May 13th: India - Our Lady of Vailankanni

Our Lady of Vailankanni is also known as Our Lady of Good Health

Feast Day: September 8th

Devotion to Our Lady of Good Health of Vailankanni can be traced to the mid-16th century and is attributed to three miracles: the apparition of Mary and the Christ Child to a slumbering shepherd boy, the curing of a lame buttermilk vendor, and the rescue of Portuguese sailors from a violent sea storm. Although all three apparitions resulted in the erection of a shrine to our Lady, it was the promise of the Portuguese sailors that caused a permanent edifice to be built at Vailankanni. The chapel was dedicated on the feast of the Nativity of Mary (Sept. 8), the day of their safe landing. More than 500 years later, the nine-day festival and celebration is still observed and draws nearly 2 million pilgrims. The Shrine of Our Lady of Vailankanni, also known as the "Lourdes of the East," is the most frequented holy site in India. (National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington)

You can read more about the story of Vailankanni in this sample chapter from The Other Faces of Mary by Ann Ball: Vailankanni Arokia Matha. This Marianland page includes another retelling of the story, a map of the Basilica of Vailankanni, and a DVD available for purchase (Vailankanni: the Lourdes of the East).

I found two websites dedicated to Vailankanni: Our Lady of Health, Vailankanni and Annai Vailankanni. Both have photo galleries of the shrine, and you the first site includes a novena prayer.

This Asia News report describes a pilgrimage to Vailankanni. Here is an extract:

Selvam Victor, 43, led a group of 12 from Chennai, the Tamil Nadu capital, 2,100 kilometres south of New Delhi. "We take this journey of faith to express our love and devotion to the Blessed Mother. This journey is difficult and tiring, but the number of pilgrims walking every year has only increased”.

As preparation for the pilgrimage, Victor, an electrician, turned vegetarian and did not shave or cut his hair. He wore saffron, the colour denoting renunciation, and attended daily Mass.

After walking for three hours, Victor's group reached Tamara, on Chennai's outskirts, where they rested in a temporary shelter put up by local Catholics. After resting and filling up water bottles, the group resumed the walk, praying the rosary in Tamil. The group would stop at many more places during their 11-day walk.

The prayer to Our Lady of Vailankanni below is taken from the website of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, where there is a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Vailankanni.

Prayer
O Most Holy Virgin!
You were chosen
by the most adorable Trinity
from all eternity
to be the most pure Mother of Jesus.
O Tender Mother of the afflicted,
grant me under my present necessities
a special protection.
Relying upon the infinite mercies
of your Divine Son,
and penetrated with confidence
in your powerful prayers,
I humbly entreat you to intercede for me.
I beg you to obtain for me
the favors which I petition.

O Mother of God,
accept my salutations
in union with the respect
with which the angel Gabriel
first hailed you "full of grace."

I beseech you,
O comfortress of the afflicted,
to obtain for me the favors and graces,
which I have now implored
through your powerful intercession.
For this end I offer you
the good works I do and sufferings I endure.
I humbly entreat you
for the love of the amiable heart of Jesus
with which yours
was ever so inflamed
to hear our prayers
and obtain our requests.
Amen.

May 12th: Germany - Our Lady of Altotting

An ancient pilgrimage center in the heart of Bavaria; its original shrine has never been destroyed. One of the richest sanctuaries in the world. It is the site where, in 680, St. Rupert baptized Otto the pagan in a temple built in pre-Christian times. It is now a Catholic chapel to which the people make pilgrimage from May until November to venerate Our Lady and her Son. The larger church built around the first octagonal chapel has been enlarged repeatedly for the crowds that come and need accommodation. The center of attention is an ancient wooden statue of Mary and her Son. They are robed in heavily embroidered white and black mantles. On Good Friday both are draped with black veils. Mother and Child wear costly crowns, and she holds a scepter of jeweled lilies. The walls around the statue and the altar are nearly all of solid silver. The many lamps that burn constantly in thanksgiving for the miraculous cures and favors received here have so blackened the faces of the statue that Mary is often referred to as the Smiling Black Madonna of Altötting. Pope Pius IX’s special lamp still burns before Mary’s statue as he requested. This shrine has long been considered the heart of Catholic Marian devotion in Southern Germany. (Fr. John A. Hardon)

For more detail, see Catholic Culture.

Visit Altotting by webcam and check out the local weather here, and view a short video clip of Altotting at YouTube. This is part of a longer DVD / video available from Journeys of Faith, which is itself part of a series, The Many Faces of Mary. You can find the coat of arms of Altotting, which include the shrine Church, on this flag.

Altotting is Pope Benedict XVI's "home" Marian shrine. He was born close by, visited frequently as a child and many times since. He said Mass there as Pope in September 2006, preaching this homily which is a commentary on the miracle at Cana. He concludes:

"Mary and Jesus go together. Through Mary we want to continue our converse with the Lord and to learn how to receive him better. Holy Mother of God, pray for us, just as at Cana you prayed for the bride and the bridegroom! Guide us towards Jesus - ever anew!"

Altotting was also the home of a nineteenth century saint, Brother Conrad of Parzham. Saint Conrad, a Capuchin friar who lived from 1818 to 1894, was the porter at the shrine of Altotting for over forty years. You can find out more about St. Conrad at American Catholic (short version) and the Capuchins of Mid-America (long version).

"My plan of life is chiefly this: to love and suffer, always meditating upon, adoring and admiring God's unspeakable love for his lowliest creatures." (St. Conrad)

Encyclopedia of the Nations

I found an excellent online geography reference site this week: Encyclopedia of the Nations.

