May 25 & 26 and Marian May with a double apparition!

The emphasis is on Pentecost this weekend, which most years (though not always), falls within the month of May. The Marian aspect of this celebration is evident in the days surrounding the celebration. On the Saturday prior, Our Lady of the Cenacle is remembered. And on the Monday following, according to Pope Francis' direction, Mary is honored under the title of Mother of the Church, something very much promoted with the Second Vatican Council. The date of May 24th is traditionally celebrated as Mary, Help of Christians, an ancient title first described by John Chrysostom in AD 345. This devotion was particularly promoted by Don Bosco and the Salesians. 

And on May 26th is a dual veneration in Italy: Our Lady of Piné, Madonna of Montagnaga is a little-known but authenticated apparition of Mary that occurred between 1729 and 1730. It is related to the apparition of Our Lady of the Fountain in Caravaggio from May 26, 1432, referring to the village, not the artist, but this is the town where the artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio grew up.  A painting of the 1432 appearance is at the center of the story of Mary's reappearance to another young woman 297 years later in Montagnaga. This is yet another significant Marian date in May. Here is some clarity between these two occurrences:

The first apparition was reported by Giovanetta, daughter of Pietro Vaccli and wife of Francesco Varoli. She said that on 26 May 1432, Mary appeared in a field in Caravaggio, in Northern Italy, in the region of Milan. The Virgin Mary announced peace to Giovanetta in her family, among the neighboring warring states, and reconciliation between the Church in the East and West, through the Council of Florence (1436—1445). As proof of her Marian apparition, the Virgin left the imprint of her feet on the stone where she stood. A spring of water sprang forth from under the stone, purported to be miraculous. 

The Virgin, dressed in white with a rosary in her hand, appeared on May 14, 1729, and four other times to shepherdess Domenica Targa. The third occasion was on September 8, 1729. A new and larger painting of the apparition of the Madonna to the visionary Giovanetta Varoli was prepared by Elena Zambaiti and installed in the church of St. Anne in Montagnaga. As people gathered for the dedication of this new altar, the Blessed Virgin herself appeared to the seer, along with  Saints Joachim & Anne and St. Joseph. Mary specifically blessed the picture and assured that this would be the place where she would welcome the prayers of her devotees.

May 20 San Bernardino

St. Bernardine of Siena/San Bernardino (1380-1444)

May 20

            Bernardine came from a knightly family in Siena. His parents died before he was seven. After studying theology and canon law in Siena, he joined the Franciscans in 1402. He entered the group known as the Observants, the forerunners of today’s Friars Minor, and was eventually known, with John of Capistrano (Oct. 23), James of the March (Nov. 28) and Albert of Sarteano, as one of the “four pillars of the Observance.”

            Bernardine was the greatest preacher of his day; sometimes 30,000 people came to hear him. In his time many Italian city-states were torn by rival factions, each with its own party emblem. Looking for a way of inviting them to move beyond these factions, Bernardine preached on the Holy Name of Jesus, the name before which "every knee must bend.... and every tongue proclaim to the glory of God the Father: JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!" (Phil 2:10-11)

            Bernardine had banners made with the emblem YHS or IHS (abbreviation of the Greek word for Jesus). He organized processions behind these to symbolize the surpassing of old allegiances. Some complained that this was superstitious and had Bernardine brought before Church authorities to explain himself; he was vindicated.

            In 1418 the Duke of Milan was so impressed with Bernardine’s Lenten sermons that he sent a messenger with some money for the friar. Bernardine refused to accept it, but led the messenger to the local prison and had him pay the debts of several people there.

            Bernadine preached in a sermon (#49 in the collection): “The name of Jesus is the glory of preachers, because the shining splendor of that name causes his word to be proclaimed and heard. And how do you think such an immense, sudden and dazzling light of faith came into the world, if not because Jesus was preached? Was it not through the brilliance and sweet savor of this name that ‘God called us into the marvelous light’ (I Peter 2:9)?” Most often Bernardine preached against luxury and extravagance. Several times his sermons concluded with a bonfire, “the Devil’s Castle” or the "Bonfire of Vanities" into which people were invited to throw dice, playing cards, wigs, perfume, high-heeled shoes, etc. Bernardine also vigorously denounced usury, the charging of excessive interest on loans.

