THE GRACE OF OLD AGE

 

 

 

 

In July of this year, our Holy Father Pope Leo wrote a letter, signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, concerning pastoral care of the ELDERLY.

"The rise in people’s average life expectancy entails, in fact, a prolongation of the frail stage of old age, and this poses the challenge of reflecting on the meaning of this season of existence. What value should we attribute to the many years a man or woman may live in a state of physical or mental frailty? What is the Christian perspective through which to live this time? How can we proclaim that human life always retains, in all its stages, its “infinite dignity”?

The Holy Father Leo XIV has remarked that fragility is “part of the marvel of creation” It therefore has a spiritual and community value, reminding us that we are dependent on each other and in need of God.

"The elderly, in the serene acceptance of the limits linked to the passing of the years, without hiding them or being ashamed of them, can be teachers of life, capable of showing everyone — and especially young people — that the value of a life is not measured by efficiency or self-sufficiency, but by the capacity to love and to allow oneself to be loved, to give and to receive.

Old age, then, is characterized as a time of grace, to be lived in prayer, in service, in tenderness, in memory preserved and passed on: a blessing for generations to come. This makes fragility a theological reality, in the words of Saint Paul: “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong […] therefore, as it is written, 

Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord” (1 Cor 1:27, 31). 

The society in which we live is dominated by the logic of performance and competition, so that strength is  conceived as a display of power and tends to degenerate into abuse of power. We see this on the international stage, where, tragically, war has once again become a widespread strategic tool.  But we also notice it in the ordinary details of daily life, in the way we relate to one another. Indeed, in our daily lives, we increasingly encounter signs of a mindset that confuses strength with arrogance and meekness with weakness.

Faced with these attitudes, the Church continues to propose the Gospel message: that which proclaims blessed the meek and humble of heart (cf.  Mt 5:5; 11:29), and which promotes an unarmed and disarming peace, recognizing in God the Father of all and in others not enemies, but brothers and sisters. The elderly members of our communities are, through their life experience and wisdom, the first and most authoritative witnesses to this Christian vision of humanity."

ONE OF THE 21

 

Sometimes  when we think of war, it is a major blowout, like Ukraine or Iraq, but there are so many warring factions across our globe at any time.  One we do not know much about, as it involved Catholics of another culture.

ST. MATTHEW AYARIGA was one of 21 Christian migrant workers in Libya kidnapped and then beheaded by the terrorist group ISIS on a beach near Sirte, Libya, on Feb. 15, 2015.  

They men were kidnapped and held ransom by ISIS. They became part of a propaganda film by their captors who denounced them as followers of the Cross. They were told that if they publicly renounced the faith and accepted conversion to Islam they would live. None did.

 The world learned their fate when ISIS released their names and its horrifying video of their martyrdom, lined up and kneeling before their executioners.

Originally from Ghana, St. Matthew Ayariga was the only Black African among the 21 men. The others were all Coptic Orthodox Christians from Egypt. When questioned about his faith by his kidnappers, he reportedly replied: “Their God is my God.”

After the beheadings, the Coptic Orthodox Church released the martyrs' names, but there were only 20 names.  The 21st victim was of Black African descent, in contrast to the others, who were ethnic Copts.

It is most likely that he was already a Christian, because sources reported that he said "I am a Christian and I am like them". 

When the remains of the 21 bodies were found, the bodies of the 20 Egyptians were returned into Egypt. On September 29, 2020,  St. Matthew Ayariga's remains were received in Egypt by the new church in Al-Our, the Church of the Martyrs of Faith and Homeland, a shrine built in honor of the martyrs.

The family members of the other martyrs "expressed their joy at the return of the remains of the martyr [Matthew Ayariga]", saying "Our joy is complete."

 Majid Shehata, a daughter of one of the martyrs, said, "It was a surprise to all of us that we see the remains of the martyr Matthew inside the Church of the Martyrs, and this is a long-awaited news and all the families are in great joy and we thank God for having responded to us in the return of the martyr."

The Coptic Orthodox Church canonized all 21 men as saints and martyrs on Feb. 21, 2015, under Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II.

