Oct. 12 a busy day

At the center of the altar reredos at Mission San Fernando Rey, right under the statue of Saint Ferdinand, is Our Lady of the Pillar (Spanish: Nuestra Señora del Pilar).

Back in July for the feast of St. James, I wrote about the connection of St. James or Santiago with Spain, and how this statue of Our Lady in Zaragoza commemorates the apparition of Mary to James while he was there as a missionary to Spain. James is thus a patron of Spain and of King Ferdinand, as a part of the Reconquista or reclaiming of territory within España after Islamic occupation. This is the earliest Marian apparition and would technically be bilocation, as Jesus’ mother is thought to be alive in AD 40, when this took place.

This feast of Our Lady is celebrated on October 12^th, the day that Christopher Columbus's expedition arrived in the Americas. He went ashore at Guanahaní, an island in the Bahamas, on October 12, 1492, and was very aware that this was Our Lady’s feast day.  This date was chosen in 1892 to highlight Italian-Americans (a predominately Catholic group who had been greatly persecuted as immigrants) and their contributions to USA history and culture by highlighting Columbus.

October 12^th is also the celebration of Mary under the title of Our Lady of Aparecida (Portuguese: Nossa Senhora Aparecida), who is patroness of the country of Brazil. In 1717 a small statue of Mary was recovered by fisherman and that image is now kept in the São Paulo Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady Aparecida. Aparecida means "she who appeared".

October 12^th is also the date of two important youthful deaths. In 1998 Matthew Wayne Shephard succumbed to the brutal injuries he had sustained six days earlier on the night of Oct. 6. He was 21 years old at the time of this vicious anti-gay hate crime. His cremated remains were eventually buried in 2018 at the Episcopal Washington National Cathedral. In 2005 Saint Carlo Acutis died of leukemia at age 15 and this is his saintly feast day. Carlo is buried in Assisi, Italy at the Franciscan Santuario della Spogliazione (Shrine of the Renunciation) inside the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. This shrine commemorates when Francis gave his clothes back to his parents, embraced poverty, and said, “My only Father from now on is Our Father, who art in heaven!” It seems very poignant that these two share a date in death, on a day that is so filled with controversy!

Canadians celebrate this day as Thanksgiving. Mexicans celebrate it as the Day of the Race. October 12^th has also been named as a “Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity” and “Indigenous People’s Day” and “Native American Day of the Race/Dia de la Raza,” also “Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity” in an attempt to address the genocide of First Nations people in the colonizing and destructive effects that followed after Columbus.

So, a lot is invested in this one particular day.

It’s a federal holiday. It’s a feast of Our Lady. It has some relevance in Franciscan spirituality. And as any day on the Catholic calendar, it celebrates those who have gone before us in faith. But it is also an Ember day, in a renewed sense of that tradition, in order to do penance and seek forgiveness for past wrongs. 

Oct. 10 Saint Daniel and Companions, martyrs

Martyrs: Saint Daniel Fasanella and Companions died 1227

October 10

Martyrs remind us of the high price that Jesus paid for preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. Remembering the martyrs helps us to persevere in living out the Good News of Jesus Christ. It is this gospel that Francis and his followers vowed to observe and spread through their witness and preaching.

Inspired by the example of the first set of Franciscans martyred in Morocco (St. Berard and Companions honored on January 16^th), seven Friars Minor went to preach the gospel in Muslim North Africa. They were led by Daniel Fasanella, OFM provincial of Calabria in southern Italy. They ended up in the city of Ceuta, Morocco, where the Christian merchants of the city warned them against preaching.

The friars, however, spoke openly and were thus imprisoned for eight days. Bribes and threats to make them renounce their faith were useless. Like the early Christians persecuted by Rome, they went to their deaths singing hymns. They were beheaded and their bodies were taken to Spain. They were canonized in 1516.

A note as we are now ten days into the month of October: The Pope's intention for the month of October is that mental health ministry be established throughout the Church, helping to overcome the stigma and discrimination of persons with mental illness. 

