St. Gerolamo Emiliani

Gerolamo Emiliani was born in 1486 in Venice. At age 15, he ran away to join the army. While defending a fortress in the mountains of Treviso, he was taken prisoner after all but three other soldiers abandoned the post. Though not particularly religious before, in prison he began to pray.

One month late, he was able to escape, and he attributed his escape to Mary’s intersession. He claimed a woman clothed in white appeared and handed him the keys to unlock his chains and the door of the prison tower. He even made a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Treviso and left his prisoner’s chains there.
He served the army for a few more years. In 1516, he returned to Venine to help supervise his nephews and nieces, who had been orphaned. He also spent time studying theology and doing works of charity. He began caring for the city’s poor and sick, particularly orphans. He ran the hospital for incurables. He also travelled around northern Italy encouraging other cities to build hospitals and orphanages.

He found community in meetings with members of the Community of Divine Love, a lay apostolate dedicated to the poor, the sick, and the union of hearts. Some accounts say that Gerolamo was ordained, while others suggest that he wasn’t. However, he begin to work with two priests, and together, they began to plan a religious community based on Gerolamo’s charity, also probably influenced by the Community of Divine Love.

In 1532 Gerolamo founded the Congregation of Regular Clerics in Somasca, a small town between Milan and Bergamo. The principal work of the community was care for orphans, poor, and sick. The members of the order became known as Somachi or Somascans.

In 1537, Gerolamo contracted the plague while assisting the inflicted during an epidemic. He died on Feb. 8, 1537. He is the patron of orphaned and abandoned children. His feast day is Feb. 8. The Somascans still care for orphans all around the world. 

St. Lidwina of Schiedam

St. Lidwina of Schiedam was born April 18, 1380 in Holland. When she was 15, she fell while ice skating and broke a rib. She became progressively disabled for the rest of her life. She first developed difficulty walking and headaches. By 19, both her legs were paralyzed and her vision blurred. It is said that she slowly became paralyzed all over except for her left hand, leading some to speculate that she had multiple sclerosis.

After her injury, Lidwina fasted and prayed regularly and became known as a healer.

Locals claimed that she ate very little food, rarely slept, and that she shed parts of her body which were collected in a jar by her parents and that the jar gave off a sweet odor. Near the end of her life, she had mystical visons. Her life is an example of how anyone, in any condition, can lead a holy life and inspire others.

Lidwina died on April 14, 1433. She is the patron of the chronically ill and ice skaters. Her feast day is April 14.

Walking for Peace

For the past few months, a group of 19 Buddhist monks have been walking from Texas to D.C. On Tuesday, they arrived in Washington. Their journey gained a lot of attention, and huge crowds gathered to welcome them and cheer them on as they (and their rescue dog Aloka) passed through. The 2,300-mile trek took 15 weeks.

The purpose of their journey was to promote peace.

"It's a spiritual offering, an invitation to live peace through everyday actions, mindful steps and open hearts," a spokesman for their temple said. "We believe when peace is cultivated within, it naturally ripples outward into society."

Monday Motivation: Lift Every Voice and Sing

Lambs for God

Today, the feast of St. Agnes, Pope Leo XIV was presented two lambs. The animals were later blessed, and the wool from the lambs will be used to make the pallia, a band of white wool with black crosses worn by metropolitan archbishops, given to them by the pope.

The lamb blessing on the feast of St. Agnes going back at least 500 years. St. Agnes, a virgin martyr from the 4th century, is often depicted holding a lamb, as agnus in Latin means “lamb.” The lambs come from Trappist monks, who used to pay their rent with the lambs. In the summer, Benedictine nuns will use the wool to make the pallia.

The lambs presented for the blessing were decorated in red and white flowers and placed in baskets (to prevent them from running around during the blessing). Their adorable baaing could be heard during the pope’s prayer.

What a sweet tradition.

Monday Motivation: MLK

"Love is the greatest force in the universe. It is the heartbeat of the moral cosmos. He who loves is a participant in the being of God."

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice." 

“Every time I look at the cross I am reminded of the greatness of God and the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. I am reminded of the beauty of sacrificial love and the majesty of unswerving devotion to truth.”

"We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."

When One Door Closes...

Between Christmas Eve and Epiphany, the four Holy Doors in Rome were closed, officially concluding the Jubilee. So much has happened since Christmas Eve 2024 when Pope Francis opened the Holy Door.

I did not plan to go to Rome, but I found myself there. There was no loud revelation, but the moments of grace have been dripping in ever since.

I never would have imagined that there would be an American pope. And then I found myself only a few feet away from him.

No need to mention all that has gone on in the country. But it’s clear to say the world is much different.

Open doors are invitations. They are thresholds into something new. There is an expectation that things will be different on the other side. We are invited to enter, to experience, to be changed. Holy Doors invite us to enter into God’s will, with the promise there is grace and blessings within. I am grateful I accepted that invitation.

The Jubilee is closed. Which feels like an ending, and a sad one at that. Does that mean this year is just…normal? But really, a jubilee is a reset; it is meant to make the going forward easier. It is a time of grace and forgiveness so that we can start anew, unburdened.

I don’t think this year will be unburdened; no time is. But that is why opportunities of grace are so important. The next invitation of grace probably won’t be as conspicuous as the large bronze doors of a basilica. But I hope that I will answer. And enter.

Happy Berchtoldstag!

Berchtoldstag is a holiday celebrated in Switzerland and Liechtenstein on Jan. 2. It celebrates Duke Berchtold V and the founding of Bern. 

Beyond its historical meaning, the feast day may allude to the word “berchten” which means to walk around asking for food. It’s also possible that it alludes to a word from the Middle High German “berhttac,” which means epiphany. The holiday seems to have taken hold in areas where Protestantism abolished the traditional celebration of Epiphany. So Berchtoldstag can serve as a sort of a replacement New Year / Epiphany celebration.  

Gatherings, folk dancing, and feasts are traditional ways to celebrate. There is also a large focus on eating nuts and nut-based activities. Children make hocks, four nuts placed together with a fifth placed on top.

In Hallwil, there is a parade which includes characters: the jumpfere dressed in white, the spielchärtler wearing a robe of playing cards, a character wearing holly or fir branches or straw, an old woman who sprays water from a pan, and the schnäggehüüslig wearing a snail shell.

I had never heard of this holiday until about a month ago. It sounds like a light-hearted, fun holiday.