            Bernardine encouraged learning among the Franciscans as a preparation for preaching; he worked tirelessly for reform among the friars. Bernardine three times declined the offer to be made a bishop. He was canonized six years after his death.

May 18 two Franciscan friars

St. Paschal Baylon /San Pasqual (1540-1592)

May 17

            St. Paschal is a patron saint of cooks and the kitchen due to his diligence as a cook for the community. And yet, Pacshal claimed to know nothing about the kitchen, thus giving rise to a legend of angelic help. Tomie DePaola wrote a delightful book about him entitled "Pascual and the Kitchen Angels." The book is exquisitely illustrated in DePaola's wonderfully charming style. Paschal is often depicted wearing an apron and holding a wooden spoon.  

            Paschal’s Spanish parents were poor but pious. Between the ages of seven and 24, he worked as a shepherd and began a life of mortification. He was able to pray on the job and was especially attentive for when the church bell rang at the Elevation during Mass. 

            In 1564 Paschal joined the Friars Minor and gave himself wholeheartedly to a life of penance. Though he was urged to study for the priesthood, he chose to be a brother. Instead of preaching, this meant he would spend his time doing more menial tasks around the monastery. At various times he served as porter, cook, gardener, and official beggar. He especially enjoyed feeding the poor. 

            Paschal was very careful to observe the vow of poverty. He would never waste any food or anything given for the use of the friars. When he was porter and took care of the poor coming to the door, he developed a reputation for great generosity. The friars sometimes tried to moderate his liberality!

            Saint Paschal said: “Meditate well on this: Seek God above all things. It is right for you to seek God before and above everything else, because the majesty of God wishes you to receive what you ask for. This will also make you more ready to serve God and will enable you to love God more perfectly.”

        Paschal spent his spare moments praying before the Blessed Sacrament. In time many people sought his wise counsel. Many people flocked to his tomb immediately after his burial; miracles were reported promptly.

            In 1690 Paschal was canonized and in 1897 named patron of Eucharistic congresses and societies.  In Paschal’s lifetime the Spanish Empire in the New World was at the height of its power, though France and England were soon to reduce its influence.  The 16^th century has been called the Golden Age of the Church in Spain, for it gave birth to many prominent saints like Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, and Franciscans Peter Alcantara (October 22) & Francis Solano (July 14).

St. Felix of Cantalice (1515-1587)

May 18

            In 1712 Felix was the first Capuchin ever canonized! In fact, when he was born, the Capuchins didn’t yet exist as a distinct group within the Franciscans. Born of humble but God-fearing parents in the Rieti Valley of Italy, Felix worked as a farm laborer and a shepherd until he was 28. 8He developed the habit of praying while he worked. In 1543 he joined the Capuchins. When the guardian explained the hardships of the way of life, Felix answered: “Father, the austerity of your Order does not frighten me. I hope, with God’s help, to overcome all the difficulties which will arise from my own weakness.”

            Three years later Felix was assigned to the friary in Rome as its official beggar. Because he was a model of simplicity and charity, he edified many people during the 42 years he performed that service for his confreres. In Rome, Brother Felix became a familiar sight, wandering barefoot through the streets, with a sack slung over his shoulders, knocking on doors to seek donations.

            As he made his rounds, he worked to convert hardened sinners and to feed the poor as did his good friend, St. Philip Neri, who founded the Oratory, a community of priests serving the poor of Rome. When Felix wasn’t talking on his rounds, he was praying the rosary. The people named him “Brother Deo Gratias” (Thanks be to God) because he was always using that blessing.

            Felix died in Rome in 1587 on his 72nd birthday and was buried in the crypt of the Church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini.

“Let us refer all good to the Lord God, most high and supreme, and let us recognize everything good as belonging to God, and thank God for everything from whom all blessings come. May the most high and sovereign Lord have and be given all praise and blessing, all thanks and glory. To him who alone is good belongs whatever is good. When we see or hear any evil, when we hear a blasphemy uttered, let us bless, honor, and praise the Lord who is blessed forever. Amen.” (St. Francis, Rule of 1221, Chp. 7)

            Felix is usually represented in art as holding in his arms the Infant Jesus, because of a vision he is said to have had when the Virgin appeared to him and placed Jesus in his arms. Pope John Paul II observed that Felix is "shown bearing the Infant Jesus in his arms because in bearing the burdens of the needy he had carried in his arms the poor Christ himself."

