Displaying items by tag: Calendar of Feasts and Memorials

January 20 Optional Memorial (Obligatory Memorial in the Italian Provinces)

In a world known for its callous disregard for the poor and downtrodden, the example of Angelo Paoli is a refreshing breath of air. Angelo cared so well for his unfortunate brothers and sisters that he was known as “Father Charity” or “Father of the Poor.” Fortunately, he did more than just act as one kind individual he was an excellent motivator, who set many wheels of benevolence in motion at the dawn of the 18th century.

Humanity was an assumed way of life for young Paoli. He was born September 1, 1642, in the humble Tuscan town of Argigliano, not far north from the stone quarries of Massa Carrara. His parents, Angelo Paoli and Santa Morelli, decided to baptize their son Francesco, in honor of the benevolent saint of Assisi. They were devout peasants who provided a loving home for their seven children, where care for others was the essential element of life. As a young man, Paoli frequently looked for times when he could go off to remote and beautiful places to be alone in prayer. But he was equally zealous in teaching the Christian beliefs and virtues to the young people of his village. It was no surprise to his parents or anyone else when his devotion to Mary led him at age 18 to join the Carmelites at nearby Fivizzano.

He was sent to Siena for his novitiate year, and professed his vows in 1661, taking the religious name of Angelo to honor his father. After studying philosophy and theology in Pisa and Florence, he was ordained a priest in 1667. The first 20 years of his ministry were spent in the ordinary busy tasks of his Tuscan province. As a versatile and reliable friar, he worked in the communities of his native Argigliano, in Pistoia, and in Siena. He served as novice master in Florence, as pastor in Carniola, taught grammar to young students in Montecatini, and served as organist and sacristan in Fivizzano. Throughout this busy period, he continued his regular prayer in remote and beautiful places, and never lost sight of the poorest people who might need his help. He developed a special devotion to the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. He dramatized his devotion to the Cross by setting up several large wooden crosses in his favorite prayer settings, often on beautiful mountain tops. He would later place a large cross in Rome’s ruined Coliseum in memory of the martyrs who died there.

In 1687, his life changed dramatically when the Prior General, Paul of St. Ignatius, called him to Rome to join the community of San Martino ai Monti. The Prior General’s original plan was simply to have Angelo give good example to the community by his fervent observance of the religious life. But once he arrived, he was put in charge of the community’s finances. He immediately began to care for the teeming beggars and poor street people who filled Rome, amid the splendors of the glittering Baroque age. Angelo soon amazed his community members with the vast numbers of poor and hungry people who came to the monastery’s courtyard for their daily food. Some days there were as many as 300 people lining up to be fed. Even more remarkable was how Angelo found enough food, money and clothing to care for everyone who came he shyly claimed that there was always something in his pantry. Some Romans compared his largess with Jesus’ loaves and fish; others simply concluded that he had found secret patrons who wanted to remain nameless.

Angelo also found himself rapidly drawn to care for the sick. Not far from San Martino, there was a busy hospital at St. John Lateran, Rome’s cathedral. According to the custom of the time, the hospital cared primarily for the health and basic feeding of the patient, but such things as additional food, blankets, and clothing were often left to family members of the sick. For the poorest people, there was often no one to supply these needs. So, Angelo began to visit the twin wings of the hospital, one for men, and the other for women. He fed the hungriest patients, comforted, and counseled those in need, emptied bedpans, and saw to the most menial services. His visits increased to twice a day, especially when he was able to find other patrons and donors to support his efforts. He eventually found a location near the Coliseum where he organized and ran Rome’s first convalescent home for those discharged from the hospital, but still unable to care for themselves.

Part of Angelo’ s practical genius flowed from the fact that his strong spiritual life attracted many others to help his charitable works. He was a popular confessor and spiritual advisor to the illustrious members of Roman society. He was eagerly sought by cardinals, ambassadors, Roman officials, including the Pope’s own doctor, and countless members of Europe’s noble families. Sometimes the only way that the rich and powerful could get a word with Angelo was to follow him through a hospital ward with a basket of food or help him as he distributed bread at San Martino. Beyond any doubt, these well-fed patricians were also generous in helping his efforts to feed others.

