Ave Maria.

You might wish to add this Ave Maria to your Daily Prayers.

Ave Maria.

Available on YouTube at

http://youtu.be/aQVz6vuNq7s.

Saint Christina. Virgin And Martyr. Feast Day 24 July.

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

Saint Christina.
Virgin and Martyr.
Feast Day 24 July.

Red Vestments.

English: Statue of Saint Christina,

The Church of Saint Christina,

Ravensburg, 

Germany.

Deutsch: Hl. Christina von Bolsena, Skulptur von Moriz Schlachter,

Pfarrkirche St. Christina, Ravensburg, Germany.

Photo: 20 January 2006.

Source: Own work.

Author: AndreasPraefcke.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Saint Christina was born in Tuscany, Italy. At the age of ten, she took away the silver idols, in her father's house, and broke them up. On this account, she was delivered up to the persecutors, tied to a post, and pierced with arrows.

She thus added, to the merit of her Virginity, that of Christian Fortitude (Collect). This was under the Persecutions of Emperor Diocletian towards 300 A.D.

Mass: Me exspectavérunt.

English: The Parish Church of Saint Christina,

Regensburg, Germany.

Deutsch: Pfarrkirche St. Christina, Ravensburg.

Photo: 20 January 2006.

Source: Own work.

Author: AndreasPraefcke.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia.

Saint Christina of Bolsena, Italy, also known as Christina of Tyre, or, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, as Christina the Great Martyr, is Venerated as a Christian Martyr of the 3rd-Century. Archaeological excavations of an underground cemetery, constructed at her tomb, have shown that she was Venerated at Bolsena by the 4th-Century A.D.

The existence of Christina is relatively well attested. Although some versions of her legend place her in Tyre (Phoenicia), the most credible evidence points to Bolsena, Italy: An ancient town in central Italy, near an Etruscan site called Volsinium, with catacombs, in which archaeologists have found the remains of an Early-Christian Church and the tomb of a female Martyr.

Inscriptions, found on the site, confirm that this Martyr had a name like Christina and that the local community was Venerating her as a Saint by the end of the 4th-Century. Some corroborating evidence is provided by a 6th-Century mosaic in the Basilica of Saint Apollinare Nuovo, at Ravenna, Italy, which includes, in its Procession of Virgins, a Saint named Christina, wearing a Martyr's Crown.

The Mass at Bolsena.

Artist: Raphael (1483–1520).

Date: 1512.

This File: 30 March 2007.

User: David Sneek.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Mass at Bolsena is a painting by the Italian Renaissance artist, Raphael. It was painted between 1512 and 1514 as part of Raphael's commission to decorate with frescoes the rooms that are now known as the Raphael Rooms, in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. It is located in the Stanza di Eliodoro, which is named after The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple.

The Mass at Bolsena shows an incident that is said to have taken place in 1263. A Bohemian Priest, who doubted the Doctrine of Transubstantiation, celebrated Mass at Bolsena, Italy, where the Bread of the Eucharist began to Bleed. The following year, in 1264, Pope Urban IV instituted the Feast of Corpus Christi, to celebrate this miraculous event.

The Priest was saying Mass, and, when he doubted the Transubstantiation, Blood spouted from the Host and fell onto the Altar Cloth, in the shape of a Cross, and he was rec-converted.

Present in this painting, is a self-portrait of the artist, Raphael, as one of the Swiss Guard in

the lower right of the fresco, facing out with bound-up hair. This is one of several instances

in which Raphael has placed himself in his paintings. Also shown in the work is

Pope Julius II (1443-1513), kneeling at the right, and his daughter, Felice della Rovere,

shown on the left at the bottom of the steps, in profile, in dark clothes. The four Cardinals,

to the right, have also been identified as Leonardo Grosso della Rovere, Raffaello Riario,

Tommaso Riario and Agostino Spinola, relatives of Julius.

The Martyr, Christina, lived during the 3rd-Century. She was born into a rich family, and her father was Governor of Tyre. By the age of 11, the girl was exceptionally beautiful, and many wanted to marry her. Christina's father, however, envisioned that his daughter should become a pagan priestess.

To this end, he placed her in a special dwelling, where he had set up many gold and silver idols, and he commanded his daughter to burn incense before them. Two servants attended Christina.

According to legend, on one occasion, Christina was visited by an Angel, who instructed her in the True Faith. The Angel called her a Bride of Christ, and told her about her future suffering. Christina smashed all the idols in her room and threw them out the window.

