THE SAINT OF GEESE

 Always on the lookout for Benedictine saints, I found a whole family of them: eight women who even today are venerated for their lives. ST. WERBURGH could claim not only an abbess mother, but also a grandmother and great aunt who became abbesses, plus her aunt and three more great-aunts.   (Lots of lucky keeping them straight!)

SAINT WERBURGH  was born in Staffordshire, England, early in the seventh century. Her mother, ST. ERMENGILD, was a prayerful woman who married the pagan king of Mercia. Her strong Christian influence converted her husband as well as many others. When her husband died, Ermengild became a Benedictine nun at Minister-in-Sheppy, an abbey that had family connections. It had been founded by her mother, the abbess ST. SEXBURGA. Eventually, Ermengild succeeded her mother as superior.

Ermengild was following in her mother’s footsteps as Sexburga had also become a nun after her husband’s death. After serving as abbess at Minister-in-Sheppy for several years, however, Sexburga yearned to grow in holiness through a quieter, more obscure life. She left Minister-in-Sheppy and placed herself under the authority of her sister, ST. ETHELDREDA of ELY. But her quiet life was not to be, as she eventually succeeded Etheldreda as abbess of Ely.  St. Sexburga’s sisters, St.  Saeaethryth, and St. Withburga, as well as her daughter, St. Ercongata, were all called to be nuns. 

Werburgh was trained at home by St. Chad (afterwards Bishop of Lichfield), and by her mother. With this family influence, it is not surprising that Werburgh felt called to consecrated life. Though her beauty and grace attracted a number of suitors, her only desire was to enter religious life. She eventually convinced her father to let her enter the Abbey of Ely, where she was trained by her great-aunt Ethedreda (or Audrey), former queen of Northumbria, who had founded the Abbey at Ely and whose fame was widespread.

She eventually succeeded her mother Ermenilda, her grandmother Sexburga, and great-aunt Etheldreda as fourth Abbess of Ely.  She  established new monasteries in Trentham, Hanbury, Staffordshire, Weedon and Northhamptonshire. St. Werburgh was instrumental in monastic reform across England

Werburgh, like her grandmother, was drawn to solitude and desired to live an obscure life. But as with her grandmother, the Lord had other plans. Always obedient, she consented to His will and her uncle’s request to Werburgh’s gifts of self-discipline, obedience and leadership were soon apparent, and her uncle, who assumed the throne after her father’s death, asked her t

She died on 3 February 700 and was buried at Hanbury in Staffordshire. Many miracles are associated with the saint. It is even thought that she posthumously orchestrated the execution of her wishes regarding her own burial.  Knowing that all the monasteries in her charge would want to have her remains, she made arrangements to be buried at Hanbury. However, when she died in 699 at Trentham, the nuns there were determined to keep her. They stubbornly refused to transport Werburgh’s remains and even went so far as to lock them up and place a guard at the crypt.

The people of Hanbury, determined to honor the saint’s wishes, crept into Trentham late at night and marveled when all locks and bars fell open at their touch. Guards slept through the entire episode, and Werburgh’s body was spirited away to its resting place in Hanbury.

Due to the miracles and cures that occurred at the saint’s tomb, her body was exhumed in 708 to move it to a more accessible viewing place in the church. Werburgh’s brother, King Coenrad, was present and was stunned to see that his sister’s body was incorrupt.

He was so moved by what he witnessed that he experienced a conversion. Coenrad left his royal post and became a monk.

Werburgh’s remains were eventually moved to Chester, where a shrine was built to the beloved saint. She’s the patroness of that town, and a number of churches throughout England are dedicated to her.

When the shrine was destroyed (along with countless other holy sites) under the reign of King Henry VIII, her relics were scattered. Yet, amazingly, by the late 1800s, many parts of the shrine had been recovered and were reassembled. The shrine is still standing today in Chester Cathedral.

It was at this time that the most famous story about Werburgh appeared, according to which she restored a dead goose to life, as recounted by the medieval hagiographer Goscelin.   A stained glass window in the Church of St Peter and St Paul, Weedon Bec, Northamptonshire, relates to another tale in which she was said to have banished all the geese from the village.

As the story goes, St. Werburgh discovered one day that a large flock of geese was destroying the growing corn by feasting on it. To prevent this she gathered them up and began to keep them as though they were domestic geese. In the morning, she called them to send them out for day but discovered one missing. When she found that the goose had been eaten by her servants she demanded that the feathers and bones of the bird be brought to her.

 When they had been gathered together she prayed over the remains and commanded that the goose should live. The geese cried out at the return of their lost sister. Werburgh quieted them & asked that no goose should ever enter that field again. On gaining their agreement she set them free to become wild geese once more.