What is a Franciscan Friar?

The Franciscans are referred to as “friars,” from the Latin frater, meaning “brother.” Franciscans are essentially an order of brothers striving to live the Gospel with the same simplicity and fervor as their founder, St. Francis of Assisi. After growing up in a wealthy family and then experiencing a powerful conversion at the age of 25, Francis donned the clothes of a penitent and began to live a very poor lifestyle, dedicating himself to prayer and service of the poor. Before long, inspired by his fervent lifestyle, men began to join Francis and to imitate his way of life. This gave rise to the birth of the Franciscan Order in 1223.

What is a Capuchin Franciscan?

In the 16th century, a group of Franciscans were inspired to live the Franciscan lifestyle in a more radical manner, returning to the original emphasis on prayer and poverty. These men broke away from the Franciscans and began a reform movement which stressed the priority of contemplative prayer and a more rigorous austerity. Wearing habits with large hoods, they soon garnered the name cappucio, the Italian word for “hood.” The Capuchins received approval of their way of life and were recognized as an official, independent branch of the Franciscans in 1525 in the papal bull Religionis Zellus.

The Capuchins Today

Today there are seven regional jurisdictions of Capuchins in the United States. Usually found in the poorer sections of towns and cities, the Capuchins have a special charism for working among the common people and taking those assignments which others refuse. Capuchins can be found working in soup kitchens and homeless shelters, serving as hospital chaplains or prison ministers, confessors, and spiritual directors. Capuchins can also be found in some of the city’s poorest parishes.

The Capuchins build their life and ministry on two essential foundations: prayer and fraternity. The priority of prayer and the contemplative life is at the heart of the Capuchin charism. Personal and community prayer nourishes the brothers’ relationship with God and one another and enables them to give fully of themselves to everyone they meet. The Capuchin tradition has placed great emphasis on Eucharistic devotion and veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Along with prayer, fraternity is of great importance to the Capuchin charism. A Capuchin is first and foremost a brother among brothers. This fraternal life is founded upon the Gospel in which, after washing the disciples’ feet, the Lord exhorts his followers to do the same for others. This witness to fraternity is crucial in an increasingly isolated and alienated world.

These three definitions were retrieved from https://www.capuchins.org/who-are-we

 

May 15 Saints Isidore & Maria and St. Dymphna

Saints Isidore and Maria

Isidore and Maria were not Franciscan, but as the patron saints of farmers and day laborers in the fields, their feast day is a benchmark in creation-centered spirituality. You will see the connections as you read on.  We remember them together as a married couple on the day of Isidore’s death in 1130. Maria died Sept. 9, 1175. After Isidore's death, Maria became a hermit. She is known in Spain as Santa Maria de la Cabeza (St. Mary of the Head) because her head is contained in a reliquary. Her intercession has often brought rain to dry countrysides when there was drought.

Isidore is named after Isidore of Seville, the saintly archbishop and theologian who died in 636. He is the patron of Madrid and of the United States National Rural Life Conference. A story told about St. Isidore is that “he often came later to work in the fields than other laborers because he would first attend Mass in the morning. Yet his work never suffered and he always met the chores required of him. It was said two angels, one on either side of Isidore, appeared and joined their pious companion in plowing the fields.”

Another story about Isidore found online is that “he is also known for a love of animals. During one winter, he was carrying a sack of corn to the mill to be ground to flour. Noticing all the hungry birds around him, he opened the sack and poured half of it on the ground for them. He was ridiculed for the waste, but when he reached the mill, the sack produced double the normal amount of flour.”

He married Maria Torribia and they lived and worked in Torrelaguna, near Madrid in Spain. After their only son died, they committed themselves to sexual abstinence as a form of devotion. The story is told online that “St. Maria always kept a pot of stew on the fireplace in their humble rural dwelling. She knew that her husband Isidore would often bring home anyone who was hungry. One day he brought home more hungry people than usual. After she served many of them, Maria told him that there simply was no more stew in the pot. He insisted that she check the pot again, and she was able to spoon out enough stew to feed them all.”