The Encyclopedia of the Nations is a complete source for detailed information about one hundred ninety three countries in the world, information about the United Nations and the associated agencies, and World Leaders.

There is a section that focuses on the history and the development of the United Nations, its structure and purpose, developments by each of the United Nation's generals, and the achievements in the fields such as security and peace between nations.

The detailed nation profiles are categorized by continent and alphabetically arranged and consist of information about each country such as the population, history, ethnic groups, culture, language, transportation, government structure, technology, and contain notes about museums, media, libraries, technology, and much more. We also have information about national economies of most countries in Africa, Americas, Asia and the Pacific, and Europe which include the overview of economy, economic sectors, agriculture, poverty and wealth, working conditions, imports, exports, manufacturing, and much more.

Make sure to also vist EveryCulture.com for detailed information about countries' cultures and FoodByCountry.com for recipes and other information for every country.

If you want to find a list of famous Brazilians, native plants of New Zealand, or the population of Togo, this is the place to look! I haven't checked out the Culture and Food sites yet, but they sound interesting.

May 11th: France - Our Lady of Lourdes

Feast Day: February 11th

World famous shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées in France. In 1858, the Blessed Virgin appeared eighteen times at Massabielle, at a grotto near Lourdes, to Bernadette Soubirous, a fourteen-year-old peasant girl. At the same time a spring appeared, miraculous healings were reported, and pilgrims began to come to the spot. In 1862 the apparitions received ecclesiastical approbation and a church was built above the grotto. Then beside it, from 1883 to 1901, was built the magnificent Church of the Rosary. Since then millions of people have visited the shrine, and a medical bureau has been established to investigate the character of the cures, of which hundreds have been fully authenticated by medical specialists. The healings generally take place after the people have bathed in the waters of the spring, or during the blessing with the monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament carried in procession. Not all cures are physical, many report marvelous conversions and graces in the spiritual life. In 1891 a local feast of Our Lady of Lourdes (February 11) was established and in 1907 extended to the universal Church by Pope St. Pius X. (Fr. John A. Hardon)

You can find more about the appearance of Our Lady at Lourdes at the Mary Page and Catholic Culture. This page at Catholic Culture includes links to various articles about Lourdes.

Don't miss the official Lourdes website where you can pay a virtual visit. You can walk in the footsteps of St. Bernadette and visit the places with which she had a close connection. At the time of the apparitions she and five other members of her desperately poor family were living in the cachot, a former prison cell which measured only 12 by 15 feet. There are also links to several webcams, videos of the daily rosary and torchlight procession, and a panoramic view of the Grotto.

This page at Women for Faith and Family includes the Litany of Our Lady of Lourdes and the Lourdes Hymn, and a Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes is here at EWTN.

Catholic Cuisine, a lovely new blog full of ideas for feast day food, gives this recipe for crepes for the feast of St. Bernadette.

Below is the Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes from the website of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, where there is a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes.

Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes

Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes
O ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of mercy,
health of the sick, refuge of sinners,
comforter of the afflicted,
you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings;
look with mercy on me.
By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes,
you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary,
whence you dispense your favors;
and already many sufferers have obtained
the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal.
I come, therefore, with complete confidence
to implore your maternal intercession.
Obtain, O loving Mother, the grant of my requests.
Through gratitude for your favors,
I will endeavor to imitate your virtues,
that I may one day share your glory. Amen.

Unread Books Meme

Below is a list of the 100 or so books most often marked as "unread" on Library Thing. How many of them have you read? (HT: Jim)

BLUE: Books I've read
GOLD: Books I've read as school assignments
GREEN: Books I will likely read in the future
RED: Books I started to read, but never finished

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment
Catch-22
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion
Life of Pi: a novel
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote
Moby Dick
Ulysses
Madame Bovary
Emma
The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
A Tale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel: the fates of human societies
War and Peace
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler's Wife
The Iliad
The Blind Assassin
The Kite Runner
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations
American Gods
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran: a memoir in books
Memoirs of a Geisha
Middlesex
Quicksilver
Wicked: the life and times of the wicked witch of the West
The Canterbury Tales
The Historian: a novel
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Love in the Time of Cholera
Brave New World
The Fountainhead
Foucault's Pendulum
Middlemarch
Frankenstein
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula
A Clockwork Orange
Anansi Boys
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath
The Poisonwood Bible: a novel
Angels and Demons
1984
The Inferno
The Satanic Verses
Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Mansfield Park
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Oliver Twist
Gulliver's Travels
Les Misérables
The Corrections
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dune
The Prince
The Sound and the Fury
Angela's Ashes: a memoir
The God of Small Things
A People’s History of the United States: 1492-present
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Dubliners
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Beloved
Slaughterhouse Five
The Scarlet Letter
Eats, Shoots and Leaves
The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake: a novel
Collapse: how societies choose to fail or succeed
Cloud Atlas
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
The Catcher in the Rye
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Freakonomics: a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: an inquiry into values
The Aeneid
Watership Down
Gravity’s Rainbow
The Hobbit
In Cold Blood
White Teeth
Treasure Island
David Copperfield
The Three Musketeers

May 10th: England - Our Lady of Walsingham

Feast Day: September 24th

Picture: Roman Miscellany

In 1061, when St.Edward the Confessor was still King of England, a special link was forged between England and Nazareth. Lady Richeldis de Faverches, the widow of a Norman knight and lady of the manor of Walsingham in Norfolk, saw a vision of Our Lady, who took her in spirit to the Holy House at Nazareth where Jesus had lived as a child. She was given clear instructions: measure the House, and built a replica in Walsingham. But Richeldis had a problem. Where should she build? She noticed that overnight there had been a heavy dew, but two patches of ground were quite dry. Surely one of these must be the site for the house. She chose one, but the building work was beset with problems. Richeldis spent a night in prayer, and the next morning found that the building had been miraculously moved to the other dry spot.