 

 

OUR "LAWYER" WITH GOD

 

 

One of our Oblates recently came across an icon of our Lady that touched her heart. She called and told me I should do a Blog on her.

She is called ADVOCATA NOSTRA, (also known as The Madonna of San Sistois)  This icon can be traced back to its origin in Jerusalem, where tradition has it that it was painted by St Luke after the Resurrection, at the request of the apostles. Tradition also states that after St Luke had sketched the outline, the image of Our Lady appeared on it (some say by angels) and that no human hand was involved.

 Experts say the images of that first century period were much more natural looking as is this one. It was traditional then to paint a 'funeral' image of the person that would look like the person, not stylized as we see in later Byzantine icons.

 This icon is an  ancient technique, well over 2000 years old, (called encaustics (“Enkaustikos” Greek  for “to burn in.”) in which hot bee’s wax is applied on a treated wood base with binding agents such as  egg (yolk) tempra, linseed and other various oils.

 While we think of Mary as our Advocate, the Latin "advocata"  actually is used for lawyers.  Mary “is our lawyer with God,” said Benedict XVI.

 This magnificent image may now be seen at the Dominican Sisters Convent Church of Santa Maria del Rosario on Monte Mario in Rome.

Here is the Hymn to Our Lady which we sing after Compline each night, during the Ordinary of the year.

Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;
Vita, dulcedo et spes nostra salve.
Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Hevae.
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia ergo, advocata nostra,
illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte.
Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria.

SURFER SAINT

 

Will our troubled youth of today have another patron, along side Bl. Carlos Acutis and  Bl. Georgio Frassati?

VENERABLE GUIDO VITAL FRANCA SCHAFFER, born in 1974 was a Brazilian doctor, surfer, and seminarian. His father is a doctor, and his mother is a member of the Good Shepherd Community (Catholic Charismatic Renewal). Guido grew up in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, where he learned to enjoy the beach and surfing. He studied medicine at the Technical Educational Foundation Souza Marques (1993-1998) and after his residency, he joined the medical staff of the 4th and 20th Wards of the Holy House of Mercy in Rio.

He decided to become a general practitioner, a specialty that allowed him to assess the patient as a whole and during his academic education he was also dedicated to care for HIV patients.

Known for his knowledge of the Bible and for the importance he gave to the sacraments and the use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, Guido founded several prayer groups and held many lectures.

In 1999, during a retreat at the Canção Nova (New Song) Community, Guido heard a priest preaching the following passage: "Never turn your face from the poor, and God will never turn his from you" (Tobit 4:7). At that moment, he reflected how many times he had looked away from the poor. He asked God for forgiveness and said, "Jesus, help me take care of the poor."

 A week later he met the Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta whose mission is the care for the "poorest of the poor." He realized that God had heard his request and was giving him the direction he wanted for his medicine. He volunteered his medical services to the sisters and started to meet the homeless on the streets. He organized the volunteers, inviting other doctors from the Holy House of Mercy and the youth of the prayer group.

When reading the book "The Brother of Assisi" by Ignacio Larrañaga, he felt called to the priesthood. He then began the first years of preparation at the Institute of Philosophy and Theology, located at the Monastery of Saint Benedict (founded by Benedictine monks who came from the state of Bahia in 1590)  in Rio de Janeiro. As an external student, he combined seminary classes along with his volunteer medical work and his lay preaching ministry. In 2008, he officially joined the Saint Joseph Seminary (Rio de Janeiro) in order to finish his studies.

 On May 1, 2009, Guido died while surfing at the Barra da Tijuca beach, Rio de Janeiro. The incident was the result of a neck injury which led to unconsciousness and drowning. He was thirty-four years old,

 His body was recovered, and a funeral Mass was held the next day in the parish of Our Lady of Copacabana, presided over by the Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro - now Cardinal - Orani João Tempesta. The church was full with an estimated 1,700 people in attendance, from all locations and social classes, along with approximately seventy priests and three bishops. Before the coffin was closed at the end of the Mass, the Archbishop said: "This church so full shows me how this young man was a good shepherd, and as I know of his desire to become a priest, I will put the stole in his hands." The bishop then approached Guido’s body and placed the stole in hands for burial.

After his death, reports of cures soon began to appear, attributed to the intercession of the young doctor, seminarian and surfer. On January 17, 2015, with permission from the Vatican, the process of beatification and canonization was initiated by Archbishop Tempesta.

"You can be young, like the beach, surfing, singing, and at the same time have your heart set on God, being a witness to Him in front of people, being an example of Christian life." Archbishop Tempesta.

TWO HEARTS

 

St. John Paul II said that "It is near the Heart of Christ that man's heart is given the capacity of loving."

