuity readers, Twitter followers, and Facebook friends to join us. After Mass, we will order pizza, according to need, and the bar will be open. At 2.30 p.m., there will be Sung Vespers and Benediction.

No need to reply, just turn up if you can.

The Cathedral Abbey Of Saint Gall, Switzerland. Fürstabtei Sankt Gallen.

Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

Deutsch: Bild der Abtei Sankt Gallen (Schweiz), Unesco-Weltkulturerbe.

English: The Abbey of Saint Gall, Switzerland.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Esperanto: Bildo de la Abatejo de Sankt-Galo (Svislando), monda heredaĵo de UNESCO.

This File: 1 February 2005.

User: Pjetter.

This file was provided to Wikimedia Commons by Roland Zumbühl of Picswiss

as part of a co-operation project. If the direct link to the picture is not provided

(urls are subject to changes), you can find the picture starting from the

Canton of the subject :http://www.picswiss.ch/geo.html then the location.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Abbey of Saint Gall (German: Fürstabtei Sankt Gallen) is a Roman Catholic Religious Complex in the City of St. Gallen, in present-day Switzerland. The Carolingian-era Abbey has existed since 719 A.D., and became an Independent Principality during the 13th-Century, and was for many centuries one of the chief Benedictine Abbeys in Europe.

It was founded by Saint Othmar on the spot where Saint Gall had erected his Hermitage. The Library, at the Abbey, is one of the richest Mediaeval Libraries in the world. Since 1983, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

English: Interior of the Abbey Church,

Saint Gall, Switzerland.

Norsk bokmål: Klosterkirken i St.Gallen.

Photo: 31 March 2011.

Source: Own work.

Author: 3s.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Deutsch: Barocksaal der Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen.

English: The Library, Abbey of Saint Gallen, Switzerland.

Photo: 25 February 2008 (original upload date).

Source: Transferred from de.wikipedia

Author: Stiftsbibliothek St. GallenOriginal

uploader was Stibiwiki at de.wikipedia

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Abbey Library of Saint Gall was founded by Saint Othmar,

the founder of the Abbey of Saint Gall.

The Library collection is the oldest in Switzerland, and is one of earliest and most important

Monastic Libraries in the world. It holds 2,100 manuscripts dating from the 8th-Century up to the 15th-Century, 1,650 incunabula (printed before 1500), and old printed books. The Library holds almost 160,000 volumes. The manuscript B of the Nibelungenlied is kept here.

The Library books are available for public use, but the books printed before 1900

must be read in the Reading Room.

The Library Hall, designed by the architect Peter Thumb in a Rococo Style, is considered

the most beautiful non-Sacred room of this style in Switzerland and one of the most

perfect Library Rooms in the world.

In 1983, the Library, together with the Abbey of Saint Gall, were made a World Heritage Site, as 'a perfect example of a great Carolingian Monastery'.

A Virtual Library was created to provide access to the manuscripts — Codices Electronici Sangallenses. Currently more than 400 manuscripts are preserved in digital format.

Deutsch: Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen.

English: The Library, Abbey of Saint Gallen, Switzerland.

Photo: 16 October 2006.

Source: St Gallen Library

Uploaded by Kurpfalzbilder.de

Author: chippee

(Wikimedia Commons)

Around 613 A.D., an Irish Monk, named Gallus, a disciple and companion of Saint Columbanus, established a Hermitage on the site that would become the Abbey. He lived in his Cell until his death in 646 A.D. Following Gallus' death, Charles Martel appointed Othmar as custodian of Saint Gall's Relics. During the reign of Pepin the Short, in the 8th-Century, Othmar founded the Carolingian-Style Abbey of Saint Gall, where arts, letters and sciences flourished. Several different dates are given for the foundation of the Abbey, including 719 A.D., 720 A.D., 747 A.D.