To reward his lavish care for the poor, Pope Innocent XII wanted to make Angelo a cardinal, but he refused on the grounds that he could not maintain his level of charity with such an encumbrance. Another offer of a red hat by Pope Clement XI was also refused. Angelo had no wish to be a prince of the Church, since he was busy enough just being a good friar. He did, however, convince the Popes to halt the pilfering of stone from the ruined Coliseum, and to erect a large cross there in memory of the martyrs. One of the high points of Angelo’s impact occurred in 1708. He raised three wooden crosses on Mount Testaccio, an artificial hill created by a huge quantity of ancient rubble from broken pottery. He celebrated the Way of the Cross with a sermon on Jesus’ passion and death, as a sign of his love for all people. Then he distributed bread and sausage to all present to continue the celebration.

Angelo Paoli died peacefully in 1720 and was buried in the church of San Martino. Many people spoke of his ability to foretell future events, and to cure the sick. But his simple works of mercy spoke even more eloquently of his solid spirituality, and his love of God. He had told his rich patrons, Whoever wants to love God must search for him among the poor. Truly, a fitting epitaph!    (by Leopold Gluckert, O. Carm.)

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January 8 Feast

Born in Perigod, France, around 1305, Saint Peter Thomas joined the Carmelite Order when twenty years of age. He was Procurator General of the Order at the Papal Curia at Avignon and also an official preacher to the Curia there.

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January 3 Optional Memorial in the regions of India

Saint Kuriakos Elias Chavara, co-founder and first prior general of the congregation of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, was born at Kainakary in Kerala, India, on 10 February 1805. He entered the seminary in 1818 and was ordained priest in 1829. He made his religious profession in 1855, in the congregation he founded.

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December 14th | Feast

With all that the Eucharist means to a Catholic Christian, does John of the Cross have a Eucharistic spirituality? His devotion to the Blessed Sacrament or the Mass is not immediately evident. But, if in fact the Eucharist holds central importance for him, why is this obscure in his writings?

For more on John of the Cross and His Eucharistic Spirituality

For more on the life of John of the Cross

5 December Optional Memorial

Bl. Bartholomew Fanti, born in Mantua where a great Carmelite reform started, became a member of the Carmelites in the congregation of that reform. He was ordained priest sometime before 1452. He is remembered for his love of the Eucharist and of the Virgin Mary. Humble and generous he quietly lived an existence consummated in faithful regular observance and attentive assistance, including as a legislator to two lay confraternities in the Carmelite church of Mantua.

He was a well-liked figure. He occupied no posts of great importance within the Order. He is sometimes mentioned as a novice director, but this is not accurate.

He died a model of holiness on December 5, 1495. Devotion began immediately after his death. His cult was only acknowledged and approved on March 18, 1909, by Bishop Giuseppe Sarto who would become Pope St. Pius X.

In recognition of his love of the Eucharist, the Liturgy of the Hours for his memorial offers a selection from the encyclical Mysterium Fidei of Pope Paul VI as the second reading. This is intended to promote some reflection on the Eucharist. The prayer, which is proper to Bartholomew, praises the Lord for having granted the Blessed Fanti the grace to promote devotion of the Eucharist and devotion to the Virgin Mary, and asks that we may imitate him in these two adorations.

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Blesseds Dennis (priest and martyr) and Redemptus (religious and martyr)
November 29 | Optional Memorial

The Feast of St. Martin of Tours Celebrated at the Carmelite Church in Rome

Since November 2018, the Carmelite parish of San Martino ai Monti in Rome has celebrated its patron’s feast day in the traditional way.

“In September 2016, I was made pastor of SS. Silvestro and Martino ai Monti parish,” explains Fr. Lucio Zappatore. “Delving into the figure of one of our patron saints, St. Martin, I dicovered his importance on the European level. In particular I discovered the procession in other places of St. Martin on horseback, followed by children with lanterns (recalling the transport of St. Martin's body from Candes, where he had died on November 8, 397, to Tours, the city where he was bishop). And this procession on the feast is the most popular processions in Europe. It was missing here in Rome, so it seemed important to us to establish it here as well.”

