Nihil obstat: John Eidenschink, O.S.B., J.C.D., Censor deputatus.
Imprimi potest: +Baldwin Dvorschak, O.S.B., D.D., Abbot of St.
John's Abbey.
Imprimatur: +Peter W. Bartholome, D.D., Bishop of St. Cloud.
August 24, 1962.
Copyright 1962 by The Order of St. Benedict, Inc., Collegeville,
Minnesota.
CONTENTS
Abbreviations
My Nameday--Come for Dessert
How to Observe a Nameday
Program for a Nameday
Mary
St. Joseph
Most Popular Boys' Names
Most Popular Girls' Names
Apostles and Saints who Bear Their Names
The Saints of the Canon of the Mass
Other Popular Names
Virgin Saints
Martyrs
Confessors
Doctors of the Church
Founders of Religious Orders
Holy Women
Scriptural Saints
Special Patrons for Children and Youth
Martyrs and Saints of Great Britain
Gaelic Names and Irish Saints
Index of Recipes
Day by Day Calendar of Patrons
Index of Names, Patrons, Namedays
Nameday prayers in honor of patron saints for whom no special
prayers are given in this book. If your patron saint was a
MARTYR-BISHOP, see Martyr-Bishops.
MARTYR who was not a bishop, see Martyr-Bishops.
WOMAN-MARTYR, see Women Martyrs.
VIRGIN, see Virgin Saints.
VIRGIN-MARTYR, see Virgin-Martyrs.
CONFESSOR-BISHOP, see Confessor-Bishops.
CONFESSOR, see Confessors.
POPE, see Popes.
DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH, see Doctors of the Church.
ABBOT, see Abbots.
SAINT mentioned in the Canon of the Mass, see The Saints of the
Canon of the Mass.
HOLY WOMAN who was not a martyr or virgin, see Holy Women.
If in doubt, use the prayer in Program for a Nameday (or Scriptural
Saints).
ABBREVIATIONS
{We have retained this listing of addresses and companies, even
though almost all are out of date. If you find some the products
listed in this book or a good substitute, please let our
subscribers know, and we can update the references.}
In this book references are frequently made to stores or
companies from which various items may be purchased for the
nameday celebration. In order to avoid repetition only the
initial letters are given with a direction to this page. Here
follow the full addresses:
AL Alinari
Via Nazionale 6
Firenze--Florence
Italy
AMS Ave Maria Shop
11 Barclay St.
New York, N.Y.
BER Berliner & McGinnis
Nevada City, Cal.
BM Bobbs-Merrill Co.
1720 E. 38th St.
Indianapolis, Ind.
BMA Birmingham Museum of Art
Birmingham, Ala.
BR Bruce Publishing Co.
400 North Broadway
Milwaukee 1, Wis.
CAB Mother Cabrini Shrine
701 Fort Washington Ave.
New York, N.Y.
CCA Contemporary Christian Art
1053 Lexington Ave.
New York, N.Y.
CR Thomas Crowell Co.
432 Park Ave. South
New York 16, N.Y.
DA Devin-Adair Co.
23 E. 26 Street
New York, N.Y.
FC The Frick Collection
1 East 70 Street
New York 21, N.Y.
FL Frederick Leighton Mexican Imports
15 E. 8 Street
New York, N.Y.
FLB Family Life Bureau
1312 N.W. Massachusetts Ave.
Washington 5, D.C.
FP Frederick Pustet Co.
14 Barclay St.
New York 8, N.Y.
FSC Farrar, Straus and Cudahy
19 Union Square W.
New York, N.Y.
GI Gregorian Institute of America
2130 Jefferson Ave.
Toledo 2, Ohio
GO Gourmet Magazine
Plaza Hotel
New York, N.Y.
GR The Grail
Grailville
Loveland, Ohio
HNA Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
6 W. 57th Street
New York 19, N.Y.
IR Irish Industries Depot
831A Lexington Ave.
New York, N.Y.
JU Jubilee
168 E. 91st Street
New York 28, N.Y.
LAS The Little Art Shop
Regina Laudis Monastery
Bethlehem, Conn.
LP The Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey
Collegeville, Minn.
MA Manganaro Foods Inc.
488-9th Ave.
New York, N.Y.
MB Morehouse Barlow Co.
14 E. 41st St.
New York 17, N.Y.
MF Montfort Book Shop
40 South Saxon Ave.
Bay Shore, L.I.
New York
MG Mary's Gardens
124-c West Chestnut Hill Ave.
Philadelphia 18, PA
MMA Metropolitan Museum of Art
5th Avenue at 82nd St.
New York 28, N.Y.
MR Maryknoll Sisters
Maryknoll, N.Y.
MS Maid of Scandinavia
3245 Raleigh Ave., South
Minneapolis, Minn.
NB Newman Bookshop
Westminster, Md.
NCRLC National Catholic Rural Life Conference
8301 Grand Ave.
Des Moines, Iowa
NGA The National Gallery of Art
Washington, D.C.
PA Pantheon Books
22 East 51st St.
New York, N.Y.
PB Party Bazaar
390-5th Ave.
New York, N.Y.
PC Patronscraft
% Little Art Shop
Regina Laudis Monastery
Bethlehem, Conn.
PJK P. J. Kenedy and Sons
12 Barclay Street
New York 8, N.Y.
PP Paulist Press
180 Varick St.
New York 14, N.Y.
RC Regina Coeli Center
80-17 37th Ave.
Jackson Heights, N.Y.
SF Salesian Fathers
Mission Office--Box 30
New Rochelle, N.Y.
FL St. Leo Shop
Newport, R.I.
SMC Sister Mary of the Compassion, O.P.
Dominican Sisters of Perpetual Adoration
Blue Chapel
Union City, N.J.
SMG St. Martin de Porres Guild
160 5th Ave.
New York, N.Y.
SP Scapular Press
329 E. 28th St.
New York 16, N.Y.
SS Simon and Schuster
136 W. 52nd St.
New York, N.Y.
SSJ The Sisters of St. Joseph
Brentwood, L.I.
New York
SW Sheed and Ward
64 University Place
New York, N.Y.
WRN William R. Nelson Museum
Kansas City, Mo.
YCW Young Christian Workers
1700 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, Ill.
YOHS Ye Olde Herb Shoppe
46 Dey St.
New York, N.Y.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Photo credits: Oudin designs: Hurvault, Phot., 9 rue de Metz,
Saint Germain-en-lay, France, pp. 29, 37, 82, 170, 183, 187, 202,
212, 217, 218, 228; Daniel McManamy, pp. 15, 109; John
Harrington, pp. 26, 27, 90; Kevin McKiernan, p. 40; General Foods
Kitchens, 250 North Street, White Plains, New York (Baker's Angel
Flake Coconut), pp. 32, 80, 108, 154-161 (cf. "Baker's Coconut
Cut-Up Cakes" booklet); Maid of Scandinavia, 3245 Raleigh Ave.
South, Minneapolis, Minnesota, pp. 35, 73, 191, 222; The Nestle
Company, pp. 58, 112, 140, 214; Knox Gelatine, Inc., pp. 69, 76,
88, 123, 145, 210, 226; Richard Snyder School of Bakery, pp. 67,
84; Norton and Peel, 1004 Marquette Ave., Minneapolis, Minnesota,
p. 73; Florida Citrus Commission, p. 114; Borden Milk Company,
Ice Cream Division, p. 167; Fluffo, 36 Central Park South, New
York 19, New York, p. 87; Rev. Hugh Witzmann, O.S.B., p. 105
Hymns: Hymns given on pp. 56, 93, 144, 200 are under copyright by
McLaughlin and Reilly Company, Boston, Massachusetts; used with
permission. Hymns given on pp. 148, 194, 245, 248 are under
copyright by The Gregorian Institute of America, Toledo, Ohio;
used with permission.
Quotations from: "Meditations Before Mass," The Newman Press,
Westminster, Maryland, p. 15, 16; "Liturgical Piety," Notre Dame
University Press, pp. 30, 103; "Butler's Lives of the Saints," P.
J. Kenedy and Sons, p. 63; "Ancient Irish Poetry," Constable and
Company, p. 113; prayers from the "Raccolta," pp. 79, 107, 184.
There! it is finished, the cake for your nameday:
Brown, with red raisins, pink icing and candles,
Frilly fine paper with podgy gilt puppies
To ribbon the rim like a wrist with its bangles.
Tomorrow your quick little heart will start pounding,
Your quick little laugh tinkle over the table.
As yet you're too young to suspect love abounding
Went to that baking--later on you'll be able.
They'll heap you with names in the dear Irish fashion:
"Paistin,"1 "little thrush," "peteen-o," and "heart's treasure,"
Kind love will float round you, a pool of hushed passion;
You dear little soul, you'll be loved without measure.
Beginning the third of the years you are with us
The Father fulfil you, the Christ and the Spirit;
The Mother of Jesus be vigilant for us
Nunc et in hora...and keep you, and cherish.2
MY NAMEDAY--COME FOR DESSERT
is an invitation to parents to celebrate the family's namedays.
It contains the names, feasts, and symbols of our Blessed Mother
and the saints, prayers of the liturgy, and appropriate desserts
for the celebration of the sanctoral cycle of the Church year in
the home.
A nameday commemorates the feast of the saint whose name we
received at baptism. To the Church's mind, the day of the saint's
death is his real feastday, and that is the day usually assigned
as his feast--his birthday into heaven. In some countries and in
most religious orders it is customary to observe name-days
instead of birthdays.
On a child's nameday, "Come for Dessert" is a popular way to
entertain. It is economical, festive and meaningful, and permits
the family to splurge on a fabulous dessert without inflicting
lasting wounds on the budget. It can be a "little evening"--a
time for a party and a prayer for the child in the company of
friends, a time for pleasant conversation for the grown-ups to
accompany them.
Namedays are a means of strengthening the faith of our children,
of drawing them closer to the Communion of Saints. The extra work
on the parents' part will be amply rewarded. "A little more and
how much it is; a little less and what miles away."
In the thirteen years from kindergarten through high school,
children spend 13,000 hours in school (five hours a day); 37,960
hours asleep (eight hours a day); and 62,920 hours awake at home
or elsewhere. The chief problems parents face are how to make a
Christian home in which the children may pass their waking hours,
how to teach the lessons of the faith over and beyond the
catechism, how to counteract the secular influences of television
and radio.
The Sisters, Brothers and teachers in our schools teach Christian
doctrine, it is true; but parents must teach "religion." And the
bulk of the work should be done before the child is six years
old. Our Catholic educators can only build upon the foundations
of Catholic training inculcated in the home. One of the ways to
create a supernatural atmosphere in the home and to train our
children in the faith is by the celebration of namedays.
Namedays enrich a child's thinking and create feelings of
security, reverence and love of tradition which come from links
with the past. They bind the members of the family closer to each
other, to God. and to the saints; they are a means of sanctifying
the home, fulfilling the command of the bishops of the United
States: "Christians must make their homes holy."
The nameday dessert may be served as formally as you like. It is
most attractive at the dining room table, covered in its Sunday
best with linen, polished silver, good china, and candles. A low
centerpiece decorated with a symbol of the patron saint will
provide beautiful decor. The table may be set with placemats,
nameday napkins (available at $.50 a package from MS; see
Abbreviations), and place-cards marked with an attribute of the
saint or a verse from the Bible easily taken from the Mass of the
patron.
At a gathering too large to be seated, let the table be set as a
buffet with a taller and more imposing centerpiece, perhaps built
around a statue or paper cut-out of the-child's patron saint.
Serve the most beautiful cake or pie in your repertoire, or a
dessert frozen in a symbolic mold, nameday punch for the
children, and coffee (perhaps Irish coffee, p. 264) for the
grown-ups. Just before the dessert is served, the family and
guests pray the Collect of the day for the nameday child. A copy
of the prayer may be typed or printed by hand for each guest.
HOW TO OBSERVE A NAMEDAY
The impetus for keeping namedays must ordinarily begin with
mother. She can stage a nameday celebration just as successfully
as she whips up a cake. Nothing happens on a nameday unless she
makes it happen. The triduum beforehand, the vigil prayers,
family attendance at Mass on nameday morning, the fun of the
dessert party are the result of conscious planning born of a love
for the traditions of the Church.
Family observance of namedays adds to the richness and
completeness of life. Namedays like holidays give variety to our
years; furthermore, they are a stabilizing influence, bringing
the family together and uniting it to the Church Triumphant. So
let's have namedays, even if they do make another job for mother.
"How do you find the time?" mothers ask. "Something less
important must go undone," is the answer. Namedays need not be
all work and no fun. The solution lies in systematic planning.
Like all other household activities, advanced planning relieves
the pressure. It is easy to work out a nameday routine that will
become a family tradition. Change the routine here, change it
there, but keep the same outline from year to year. Done in this
way, the celebrations are easier to manage, and children will
love the program the more for its familiarity. They will feel a
part of it. As they grow older, they will take the whole thing
out of mother's hands.
Establish a nameday closet. As namedays roll around, acquire
permanent fixings which can be tucked away in labeled boxes or in
a drawer. Here can be stored special nameday symbols and table
decorations, crowns, gummed seals, ribbons of appropriate colors,
odds and ends that are needed for dramatizing the life of the
saints and a nameday wreath for feasts (MS, see Abbreviations).
A special party pantry, or at least a shelf, is also a good idea.
In a short time its resources can turn any dessert period into a
nameday celebration. Such a shelf should hold colored straws,
marshmallows, gum drops to make a crown for Elizabeth, Margaret,
Henry, Kenelm, or Louis; perhaps a gummed alphabet; "Cake-mate"
in colors to write the patron's name on a cake; silver dragees to
make a rosary on a cake for Catherine, Dominic, or any Dominican
saint; chocolate bits to form musical notes for a David, Vivian,
or Gregory; paper napkins to be crayoned; and even such things as
animal crackers.
For instance, for a small Daniel or Mark, lions in cookie form or
gummed-seal lions may be used to decorate cupcakes. Put a candle
on the top, with the lions encircling it (this is also for Leo,
Marciana, Jerome, Natalie)--and you will have a nameday
celebration in no time at all. It is well to have party balloons
and paper plates on which the symbols of saints may be painted
with nail polish. With such materials on hand, it is possible to
celebrate namedays without trouble or expense.
Chart the Church year for namedays. Your religious calendar will
serve as a reminder if you circle the dates of your family's
patrons. We cannot stress enough the importance of such
activities; in themselves they may seem to be of no consequence,
but seen in a broader perspective they have great spiritual
value. Anything which unites our children more closely to the
Communion of Saints is worth the effort it costs a mother. It is
an ordinary household chore which can have supernatural
significance.
In organizing a successful nameday party, one which your children
will enjoy and remember, there are a few rules to be observed.
First, invite no more children than can be comfortably managed;
second, keep the party short and snappy. Plan the time so that a
few games may be played before refreshments--always a quiet one
to end with. It is best to give prizes to the winner of each game
at a small child's party; crayons, soap bubbles, modeling clay,
yo-yos, or candy are suitable.
The table is the center of attraction at these parties; the
child's patron and his symbols will dictate the party theme.
The nameday vigil: a period of quiet. The preceding suggestions
were meant to give the assurance that the celebration of your
child's nameday need not involve much feverish preparation. In
fact, a spirit of quiet and calmness should pervade the household
on the vigil. Romano Guardini in "Meditation before Mass" (Newman
Press, Westminster; Maryland) stresses that such a period of
composure is the "prerequisite of a liturgical holy act"--in this
case, holy Mass on the nameday feast of your child. This period
of quiet may be devoted to a reading and explanation of the Mass
of the day, or at least of the Collect. Often the Mass text in
honor of the child's patron--pope, bishop, abbot, martyr, holy
woman or virgin--will suggest symbols and verses for the place-
cards to be used at your party the next day.
We have found that the period of quiet is best maintained by
having the children work in silence at a table where they can cut
silhouettes or name shields, make paper sculptures of the patron
saint, draw and paste up symbols. Their work is used on the
family altar, over the mantel, or on the kitchen bulletin board.
Helping to create a nameday decor provides children with a period
of stillness in which the Holy Spirit may work upon their hearts
and minds and hands. Sometimes the drawing or cut-out is a simple
mitre for a bishop; at other times they may work out more
elaborate designs. Like most children, ours are most often noisy,
so this period of absolute quiet always impresses them.
Then they were small, decorating paper napkins with crayoned
symbols was a sure guarantee of a quiet period. They also enjoyed
gummed seals on place-cards (3x5 file cards), such as a goose for
Martinmas, St. Martin's day; a horse for Irene; a rooster for Guy
or Peter. Now that they are older they use nail polish to
outline the symbols on paper plates. These exercises are not for
pedagogical value. For example, in drawing a crosier for a bishop
they learn that the straight staff denotes righteous rule; his
mitre designates his authority.
Sometimes the children rule paper napkins with borders and color
them in keeping with the feast: blue border and monogram for our
Blessed Mother; black and white with a shield for Dominicans;
brown for Franciscans, etc. For St. John the Baptist green is
used as a symbol of spiritual initiation. Red is the color for
the many martyrs who suffered in times of persecution. Yellow or
gold symbolizes sacredness; both St. Joseph and St. Peter are
pictured in art wearing this color. A helpful book, "Paper
Sculptures" by Mary Grace Johnston, will give ideas on making a
paper sculpture of a patron (available from RC, see
Abbreviations).
"The image is a reality; the mind can only attempt to plumb it.
The image is richer than the thought; hence the act by which we
comprehend an image, gazing, is richer, more profound, vital and
storied than the thought. People today are over-conceptualistic.
We have lost the art of reading images and parables, of enacting
and understanding symbols. We could relearn some of this by
encouraging and practicing the power of vision, a power which has
been neglected for too long" (Romano Guardini, ibid.).
For teen-agers this period of quiet should be devoted to reading
the life of the saint or studying the missal for the Mass of the
feast. It is also a time to help the younger children with
artwork. Parents too must become aware of the mystery of the
feast. They must revere and pray to their children's patrons
daily, must express love for the heavenly protectors after whom
they have named their children by a joyful celebration of the
heavenly birthdays of the family patrons.
Again Guardini gives the clue: "From the liturgy it is clear that
the (name) day does not begin with the morning, nor with
midnight, but on the evening before with a vigil. (It need by
only a period of quietness, a decade of the Rosary to ask our
Lady and the child's patron for his needs, and, if possible, a
prayer in the child's own words.) There is a profound insight
into this. It is not a question of the astronomical, but of the
living day. The one is mathematically exact fraction of time
which begins with a certain second, regardless of what takes
place in it; whereas the other, the living day, is a continuously
renewed form.
"Then when does the nameday begin? One could say at the moment of
deepest sleep, when life is at its stillest, on condition that
sleep itself begins and moves and ends properly. Sleep is
profoundly influenced by the hours that immediately precedes it.
Therefore the problem of a happy nameday begins on the vigil, the
evening before" (Guardini, ibid.)
It is for parents to find how to meet this challenge, to find
time in schedules already overcrowded. (This obviously means
curtailing TV.)
Family participation in Mass is the most important part of the
nameday--a miniature of the Mystical Body at the Lord's table.
Early in the Mass, at the Collect, the family seeks God's graces
for the nameday child through the intercession of his patron.
They receive God's word, glorify Him, and place the child's
particular needs at the feet of Providence. At holy Communion
they see God the Father's hand proffering sacred nourishment
which all readily accept that they may "have life."
The Lord received in holy Communion lingers to hear your desires
for your nameday child, to pour out the love of His Heart, to
bless him or her in a special manner, and to give life
everlasting. "If anyone eats of this Bread, he shall live
forever; and the Bread that I will give is My flesh for the life
of the world" (John 6:33-57)--ideal for nameday vigil reading and
meditation. It is most important that parents understand the
significance of Christ's coming in the liturgy. It is not the
dessert or the baubles or the party, but Christ's coming to
yourselves and your nameday child that makes a feast.
What are the Christian implications of this word, feast? The
dictionary says a feast is "a religious festival or celebration."
Before accepting that definition, however, we must remember that
our society has lost touch with certain ultimate mysteries. "We
are rationalists and psychologists, and reduce everything to the
intellect or moral plane, or to the subjective level of
experience," Guardini says (ibid.). Then he proceeds to give his
definition of a Christian feast. "To wait for our Lord, to invite
Him, to go to receive and honor and praise Him, to be with Him,
drawn into the intimacy of communion with Him (and through Him
into communion with the nameday saint)--that is the Christian
feast," and the true meaning of a nameday.
The celebration at home, the agape, or nameday party which
highlights the child's patron and his attributes by special
desserts and decorations, the Collect prayer at the party--all
are dependent for their effectiveness upon understanding the
meaning of a Christian feast. What good is a feast to children
surfeited with sweets? To get the full effect of a nameday feast,
give youngsters the opportunity to fast from desserts on the
vigil, or better still, during a triduum before the nameday.
After a day or two without a dessert, the nameday cake looms
twice as beautiful and tasty.
NAMES
"I will give him a white pebble, and upon the pebble a new name
written" (Apoc. 2:17).
A name is a badge of individuality. As long as an infant is
nameless, he is amorphous. When he receives a name by which he
can be identified, he enters upon a subjective existence. To the
ancient Israelites a person's name was an expression of his
personality. Throughout Old Testament history the significance of
names passed as an accepted principle. Thus the conversion of
Abram to Abraham ("father of many nations," Gen. 17:5) was proper
to the covenant of circumcision and ratified God's benediction.
"And it came to pass on the eighth day, that they came to
circumcise the child, and they were going to call him by his
father's name, Zachary" (Luke 1:59)--this verse recalls the
Hebrew custom of naming the male child eight days after birth.
The conferring of a baptismal name has profound significance. The
new name indicates the deep transformation and renovation of the
soul through the waters of baptism, the sacrament of supernatural
rebirth. A person receives a new name because he is new creature
reborn in Christ. A name may be given casually from sheer
circumstances or with some thought. But once given, it stands for
the depths of a child's being.
Patrons. Canon law admonishes the priest that "a Christian name
must be chosen for the one to be baptized, and if he cannot
secure this being done, then he himself must add the name of some
saint to that given by the parents, and enter both into the
baptismal register." The Roman Ritual also urges that in baptism
"no improper, fabulous, or ridiculous names be given, nor those
of false deities or godless heathens, but as far as possible only
those of saints by whose example and under whose protection the
faithful may be inspired to lead holy lives." As early as 400
A.D. St. John Chrysostom urged parents to adopt the names of
saints for their children, not those of ancient heroes, reminding
parents of the great spiritual benefits that would accrue to
their offspring from the example and intercession of their
heavenly patron.