The Holy House of Walsingham became a place of pilgrimage and Richeldis' son, Geoffrey de Faverches, founded a Priory there. Although the Shrine itself was destroyed in the sixteenth century we know a great deal about how it looked in the middle ages. The House was small - measuring 23ft.6in by 12ft.10in - made of wood and with a narrow door on each side. It was surrounded by a larger outer building, leaving the House itself dark inside, lit only by candles, with gold, silver and jewels glittering in the candlelight. To one side of the altar stood a famous statue of Our Lady.

For nearly five hundred years Walsingham was one of the greatest pilgrimage sites in the whole of Europe. Its pilgrims included many kings and queens, including King Henry VIII who visited Walsingham at least three times. In the end, however, it was Henry VIII who brought about the shrine's downfall. He separated the Church of England from Rome, destroyed all the monasteries throughout the country, and in 1538 took Walsingham's treasures, burned the beloved statue and closed the shrine. Soon all that remained were a few ruins from the Priory and the small Slipper Chapel where pilgrims had left their shoes before walking the final mile to the shrine barefoot. Now the Chapel was used not for the worship of God, but as a barn.

The "mansion of the saints", as the Holy House was called in the early sixteenth century, had been thoroughly destroyed, but not for good. Centuries later, Walsingham grew again. In 1896 a Roman Catholic laywoman, Charlotte Boyd, bought the derelict Slipper Chapel and gave it to the Catholic Church. Soon the Roman Catholic Shrine of Walsingham was reinstated, with a replica of the original statue of Our Lady. By the end of the twentieth century a pilgrimage Church had been built in the grounds of the Slipper Chapel, and in 2001 the feast of Our Lady of Walsingham was added to the Church's calendar. The Church of England also worked to restore the Shrine. In 1921, Alfred Hope Patten became the Anglican vicar of Walsingham and dedicated himself to fostering devotion to Mary. Following in the footsteps of Lady Richeldis, he built another replica of the Holy House in the village. Today Walsingham is the national Marian shrine for both Churches, and is again England's Nazareth. (from Our Lady's Dowry, a history of Catholic England for children I am writing)

Historical note: The story of how Lady Richeldis came to build the Holy House was not written down until the fifteenth century, but we know for certain that Walsingham was considered a very holy shrine of Our Lady for centuries before that. The charter (agreement) by which Geoffrey of Faverches established Walsingham Priory in the twelfth century mentions the Holy House built by his mother. Erasmus, writing in the early sixteenth century, left us a detailed description of the Holy House as it was then.

These verses come from an anonymous Elizabethan ballad lamenting the fall of Walsingham:

Weep Weep O Walsingam,

Whose dayes are nights,

Blessings turned to blasphemies,

Holy deeds to despites

Sinne is where our Ladye sate,

Heaven turned is to helle;

Satan sitthe where our Lord did swaye,

Walsingham O farewell!

You can find the whole of the Arundel Ballad here.

You can read more about Our Lady of Walsingham in this article by Ann Ball at Holy Spirit Interactive.

Today Walsingham has both Catholic and Anglican shrines. The Catholic shrine is based round the Slipper Chapel, a mile outside the village; the Anglican shrine contains a replica of the Holy House. You can visit both through the Walsingham website.

Prayer from the Litany of Our Lady of Walsingham

All holy and ever-living God, in giving us Jesus Christ to be our Saviour and brother, You gave us Mary, His Mother, to be our Mother also; grant, we pray you, that we may be worthy of so great a Brother and so dear a Mother. May we come at last to you the Father of us all through Jesus Christ Your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.

Our Lady of Walsingham: Pray for us.

(You can find the rest of the litany here.)

Prayer to Our Lady of Walsingham

O blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Walsingham, Mother of God and our most gentle Queen and Mother, look down in mercy upon us, our parish, our country, our homes, and our families, and upon all who greatly hope and trust in your prayers, (especially...) By you it was that Jesus, our Savior and hope, was given to the world; and he has given you to us that we may hope still more. Plead for us your children, whom you did receive and accept at the foot of the Cross, O sorrowful Mother. Intercede for our separated brethren, that with us in the one true fold they may be united to the Chief Shepherd, the Vicar of your Son. Pray for us all, dear Mother, that by faith fruitful in good works we all may be made worthy to see and praise God, together with you in our heavenly home. Amen.

May 9th: Egypt - Our Lady of Zeitun

While all in America were watching the the Chicago riots at the Democratic Convention, or viewing live war zone broadcasts from Vietnam or were being mesmerized by the Watergate hearings on television, the Mother of God was appearing for tens of thousands to see in the land of the pyramids at a Coptic church constructed to commemorate the area in Egypt where she had come with Joseph and Jesus when they all fled from Herod. Starting in April, 1968, her apparitions of light changed the lives of thousands. Her appearances at Zeitun were astounding. She was seen by more than a million people. The apparitions were broadcast by Egyptian TV, photographed by hundreds of professional photographers and personally witnessed by Egyptian President Abdul Nasser, an avowed Marxist. The apparitions lasted for three years with numerous unaccountable healings recorded by various medical professionals. The local police, who initially thought the apparitions were an elaborate hoax, searched a 15-mile radius surrounding the site to uncover any type of device that could be used to project such images. They were completely unsuccessful. [Read more at Our Catholic Faith ...]