Under Abbot Waldo of Reichenau (740 A.D. – 814 A.D.), copying of manuscripts was undertaken and a famous Library was gathered. Numerous Anglo-Saxon and Irish Monks came to copy manuscripts. At Charlemagne's request, Pope Adrian I sent distinguished Chanters from Rome, who propagated the use of the Gregorian Chant.

The Abbey of Saint Gall, Switzerland.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/X6KKliTFpV4.

In the subsequent Century, Saint Gall came into conflict with the nearby Bishopric of Constance, which had recently acquired jurisdiction over the Abbey of Reichenau, on Lake Constance. It was not until King Louis the Pious (814 A.D. – 840 A.D.) confirmed the independence of the Abbey, that this conflict ceased. From this time, until the 10th-Century, the Abbey flourished.

It was home to several famous scholars, including Notker of Liège, Notker the Stammerer, Notker Labeo and Hartker (who developed the Antiphonal Liturgical Books for the Abbey). During the 9th-Century, a new, larger, Church was built and the Library was expanded. Manuscripts on a wide variety of topics were purchased by the Abbey and copies were made. Over 400 manuscripts from this time have survived and are still in the Library.

Between 924 A.D., and 933 A.D., the Magyars threatened the Abbey and the books had to be removed to Reichenau Abbey for safety. Not all the books were returned. In 937 A.D., the Abbey was almost completely destroyed in a fire; the Library was undamaged, however. About 954 A.D., the Monastery and buildings were surrounded by a wall to protect the Abbey, and the town grew up around these walls.

Gregorian Chant was sung in Saint Gall Abbey,

beginning in the 8th-Century.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/D5ubvYqOh1M.

Pope Adrian I (Latin: Hadrianus)

was Pope from

1 February 772 A.D., to his death in 795 A.D.

He sent Gregorian Chanters from Rome to the Abbey of Saint Gall.

He was the son of Theodore, a Roman nobleman.

(Google Images)

In the 13th-Century, the Abbey and the town became an Independent Principality, over which the Abbots ruled as Territorial Sovereigns, Ranking as Princes of the Holy Roman Empire. As the Abbey became more involved in local politics, it entered a period of decline. During the 14th-Century, Humanists were allowed to carry off some of the rare Texts.

In the Late-14th- and Early-15th-Centuries, the farmers of the Abbot's personal estates (known as Appenzell, from Latin: abbatis cella, meaning "cell" (i.e. estate) of the Abbot) began seeking independence. In 1401, the first of the Appenzell Wars broke out, and following the Appenzell victory at Stoss, in 1405, they became allies of the Swiss Confederation in 1411.

During the Appenzell Wars, the town of St. Gallen often sided with the Appenzell against the Abbey. So, when the Appenzell allied with the Swiss, the town of St. Gallen followed just a few months later. The Abbot became an ally of several members of the Swiss Confederation (Zürich, Lucerne, Schwyz and Glarus) in 1451, while both the Appenzell and St. Gallen became full members of the Swiss Confederation in 1454. Then, in 1457, the town of St Gallen became officially free from the Abbot.

Deutsch: Das Wappen der Fürstabtei St. Gallen, Schweiz.

English: Coat of arms of the principal abbey of Saint-Gall, Switzerland.

Source: Coat-of-Arms of the City of St. Gall;

Colour modification of Coa stgallen.svg by Filzstift.

Author: sidonius.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In 1468, the Abbot, Ulrich Rösch, bought the County of Toggenburg from the representatives of its Counts, after the family died out in 1436. In 1487, he built a Monastery at Rorschach, on Lake Constance, to which he planned to move. However, he encountered stiff resistance from the St. Gallen citizenry, other Clerics, and the Appenzell nobility in the Rhine Valley, who were concerned about their holdings.

The town of St Gallen wanted to restrict the increase of power in the Abbey and simultaneously increase the power of the town. The Mayor of St. Gallen, Ulrich Varnbüler, established contact with farmers and Appenzell residents (led by the fanatical Hermann Schwendiner), who were seeking an opportunity to weaken the Abbot.