When a child is placed under the protection of a saint, that
saint becomes the child's patron or patroness. The words are
derived from the Latin "pater" (father) through the word
"patronus." Patron is a generic term embracing sponsor,
benefactor, advocate. In ancient Rome, when a slave was liberated
by an aristocrat, the slave became a client of his master. In
this new state the slave gained a protector, and the master a
right-hand man who could be trusted. This new father-son
relationship gave rise to the term "patrons."
Today the word is in quite common use. Top-flight television
artists have their patrons who help them to get started toward
stardom. The baker, the grocer, the dry-cleaner--all need our
support, or as they sometimes put it, "your esteemed patronage."
It is reasonable that creatures of eternity should need patrons
superior to the patrons of earth. Born in the slavery of original
sin, we Christians, made freemen and sons of God by baptism, need
heavenly patrons to protect and care for us.
Holy Mother Church realizes our need for such heavenly patronage;
the liturgy abounds with prayer-formulas invoking their
intercession. Pope Pius XII wrote in "Mediator Dei":
"There is further reason why the cult of the saints in heaven is
valued by Christian people, that is, so that they may employ
their help, and that they may be raised up by the protection of
those in whose praises we delight. And from this, it may be easy
to understand why the holy liturgy offers us many formulas of
prayers in which it invokes the assistance of the saints in
heaven.
"In some of our heroes, His apostolic zeal is resplendent; in
others, His fortitude even to the shedding of blood, in some that
constant watchfulness is conspicuous with which they awaited
their divine Redeemer; and in others glowed a virginal radiance
of soul and the modest sweetness of Christian humility. Finally,
in all the saints burned a fervent love of God and their
neighbors.
"All these beauties of holiness the holy liturgy places before
our eyes in order that we may gaze upon them for the good of our
souls, and in order that we may be inflamed by the example of
those in whose merits we rejoice. Therefore, we should conserve
innocence in simplicity, union of heart in charity, modesty in
humility, diligence in administration, watchfulness in helping
those who are laboring, mercy in cherishing the poor, constancy
in defending the truth, justice in the severity of discipline,
that there may be no lack of any virtue which is proposed to us
as an example. For these are the footprints which the saints,
going back to their heavenly homeland, have left for us, so that
following always closely in their footsteps, we may follow them
to their blessedness."
This belief in the desirability of modeling one's life on that of
the saints, and the belief that one may invoke their aid and be
heard is sometimes difficult even for Catholics to understand.
Often it is heatedly denied by strangers to Christian tradition.
Some ask where in holy Scripture can be found the slightest
justification for naming a child after a patron saint, for
believing that the saint will protect the child.
Nowhere in Scripture will be found one word to condemn the
practice of asking the saints' protection. On the contrary, the
Bible states that saints do pray for us and that, by the doctrine
of the Communion of Saints and the duty of praying for another,
the Catholic position is justified.
Already Genesis (18:18) tells of God speaking about the mutual
blessings of Abraham's children; further we read how God
predicted that Abraham would "pray for you, and you shall live"
(Gen. 20:7). The Israelites implored Moses to be their mediator
with God (Ex. 20:19). Friends of Job bade him: "Call now! Will
anyone respond to you? To which of the holy ones will you
appeal?" (Job 5:1). These were spirits other than God. God said
to Eliphaz: "Let my servant Job pray for you; for his prayer I
will accept not to punish you severely" (Job 42:8). In Jeremiah
(15:1) God tells the prophet that He is too disgusted with the
people even to hear the prayers of Moses and Samuel for them. Of
Jeremiah himself Onias said: "This is he who prays much for the
people and for all the holy city, Jeremiah, the prophet of God"
(2 Mach. 15:14).
Christ Himself described the rich man condemned to suffering in
the next life as interceding for his relatives on earth (Luke
16:27-28). In Acts (12:5) we read how the Christians poured out
prayers that St. Peter might be released from prison. In his
epistles St. Paul speaks constantly of his prayers for those to
whom he writes and asks for their prayers in return. And St.
James tells us: "The unceasing prayer of a just man is of great
avail" (James 5:16). St. John declares that in his vision of
heaven he saw "the prayers of the saints ascending before God
from the hands of an angel" (Apoc. 8:4).
Among the Church Fathers, St. Augustine offers this testimony:
"Christians celebrate the memory of the martyrs with religious
ceremony in order to arouse emulation and in order that they may
be associated with their merits and helped by their prayers. But
to none of the martyrs do we erect altars as we do to the God of
martyrs; we erect altars at their shrines. For what bishop
standing at the altars over the bodies of martyrs ever said: We
offer to Peter or Paul or Cyprian? Mass is offered to God who
crowned the martyrs, at the shrine of the martyrs, so that the
very spot may remind us to arouse in ourselves a more fervent
charity toward those whom we imitate and toward Him who gives us
the power to do so."
St. Thomas Aquinas justifies the practice as follows:
"Prayer may be offered to a person in two ways, either so that he
himself may grant it or that he may obtain the favor from
another. In the first way, we pray only to God because all
prayers should be directed to obtaining grace and glory which God
alone gives, according to the psalmist: 'The Lord will give grace
and glory' (Ps. 83). But in the second way, we pray to the angels
and saints, not that through them God may know our petitions, but
that through their prayers and merits our petitions may be
effective."
Devotions to the saints in other faiths. Not only Roman Catholics
but their Eastern Orthodox neighbors also invoke the saints. In
"The Orthodox Church" Bulgakov writes:
"The saints, in constant relation with us, pray for us and aid us
in all our life. They are in mysterious relations of love with
the glorified Church and with the earthly militant Church. This
is the Communion of Saints. It is loving aid and assistance, and
intercession by prayer.
"The cult of the saints occupies a considerable place in Orthodox
piety. The saints are our intercessors and our protectors in
heaven, and, in consequence, living and active members of the
Church Militant. Their blessed presence in the Church manifests
itself by their pictures and relics. They surround us with a
cloud of prayer, a cloud of glory of God. This cloud of witnesses
does not separate us from Christ, but brings us nearer, unites us
to Him.
"Those who reject this cult suffer great spiritual loss; while
remaining near to Christ, they lose true relationship to Him.
They are destined to remain spiritually without a family, without
race, without home, without fathers and brothers and sisters in
Christ. They traverse the way of salvation all alone, each one
for himself, without looking for examples and without knowing
communion with others."
Anglicans, too, believe in direct invocation of the saints. In
their English Hymnal is the verse:
O saint of God, beloved,
And placed on His right hand
Thy prayers be like a rampart
As 'gainst the foe we stand.
The archbishops of Canterbury and York drew up a report on
Christian doctrine in the Church of England containing these
words: "It is impossible to declare that the departed saints
cannot hear our prayers; and we, therefore, must not condemn as
impossible direct address to them as a private practice, provided
this be to ask for their prayers whether for ourselves or
others."
In his book, "The Faith of England," Canon A. H. Reeves writes:
"The lives of the saints on earth are the supreme achievement of
divine grace. So close is their union with Christ that in them He
lives and prays, suffers and dies in self-offering to the Father.
That life which He re-enacts in every one of the baptized, He
lives to the full in the saints. For this reason, the Church
honors the saints as the most glorious handiwork of God's grace
and asks their prayers before God's throne as of those who are
especially pleasing to God."
A Presbyterian minister who lived in the apartment above us used
to wear a Celtic cross. When we challenged him, he said that it
was the symbol of St. Colmcille of Iona, patron saint of
Presbyterians. Upon checking we found many instances of public
pilgrimages by Protestants to saints' shrines in England,
including one to St. Alban, protomartyr of England. On
pilgrimages to the shrine of St. Aidan on the island of
Lindisfarne, Protestants made the final steps barefoot, like the
monks of old. The bishops of Newcastle, Edinburgh, and Jarrow led
the processions in cope and mitre. Thousands of pilgrims received
St. Aidan medals. St. Christopher-tide blessings are imparted to
travelers and vehicles by the Church of England.
English newsmen observe the feast of their patron, St. Francis de
Sales, with the celebration of the Eucharist in London's Church
of St. Mary-Le Strand. And not long ago we read that the Anglican
Boys' and Girls' Club of Holy Trinity, Charlton, was "placed
under the patronage of St. John Bosco." We mention these
devotions of Protestants in order to encourage those in mixed
marriages to celebrate their children's namedays in the home. It
is to be regretted that so many children grow up in a puritan
atmosphere which stifles any knowledge and love of their patron
saints, depriving youngsters of this precious heritage.
Home shrines. From the day of his baptism the Catholic child
should be prepared for full participation in the life of the
Church. This involves much more than learning by heart a few
truths from the catechism; it is a life in itself.
The home is the place where religious sentiment should be
nurtured, where children are free in the expression of their
religious instincts. Ideally each child should have a good medal
of his patron, and, if possible, a statue or picture to be placed
on an altar at his level; in this way he can bring flowers and
candles to the shrine. Some of my happiest memories are of the
religious processions in our home in which we carried flowers to
a patron saint's altar. Tiles of the ten most popular patrons
have been made by an American artist and sell for about $4.50
(from CCA; see Abbreviations). An exceptionally beautiful Madonna
which looks like carved pressed wood costs but $.50 and is
unbreakable (from FP, see Abbreviations). Medals of any saint may
be ordered from LAS (see Abbreviations).
The Collect: telegram to God. Patron saints should be prayed to.
Any formula that springs from a child's heart will do. We use the
Collect of the Mass for our nameday family prayers. Many of the
Collects are included in this book; others may be found in your
daily missal.
The Collects, especially the ancient ones, are masterpieces of
prayer if one considers their structure, the harmonious cadence
of their phrases, and the profound doctrine which they express.
They are usually composed of three parts: praise, petition, and
conclusion. The first part invokes God and offers Him praise, or
gives a short exposition of the mystery of the day. In the second
part we ask for our needs through the merits of Jesus Christ, our
divine Head, and the intercession of a patron saint.
The mark of a saint. It is the mark of a saint that he fulfills
the highest ideal given to man and is at the same time a friend
and an inspiration. Saints tell their namesakes what is possible
for them, whether one has one talent or ten, whether one lives in
sorrow or in joy, in days of menace, or in time of hope. They
combine almost impossible weakness with strength, darkness with
joy, self-denial with profound humanity and affection. Regardless
of the era in which they lived, saints remain ever contemporary
in that they reveal the everlasting Source of happiness, the
secret of how to turn the commonplace into something perfect and
unique. Each saint somehow manages to find the true cross, the
emblem of life and hope.
The saints are waiting to welcome and guide the faithful through
the Church year. Dr. Pius Parsch tells us in "The Church's Year
of Grace" (available from LP; see Abbreviations):
"Let us lovingly take their hand and retain their company during
the Church year. How will the saints benefit us? By their lives
and example they become our teachers and models, stars in the
night skies of life by which we may sail a straight course to
God. Moreover, they plead and intercede for us in heaven, a
mediation we ask for again and again in the liturgy. Nevertheless
their greatest function is to act as mediators of grace. By
reason of the Communion of Saints, they supply the graces we
still lack. They are the chosen vessels of divine grace; not
their virtues but God's love makes them great. When we go to meet
the Bridegroom at the holy Sacrifice, they lend us their wedding
garments to cover our nakedness. It is with their merits, and
even in their stead, that we appear before God at Mass and in
prayer.... As the eagle coaxes her young toward the sun, so the
saints must draw us upward from the hollows of earthly life
toward the divine Sun reigning in heaven" (Vol. 1, p. 381).
Little-known saints. Our names tell a story. Perhaps it is the
story of some well-known saint like Augustine, Dominic,
Catherine, or Therese. Saints are the hardest people to write
about because they are saints; few writers have succeeded in
making their lives come to life.
Of many saints after whom our children are named, very little is
known. Over the centuries a thick mist has spread between
Christians and these men and women who sanctified their time and
won for themselves the crown of eternal life. The lives of many
are shrouded in legend, much of which we find hard to believe.
Toward such hagiography we might apply the Italian saying: "Se
non e vero, e ben trovato--If not true, it is at least very apt."
What shall we tell our children about saints of whom little is
known or who have only sugar-coated lives? We might do best to
say something like this: Your patron saint loved God with all his
heart and his neighbor as himself. He cherished our Lord,
meditated on His words in the gospel, ate His Body at the altar,
and counted on Christ's merits to be saved. He let the Holy
Spirit guide his actions. He was humble, sought the last place,
obeyed his superiors, was merciful, practiced mortification and
patience He prayed without ceasing, restrained his passions,
considered himself unworthy of the graces received, and believed
that he could never do enough in response to God's goodness or to
merit heaven. Far from seeking in his supernatural virtues a
pretext for eluding the natural law, your patron avoided lying,
double-dealing deceit, stealing, and flattery. He was always
straightforward and regarded all his brothers as having been
created for God and not for himself.
It is true, some of the miracles ascribed to the saints are hard
to believe. Yet are not the miracles performed by our Lord and
the apostles sometimes regarded as "hard to believe"? Just before
His ascension, Jesus predicted of His followers: "They shall cast
out devils. They shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up
serpents; and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not
hurt them. They shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall
recover" (Mark 16:17-18).
Supernatural power abides in the earthly remains of the saints
"They cast the body into the sepulcher of Eliseus. When it had
touched the bones of Eliseus the man came to life and stood upon
his feet" (4 Kings 13:21). Wonders like this take place in the
twentieth century even as they did in past ages and justify the
veneration which the Church teaches her children to pay to the
relics of the saints.
PROGRAM FOR A NAMEDAY
Before dealing with specific saints and offering suggestions for
the celebration of their individual feastdays, we would like to
describe how we keep the feast of St. Joan of Arc in honor of our
Joanie's nameday. This will perhaps give you some ideas as to how
to adapt different practices for your own nameday observances.
To keep the nameday of St. Joan of Arc, we begin on the eve of
the feast. The children are busy making symbols for decorations
and writing verses from her Mass on place-cards. Because St. Joan
has a number of attributes, we select a different one each year
and so have opportunity to vary the decorations. One year it is
the fleur-de-lis which she bore on her banner as she went into
battle; another year it is fire to commemorate her death at a
burning stake. Then again it might be her motto, "Jesus, Maria,"
which we use to decorate place-mats, napkins, and even the cake.
Children love repetition and ceremonial. Nothing touches a
child's heart quite so deeply as a fitting celebration of the
feast of the saint whose name he bears. This need not be a costly
affair. You may be able to do no more than attend holy Mass on
the feast, pray the Collect of the day, and have a nameday cake.
From these simple delights a child learns to love and imitate his
or her patron.
Our Joanie bears the Irish form of her name--Siobhan (pronounced
she-vawn), which means "white spirit." For one nameday we found
place-mats and napkins decorated with white doves. For a
centerpiece we used a pinata, a Mexican pottery basket covered
with papier-mache to resemble a dove, the symbol of Siobhan. A
baptismal candle with symbolic designs on it heightened the
significance of the nameday party.
Our special nameday punch was called "Licking Punch" by the
children when they were small. To six small bottles of 7-Up, a
pint of sherbet (raspberry is best) is added. The punch is
stirred and served before the sherbet melts. A mixing bowl can be
used instead of a punch bowl, or the punch can be poured from a
chilled pitcher.
We have a mold with a fleur-de-lis design (from MS, see
Abbreviations) which we use for the feast of St. Joan of Arc, for
French saints, and for feasts of Our Lady. Tin-lined, the mold
can be used to bake a small cake to top a larger one, or to make
frozen desserts.
A crown made of gold paper is used for a saint's day version of
"pin the tail on the donkey." Blindfolded, the children try to
pin St. Joan's crown on her head in a print of the saint. The one
who comes closest wins a prize.
A special Irish dance, for which the prize in Ireland was a cake
garlanded with flowers, is popularly supposed to have given rise
to the saying "take the cake," in the sense of beating out all
comers. Since dancing contests are not feasible in a city
apartment, we devised a quieter contest. Our children and their
friends compete by singing to decide who will "take the cake."
Fire is another symbol that children love. We float tiny flames
on salad oil in a platter bearing a statue of the saint. Called
Halo Wicks, these tiny wicks in cork bases can be bought for
about $1.00 (from MS, see Abbreviations). The pinata swings from
the ceiling, and each child is blindfolded and given a chance to
strike it with a stick in the hope that the favors and gifts for
the nameday guests will come tumbling down when the dove is
broken. A pinata may be ordered from FL (see Abbreviations).
The Collect from the missal is said as a prayer with the grace
before dessert. The children sing "Happy Nameday to You" as the
nameday cake, topped by a symbol and lighted candle, is brought
to the table. Here are the prayers we say for St. Joan's feast:
Father: Alleluia, alleluia. You have played a man's part and kept
your courage high. The Lord gave you firmness of resolve and your
name shall be ever blessed, alleluia (Jud. 15:11).
All: Pray for us, St. Joan, holy woman that you are, and the
Lord's true worshipper, alleluia.
Father: What though I walk with the shadow of death all around
me?
All: I will not be afraid of any harm, for You are with me, Lord
Jesus.
Father: Let us pray. O God, who in a marvelous manner inspired
Joan the maid to defend her faith and her country, grant at her
intercession that Your Church may vanquish all her enemies and
enjoy abiding peace. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
In "Liturgical Piety" (Notre Dame University Press), Father Louis
Bouyer gives a pattern of praising God that is suitable for
nameday prayers. It consists of a psalm, a Collect, and a brief
pause for the personal needs of the nameday child. (St. Benedict
warns that personal prayers should be short in order to bring the
mind to God and not leave it exposed to the danger of idle
thoughts.)
Psalm 150
Father: Praise the Lord in His sanctuary,
praise Him for His firmament of strength.
All: Praise Him for His mighty deeds,
praise Him for His sovereign majesty.
Father: Praise Him with the blast of trumpet,
praise Him with lyre and harp.
All: Praise Him with timbrel and dance,
praise Him with strings and pipe.
Father: Praise Him with sounding cymbals,
praise Him with clanging cymbals.
All: Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Father: Let us pray. O Lord, You are the loveliest melody of our
choir. You have commanded that the songs of our heart should be
rendered now by wind instruments, now by strings: grant that
while we are singing with spiritual desire, we may be admitted
among the everlasting choirs and praise You together with all
Your saints.
All: Amen.
A personal prayer for the nameday child is said aloud if he or
she is small; for an older child the prayer may be mental. To
this is added the prayer to the nameday child's patron saint.
Some of these specific prayers are given throughout this book;
others will be found in the "Common" for bishops, popes, martyrs,
bishop-martyrs, virgins, virgin-martyrs, and confessors. When no
prayer can be found, the following may be said:
Father: Let us pray. Dear heavenly patron, whose name N.... is
proud to bear, always pray to God for him (her) Confirm him
(her), in the faith. Strengthen him (her) in virtue. Defend him
(her) in the fight that he (she) may deserve to conquer the
malignant foe and obtain eternal glory.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Girls who keep this feastday are Joan; Jeanne, Jehanne, and
Jeannette (French); Juanita and Nita (Spanish); Johanne and Hanne
(German); Giovanna, from which Yvonne is derived (Italian);
Jovanna (Portuguese); Ivanne (Russian); Jenny and Jesse
(Scottish); and Siobhan (Irish).
St. Joan of Arc's shield, which a child may make for her home
shrine or family altar, has a white field, gold fleur-de-lis, and
the words, "Jesus, Mary." The fleur-de-lis, emblem of the kings
of France, may be cut from gold paper or foil. The arrow which
pierced our saint's breast and thigh in the two battles which she
led is also suggested as a symbol.
The nameday dessert might appropriately be the lamb cake (see
Lamb Cake) decorated with the fleur-de-lis or with the motto from
her shield. To accomplish this we suggest "Cake-Mate," a gel that
writes like a pencil on frosting (available in supermarkets or
from MS, see Abbreviations); or you may use gummed letters
available at most stationery stores. The flambe dessert (see
Cherries Jubliee) could also be used, or the crown cake given
below.
We found a picture of St. Joan of Arc in a back issue of
"Realite," a French magazine. Later, after the picture had been
punctured by pinholes in a game of "pin the symbol on the saint,"
we found a ceramic wall decoration of St. Joan by Oudin imported
from France for $20.00 (from CCA, see Abbreviations); this is an
object of art as well as devotion. A miniature figure (not a
statue) of Joan of Arc for about $6.00, a charming nameday gift,
comes from RC (see Abbreviations).
The Little Art Shop (LAS, see Abbreviations) carries Roualt's
Joan of Arc, a reproduction of modern art, and medals by Fernand
Py ranging from $1.50 to $8.00. CCA (see Abbreviations) has a
handsome statue which is fairly costly but a treasure to last a
lifetime. Bastien LePage's Joan of Arc can be obtained for $.50
from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MMA, see Abbreviations).
CROWN CAKE
This is the ideal nameday dessert. The crown is considered a mark
of victory or distinction for all those who have attained heaven.
In this sense the Crown Cake can be used on the feast of any
saint or blessed, for, according to the vision of St. John, the
saints in glory wear crowns upon their heads (Apoc. 2:10; 4:4).
*With vegetable shortening use 3/4 cup of milk; with butter or
margarine, use 1/2 cup of milk.
Measure into a sifter 3 cups of sifted cake flour, 2 teaspoons of
double-acting baking powder, 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 1-3/4
cups of sugar.
Measure into a mixing bowl 1 cup of shortening. Measure into a
cup the milk, which will vary according to the shortening. To it
add 3/4 teaspoon of orange extract and 3/4 teaspoon of almond
extract. Have ready 3 eggs and 1 egg yolk unbeaten.
Mix by hand or with an electric mixer. Count only the actual
beating time or strokes. Scrape the bowl and beaters or spoon
often. Stir the shortening just to soften. Sift in the dry
ingredients. Add milk and mix until all the flour is dampened.
Then beat for 2 minutes at low speed with your mixer, or 300
vigorous strokes by hand. Add the eggs and 1 yolk and beat 1
minute longer with the mixer or 150 strokes by hand.
Pour the batter into a lightly greased and floured 9-inch tube
pan. Bake in a moderate oven (375 degrees) for 1 hour or until
done. Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Then loosen from the
sides of the pan with a spatula or knife. Turn right side up on a
cake rack to cool before frosting. Place the cooled cake on a
large plate with the wide base upright.