In visiting his daughter, Christina's father, Urban, asked her where all the idols had disappeared. Christina was silent. Then, having summoned the servants, Urban learned the truth from them.

A second legend is connected to Saint Christina. The Miracle of Bolsena, often considered to be the catalyst for the Feast of Corpus Christi, recalls an event in the Umbrian region of Italy in 1263. A Priest, named Peter, from the City of Prague, nurtured doubts regarding the Transubstantiation of the Host during Mass, and, during his Pilgrimage toward Rome, Prayed to be relieved of his questions.

While saying the Words of Consecration, in the Church of Saint Christina, in Bolsena, Italy, the Host dripped Blood on his hands and on the Altar Cloth, below. The Miracle of Bolsena is depicted on the walls of the Vatican, in a painting by Raphael.

The Vigil Of Saint James. Apostle. 24 July.

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

The Vigil of Saint James.
Apostle.
24 July.

Violet Vestments.

Saint James the Greater.

Artist: Rembrandt (1606–1669).

Date: 1661.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Like most of the Feasts of the Apostles, which were formerly of obligation, that of Saint James is preceded by a Vigil.

This Saint was one of the College of Twelve, who, like the twelve sons of Jacob, received his inheritance and had to evangelise part of the Church, figured of old by the Promised Land (Epistle).

With his brother, Saint John, and with Saint Peter, he was privileged to witness the Transfiguration of Jesus and His Agony in the Garden of Olives.

He was the first among the Apostles to have the honour of bearing witness to Christ by shedding his blood in the City of Jerusalem. He thus gave, like his Master, the proof of the greatest love, which consists in sacrificing one's life for those one loves (Gospel).

Let us, with the Church, prepare ourselves in Meditation and Prayer, for the Feast Day, tomorrow.

Mass: Of the Vigil of an Apostle: Ego autem.

Commemoration of Saint Christina. Virgin and Martyr.

      Mass: Collects of the Mass: Me exspectavérunt.

Saint Liborius. Bishop And Confessor. Feast Day 23 July.

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

Saint Liborius.
Bishop and Confessor.
Feast Day 23 July.

Simple.

White Vestments.

English: Saint Liborius, relief in the Trinity Chapel of the Paderborn Cathedral, Germany.

Deutsch: Paderborner Dom: Darstellung des heiligen Liborius in der Dreifaltigkeitskapelle.

Photo: 25 July 2006.

Source: Own work.

Author: ludger1961.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Saint Liborius was born in the 4th-Century of a Gaulish family. He left everything to Consecrate himself to the Service of the Altar.

He became Bishop of Le Mans, France, and, after a life devoted to Preaching, Prayer, and austerities, he died in 397 A.D.

Mass: Státuit.

English: Stained-Glass Window, depicting Saint Liborius,

in the Church of Saint Jodokus, Saalhausen, Germany.

Deutsch: Bleiglasfenster in der Kirche St. Jodokus in Saalhausen,

einem Ortsteil von Lennestadt in Nordrhein-Westfalen,

Darstellung: hl. Liborius.

Photo: 26 October 2013.

Source: Own work.

Author: Reinhardhauke.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia.

Liborius of Le Mans (circa 348 A.D. – 397 A.D.) was the second Bishop of Le Mans. He is the Patron Saint of the Cathedral and Archdiocese of Paderborn, Germany.

He died in 397 A.D., in the arms of his friend, Saint Martin of Tours.

English: Interior of Paderborn Cathedral, Germany.

Saint Liborius is the Patron Saint of this Cathedral and the Archdiocese of Paderborn.

His Relics were Transferred to the Cathedral in 836 A.D.

Deutsch: Innenansicht des Doms.

Français: Intérieur de la cathédrale.

Photo: July 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Benchaum.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Saint Liborius Roman Catholic Church,

Eaglehawk, Victoria,

Australia.

Photo: 2 August 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattinbgn.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Saint Liborius Church,

Saint Louis, Missouri,

United States of America.

Photo: 15 September 2012.

Source: Own work.

Author: BirgitteSB.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Saint Apollinaris. Bishop And Martyr. Feast Day 23 July.

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

Saint Apollinaris.
Bishop and Martyr.
Feast Day 23 July.

Double.

Red Vestments.