Initially, he protested to the Abbot and the representatives of the four sponsoring Confederate Cantons (Zürich, Lucerne, Schwyz, Glarus) against the construction of the new Abbey in Rorschach. Then, on 28 July 1489, he had armed troops from St. Gallen and the Appenzell destroy the buildings already under construction. When the Abbot complained to the Confederates about the damages and demanded full compensation, Varnbüler responded with a counter suit and, in co-operation with Schwendiner, rejected the arbitration efforts of the non-partisan Confederates.

The Collegiate Church of Saint Gallen.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/vMvy_lYt8fA.

He motivated the Clerics from Wil to Rorschach to discard their loyalty to the Abbey and spoke against the Abbey at the Town Meeting at Waldkirch, where the Popular League was formed. He was confident that the four sponsoring Cantons would not intervene with force, due to the prevailing tensions between the Confederation and the Swabian League. He was strengthened in his resolve by the fact that the people of St. Gallen elected him again to the highest Magistrate in 1490.

However, in early 1490, the four Cantons decided to carry out their duty to the Abbey and to invade the St. Gallen Canton with an armed force. The people of Appenzell and the local Clerics submitted to this force without noteworthy resistance, while the City of St. Gallen braced for a fight to the finish. However, when they learned that their compatriots had given up the fight, they lost confidence; the end result was that they concluded a Peace Pact that greatly restricted the City's powers and burdened the City with serious penalties and reparations payments. Varnbüler and Schwendiner fled to the Court of King Maximilian and lost all their property in St. Gallen and Appenzell. However, the Abbot's reliance on the Swiss, to support him, reduced his position almost to that of a "subject district".

The town adopted the Reformation in 1524, while the Abbey remained Catholic, which damaged relations between the town and Abbey. Both the Abbot and a representative of the town were admitted to the Swiss Tagsatzung or Diet, as the closest associates of the Confederation.

Musique et poésie à Saint-Gall.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/5OfXMopJkJo.

In the 16th-Century, the Abbey was raided by Calvinist groups, which scattered many of the old books. In 1530, Abbot Diethelm began a restoration that stopped the decline and led to an expansion of the schools and Library.

Under Abbot Pius (1630 – 1674), a Printing Press was started. In 1712, during the Toggenburg War, also called the Second War of Villmergen, the Abbey of Saint Gall was pillaged by the Swiss. They took most of the books and manuscripts to Zürich and Bern. For security, the Abbey was forced to request the protection of the townspeople of St. Gallen. Until 1457, the townspeople had been serfs of the Abbey, but they had grown in power until they were protecting the Abbey.

Following the disturbances, the Abbey was still the largest Religious City-State in Switzerland, with over 77,000 inhabitants. A final attempt to expand the Abbey resulted in the demolition of most of the Mediaeval Monastery. The new structures, including the Cathedral, were designed in the Late-Baroque Style and constructed between 1755 and 1768. The large and ornate new Abbey did not remain a Monastery for very long. In 1798, the Prince-Abbot's Secular Power was suppressed, and the Abbey was Secularised. The Monks were driven out and moved into other Abbeys. The Abbey became a separate See, in 1846, with the Abbey Church as its Cathedral and a portion of the Monastic buildings for the Bishop.

The Abbey Library of Saint Gall is recognised as one of the richest Mediaeval Libraries in the world. It is home to one of the most comprehensive collections of Early-Medieval books in the German-speaking part of Europe. As of 2005, the Library consists of over 160,000 books, of which 2,100 are hand-written. Nearly half of the hand-written books are from the Middle Ages and 400 are over 1000 years old.

The Cathedral Abbey of Saint Gall, Switzerland.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/dX3hw25sMko.

Lately, the Stiftsbibliothek has launched a project for the digitisation of the priceless manuscript collection, which currently (December 2009) contains 355 documents that are available on the Codices Electronici Sangallenses web-page.

The Library Interior is exquisitely realised in the Rococo Style, with carved polished wood, stucco and paint used to achieve its overall effect. It was designed by the architect Peter Thumb and is open to the public. In addition, it holds exhibitions, as well as concerts and other events.