In an ecumenical sign of communion between the two churches, Pope Francis announced that the 21 martyrs would be inscribed in the Roman Martyrology on May 11, 2023, during a meeting at the Vatican with Pope Tawadros II. The Pope described the men as baptized “not only in water and the Spirit, but also in blood.”  (Blog 8/12/2023)

The martyrs’ feast day in both churches is Feb. 15.

Icon by my “friend” Sacred artist Nikola Sarić  (Blog 4/23/2016)

SAINTS OF MODERN WARS

 

As we continue to watch the news and pray for the people of Ukraine as they continue their fight for freedon, we will consider some modern saints who themselves experienced war, either by offering their lives for their faith or helping those suffering the effects of war, especially the children. 

ST. MARIA BERTILLA BOSCARDIN was an Italian nun and nurse who displayed a pronounced devotion to duty in working with sick children and victims of the air raids of World War I. Because of her difficult upbringing and devoted care for the neglected, she is recognized as a patron saint of the rejected and abused.

She was born Anna Francesca Boscardin at Brendola, Veneto. In her family and town she was known as Annette. Her father, Angelo Boscardin, a peasant, would testify during her beatification process that he was jealous, violent, and frequently drunk. As a child she could only attend school irregularly, as she was needed to help at home and in the fields.

 When she did attend school she also worked as a servant in a nearby home. She did not display any particular talents, was thought to be not particularly intelligent, and was often the target of insulting jokes. These included being referred to as a "goose" for her slowness by a local clergyman.

She was allowed to make her First Holy Communion at eight and a half years old, when the authorized age in those years was eleven. At twelve years old, she was accepted into the parish association of the “Children of Mary” association. The parish priest gave her a catechism as a gift. They found it in the pocket of her habit, when she died, at 34 years old.

After being rejected for admission to one order because of her slowness, she was accepted as a member of the Teachers of Saint Dorothy, Daughters of the Sacred Heart at Vicenza in 1904, taking the name "Maria Bertilla". She herself internalized some of her earlier criticism, telling the novice-mistress of the order, "I can't do anything. I'm a poor thing, a goose. Teach me. I want to be a saint." She worked there as a kitchen maid and laundress for three years.

 She was then sent to Treviso to learn nursing at the municipal hospital there, which was under the direction of her order. During her training period, she was once placed to work in the kitchen. However, upon completing her training, she was promoted to working with victims of diphtheria in the hospital's children's ward.

 During the air raids of Treviso following the disastrous Battle of Caporetto, the hospital fell under the control of the military. Sister Bertilla was noted for her unwavering care of her patients, particularly those who were too ill to be moved to safety.

 This devotion to duty attracted the attention of the authorities of a local military hospital. However, her superior did not appreciate Sister Bertilla's work and reassigned her to work in the laundry, a position she remained in for four months until being reassigned by a higher superior, who put Sister Bertilla in charge of the children's isolation ward at the hospital.

 Shortly thereafter, Sister Bertilla's already poor health got worse. A painful tumor which she had had for several years had progressed to the point of requiring an operation, which she did not survive. She died in 1922.

Her reputation for simplicity and devoted, caring hard work had left a deep impression on those who knew her.  A memorial plaque placed on her tomb refers to her as "a chosen soul of heroic goodness ... an angelic alleviator of human suffering in this place."

 Crowds flocked to her first grave at Treviso. After a tomb was erected for her at Vicenza, it became a pilgrimage site where several miracles of healing were said to have taken place.

 In 1961, 39 years after her death, St. Maria Boscardin was canonized as a saint. The crowd in attendance included members of her family as well as some of her patients.

She is known as a patron saint of the rejected, lonely, and abused. She is attributed with saying: "we should never allow ourselves to be disturbed by things that are transitory and not eternal,” and: “In whatever state we are, let us strive to remain in the hands of God.”

Her feast day is October 20.

THE NIGHT SKY

 

While the rest of the world is having heat waves, tornadoes, flooding rains, and generally miserable weather, our summer in the islands has been cool and lovely, for which we are truly grateful.

Photo of the night sky, August, 2026  by my God-daughter Amie Hood Garabaldi

A TRUE SHEPHERDESS

 

To start a new month, I want to highlight a Catholic textile artist I recently came across.  I happen to live in a part of the world- small thought it may be- where there are many talented women ( and even men) who work in wool, be it spinning (which I used to love to do), weaving, or some aspect of textile art.  I have always been envious of those who can transform raw wool into some beautiful form of art.