Deutsch: Apollinaris von Ravenna, erster Bischof von Ravenna. Detail eines aus dem sechsten Jahrhundert stammenden Mosaiks in der Apsis der Basilika von Sant'Apollinare in Classe.

English: Saint Apollinaris, first Bishop of Ravenna. Detail from the 6th-Century

Byzantine 

mosaic in the Apse of the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, near Ravenna, Italy.

Italiano: Sant'Apollinare, primo vescovo di Ravenna. Mosaico

bizantino nel catino absidale di Sant'Apollinare in Classe.

This File: 4 September 2005.

User: MChew.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: The Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe in Ravenna, Italy.

Français: La Basilique Saint-Apollinaire in Classe à Ravenne (Italie).

Italiano: Ravenna, Basilica di Sant'Apollinare in Classe.

Photo: 6 March 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: Berthold Werner.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Saint Apollinaris is said to have come from Antioch to Rome with Saint Peter, who anointed him Bishop (Introit, Gradual, Alleluia) and sent him to Ravenna, Italy, to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, the Epistle chosen is that in which Saint Peter describes the duties of those who are to guide the Church, not domineering, but as models of the flock.

The Gospel also says "that the one who is greatest, shall be like the least, and the one who governs, like the one who serves".

English: The 6th-Century Byzantine mosaic

in the Apse of the Basilica of

Sant'Apollinare in Classe (Ravenna, Italy).

Italiano: Mosaico bizantino nel catino

absidale di Sant'Apollinare in Classe

 Ravenna (secolo VI).

Photo: 6 March 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: Berthold Werner.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Arrested by the pagan priests, he was cruelly beaten and cast into prison, then exiled to the banks of the Danube and to Thrace. Having returned to Ravenna, he was again persecuted, and died in 79 A.D., from the effects of torture and fatigue. Thus, did he put to profit the talents entrusted to him by God (Communion).

In the midst of our trials, let us remain united to Jesus and He will prepare for us, as for this Saint, a place in His Kingdom (Gospel).

Mass: Sacerdótes Dei, benedícite Dóminum.

Commemoration of Saint Liborius. Bishop and Confessor.

English: Interior of the Basilica of 

Sant'Apollinare in Classe (Ravenna, Italy).

Italiano: Basilica di Sant'Apollinare in Classe.

Photo: 8 January 2012.

Source: Own work.

Author: Sansa55.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia.

The Basilica of Sant' Apollinare in Classe, is an important monument of Byzantine art, near Ravenna, Italy. When UNESCO inscribed eight Ravenna sites on the World Heritage List, it cited this Basilica as "an outstanding example of the Early-Christian Basilicas, in its purity and simplicity of design, and use of space and the sumptuous nature of its decoration".

The imposing brick structure was erected at the beginning of the 6th-Century by order of Bishop Ursicinus, using money from the Greek banker, Iulianus Argentarius. It was certainly located next to a Christian Cemetery, and quite possibly on top of a pre-existing pagan one, as some of the ancient tombstones were re-used in its construction.

Sant'Apollinare in Classe was consecrated on 9 May 549 A.D., by Bishop Maximian, and dedicated to Saint Apollinaris, first Bishop of Ravenna and Classe. The Basilica is thus contemporary with the Basilica of San Vitale of Ravenna. In 856 A.D., the Relics of Saint Apollinaris were transferred from the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe to the Basilica of Sant' Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna.

The Exterior has a large façade, with two simple uprights and one mullioned window with three openings. The Narthex and building, to the right of the entry, are later additions, as is the fine 9th-Century round Bell Tower, with mullioned windows.

Sankt Anna Damenstiftskirche, Munich. From September 2014, This Glorious Collegiate Church Will Permanently Host The FSSP, With Daily Traditional Masses.

English: The High Altar,

Sankt Anna Damenstiftskirche, Munich, Germany.

Deutsch: Damenstiftskirche, München, Innenraum.

Photo: 26 June 2007.

Source: Own work.

Author: Rufus46.

(Wikimedia Commons)

News has come in from RORATE CAELI
that the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP), that already had a small presence in the Bavarian Capital, Munich, will soon have a permanent basis in the City.

This will be the second major world Diocese to open up a permanent setting for the FSSP. The first having been LOS ANGELES

Starting on 1 September 2014, the glorious Collegiate Church of Saint Anne (Damenstiftskirche Sankt Anna), a historic Chapel in Munich, will host the FSSP, permanently, with daily Traditional Masses. The Apostolate will be headed by Father Christian Jäger, FSSP.