One of the more interesting documents in the Stiftsbibliothek is a copy of Priscian's Institutiones grammaticae, which contains the poem Is acher in gaíth in-nocht . . . written in Old Irish.

The Library also preserves a unique 9th-Century document, known as the Plan of St. Gall, the only surviving major architectural drawing from the roughly 700-year period between the Fall of the Roman Empire and the 13th-Century. The Plan drawn was never actually built, and was so named because it was kept at the famous Mediaeval Monastery Library, where it remains to this day. The Plan was an ideal of what a well-designed and well-supplied Monastery should have, as envisioned by one of the Synods, held at Aachen, for the Reform of Monasticism in the Frankish Empire during the early years of Emperor Louis the Pious (between 814 A.D., and 817 A.D.).

St. Gallen, Switzerland.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/ygDHyVadk4k.

A Late-9th-Century drawing of Saint Paul, lecturing an agitated crowd of Jews and Gentiles (part of a copy of a Pauline Epistle produced at, and still held by, the Monastery) was included in a Mediaeval-drawing show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, in the summer of 2009. A reviewer noted that the artist had "a special talent for depicting hair . . . with the Saint's beard ending in curling droplets of ink."

In 1983, the Abbey of Saint Gall was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "a perfect example of a great Carolingian Monastery".

Saint Gall Abbey is noted as an early user of Neume, the basic element of Western and Eastern systems of musical notation prior to the invention of five-line staff notation. The earliest extant manuscripts are from the 9th- or 10th-Centuries.

Come To Mass. An Invitation To Blackfen, From Fr Finigan, For The Feast Of Saint Alphonsus. 1030 a.m., Saturday, 2 August 2014.

Illustration: ST. JOHN CANTIUS PARISH

This Article can be found on Fr Finigan's Blog, THE HERMENEUTIC OF CONTINUITY

Saint Alphonsus.

The following Text is Fr Finigan's Invitation to Readers, Twitter and Facebook friends.

Saturday, 2 August, is the Feast of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, in the Old Calendar, and, in God's loving providence, this year it's the first Saturday of August, so we will have Missa Cantata at Blackfen, Sidcup, Kent, at 10.30 a.m. I'll be preaching on Saint Alphonsus (one of my favourite Saints); I haven't composed the Sermon, yet, but, following the great Doctor's example, I expect it will include some reflection on the Four Last Things.

As this will be my last Saturday Missa Cantata at Blackfen (I am moving to Margate on 2 September), I would like to take this opportunity to invite any Hermeneutic of Continuity readers, Twitter followers, and Facebook friends to join us. After Mass, we will order pizza, according to need, and the bar will be open. At 2.30 p.m., there will be Sung Vespers and Benediction.

No need to reply, just turn up if you can.

Come To Mass. An Invitation To Blackfen, From Fr Finigan, For The Feast Of Saint Alphonsus. 1030 a.m., Saturday, 2 August 2014. Missa Cantata, Sung Vespers, Benediction.

Illustration: ST. JOHN CANTIUS PARISH

This Article can be found on Fr Finigan's Blog, THE HERMENEUTIC OF CONTINUITY

Saint Alphonsus.

The following Text is Fr Finigan's Invitation to Readers, Twitter and Facebook friends.

Saturday, 2 August, is the Feast of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, in the Old Calendar, and, in God's loving providence, this year it's the first Saturday of August, so we will have Missa Cantata at Blackfen, Sidcup, Kent, at 10.30 a.m. I'll be preaching on Saint Alphonsus (one of my favourite Saints); I haven't composed the Sermon, yet, but, following the great Doctor's example, I expect it will include some reflection on the Four Last Things.

As this will be my last Saturday Missa Cantata at Blackfen (I am moving to Margate on 2 September), I would like to take this opportunity to invite any Hermeneutic of Continuity readers, Twitter followers, and Facebook friends to join us. After Mass, we will order pizza, according to need, and the bar will be open. At 2.30 p.m., there will be Sung Vespers and Benediction.