This blog post at Approved Apparitions tells the story of the apparitions at Zeitun in more detail. You can also watch a video including statements by eyewitnesses here.

A short book about the apparitions, When Millions Saw Mary by Francis Johnston, can be read at The Holy Bible Online. This Coptic website includes a Zeitun Web Gallery with many links. You can find information about the Coptic Church here. The Coptic patriarch is known by the title Pope - confusing for Catholics!

* A note about approval of the Zeitun apparitions: everything I have seen suggests that the apparitions are approved by both the Coptic and Catholic Churches, though I couldn't find a definitive Catholic source online. My understanding is that they were initially approved by the local Catholic patriarch, and this was subsequently confirmed by Pope Paul VI.

May 8th: Dominican Republic: Our Lady of Altagracia

Feast Day: January 15th

The Dominican Republic, where the evangelization of the New World began, is under the protection of the Virgin under two titles: Our Lady of Mercy, the principal patroness who was so proclaimed in 1616 during the Spanish colonial rule, and the Virgin of Altagracia, Protector and Queen of the hearts of the Dominicans. "Tatica from Higuey," as the natives of Quisqueya fondly refer to her, has her story and legend. There are historic documents that prove that in 1502, in the island of Santo Domingo, the Most Blessed Virgin was honored under the title of our Lady of la Altagracia, whose portrait had been brought from Spain by Alfonso and Antonio Trejo, brothers who were among the first European settlers of the island. When the brothers moved to the city of Higuey, they took the image with them. Later they offered it to the parish church so that everyone could venerate it. The first shrine was completed in 1572 and in 1971 the present Basilica was consecrated.

Popular piety has it that the devout daughter of a rich merchant had asked him to bring her a portrait of Our Lady of Altagracia from Santo Domingo. The father tried to get it for her, but with no success. Neither clergymen nor tradesmen had ever heard that Marian title.

Back at Higuey, the merchant decided to stay overnight at a friend's house. After dinner, feeling sorry for his daughter's disappointment when he should arrive empty handed, he described to those present his unsuccessful search. As he spoke, an old man with a long beard, who was passing by, took out of his knapsack a rolled up painting and gave it to the merchant saying: "This is what you are looking for." It was the Virgin of Altagracia. At day break the old man had disappeared.

The portrait of Our Lady of Altagracia is 33 centimeters wide by 45 high. Expert opinion has it that it is a primitive work of the Spanish school, painted towards the end of the 15th or beginning of the 16th century. The painting, which depicts a Nativity scene, was restored successfully in Spain in 1978, and its original beauty and color can now be appreciated. The rigor of time, candles' smoke and rubbing by the hands of the devotees had so altered the surface of the portrait that it had become nearly unrecognizable.

The scene of Jesus' birth is painted on a fine cloth. The Virgin, lovely and serene, occupies the center of the picture; she is looking with tenderness at the child who lies nearly naked on the straw of the manger. A blue cloak sprinkled with stars envelops her and a white scapular closes her garments in front.

Maria of Altagracia wears the colors of the Dominican flag; anticipating in this manner the national identity. A radiant crown and twelve stars frame her head which now has a crown on it. The frame which holds the painting is probably the most refined example of Dominican gold work. This marvel made of gold, precious stones and enamel, is the work of an unknown 18th century artist. Possibly he used the jewels that the Virgin's devotees gratefully offered her.

The image of Our Lady of Altagracia had the privilege of being crowned twice: on August 15, 1922 - during the pontificate of Pius XI - and by Pope John Paul II, who on January 25, 1979, during his visit to Santo Domingo, personally crowned the image with a golden silver tiara, his personal gift to the Virgin, the first evangelizer of the Americas. (The Mary Page )

Alice of Cottage Blessings has done most of the work for me here, in two posts she wrote back in January. The first includes a novena to Our Lady of Altagracia, and the second makes suggestions for a tea in honour of Our Lady of Altagracia. This also includes a couple of simple activities.

Again, there is a picture book to enjoy with this title of Our Lady, A Gift of Gracias: The Legend of Altagracia, by Julia Alvarez and Beatriz Vidal.

The shrine of Our Lady of Altagracia was the first place of special devotion to Mary in the Americas. Pope John Paul II visited the shrine in 1992 to celebrate the fifth centenary of the evangelisation of the New World and delivered this homily.

Final Prayer from Novena to Our Lady of Altagracia

Holy Virgin of Altagracia!

From your hands and your maternal heart we receive each day the sustenance that you give to us from Our Father in heaven. You are our defense in danger, our indispensable help in our necessities and our hope in the sacrifices required of the Christian life. Through your Immaculate Heart we desire to pay tribute to God with a hymn of thanksgiving for all the benefits you have distributed.

We promise you, Oh Mother, gratitude and fidelity. You will always reign in our homes and in our town, where all venerate you as Our Lady and Mother, you who make all virtues increase and thrive. We are honored to be called your children.

We hope to finish our lives serving God and you until we reach the highest grace possible, the grace you will help us to attain, the great gift of heaven itself.

Amen (translated by Helen)

Henry is Here

Henry II arrived yesterday and is now sleeping happily in his new snug little home under the stairs. He ran around first swallowing a week's worth of junk from the floor. I love a house guest who will eat anything you put in front of him without so much as a hiccup - no smoke and burning smells from Henry! He is reputed to eat even builder's rubble without turning bilious. And he is such a happy addition to the family, ready to tackle every task placed in front of him with a cheerful smile on his face.

This time I promise not to decapitate him. Tender, loving care only for Henry II, and no amateur doctoring.