Further information will be posted on the FSSP GERMANY WEB-SITE

Heartfelt congratulations to the FSSP, Fr. Jäger, and the local community. And profound gratitude to the local Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Cardinal Reinhard Marx.

This Article also appears on
THE LATIN MASS SOCIETY RC DIOCESE OF MIDDLESBROUGH

Deutsch: Damenstiftkirche,

München, Deutschland.

English: The Decorated Ceiling,

Sankt Anna Damenstiftskirche,

Munich, Germany.

Photo: 10 July 2007.

Source: Own work.

Author: Andrew Bossi.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The following Text and Illustrations are from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

Sankt Anna Damenstiftskirche is a Chapel in Munich, Southern Germany.

It was commissioned in the 18th-Century by Elector Charles Albert, who became Emperor Charles VII, starting from 1733. A Monastery in the legal form of a Chapter of Nuns was set up. The architect was Johann Baptist Gunetzrhainer, while the Asam brothers were responsible for the Interior. The women's Collegiate Church was consecrated in 1735.

English: The Pulpit and The High Altar,

Sankt Anna Damenstiftskirche, Munich, Germany.

Deutsch: München, Damenstiftskirche St. Anna.

Photo: March 2011.

Source: Own work.

Author: Bbb at wikivoyage shared.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Fontevraud Abbey, Anjou, France. Final Resting Place Of Plantagenet King, Richard The Lionheart (Richard Coeur De Lion).

Text from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,
unless otherwise stated.

English: The Abbey Church,

Fontevraud Abbey, France.

Français: Abbaye Fontevraud -

Intérieur Église Abbatiale.

Photo: 27 July 2010.

Source: Own work.

Author: Jean-Christophe BENOIST.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: Fontevraud Abbey.

Français: Vue aérienne oblique de l'Abbaye de Fontevraud.

Photo: 8 October 2005.

Source: www.pixAile.com.

Author: Pierre Mairé, PixAile.com.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Fontevraud Abbey, or Fontevrault Abbey (in French: abbaye de Fontevraud), is a Religious Building hosting a cultural centre since 1975, the Centre Culturel de l'Ouest, in the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, near Chinon, in Anjou, France. It was founded by the itinerant reforming Preacher, Robert of Arbrissel, who had just created a new Order, the Order of Fontevrault. The first permanent structures were built between 1110 and 1119.

Philippa of Toulouse persuaded her husband, William IX, Duke of Aquitaine, to grant Robert of Abrissel land, in Northern Poitou, to establish a Religious Community dedicated to The Virgin Mary. The Abbey was founded in 1100 and became a Double Monastery, with both Monks and Nuns on the same site.

English: Fontevraud Abbey.

Français: Arches de l'abbaye royale de Fontevraud

dans le département du Maine-et-Loire.

Photo: 18 August 2011.

Source: Own work.

Author: Sberth.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: Fontevraud Abbey.

Français: Abbatiale de Fontevraud.

Photo: 14 May 2010.

Source: http://fr.wikipedia.org

Author: Aurore Defferriere.

(Wikimedia Commons)

An international success, the Order established several "Fontevrist" Abbeys set up in England. Robert of Arbrissel declared that the Leader of the Order should always be a woman and appointed Petronille de Chemillé as the first Abbess. She was succeeded by Matilda of Anjou, the aunt of Henry II of England. This was the start of a position that attracted many rich and noble Abbesses over the years, including members of the French Bourbon Royal Family. It also became a refuge for battered women and penitent prostitutes, and housed a leper hospital and a home for aged Religious.

Tomb of Richard I of England, at Fontevraud Abbey, near Chinon, Anjou, France. The tomb of Queen Isabella of Angoulême, the second wife of King John of England, lies behind.

Richard died at Le Château de Châlus Chabrol, in Châlus, France, of a crossbow wound.

His entrails were buried at the Château, while his heart was taken to Rouen Cathedral

and the rest of the body to Fontevraud Abbey.

Photo: July 2003.

Source: Own work.

Author: AYArktos.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy (as Richard IV), Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Poitiers, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany, at various times during the same period.

Fontevraud Abbey and Cloisters,

Date: 2001.

Source: Own work.

Author: JC Allin.

(Wikimedia Commons)

He was the third of five sons of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He was known as Richard Cœur de Lion, or, Richard the Lionheart, even before his accession, because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior. The Muslims called him Melek-Ric (King Richard) or Malek al-Inkitar (King of England). He was also known, in Occitan, as Oc e No (Yes and No),

because of his ability to change his mind.

