Marian Sanctuary of Montenero; off to Rome

Not far from Quercianella is the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Montenero (the black mountain: so described because of the thickness of the timber stands that cover the hillsides and possibly also because of the brigands and pirates who hid out in the caves after attacking unsuspecting travellers or ships in the nearby harbour of Livorno).

The Superior Sister Daria drove several of the house guests, including Fr. Geoff Kerslake and me the eight kilometers up the hill to the holy spot where a peasant, having been informed in a dream of the location of a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary and Child Jesus, found it in a field and brought it to the nearby mountain top where a shrine was built.

The complex of theShrine of Our Lady of Grace, elevated to the rank of Basilica and maintained by the Vallombrosa monks, is devoted to Our Lady as the patron of Tuscany; it also includes a rich gallery of votive offerings for favours received.

The Sanctuary of Montenero is an architectural complex of ancient origin: a popular legend tells the story of a shepherd with a limp, in 1345, who found a painting of the Virgin Mary at the foot of the hill and had a vision through which he was driven to carry the effigy up to the top of the hill. When he arrived at the top of the hill, it had cured him of his illness.

To commemorate this, a small Chapel was built at the beginning of the road that leads to the shrine dating back to 1603 and was replaced in 1956 by a larger church.

The fame associated with that event was so great, that already at the end of that century, many pilgrimages allowed for the extension of the first oratory, given initially by the Third Order Franciscan monks then by the Gesuati (an order that flourished between the 15th and 17th centuries), and then by another religious congregation, the Theatines (17th and 18th centuries).

After the suppression of religious orders by Pietro Leopoldo, the sanctuary fell into ruin, until Ferdinand III came to power and it was entrusted to the Vallombrosian monks in 1792, who carried out some restoration and continue to direct the shrine today.



The icon of Montenero is very attractive, especially the presence of a little bird on the arm of the Blessed Mother. The iamge, attributed to the School of Pisa depicts the Virgin dressed in red with a blue cloak with the inscription "Ave Maria Mater Christi" (Hail Mary, Mother of Christ) around her head.

Her face is leaning down toward the Christ Child in her lap; his little hands are tightly clinging to his mother's clothing while holding a thread which delicately ties a little bird to Mary's arm, almost as if to indicate that faith is like a thread that draws salvation from Christ with whom devotion to the Madonna keeps us united, an interpretation given by shrine literature.

An interpretation given locally by some of the women in our party is that Mary points the "little ones", represented by the bird, towards Christ. As by thread, the believer is only lightly bound and can always flee the relationship. But the tenderness of Mother and Child invites us to abide in the circle of love and devotion.

Departure from the Seacoast for Roman Meetings

After several refreshing days by the sea, I was sent off by Suor Daria and a couple of the residents. Now the meetings begin. The next report will be from Rome, but meantime, one last image of the joys of frolicking at seaside:

ST. BARTHOLOMEW/ ST. NATHANAEL: more photos from the Tuscan Rivieria; visit of Fr. Geoff Kerslake

August 24: Feast of the Apostle Bartholomew (aka Nathanael)

In the New Testament, Bartholomew is mentioned only in the lists of the apostles.

Some scholars identify him with Nathanael, a man of Cana in Galilee who was summoned to Jesus by Philip. Jesus paid him a great compliment: “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him” (John 1:47b).

When Nathanael asked how Jesus knew him, Jesus said, “I saw you under the fig tree” (John 1:48b). Whatever amazing revelation this involved, it brought Nathanael to exclaim, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel” (John 1:49b). But Jesus countered with, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this” (John 1:50b).

Nathanael did see greater things. He was one of those to whom Jesus appeared on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias after his resurrection (see John 21:1-14).

There is a tradition that Bartholomew/Nathanael died by martyrdom with his skin stripped from his body. For wahtever reason, when Michelangelo came to depict this saint in the Last Judgment (in the Sistine Chapel), he put his facial features on the martyr. Was he expressing his wish to be considered without guile despite all the controversies in which he was implicated.