Isidore and Maria show the beautiful complementarity of spouses. Isidore worked the fields, evangelizing with his actions, while Maria prepared to continue serving God’s people from the home. Without Isidore there would be no one to feed, but without Maria there would be no food to give.

Saint Isidore the Farmer’s life challenges contemporary compartmentalization of work and spirituality, showing that work can be a channel for grace, regardless of its nature. Isidore was canonized in 1622 and Maria was canonized in 1697, over 500 years after their deaths. St. Isidore’s incorrupt body can be found in the Cathedral of Madrid, interred alongside relics of Maria.

St. Isidore the Farmer, you and your wife Maria led a simple life of great faith that produced wonders—pray for us! 

Saint Dymphna

The other saint traditionally commemorated on May 15^th is a young Irish girl who consecrated herself to Christ and took a vow of chastity. Soon afterward, her mother died and her father Damon- who had loved his wife deeply - began to suffer a rapid deterioration of his mental stability. He was a minor regional ruler who began to desire his daughter because of her strong resemblance to her deceased mother. Dymphna resisted the advances of her father and fled with her confessor, a priest named Gerebran, two trusted servants, and the king's fool. The group sailed toward what is now Belgium and hid in the town of Geel. Damon pursued them, and Dymphna was beheaded by her father on the 30^th of May, circa 650, although the year of her death in the 7^th century is uncertain.  She was said to have been 15 years old when she died.

This virgin martyr is revered for her compassion, fleeing her mentally unstable father to care for the sick in Belgium, where she was eventually killed, making her a symbol of purity and a protector for those with mental health struggles. Dymphna is the patron saint of those suffering from mental illness, anxiety, depression, stress, and nervous disorders. She is also patroness of mental health professionals, incest victims, and the motherless. There has been a contemporary revival of devotion to this saint. Whether we remember her on the 15^th or the 30^th of the month, it is providential that May is Mental Health Awareness Month!

For even more on her story and the connection to the care of those with mental illness, I recommend this US Catholic article: https://uscatholic.org/articles/202005/remembering-st-dymphna-in-a-world-gone-mad/

 

May 13 and the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM)

May 13

Our Lady of Fatima

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament

Today we have another celebration of the BVM that “flavors” the month of May with Marian devotion: the appearance of Mary at Fatima, Portugal. There, she identified herself as Our Lady of the Rosary, but another title has also come to be associated with this day. Saint Peter Julian Eymard coined the title “Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament” in 1868. He founded his Congregation of the Most Blessed Sacrament at Paris on May 13, 1856, thus the connection to the day. His prayer:

Virgin Immaculate, perfect lover of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, we ask you to obtain for us the graces we need to become true adorers of our Eucharistic God.  Grant us, we beg of you, to know Jesus better, to love God more, and to center our lives around the Eucharist; that is, to make our whole life a constant prayer of adoration, thanksgiving, reparation, and petition to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.  Amen.

V. Pray for us, O Virgin Immaculate, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

R. That the Eucharistic Kingdom of Jesus Christ may come among us!

A prayer I composed to Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament
to be said during Eucharistic Adoration:

Contemplating this Great Mystery of Love

we look with awe and reverence upon Jesus,

the Bread of Life and Child of the Virgin Mary.

To you, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, we give thanks

for the role you play and the work

that you continue to do in the mystery of salvation.

This presence of the One who is flesh of your flesh

is the gift of God made human through your cooperation.

How wonderful this miracle!

How merciful and gracious is our God!

Join with us in our prayer and praise, O Blessed Lady.

(by Deacon Jim Cummings)

San Diego/Didacus of Alcala -CA Mission

 

St. Didacus of Alcala/San Diego (1400-1463)

November 7 (died Nov. 13)

Didacus is living proof that “God chose those whom the world considers absurd to shame the wise; God singled out the weak of this world to shame the strong.” (1 Cor 1:27)

As a young man in Spain, Didacus joined the Secular Franciscan Order and lived for some time as a hermit. After Didacus became a Franciscan brother, he developed a reputation for great insight into God’s ways. His penances were heroic. Didacus was so generous with the poor that the friars sometimes grew uneasy about his charity.

Didacus labored energetically in the missions in the Canary Islands. He was also the superior of a friary there. In 1450 he was sent to Rome to attend the canonization of Bernardine of Siena. When many friars gathered for that celebration fell sick, Didacus stayed in Rome for three months to nurse them. After he returned to Spain, he pursued a life of contemplation full-time. 