HOLLY GUERTIN is a fiber artist and textile designer based outside of Philadelphia with her husband and four sons. She grew up in suburban North Carolina and studied fibers at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

In the Catholic faith, Holly has found a rich language, artistic precedent, and treasure trove of theological concepts to deepen her understanding of wool and sheep and their window to the sacramental worldview.  Her lamb art is so realistic one feels as if they could touch the art and the lambs would hop off.

 When she was a freshman in college at SCAD, she happened upon an open studio event at the fibers department. 

“The artworks and projects I saw in the building were some of the most interesting Iʼd ever seen, and once I saw the variety of careers that were possible with a fibers degree, I changed my major from fashion to fibers and never looked back.

In the fibers program, I learned everything that goes into cloth making (such as knitting, weaving, and felting) and cloth decoration (such as dyeing, screen printing, and embroidery). I never tried a technique I didnʼt like.”

In her sophomore year, she discovered “the power of my hands to transform wool into felt, my eyes were opened to a sacramental worldview. Especially because I was working with wool, a material so steeped in religious and scriptural symbolism, I understood the immense value in the creative act. Suddenly, the work of my hands held meaning!”

Throughout her college years, she was a leader at an all-girls Catholic high school in Savannah for a non-denominational discipleship ministry called Young Life. This ignited her love for ministry. Her exploration of wool in the Fibers program greatly informed her spiritual life.

 Initially, she became a textile designer for women’s clothing brands including Lilly Pulitzer and Marie Oliver. While this experience honed her skills, it also stifled her creative freedom, prompting her to take the bold step into entrepreneurship. Leaving the corporate world behind allowed Holly to channel her energy into creating art that resonates deeply with her values and vision.

She is the fiber arts teacher at Martin Saints Classical High School ( A Chesterton Academy) in East Norriton, PA. “My faith has been intertwined within my artwork from the very beginning. Throughout my life, art has been a way I explore different themes and ideas. By being made in the image of God, his creative power that crafted the universe is woven into our very being. When I am creative, I am participating in the Lordʼs creativity. This cooperation inspires and fuels my work.”

 Holly's most known for her "Sheepskin" series of crocheted artworks, which have been commissioned for SCAD's Permanent Collection and displayed internationally. They are sculptural wall hangings with crocheted domes in a variety of tone, size, and depth resembling the fleece of a sheep freshly shorn. Each dome is filled with raw, virgin wool and is connected to the muslin base using quilting stitches. Each sheepskin calls to mind the redemptive action of Christ, as the Lamb of God, for all of us by taking on our nature (as sheep, see Isaiah 53:6). 

In her work, she explores how cloth reveals what it means to be human. She credits St. John Paul II having a great influence on her artwork and how she understands creativity and beauty. She finds great value in modeling the Benedictine principle of Ora et Labora, “pray and work" to her sons who sometimes enjoy embroidering and felting with their mother.

“The way we view sheep, even today, mirrors our understanding of ourselves. Especially in our increasingly digital and artificial ways of living, I have found wool to be an antidote to our divisive and isolating culture. Wool has revealed our innate human dignity, the value of manual labor, the meaning in material, the beauty in pattern, the sacred in the ordinary, and the power of creativity.”

 Her artwork has been displayed through SCAD’s Permanent Collection in Atlanta, Savannah, Hong Kong, and France, as well as othe parts of the USA.

INDIAN MYSTIC NUN

 

One may ask why certain rare souls are given the gift of mysticism and even rarer gift of the stigmata. We shall never know for certain, but perhaps the very hiddenness is a gift to us all, in the suffering these saints do for all humankind.

ST. MARIAM THRESIA MANKIDIYAN was an Indian Syro-Malabar Catholic  sister and the founder of the Congregation of the Holy Family. She was born in Puthenchira, a village in present day Kerala, India. She is said to have received the stigmata which she kept well-guarded.

Thresia was born in Puthenchira in Irinjalakuda Revenue Division of Thrissur district n 1876 as the third of five children of Thoma and Thanda and was named in honor of Teresa of Ávila. Her family was once rich though became poor when her grandfather married off seven daughters after selling property for each costly dowry, which led to her brothers and her father taking up drinking. Her mother was her father's second wife, the first having died during childbirth in 1872. She had two sisters and two brothers. 

