Our Lady of Fatima and Her Immaculate Heart part 3
This third of the Fatima apparitions is one of the more memorable, first because she showed those gathered there hell and second because she foretold of World War II. Lucia wrote: “Even the earth itself seemed to vanish and we saw huge numbers of devils and lost souls in a vast and fiery ocean.” Our […]
The Tomb of Pope Alexander VII
Pope St. Alexander VII reigned as pope between the years 1655 – 1667. His tomb is special because it does not show him giving a blessing or being extravagant. He is praying in the moment of his death. We can see that he is in the moment of his death because the statue is halfway […]
The Pieta
There are two people in this statue, Mary and Jesus. Turning to Mary first, she is portrayed as young and beautiful, as she is without sin. And, looking at her left hand, one may notice that it is open in the act of letting Jesus, her son, go. Why is Mary letting her son go? […]
St. Junipero Serra and the California Missions
St. Junipero Serra was a Spaniard who came to the Americas as a Franciscan missionary. He led many of the missions along the California coast, such as Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Bonaventura, and San Diego de Alcala. Since there are too many missions to take up in one post, we will focus on two. […]
The Tomb of Pope Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII was known as the pope of science and his tomb (photo above) is in St. Peter’s Basilica. On top, sits a statue of Pope St. Gregory XIII and to either side sit two women. These two women represent Religion (on the left) and Magnificence (on the right). It is Magnificence who is […]
A Tale of Two Basilicas
St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s are two of the major Basilicas in Rome. Each was built at the site of the execution of their respective saint. St. Peter’s Basilica was built near the Circus of Nero, where St. Peter was sentenced to crucifixion. The first pope had requested to be crucified upside down because he […]
Porphyry in St. Peter’s Basilica
Upon entering St. Peter’s Basilica, you step on this odd marble circle on the floor (center bottom of the photo above). The circle on the floor is made of a stone called porphyry, which was used to show the wealth and power of the Roman emperors. The stone circle is specifically placed on the floor […]
The Baldacchino
The Baldacchino is a work of art made in the Baroque period by Bernini. Baroque art is an art of action. The action emphasized in the Baldacchino is the descent of the Holy Spirit. Bernini shows us the descent in the three symbols of the Holy Spirit: the dove in the center of the ceiling, […]
Our Lady of Fatima and Her Immaculate Heart part 2
Welcome to the second apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mother at Fatima! As you can imagine, the reactions of the parents of the three children; Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia, were varying. Jacinta and Francisco’s parents believed them, but Lucia’s mother believed her daughter to be lying. Lucia was given a beating. However, the children still […]
Reading The Way of the Pilgrim Chapter 2
In an earlier post, I called the narrator of the story our pilgrim leader. He leads us on our pilgrimage to find Jesus through unceasing prayer. In chapter one, we found out what ceaseless prayer is. In the second chapter, we follow the pilgrim as he continues his journey and begins to teach what he […]