Wouldn't it be wonderful for it to be said of every Christian that he or she was "without guile"?

A Vistor from Perugia


Several Canadian priests about to begin studies in Rome this fall are studying Italian at the University of Perugia: Fathers Kevin Belgrave of Toronto (Moral Theology), Adam Voisin of Hamilton (Canon Law), John Fletcher of the Companions of the Cross (Mariology) and Ottawa's own Geoffrey Kerslake (Liturgy).

Given that exams aren't until next week, Fr. Geoff was delighted to come over to the coast for a change of scene.

The train trips (5 hours each way) allowed lots of time for going over his lessons and the people here, notably the children and especially one Leonardo, have been helping him with his Italian.


Professor Leonardo helps the young Canadian priest with Italian pronunciation.

Father Geoff even celebrated Mass for the sisters yesterday morning! The homily, needless to say, was very, very brief!

* * * * * *

Suor Giusy
One of the strong personalities of the convent, besides the superior Suor Daria, is Sister Giusy (nick name for Suor Giuseppina), who knows every one in town (she has served as a pastoral associate in the local parish of Santa Anna).

On a couple of evenings several us were taken for a tour of town, including to this gelateria where she cadged a double scoop of gelato for yours truly as well as a healthy dose of grappa to help me digest it!

Here she is with a few other guests of the Vincentian house:

A Few Days Off in Italy

En route to Vox Clara sessions, I was met at the airport of Rome by a few friends then went on to Livorno for a few days by the sea.

At the Argentina restaurant in Rome before boarding the train in a northerly direction Don Roberto , his sister Rita and Massimo, our driver.

Don Andrea Brutto, rector of the Seminary in Livorno was kind enough to meet me at the train station and bring me to Quercianella, a resort town where the Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul have a summer residence for their sisters that they have opened to religious of other communities, clerics and Catholic families in need of a vacation by the sea.

Daily activities begin with Mass in the chapel at 7:30 each morning (8am on Sunday) and great meals after Mass and at 1:00 and 7:30pm. The sisters of the house (including a medical doctor who is head of the oncology unit at the Livorno Hospital) serve the meals with joy and enthusiasm. It's a delightful ambiance.

Don Andrea in the back, the sisters and yours truly.

There is no sand on the beaches in this area, but huge rocks (which can make swimming a bit precarious), but the water is clear and the sky blue, the water cool and refreshing in the heat spell that is locked into all of Italy these days (generally 33-36 degrees C).

Catholic Bible Dictionary; the Queenship of Mary: the Feast and the Community

While reflecting on the Assumption last Saturday and today's feast of Mary's Queenship (represented by her coronation, the rosary's fifth Glorious Mystery), I had been browsing through the new Catholic Bible Dictionary, edited by Scott Hahn (Toronto: Doubleday, 2009; Cdn $55).

It is a marvellous piece of work, unabashedly showing the links with Catholic teaching and our understanding of how the biblical mysteries have become present in the life of the Church for two millennia (there are citations from conciliar documents and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The presentations are invariably positive and uplifting as yoy may see from this overview treatment of Mary, the Mother of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ:

Mary, the Mother of Jesus The virgin wife of Joseph of Nazareth and the mother of the Davidic Messiah, Jesus Christ. Having accepted the exalted vocation, she became the ideal mode of Christian faith and discipleship (Luke 1:38, 45; 8:21; 11:28). More than any woman in history, Mary is one for whom God has done “great things” (Luke 1:49).

What particularly struck me was the following treatment of the role of the biblical king's mother (the queen mother) as a guide to understanding Mary's role in interceding for us members of the Lord's Kingdom of Heaven:

The Queen Mother in the Biblical World



Mary is often hailed as Queen in the spiritual and liturgical traditions of the Church. The basis of this tradition, of course, lies in her relation to Christ the King.

But why is the Queen of the New Covenant the mother of the King and not the wife of the King, as so many queens have been through the centuries? The answer lies in the biblical institution of queenship in Israel.