We know that the heart is a symbol of our core: our emotions, loves, passions, desires, the force of the will. “Devotion to the SACRED HEART OF JESUS, of its very nature, is a worship of the love with which God, through Jesus, loved us, and at the same time, an exercise of our own love by which we are related to God and to other men.”  (Pope Pius XII)

While devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus began in the eleventh century, it is firmly rooted in Sacred Scripture. Jesus Himself said: “Behold this heart which has so loved men”. 

Jesus revealed to  St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)  His heart, burning with love for humanity. He offers us salvation and mercy and longs for us to offer our love and devotion in return.

The day after  the feast of the Sacred Heart, we celebrate the  IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY. Luke records her pondering the events of Jesus’ infancy and childhood in her heart and being told by Simeon that a sword would pierce her heart.  It is a devotion where we ponder our Mother’s interior life, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and, above all, her perfect love for her Son and for us. 

Most compassionate God, 
we honor the Heart of Your Son broken by human cruelty
yet symbol of love's triumph, pledge of all that we are called to be. 
Teach us to see Christ in the lives we touch,
to offer Him living worship by love-filled service
to our brothers and sisters. 

Art: Jose Luis Castrillo- Spain

GIFTS TO UKRAINE

Mother Felicitas’ son Bill (tenured professor at Dartmouth) was here last week for a visit, and being an expert on international relations, esp in Russia and surrounding countries, he keeps us abreast of the latest news on the war in the Ukraine. He is not very optimistic about the future for this country- even if the war were to end tomorrow, the massive cleanup and rebuilding will take years.

Having just finished the feasts of Pentecost and Trinity Sunday, we look forward to the feasts of Corpus Christi and Sacred Heart. We offer up more prayers and sacrifices for courageous Ukrainians.  May have they have the gifts  of fortitude and fear of the Lord to sustain them.

Recently “America Magazine” had an article ( Gerard O'Connell, May 26, 2023) about an Argentinian sister living in Spain the second one (March 10, 2022) about this nun since the war started. Sister Lucía Caram, O.P., has made 18 journeys  to the Ukraine in 15 months, bringing humanitarian aid and returning home with refugees or wounded soldiers.

Sister drives 2,000 miles  to bring aid to this “martyred people,” as Pope Francis calls  the Ukrainians, 25 percent of whom have been displaced from their homeland.

On March 14, 2023, the New York Times had a tragic article on the soldiers who were residents in a psychiatric hospital in Kiev.  What people do not realize is that many fighting this war are not trained soldiers with military experience, but are rather farmers, truckers, teachers, doctors, etc.   According to Bill they have been fighting with little relief for now two years and are tired to the bone. It is the few like Sister Lucia who are bringing relief to them and to their families still in the war torn country.

Sister Lucia, with the aid of others in Spain has helped 4,000 Ukrainians by creating “humanitarian corridors.”

 “We realized that the important thing was not to pick up people, but to welcome them, to accompany them. Many of them ended up having their fathers, their husbands, their sons [fighting] at the front line, some of whom subsequently died. Of those we brought out, only 30 percent have since returned home. Most people are working now [in Spain]. We have many apartments where families have been taken in. We also have 17 shelters for refugees and for other people who are already working, providing for themselves.  Now after 18 trips, I see that Ukraine has lost one or two generations. You go to the cemetery, and you see the graves multiply every time. I am struck by this.”  (Sister Lucia to reporters)

Sister says that like all tragic situations, the push to help wearies after awhile and the aid that Is needed is not there. “I believe the situation is worse now than it was then. It’s necessary to speak in the media about the victims and to request the sending of more humanitarian aid.”  Sister has delivered 92 ambulances as well as 61 generators to aid in hospitals and care centers and is always looking for new ways to help make Ukrainian lives better.

I asked Bill how mothers and children in exile were being treated and he said so many have stepped up. Poland (which is not the richest of countries) has given the refugees all the services due their own people. They only lack the right to vote.

Interestingly enough, this nun also made headlines in 2014 when she was featured with her own cooking show in Spain TV. (I have no idea how long it ran). She shared her favorite traditional recipes for monastery and convent food, as well as tips and tricks shes picked up from her long career in the kitchen. On the show, she cooked classic recipes like anise doughnuts, local stews, and Argentinian pastries. Her favorite stew is made from pumpkin with potato.

Her signature dish is paella and she explained that she gets her cooking skills from her family, particularly her mother and her paternal grandmother, who is Lebanese.

 "I am convinced that food brings people together, makes families, makes communities and that the table is a place of talk that can help people to share what they have in their hearts, and that it can transform our world," she said in an interview with The Cooking Channel.