Armorial Bearings of The House of Plantagenet

Royal Arms of England (1198 - 1340).

Date: 20 July 2010.

Source: Own work.

Author: Sodacan.

(Wikimedia Commons)

By the age of 16, Richard the Lionheart had taken command of his own army, putting down rebellions in Poitou, against his father. Richard was a central Christian Commander during the Third Crusade, leading the Campaign after the departure of Philip II of France and scoring considerable victories against his Muslim counterpart, Saladin, although he did not reconquer Jerusalem from Saladin.

Richard spoke langue d'oïl, a French dialect, and Occitan, a Romance language spoken in Southern France and nearby regions. He lived in his Duchy of Aquitaine, in the South-West of France, and, while the King spent very little time, perhaps as little as six months, in England, preferring to use his Kingdom as a source of revenue to support his armies, he was seen as a pious hero by his Subjects. He remains one of the few Kings of England remembered by his epithet, rather than regnal number, and is an enduring iconic figure in England and France.

English: The Cloisters,

Fontevraud Abbey, France.

Français: Abbaye Fontevraud - Cloître du Grand-Moûtier.

Photo: 27 July 2010.

Source: Own work.

Author: Jean-Christophe BENOIST.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In the early years, the Plantagenets were great benefactors of Fontevraud Abbey and, while Isabella d'Anjou was Abbess, Henry II's widow, Eleanor of Aquitaine, became a Nun there. Louise de Bourbon left her Crest on many of the alterations she made during her term of Office.

During the French Revolution, the Order was dissolved. The last Abbess, Madame d'Antin, died in poverty in Paris. On 17 August 1792, a Revolutionary decree ordered evacuation of all Monasteries, to be completed by 1 October 1792. The Abbey later became a prison, from 1804 to 1963, in which year it was given to the French Ministry of Culture.

Fontevraud Abbey.

Photo: 14 May 2010.

Source: http://fr.wikipedia.org

Author: Aurore Defferriere.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Fontevraud Church and Abbey

(Grand-Moûtier, on the right)

and Saint-Benoît Infirmary (on the left).

Photo: 24 July 2009.

Source: originally posted to Flickr as Panorama from Fontevraud Abbey.

Author: Jean-Etienne Minh-Duy Poirrier

(Wikimedia Commons)

This city prison in Fontevraud, planned to hold 1,000 prisoners, required major changes, including new barracks, in addition to the transformation of Monastic buildings into dormitories, workshops, and common areas. Prisoners - men, women and children – began arriving in 1814. Eventually, it held some 2,000 prisoners, earning the prison the title of the "toughest in France after Clairvaux."

Political prisoners experienced the harshest conditions: Some French Resistance prisoners were shot there, under the Vichy Government. Following closure of the prison, came major restoration, an opening to the public in 1985, and completion of the Abbey Church's restoration in 2006, under architect Lucien Magne.

English: The Cloister Galleries,

Fontevraud Abbey,

Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France.

Français: Abbaye de Fontevraud,

Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire,

France. Galeries du cloître.

Photo: 20 September 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Tango7174.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: The West Front,

Fontevraud Abbey.

Français: Abbaye Fontevraud - Eglise Abbatiale,

facade ouest.

Photo: 27 July 2010.

Source: Own work.

Author: Jean-Christophe BENOIST.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Abbey was originally the site of the graves of King Henry II of England, his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, their son, King Richard I of England, their daughter, Joan, their grandson, Raymond VII of Toulouse, and Isabella of Angoulême, wife of Henry's and Eleanor's son, King John. However, there is no remaining corporal presence of Henry, Eleanor, Richard, or the others on the site. Their remains were possibly destroyed during the French Revolution.

Henriette Louise de Bourbon, grand-daughter of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan, grew up here. Princess Thérèse of France, daughter of King Louis XV, is also buried here.

English: Decorated Walls,

Fontevraud Abbey.

Français: Salle capitulaire de Fontevraud.

Photo: 14 May 2010.

Source: http://fr.wikipedia.org

Author: Aurore Defferriere.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: Fontevraud Abbey.

Français: Abbaye de Fontevraud -

Entrée de la salle capitulaire.

Photo: 27 July 2010.

Source: Own work.

Author: Jean-Christophe BENOIST.

(Wikimedia Commons)