This is a basic recipe and may be used to bake a nameday cake in
any tin you have available.
MAKING A CROWN
To make a crown, cut 2 strips of thin cardboard about 20 inches
long and 7/8 inch wide. We use yellow cardboard. Bend each strip
downward in the middle. Around the sides of the cake cut 4 narrow
slits, equidistant from each other and about 1-1/2 inches up from
the base. Place 1 strip of cardboard across the cake, bend the
ends securely inward, and insert the ends in the slits in the
opposite side of the cake to fasten securely. Place the second
strip at right angles to the first, and insert the ends in the
cake in the same manner. If necessary, tie the strips together in
the center with a fine thread. Cut a circle from cardboard and
place over the center hole in the top of the cake. Make a seven-
minute frosting (recipe follows), using 2 egg whites. Spread over
the top of the cake and down the sides to within 1-1/2 inches
from the bottom.
Make a half recipe of seven-minute frosting, using 1 egg white
and beating only 4 minutes. Tint with a few drops of yellow food
coloring. Use this yellow frosting to cover the upper and
underside of the cardboard strips and to frost around the base.
Reserve a small amount for decorations. At the base, bring the
yellow frosting up in the form of triangles, making 3 triangles
in each of the four sections formed by the cardboard strips. Have
the center triangle in each section extend to the top of the
cake. Outline the edges of the cardboard strips and the triangles
with silver dragees. Place a square, clear, bright-colored candy
(we use "Charms") on each triangle and at the base of the
cardboard strips to resemble jewels. Then place a silver dragee
at the four corners of every candy. Place 4 more candies on each
cardboard strip.
For the center of the crown use a flat red lollypop which has
been removed from its stick. Make a Maltese cross on each flat
side with some of the reserved yellow frosting and decorate with
pieces of silver dragees. With a small amount of frosting, fasten
2 long silver dragees to the side edges of the lollypop and a
large dragee at the top to resemble pearls. Then fasten the
lollypop to the intersection of the cardboard strips with more
frosting.
Sprinkle shredded coconut over the white frosted areas of and
around the base of the cake. Scatter chocolate chips in coconut
at the base at 2-inch intervals to resemble ermine.
The "Crown Cake" requires a good deal of time. If a mother is in
a hurry, it is better to make a crown cake by adding a gold-paper
crown to an ordinary store cake, or to bake a cake mix and add a
crown of gumdrops. A little child will enjoy these too.
CROSS CAKE
The Crown Cake recipe on may be doubled for a Cross Cake. The
Seven-Minute Frosting is used on it.
SEVEN-MINUTE FROSTING
egg whites cream of tartar
sugar light corn syrup
water vanilla
Place in the top of a double boiler and beat until thoroughly
blended 2 egg whites, 1-1/2 cups of sugar, 5 tablespoons of cold
water teaspoon of cream of tartar, and 1-1/2 teaspoons of light
corn syrup. Put these ingredients over rapidly boiling water.
Beat constantly with a rotary beater or with a wire whisk for 7
minutes. Remove the icing from the fire. Add 1-1/4 teaspoons of
vanilla and continue beating until the frosting is of the right
consistency to spread.
KUGELHUPF
For this traditional German nameday cake you will need:
milk flour
water raisins
sugar lemon rind
salt eggs
butter or margarine
For pan:
butter or margarine bread crumbs or finely
blanched almonds ground almonds
Pour into a mixing bowl 1/2 cup of scalded milk and cool until
warm. While the milk cools, sprinkle 1 package of active or 1
cake of compressed dry yeast into some warm water in a cup.
(Crumble compressed yeast into lukewarm water.) Stir until
dissolved. To the milk in the bowl add 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2
teaspoon of salt, and 1-1/2 cups of sifted flour. Mix well. Add
the dissolved yeast and beat until smooth. Add 2 eggs and beat
thoroughly. If you prefer, beat the eggs first in a separate
bowl. Add 1/2 cup of melted and cooled butter or margarine. Stir
in 1-1/4 cups more of flour. Then beat the batter for about 5
minutes (an electric mixer set at a moderate speed is good for
this).
With a rubber scraper scrape the batter down from the side of the
bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1-
1/2 hours). While the batter rises, prepare the baking pan. Use
either a Kugelhupf mold (from MS, see Abbreviations) or two one-
pint molds, or a 7-inch angel food cake pan. Rub the inside of
the pan generously with 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine. Then
sprinkle 2 tablespoons of fine bread crumbs or finely ground
almonds into the pan. Shake it to coat the whole inside of the
pan with crumbs. Arrange 15 or 16 almonds in a design in the
bottom of the pan.
When the batter has doubled, stir it down. Mix in 1/2 cup of
chopped raisins and 1 teaspoon of grated lemon rind. Carefully
spoon the batter on top of the almonds so as not to spoil your
design. When all the batter is in the pan, cover and let rise in
a warm place until doubled (about 1-1/4 hours). Bake in a
moderate oven (350 degrees) for 45 to 50 minutes. Look at the
cake after it has baked for 15 minutes; if it is turning brown,
lay a piece of clean brown wrapping paper over the top for the
rest of the baking period. This is a rich batter and browns
easily. When done, turn out of the pan onto a wire cake rack. If
you wish, dust lightly with confectioner's sugar. To make a
design on the top of the cake, lay a scalloped lace doily on the
cake and sift confectioner's sugar over it. Lift the doily
carefully and pour the extra sugar back into the container
Mary
Thou art God's sky,
in which the Sun arose:
Thou art His moon
the window of His light.
Thou art God's earth
God in thee taking root;
God's seed: He was thy tree;
God's tree...thy fruit.
Thou art God's spring
jetting out Life;
God's river-bed through which
His torrent rushed;
God's sea in which
He spawned His sacred Fish;
God's oyster
secreting the pearl of Christ.
God's lake
His cloud rose from
to rain on earth;
God's cloud:
by Him from thee
was lightning struck;
God's lightning
blazing the encumbered
heaven;
God's heaven,
for heaven's where's God.3
The name Mary. Loved in a hundred forms in song, poetry and the
history of earth and heaven, Mary is the name of the Mother of
God, of saints and of queens. Mary is a form of Miriam, who was
the sister of the great biblical leader Moses. The Irish form is
Maire or Moira (often spelled Maura), and the diminutives Moreen
and Maureen. The Polish form is Marya; Bavarian, Marla; French,
Marie and Manon. In Latin, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish, and
German the name is Maria (the Spanish also have Marita and
Mariquita). Other variations include Muriel, an Irish form used
for "Star of the Sea," Marietta, Marilla, Mamie, Marion, Molly,
May, Minnie, and Marelle. Marianne and Marian are from the
Italian form Marianna, honoring both our Lady and her mother St.
Anne.
Of course, many of the saints and beatified, both men and women,
bore some form of the name Mary, e.g., Mary Rose, Mary Frances,
Mary Cleophas, Mary Bartholmea, Mary Magdalen, Maria Goretti, and
Miriana de Parides, the "Lily of Quito."
Among the men saints are Louis Mary of Montfort, Alphonsus Mary
Liguori, Peter Mary Chanel, the Marist martyr, Clement Mary
Hofbauer, second founder of the Redemptorists, and Gabriel Mary
(Friar Gol). Other male derivatives include Gilmary, Gilmore,
Melmore or Myles, all meaning "servant of Mary."
Other Mary names. Because of Mary's unique dignity, Catholic
parents are fond of naming their children after her. In our
family it is customary to give some form of the name to each
girl: Immaculata in honor of the Immaculate Conception; Carmel
for the Madonna de Carmine; and Myles for the Virgin of the
Assumption. Even the feasts and mysteries and shrines in her
honor are used as names. Once in a beauty parlor we heard one of
the beauticians called Monsy. Knowing that she was of Spanish
extraction, we asked what her name meant. "Montserrat, in honor
of the Virgin of Montserrat," she replied. Montserrat, a
Benedictine abbey in Spain, is the home of Spain's most
celebrated shrine, La Morenta or the "Little Black Madonna." An
expensive but exceptional statue of the Black Madonna is
available from JU (see Abbreviations).
We also know of a Puerto Rican girl called Sara. When she signed
her name she wrote Saragossa. This is the name of the city where
the shrine of Our Lady of Saragossa, called Our Lady of the
Pillar, is located. Legend claims that the Blessed Mother
appeared to the Apostle James here. Under the title Nuestra
Senora del Pilar, Mary is honored by girls called Pilar.
Girls named Loretta keep their nameday on the feast of Our Lady
of Loreto and of the translation of the holy house of Nazareth to
Italy. Mabel and Amy honor Mary as Mater Amabilis; Alma, as Alma
Redemptoris Mater. In our great cities we also hear Spanish names
which are derived from the liturgical titles and attributes of
Blessed Mary. Girls called Cary (for Caridad) honor Our Lady of
Charity; Luz, Our Lady of Light; Concetta, Concepcion, and
Concha, the Immaculate Conception, Pura, Virgin Most Pure;
Consuelo, Our Lady of Consolation; Victoria, Our Lady of Victory;
and Stella, Star of the Sea. Sometimes these children bear
American first names, but their baptismal names are bestowed for
feasts of Our Lady, such as Natividad for her birth as a Jewish
child and lineal descendant of the royal family of David; or
Anunciacion, Visitacion, and Assunta, for events in her life.
Because of the devotion of these people to patron saints, a wide
variety of nameday greeting cards are available in the greeting-
card stores of big cities.
We have a friend called Farida, whose name, according to the
Syrian custom, expresses an attribute of the Mother of God.
Farida refers to Mary's "uniqueness" or Immaculate Conception.
Thus Farida (or even Frida) keeps December 8 as her nameday. In
the Maronite rite of Farida's people, the names Kamala and Jamala
are also given, the first in honor of Mary's perfection, and the
second in honor of her beauty.
Events connected with Mary's patronage over the Church prompt
various names also. Thus in honor of the Virgin of Mount Carmel
we have the Italian name Carmine or Carmelo, Imogene, we were
told, is given in honor of Our Lady of Limoge in France, Nieves
honors Our Lady of the Snow; Mercedes, the apparition of Our Lady
of Ransom.
Children called Rosario and Rosemary keep the feast of the Virgin
of the Most Holy Rosary. Lourdes and Mary Bernadette commemorate
the miraculous apparitions of the Immaculate Conception to
Bernadette Soubirous. "The Immaculate Conception had a youthful
appearance and was clothed in a pure white gown and mantle with
an azure blue girdle. A golden rose adorned each of her feet"--
these were Bernadette's words describing Our Lady.
Her patronage may be extended to many girls with unusual names.
For instance, the Franciscan feast of the Joys of Mary gives rise
to the names Joy, Joyce, Letitia, and Lettice. The Mother of
Sorrows Mater Dolorosa, protects not only Dolores and Adolorata,
but also Pieta and Pia. The birthday of Mother Mary, "Lily of
Israel," is the nameday for Lily and Lillian. As Our Lady of Hope
she is the patron of girls named Hope, Spes, Nada, and Nadine.
Mary Star of the Sea is a patroness of Stella, Muriel, Astrid,
Astra, Esther, and Estelle. Cara or Caritas celebrates the feast
of Our Lady of Charity; Vickie, Victory, and Victorine, Our Lady
of Victory; Neva and Nieves, Our Lady of the Snow, whose feast is
a commemoration of the apparition and invitation by the Virgin to
a Roman to build a church on a site indicated by snow in August.
There are girls' names meaning "white" in every language--Alba,
Gwen, Bianca, Blanche, Candida; their nameday is the feast of the
Immaculate Conception. Donna may choose the "Lady Day," March 25,
as her nameday, for the name means "lady."
SUGGESTIONS FOR MARY'S FEASTS
"There is nothing which gives more joy to my heart, yet nothing
which inspires me with more fear than to treat of the glory of
the Virgin Mother." Whoever attempts the theme of the Mother of
God must feel as St. Bernard did when he wrote these lines.
Catholics pay to Mary the highest homage bestowed upon a creature
because she is the Mother of God. "Hyperdulia" is the technical
name for the homage paid her; of course, it is infinitely below
that paid to God. As Mother of His Son, she has been raised to
the fullness of grace.
To study the lessons in the life of Mary, to praise God for the
graces conferred upon her and the blessings which He has bestowed
upon the world through her, to recommend our needs to so powerful
an advocate--for these reasons are festivals celebrated in her
honor. Some of them should be kept by families even when they do
not have a nameday to celebrate on the feast. Very beautiful
icons and devotional statues of Our Lady are available from St.
Leo's Shop (SL, see Abbreviations). Many of these are
reproductions of renowned art, while others are original works by
the noted liturgical artist, Ade Bethune.
THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
December 8
The singular privilege of Mother Mary's Immaculate Conception
stands out as a splendid light at the beginning of her earthly
journey. On this day is celebrated the grace by which she, alone
of human creatures, was exempt from original sin and filled with
grace from the first moment of her existence.
"The Blessed Virgin Mary by an unique grace and privilege of
almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of
the human race, was in the first instant of conception preserved
exempt from all stain of original sin," Pope Pius IX declared on
December 8, 1854. In the Anglican "Book of Common Prayer"
December 8 is listed as the "Conception of the Virgin Mary."
Byzantine Catholics call the feast "The Child-begetting of the
holy Anne, mother of the Mother of God." Many people erroneously
believe that the feast refers to the virginal conception of our
Lord by Mary, whereas it is Mary's own conception that is the
object of this feast.
The veneration of Mary as immaculately conceived is one of the
most popular Marian devotions. She was declared patroness of the
United States under this title by the First Council of Baltimore,
eight years before the doctrine was defined.
The poet Wordsworth's words come to mind when treating of this
feast:
Mother whose virgin bosom was uncrossed
By any shade of thought to sin allied,
Woman above all women glorified,
Our tainted nature's solitary boast.
Desserts and decorations. A crown cake with twelve stars (Apoc.
12:1) makes an appropriate nameday dessert today. The lily of the
valley is the flower of the feast because of the whiteness of its
flowers and the sweetness of its scent, a meaning based on the
Canticle of Canticles (2:1): "I am a rose of Sharon and a lily of
the valleys." Thus the feast becomes a nameday for Sharon,
Lillian, and Rosemary if you wish, who honor Mary as the Lily of
Israel, as well as for Mary Immaculate, Maria Immaculata, Alba,
Farida, Concha, Concepcion, Gwen, Candida, Blanche, Bianca.
We in the city force lily of the valley pips in order to have the
flowers bloom for the feast. Lily of the valley symbols come in
gummed seals to decorate nameday place-cards, paper plates, or
even white frosting on cakes or cupcakes. An artistic mother or
the local baker can add the symbol to the nameday cake with
frosting. "Sixty-five Buttercream Flowers," a book by Richard
Snyder, tells how to portray lilies of the valley in icing
(available from MS, see Abbreviations). Ready-made lilies of the
valley in icing are also available by mail (from MS; see
Abbreviations). However, it's a great satisfaction to make one's
own and gives a mother a chance to use her talents.
Family Prayers. For today's nameday, families may pray the
following from the breviary and missal:
Father: Let us celebrate the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin
Mary.
All: Let us adore Christ the Lord, her Son.
Father: This day a rod came forth out of the root of Jesse; this
day Mary was conceived without any stain of sin; this day the
head of the serpent was crushed by her.
All: Alleluia.
Father: From a homily of St. Jerome:
The nature and greatness of the glorious and blessed Mary ever
Virgin were revealed by God in the message of the angel: "Hail,
full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among
women." It was fitting that the Virgin should be endowed with
such gifts as to be full of grace, for she it is who has given to
heaven glory, to the earth the Lord to the world peace, to the
nations faith; she it is who has put an end to vice, brought
harmony into life and purity into morals. All the holy patriarchs
received grace, yet it was not in its fullness; to Mary was
infused the plenitude of grace which is Christ. This is the
reason the angel said: "Blessed art thou among women." Thus the
curse incurred by Eve was totally removed by Mary's blessing. It
is in praise of her that Solomon says in the Song of Songs:
"Come, my gentle one, come, my pure one."
All: Thanks be to God.
Hymn: IMMACULATE MARY.
{Musical notation cannot be displayed in ASCII text.}
1. Immaculate Mary,
your praises we sing.
You reign now in splendor
with Jesus our King.
(Refrain)
Refrain:
Ave, Ave, Ave Maria!
Ave, Ave Maria!
2. In heaven the blessed
your glory proclaim,
On earth we your children
invoke your sweet name.
(Refrain)
3. We pray for the Church,
our true Mother on earth,
And beg you to watch o'er
the land of our birth.
(Refrain)
Mother: Let us pray. Through the Immaculate Conception of the
Virgin, O Lord, You prepared a worthy dwelling-place for Your
Son; You preserved the Virgin from all stain by letting her
benefit in advance, from the sacrifice of the Cross. We entreat
You: may her intercession purify our souls and help us to come
into Your presence. Through the same Christ our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Small walnut plaques of the Immaculate Conception, handmade by
the Carmelite nuns of Japan; can be bought for $3.50; also
available is Tiepolo's Immaculate Virgin for $4.00 (from LAS; see
Abbreviations).
OUR LADY OF LORETO
December 10
Nameday of Loretta, Lorinda, and Lori.
Father: Alleluia, alleluia! How blessed, Lord, are those who
dwell in Your house.
All: They will be ever praising You, alleluia.
Father: Let us pray. O God, in Your mercy You sanctified the
Blessed Virgin Mary's house by the mystery of the Word-made-flesh
and miraculously placed it in the heart of Christendom; grant
that we may shun places that are the occasion of sin and become
worthy to dwell in Your own holy house. Through the same Christ
our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Dessert. In honor of the Holy House of Loreto, a house cake-mold
can be purchased in family size for about $1.50 (from MS; see
Abbreviations). To avoid leakage, we line the roof with aluminum
foil when we use this mold. A ready to assemble honey-cake house
with instructions for decorating costs about $2.00 (from MS, see
Abbreviations). One can also buy a house-cake booklet for $.25,
and a green grass mat, tissue cut to resemble grass, for $.35;
neither is necessary, but fun to have (available from MS, see
Abbreviations).
Other suggestions. Medals of Our Lady of Loreto are available at
prices ranging from $1.50 to $10.00; they are inscribed: "Pray
for us who fly" (from LAS; see Abbreviations). A fine print that
can be framed comes in the book "Il Caravaggio" by Aldo Martello
Editore, Milan (available from RC; see Abbreviations).
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
December 12
Nameday for Guadalupe, Lupe, or a Mary born on this day.
Father: Alleluia, alleluia. The flowers have appeared in our
land.
All: The time of pruning has come, alleluia.
Father: Let us pray. O God, You have placed us under the special
patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary and through her You have
favored us with endless blessings. May we who joyfully honor her
this day on earth enjoy her company forever in heaven. Through
Christ our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Suggestions. The symbol for this feast is the rose to commemorate
the appearance of Our Lady of the Americas at Guadalupe, Mexico
in 1531, to a poor Indian peasant called Juan Diego. It was by
means of roses growing in winter that our Lady indicated the site
where she wished a church to be built. Delicate white edible
roses an inch in diameter may be procured for about $.55 a dozen
to decorate candy, cupcakes, or a nameday cake for this feast;
larger yellow roses cost $.65 a dozen (available from MS; see
Abbreviations). The rose cake is also appropriate (see Rose Petal
Coconut Cake). The Liturgical Press offers 6 x 9 prints of Our
Lady of Guadalupe for $.30 apiece, and also a pack of 100 holy
cards for $1.25 (LP, see Abbreviations).
THE PURIFICATION OF OUR LADY
February 2
Nameday of Pura, Maria or Mary born or baptized on this feast,
which commemorates the presentation of the Child Jesus in the
temple and the purification of our Lady.
Family Prayers. Since this feast is also called Candlemas Day,
the day on which the Church blesses the candles used at home, it
would be fitting to hold them lighted during today's prayers.
Father: Behold, the Lord and Ruler is come to His holy temple.
All: Rejoice and be glad in meeting your God, Sion.
Father: An aged man carried the Child, but the Child guided he
aged man.
All: The Virgin who had given birth to Him remained a Virgin
after childbearing. Him whom she bore she adored.
Father: Let us pray. O almighty and everlasting God, we humbly
beseech You that as Your only-begotten Son was this day presented
in the temple in the substance of our flesh, so too You would
grant us to be presented to You with purified souls. Through the
same Christ, our Lord.
Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Hymn: A recording of the Magnificat and Canticle of Simeon can be
bought for $2.50 from GI, see Abbreviations.
Dessert. Tradition tells us that the burning bush which Moses saw
("the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed"--Ex.
3:2) was a symbol of Mary's virginity and motherhood--because the
bush remained inviolate even though bearing the flames. In her
honor today prepare a flambe dessert (see Cherries Jubliee),
perhaps in a chafing dish, although a frying pan does equally
well. A candle in a cupcake is an effective dessert, provided
mother reminds her children that they, like Jesus, are born and
baptized to be a light to the world.
A pair of doves brings out the symbolism of Joseph's offering in
the temple. Icing doves an inch in size cost about $.75 for 20
(from MS; see Abbreviations). These tiny white birds will enhance
a child's nameday cake, cupcakes, or petits fours.
APPARITION OF THE IMMACULATE VIRGIN AT LOURDES
February 11
Nameday for Marian, Marion, Lourdes, and Mary Bernadette, on the
anniversary of the apparition of the Virgin to Bernadette
Soubirous in 1858.
Father: Let us celebrate the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin
Mary.
All: Let us adore Christ the Lord, her Son.
Father: Arise, my love, my fair one, and come, my dove in the
clefts of the rock, in the hollow places of the wall.
All: Show me but your face, let me but hear your word.
Father: Let us pray. O God, by the Virgin's Immaculate Conception
You prepared a fitting dwelling-place for Your Son. We humbly
pray that we who are celebrating her apparition at Lourdes may
obtain health of mind and body. Through the same Christ, our
Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Hymn: IMMACULATE MARY, Lourdes Hymn, see Immaculate Conception.
Dessert. A cake decorated with a rosary made of silver dragees on
the frosting, or a frosted crown cake with twelve gold stars or
gummed star seals is suggested. A reading of Apocalypse (12:1)
tells your child why twelve stars crown the dessert.
The Mass of today's feast provides suitable texts for place-
cards. "And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with
the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown
of twelve stars" (Epistle). The Gradual verse recalls the grotto
of the apparition: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come, my
dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hollow places of the
wall."