Oct. 6 St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds

St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds (1734-1791)

October 6

A young girl by the name of Anna Maria faced a familiar situation when she turned sixteen. Her father wanted her married, but she wanted to stay an unmarried virgin. So her father whipped her and locked her in her room. He later relented and allowed her to become a Franciscan tertiary in the Order of St. Peter of Alcantara and to be a consecrated virgin still living at home. Her religious name is Mary Frances.

Gallo family life was not easy, in a house filled with brothers and sisters. Mary’s time was absorbed by prayer, penance, and doing works of charity. She befriended the sick and needy of Naples, caring for the poor. She was especially devoted to praying for souls in purgatory and in meditating on the passion of Christ. She received the stigmata on her hands, feet, and side. (Curiously, most stigmatists are female). Mary Frances of the Five Wounds not only was gifted with visions of Jesus, but she also reportedly had frequent visits from her Guardian Angel. She was canonized by Pope Pius IX on June 29, 1867, and is a patroness of Naples, Italy. 

Oct. 4 St. Francis of Assisi-800 years Transitus!

St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)

October 4

Born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone to prosperous cloth merchants, Pica and Pietro.  His mother baptized him Giovanni in honor of St. John the Baptist. His father was away in France on business when the boy was born. “Frenchy” was the nickname his father gave him, perhaps because his mother was of French descent or it might reflect his father’s  love for French culture and commercial success in France. Francesco’s youth was filled with some carousing and engagement with troubadour culture. It was a time of chivalry and knighthood. He lived during the rise of city-states in Italy, who frequently clashed for power and prestige. After setting off to war as a knight, Francis endured a year’s imprisonment, followed by a long illness. This led him to reassess his life and ambitions and dedicate himself to God’s service. He would eventually describe himself as “the herald of the great king.”

There was a dilapidated chapel on the hillside near Assisi named for of San Damiano where Francis retreated to find solitude and prayer. One day Christ spoke to him from the crucifix, saying “Rebuild my house, for it is nearly falling down.” Francis took this quite literally and repaired San Damiano, as well as two other nearby churches. This however took on greater meaning as it applied to Francis’ influence and effect on the larger Catholic Church.

An encounter with a leper left a great impression on Francis. Instead of avoiding the person, Francis embraced and kissed them. He wrote, “What had previously nauseated me became a source of spiritual and physical consolation for me.” (Testament.) Francis overcame his fear, his hesitation, and his own ego on that road and afterwards was ready to care for the poor and suffering. Francis and his followers ministered to people suffering from leprosy.

Some of his friends joined him and he attracted others, so much so that in 1209, twelve of them went to Rome to seek approval from the Pope, Innocent III. They initially called themselves “Penitents from Assisi” but later came to be known as the Friars Minor or Lesser Brothers. They dedicated themselves to prayer, manual labor, and preaching the gospel. Living in poverty and simplicity were actually part of a broader religious movement at this point in history. Francis wanted to be sure and show loyalty and obedience to the Catholic Church and differentiate from other “spirituals.” Francis exhibited classic Catholic devotion to the Eucharist and to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He showed great respect towards those in authority, especially priests and was concerned for their formation, education, and well-being. He was ordained a deacon in order to proclaim the gospel. He had great respect for the Bible, so much so that he admonished the friars to take care of any scrap of paper they might find, lest it contain the words of Scripture.

In response to Chiara of Assisi’s desire to live out the gospel as Francis and his followers were, Francis helped her organized the “Poor Ladies of San Damiano” as the Second Order of Franciscans or “Poor Clares” is known. There is a great tradition of complementarity between men and women within the Franciscan family, which began with this friendship between Saint Clare and Francis, but can also be found in his relationship with Lady Jacopa and others. Laity also asked Francis to be able to join in his vision and way of following the gospel, and so the Third Order or Secular Franciscans was also formed. Later developed Third Order Religious, as other men and women took up the Franciscan way to live in consecrated life. You might even say there is a “Fourth Order” of those who just love and admire and respect Saint Francis of Assisi, but do not take a vow or join in any official way.