No need to reply, just turn up if you can.

Saint John Cantius Church, Chicago. Restoring The Sacred.

Zephyrinus originally published this Article in October 2013. Because of the beauty of Saint John Cantius Church, Chicago, and the Sanctity and Profundity of the Liturgy within,
it is now re-published.

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,

unless otherwise stated.

Polski: Kościół Świętej Anny w Krakowie.

English: Tomb of Saint John Cantius, Church of Saint Anne, Kraków, Poland.

Deutsch: Krakau St. Annen Kirche.

Photo: 14 November 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: Ludwig Schneider / Wikimedia, Ludwig Schneider.

(Wikimedia Commons)

St. John Cantius Church, Chicago | Catholic Faith.

Photo Credit: www.pinterest.com

The Limestone facade of Saint John Cantius Church,

Chicago, United States of America.

Photo: 2 September 2013.

Source: Own work.

Author: Victorgrigas.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Why not visit this beautiful Church's Web-Site,

and store, at

THE SAINT JOHN CANTIUS PARISH WEB-SITE

Zephyrinus is grateful to MATTHAEUS (see his Blog SUB UMBRA ALARUM SUARUM) for his excellent Post on Saint John Cantius.

St. John Cantius Parish (Polish: Parafia Świętego Jana Kantego) is a historic Church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, known for its opulence and grand scale as well its Solemn Liturgies and rich programme of Sacred Art and Music.

Along with such monumental Religious edifices as St. Mary of the Angels, St. Hedwig's or St. Wenceslaus, it is one of the many Polish Churches that dominate over the Kennedy Expressway.

Solemn High Mass, 

St John Cantius Church, Chicago, 

United States of America.

www.flickr.com

The unique Baroque Interior has remained intact for more than a century and is reminiscent of the sumptuous art and architecture of 18th-Century Krakow, Poland. Of all the “Polish Cathedral”-style Churches in Chicago, St. John Cantius stands closest to Downtown. The imposing 130 ft. Tower is readily seen from the nearby Kennedy Expressway. St. John's is particularly well known for its programme of Solemn Liturgies and Devotions, Treasures of Sacred Art and Rich Liturgical Music.

In 2013, St. John Cantius completed an ambitious Restoration, returning the lavish Interior to its original splendour.

St. John Cantius Church, near Chicago/Ogden/Milwaukee (and the Gonnella bakery). 

A Church whose Parish was largely razed by highway construction. 

At Polonia's peak, before World War I, as many as 23,000 people would attend 

Sunday Mass, here, and doubtless similar numbers at five similarly-huge Churches 

within a mile. Now the Parish survives by offering Mass 

to Suburban-ites in Latin or Gregorian Chant.

Photo: 22 April 2005.

Source: Flickr.

Author: Payton Chung from Chicago, USA.

Reviewer: Fruggo.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Designed by Adolphus Druiding, begun in 1893, and completed in 1898, St. John Cantius Church took five years to build.

Saint John Cantius Church was founded in 1893 by the Congregation of the Resurrection to relieve overcrowding at St. Stanislaus Kostka, the city's first Polish Parish. The Parish retained its Polish character for years, but the building of the Kennedy Expressway, which cut through the heart of Chicago's Polonia, began a period of decline for the Parish as many longtime residents were forced to relocate.

Holy Mass in the impressive Church of St John Cantius, 

Chicago, United States of America.
Picture Credit: OFFERIMUS TIBI DOMINE

The Parish was slated for closure as Chicago's inner city neighbourhoods declined further through the 1960s and 1970s. A revival of the Parish began in the Late-1980s, when the Parish became the focus of a renaissance of Traditional Catholic Rituals and Devotions that had fallen out of favour after the Second Vatican Council, such as the Tridentine Mass in Latin, as well as Vespers and Benediction, the Corpus Christi Procession, the Stations of the Cross, Tenebrae Services, and the St. Joseph Novena and St. Anne Novena. Today, the Parish has a rich programme of Sacred Music, supported by seven Parish Choirs. The Parish is presently administered by the Canons Regular of Saint John Cantius, a Religious Community founded at the Parish in 1998.