Every Day With Mary

They are not directly related to the "round the world" theme, but here are two resources that encourage people to spend every day throughout the year with Mary:

• A Moment With Mary from the Mary of Nazareth project. (The project aims to build an International Marian Centre at Nazareth. Check out the whole site.)
• Mary Vitamin - subscribe to this for a daily meditation on Mary by email. Many of them are also posted at Air Maria.

Also for the Merry Month of May Meredith of Sweetness and Light is writing a lovely series of daily posts on Marian themes.

Salford Hall

I mentioned that the hotel we stayed at last weekend was a historian's paradise. As is the internet, which allowed me to pad out the information I found out at the time.

The oldest part of Salford Hall was built c.1470 as a guesthouse for Evesham Abbey. (Given its name I assume the village where it stands - Abbot's Salford - was originally a manor owned by the abbots of Evesham.) After the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII, the property passed into the king's hands and was sold for private use. In the later years of the sixteenth century the owners, the Stanford family, built a large stone extension. Looking at the plan below (from the Victoria County History, at British History Online), the row of rooms on the right including the kitchen are the oldest section of the building, and the centre and left the Tudor part. The medieval chapel on the east side of the original house was replaced by one in the new section.


I couldn't find much information about the Stanfords, but they were obviously a Catholic family during penal times (the later sixteenth and seventeenth centuries). Interestingly, the Stanfords built part of their hall in the shape of an "E" - the chapel and rooms behind it, with the shape more obvious in reality than on the plan. This was a common feature of Tudor buildings, in honour of the Queen. Did the family become Catholic later? Or were they loyal to the Queen despite her anti-Catholic policies? They certainly found themselves at the sharp end of persecution at some point as the hall contains a priest's hole, where priests could hide from the authorities. Any Catholic priest captured was automatically considered to be guilty of treason.

I managed to find the cupboard supposed to contain the hidey hole, but wasn't at all convinced I was in the right place, as it was so clearly just a shallow cupboard.

I am, apparently, easily fooled. If a hidden peg is removed, the shelves swing back and reveal the hiding place.


I was thrilled to find the pictures above and this description online. Without them I would still be puzzling over whether there really was a priest's hole, or whether it was just a piece of historical fiction.

Up in the garret is the "priest's hole", ready, it would seem, for some present emergency, so well is it concealed and in such perfect working order; and even when it's position is pointed out, nothing is to be seen but the most innocent-looking of cupboards. By removing a hidden peg, however, the whole back of it, shelves and all, swings backwards into a dismal recess some four feet in depth. This deceitful swing door may be secured on the inside by a stout wooden bolt provided for that purpose. (from Secret Chambers and Hiding Places by Allan Fea)

The Catholic history of Salford Hall doesn't end there. During the early seventeenth century, a Catholic convent was founded in Flanders for a group of English nuns (including a direct descendant of St. Thomas More). The nuns were imprisoned during the French Revolution, but eventually managed to escape to England where they were housed at Salford Hall. They lived at the hall for over thirty years until they had enough money to buy Stanbrook Abbey.

After the nuns left in 1838, Salford Hall was left empty apart from caretakers and short term leases for 150 years, until it was renovated and turned into a hotel. The former chapel is now part of the dining room. Looking at the plan, I can see that the table where we ate dinner was where the altar once stood.

May 7th: Costa Rica - Our Lady of the Angels

Feast Day: August 2nd

A shrine of Our Lady of the Angels in Costa Rica, near the foot of Mount Irazú. In 1635 a young Negro girl found a small black stone statue of Our Lady and the Holy Child in the woods near Cartago. She took it home with her but it returned by itself to where she had found it. After several futile attempts to keep it, she took the statue to the village priest, who tried hiding it, but to no avail. It was always found back in the woods. The Negroes nearby built a little chapel to house their treasured Mother and Child on the spot that she herself had chosen to stay. In time it became a famous place of pilgrimage for all of Costa Rica. The image of the black Madonna, gaily dressed with Jesus, was solemnly crowned in 1927. (Fr. John A. Hardon)

For more detail, see Hispanic Online. The statue itself is only three inches tall, and all except the faces of Our Lady and Jesus are hidden by the magnificent reliquary in which it is kept.

Only rarely is there a children's book available for one of the less widely known titles of Our Lady. This is one of the fortunate few.
Juanita and Our Lady of the Angels by Elizabeth Loch tells the story of how Juana Pereira found the statue.

You can find out more about Cartago, Costa Rica, the city of Our Lady of the Angels from this Wikipedia article. This site has a selection of pictures from Costa Rica to use as wallpaper for your desktop, including a couple of the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de los Angeles.

The Vincentian Our Lady of Angels Association promotes devotion to Our Lady of Angels.

Prayer to Our Lady, Queen of Angels
August Queen of Heaven, sovereign Mistress of the Angels, who didst receive from the beginning the mission and the power to crush the serpent’s head, we beseech thee to send thy holy angels, that under thy command and by thy power, they may pursue the evil spirits, encounter them on every side, resist their bold attacks, and drive them hence into the abyss of woe.

Most holy Mother, send thy angels to defend us and to drive the cruel enemy from us.

All ye holy angels and archangel, help and defend us. Amen.

O good and tender Mother! Thou shalt ever be our Love and our Hope.

Holy Angels and Archangels, keep and defend us. Amen

May 6th: Colombia - Our Lady of Chiquinquira

There is plenty of information available in English for some of the images of Our Lady I have chosen, for others not so much. Our Lady of Chiquinquira is one of the latter, but I liked the description of this miraculous, self-healing picture, and decided to include it anyway.