He is credited with establishing the tradition of Christmas crèches and manger scenes in homes and churches. Francis set up a living nativity scene on Christmas Eve in 1223 in the Italian village of Greccio to help people visualize the humble, impoverished reality of Jesus' birth. It included a hay-filled manger, a live ox and a donkey, but no human actors portraying Mary or Joseph initially stood in the scene; it centered on the empty crib, to highlight the poverty of the child born in Bethlehem.

Francis was canonized in 1228, less than two years after his death, by his one-time advisor, the former Cardinal Hugolino, who was then Pope Gregory IX.

About a hundred years later, a wonderful collection of stories about Francis and his followers was written in Latin and then translated into Italian: Fioretti or Little Flowers.  Most famous are how Francis preached to the birds, befriended the wolf of Gubbio, his encounter with the Islamic Sultan, and one whole section devoted to the apparition of the seraph. In September of 1224 while Francis was on retreat praying on Mount La Verna, he received the marks of Christ’s passion in his hands, feet and side, known as the stigmata. This is celebrated on the Franciscan calendar on September 17^th.  Much of the Fioretti however, tells of the actions of the other friars, such as Brother Juniper and Brother Giles, and the growth of the movement.  The earliest definitive or authoritative biographies of Francis were written by Thomas Celano and Saint Bonaventure.

In California, the sixth mission and the city on the bay that grew up around it were dedicated to San Francisco de Asis in 1776.

Sept. 29 Feast of the Archangels-CA Missions

 

While in our time September 29^th is the Feast of the Archangels, to St. Francis of Assisi it was Michaelmas, the Feast of St. Michael. Raphael was honored on October 24, and Gabriel on March 24, the day prior to the Solemnity of the Annunciation. There is actually a total of seven (7!) archangels and there are various names assigned to the other four.  The 1960’s calendar revisions brought the three Biblically-named angels together on the same day. Each of the three has a California mission named after them. Rafael in the North, Gabriel in the South, and San Miguel in the center. Here are postings on two of them:

Sept. 23 Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, OFM Capuchin

St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, OFM Capuchin (1887-1968)

September 23

            “The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against ego; there is no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of pain.” (a saying of Padre Pio) Padre Pio was able to see his personal suffering as his response to the call to follow the gospel of Jesus Christ.

            Francesco Forgione was born to peasant farmers in southern Italy. His father traveled twice (in 1898-1903 and again in 1910-17) to Jamaica, New York, to provide for the family. Francisco joined the Capuchin order at age fifteen and took the name Pius/Pio. Even early in his life as a Franciscan, Padre Pio experienced both serious illness and religious ecstasy. Other friars would report that they heard strange, concerning noises coming from his room. Padre Pio frequently spoke about how he was attacked by the devil, and it was in his cell that these battles took place. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1910.

When drafted during World War One, he served in the medical corps.  He had extreme stomach pain and was diagnosed with chronic bronchitis. He was eventually permanently discharged. In 1917 he was assigned to San Giovanni Rotundo friary, where he would remain for the rest of his life.

Padre Pio had great devotion to the Passion of Our Lord Jesus and to His Sacred Heart. As he was making his thanksgiving after Mass one day on September 20, 1918, he had an encounter with Jesus that left him with the signs of the crucifixion on his hands, feet, and side. He would actually bleed from the wounds. Referred to as the “odor of sanctity,” the blood that came from Padre Pio’s wounds is said to have smelled like perfume or as having a floral aroma.  In the beginning, Padre Pio was embarrassed and humiliated by the wounds on his body. The visible stigmata brought him intense and severe pain, but he welcomed it. He offered this pain for the good of all humanity. The authenticity of his stigmata was questioned with official investigations in 1924 and again in 1931. During this time of inquiry, he was not permitted to say Mass publicly or hear confessions. That decision was soon reversed.

Church authorities, doctors, and spectators by the busloads came to see the good father. He then became the most famous stigmatist of the twentieth century. Over time his ministry of reconciliation became legendary. His typical daily schedule went like this:

            1. Each morning after a 5AM Mass in a crowded church, he heard confessions until noon.

            2. He would take a break to bless the sick and all others who came to see him.

            3. In the afternoon, he would continue to hear confessions. Sometimes he would spend up to 12 or even 15 hours a day in the confessional! Many have claimed that Padre Pio could read souls and knew details of their lives which they had not revealed to anyone.