Suggestions. You may purchase a small hand-painting of Our Lady
of Lourdes done on Japanese walnut by the Carmelite nuns of Japan
for about $3.50 (from LAS; see Abbreviations). A medal of Our
Lady of Lourdes by Fernand Py comes in two sizes for $1.50 and
$8.00 (from RC; see Abbreviations). Under this title Our Lady is
invoked against bodily ills. "Bernadette and the Lady" by H.
Pauli is a book that would make a good nameday gift for a Mary or
Bernadette (about $2.00 from FSC; see Abbreviations). Beautiful
statues of the Virgin and Bernadette come from CCA (see
Abbreviations); they are expensive but worth it. The Lourdes Hymn
is included in the album "Hymns through the Centuries," available
at $4.75 (from GI, see Abbreviations).
THE ANNUNCIATION (LADY DAY)
March 25
This is the nameday of Maria Annunciata, Mary, Anunciacion Donna,
and Ancilla, names for girls born around this feast. Ancilla
means "handmaid" and commemorates Our Lady's words: "Behold the
handmaid of the Lord."
The Divine Office for the feast of the Annunciation commemorates
Mary's "fiat":
"In that instant the Word of God became forever united to
manhood; produced from nothing, the soul joined to Christ Jesus
begins to enjoy God and to know all things past, present and to
come. At that moment God begins to have a Worshipper who is
infinite, and the world a Mediator who is omnipotent; while to
the working of this great mystery Mary alone is chosen to
cooperate by her free assent."
Her "fiat," "Be it done unto me according to Your word,"
expresses perfect cooperation of a human will with the divine,
and sums up the whole content of a life in union with God.
Nameday prayers may well begin with the hymn: HAIL, THOU STAR OF
OCEAN.
{Musical notation cannot be displayed in ASCII text.}
1. Hail, thou Star of ocean,
God's own Mother blest;
Ever stainless Virgin,
Gate of heav'nly rest!
Taking that sweet Ave,
Gabriel spoke of yore,
Eva's name reversing,
Peace for us implore.
2. Break the bonds of sinners,
Lend us light to see;
All our guilt expelling,
Plead our ev'ry plea;
Show thyself our Mother;
May thy Son divine,
born for our salvation,
Grant our prayers through thine.
Father: Be not afraid, Mary.
All: God has selected you and chosen you.
Father: The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, Mary.
All: And the power of the Most High shall overshadow you.
Father: The Angel Gabriel spoke to Mary, saying:
All: Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Father: Blessed art thou among women.
All: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me
according to Your word.
Mother: From a homily of St. Ambrose.
Into her presence the angel came. That she was a virgin, learn
from her behavior, learn from her modesty, learn from the
announcement made to her, learn from the very mystery itself.
Would that girls would imitate this example of modesty. And the
angel greeted her. For it was fitting that an angel and no man
should utter the mystery of so sublime a message. Today for the
first time are heard the words: "The Holy Spirit will come upon
you." They are heard and believed. Then Mary answers: "Behold the
handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to Your Word."
Mark her humility. Mark her piety.
All: Thanks be to God.
Father: Let us pray. O God, You willed that at the message of an
angel Your Word should take flesh in the womb of the Blessed
Virgin Mary. Grant to Your suppliants that we who believe her to
be truly the Mother of God may be aided by her intercession
before You. Through the same Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Hymn: THERE WAS A MAIDEN (Grail recording available from GR, see
Abbreviations).
Recipes and decorations. There are two symbols associated with
this feast. The first, the lily, is well known, the second, the
stork Christians have long forgotten to associate with Our Lady.
This is the time to hunt up the stork used for your last baby
shower. Place it atop a nameday cake and explain the symbolism.
the stork denotes piety and chastity. It is associated with the
Annunciation because as the stork announces the coming of spring,
so the annunciation to Mary indicates the coming of Christ. The
northern European tradition that newborn babies are carried to
their mothers by the stork is a late derivation from its
association with the Annunciation.
The lily is the flower of the Annunciation. In Renaissance
paintings the Angel Gabriel holds a lily, or a lily is placed in
a vase between him and the Virgin Mary. A box of ten lilies to
make a spray for the nameday cake should be at hand (available
from MS, see Abbreviations). Gummed seals in a lily design are
used to decorate place-mats, napkins, and candy or nut cups; such
seals are available in stationery stores
To carry out the lily theme for this feastday we suggest Lily
Sandwiches for lunch or for the nameday party.
LILY SANDWICHES
cream cheese bread
cream salt and paprika
carrot green pepper
Combine and work into a paste three 3-oz. packages of cream
cheese with two to four tablespoons of cream, 1/4 teaspoon of
salt and 1/8 teaspoon of paprika. Remove crusts from 20 slices of
bread. Roll into cornucopia shapes by bringing two straight edges
together and letting them overlap. Hold the edges together with
additional cheese. Press them gently. Roll and chill before
filling with cream cheese mixture. Insert into each lily formed a
thin strip of carrot. Cut into leaf shape a green pepper. Attach
a leaf or two with cheese to sides of the lily. Chill sandwiches
before serving.
The Annunciation and Mary's virginity. We tell our children the
firm and constant belief of the Church that Our Lady remained a
spotless Virgin. As the special Preface provided for Mary's
feasts puts it: "The glory of virginity still abiding with her,
she shed upon the world the everlasting Light." Children
understand Our Lady's virginity when we explain to them that as
light passes through crystal without harming it, so did Jesus,
the Light of the world, who is from eternity, shine upon His
creation when He visited the earth. His Virgin Mother did not
suffer harm or pain in her childbearing when Emmanuel passed from
the resting-place He had chosen to dwell in before bestowing His
visible presence upon His own. Mary was His way to earth from
heaven when He came to us, "skipping over the hills, leaping over
the mountains."
Art suggestions. The National Gallery of Art (NGA, see
Abbreviations) has reproductions of the "Annunciation" from the
Master of the Barber Panels for $.25. There are also originals
painted on Japanese walnut by the Carmelite nuns of Japan
available for about $3.50 and $6.50 (from LAS, see
Abbreviations). Other reproductions include Benedetto Bonfigli's
"Virgin of the Annunciation," a fifteenth-century Italian,
painting for about $4.00, and Angelico's "The Annunciation."
THE SEVEN SORROWS OF MARY
Friday after Passion Sunday
Nameday of Dolores, Maria Adolorata, Dolorita, Dolora, Pieta, and
Pia.
Father: As we recall the sorrows of the glorious Virgin.
All: Come, let us adore the Lord who suffered for us.
Hymn: STABAT MATER (this hymn is included in "Hymns through the
Centuries," a $4.75 recording available from GI, see
Abbreviations).
Father: From a homily of St. Bernard:
Do not be surprised that Mary is said to have been a martyr in
spirit. Why are you more surprised to see Mary suffering with her
Son than to see Mary's Son suffering? He, it is true, was able to
die in body; could not she die with Him in spirit?
All: It was for our sins that He was wounded, it was guilt of
ours that crushed Him down. By His bruises we were healed (Is.
53:5).
Father: Let us pray. O God, at whose passion, as Simeon foretold,
a sword of sorrow pierced the sweet soul of Mary Your Virgin
Mother, grant that we who revere her by calling to mind her
anguish and sufferings may through the pleading of all the saints
who stand loyally beside Your Cross secure the happiness which
Your own sufferings have gained for us. You live and reign
forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Desserts and decorations. The heart pierced with a sword is a
symbol of devotion under conditions of extreme trial. In reading
about Marian symbols, we discovered that our favorite winged
heart pierced by a sword, in St. Vincent Ferrer Church, New York,
is also one of the best representations of its kind.
A heart-shaped dessert with red roses is suitable for the nameday
party. The cake may be baked in a heart-shaped tin (from MS, see
Abbreviations) or cut out of an oval cake (see Heart Cake). In
Christian symbolism the red rose signifies martyrdom. Inch-sized
red roses of sugar icing may be ordered by mail, twelve for $1.00
(from MS, see Abbreviations).
Decorations for this feast are the heart pierced by a sword (or
arrow), red roses, and a spring flower, the iris. The name "iris"
means "sword-lily," an allusion to Mother Mary's sorrows; the
flower is used as her symbol by Flemish painters. Another plant
for Dolores is the cyclamen, early dedicated to Mary's sorrowing
heart because of the red spot at the heart of the flower. (Burpee
Seeds have cyclamen house-plants that can be grown by a Dolores
for her nameday. It takes a year for the plant to flower.)
The medal for today's nameday child is Our Lady of Sorrows,
invoked for courage against adversity (about $2.00 from LAS, see
Abbreviations). Sassaferrato's "Mater Dolorosa" is reproduced on
a wooden plaque costing about $2.00 and makes an exceptional
little nameday gift (from CCA, see Abbreviations).
MARY, MOTHER OF GRACE
April 4
Nameday of Grace, Maria Gracia, and the Gaelic, Grania.
Father: Alleluia, alleluia. Jesse's rod has blossomed; a maiden
has borne the incarnate God.
All: God has restored peace, in His own person reconciling the
lowest with the highest, alleluia (Num. 17:8).
Father: Let us pray. O God, who conferred upon mankind, through
the fruitful virginity of Blessed Mary, the grace of
regeneration, grant that we who claim her on earth as Mother of
grace may ever enjoy the happiness of fellowship with her in
heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
An original large statue of Mary, Mother of Grace, imported from
Ireland, may be specially ordered from CCA (see Abbreviations);
they also carry statues of Our Lady of Grace, imported from
Germany ($6.00).
REGINA CAELI
Say, did his sisters wonder what could Joseph see
In a mild, silent little Maid like thee?
And was it awful, in that narrow house
With God for Babe and Spouse?
Nay like thy simple, female sort, each one
Nothing to thee came strange in this
Thy wonder was but wondrous bliss:
Wondrous, for, though True Virgin lives not but does know
(Howbeit none ever yet confess'd)
That God lies really in her breast
Of thine He made His special nest!
And so
All mothers worship little feet,
And kiss the very ground they've trod;
But, ah, thy little Baby sweet
Who was indeed thy God!
--Coventry Patmore
THE QUEENSHIP OF MARY
May 31
Nameday of Regina, Gina, Reine, Virginia.
Father: Come, let us adore Mary's Son, alleluia.
All: O Virgin now our Queen,
O'er all creation thou dost tower,
And every form of loveliness
In rich abundance is thy dower.
Adorned with merits numberless
Give heed to us as now we sing,
And in thy gladness, pray, accept
The humble homage we would bring.
Father: From the encyclical of Pope Pius XII:
From the monuments of Christian antiquity and prayers of the
liturgy in short, from all sides, we have gathered evidence
affirming the pre-eminence of the Virgin Mother of God in her
royal dignity. By our apostolic authority we have therefore
decided to institute a feast of Mary the Queen which is to be
celebrated throughout the world each year on the thirty-first day
of May.
All: Thanks be to God.
Hymn: HAIL, HOLY QUEEN ENTHRONED ABOVE.
{Musical notation cannot be displayed in ASCII text.}
1. Hail, holy Queen enthroned above,
Salve Regina!
Hail Queen of mercy, Queen of love,
Salve Regina!
(Refrain)
Refrain:
Sing her praise, ye Cherubim!
Join our song, ye Seraphim!
Heav'n and earth resound the hymn:
Salve, Salve, Salve Regina!
2. Our life, our sweetness here below,
Salve Regina!
From you all grace and comfort flow,
Salve Regina!
(Refrain)
3. Our Advocate with God on high,
Salve Regina!
To you our pleading voices cry,
Salve Regina!
(Refrain)
Father: Let us pray. Grant, O Lord, to us who keep the festival
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Queen, that under the shelter of
her protection we may become worthy to enjoy peace in this life
and glory in the life to come. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Desserts and decorations. If a mother has time, the crown cake is
ideal. However, a small child will enjoy building a gumdrop crown
or cutting a gold paper crown for any cake baked in a tube pan.
Small gold crowns to be used on napkins, place-mats, or even on
the cake can be purchased, ten for about $1.00, from Party Bazaar
(PB, see Abbreviations). Crowns are easy to draw and children
should be encouraged to produce their own art work. If you have
an inexpensive picture of the Virgin, perhaps from a calendar,
blindfolded children will enjoy "pinning the crown" on their
Queen during a nameday party. "Queen" napkins for $.35 are
available from MS (see Abbreviations); the same company also
carries a crown topped by a cross for the nameday child ($1.00)
and gold foil crowns for guests (12 for $.75).
Filippo Lippi's "The Coronation of the Virgin" may be obtained in
two sizes ($.25 and $4.50) from the National Gallery of Art (NGA,
see Abbreviations). Your local museum might have a reproduction
for your purpose.
The "fleur de lis," a variety of lily and an emblem of royalty,
is the particular symbol for this feast. Mother Mary's altar-
shrine can be decorated as a throne to signify her Queenship. We
use gold paper or gold corduroy in place of velvet.
Medals appropriate for this feast are Queen of the Stars and
Queen of Peace (from LAS, see Abbreviations). The same source has
a fifteenth-century "Madonna Enthroned and Saints" by Mantegna
for about $4.00, as well as "The Coronation of the Virgin" by
Angelico.
An idea for a nameday gift is the record "Our Mother Mary"
narrated by Janet of the Lennon Sisters ($1.49 from SSJ, see
Abbreviations). The hymn "Hail, Holy Queen" is included in the
album "Hymns Through the Centuries" ($4.75 from GI, see
Abbreviations).
THE VISITATION
July 2
Nameday for Marybeth, Betty Marie, Marie Violette, Mary
Elizabeth, Mary Viola, Moreen Eilese (Irish), Visitacion
(Spanish), Marie Giselle and Marie Isabelle (French), Mary Ishbel
(Scottish), and Maria Elizabetta (Italian).
Father: Let us celebrate the Virgin Mary's visit to Elizabeth.
All: Let us adore her Son, Christ the Lord.
Hymn: O MARY OF GRACES.
{Musical notation cannot be displayed in ASCII text.}
1. O Mary of graces
And Mother of God,
May I tread in the paths
That the righteous have trod.
And mayest thou save me
from Evil's control,
And mayest thou save me
In body and soul.
2. And mayest thou save me
By land and by sea,
And mayest thou save me
from tortures to be.
May the guard of the Angels
above me abide,
May God be before me
and God be at my side.
Father: This day the Blessed Virgin Mary of the family of David
visited her cousin Elizabeth.
All: Most devoutly let us celebrate the Visitation of the Blessed
Virgin Mary.
Father: Let us pray. Bestow on Your servants, O Lord, the gift of
heavenly grace, that as the childbearing of the Blessed Virgin
was the beginning of our salvation, so the solemn festival of her
Visitation may bring us an increase of peace. Through Christ our
Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Holy Scripture (Luke 1:39-47) tells how Our Lady, bearing the
God-man within her, hurried to meet her cousin Elizabeth. Hearing
her praise, Mary answered in that wonderful song we call the
Magnificat, the most perfect thanksgiving and praise for the
incarnation of the Son of God and a most precious monument of
Mary's humility. She praises God with all the powers of her soul
and gives glory to Him alone.
This hymn should have a place in all nameday prayers on Mary's
feasts. A parent trying to paraphrase it for a child might say:
"I am thankful to God and I rejoice with a holy joy for the great
favors which God has granted me, His humble servant. By reason of
His goodness to me, I shall be admired and honored forever. I
rejoice because of the wondrous miracle wrought in me by the
Almighty, who is all-holy."
Dessert and decorations. This nameday suggests a heart-shaped
dessert (see Heart Cake) because of Mother Mary's charity and
because the heart in art is considered to be the source of
understanding, love, courage, devotion and joy. Its deep
religious meaning is expressed in 1 Sam. 16:7.
"The Visitation" in blue and white by Lauren Ford comes in a
small 4-1/2 x 6 pyraglass plaque (about $3.25), an ideal nameday
gift for a godparent to give (available from LAS, see
Abbreviations). Your local museum may have a print of the
Visitation for under a dollar. Contemporary Christian Art has a
small Grunewald reproduction on a plaque for about $2.00 (CCA,
see Abbreviations). The National Gallery of Art has Fra
Angelico's "Madonna of Humility" as an 8 x 10 print laminated
with clear plastic for $1.25 (NGA, see Abbreviations).
"Our Lady of the Violet" by Stephan Lochner (a picture for Viola
or Violet) may be seen in Volume IX, p. 320 of the "Catholic
Encyclopedia." The print can be specially ordered (from LAS, see
Abbreviations).
This feast recalls Mary's great humility. In honor of her
Magnificat musical symbols would be appropriate on a cake.
Candied violets for a nameday cake can be found in the gourmet
shops of large department stores. The violet is a symbol of
humility; St. Bernard referred to Our Lady as the "violet of
humility."
MUSICAL CAKE
Frost a cake baked in a round pan. Dot top of cake with chocolate
morsels, points in, for base of musical notes. Melt 1/4 cup semi-
sweet chocolate morsels over hot (not boiling) water. Force
melted chocolate through decorating tube to make stems of notes.
COMMEMORATION OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL
July 16
Nameday of Carmel, Sharon, Althea, Carmen, Carmelita, Lita,
Carmella, Carmine, and Carmelo.
This patronal feast of the Carmelite Order is a nameday of our
daughter. We had invoked Blessed Mary under this title for a baby
girl by adoption and promised to name her Carmel. After the favor
had been granted, we called the Carmelite Fathers in New York to
find out the Gaelic form for Carmel. A soft Irish voice replied:
"Wisha, you can't say Carmel in Gaelic. 'Tis a mount in the Holy
Land, Ma'am." So Sheila Carmel became our daughter's name. On
this day our family prayers are as follows:
Father: All the majesty of Lebanon is bestowed on her.
All: All the grace of Carmel and of Sharon, alleluia.
Father: Your head is as erect as Carmel.
All: Bright as royal purple the ripples of your hair, alleluia.
Father: Let us pray. You were pleased, O God, to honor the Order
of Carmel with the particular title of Mary ever Virgin and
Mother; grant that we who this day celebrate her commemoration by
a solemn nameday may be shielded by her protection and attain
eternal joys. You live and reign forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
The Vigil of Mount Carmel in Little Italy. Because our daughter
bears the name Carmel and is part Italian, we celebrate the vigil
in Little Italy, where half a million people from far and near
keep festival like a country fair for a week each year. In the
parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on the fringe of Harlem lights
arch the streets and festoon lamp-posts like diamond necklaces.
Families move large tables to the city streets and sit out to
enjoy the music, dancing and food. Behind the chairs, city buses
creep cautiously, close enough to scrape off the varnish, it
seems. All along the tenemented streets vendors sell their wares.
In booths stoves steam with oysters. The night is permeated with
the pungent aromas of sizzling sausage and spicy pepper. From
vats of bubbling fat pop golden zeppoles, fried doughballs, hot,
sugared and tempting. Hawkers fly whistling birds and giant
balloons. Others call out, "Tortoni, spumoni, nougats!" Torrone
is stacked by the pound beside S-shaped gingerbread and pasta,
the sweet cake of Pallo, on carts at street corners.
With the peddlers' cries are mingled the music of Verdi from the
bandstand, the squeals of children swaying on ferris wheels high
above parking lots taken over for the feast, and the screech of a
careening fire engine. In stalls along the streets are displayed
tawdry medals and religious wares, bracelets, earrings, cuff-
links marked with the emblem of the Virgin of Mount Carmel.
In the street stalls near the church, candles four feet high,
some symbolically decorated, are sold. Penitents bear them
lighted in the ten-block parade on July 16. Inside the church we
hear the praises of the Virgin in the liquid peasant accent of
southern Italy. Great crowds walk slowly in line to the altars
for scapulars, which are worn publicly during the feastdays. An
offering is made at the altar. Beneath a picture of the Virgin
are streamers, green with dollar bills pinned there by the
faithful seeking favors from Our Lady and by penitents who crowd
the church on the vigil.
The Virgin of Mount Carmel stands on a throne of white and gold
marble high above the altar with its sea of three-hundred vigil
lights. She wears a white silk robe embroidered with real gold
lace and sparkling gems; her Infant is dressed to match. Her hair
is shoulder length, jet black and straight. Their crowns are gold
and bear large emeralds set in diamonds, gifts of St. Pius X, who
gave consent to the Virgin's coronation as an endorsement of her
miracles. Once every twenty-five years the Virgin and Child are
carried in the streets in a public celebration. White pigeons
sprung from a cage precede the procession.
The feastday itself. On the feastday proper we take our child
(also part Irish) downtown to the Scapular Church of Our Lady of
Mount Carmel to attend solemn Vespers and Compline. Services
over, the church gates are closed to the public and the street is
barricaded to prepare for the procession. Toward evening the
parade of Our Lady of Mount Carmel begins. Carmelite priests,
their brown and white habits flying, head the procession up First
Avenue, followed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and bagpipers,
whose stirring hymn, Faith of Our Fathers, gives the step. A
giant drummer twirls and swirls his drumsticks as he leads the
children of Carmel from 23rd Street up to 30th on First Avenue,
then down Second Avenue to 28th Street.
The Women's Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars prays in
procession as it carries a gigantic rosary. Every bead is
baseball size, each decade a half a block long. Irish cultural
societies parade with accordion bands. Pipers lead Hibernians who
have come to the sweltering city from Long Island and Connecticut
to march in honor of the Virgin of Mount Carmel. Irish county
associations bear the banners of little-known patron saints of
Ireland.
Last to parade are Third Order Carmelites, who wear wide brown
badges, part of their habit. For seven hundred years the Gaels
have followed Our Lady of Mount Carmel and their steadfast
devotion to her is a tribute to the Carmelite Fathers.
When the procession reaches East 28th Street, the bands strike
their grandest airs. Waiting on the steps of the priory are a
mitred bishop, resplendent in gold, and monsignori, sweltering in
crimson as the broiling sun slants on the tenements and crowds.
It is a thrilling sight to watch. "Let Erin remember the days of
old e'er her faithless sons betrayed her," comes clear and strong
from the bagpipes of one band. The next skirls an ancient Marian
hymn as it proceeds to the church.
Fourth-degree Knights of Columbus in plumed tricorns, crimson-
lined capes and gleaming sabres prepare to follow the bands.
Altar boys, cassocked in gold, swing lanterns uneasily in the
oppressive heat as Carmelites, monsignori and the bishop enter
the crowded East Side church.