Feast Day: July 9th

(Picture: Hispanic Online)

In the mid-sixteenth century the Spanish painter Alonso de Narvaez created a portrait of the Virgin of the Rosary. He painted in pigments from the soil, herbs and flowers of the region of modern Colombia, and his canvas was a rough 44" * 49" cloth woven by Indians. The image of Mary is about a meter high, and stands about a half moon. She has a small, sweet smile, both her face and the Child's are light colored, and she looks like she's about to take a step. She wears a white toque, a rose-coloured robe, and a sky blue cape. A rosary hangs from the little finger of her left hand, and she holds a sceptre in her right. She holds the Christ Child cradled in her left arm, and looks toward him. Christ has a little bird tied to his thumb, and a small rosary hangs from his left hand. To the sides of Mary stand Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Andrew the Apostle, the personal patrons of the colonist and monk who commissioned the work Don Antonio de Santana and Andrés Jadraque.

In 1562 the portrait was placed in a rustic chapel. It was exposed to the air, the roof leaked, and soon the damage caused by the humidity and sun completely obscured the image. In 1577 the damaged painting was moved to Chiquinquirá and stored in an unused room. In 1585 Maria Ramos, a pious woman from Seville, cleaned up the little chapel, and hung the faded canvas in it. Though the image was in terrible shape, she loved to sit and contemplate it.

On Friday 26 December 1586 the faded, damaged image was suddenly restored. It's colors were bright, the canvas cleaner, the image clear and seemingly brand new. The healing of the image continued as small holes and tears in the canvas self-sealed. It still has traces of its former damage, the figures seem brighter and clearer from a distance than up close. For 300 years the painting hung unprotected. Thousands of objects were touched against the frail cotton cloth by pilgrims. This rought treatment should have destroyed it, but it healed and survives. Pope Pius VII declared Our Lady of Chiquinquirá patroness of Colombia in 1829, and granted a special liturgy. In 1897 a thick glass plate was placed over it to stop the weather and the excesses of the faithful. The image was canonically crowned in 1919, and in 1927 her sanctuary declared a Basilica. (Patron Saints Index)

There is a little more about Our Lady of Chiquinquira here at Hispanic Online.

In March 2008 Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuala were on the verge of war. The Colombian President Uribe had a Rosary prayed at the Presidential Palace, dedicated to Our Lady of Chiquinquira, Our Lady of Coromoto and Our Lady of Mercy, the patronesses of the three countries, and the crisis was averted. Read this article from the Catholic News Agency.

Here are three pages of stamps with a Marian theme from Colombia, including some with Our Lady of Chiquinquira.

Chiquinquira is in the Boyaca province of Colombia, north of the capital city of Bogota. At Flags of the World you can find the flag and coat of arms of the city.

Shakespeare Country

Tevye and I have been away ... two days and one night on our own! Star is at Brownie camp, Angel stayed over with her Grandma, and K-next-door offered to have Little Cherub (who apparently woke up at 5.30am, ready to start her day. Ouch!). We had planned to go to Cambridge and stay over in cheap-and-cheerful motel, but had a last minute change of plan. Who knew when we would get the chance to go away on our own again? We splurged ... and went here, to Salford Hall Hotel in Warwickshire.


And yes, it was as nice as it looks. It was also a historian's dream house. The white, timbered section on the right in the photo is the original medieval house, built c.1470; the stone part was added later, completed in 1602. I'll be writing a post on the (Catholic!) history of the house later. Our room was in the "new", Tudor section (you can see the window, second from left, upper floor). These were some of the beams in our room.


We spent Friday pottering around Stratford. Yes, that would be William Shakespeare's Stratford. Here is his birthplace ...


And Holy Trinity Church where he was buried ...


And Will himself ...


And finally, a puzzle. How did these fairies come to be hovering in front of Shakespeare's birthplace?


If you want more photos, I put them into a public Picasa album. You can also find the answer to the fairy photo there.

Yesterday, we meandered slowly back through the Cotswolds, but my inner photographer apparently took the day off!

May 5th: China - Our Lady of China

Feast Day: May 24th

(Picture: The Mary Page)

A Marian sanctuary in the village of Tong Lu near Peiping. In 1900 the village was attacked by about ten thousand rioters during the Boxer Rebellion. In their rage they started to shoot skyward where a woman dressed in white had appeared, but her apparition did not fade. The crazed mob was put to flight at the appearance of a strange horseman. Father Wu, a Chinese priest, admitted having prayed to Mary for help. A church was built on the site, honoring a picture of Mary and the Christ Child which was placed over the main altar. During the progress of the Red Revolution, the people had the treasured painting copied, and when the Chinese Communists destroyed the Tong Lu church the copy was burned. But the original picture known as Our Lady of China had been hidden and is now thought to be in the possession of some faithful priests living in disguise. (Fr. John A. Hardon)

You can find a little more detail at Catholic Culture. The Cardinal Kung Foundation has lots of information about the persecution of the Catholic Church in China, including a list of bishops and priests imprisoned for their faith, and this description of the feast day of Our Lady of China at Dong Lu in 1994.

The picture above was painted by John Lu Hung Nien and was circulated on a prayer card for the persecuted Christians of China with this prayer:

Almighty and eternal God, Comforter of the afflicted, and Strength of the Suffering, grant that our brothers of China who share our faith, may obtain, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and our Holy Martyrs, peace in Thy service, strength in time of trial, and grace to glorify Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(from The Mary Page)

The same picture was used for a mosaic given by Chinese-American Catholics to the National Shrine at Washington (scroll down to the bottom of the page). Here are some more images of Our Lady of China posted A Catholic Mum in Hawaii. According to the Cardinal Kung Foundation the official image of Our Lady of China is the one shown below:

(Picture: Cardinal Kung Foundation)

Prayer to Our Lady of China (by Mother Teresa)

Our Lady of China, help of christians, intercede with your son, the Redeemer of mankind that those in pain may find relief and comfort and that so much suffering may not remain fruitless.