            The saint once said: “Confession is the soul’s bath. You must go at least once a week. I do not want souls to stay away from confession more than a week. Even a clean and unoccupied room gathers dust; return after a week, and you will see that it needs dusting again!”

Those who participated at his Masses came away edified; even curiosity seekers were deeply moved by experiencing him, his preaching, and his example.  However, like St. Francis, Padre Pio sometimes had his habit torn or cut by souvenir seekers.

He had the gift of bilocation, meaning that he could be in more than one place at a time. Multiple eyewitness accounts attest to the ability of Padre Pio to be in multiple places at once. Fellow friars remember seeing him in prayer outside when they knew he was still in his room. Some accounts come from others who claim to have seen him on different continents all over the world. As to how Padre Pio experienced such feats, the closest he ever came to an explanation of bilocation was to say that it occurred “by an extension of his personality.”

            Padre Pio also had great compassion for the sick and suffering. In the 1940’s he established a “House for the Alleviation of Suffering” (Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza) that had 350 beds near Mount Gargano. The hospital is now known for its state-of-the-art facilities and services.

Miraculously, a few days before his death in September 1968, all these wounds on Padre Pio’s body disappeared. Countless experts and doctors who carefully and closely examined the wounds were unable to provide any medical or scientific explanation.

Pope John Paul II presided over both his beatification on May 2, 1999, and three years later, Padre Pio’s canonization as a saint on June 16, 2002.

 

Pope Saint Linus, the second after St. Peter, is also honored on Sept. 23^rd.

In 2026, this marks the fifth anniversary of the death of LA artist John August Swanson. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. 

Sept. 18 St. Joseph of Cupertino

 

St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663)

September 18

Was chosen as the patron of aeronautics, astronauts, pilots, and flying because he levitated when at prayer!

QUOTE: “Clearly, what God wants about all is our will, which we received as a free gift from God in creation and possess as though our own. When a person trains themselves to acts of virtue, they do this with the help of grace from God from whom all good things come. The will is what a person has as their unique possession.” (St. Joseph of Cupertino)

            Levitating and ecstatic visions may be extraordinary signs of holiness, but Joseph is also remembered for the ordinary things he did: He prayed even in times of inner darkness. He lived out the Sermon on the Mount. He used his free will as a “unique possession” to praise Divinity. For 35 years of his adult life as a priest, he practiced severe asceticism, usually eating solid food only twice a week. He was humble, patient, and obedient, even though at times he was tempted greatly and felt forsaken by God.

            He began his Franciscan life as a Capuchin, but then joined the Conventuals. Following a brief assignment caring for the friary mule, Joseph then began his studies for the priesthood. He was a terrible student. He struggled immensely with the required academic studies. Joseph’s strength was in a prayerful spiritual life. He was ordained a priest in 1628.

            70 incidents of levitation are documented in the official records leading to his canonization. Joseph’s tendency to levitate during prayer, which could occur during Mass or the praying of the Divine Office, gained him a reputation for holiness but also piqued people’s curiosity and amusement. Due to the disruption the levitation caused, he was sometimes confined to a small cell and forbidden to join in any public gathering of the community. Because the phenomenon of flying or levitation was widely believed to be connected with witchcraft, Joseph was denounced to the Inquisition. He was exonerated, but this led to his being transferred several times.

His final years were spent at a Conventual community in Osimo, where he died on the 18^th of September 1663, at age 60. Joseph was beatified in 1753. On July 16, 1767, he was canonized by Pope Clement XIII. The Reluctant Saint, a 1962 movie, is based on the story of Joseph of Cupertino. Although he’s a native of Cupertino, Italy, many people recognize “Cupertino” because Apple, Inc. is headquartered in Cupertino, California, a city near San Jose and Santa Clara that is indeed named for this St. Joseph. The geography also demonstrates the relationship between missions and towns.

Keeping the differences between the two Josephs in mind, I also use this occasion to post about Mission San Jose, named after the "foster" father of Jesus.