This year Bishop Rino Fisichella, the pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization and the man responsible for organizing the 2025 Jubilee Year, presided. This year’s Mass was extremely crowded; extra chairs provided and then people either sat on the steps of the side altars or stood. This year the 500 lanterns prepared were not enough. In addition to the children from the parish  community, children from German schools here in Rome joined in with their own lanterns.

The procession started in the square in front of the church. It moved along to Via Merulana, a large tree covered street that connects the papal basilicas of St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major. At the square in front of St. Mary Major, the procession paused. As a surprise to the participants, the head of the basilica, Archbishop Rolandas Makrickas, invited all the children to climb, with their lanterns, to the central balcony of the basilica's facade to greet St. Martin from above!

“It was a wonderful sight,” said Fr. Zappatore.

The procession then returned to the square in front of San Martino church. There “St. Martin” met a poor man and gave him half of his cloak. This recalls an episode from St. Martin’s life. This was followed with the distribution of St. Martin's cake to the children and chestnuts with new wine to the adults. The families concluded the feast in the nearby Brancaccio Palace. The manager offered complimentary refreshments to the children and their parents.

One of the characteristics of the figure of St. Martin was his concern for the poor and the least among us ("gli scarti" as Pope Francis calls them) so the Carmelite parish community, for many years, has kept this aspect of charity in the forefront: twice a week the parish provides showers and a change of clothes to those living on the street. The parish also distributes food packages and linens to needy families who are referred by the parish Centro d’Ascolto.

The parish is working on establishing a Confraternity of St. Martin to carry out all the charitable activities of the parish. This will be connected to the large family of Confraternities of St. Martin Brotherhoods scattered around Europe.

November 15 | Optional Memorial

Gathered together by one and the same love for Christ and reverence for his most beloved Mother, the members of the Carmelite family continue to love one another fraternally, whether they are engaged in the struggle for Christ on this earth, or, their earthly pilgrimage over, they await the glorious vision of the Lord.

Therefore, the entire Order, united in prayer, commends to God's mercy its deceased brothers and sisters affirn that, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, pledge of sure hope and joy, He may receive them among the glorious choirs of saints.

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14 November Feast

"Like the prophet Elijah, all the Saints of Carmel have been shaped through a school of spiritual fire. They also intimated the example of Mary and made their truest expression in the experience of love and that love makes the history of the Order. They became a hymn of praise to offer to our God."

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13 November Optional Memorial in the Italian Provinces

Some Observations on the Spirituality of Mother Scrilli

From childhood she showed signs of extraordinary piety and, thanks to the positive influence of her teachers, cultivated her spiritual life through assiduous attendance at the sacraments and readings from the lives of the saints, especially St. Mary Magdalena de'Pazzi. Her mother’s lack of love for having a second daughter and her own long serious illness at the age of 15 drew her ever closer to the suffering of Christ and his Cross. Suffering experienced as an act of love made her delve more and more into the mystery of the Cross. “Patire per amore” (To Suffer for Love) was her motto.

In addition to devotion to Christ’s passion and the Eucharist, she had a tender love for Mary whom she considered her “dear mother.”

When she attempted to live as a cloistered nun at the monastery of St Mary Magdalen de’Pazzi, who she had a devotion to as well, she found that God had other plans for her. She and some friends started teaching. But that too did not work out because of the anti-Church attitudes in Florence at the time. Years later, in 1875, they restarted the Istituto di Nostra Signora del Carmelo knowing that this was God’s will.

To her intense activity, Mother Scrilli united a profound and continuous life of prayer. She knew how to harmonize prayer and work, contemplation and action, self-giving to God and service to her brothers and sisters. This became the goal of the Institute.

While she endured many constant physical sufferings, she also endured moral one with a spirit of faith and conformity to Divine Will. Her whole desire, in fact, was to fulfill God’s will. The “fiat” was the constant that accompanied her throughout her life.

Read more on Mother Maria Teresa Scrilli...

To learn more about the life of Mother Maria Teresa and her work and legacy, we suggest reading The Autobiography of Maria Teresa Scrilli, Foundress of the Institute of Our Lady of Mount Carmel published by Edizioni Carmelitane

From: Dizionario Carmelitani, 2008