Obtain light for those who guide the destiny of the Chinese Nation, that they may not lack the necessary wisdom, in searching for the good of all, which has at its basis respect for Truth, Justice and Freedom.

Amen.

(from The Community of the Beatitudes)

Ancient, whiskery and long-eared I am

Which sci-fi character am I?

Yoda!

A venerated sage with vast power and knowledge, you gently guide forces around you while serving as a champion of the light.

Judge me by my size, do you? And well you should not - for my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us, and binds us. Luminescent beings are we, not this crude matter! You must feel the Force around you, everywhere.

May 4th: Belgium - Our Lady of Banneux

Feast Day: January 15th

The shrine of Our Lady of the Poor, near the city of Liège in the Flemish village of Banneux. Devotion to Mary began as a result of an apparition to a poor twelve-year-old Belgian child in the garden of her home on January 16, 1933. Our Lady told her that she had come to relieve the ills and sufferings of the poor of all nations. A painting on the wall of the village's chapel made according to the child's description shows Mary robed in white with a blue sash and with a rosary over her right arm. On January 18, 1933, the child's father, an avowed atheist, accompanied his daughter to the garden, and although he did not see the Virgin he was instantly converted, overwhelmed in the presence of an unseen power. After years of investigation, the Holy See authorized public devotion to Our Lady of Banneux, patroness of the poor, in 1942. Formal approval was given by the Bishop of Liège in 1949, and a statue of that title was solemnly crowned in 1956. Pilgrims from many countries came to worship at the shrine. Over one hundred shrines throughout the world are dedicated to Our Lady of Banneux. (Fr. John A. Hardon)

The story of the apparitions of Our Lady of Banneux by Ann Ball is online at Holy Spirit Interactive, and would be suitable for reading to children.

This Mary Vitamin is devoted to Our Lady of Banneux.

You can visit the shrine at Banneux with this You Tube video.

Some words of Our Lady at Banneux:

"I am the Virgin of the Poor."
"I come to relieve suffering."
"My dear child, pray much. Au revoir."

Resources:
Our Lady of Banneux Coloring Book by Mary Fabian Windeatt
The Woman Clothed with the Sun: Rue de Bac, Beauraing and Banneux (DVD) - this covers the apparitions at Rue de Bac, Paris (the Miraculous Medal) and Beauraing in Belgium as well as Banneux.

Prayer Our Lady of Banneux, Blessed Virgin of the Poor, look with favor on us, your poor, suffering children. Hear our prayers, and draw us daily to the Living Water.

(from Holy Spirit Interactive)

May 3rd: Austria - Our Lady of Mariazell

Feast Day: September 13th

The most famous place of pilgrimage to Mary in Central Europe, high in the Austrian Alps. Its origins go back to 1154, when Magnus, a Benedictine monk, retired from the abbey at Lambrecht to live a more contemplative life. He carried with him a twenty-two-inch simple statue of Mary and her infant Son. He lost his way in the woods near Graatz, and night found him facing a high rock that he could neither climb nor go around. He placed the statue on a log while he prayed to Our Lady for direction. The high black rock suddenly split in two and light shone forth from its severed edges. He realized that Mary had led him there and wanted to be honored in that place. He built a small hermitage with a tree stump for a pedestal to hold the statue. About a century later a neighboring prince and his wife were seriously ill. Being told in a dream to go to the hermitage and pray, they were cured. In gratitude they built a church on the spot. The statue of Our Lady of Mariazell, though over eight hundred years old, has never shown any sign of wear or decay. The Madonna is seated, her dress is white, with a blue mantle. The Infant holds an apple in his hand. Mary is holding a pear. The first church replacing the small chapel was built in 1200. In 1340 the King of Hungary erected a larger church to accommodate the pilgrims. In the seventeenth century the present Baroque edifice was built. The Austro-Hungarian rulers considered it their most cherished shrine. Veneration to Mary and her Son continued under all vicissitudes until grave war dangers forced a temporary concealment of the treasured statue. This shrine has maintained its Austrian character though it has been a haven to people from many nations. In 1975 Cardinal Mindszenty was buried at Mariazell, his personally designated final resting place.(Fr. John A. Hardon)

This website set up to chronicle the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Austria for the 850th anniversary of the shrine of Mariazell in September 2007 has detailed information and many pictures. I particularly liked this one of the monk Marcus arriving at Mariazell:


To prepare for the Pope's visit the bishops asked Austrians to pray this prayer from his encyclical Deus Caritas:

“ Holy Mary, Mother of God, you have given the world its true light, Jesus, your Son – the Son of God. You abandoned yourself completely to God's call and thus became a wellspring of the goodness which flows forth from him. Show us Jesus. Lead us to him. Teach us to know and love him, so that we too can become capable of true love and be fountains of living water in the midst of a thirsting world”.

The website for the Basilica of Mariazell includes an extensive panoramic tour. Click on the green circles for a 360 degree view from that spot. The site also has pictures and details of other holy places at Mariazell.

(Picture: BBC News)

If I was travelling to Mariazell I would want to take a ride on The Pilgrim's Railway, the Mariazellerbahn.