The sermon is short, for the night is hot. The choir could be
better still, this is a tribute which the Virgin of Mount Carmel
will most certainly accept.
In the vestibule of the church, Knights, flag-bearers, kilted
Irishmen and a motley congregation prepare to leave. On a
pedestal Elias, the prophet, his arm outstretched with a torch,
looks wild-eyed at this group who have honored his Lady of Mount
Carmel.
We take our daughter home. The antiphon of Mother Mary's feast
keeps running through the mind: "All the majesty of Lebanon is
bestowed on her, all the grace of Carmel and Sharon, alleluia!"
Our dessert is a simple gold cake with a chocolate frosting, or a
molded dessert (see "Bombe Carmen"), or a panettoni cake bought
from hawkers at the vigil.
Suggestions. Small reproductions of a modern Virgin of Mount
Carmel, depicted with effective symbolism by a contemporary Irish
artist, Richard King, are available by mail for $.15 from
Scapular Press (SP, see Abbreviations). A godmother or parent
could easily put a blue mat and a 5x7 frame around this print to
use for the home shrine. The same Press carries an 8x10 Murillo
reproduction of Our Lady of Mount Carmel for only $.50.
OUR LADY OF THE SNOW
August 5
Nameday for Nieves and Neva.
Father: Let us pray. Grant to Your servants, O Lord, lasting
health of mind and body. At the intercession of glorious Mary,
ever Virgin, may we be delivered from the sorrows of this life
and enjoy the happiness of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Dessert. For little girls born on this feastday we offer a simple
recipe.
SNOW HEARTS
lemon-flavored gelatine
egg whites
egg yolks
Make up lemon-flavored gelatine according to the directions on
the package. Chill swiftly until slightly thickened. Add two egg
whites. Set in a pan of ice cubes and water and whip with a
rotary beater until the chilled gelatine and egg white is fluffy
and thick like whipped cream. Chilled jello has a way of whipping
magically. Pour the mixture into a large heart-shaped mold or
into small heart-shaped molds to harden.
At serving time, serve with a thin custard sauce made from the
two egg yolks.
This Snow Hearts recipe is used at a famous New York hotel and is
called a "Floating Heart." It is made by molding Snow Hearts into
a large heart shape, chilling it, and then unmolding it upon a
wine-flavored custard sauce into which sliced strawberries or
other fruit has been added.
Decoration. A plaque of Our Lady of the Snow is available from
the Maryknoll Sisters (MR, see Abbreviations).
THE ASSUMPTION
August 15
Nameday of Mary, Maire, Marie, Maria, Mamie, Miriam, Marita
Moira, Maura, Maureen, Molly, May, Marilyn, Marianne, Marya,
Marelle, Mimie, Marla, Marleen, Muriel, Asuncion, Assunta, and
Mariquita. This is a feast in honor of Mother Mary's death and
glorification.
"The Assumption of the Virgin Mary is St. Mary's Day par
excellence, the greatest of all the festivals which the Church
celebrates in her honor. It is the nameday of children dedicated
under her name without any special invocation. It is the
consummation of all other great mysteries by which Mary's life
was made wonderful; it is the birthday of her greatness and
glory, and the crowning of all the virtues of her whole life
which we admire singly in her other festivals.
"Mary is the mother of Jesus. Jesus is God. Therefore she is the
mother of God. That she remained absolutely sinless for her whole
life is affirmed by the Council of Trent. As the second Eve, Mary
is spiritual mother of all living. Veneration is due to her with
an honor above that accorded to all other saints. But to give
divine worship to her would be idolatry for Mary is a creature
like the rest of human kind, and her dignity comes from God."
--Butler's Lives of the Saints
St. Thomas Aquinas tells us:
"The Blessed Virgin, because she is the mother of God, has a
certain infinite dignity from infinite good, which is God."
Another distinguished writer develops and explains the thought
that "the Blessed Virgin...is the Mother of God. Therefore, she
is the purest and most holy, so that under God a greater purity
cannot be understood."
In the encyclical "Fulgens Corona," Pope Pius XII proclaimed:
The radiant crown of glory with which the most pure brow of the
Virgin Mother was encircled by God seems to us to shine more
brilliantly. By divine Providence, it fell to our lot to define
that the Mother of God was assumed body and soul into heaven.
These two very singular privileges of her Immaculate Conception
and her Assumption stand out in a most splendid light as the
beginning and as the end of her earthly journey; for the greatest
possible glorification of her virgin body is the complement, at
once appropriate and marvelous, of the absolute innocence of her
soul, which was free from all stains; and just as she took part
in the struggle of her only-begotten Son with the wicked serpent
of hell, so she shares in His glorious triumph over sin and its
sad consequences.
Father: Come, let us adore the King of kings, for today His
Virgin Mother has been taken up into heaven.
All: Alleluia.
Hymn: HAIL, HOLY QUEEN, ENTHRONED ABOVE, see Queenship of Mary.
Father: From a homily of St. John Damascene.
My dear children, to the Temple of the Lord not made by hands,
there today has come blessed Mary, a holy tabernacle, re-
enlivened by the living God. David her father rejoices, and with
him choirs of Angels and of Archangels, choirs of Virtues and of
Principalities are glorifying her; choirs of Powers and of
Dominations and of Thrones sing exultingly to her; the Cherubim
and Seraphim are praising and chanting her glory.
All: You are the glory of Jerusalem (Jud. 15:10).
Mother: You are the joy of Israel, you are the honor of our
people.
All: Come, let us adore the King of kings, for today His Virgin
Mother has been taken up into heaven.
Father: Let us pray. Almighty and eternal God, You have taken up
into heavenly glory the body and soul of the immaculate Virgin
Mary, the Mother of Your Son. May we always look upward to heaven
and come to be worthy of sharing her glory. Through the same
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
We sing the Magnificat (see Purification of Our Lady). Our
children like to select for night prayers an additional hymn to
Our Lady from the book, "Around the Year With the Trapp Family"
(about $4.50 from RC, see Abbreviations). The Benedictine nuns of
Stanbrook Abbey sing "Regina Coeli," "Ave Regina" and a number of
other hymns to Mother Mary on a record available for $4.75 from
GI (see Abbreviations).
In "Cooking for Christ" (from NCRLC, see Abbreviations) Florence
Berger tells a delightful story of her family in the country
collecting their finest flowers and mixing them with the green of
herbs on the eve of the Assumption. These were taken to church
and blessed by the priest. A father or mother may sprinkle holy
water on flowers and herbs and lead the family in the following
blessing proper to August 15:
Father: Almighty, everlasting God, by Your Word alone You have
made heaven, earth, sea, all things visible and invisible, and
have adorned the earth with plants and trees for the use of men
and animals. You appointed each species to bring forth fruit in
its kind, not only to serve as food for living creatures, but
also as medicine to sick bodies. With mind and word we earnestly
implore Your unspeakable goodness to bless these various herbs
and fruits, and add to their natural powers the grace of Your new
blessing. May they ward off disease and adversity from men and
beasts who use them in Your Name. Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen. Alleluia.
Polish Americans honor Mary this day as Our Lady of the Flowers.
The children sing hymns in English and Polish at church services
or at home, and later with the grown-ups swing into their native
dances to the lively music of the polonaise.
When we lived in Greenwich Village, Portuguese neighbors
surrounded Mother Mary's statue with angels and crowned her Queen
of the Angels in a family celebration resounding with the music
of their bagpipes. A friend in Massachusetts bakes Portuguese
bread, a great favorite with our children, who receive it a day
or two after the feast.
In Italy the statue of the Virgin of the Assumption is carried in
public procession through the streets to the cathedral or church.
The blessing of grapes takes place at Mass on this day in
Armenia; these are the first grapes of the season to be eaten.
Brittany calls this the "Feast of the Soul of Mary" and on this
day betrothals are made in the churches.
Herbs for city families may be found at green grocers, procured
packaged in the spice section of your supermarket, or ordered by
mail from Ye Olde Herb Shoppe, an old-fashioned emporium bursting
with three thousand boxes that hold herbs and spices (YOHS, see
Abbreviations). This shop supplies us with spices like sweet
cinnamon from Ceylon, other sweet-smelling herbs for sachets,
mint, and even frankincense and myrrh to carry with medicines for
the poor at Epiphany family processions, an idea we culled from
"The Church's Year of Grace" (from LP, see Abbreviations).
The connection between the Assumption and the blessing of herbs
is a legend. All the flowers and herbs of the earth had lost
their scent after Adam and Eve had sinned in the Garden of Eden.
On the Assumption, the flowers were given back their scent and
the herbs their power to heal. Flowers of Our Lady and Mary
Gardens is a $.25 booklet which tell about seeds, bulbs, and
plants named in honor of the Virgin that are available for
planting (from MG, see Abbreviations).
Desserts and decorations. To carry out the theme of fruits and
flowers on Assumption Day, mothers or godmothers may order ready-
made tiny fruits such as pineapples, bananas, peaches and grapes
as decorations for cookies, cupcakes, or sheet-cake squares. Half
an inch in size, assorted fruits come 75 for $1.00 in a candy-
fruit mixture (from MS, see Abbreviations). Another jiffy
decoration to top cupcakes, tea cakes or petits fours is an
assortment of miniature icing flowers, 50 for $.75, from MS (see
Abbreviations).
We have made a wreath out of fresh fruit leaves and flowers
surrounding a "jeweled" gold-paper crown as a centerpiece to
symbolize honor, sovereignty and victory for the Virgin of the
Assumption. To dramatize this theme, we sometimes hang a cloud of
"angel hair" and a miniature statue of Mary from the dining room
chandelier.
One year for this Marian feast our children made a crown of gold
cardboard with twelve stars; this was placed around a statue of
Our Lady and used as a centerpiece for the table. Other years
they have made an altar poster. The idea comes from "Rhythmic
Designs," a book rich in ideas on the liturgical year for the
mother interested in training her children in visual art
expression (available for $3.00 from LAS, see Abbreviations). In
this altar panel Mother Mary is ascending to heaven above a
cedar, a cyprus, a palm and an olive tree and a rose plant, all
so simple in design that children can draw them. CCA (see
Abbreviations) carries an import, "Virgin of the Assumption," by
Oudin, some of whose works are reproduced in this book.
"The Assumption of the Virgin" by Valdes Leal is available as a
2x2 color slide for $.35 (from NGA, see Abbreviations). Here also
one can purchase a framed print of "Mary, Queen of Heaven" by the
Master of the St. Lucy Legend for $5.00, and Memling's "Madonna
with Angels," framed, for $26.00.
For Assumption-day, place-cards decorated with a crown are placed
at each child's place. The cards bear verses from the Mass of the
Assumption. For instance, one card has lines from the Entrance
Hymn: "Sing to the Lord a new canticle, for He has done wondrous
deeds." Other suitable verses can be found throughout the Mass.
For Mary's altar our children pick a handful of wild flowers
along the Hudson River (there's no dearth of wild flowers even in
a big city). Mostly, however, our flowers come from our window
boxes or a Broadway florist shop.
To make amends for all the fattening desserts listed above, the
following one is low-caloried and may be used on any feastday. It
can be served by itself or with a gelatine dessert. Each wedge of
cake contains only about 54 calories.
SUGARLESS SPONGE CAKE
eggs lemon juice
water cream of tartar
Sucaryl solution cake flour
vanilla salt
Beat 7 egg yolks until thick and lemon colored, about 5 minutes.
Combine 1/2 cup cold water, 3 tablespoons Sucaryl solution, 1
teaspoon vanilla, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Add to egg yolks
and continue beating until thick and very fluffy, about 10
minutes. Beat 7 egg whites until foamy; add 3/4 teaspoon cream of
tartar and beat until stiff and glossy peaks form. Fold carefully
into yolk mixture. Combine 1-1/2 cups sifted flour and 1/3
teaspoon salt. Sift a small amount at a time over the egg
mixture, folding in gently until all flour disappears. Pour
batter into an ungreased ten-inch tube pan. Bake in a moderate
oven, 325 degrees F., for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Makes a ten-inch
cake.
Icing orange blossoms, symbols of purity, may be procured for
$1.15 to top the cake (from MS, see Abbreviations).
Keeping a holy day well in a time of heat and humidity such as
August often brings is not easy. And additional time at home on
the range turns knees to jelly. To avoid this we use gelatine
desserts since they require a minimum of heating, can be made on
a cool day in advance, require no last-minute fussing, and are
enhanced by the interesting forms of various copper molds.
SUNBURST DESSERT
We have carried out the symbolism of Our Lady clothed in the
glory of the sun by making a nameday sunburst mold (about $.98
from MS, see Abbreviations) of fresh fruit with mint which has
been given the blessing of herbs; when brought to the table it is
almost too pretty to eat. The shimmering goodness of fresh fruit
and the mint molded in gelatine provide a dessert which is far
less complicated to make than it looks. The trick to gelatine
molds is to place the mold over a bowl of ice. Cover the bottom
with a thin layer of gelatine and chill until firm. The fruit is
used to form a design in the mold. Each layer of fruit must be
carefully covered over with a layer of cool gelatine and chilled.
Continue filling the mold to the top with alternate layers of
fruit and slightly thickened gelatine, ending with gelatine.
Chill until firm. To serve, gently loosen the gelatine with a
paring knife.
Then place a chilled serving dish upside down on top of the mold;
invert. Cover with a towel wrung out of hot water. Carefully lift
off the mold and you have a sunburst to enthrall your nameday
guests and to perk up appetites that have waned with the summer
heat. A sunburst mold may also be used to bake a cake for Our
Lady's feasts in wintertime.
ASSUMPTION DAY FRUIT MEDLEY
Unflavored gelatine is congenial to any fruit combination for a
summer nameday dessert. Melon balls, grapes, strawberries,
raspberries, peaches, blueberries, grapefruit and orange
sections, bananas--any or all may be used. One envelope of
gelatine and two cups of liquid will jell up to two cups of diced
fruits. (Sugar is counted as part of the liquid since it goes
into solution.)
To form an artistic motif that will show on top of the dessert
when unmolded, arrange a design of fruit in the bottom of the
mold. Spoon just enough of the gelatine liquid over the fruit to
cover the bottom of the mold. Carefully place in the refrigerator
and chill until firm before adding the rest of the gelatine and
fruit layer by layer.
1 envelope unflavored gelatine
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups water, divided
1/4 cup lemon juice
Mix together gelatine, sugar and slat in saucepan. Stir in 1/2
cup of the water. Place over low heat, stirring constantly, until
gelatine and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in
remaining 1 cup water and lemon juice. Chill until the
consistency of unbeaten egg white. Fold in desired combination of
fruits. Turn into large or individual molds. Chill until firm.
Unmold to serve.
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup halved white grapes
or
1 cup grapefruit sections
1/2 cup diced canteloupe
1/2 cup orange sections
or
1 cup raspberries
1 cup diced peaches
1/2 cup sliced bananas
Yield: 6 servings.
Father: From a homily of St. Bernardine of Siena:
What mortal man, were he not on the sure ground of divine
revelation, would dare to speak even the slightest thing with his
impure and polluted lips concerning her who is truly the Mother
of the God-man, her whom the Father, God before time was,
predestined to remain ever a virgin, whom the Son chose to be His
Mother, whom the Holy Spirit prepared as the dwelling-place of
all graces? With what words can I, a mere man, proclaim the
sublime thoughts of that virginal heart, which were uttered by
her most holy lips, seeing that the tongues of all the angles
fail therein! What greater treasure is there than that divine
love wherewith the heart of the Virgin was afire?
All: Thanks be to God.
Hymn: HEART OF MARY, HEART ALL PURE.
{Musical notation cannot be displayed in ASCII text.}
1. Heart of Mary, Heart all pure,
Sinless Heart of Mary!
Heart most tender, refuge sure,
Spotless Heart of Mary!
Chosen vessel undefiled,
Lily chalice holy!
Through the merits of thy Child,
Make us pure and holy.
2. Temple of the Trinity,
Throne of God all holy,
Ark of His divinity,
Tabernacle holy!
Cradle of the Word divine,
Show us Christ our Brother,
Heart of Mary, mystic shrine,
show thyself our Mother.
3. Source of Christ's most precious blood,
Virgin Heart of Mary!
Cleanse us in that saving flood,
Victim Heart of Mary!
May thy love our hearts refine,
Bless our consecration;
May our hearts be one with thine,
Making reparation.
Mother: Let us pray. Almighty, everlasting God, who prepared a
worthy dwelling-place for the Holy Spirit in the heart of the
Virgin Mary, grant us this grace, that keeping the feast of her
Immaculate Heart, we may have strength to live according to Your
Heart's desire. Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Dessert and decorations. For a child keeping this nameday,
shimmering vanilla ice cream and firm pineapple jello in equal
parts, blended together and refrozen in a heart-shaped mold, give
mother an easy dessert to prepare. The heart-shaped cake (see
Heart Cake) lends itself to today's symbolism.
THE BIRTHDAY OF OUR LADY
September 8
Nameday of Maria Lily and Lillian.
Father: From a homily of St. Augustine:
Dearly beloved: the much-desired feast of Blessed Mary ever
Virgin has come; so let the earth made bright by her birth
rejoice with exceeding great joy. For she is the wild rose on the
lowland plain from whom bloomed the precious Lily of the valley.
Now let Mary play upon musical instruments and let timbrels
reverberate under the fleet fingers of this young Mother. Let
joyous choirs sing together harmoniously and let sweet songs be
blended together now with one melody and now with another. Hear
how our timbrel player has sung. For she has said: "My soul
magnifies the Lord because He has regarded the lowliness of His
handmaid. For behold, all generations shall call me blessed,
because He who is mighty has done great things to me."
All: This is the birthday of the glorious Virgin Mary, sprung
from the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Juda, of the renowned
family of David.
Father: Let us pray. O Lord, grant to Your servants the gift of
Your heavenly grace, that as the childbearing of the Blessed
Virgin was the beginning of salvation, so the joyful feast of her
birthday may bring us an increase of peace. Through Christ our
Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Hymn: Any of the Marian hymns on the preceding pages.
Dessert and decorations. The first fancy nameday cake in our
house was decorated by our youngsters. A cake decorating set had
been given to us, but it seemed too complicated to use. Somehow
the children had caught the mystery of holiness in so great a
feast which the Church celebrates with praise and thanksgiving,
for the birthday of Blessed Mary announces joy and the near
approach of salvation to a sin-lost world.
The rose petal cake (see Rose Petal Coconut Cake) is appropriate
today. It ought to be a pure white cake, and the reason for its
whiteness should be explained to children so that they will
relate it to Mary's sanctity. Another choice might be the dessert
with musical notation (see Musical Cake) to symbolize the homily
read in today's prayers.
THE HOLY NAME OF MARY
September 12
The feast of the Holy Name of Mary began in Spain, spread through
the Church, and now is kept on this day as an act of thanksgiving
for the defeat of the Turks in 1683 by John Sobieski, King of
Poland. Today we celebrate the glory of the Virgin's name.
The name of Mary is derived from Maria and Mariam, later forms of
Miryam, which was Our Lady's name in Hebrew. Various etymologies
have been proposed, for example, "wished-for child,"
"bitterness," the "sea," "star," etc.
The marked sense of Mary's unique dignity is shown in the New
Testament Greek texts where her name has the Old Testament form
Mariam, not Maria as do the other Marys of Scripture. The Irish,
too, have this custom: the Mother of God is Muire, a name
reserved for her alone and never given in baptism. Instead,
Moira, Maura, or Maire, from which are derived Moreen and
Maureen, are used.
For this feastday the family prayers for Stella Maris, Estelle,
Astrid, Astra, Muriel or Mary follow:
Father: From a homily of St. Bernard:
"And the Virgin's name was Mary." Let us say a few words about
this name. Most fittingly Mother Mary is likened to a star, for
as a star sends forth its rays without any loss to itself, so she
brought forth her Son without any loss to her virginity. Mother
Mary is a brilliant and splendid star, of necessity set above
this great and vast sea, shining with merit and shedding light by
her example.
All: Thanks be to God.
Father: Let us pray. Grant, we pray, almighty God, that Your
faithful people who enjoy the protection of Your most holy Mother
Mary and delight in her name may by her dear intercession be
delivered from all ills on earth and be made worthy to attain
everlasting bliss in heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Hymn: HAIL, THOU STAR OF OCEAN (see The Annunciation).
Dessert. Today's nameday cake may be decorated with chocolate
stars (see Confessors' Light Chocolate Cake; Chocolate Symbols
for Cake Decoration) or even gold gummed ones. It may be baked in
a star-shaped tin (from your local houseware store) or in the
six-pointed star of David tin, which is ideal for the nameday of
Mary the "noble star which rose out of Jacob," and for the saints
of the Bible (available from MS, see Abbreviations). A Bavarian
cream dessert molded in a star tin or a bowl makes an interesting
and refreshing late-summer feastday delicacy.
RASPBERRY BAVARIAN CREAM
raspberries lemon juice
sugar heavy cream
gelatine water
Crush 1 quart of hulled raspberries, add 1 cup of sugar and let
them stand for 30 minutes. Soak 2 teaspoons of gelatine in 3
tablespoons of water. Dissolve in 3 tablespoons of boiling water.
Stir this into the berries and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
Cool the gelatine mixture.
When it is about to set, fold in lightly 2 cups of whipped heavy
cream. Pour the mixture into a wet mold. Chill until firm.
Serve with a raspberry sauce made of 2 cups of raspberries, 1/2
cup of sugar, and 1-1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Let these
ingredients stand for 2 hours. Put them through a ricer or sieve.
STAR-STUDDED CHIFFON PIE
The star, lighting the darkness of the heavens at night, is a
symbol of divine guidance or favor. Our Blessed Lady is
represented by twelve stars. One large single star is a symbol
for her under the title Star of the Sea. A single star is used
also for St. Dominic and St. Nicholas of Tolentine. Seven stars
are used on St. Hugh's and St. John Nepomuk's feastdays, nine on
St. Donald's day.
The star is used as a symbol for St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Peter
Alcantara, St. Humbert of Moralles, St. Fidelis, St. Bruno, and
St. Athanasia, who is shown in art weaving cloth with a star
above her.
Gummed stars in gold, silver, and many other colors come in
different sizes from Party Bazaar (PB, see Abbreviations). These
are suitable for pasting on a cake, tablecloths, place-mats and
napkins to carry out the theme of a star when it is the symbol of
a child's patron or patroness; the children can help with this
part of the decoration.