St. John Cantius Church has witnessed a number of famous visitors within its walls. In March 1989, the Parish hosted a visit by Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Prime Minister of the newly-Democratic Poland, while, in 1998, Józef Glemp, the Cardinal Primate of Poland, came to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving and Bless the Church's new copper Cupola.

English: Church of St. Anne, grave of St John Cantius , 

13 sw. Anny street, Old Town, Krakow, Poland.

Polski: Kościół św. Anny, grób św. Jana z Kęt , 

ul. św. Anny 13, Stare Miasto, Kraków.

Photo: 9 August 2012.

Source: Own work.

Author: Zygmunt Put Zetpe0202.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Although the Parish's school has closed, the building now houses the Chicago Academy for the Arts, often called the "Fame" school and compared with New York City's High School of Performing Arts.

St. John Cantius Church's majestic elegance has always drawn the attention of those who happened to pass by, making it an area landmark since its building over a hundred years ago. Authors and filmmakers have seen it as natural to use the Church, both as a point marking familiarity as well as from the purely aesthetic pleasure of its beauty. Some of the more notable examples are:

St. John Cantius serves as the backdrop for Steffi Rostenkowski's great realisation in Nelson Algren's work "Never Come Morning", where, night after night, she heard the iron rocking of the Bells of Saint John Cantius. Each night, they came nearer, till the roar of The Loop was only a troubled whimper beneath the rocking of the Bells. "Everyone lives in the same big room", she would tell herself, as they rocked. "But nobody's speakin' to anyone else, an' nobody got a key".

Another Church dedicated to Saint John Cantius.
This Church, is at Tremont, Cleveland, 

Ohio, United States of America.

Photo: 12 January 2008.

Source: Flickr.

Author: Eddie~S.

(Wikimedia Commons)

St. John Cantius has also been featured in two films that were both shot in the Summer and Fall of 1990. The first was a made-for-television movie, entitled "Johnny Ryan". The second was a major Hollywood film, entitled "Only the Lonely", directed by John Hughes and starring Maureen O'Hara and John Candy.

The Church building's design is by Adolphus Druiding. Work began on this grandiose structure in the Spring of 1893 and was completed by 1898. The building has a façade of rusticated stone, in the High Renaissance style, which dictated the use of classical elements, such as Columns, Capitals and Arches. At the very top, is a monumental Pediment, decorated with the Coat-of-Arms of Poland's failed January Uprising, under which is found the inscription "Boże Zbaw Polskę" ("God Save Poland" in Polish).

Holy Mass at St. John Cantius, 

Chicago, United States of America.

Picture Credit: NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT

Just below this, on the Entablature, is the Latin inscription "Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam", a text which proclaims that this building is for "the Greater Glory of God", a Jesuit motto, popular in many Churches built around the start of the 20th-Century. Three Romanesque Portals, set in receding Arches, lead into the Interior. Like St. Michael's, the entrance is flanked by two asymmetrical Towers, topped with copper Cupolas, styled after St. Mary's Basilica in Kraków, Poland. The whole structure is 230 feet (70 m) long and 107 feet (33 m) wide and can easily accommodate 2,000 people.

The Interior reflects the High Renaissance style of the Exterior. Eight stone Columns, with Corinthian Capitals, support the Vault. The present decoration is the result of several Interior decorations within the first forty years of completion. The Church's High Altar, as well as its matching two Side Altars, reputedly originate from the 1893 Columbian Exposition. In 1903, the Interior was painted for the first time, and it was at this time that all the plaster and wood ornaments were added, and the Church received the character it has today. The Stained Glass windows were made by Gawin Co. of Milwaukee, while the Interior murals were painted by Lesiewicz, around 1920. In addition to religious scenes, such as the Resurrection under the High Altar, the artist decorated the side walls with paintings of Polish Patron Saints.