Well, now this energetic nun has more to do than cook- she is too busy saving Ukrainians!

Sacred Heart -  Arturo Olivas  RIP-  Gift by artist to OLR Chapel

SEASON OF SAINTS- HALF THE YEAR

 

The Liturgical year starts with Advent, leading us to Christmas and the feasts of Christ that follow.  Then we have Lent, culminating in Easter, followed by the Ascension and Pentecost.  This takes almost half a year to complete. We then enter into what is called “Ordinary Time”, but for me it is anything but ordinary. If anything it can be called the SEASON OF SAINTS.

There are more than 10,000 saints recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, though the names and histories of some of these holy men and women have been lost to history. And how many more we have not nor ever will hear about. The saints of the church are a diverse group of people with varied and interesting stories.

Saints are the heroes and heroines of our Catholic faith. They dedicated their lives to serving God and spreading His message of salvation. We have the martyrs (as we have said in past Blogs- more are martyred today then in Roman times).  We have priests and religious and more and more we have lay people. 

 The holy saints serve as examples for us all, showing us how to lead a more spiritual life in communion with Jesus Christ. They remind us  that this life will come to an end, and only what was done for Jesus will have a lasting reward.

Each saint’s story is a fascinating one. They lived at different times in different places throughout history, but they all shared a love of God that has been meticulously documented through the teachings of the Church.

 As we celebrate them in the non-so-ordinary time, they remind us that we too are called to be saints, no matter what profession or state in life we find ourselves in.

The saints show us the way to follow Christ and it is up to us to follow in their footsteps. This is why I love researching new holy people to present.

Art: Nikola Saric (Serbian)

PASSING IN TASMANIA

 

An old friend of mine, whom I have known for over 35 years, died recently.  He had been a veterinarian in Oakland, California, but was in Tasmania with his wife, Andrea, when the twin towers in New York were hit, 9/11. Of course they could not get back to the USA and the following weeks were fateful and busy ones. Having fallen in love with Tasmania they decided to move permanently there. They bought a house, despite not yet having the necessary visas that would allow them to live in it , as well as a veterinary practice in Sandy Bay (Hobart).

When they could finally return to the US, James sold his practice within a week and their house in two days. They packed up everything they owned and moved to Australia. With a business visa, they could apply for permanent residency and later citizenship.

 For James veterinary medicine was never a routine nine-to-five job with time off for weekends and public holidays. For him being a vet was a way of life, and he was always available to help a sick or injured animal 24-hours a day.

 He was one of only two vets in Tasmania that specialized in birds, and the only one specializing in reptiles. This was wonderful for me as I got to see some rare birds that he was caring for, like the ground parrot.

James also had an interest in an aspect of veterinary medicine that is not always given the recognition he believed it deserves, that of grief and bereavement. Very early on he adopted a holistic approach to treating animals that involved a greater understanding and appreciation of how animals fit into each family’s dynamic, and how that dynamic can soon unravel if the family pet becomes sick.

As I used to say to new vet students, when lecturing at Washington State University,  no animal comes into the vet office alone!

James knew he wanted to be a veterinarian when he was six years-old, and growing up in the US as a British evacuee during World War ll. He never deviated from this youthful decision, but neither did it stop him from also gaining a degree in anthropology, becoming a professionally trained musician, and pursuing a serious interest in ceramics, along the way to studying veterinary science.

His affinity with animals was apparent very early. Whether it was learning to ride horses while still a toddler, being a magnet for stray dogs while walking with his Scottish nanny, or during his regular Sunday visits to Regent Park Zoo, it was soon clear he shared a special relationship with animals.  He received his doctorate from Michigan State University in 1958 and after several months working in the state service, he opened his own veterinary practice in California where he worked for the next 40 years.

James’ childhood interest in wildlife continued throughout his career, and at the Fern Tree property where and Andrea lived, he created both a farm, and a wildlife sanctuary that includes half an acre of land he had donated to the Menzies Research Institute in Hobart, to assist the research effort into the facial tumor disease that continues to ravage wild populations of Tasmanian devils.

Several times in my two weeks with him, I went to the blind to see them.  Also was able to see pups whose mother had been hit by a vehicle. These adorable animals have a bad reputation and are far from devils.

The farm had alpacas, Scottish Highland cattle, chickens, geese, turkeys, Indian runner ducks, two Clydesdale horses, and Wessex saddleback pigs! And it was in the most glorious setting, tropical on one hand but with weather more like our small island of Shaw.  

James felt  that curiosity is one of the most important traits in a veterinarian.

“I look at physicians who are only licensed to practice on one species and we get all the others. Aren’t we lucky?”

And I was lucky to know him!