A nameday star pie is one of those feathery-light, delicately
flavored desserts made of unflavored gelatine and other pantry
staples. To make this easy but impressive chiffon pie, you will
need:
unflavored gelatine salt
cold water vanilla
eggs coconut
sugar pastry shell or cookie crust
milk
Soften 1 envelope of unflavored gelatine in 1/4 cup of cold
water. Sprinkle on the water to soften. Beat 4 egg yolks with 1/4
cup of sugar, add 1/2 cup of milk and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook,
stirring constantly, over hot water until the mixture coats a
spoon. Remove from heat. Add softened gelatine, 1 teaspoon of
vanilla, and 1/4 cup of coconut. Cool. Beat 4 egg whites until
stiff, gradually beating in another 1/4 cup of sugar. Fold into
the gelatine mixture. Turn into a baked pastry shell or cookie
crust and sprinkle with another 1/4 cup of coconut. Chill until
firm.
Top the pie with a garnish of stars. (See Chocolate Symbols for
Cake Decorations for making hearts or stars of melted chocolate.)
Cut the stars with a star cookie-cutter from slices of canned
cranberry jelly or other fruit jelly. The crust may be lined with
crushed jelly if desired.
This dessert can be made in a star-shaped mold ($1.25) or in the
Star of David mold (available from MS, see Abbreviations). We
have used many gelatine desserts because they lend themselves to
molding in many shapes to signify the symbols of various saints.
THE SEVEN SORROWS OF MARY
September 15
Nameday for Dolores, Dolais, Deloris, Dolorita, Maria Dolorosa,
Pia, and Pieta.
Twice during the Church year do we commemorate the Sorrows of our
Blessed Mother--once on the Friday in Passion Week and again
today, with a feast instituted by the Servites, who have an
especial devotion to the sufferings of Mary.
Father: Let us stand by the Cross with Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
All: A sword of sorrow pierced her heart.
Father: The iron of the soldier's lance pierced not only the side
of our Savior but also the soul of the Virgin.
All: Through you, O Virgin Mary, let us draw salvation.
Father: Let us pray. O God, at whose passion, as Simeon foretold,
a sword of sorrow pierced the soul of Your glorious Virgin
Mother, mercifully grant that we who revere her by calling to
mind her anguish may secure the happiness which Your own
sufferings have gained for us. You live and reign forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Dessert and decorations. As a centerpiece a crown of thorns and
the heart-cake with seven red roses (see Heart Cake) are
appropriate. Seven red roses or anemones or cyclamens are all
fitting flowers for the feast. Red roses of sugar icing may be
purchased by mail, 12 for $1.00 (from MS, see Abbreviations).
It's more fun to make them. Your local library may have Richard
Snyder's "65 Buttercream Flowers" or his "Decorating Cakes for
Fun and Profit" (or from MS, see Abbreviations).
The great devotion of the Franciscans to the Mother of Sorrows,
to which Jacopo da Todi has given immortal expression in his
"Stabat Mater," arose in medieval Ireland. In the ages of faith,
the statue of the Mother of Sorrows at Muckrose Abbey was a
miraculous one. At home when we were children father used to
recite to us a moving Irish poem called "Aisling Muire"; it binds
together the childhood and passion of Christ, and casts over
Mary's joy in motherhood the shadows of her Child's suffering and
crucifixion.
Our father told us that in parts of Ireland where the Gael still
preserved the old ways of prayer in his native tongue, versions
of Mary's lament for her crucified Son are found. Once Patrick
Pearse heard an old woman sing it in a cottage in Iar-Chonnacht.
"What a precious thing it is for the world that in the homes of
Ireland there are still men and women who can shed tears for the
sorrows of Mary and her Son," he wrote. We mention this because
Dolores or Dolais is seldom thought of as an Irish name.
A small Mater Dolorosa for a child's home shrine costs only $2.00
at CCA (see Abbreviations); they also have a Beuronese statue,
"Pieta," for about $12.00.
OUR LADY OF RANSOM
September 24
Nameday for Mercedes and its lovely English equivalents, Mercy
and Clemency.
This feast had its origin in the appearance of Our Lady to St.
Peter Nolasco and St. Raymond Pennafort to urge them to found a
religious order for the liberation of Christians enslaved by the
Saracens.
Father: Let us pray. O God, for the deliverance of Christians
from the power of the heathen You were pleased through the
glorious Mother of Your Son to enrich the Church with a new
family, the Mercedarians, founded by St. Peter Nolasco; we pray
that we who devoutly venerate her as the foundress of this great
work may likewise be delivered by her great merits and
intercession from all our sins and from bondage to the power of
hell. Through the same Christ our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
On this feast families will want to include a decade of the
rosary to Our Lady of Ransom for unsung heroes of the faith in
bondage behind the iron and bamboo curtains.
BLESSED VIRGIN MARY OF THE ROSARY
October 7
Nameday for Rosario, Virginia Rose, Rosemary, Maria Rose,
Rosemarie, and Rosaleen Maire.
This feast was instituted to commemorate the overthrow of the
Turks at Lepanto, a victory attributed to the intercession of Our
Lady.
The symbolism of a rose in connection with Our Lady comes from
the Bible: "In me is all grace of the way and of the truth; in me
is all hope of life and of virtue. I have budded forth as the
rose planted by the brooks of waters" (Ecclus. 24:25; 39:17). In
Dominican churches a special blessing for roses is given, after
which they are distributed to the faithful.
The Blessing of Roses. This blessing may be given only by a
Dominican priest, but a father may lead the prayer while the
children sprinkle holy water on the roses.
Father: Our help is in the Name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
Father: Lord, hear my prayer.
All: And let my cry come unto You.
Father: Let us pray. O God, the creator and upholder of the human
race, author of grace and beautiful giver of life everlasting,
bless with Your holy blessing the roses we offer unto You this
day and crave to be blessed, as a token of thanksgiving to You,
of love and reverence for the ever-blessed Virgin Mary of the
Rosary. Do You, who have bestowed them as an odor of sweetness
for our use and the easing of our ills, pour forth upon them
heavenly blessing, through the merits of Your holy Cross; and by
the sign of the same holy Cross may they be so blessed that to
whomsoever they may be brought in sickness may be healed. And
from the homes within may evil spirits and their ministers whom
we fear trembling depart and no more dare to disturb Your
servants. Through the same Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
The family prayers for this nameday are as follows:
Father: Let us celebrate this Rosary feast in honor of the Virgin
Mary.
All: Let us adore her Son, Christ the Lord.
Mother: This day let us devoutly celebrate the solemnity of the
most holy Rosary of Mary, the Mother of God, so that she may
intercede for us with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Father: Let us pray. O God, whose only-begotten Son by His life,
death and resurrection has purchased for us the reward of eternal
salvation, grant that meditating on these mysteries in the most
holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may both imitate what
they contain and obtain what they promise. Through the same Jesus
Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Hymn: Psalm 44 from the Gelineau Psalms (a 33-1/3 rpm record is
about $5.00 from JU, see Abbreviations).
Dessert and decorations. The rose cake (see Rose Petal Coconut
Cake) is suitable today. Children may draw roses on nameday
place-cards. The smaller ones can stick gummed rose seals from a
local stationery store on paper plates and cups and even on
cupcakes. The rosary is represented on the nameday cake by a
wreath of edible roses (about $.55 from MS, see Abbreviations).
In the story of Christian symbolism the rose, next to the lily,
is the flower of the Mother of God. Renaissance art often adds a
garland of roses to Madonna paintings. A white rose, emblem of
purity, honors her joyful mysteries, and a yellow rose, token of
joy, honors the glorious mysteries; a red rose, symbol of
martyrdom, honors the sorrowful mysteries.
St. Ambrose tells the legend of how the rose came to have thorns.
Before it became one of the flowers of earth, the rose grew in
paradise without thorns. Only after Adam had sinned did the rose
take on its thorns to remind man of the sins he had committed and
of his fall from grace. However, the fragrance and beauty
continued to remind him of the splendor of paradise. It is most
likely in reference to this legend that Mother Mary is called
"the rose without thorns," because she was exempt from the
consequences of original sin. The Song of Solomon (2:1) gives
another source for this symbolism: "I am the rose of Sharon."
ROSE PETAL COCONUT CAKE
Empty one package of instant white cake mix into a bowl. Prepare
as directed on package.
Pour batter into two round eight-inch layer pans, 1-1/2 inches
deep and lined on the bottom with paper. Bake in a moderate oven,
350 degrees F., 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cakes.
Spread seven-minute frosting (see Seven-Minute Frosting) between
layers and on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle lightly-tinted pink
coconut on the sides of the cake while the frosting is still
soft. Decorate the top of the cake with a full-blown red rose
made of crystallized rose petals, with an icing rose, or even an
artificial one.
To tint coconut, place 1 teaspoon of milk or water in a bowl. Add
a drop or two of red vegetable coloring (or yellow if you wish to
make a yellow rose cake) and mix well. Add 1-1/2 cups of coconut
and toss with a fork until coconut is lightly tinted throughout.
(You may prefer to put coconut into a jar with a tight cover and
shake it vigorously.)
CRYSTALLIZED ROSE PETALS
Select a highly scented fresh rose, preferably dark red. Wash
well. Remove petals and drain. Then remove the white pulpy base
of the petals.
Beat egg white until slightly foamy. Dip small pastry brush or
fingers in egg white, and brush both sides of the petals well. Be
sure that no egg white remains on the petals, but that both sides
are moist. Sift granulated sugar on both sides of the petals.
Place petals on a tray and store in the refrigerator until dry.
Assemble the crystallized petals to form a rose on the top of the
cake.
Busy mothers may prefer to top this cake with a fresh rose, an
artificial one, or an edible wafer rose. Yellow or white, two
inches in size, this rose costs about $.65 for a dozen (from MS,
see Abbreviations).
A rose stencil is also available to help one draw a rose on a
cake and frost in the design. It costs about $2.00 (from MS, see
Abbreviations).
In our living room we have a handsome "Regina Sancti Rosarii," a
Beuronese import which includes Sts. Dominic and Catherine of
Siena. A small plaque of this reproduction may be obtained for
about $1.00 and is good liturgical art (both from CCA, see
Abbreviations). We also like Cignani's "Madonna and Child with a
Rosary," a delightful reproduction to hang above a child's home
shrine (under $5.00 from LAS, see Abbreviations).
THE MOTHERHOOD OF MARY
October 11
Nameday for Alma, Mabel, and Amy (derived from Mater Amabilis,
Mother Most Amiable) and for Marys born or baptized around this
time.
This feast was instituted to commemorate the fifteenth centenary
of the Council of Ephesus (431 A.D.), at which the divine
motherhood of Mary--the basis of all her privileges--was solemnly
defined in opposition to the Nestorian heresy.
Father: Let us celebrate the motherhood of the Blessed Virgin
Mary.
All: Let us adore her Son, Christ the Lord.
Father: With peaceful joy let us celebrate the motherhood of the
Blessed Mary ever Virgin.
All: Your motherhood, O Virgin Mother of God, has heralded joy to
all the world; for from you has arisen the Sun of justice, Christ
our God.
Father: From a homily of Pope St. Leo:
A royal virgin of David's race, destined to bear a holy
offspring, is chosen to conceive the God-man in her soul before
conceiving Him in her body. The angel Gabriel assures her that
what is to be wrought in her is of the Holy Spirit, and that when
she becomes the Mother of God, she will preserve her virginity
intact. And so the Word, the Son of God, who was abiding with
God, through whom all things came into being, is made man in
order to deliver man from everlasting death.
All: Thanks be to God.
Father: Let us pray. O God, it was Your will that Your Word
should take flesh at the message of an angel in the womb of the
Blessed Virgin Mary; grant that we who believe her to be truly
the Mother of God may be aided by her intercession. Through the
same Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Hymn: Any of the preceding Marian hymns.
In passing it might be well to mention that in mixed marriages it
is often difficult for the non-Catholic partner to see Mary as
the Catholic does. The differences, far deeper than a problem in
Mariology, have their roots in the real significance of the
incarnation. Since Protestants hold that human nature is corrupt
in its very substance, they cannot accept Mother Mary's role in
the redemptive work of the incarnation. The poet has said:
But scornful men have coldly said
Thy love was leading me from God;
And yet in this I did but tread
The very path which Jesus trod.
Too often we Catholics portray Christ as the stern and distant
judge and His Mother as the hope-inspiring avenue of mercy. This
by no means accords with the teaching of the New Testament.
Rather, we should, in the words of the poet:
Speak with their sister, and confiding, wait
Till she goes in before and intercedes.
The Catholic partner needs to pray that his or her spouse by
God's grace will learn to look upon the things Christ did and
suffered on earth not as a morally inspiring event, but as the
real cause of redemption. Then in viewing the incarnation as a
prerequisite, the Protestant partner in marriage will more
readily understand the role of Mother Mary in the redemption.
We keep in our kitchen (though we lament the steam and grease) a
terra cotta plaque of the "Madonna de la Route," Our Lady of the
Way, to prevent us from always seeing Mary in our mind's eye in
her glorified state. In this work of art by Felix Oudin
(available from CCA, see Abbreviations), we are constantly
reminded that the Queen of heaven once lived a simple day-by-day
life like ourselves. Unlike the graceful, delicate ladies of
Botticelli or the prosperous bourgeoisie of Raphael, our Madonna
reminds us that on earth Mother Mary was the wife of Joseph the
carpenter. Her bare feet knew the dust of Nazareth's roads. Her
hands, scarred by labor, hold her staff and her Child. So she
must have looked as she trudged the streets to the well, to the
synagogue, and to the Garden of Olives.
This Madonna brings graphically to our mind the truth so often
lost to us mothers: the Queen of the universe, Lily of Israel,
daughter of the Prince of Judah was also a peasant woman, wife of
a working man. Her role as Mother of the God-man, her road to
heaven, was not perfumed and flowery as the artists would have us
believe. Her life as a mother, like ours, was parceled out
between three loves and three duties whose integration, though
possible, is difficult to achieve: as a wife, as a mother, and as
a servant of God. The pain of childbirth was spared her at the
birth of Jesus; but she was destined to share in the great
childbirth, the redemption, the birth of all of us redeemed by
the death of her Son.
THE PRESENTATION OF OUR LADY IN THE TEMPLE
November 21
Today we commemorate the presentation of the Virgin in the temple
that she might be consecrated to the service of God.
On this feastday the family prays:
Father: O Mary, blessed Mother of God, ever Virgin, temple of the
Lord, tabernacle of the Holy Spirit, you alone without peer did
please our Lord Jesus Christ.
All: Alleluia.
Father: Let us pray. O God, by whose will the Blessed Virgin
Mary, dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit, was on this day
presented in the temple, grant that through her pleading we may
be found worthy to be ourselves presented in the temple of Your
glory. Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Hymn: any of the preceding Marian hymns.
This is a feast of great joy. When St. Anne prayed for a child,
like Anna of the Old Testament, she promised that if her prayers
were answered she would dedicate her child to the service of God.
The apocryphal writings added embellishment: in keeping with her
promise, Anne and Joachim took Mary, a child of three or four, to
the temple to begin her service to the Lord. We read in the
"Protoevangelium of James": "And being placed before the altar,
Mary danced with her feet, so that all the house of Israel
rejoiced with her and loved her." The story goes on to tell how
the priest of the temple blessed Mary, saying: "In thee the Lord
will manifest His redemption to the sons of Israel."
Il Tintoretto's "Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple" is a
suitable nameday gift; reproductions may be bought for about
$4.00 (from LAS, see Abbreviations).
Desserts. The crown cake (see Crown Cake) or the cake with
musical notes (see Musical Cake) may be used for this nameday. A
rose cake would also be appropriate. From MS (see Abbreviations)
you may order calla lilies, symbols of purity, at ten for $1.00.
These make lovely lily sprays for a cake on any feast of our
Blessed Mother.
"Mary" by Sister Mary Jean Dorcy, O.P., is a nameday book for the
eight-year-olds to read aloud (about $2.00 from RC, see
Abbreviations).
ALMOND TORTE
Austrian cooks are famous for their rich tortes, which often are
honey-cakes served with whipped cream.
Beat together 4 egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored, usually
about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of confectioner's sugar gradually.
Carefully fold in 4 egg whites beaten dry and stiff. Add 1/4 cup
of grated chocolate. Combine with 1/2 cup of almonds, chopped
very fine, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 3/4 cup of cracker
crumbs. Spread in buttered nine-inch round pans. Bake at 325
degrees F. for about 30 minutes. Cool.
When ready to serve, put layers together with 1/2 pint of heavy
cream whipped with 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar, 1/3 teaspoon
of vanilla, and 1/3 teaspoon of almond extract. Spread some of
the cream on top of the cake. Top with a tiny statue of Mother
Mary.
HONEY CHIFFON PIE
Honey is a symbol of purity and sweetness, and as such is used
especially for Our Lady and for virgin-saints. Paradise, the
reward of the faithful for their labors for Christ, is known as
the "land of milk and honey." Honey desserts are used for saints
who have a beehive symbol: Benedict, Deborah, Abina, Gail,
Ambrose, Bernard and John Chrysostom.
Since honey is the oldest sweetening agent, it is not surprising
that this nectar is a favorite ingredient in hundreds of
desserts, ranging from the many-layered honey-drenched "Baklava"
to the light, delicately textured Honey Chiffon Pie. The filling
of the latter is smooth as velvet and it is served in a golden
pastry shell which is equally delicious. Crisp and tender, the
crust is made with golden shortening to give a special golden
flakiness.
For a golden pie shell you will need:
enriched flour 2 tablespoons water
salt shortening
In a mixing bowl combine 1-1/2 cups of sifted enriched flour and
1/2 teaspoon of salt. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in
1/2 cup of solid shortening until the mixture looks like coarse
corn meal. Sprinkle water over the mixture, a tablespoonful at a
time, and mix lightly with a fork until all the flour is moist.
With your hands gather the dough into a ball. On a lightly
floured board, roll out pastry in a circle 1/8 inch thick and
about 1-1/2 inches larger in diameter than your pie plate. Fit
the pastry loosely into a nine-inch plate and trim off the edge,
leaving 1/2 inch overhanging. Fold the overhanging edge back and
under. Build up a fluted edge; place your left forefinger against
the inside of the pastry rim and pinch the outside with the right
thumb and forefinger. Repeat all around the rim. Prick the bottom
and sides of the pastry generously with a fork. Bake at 425
degrees F. for 12 to 15 minutes.
HONEY CHIFFON FILLING
gelatine eggs
water mandarin oranges
milk salt
honey cream
Soften 2 tablespoons of gelatine in 1/2 cup of water for 5
minutes. In a saucepan combine 1-1/4 cups of milk and 1/2 cup of
honey and bring to a boil. Beat 3 eggs with a little of the hot
milk until blended; stir egg mixture into the hot milk and cook
over low heat, stirring for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, add
gelatine, and stir until the gelatine is dissolved. Stir in the
juice drained from one ten-ounce jar of mandarin oranges (it
should measure about 1/2 cup) and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Refrigerate the custard, stirring occasionally until it mounds
from a spoon. Beat the custard until smooth. Fold in 1 cup of
whipped cream and the mandarin oranges.
Spoon about two-thirds of the filling into the golden pie shell
and chill until set. Chill the remaining filling until set; then
heap by teaspoonfuls on top of the pie. Top with additional
whipped cream if desired. Garnish with mandarin orange slices or
strawberries and refrigerate until serving time.
MUSIC FOR FEASTS OF OUR LADY
"Music is the language of praise. One of the most essential
preparations for eternity is the delight in praising God."
Chalmers' words should help us to realize that the Church, the
bride of Christ, spends a great deal of her time praising the
Mother of God. Indeed, Mary herself must have spent a great deal
of time in singing, for music is the child of prayer and the
companion of religion.
Too many Catholics like ourselves were brought up on pseudo-
religious words superimposed on sentimental ballads and gay
waltzes. One, for instance, entitled "Mother at Thy Feet Is
Kneeling," is taken from a popular sentimental ballad of the
Civil War, "Take Me Back to Home and Mother." While Catholics
have been singing trashy, sentimental hymns, Protestants were
singing good Catholic hymns handed down to them in tradition, but
belonging, of course, to the great treasury of Church music.
It takes very little effort to teach simple melodies to our
children--the "Salve Regina," for instance, or "Mary the Dawn,"
or the hymns of the liturgy. Recordings offer an easy method of
teaching; "Jubilee" (JU, see Abbreviations) has "Chants for the
Virgin," twenty-six Marian hymns of purest Gregorian chant for
all seasons of the liturgical year for about $8.00. "Hymns in
Honor of Our Lady of Fatima" is available for about $10.00 (from
GI, see Abbreviations); from the same place you can get "Songs of
the Centuries" by the Roger Wagner Chorale, a single ten-inch LP
record for about $4.00. This record includes "Ave Maria," "Alma
Redemptoris Mater," "Ave Regina," "Regina Coeli," and "Salve
Regina."
Ave Maria is an LP recording (from GI, see Abbreviations) which
includes "Ave Maria" by Gounod, Schubert, Cesar Franck, and
modern ones by Russel Woollen and a Trappistine of St. Mary's
Abbey, Wrentham, Massachusetts.
Gregorian chant is sacred music surpassed by no other as an
expression of prayer that is simple and fervent, springing from
the human soul in search of God. It is the Church's own chant,
the sung prayer of Christian unity: one voice, one sound, one
soul expressing the mind of the whole Church. Gregorian chant is
marked by gravity, peace and majesty, although its wonderful
effect is achieved by simple, unelaborate means.
A friend of ours who was having difficulty in getting her
children to sing the liturgy had a recording made in a convent in
Amityville. At prayers she explained the singing of the "Salve
Regina"; then her children, armed with holy water for sprinkling,
were perfectly happy to have a procession while the Sisters sang.
The Gregorian Institute of America (GI, see Abbreviations)
publishes a catalog of long-playing records of Gregorian chant,
polyphony and hymns, and also lists distinctive records from
other sources. This liturgical and sacred concert music is a
wonderful help in developing musical taste in children right in
the home. "Jubilee" (JU, see Abbreviations) also has a catalog of
recordings.
