Holy Smokes! Now THAT'S a THURIBLE!

You want incense? You got incense! This is the "Botafumeiro (Smoke Boat)" in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, Galicia, Spain. The cathedral is the supposed burial location of St. James the Great.

This little tidbit made me laugh (from Wikipedia):

"One of the most renowned accidents took place during a visit of Princess Catherine of Aragon. She was on a journey to marry the heir to the English throne in 1499 and stopped by the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. While it was being swung, the Botafumeiro flew out of the cathedral through the Platerias high window. No one was reported to have been injured on this occasion."

World Youth Day

 

Putting the "monstr" in MONSTRANCE!

The Fourteen Holy Helpers Have a Basilica!

 

I never heard of them, and they have their own basilica? Who knew?

The basilica is located in Bad Staffelstein, Germany. According to Wikipedia, the fourteen holy helpers are:

* Achatius (or Acacius) (May 8), martyr, invoked against headache
* Barbara (December 4), virgin and martyr, invoked against fever and sudden death
* Blaise (also Blase and Blasius) (February 3), bishop and martyr, invoked against illness of the throat
* Catherine of Alexandria (November 25), virgin and martyr, invoked against sudden death
* Christopher (Christophorus) (July 25), martyr, invoked against bubonic plague
* Cyriacus (Cyriac) (August 8), deacon and martyr, invoked against temptation on the death-bed
* Denis (Dionysius) (October 9), bishop and martyr, invoked against headache
* Erasmus (Elmo) (June 2), bishop and martyr, invoked against intestinal ailments
* Eustachius (Eustace, Eustathius) (September 20), martyr, invoked against family discord
* George (April 23), soldier-martyr, for the health of domestic animals
* Giles (Aegidius) (September 1), hermit and abbot, invoked against plague, for a good confession
* Margaret of Antioch (July 20), virgin and martyr, invoked in childbirth
* Pantaleon (July 27), bishop and martyr, for physicians
* Vitus (also known as Saint Guy) (June 15), martyr, invoked against epilepsy

Feast of St. Margaret of Antioch

 

Not much is known about her, but here are three things about her that I found interesting:

1) While imprisoned for being a Christian, she had a showdown with the devil. The devil, in the form of a dragon (see picture) swallowed her, but the crucifix in her hand got caught in the devil's throat, so he disgorged her. And so she became the patroness of childbirth (no, really!).

2) Hers was one of the voices heard by Joan of Arc.

3) Her biography says she is one of "The Fourteen Holy Helpers". The what?

Two New Links

I've added two new links to the list on the right - one to EWTN and another to Rustle Hill Winery (owned and operated by St. Joe's very own Russell family).

The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne

Freedom Never Cries

A belated song for Independence Day.

Sister Godfrey Fights Back!

 

The Battle is Joined!

 

The giant puppets have gotten wind of the Crusade and are fighting back, terrorizing the population with weapons of mass digestion!

Sister Godfrey

 

Apparently, declaring a jihad is not within my power. I am not an Imam. So I have changed my jihad against giant puppets to a CRUSADE against giant puppets. I have chosen Sister Godfrey (WATCH IT!) to be in charge of my troops. She has already begun recruiting. I have instructed her to go after the giant nun puppets first.

What Kind of Nun (or Priest, or Brother) Should You Be?

You can find out by taking the survey located here.