Beginning in the time of Solomon, the Davidic monarchs of Judah imitated their Near Eastern neighbors by reserving the office of queenship to the mother of the king. This, in part, was a practical decision in a world where distinguished and wealthy men commonly possessed multiple wives. This meant that the king’s mother was not simply honored in a stately way, but she was a royal court official, an actual government figure who often wielded significant authority in ancient Oriental kingdoms.

Things were no different in Israel. The queen not only wore a crown (Jer 13:18) and had a throne at the right hand of the Davidic king (1 Kgs 2:19), but she was revered by the king himself (1 Kgs 2:19), who was accustomed to fulfill her every request (1 Kgs 2:20). Among other things, this made her a powerful advocate on behalf of the people (1 Kgs 2:13 19).

This background is important when we read the NT, for Mary is the mother of Jesus, the royal Messiah (Matt 1:1 16) who was destined before his birth to sit on David’s throne (Luke 1:32 33; cf. Acts 2:30 36). In other words, it is the Davidic kingship of Jesus that establishes the maternal Queenship of Mary.

Perhaps the clearest indication of Mary’s Queenship is in the book of Revelation. In the vision of chapter 12, the mother who gives birth to the Messiah appears with “a crown of twelve stars” (Rev 12:1). Clearly she is a queen and a mother.

But just as important, the newborn Messiah is identified as a Davidic king “who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron” and who is taken up to his “throne” (Rev 12:5, alluding to the anointed king from David’s line in Ps 2:8 9). Some might think it odd for a queen to give birth to her king; however, the notion of a Queen Mother is exactly what we find in the Davidic monarchy of biblical Israel.

And because Christ is the reigning Davidic Messiah, his Mother too wears the crown of Queenship in the new Kingdom of God.

The Queenship of Mary, an aspiring religious community of women



Under the guidance of Alice Fougere from Halifax, Nova Scotia a small group of dedicated women has begun living a common life in Ottawa, with the hope of eventually becoming a community of apostolic life.

Canonically speaking, there are several stages to the process and they hope soon to be recognized by the Archdiocese and formally begin living their vision of serving the church together. They have an interim uniform (seen above following the Mass of the Assumption), which they hope to trade in soon for a religious habit. They have devoted their ideal under the name of "The Queenship of Mary".

May they celebrate this day with joy under the protective mantle of Our Lady!

Lighter Blogging
This coming week I will be in Rome for the latest session of the Vox Clara Committee; posting will be less frequent.

Prayers for all from the Eternal City!

St. Pius X and Discerning Vocations: Ottawa's "Quo Vadis?" and "Duc in altum" groups

When I was growing up in Ahuntsic (in north-end Montreal), the new curate Father J. David Fitzpatrick began a club for young men interested in the priesthood and entrusted us to our patron, St. Pius X, canonized in 1954.

From that time, I have always maintained a devotion to this early 20th century saint as well as grown in friendship with "Father Fitz" (recently retired after more than fifty years of service in the Archdiocese of Montreal).

The Pius X club has given way to other models of priestly discernment, including the "Quo Vadis?"group (literally "where are you going?"), directed by Ottawa's Director of Vocations Fr. Tim McCauley on the third Friday of each month (there is a session planned for this evening). Men interested in future sessions should contact Fr. Tim (613-445-3054 or tmccauley@archottawa.ca).

Another discernment group--for both men and women, thinking of the consecrated life and/or priesthood is called "Duc in altum" ("Put out into the deep", Luke 5:4).

The group meets once a month during the Pastoral Year (September-June) with the hopes of coming to a conclusion as to where the Lord is drawing them. For information, contact Ottawa's English Sector Youth Director, Ted Hurley (613-738-5025; thurley@archottawa.ca).



Meantime, the Archdiocesan website has begun an occasional series of reflections by priests on their experience of this wonderful vocation.