The Trapp Family Singers have recorded in their Yuletide songs
"Ave Maria" by Mozart and a traditional early English carol, "I
Sing of a Maiden" (available from GI, see Abbreviations). The
Grail (GR, see Abbreviations) has published in its Advent records
one of the best-loved of the hundreds of German Lady Songs under
the title "The Flowering Thorn." Also from The Grail comes "There
Was a Maiden," a Flemish folk song which is not only an Advent
song but a perfect hymn for the Annunciation. Their Lent and
Easter disc includes a Martha and Mary Magdalen song for girls of
these names.
"Our Parish Prays and Sings" (from LP, see Abbreviations)
contains a number of hymns and English responsories that might be
sung on the nameday of girls named after Our Lady. Among these is
a hymn for Dolores, "Hymn to the Sorrowful Mother"; for Stella,
"Hail, Thou Star of Ocean and Mary Immaculate, Star of the
Morning"; for Regina, "Hail, Holy Queen" and "May Crowning Hymn."
For children born around the feast of the Annunciation there is
the responsory "The Lord Has Done Great Things." "Be Joyful,
Mary" is an Easter song suitable for a girl called Joy or Joyce,
while "Regina Caeli" is a hymn for girls named in honor of the
Queen of heaven. It is not the hymn for the feast of the Crowning
of Mary.
When one hears children singing the beautiful hymns of the
Church, one is reminded of Carlyle's words: "Music is well said
to be the speech of angels." Try one or two hymns at your nameday
party on Mary's feasts.
ST. JOSEPH, HUSBAND OF OUR LADY
Joseph, the husband and guardian of the Virgin Mary, was the
foster-father of Jesus. What we know of him is found in the first
two chapters of the Gospels by Sts. Matthew and Luke. Matthew
(1:19) describes him in the all-embracing phrase, "a just man,"
that is, a godly, holy man.
St. Joseph is liturgically honored as patron of the universal
Church on March 19, and as patron of workmen on May 1. During his
earthly life he worked as a carpenter in Nazareth and in Egypt;
his genealogy by the evangelists Matthew and Luke indicates his
royal lineage through King David.
The name Joseph remains about the same in most modern languages
except Italian (Giuseppe) and Spanish (Jose). The feminine form
of the name takes the following variances: English Josepha;
French, Josephine; Spanish, Josefa; and Italian, Giuseppa.
Father Walter Farrell's writings on St. Joseph make excellent
family reading and bring out St. Joseph's great love for Mary.
Love marked their marriage and was the basis for that model
Christian family, the Holy Family of Nazareth. "Mary brought
trouble to Joseph, plenty of it, and he loved every instant of
it. He rejoiced that he had been chosen to protect her, to give
her unselfish devotion. In other words, Joseph was in love."
When Joseph was a young man,
A young man was he,
He married Virgin Mary,
The Queen of Galilee.4
In art Joseph is often shown with a budding staff of lily in his
hand. Legend has it that the high priest Zacharias told the
Virgin Mary that he had received a revelation from an angel to
assemble marriageable men and have each bring his staff to be
left in the temple overnight. A sign would be given to indicate
which suitor for the Virgin's hand was favored by the Lord. In
the morning it was found that the staff of Joseph the carpenter
had blossomed, so he was chosen to be her husband. For this
reason is he pictured with the lily--how uncomfortable he looks
with it!
The National Gallery of Art (NGA, see Abbreviations) has
reproductions of Bernart Van Orley's "Marriage of the Virgin" for
sale. (To be sure that you will enjoy a reproduction of any
painting, first buy it in postcard size from the museum; then, if
you like the work, buy a larger copy. Excellent Christian art
costs as little as a dollar, so there is no reason for having
reproductions which are unsuitable.)
When Bill and I were newly married, we found a statue of St.
Joseph in a secondhand store, took it home and made an altar at
the head of the stairs in our Greenwich Village apartment. Under
this statue we placed all our bills. Our married life has been
marked with sickness, and St. Joseph has had to manage for us.
One Christmas a small fedora came with a gift certificate and
happened to fit the statue. We kept the hat on Joseph because we
felt that as an orthodox Jew, he was entitled to wear a hat in
the house. (Actually, a felt hat is a long way from a "jamelke,"
or skull cap.)
One night our cousin, Father Charles Crowley, a Josephite,
accidentally knocked the statue over while putting on his coat.
It smashed to smithereens. My first thought was, "What will we
tell Bill? He is so fond of that St. Joseph." "Tell him that he
died a grand death," Father said, "and the priest was with him at
the end." St. Joseph is a patron of a happy death.
Prayers to St. Joseph. Most probably the Holy Family recited the
traditional Hebrew night prayers: the singing of Psalm 90, a
reading of Deuteronomy 6:4-9. and a prayer to the guardian
angels. Most likely they ended their prayers in Hebrew with Psalm
127, the family psalm. Included in the Divine Office for
Wednesday Vespers, it is a psalm to be memorized by boys and
girls named after St. Joseph.
Happy are you who fear the Lord,
who walk in his ways.
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
happy shall you be and favored.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants around your table.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the Lord.
The Lord shall bless you from Sion;
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
May you see your children's children.
Peace upon Israel!
Nameday Prayers. Hymn: O SAINTLY JOSEPH!
{Musical notation cannot be displayed in ASCII text.}
1. O saintly Joseph! thou whom God
Ordained the Virgin's spouse,
To shield from harm her Saviour Son,
And keep the Holy House.
2. On thee a weighty burden fell,
To held God's treasures pure;
And thou didst willingly and well,
The heavy task endure.
3. Through thee the Universal Church
Directs its ceaseless pray'rs.
Thy patronage has eased its course
Throughout the flight of years.
4. O Joseph! faithful, chaste and just;
Our intercessor be
In that dread hour when life is lost,
O plead with God for me.
Father: Christ the Son of God, who deigned to be considered the
son of Joseph, come let us adore.
All: He made him master of His house and ruler over all His
possessions.
Father: From a homily of St. Bernard:
From the great honor of being privileged to be called and
considered the father of God (though of course he was only the
foster-father), we may judge the character and spirit of Joseph.
Here we must not forget that great patriarch Joseph who in
ancient days was sold into Egypt and of whom St. Joseph was heir
not only in name, but also in purity, innocence and grace. To the
former was given the gift of knowing the mysteries of dreams; the
latter was graced not only with the knowledge of, but even
participation in, the mysteries of heaven. We dare not doubt that
Joseph, to whom the Mother of the Savior was espoused, was a
prudent and faithful servant, for the Lord appointed him guardian
and consoler of His Mother, nourisher of His own body, and
coadjutor on earth in the incomprehensible designs of heaven.
All: Thanks be to God.
Father: Let us pray. We beseech You, O Lord, that we may be
helped by the merits of the spouse of Your most holy Mother, so
that what we cannot obtain by ourselves may be given to us
through his intercession. You live and reign forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
In the last four hundred years devotion to St. Joseph has been
steadily increasing. It was St. Teresa of Avila who said:
"I took for my patron and lord the glorious Joseph, and
recommended myself earnestly to him. I saw clearly that he
rendered me greater service than I knew how to ask for. I have
never asked him for anything at any time which he has not
granted."
For families who wish to vary or increase the prayers for St.
Joseph's feasts, the following may be said.
SALUTATION TO SAINT JOSEPH
by Father Olier
Hail, Joseph, image of God the Father.
Hail, Joseph, foster-father of God the Son.
Hail, Joseph, temple of the Holy Spirit.
Hail, Joseph, beloved of the most holy Trinity.
Hail, Joseph, most faithful helper of the great council.
Hail, Joseph, guardian of holy virgins.
Hail, Joseph, great lover of poverty.
Hail, Joseph, exemplar of meekness and patience.
Hail, Joseph, model of humility and obedience.
Blessed are you among all men,
And blessed are your eyes which have seen the things you saw.
Blessed are your ears which have heard the things you heard.
And blessed are your hands which have fondled the Word-made-
flesh.
And blessed are your arms which have carried Him who keeps all
things in existence.
Blessed is your bosom on which the Son of God fondly rested.
And blessed is your heart aflame with most ardent love.
Blessed is the eternal Father who chose you,
And blessed is the Son who loved you.
Blessed is the Holy Spirit who sanctified you.
And blessed is Mary, your spouse, who loved you as her spouse and
brother.
Blessed is the angel who guarded you.
And blessed be forever all who bless and love you.
Responsory
All: To all who would holily live,
To all who would happily die
St. Joseph is ready to give
Sure guidance and help from on high.
Father: Of Mary, the spouse undefiled,
Just, holy, and pure of all stain,
He asks of his own foster Child
And needs but to ask to obtain.
All repeat the first stanza.
Father: In the manger that Child he adored
And nursed Him in exile and flight;
Him, lost in His boyhood, deplored,
And found with amaze and delight.
All repeat the first stanza.
Father: The Maker of heaven and earth
By the labor of Joseph was fed;
The Son of an infinite birth
Submissive to Joseph was made.
All repeat the first stanza.
Father: And when the last hour drew nigh,
Oh, full of joy was his breast,
Seeing Mary and Jesus close by,
And he tranquilly slumbered to rest.
All repeat the first stanza.
Father: All praise to the Father above,
And praise to His glorious Son,
And praise to the Spirit of love,
While the days of eternity run.
All: Amen.
Father: Let us pray. O God, in Your ineffable Providence You
chose blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most holy Mother.
Grant that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in
heaven whom on earth we venerate as our protector. You live and
reign forever.
All: Amen.
Desserts and Decorations for St. Joseph's Feasts. The many themes
applicable to St. Joseph lend themselves to a wide variety of
desserts and decorations. The crown dessert (see Crown Cake) is
especially suited to this feast because this cake indicates
Joseph's royal lineage as a descendant of King David. A nameday
child may draw crowns on paper plates and napkins with crayons.
Crowns of gold paper to use on a cake, favors, or place-cards may
be obtained (about $.50 for 10, from PS, see Abbreviations);
these crowns may be used with pins and a print of St. Joseph,
perhaps from a calendar, to play a "pin the crown on Joseph"
game, using a blindfold and the rules for "pin the tail on the
donkey."
Also in connection with Joseph's lineage, a Star of David theme
is appropriate. A six-pointed star cutter for cookies or melted
chocolate costs as little as $.15, while a Star of David
thirteen-inch pan costs $8.25, both from MS (see Abbreviations).
A six-pointed star may be added to any iced cake by piping the
star on with a "readiwhip" cream after the star has been outlined
on the cake.
The fleur-de-lis is a symbol signifying Joseph's royalty. We have
found the design on napkins and place-mats at the party sections
of department stores. The symbol is easily cut from gold paper
for homemade place-mats and may be stenciled so that children can
trace and fill in the fleur-de-lis on napkins and place-cards.
Fleur-de-lis molds for chocolate candy can be ordered from Maid
of Scandinavia; a form with twenty molds and the recipe costs
about $5.55 (MS, see Abbreviations).
In art St. Joseph's shield is traditionally light blue with a
carpenter's square or a lily. The saw and hatchet, also his
emblems, recall his trade. This theme may be carried out by
baking cookies in a hatchet shape, or by adding chocolate
hatchets cut out of melted chocolate to top a cake. The hatchet
cookie-cutter comes in an all-season cookie-cutter set for about
$1.00 (from MS, see Abbreviations).
To recall the legend of Joseph's blossoming staff you can use
two-inch calla lilies made of gum paste to place in a spray atop
the nameday cake (10 for $1.00, from MS, see Abbreviations).
Another suggestion is tiny icing doves to top cupcakes or petits
fours as a jiffy dessert (20 for $.75, also from MS). We have
also enjoyed another of their specialties, ready-to-use cake tops
made of edible wafers, 6-1/2 inches in diameter. Placed on a
homemade cake or on a bakeshop one and bordered with a piping of
whipped cream, this cake top is a blessing to have on hand (3 for
$1.00 from MS). For St. Joseph's feast we suggest a Hebrew cake
top; with this may be ordered a baptism cake top and a birthday
cake top. In this way three feasts of a child can be commemorated
inexpensively.
Often in art St. Joseph carries two doves in a basket, the
offering of the poor (Lev. 12:7-8), in the scene of the
presentation of the Child Jesus in the temple. The dove is a
symbol of purity. To carry out this theme, one might use the
icing doves mentioned above, or a dove-shaped cake with almond
pin feathers, which can be ordered in advance in a price range
from $1.50 to $12.00 from Manganaro (MA, see Abbreviations) or
from Italian importers in large cities. This feastday dessert,
called the "Columba," is imported by La Motta from Milan and
appeals greatly to children accustomed to Italian baking.
Because of St. Joseph's great love for Our Lady, the heart cake
with red roses (see Heart Cake) is also appropriate.
ST. JOSEPH'S CREAM PUFFS
An Italian dessert indispensable at our house on St. Joseph's
feasts is "St. Joseph's Sfinge." A round cream puff is filled
with ricotta (Italian cottage cheese) and topped with a cherry.
We sometimes use cream cheese, whipped cream, or vanilla pudding
as a filling for our cream puffs. (A ready-mix cream puff is
available in most supermarkets.)
To make cream puffs you will need:
butter sugar
salt glazed lemon rind
flour glazed orange rind
eggs water
Boil together 1/2 cup of butter or margarine and 1 cup of water.
Add 1 cup of sifted flour and 1/3 teaspoon of salt, stirring
until the mixture parts from, the side of the pan. Remove from
the stove and cool. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating vigorously
after each is added. Combine with 2 tablespoons of sugar; 1
tablespoon of glazed lemon rind, grated; 1 tablespoon of glazed
orange rind, grated. Blend thoroughly. Drop a tablespoon at a
time, about 3 inches apart, on a cookie sheet. Bake in a hot oven
(400 degrees) for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300 degrees and
finish baking, approximately 30 minutes. After removing puffs
from the oven, open immediately to allow the steam to escape.
To serve, fill the 16 puffs with ricotta cheese filling or
custard or whipped cream. Top with a cherry.
St. Joseph in art. Parents and godparents will find Lauren Ford's
"St. Joseph and the Christ Child" a treasure for a small child.
Fosterfather and Son are surrounded by sheep and lambs in a barn.
The reproduction can be had for about $4.50 (from LAS, see
Abbreviations). This same shop offers a Py medal showing Joseph
and Jesus, with saw and lily symbols, ranging from $2.00 to
$30.00 for a gold one.
The National Gallery of Art sells reproductions of Fra Angelico's
"Adoration of the Magi," which includes Joseph in a yellow
mantle. An eight-inch statue of Joseph and the Child with work
tools, a Beuronese product from Germany, costs about $6.50 (from
CCA, see Abbreviations).
A nameday book gift would be "Joseph, A Patron Saint" by Wilfrid
Sheed, about $2.00 (from SW, see Abbreviations).
Customs for St. Joseph's Day. St. Joseph is one of Italy's most
beloved saints. Symbol of humility, protector of families, patron
of fathers, of the poor, the unfortunate and the dying, of
carpenters and craftsmen, Joseph is especially honored there on
"Festa di San Giuseppe." On the eve of his feast bonfires
illuminate the squares and streets of many towns. A "banchetto"
begins after midday Mass on his feast, usually out of doors. Set
on the piazza or large open square is a table, "tavola di San
Giuseppe," covered in white and decorated with flowers. A man,
woman and child, representing the Holy Family, are led in solemn
procession and seated upon a decorated platform as guests of
honor. The poor cheer for the table of St. Joseph because after
the feast they are given something to take home with them. There
are processions led by the Holy Family and, later, singing and
dancing around the bonfires lasting well into the night.
In Sicilian families an altar with a statue of St. Joseph is
erected in the dining room against a background of white satin
and flowers. A table the length of the room is laden with food.
Children, depicting the Holy Family and angels, take their places
at the table, followed by a priest, who blesses the food and the
guests. Then the feast begins. This is a custom which could well
be adapted by families on St. Joseph's Day.
Patron saints named after St. Joseph. In addition to keeping
March 19 or May 1, some of his namesakes may have been born on
feasts of other patrons named after St. Joseph. There is St.
Joseph the Hymnographer, liturgical poet of the Byzantine Church,
whose symbol is music; St. Joseph Calasanctius, founder of the
Piarists, whose symbol is a book; the Franciscan St. Joseph
Cupertino, patron of aviators, whose symbol is an airplane; and
the Capuchin Joseph of Leonessa, missioner to galley slaves, on
whose feast a "pirate" party is suitable.
Joseph of Arimathea, in whose new tomb our Lord was buried, is
commemorated on March 17. Legends connect him with Joseph of
Glastonbury, and, in Genoa, with the Sacro Catino, in which
Joseph is said to have caught the blood of Christ at the
crucifixion. Joseph of Arimathea makes a strong new patron for
Joseph Patrick and Patricia Josephine.
For girls called Josephine there are St. Josepha Rossello,
foundress of the Daughters of Our Lady of Pity, whose emblems are
a lily and a book; Blessed Josepha Maria (or Ines) of Beniganim,
an Augustinian whose symbol is also the lily; and Blessed
Josephine Leroux, an Ursuline nun who died gloriously in the
French Revolution. The crown and palm are her symbols.
MOST POPULAR BOYS' NAMES
What splendid names for boys there are--
There's Carol like in rolling car,
And Martin like a flying bird,
And Adam like the Lord's first word,
And Raymond like the harvest moon,
And Peter like a piper's tune,
And Alan like the flowing on
Of water. And there's John, like John.5
JOHN
Indeed there is John, like John, to the number of six million
boys born in the last decade who bear the beloved name which
dates earliest as a popular name. Ranking next are Michael,
James, Robert, William, David, Thomas, Stephen, Richard and
Joseph. Also high on the list of favorite boys' names are Gary,
Ronald, Loren, and Gerald.
Over two hundred saints are called John. Three of them bear the
name John the Baptist, in honor of the last prophet of the Old
Testament and first saint of the New: John Vianney, the Cure of
Ars, patron of parish priests; John Baptist Rossi; and John
Baptist de la Salle, whose lifework was the foundation of the
Brothers of Christian Schools. Like their namesake, they have a
lamb cake (see Lamb Cake) as their nameday dessert.
At least seventy-three of the post-Reformation English martyrs
were called John. The name in Irish is Sean (pronounced Shawn);
Scotch, Ian; Italian, Giovanni; French, Jean; Spanish, Juan;
Portuguese, Xuan; Dutch, Jan; German, Johann and Hans; Russian,
Ivan. Another Irish form of the name is Eoin (pronounced o-en);
the Welsh is Evan.
Patron for girls named Beverley is the Benedictine John of
Beverley, who founded Beverley Abbey in England. His symbol is a
cross or a shrine. John the Dwarf is described as having been
"short-tempered and conceited by nature but gentle and humble by
grace." John Bread-and-Water (Pan y Agua) acquired his nickname
by a lifelong fast on bread and water. There is a John of Poland,
John the Obedient, and, for the Joneses, Blessed John Jones, a
Welsh Franciscan martyred for his priesthood.
Among the great founders is St. John Bosco, who placed his
Institute under the protection of Our Lady Help of Christians.
Don Bosco, with St. Mary Mazzarello, formed the Daughters of Our
Lady Help of Christians for the education of girls. John of
Matha, whose symbol is a chain or cross, founded the Trinitarians
for the redemption of captives; John of God, the Order of
Brothers Hospitallers; John Eudes, the Sisterhood of Our Lady of
Charity of Refuge and the Congregation of Jesus and Mary
(Eudists) for the education of priests; and John Leonardi, the
Institute of Clerks Regular of the Mother of God.
St. John Chrysostom, surnamed the "golden-mouthed" for his great
eloquence, is famous for his contribution to the Greek Liturgy.
His symbol is a beehive. St. John Damascene, author of numerous
liturgical hymns and last of the Greek Fathers, has music as his
symbol. St. John of the Cross ranks as a Doctor of the Church
because of the fame of his mystical writings: "The Ascent of
Mount Carmel," "The Dark Night of the Soul," and "The Spiritual
Canticle," superb masterpieces of Spanish literature.
Blessed John Mzek, a Negro of Uganda who baptized many in the
hour of death, was beheaded in January, 1887. Among the North
American martyrs are two Jesuit saints, John de Brebeuf, a priest
who worked among the Hurons for twenty-four years until his
martyrdom by the Iroquois in 1649, and John Lalande, his helper
who was martyred in 1646. John de Brebeuf wrote the first
American Christmas carol (included in "Christmas to Candlemas,"
$.20 from LP, see Abbreviations).
Among the English martyrs called John are the Franciscan John
Forest, burned to death under conditions of revolting cruelty;
John Fenwick, John Gavan and John Ogilvie, Jesuits executed for
their priesthood; and John Roberts, a Benedictine. The latter's
resourcefulness and courage made him an outstanding figure among
the priests of the English mission. Imprisoned and released six
or seven times, he was finally captured in his priestly vestments
while saying Mass and was executed. John Fisher, most faithful of
the English bishops, upheld the cause of the Queen against the
adulterous Henry VIII and was beheaded on Tower Hill. He died
with the "Te Deum" on his lips.
St. John Berchmans is patron of young Mass servers. In his short
life he kept the minutest points of the Jesuit rule with heroic
fidelity and died in Rome during his novitiate.
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
Louis Bouyer in "Liturgical Piety" (University of Notre Dame
Press) makes the following observation on the importance of St.
John the Baptist:
"Few facts in the history of piety are more startling than that
of the great place which the cult of St. John the Baptist enjoyed
in the devotion of Christians up to the Middle Ages, and yet the
virtual oblivion into which this cult has fallen ever since.
Obviously there is nothing to recommend him to a piety which
feeds on tender feelings and delicate sentiments. A man who eats
locusts and wears a camel's hair tunic and a leather girdle does
not make a nice figure in a sweet painting of the Nativity.
Nonetheless St. John the Baptist is a central figure in the whole
economy of the mystery, as is still shown by the place he has
retained in the liturgy, and if we leave him out, we are in
danger of losing the whole meaning of the Mystery itself."
Patristic tradition maintains that John the Baptist was freed
from original sin and sanctified in his mother's womb. From
earliest times the Church has celebrated the birthday of St.
John, herald of the Son of God. After Elizabeth gave birth to
John, his father Zachary, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke
prophetic words about his son, a prayer for all his namesakes
(Luke 1:68-79):
THE BENEDICTUS
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
because He has visited and wrought redemption
for His people,
And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of David His servant,
As He promised through the mouths of His holy ones,
the prophets from of old:
Salvation from our enemies
and from the hands of all our foes.