Her mother died in 1888 after blessing her children who gathered at her deathbed. Her mother's death marked the end of her studies, when she then dedicated herself to contemplation in her local parish church, making a private vow to remain chaste.

In 1891 she hatched a scheme to sneak from home to lead a life of penance in the hills but soon decided against this and instead returned home. From 1902 to 1905 she was subjected to several exorcisms from Father Joseph Vithayathil, under orders of the local bishop, and from 1902 it was Father Vithayathil who became her spiritual director until her death.

In 1903 she requested the Archbishop of Thrissur, John Menachery, to build a house of retreat but it was turned down. This happened after she had formed a group with three other friends and engaged in apostolic work with poor families. The Archbishop instead suggested she make an effort to join a religious congregation and encouraged her to join the new Congregation of the Franciscan Clarists but she soon left as she did not feel called to it.

She later accepted Archbishop Menachery's request in 1912 to join the Carmelites at Ollur and was there from 26 November 1912 until she left on 27 January 1913 because she did not feel drawn to them either. In 1913 she set up a house at Puthenchira and on 14 May 1914 founded the Congregation of the Holy Family to which she was professed and accepted as the was the first superior of the congregation.

She was said to have had a range of spiritual experiences such as receiving the stigmata, which she hid from public view. In 1926 a falling object struck her on the leg and the wound soon festered. Thresia was admitted to the local hospital though doctors deemed her condition fatal and she was moved by bullock cart back to the convent where on 7 June 1926 she received the final sacraments and the viaticum. 

She died at 10 pm on 8 June 1926 from her leg wound that her diabetes exacerbated. Her final words were, "Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul".  

 St. John Paul II beatified her in 2000 and Pope Francis canonized her on 13 October 2019. Her feast day is May 8.

The first miracle that led to her beatification was that of the cure of Mathew D. Pellissery, who was born in 1956 with congenital club feet. He could barely walk with great difficulty on the sides of his feet until he was fourteen. After 33 days of fasting and prayer by the whole family, invoking the help of Mariam Thresia Mankidiyan, his right foot was straightened during sleep on the night of 21 August 1970. Similarly after 39 days of fasting and prayer his left foot was also straightened overnight during sleep on 28 August 1971. Since then, Mathew has been able to walk normally. This double healing was declared inexplicable in terms of medical science by as many as nine doctors in India and Italy and thus met the last canonical requirement for her beatification. Mathew Pellissery was present there during the beatification ceremony

FROM CONNECTICUT TO CHICLAYO

 

Edinson Farfán Córdova, Bishop Chiclayo, Peru has announced that in the coming months his diocese will begin the cause for the beatification and canonization of MONSIGNOR JUAN TOMIS STACK an American missionary priest who was born and raised in Bridgeport, Connecticut.  He dedicated more than two decades of his life to the most needy of northern Peru and has been cited by Pope Leo XIV on various occasions as a major inspiration for his own missionary vocation.

“How beautiful that he was born in those lands. He came from the United States to serve these communities in Santa Cruz, in the highlands, and later in our beloved Chiclayo, which holds him so dear. I pray, through the intercession of St. John Vianney, that we may begin this process with joy, gratitude, and hope,” Bishop Farfán added.

It all began In 1963, when Bridgeport Bishop Walter Curtis, inspired by the Second Vatican Council, decided to send missionary priests to Latin America.  Among those first volunteers was “a young, enthusiastic priest of Slovak descent", Father Juan Tomis Stack.

In the mountianous region, he faced difficult conditions including lack of roads, electricity, and basic services, as well as high rates of childhood malnutrition, and strong resistance to any pastoral or social change. In 1967, the mission relocated to Chiclayo where he founded St. John Vianney Parish. 

Through perseverance and charity, he helped build roads, a clinic for the poor, promoted priestly vocations, and created lasting pastoral and social programs, including youth activities, medical outreach, libraries, and popular televised Masses.  He also worked to recover Church property that had been illegally occupied.

 In 1979, St. John Paul II named him a monsignor.

When he died in 1986, his funeral drew an estimated 20,000 people, one of the largest gatherings of affection in Chiclayo's history. 

Bridgeport to Peru, was written in 1989 by Monsignor Stephen M. DiGiovanni, but I have not bee able to locate any copies in English.