The series begins with the reflections of our youngest priest, Father Jonathan Blake, ordained on May 2 and, after two months at Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica is now serving at Annunciation of Our Lord Parish in Gloucester (www.archottawa.ca).

St. Bernard's Feast Day: Religious Reformer, Doctor of the Church

Happy Feast Day to those who follow the Trappist Ideal or are inspired by the spirituality of this giant of the Church

Some thoughts on the Saint of the Day, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), by M. Basil Pennington OCSO

The Young Abbot

Bernard, the founding abbot of Clairvaux Abbey in Burgundy, was one of the most commanding Church leaders in the first half of the twelfth century as well as one of the greatest spiritual masters of all times and the most powerful propagator of the Cistercian reform. He was born in Fontaines-les-Dijon in 1090 and entered the Abbey of Citeaux in 1112, bringing thirty of his relatives with him, including five of his brothers--his youngest brother and his widowed father followed later.

After receiving a monastic formation from St. Stephen Harding, he was sent in 1115 to begin a new monastery near Aube: Clairvaux, the Valley of Light. As a young abbot he published a series of sermons on the Annunciation. These marked him not only as a most gifted spiritual writer but also as the "cithara of Mary," especially noted for his development of Mary's mediatorial role.

The Peacemaker

Bernard's spiritual writing as well as his extraordinary personal magnetism began to attract many to Clairvaux and the other Cistercian monasteries, leading to many new foundations. He was drawn into the controversy developing between the new monastic movement which he preeminently represented and the established Cluniac order, a branch of the Benedictines. This led to one of his most controversial and most popular works, his Apologia.

Bernard's dynamism soon reached far beyond monastic circles. He was sought as an advisor and mediator by the ruling powers of his age. More than any other he helped to bring about the healing of the papal schism which arose in 1130 with the election of the antipope Anacletus II. It cost Bernard eight years of laborious travel and skillful mediation.

At the same time he labored for peace and reconciliation between England and France and among many lesser nobles. His influence mounted when his spiritual son was elected pope in 1145. At Eugene III's command he preached the Second Crusade and sent vast armies on the road toward Jerusalem. In his last years he rose from his sickbed and went into the Rhineland to defend the Jews against a savage persecution.

The Writer

Although he suffered from constant physical debility and had to govern a monastery that soon housed several hundred monks and was sending forth groups regularly to begin new monasteries (he personally saw to the establishment of sixty-five of the three hundred Cistercian monasteries founded during his thirty-eight years as abbot), he yet found time to compose many and varied spiritual works that still speak to us today.

Bernard laid out a solid foundation for the spiritual life in his works on grace and free will, humility and love. His gifts as a theologian were called upon to respond to the dangerous teachings of the scintillating Peter Abelard, of Gilbert de la Porree and of Arnold of Brescia. His masterpiece, his Sermons on the Song of Songs, was begun in 1136 and was still in composition at the time of his death.

With great simplicity and poetic grace Bernard writes of the deepest experiences of the mystical life in ways that became normative for all succeeding writers. For Pope Eugene he wrote Five Books on Consideration, the bedside reading of Pope John XXIII and many other pontiffs through the centuries.

Doctor of the Church
Bernard died at Clairvaux on 20 August 1153. He was canonized by Pope Alexander III on 18 January 1174. Pope Pius VII declared him a Doctor of the Church in 1830.

--from The Modern Catholic Encyclopedia
(A Michael Glazier Book), Liturgical Press (1995) 82.
Ms. illustration of St. Bernard from the O. Cist. website in Rome.

Celebrating the Assumption and God's Healing through Mary and the Saints

Today's blog offers a round-up of photos from the weekend's celebrations of the Assumption at the Cathedral, prayers for healing at the Grotto of Notre Dame de Lourdes de Vanier and an Anointing Service at one of our Italian parishes.

Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica: Solemnity of the Assumption




Mass and Procession at the Archdiocesan Shrine (Montreal Road)







The Anointing of the Sick during Mass on Sunday and the Feast of San Rocco at Madonna della Risurrezione Parish