As he was dying, Didacus looked at a crucifix and said, “O faithful wood, O precious nails! You have borne an exceedingly sweet burden, for you have been judged worthy to bear the Lord and King of heaven.” Didacus is the patron of Franciscan brothers. San Diego, California, is named for this Franciscan who was canonized in 1588.

            From the Bull of Canonization: “He was born in Spain with no outstanding reputation for learning, but like our first teachers and leaders unlettered as men count wisdom, an unschooled person, a humble lay brother in religious life. God chose Didacus to show in him the abundant riches of God’s grace to lead many on the way of salvation by the holiness of his life and by his example and to prove over and over to a weary old world almost decrepit with age that God’s folly is wiser than humans, and God’s weakness is more powerful than men.” 

BEGINNING THIS WEEK WE INCLUDE WITHIN OUR EXPLORATION OF FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY, THE PRESENCE OF THE 21 CALIFORNIA MISSIONS AND THEIR PATRON SAINTS. THE FIRST ONE TO BE ESTABLISHED IN WHAT IS KNOWN AS ALTA OR UPPER CALIFORNIA WAS SAN DIEGO. THE EXPLANATIONS OF THE MISSIONS THAT I WILL PROVIDE ARE FROM A 1960 PUBLICATION ENTITLED "CALIFORNIA MISSIONS PICTORIAL" (CLICK ON ANY PICTURES TO ENLARGE).

May 8th in the midst of Marian devotion

 

The eighth (8^th) of May has deep Marian connections in three titles:

1). The Virgin of Lujan, who is the patroness of Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Officially declared in 1930 by Pope Pius XI, she is a 17th-century terracotta statue representing the Immaculate Conception. This particular localized devotion took on more significance or prominence with the election of Cardinal Bergoglio from Argentina as Pope Francis!

2). “Mother of Fairest Love”

“Fairest Love” is a title derived from Sirach 24:24. It states, “I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope.” Pope Saint John Paul II wrote of this title in his 1994 Letter to Families, paragraph 20. St. Josemaria Escriva had a devotion to Our Lady under this title.

The "Fairest Love" devotion aligns with the Franciscan focus on her spotless nature, often celebrating her as "all fair" and without blemish. St. Bonaventure, a revered Doctor of the Church, beautifully encapsulated this devotion in his Psalter of Mary, highlighting her as the fount of clemency and sweetness of piety, adorned with the beauty of chastity, justice, and truth. Franciscans traditionally honor Mary through the "Franciscan Crown," a 7-decade rosary meditating on the Seven Joys of Mary, recognizing her as the source of "fair love" and joy.

3).  “Mediatrix of Grace”

This title speaks of Mary’s powerful intercession and mediation of heavenly grace. There is a long Franciscan tradition acknowledging Mary’s role as such.

The decree Lumen Gentium of Vatican II would caution against the title of "Mediatrix" that: "This, however, is to be so understood that it neither takes away from nor adds anything to the dignity and efficaciousness of Christ the one Mediator." And as recently as November 2025, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Catholic Church declared that the use of the titles Mediatrix, Mediatrix of all graces, and Co-Redemptrix "have limits that do not favor a correct understanding of Mary’s unique place".

A long Franciscan tradition holds that Our Lady’s unique role in the redemption is worthy of this special feast. Mary herself was redeemed by Christ, her Son. Then through her powerful intercession, she obtains for us the graces that God wishes to bestow on the human race. In the 15th century, the Franciscan friar, St Bernardine of Siena wrote: “I do not hesitate to say that she (Mary) has received a certain jurisdiction over all graces… They are administered through her hands to whom she pleases, when she pleases, as she pleases, and as much as she pleases.” In the Constitution on the Church, Vatican II states: “In the work of the Saviour, she (Mary) cooperated in an altogether singular way, by her obedience, faith, hope and burning love, to restore supernatural life to souls.”

The connection to the Immaculate Conception, a concept that was championed by Franciscan theologians, is apparent through the combination today with Our Lady of Lujan, a statue of the Immaculate Conception. In most common depictions, rays of grace emanate from the hands of Mary, and you can see in one of the following illustrations how that grace is being passed on to Mary from Jesus.