St. John Cantius Church,

Chicago, United States of America.

Photo Credit: ST. MARY OF PERPETUAL HELP PARISH, CHICAGO

A new inlaid hardwood floor was installed in St. John Cantius Church in 1997, in a design by Jed Gibbons . Sixteen varieties of wood from around the world were used for the inlaid medallions. The floor is not only a beautiful contemporary work of Sacred Art, but it is also designed as a teaching tool. The medallions, inlaid into the main Aisle, tell the story of Salvation: Star of David - Jesus was born as a Jew; Three Crowns - with the arrival of the Three Kings, Jesus was made manifest to the world; Instruments of the Passion - Christ's suffering for our Salvation; Banner - the Resurrection; Star - Christ is the Light of the World. This floor, which is reputedly the only one of its kind in the United States, has already won three national awards.

In 2003, work was completed on a replica of the Veit Stoss Altar. Carved by artist Michał Batkiewicz over an eight-year period, this imposing one-third scale copy is the largest and most detailed work of its kind, and was commissioned as a tribute to the Galician immigrants who founded the parish in 1893.

A permanent exhibit of Sacred Art, located in the Church's North Tower, is open on Sundays, as well as upon special request. The collection's centerpiece is an elaborate Neapolitan "praesepio" (Italian creche) from Rome. Among St. John Cantius's many other treasures, are: A 19th-Century copy of the icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa, adorned with jewelled crowns, personally Blessed by Blessed Pope John Paul II; a reproduction of the famous miraculous Crucifix from Limpus, Portugal; a 19th-Century Pietà from Bavaria, Germany; a hand-written Altar Missal; as well as several hundred authenticated Relics of Saints.

Marian Feast Day at St. John Cantius, Chicago, United States of America.

Festival Mariano en San Juan Cantius (Chicago) | Una Voce Cordoba.

Photo Credit: unavocecba.wordpress.com

The following Text is from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal.

20 October.

Feast Day of Saint John Cantius.

Confessor.

Double.

White Vestments.

Born at Kenty, a market town in the Diocese of Cracow, Poland, Saint John was raised up by Providence to keep alight the torch of Faith and the flame of Christian Charity during the 15th-Century in Poland.

He obtained all the academic degrees at the University of Cracow, where he taught for several years. Ordained a Priest, he every day offered the Holy Sacrifice to appease Heavenly Justice, for he was deeply afflicted by the offences of men against God.

He shone especially by his exquisite Charity, which is shown in the Introit, the Collects, the Epistle, the Gradual, the Offertory and the Communion of his Mass. He took from his own food to help those who were in need and even gave them his clothes and shoes (Epistle); and he would let his cloak fall to the ground so as not to be seen returning home bare-foot.

While on a pilgrimage to Rome, he was robbed by brigands, and, when he declared that he had no other possessions, they allowed him to pursue his journey. The Saint, who had sewn some pieces of money in his cloak, suddenly remembered this, and calling the thieves he offered them the sum. But they, touched by his goodness and candour, gave him back all that they had taken.

Saint John Cantius died on Christmas Eve, 1473. He is especially invoked in cases of consumption. ["Owing to your Prayers, we see epidemics disappear, stubborn diseases averted, and the blessing of health restored. Those whom consumption, fever and ulcers condemn to a painful end are, by you, delivered from the embraces of death." (Hymn of Second Vespers)]

The Akathist Hymn Is A Profound, Devotional Poem, Which Sings The Praises Of The Holy Mother And Ever-Virgin Mary.

This Post is a further development of the Akathist Hymns recently Posted on Zephyrinus, headlined "Saint Anne. Mother of The Blessed Virgin Mary. Feast Day 26 July", which can be found HERE

The Text for this Article can be found on FACEBOOK

Illustration: FACEBOOK

"Rejoice, unfading rose.