This prayer comes from the website of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at Washington:

Prayer to Our Lady of Mariazell
O Mary, we call upon you.
You are the Great Mother of Austria,
the Mother of the Slavic peoples.
You offer a safe haven for the exiled;
you bring freedom and consolation to prisoners.
We ask you holiest of all virgins, to guard innocence and purity.
Help us in all our needs, assist us in danger when we call upon you.
O Mary, guardian of the German Lands,
we pray that you may banish the scourges of war and bring peace to all believers. Through your powerful intercession, console the disillusioned, bring back the erring, comfort the sick, and give hope to sinners.
Great Mother Mary, Our Lady of Mariazell,
bless and protect the people who honor you.
Amen

May 2nd: Argentina - Our Lady of Lujan

Feast Day: May 8th

Argentine shrine, forty miles west of Buenos Aires. Its main object of devotion is a small doll-like statue of the Blessed Virgin; her head is surrounded by a golden aureole and is crowned with hundreds of diamonds and other precious stones. The Basilica of Our Lady of Luján is the most important pilgrimage center in Argentina. According to legend, in 1639 a peasant from Cordova, wishing to revive his neighbors' "belief in their early faith," ordered two statues from Brazil, one of the Immaculate Conception, the other the Blessed Virgin and her Son. When the caravan delivering them reached a small ranch on the outskirts of Luján, the driver could not urge the horses on until the statue of the Immaculate Conception was removed, indicating Mary's own choice of where her shrine should be. The treasured statue went through many housing vicissitudes. One Negro grew from boyhood to old age guarding her first in a small chapel, then in a church, then in a larger edifice. As the number of miracles grew, the crowds also grew larger. In 1910 an impressive cathedral was completed and today it is one of the world's famous shrines to Mary honored by papal coronation. Since 1930 the cathedral has been raised to the rank of a basilica. Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay now all claim The Lady of Luján as their official protectress. (Fr. John A. Hardon)

More detail is given at Hispanic Online and in this article by Zsolt Aradi at Catholic Culture.

The Church of Lujan was raised to the status of a basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1930. Over a million people take part in the main annual pilgrimage, and the shrine is visited by six million people every year.

Picture: Hispanic Online

Here is some general information about Mary in Argentina. Three major Argentine cities - Buenos Aires, Rosario and Mercedes - are named after Our Lady, as are many other towns and cities.

Finally, here is Pope John Paul II's homily at the Argentine National Church in Rome on the occasion of the enthronement of an image of Our Lady of Lujan in 1998.

May 1st: Algeria - Our Lady of Africa

Feast Day: April 30th

Our Lady of Africa: Ancient shrine at Algiers, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. It was originally a small statue of the Madonna, set in a frame of shells at a spot often visited by Barbary robbers. Fishermen came there to pray for safe voyages. In time, the grotto became a chapel and eventually a large church. A great miracle made the revered chapel even better known. Archbishop Lavigerie of Algiers was on his way to Rome accompanied by seven hundred soldiers, priests, and a Trappist abbot when their ship was caught in a violent storm. The crew despaired of the ship's safety. The archbishop had promised the Mother of God a pilgrimage to the shrine of "Our Lady of Africa" if she would save them. The ship was saved and the promise was kept. In 1872 an impressive cathedral was consecrated and now houses the crowned statue of Mary. Pope Pius IX donated the golden diadem with precious stones that Mary, "Consolation of the Afflicted," now wears. At the shrine there are as many Moslem pilgrims as Christian. To the faithful Moslem she is "Lala Meriem," who bestows her favors. The Holy See has entrusted the care of the sanctuary to the congregation of White Sisters of Africa. (Fr. John A. Hardon)

I loved this African Madonna and Child picture and chose it to print for Little Cherub as I couldn't find a picture of the Our Lady of Africa statue at Algiers.

Picture: Michael and Hanna's Web Site

I had more luck later when I thought to search in French and found this old prayer card.


Here is the Basilica at Algiers. Wikipedia has a short article on the Basilica and links to more photos. Over the altar of the Basilica is written this prayer:

Our Lady of Africa, pray for us and for the Muslims.

In 1996, a funeral Mass for took place in the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa for seven Cistercian monks from the monastery of Our Lady of Atlas who had been abducted by terrorists and beheaded. This article tells their story, and includes the last testament of the prior, Father Christian. This is what he wrote to the unknown Algerian he anticipated would kill him.

And you, too, my last-minute friend, who would not have known what you were doing; yes, for you too I say this thank-you and this a-diar--to commend you to the God in whose face I see yours. And may he grant to us to find each other, happy thieves, in Paradise, if it please God, the Father of us both. Amen! Inshallah!"

This site gives a brief history of the Church in Algeria - the modern country includes Carthage, the city of St. Augustine.

There is much information about the Church throughout Africa on the website of the Missionaries of Our Lady of Africa (White Fathers), which is available in an English version. The White Fathers were founded in 1868 by the then archbishop of Algiers under the patronage of Our Lady of Africa. Archbishop Lavigerie told his missionaries

• you will speak the language of the people
• you will eat their food
• you will wear what they wear
  

Archbishop Lavigerie also founded a sister organisation a year after the White Fathers, the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa (White Sisters)

In 1989 Pope John Paul II visited Africa. You can read his Act of Entrustment of Malawi to Our Lady of Africa here.

Prayer to Our Lady of Africa

Our Lady of Africa, Mother of us all,
be specially mindful of the peoples of Africa.
Gather together all those who follow Jesus Christ.
May they be one in the Church of your Son.
May all those who have not yet recognized Jesus
as the Son of the Father be drawn by his Light.
May all those who have been seized by Christ
proclaim the Good News by their whole life.
You who were present with the Apostles
at the beginning of the Church,
support the apostles of today
that they may boldly proclaim the Word of God.
(from White Fathers website)