Rejoice, the only one who budded forth

the unfading apple.

Rejoice, birth-giver of the aromatic balm

of the King of all.

Rejoice, O Bride un-wedded,

the world's salvation."

The Akathist Hymn is a profound, devotional poem, which sings the praises of The Holy Mother and Ever-Virgin Mary. It is one of the most beloved services in the Orthodox Church. It was composed in the Imperial City of Constantinople, "the City of the Virgin," by Saint Romanos the Melodist, who reposed in the year 556 A.D.

The Akathist Hymn has proven so popular in the Liturgical life of the Church that many other Hymns have been written following its format. These include Akathist Hymns to Our Lord Jesus Christ, to The Cross, and to many Saints.

The Akathist Hymn consists of Praises directed to The Mother of God, beginning with the Salutation of the Archangel Gabriel: "Rejoice." As the Hymn is chanted, all of the events related to Our Lord's Incarnation pass before us for our contemplation.

The Archangel Gabriel marvels at the Divine self-emptying and the renewal of creation which will occur when Christ comes to dwell in The Virgin's womb. The unborn John the Baptist prophetically rejoices. The Shepherds recognise Christ as a blameless Lamb, and rejoice that in The Virgin "the things of Earth join chorus with the heavens." The pagan Magi, following the light of the star, praise Her for revealing The Light of the World.

The word "akathistos" means "not sitting," i.e., standing; normally all participants stand while it is being Prayed. The Hymn is comprised of twenty-four stanzas, arranged in an Acrostic, following the Greek alphabet. The stanzas alternate between long and short. Each short stanza is written in prose and ends with the singing of "Alleluia." Each longer stanza ends with the refrain: "Rejoice, O Bride Un-wedded."

The first part of the Hymn is about the Annunciation to The Virgin Mary by the Angel. It describes Mary’s surprise at the news, Her visit to Her mother (Saint Anne) and Joseph’s doubts as to her innocence. The second part of the Hymn is about the Birth of Christ, the worship of the Shepherds and Magi, the Flight to Egypt and the visit to Saint Simeon in the Temple.

In the third part, the Hymn directs our attention to the Renewal of the World by Christ’s Coming, and the amazement of the Angels and The Wise Men at the sight of the Incarnation of God’s Son. The fourth, and the last, part of the Hymn is once more a lyric and rhetorical appraisal of The Virgin Mary, whom the poet adorns with the most beautiful of adjectives, asking Her to accept his poetical offering and to intercede for the Salvation of the human race from Earthly sin.

Orthodox Christian Observance of the Akathist Hymn.

On the first four Fridays of Great Lent, during the Service of the Small Compline, the Akathist Hymn is observed in the following order:

The chanting of the nine Odes or Canon;

The chanting of the Kontakion with censing ("Ti Ipermacho" - "O Champion General . . .");

The chanting by the Priest of the first part of the stanzas on the first Friday, the second part on the second Friday, the third part on the third Friday and the fourth part on the fourth Friday;

The chanting of the Kontakion with censing;

Veneration of the Icon, with the chanting of the Theotokion, before the conclusion of the Compline Service;

On the first Friday, the Priest reads the Gospel of the Day (John 15:1-7). On the fifth Friday of Great Lent, the complete Service is observed in the following order:

The Troparion of the Saturday of the Akathist is chanted three times;

The first part of the Hymn is chanted;

The first and third odes of the Canon are chanted;

The Kontakion is chanted with censing;

The second part is chanted;

The fourth, fifth and sixth odes are chanted, followed by the Kontakion with censing;

The third part is chanted;

The seventh, eighth and ninth odes are chanted, followed by the Kontakion and censing;

The fourth part is chanted. At the end of the 24th stanza, the Celebrant chants the first Verse of the first stanza: “An Archangel was sent” . . . then continues the whole stanza;

The Kontakion is chanted, with censing, followed by the Veneration of the Icon of The Holy Mother of God, with the chanting of the Theotokion.