He has fulfilled His kindness to our fathers,
and been mindful of His holy covenant
In the oath to Abraham our father,
by which He swore to grant us
That, delivered from the hands of our enemies,
we should serve Him without fear
In holiness and justice
before Him all our days.
And you, O child, shall be called
the prophet of the Most High;
For you shall go before the Lord
to prepare His ways,
To give His people knowledge of salvation
through forgiveness of their sins,
Because of the compassionate kindness of our God
with which the Orient from on high will visit us,
To shine on those who sit in darkness and the
shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
John eminently excelled in graces. He is honored as a teacher,
virgin, martyr, and the greatest of prophets because he pointed
out Him whom the ancient prophets foretold obscurely.
Bonfires on St. John's day. The use of fire on the eve of St.
John's feast dates back to a pagan rite for a mid-summer night
hill-top festival which the Church later christianized. We
celebrate by taking a small charcoal pit to the roof, eleven
stories above the Hudson overlooking Harlem, for a barbecued
supper, thus continuing in modern fashion the folklore associated
with this midsummer night. Our children heard their grandfather
tell of singing and dancing around an Irish bonfire to the music
of fiddles or an accordion on St. John's eve in County Cork. He
recounted how, as the blaze subsided, men, women and children
would leap through the flames; trails of sparks like comets went
through the air as they plucked live brands from the fire and
threw them into the air. Sometimes the fire would be so splendid
that no horse would pass the crossroads.
Why is St. John honored by bonfires? His feast, coming on the day
the sun begins to diminish, was set to commemorate the words of
the Baptist which showed his unique greatness: "He (Christ) must
increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). These words could
serve as a motto for every Christian.
In New York the Fiesta di San Juan is kept solemnly on Randall's
Island between Manhattan and Long Island in the East River.
Cardinal Spellman usually officiates; in attendance are state and
city officials, dignitaries from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the
hierarchy. Seventy thousand Puerto Ricans flock to honor St. John
the Baptist, patron saint of their homeland, at an outdoor Mass
on the Island and at the fiesta that follows.
Celebrations we have attended have been on golden summer
afternoons, noisy and gala as whole families troop in pilgrimage
across the Triboro Bridge from 125th Street to the stadium.
Children are dressed in finery; baby carriages are decorated with
balloons; banners are sold by hawkers along the bridge. Chartered
buses bring the faithful to the fiesta from three neighboring
states; buses bring children and bands to play in the great
procession that precedes the Mass in honor of San Juan.
On the grassy fringes of Randall's Island, picnic tables are set
up by young mothers and old people who cannot withstand the surge
of the crowds. Children are flying kites. Everyone seems to be
swaying to the thump of bongo drums. Inside the stadium every
seat is filled. Leaflet missals, a small Spanish hymnal, and
souvenir "missionary" booklets are distributed gratis. Out on the
athletic field a twenty-five-foot gilded cross towers above a
huge canvas painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe near the Cardinal's
throne.
Just before three o'clock, school bands strike up Spanish
marching airs as the Cardinal, hierarchy, dignitaries, Holy Name
Societies, and Daughters of Mary Societies are led in procession
to the filed. The girls of the Society form a gigantic cross on
the filed. Religious floats, tugged onto the filed, represent
various aspects of the Mystical Body and are met with applause
and shouts of "Vivo Christo Rey!" (Long love Christ the King!).
The Mass commentary is in Spanish and English, and the great
stadium reverberates with responses to the Mass by this great
throng. It is sad, we note, how few of the youngsters are able to
sing the hymns that are their heritage of faith, but the older
people are radiant as they enjoy one of the few opportunities
they have to sing publicly the songs of their childhood. The
sermon by a Puerto Rican prelate urges the people to cherish and
retain their common religious heritage.
Holy Mass is followed by another procession to the end of the
playing field, where a mammoth pinata is broken to mark the
beginning of the secular celebration.
Blessing of a bonfire. This blessing may be conferred by the
priest outside of the church on the vigil of St. John's feast. A
parent may lead the prayer after lighting a family bonfire.
Father: O Lord God, Father almighty, unfailing ray and source of
all light, sanctify this new fire, and grant that after the
darkness of this life we may come unsullied to You who are Light
eternal. Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
Family prayers on the vigil.
Father: I summoned you from your father's house, says the Lord,
and made you shepherd of My people
All: I granted you such renown as comes only to the greatest on
earth, and no longer did your enemies trouble you.
Father: From the writings of St. Ambrose:
Holy Scripture teaches us to praise not only the lives of those
whom we honor, but also the lives of their parents. Then that
flawless purity which has been handed down to them as an
inheritance will stand out even more clearly in those whom we
would praise. What other intention can the evangelist have had in
the passage of the Gospel read today, save that of making John
the Baptist renowned for his parents as well as for his miracles,
his way of life, his mission and his death?
All: Our hearts must wait in readiness on the Lord and serve Him
only. Then will He deliver us from our enemies' power.
Father: Let us pray. Grant, almighty God, that Your household may
tread the path of salvation, and by following the counsel of John
the Precursor, come safely to Him whose coming he foretold, Your
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You
forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Family prayers on the feast itself.
Father: This child is great before God for the hand of the Lord
is with him.
All: The Lord has called me from the womb; from my mother's
breasts He has been mindful of my name.
Father: From the writings of St. Augustine:
After that most holy day of our Lord's nativity and of our
Lady's, we read of no other birthday which is celebrated by the
Church save that of John the Baptist. For all other saints and
elect of God we keep that day as a feast upon which, their trials
completed and the world triumphantly overcome, they were borne
from this present life to everlasting eternity. In their case it
is the sum of their merits on their last day we honor. With John
the Baptist the first day and the very beginnings of his
existence were honored. The reason for this was that the Lord
wished him to proclaim His coming, lest if He came suddenly and
unawares, men might not recognize Him.
Mother: He will usher in the advent of the Lord in the spirit and
power of an Elias, preparing for Him a people fit to receive Him.
All: John is his name; many will rejoice at his birth.
Father: Let us pray. O God, this day you have made honorable to
us by the birth of John the Baptist. Call forth upon Your people
the grace of spiritual joys and direct the souls of all Your
faithful into the way of eternal salvation. Through Christ our
Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Desserts and decorations. The lamb cake is particularly
appropriate on St. John's day, June 24, since the lamb is the
special mark of St. John the Baptist; it is also the symbol for
St. Agnes and for all the saints who were shepherds such as
Genevieve, Germaine, Patrick, David, Joan of Arc, and Bernadette.
It may be used also for patron saints who were bishops because of
our Lord's words: "Feed my lambs."
LAMB CAKE
To make a lamb cake you will need a lamb mold (about $1.98 from
MS, see Abbreviations), plus the following:
four-minute frosting
instant white cake mix
flaked coconut
Empty 1 package of instant white cake mix into a bowl. Prepare
according to directions on package.
Spoon 1 cup of the batter into three greased and floured custard
cups, filling them half full. Pour the remaining batter into the
front half of a well greased and floured lamb mold. (Before
covering with the back of the mold, we place a toothpick in each
ear so that it will not burn and will be stronger for frosting.)
Cover with the back of the mold and wire the mold together. Place
the mold face down on a baking sheet. Place custard cups on the
same baking sheet. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees), baking
the cupcakes 20 to 25 minutes, and the lamb mold 40 to 45
minutes.
Open the mold, removing the back of the mold first. Allow the
lamb to cool in the mold for about 5 minutes. Then loosen the
cake from the sides of the mold and remove carefully. Stand the
lamb cake on the cake-rack until cool. We have found that even if
a lamb does not come out in one piece, the parts may be held
together very easily with frosting.
Frost the cake with four-minute frosting. Cover with coconut,
reserving some to be tinted green and arranged around the mold to
represent grass. Use raisins for eyes and nose, and a slice of
maraschino cherry for the mouth.
FOUR-MINUTE FROSTING
egg water
white corn syrup
sugar vanilla
salt
Combine in the top of a double boiler 1 unbeaten egg white, 3/4
cup of sugar, a dash of salt, 3 tablespoons of water, and 1
teaspoon of light corn syrup. Beat about 1 minute or until
thoroughly mixed. Cook over boiling water, beating constantly
with egg beater, or at high speed with electric beater for 4
minutes, or until the frosting will stand in peaks. Stir the
frosting up from the bottom and sides of the pan occasionally
with a rubber scraper, spatula or spoon. Remove from boiling
water. Add vanilla and beat 1 minute, or until thick enough to
spread.
A lamb cookie-cutter ($.15 from MS, see Abbreviations) may be
used to outline the figure on a frosted, round cake. Fill in the
outline with white frosting mixed with coconut. For a small child
a lamb from the nativity set is placed on top of the nameday
cake.
St. John the Baptist is often represented with a banner, the
symbol of victory, inscribed with either a cross or the words
"Ecce Agnus Dei" (Behold the Lamb of God). This banner may be
used on top of the nameday cake, on place-cards, or with the lamb
cake.
Also appropriate for this feast would be the crown cake. The
crown betokens the martyr's victory over death and sin. Yet
another symbol for this nameday is fire. We darken the dining
room and light sparklers in balls of ice cream (see Snowballs-On-
Fire). A lump of sugar, dipped in some lemon extract, may be put
on a marshmallow atop a cupcake for a blazing dessert. Set the
lump of sugar afire and it will toast the marshmallow to the
child's delight. A flambe dessert (see Cherries Jubilee) is
appropriate for grownups.
Suggestions in art. The Philbrook Art Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma,
has a painting of the adoration of the Child Jesus by St. John,
clothed, as St. Mark tells us, "with camel's hair, and with a
leathern girdle about his loins." Gozzoli's painting, "The Dance
of Salome and Beheading of St. John the Baptist," hangs in the
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL
September 29
One morning we were grieved to hear television's Captain Kangaroo
sing, "A very merry unbirthday to you," for all the children
whose birthday it was not! How very sad, we thought, for all the
Michaels--Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish--not to know their
patron. How unfortunate that they cannot rejoice with the Church
on the feast of St. Michael.
The name Michael is usually thought of as an Irish name. In
Ireland it rivals the name Patrick in popularity, although it was
rarely found until a few hundred years ago. It is the second most
popular name for boys in the United States.
Holy Scripture describes Michael as "one of the chief princes"
(Dan. 10:13), and as the leader of the heavenly armies in their
battle against hell (Apoc. 13:7-8). Angel of the last Judgment,
Michael balances the good and the evil on his scales and will
sound the trumpet for judgment. The first symbol, the scale, is
derived from Daniel 5:27: "Thou art weighed in the balance, and
art found wanting." The reference to the trumpet we find in 1
Cor. 15:52. A coat of armor, emblem of chivalry, may be purchased
in a toy kit and used as the top of a nameday cake or as a table
centerpiece. A brass scale can be procured with stamps given away
at supermarkets.
Nameday prayers. Today the family prays the following:
Father: The Lord, King of archangels.
All: Come, let us adore, alleluia.
Father: I looked up and saw a man standing there clad all in
linen and his girdle was of fine gold. Clear as a topaz his body
was, like the play of lightning shone his face; and like burning
crossets his eyes; arms and legs of him had the sheen of bronze,
and when he spoke, it was like the murmur of a throng.
All: He bestows favors on those nations who honor him, and his
prayer leads them to the kingdom of heaven, alleluia.
Father: The angel Michael, chief in paradise, to whom the angelic
citizens pay honor.
All: Most glorious prince, archangel Michael, be mindful of us
here and everywhere; pray ever for us to the Son of God,
alleluia, alleluia.
Father: From the writings of Pope St. Gregory the Great:
Michael means "Who is like God!" When any work of remarkable
power is to be done, we are told it is Michael who is sent, that
from both his action and his name we may understand that none can
accomplish what God in His might accomplishes.
All: Salvation belongs to our God, alleluia.
Father: Let us pray. O God, who ordained the services of angels
and men in wonderful order, be pleased to grant that our life on
earth may be guarded by those who stand always ready to serve You
in heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Desserts and decorations. In "Cooking for Christ," Florence
Berger says that waffles baked in a Gaufrette Iron are
traditional for Michaelmas Day. The Scotch bake St. Michael's
Bread. Our own specialty is angel food cake from a mix, with
chocolate frosting, topped by a knight representing St. Michael.
He is not to be confused with a Dior model with long hair, a
night dress, and wings.
CHOCOLATE ANGEL CAKE
This cake may be made from your favorite angel food recipe, or as
we have it here from a cake mix. The candy-like flavor of the
chocolate morsels makes a quick frosting to match the speed of a
cake made with angel cake mix. To make this cake you will need:
Prepare and bake 1 package of angel food cake mix according to
the directions on the package. Cool. Melt 1 package (1 cup) of
semi-sweet chocolate morsels and 1 tablespoon of shortening over
hot (not boiling) water. Stir in 3 tablespoons of light corn
syrup and 2 tablespoons of milk. Spread as a thin glaze over the
top and sides of the angel cake.
Suggestions. Pietro Perugino's "St. Michael" for a boy's home
altar may be procured from The Little Art Shop (LAS, see
Abbreviations). Also available there are medals on chains or key
rings at prices ranging from under $2.00 to $10.00. A handsome
tile of St. Michael is only $4.00 (from CCA, see Abbreviations).
A very early Michael from Mount Athos is reproduced by Maria
Laach for $2.00 (from CCA, see Abbreviations).
"Stunts and Games for Parties" by Edith Feldhake and Rev. G. Neil
may be had for $.25 from the Family Life Bureau (FLB, see
Abbreviations) which also carries "Party Planning for Young
Adults" ($1.25) by Rev. L. P. Wobids, S.J.
Weary of rock and roll music, we were delighted to hear the
children playing a United Artists' recording by the Highwaymen
entitled "Michael"; it costs about $1.00 at record shops. The
Young Christian Workers' Song Book has numerous verses (from YCW,
see Abbreviations).
Michael row the boat ashore, alleluia.
Michael row the boat ashore, alleluia.
Sister help to trim the sail, alleluia.
Sister help to trim the sail, alleluia.
River Jordan is chilly and cold, alleluia.
Chills the body but not the soul, alleluia.
River is deep and the river is wide, alleluia.
Milk and honey on the other side, alleluia.
Michael row the boat ashore, alleluia.
Michael row the boat ashore, alleluia.
MULLED ORANGE PUNCH
To make a nameday punch for fall feasts of older children you
will need:
sugar stick cinnamon
water orange juice
cloves sweet cider
Combine 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of water, 12 whole cloves, and
2 two-inch pieces of cinnamon stick in a saucepan. Simmer 10
minutes; strain. Add two quarts of orange juice and one quart of
sweet cider. Re-heat and serve hot from a punch bowl. Float
orange "mums" on top. To make mums, cut two-inch rounds from an
orange. Press 4 or 5 cloves in the center of each round. Cut one-
eighth inch strips with scissors from edge of clove center. Float
on top of punch. The yield to this punch is 26 half-cup servings.
ORANGE DOUGHNUTS
Occasionally children do not want traditional nameday cakes.
Teen-agers particularly will settle for doughnuts and punch.
Would it be excessive ingenuity to regard the doughnut itself as
a symbol of immortality, because a ring or circle is without end?
To make orange doughnuts you will need:
yeast flour
sugar egg
orange juice salt
orange rind butter or margarine
Add 1 package or cake of dry or compressed yeast and 1 tablespoon
of sugar to 1-1/4 cups of lukewarm orange juice. Let stand for 5
minutes; stir until the yeast is thoroughly dissolved. Be careful
not to overheat the orange juice or it will lose its vitamins.
Add 2 tablespoons of grated orange rind and 1-1/2 cups of sifted
all-purpose flour; beat well. Cover and let rise in a warm place
(80 to 85 degrees F.) about 1 hour. Beat 1 egg, add 1/2 cup of
sugar gradually, and beat until light. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of
salt and 3 tablespoons of melted margarine or butter that has
been slightly cooled. Add to the yeast mixture; beat until
smooth. Add about 3 cups of sifted flour, enough to make a soft
dough. Turn the dough on a lightly floured board and knead until
smooth and elastic. Place into on oiled bowl; turn once to bring
the greased side up. Cover and let rise in a warm place until
double in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours.
Roll on a lightly floured board to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with
three-inch floured doughnut cutter. Let rise until double in bulk
(about 1 hour). Fry in deep fat (350 degrees) until golden brown
on both sides, turning once. Drain on absorbent paper. Roll in
granulated sugar.
This will yield about 3 dozen doughnuts for a nameday party. The
punch and doughnuts would make good fare for a nameday party
after a football game. The slight heating which you give the
orange juice does not harm its natural vitamin C goodness to any
great extent. The floating mums made from fresh orange add a gala
touch.
Frequently parents who begin family religious customs only after
their children become "pre-teeners" find lukewarm response. We
have yet to see a boy or girl who will not "eat" a feast and
enjoy it. And when his or her own nameday is celebrated, just
watch the interest mount.
GABRIEL, RAPHAEL
Gabriel, its feminine, Gabrielle, and Raphael, as well as
Michael, are names of archangels given to children. For St.
Gabriel's day the prayer is:
Father: O God, from among all the angels, You chose the archangel
Gabriel as the messenger of the mystery of Your Incarnation. May
his intercession in heaven help us as we celebrate his feast on
earth. Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers; Christ reigns!
On St. Raphael's day the prayer for the nameday is:
Father: O God, who sent the blessed archangel Raphael to
accompany Your servant Tobias on his journey, grant that we, Your
servants may be guarded by him always and strengthened by his
assistance. Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
An angel cake can also be used on the feast of St. Gabriel, whose
symbol is a lily; or on the feast of St. Raphael, whose symbols
are loaves and fishes, or an ointment jar; Raphael is the
guardian of travelers and patron of apothecaries. The cake may be
topped with a paper angel (this is used also for Sts. Frances of
Rome, Ladislaus, Valerian, and Bl. Augustine Novello). For
recipe, see Chocolate Angel Cake.
JAMES
James the Greater, son of Zebedee and Salome and brother of John
the Evangelist, was called with him to the apostolate by our
Lord. The Gospels frequently mention that he was taken aside with
Peter and John by Jesus. James was the first of the Twelve to be
martyred (Acts 12:2). Our Lord called him "son of thunder"
because of his fiery temper. Legend makes him the apostle of
Spain; his shrine at Compostela is one of the most famous places
of pilgrimage in Christendom.
Father: The Lord and King of apostles.
All: Come, let us adore.
Father: Let us pray. Lord, keep and sanctify Your people that,
strengthened by the help of Your apostle James, they may please
You by their conduct and serve You with a quiet mind. Through
Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
In Spanish the name is Santiago, Iago, Diego, Jayme, or Jaime, a
name which the Irish use. James, one of the most popular of men's
names. is the English form of Jacob. There are 415 churches in
England named after St. James. In Italian the name is Giacomo; in
French, Jacques; in Portuguese, Iago, Diogo; in Catalan, Jaume.
The Irish form is Seumas (pronounced Sham-us). Jacqueline and
Jacquette are feminine forms of the name.
Dessert and decorations. We have a shell mold (from a local
hardware store) for baked and frozen desserts for St. James' day.
The traditional dessert is the "Coupe St. Jacques" (see Coupe St.
Jacques). The lamb cake would designate that St. James was a
bishop.
St. James' shield is red with three gold cockle or scallop
shells, two above and one below, narrow end upward. The shell in
Christian art signifies pilgrimage. A white horse with a white
banner and cross and sword for martyrdom are additional symbols
that might be used.
Martini's "St. James the Great" hangs in the National Gallery of
Art, while Rembrandt's "Praying Pilgrim" is in the Metropolitan
Museum in New York. Reproductions can be purchased from the
museums.
JAMES THE LESS AND PHILIP
On May 11 the Church celebrates the joint feast of Sts. James and
Philip, to whom Jesus said, "Follow Me" (Luke 9:60). It is
important to read John 14:6-9 to know more about the patron saint
of boys called Philip.
St. James the Less (the "younger"), surnamed "the Just," was a
cousin of our Lord and the first bishop of Jerusalem, where he
was martyred. He is the author of one canonical epistle. Matthew
10:3 and Acts 1:13 designate him as the "son of Alpheus." He is a
"brother (i.e., cousin) of the Lord" (Matt. 13:55; Gal. 1:19),
and is probably the James of Acts 15:13; 21:18 .
The prayer for the feast of Sts. Philip and James is as follows:
Father: O holy and just ones, rejoice in the Lord, alleluia.
All: God has chosen you to be His own, alleluia.
Father: Let us pray. O God, You gladden us by the yearly festival
of Your apostles Philip and James; grant that we who rejoice in
their merits may be taught by their example. Through Christ, our
Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Hymn (sung to the melody of: "Come, Holy Ghost")
All: Now let the earth with joy resound
And heaven the chant re-echo round;
Nor heaven nor earth too high can raise
The great Apostles' glorious praise!
Sickness and health your voice obey,
At your command they go or stay;
From sin's disease our souls restore,
In good confirm us more and more.
So when the world is at its end
And Christ to judgment shall descend,
May we be called those joys to see
Prepared from all eternity.
Praise to the Father, with the Son
And Paraclete forever one:
To Thee, O holy Trinity,
Be praise for all eternity. Amen.
Dessert and decorations. For St. James, the dessert might be a
star cake, a martyr's cake, a lamb cake, or a loaf of feastday
bread. He has a red shield with a silver star and a halberd or
hatchet. The saw is another symbol for him. At ninety-six years
of age, it is said, his body was sawn asunder.
The book cake (see A Genoise Book Cake) with a tall slender cross
is used for St. Philip; the cross cake or the crown cake are also
suitable. Philip's symbols are a vertical gold spear, possible
instrument of martyrdom, on a red shield, or, much better, a tall
slender cross and two loaves of bread on a red shield (John 6:7).
An excellent marble relief of St. Philip by Bregno may be seen at
the W. R. Nelson Gallery, Kansas City, Missouri. You may inquire
about reproductions (WRN, see Abbreviations).
St. Philip Benizi is the best-known Servite saint. Others by this
name are Blessed Philip Powell, a Benedictine martyred at Tyburn,
and Blessed Philip Howard, earl of Arundel and Surrey, who died
in the tower after ten years of imprisonment. Philip of Jesus, a
Carmelite from Mexico, was the first martyr of Japan.
Our favorite saint of this name is St. Philip Neri, founder of
the Congregation of the Oratory and "second apostle" of Rome. Of
him Phyllis McGinley has written:
CREAM OF THE JESTERS
When Philip Neri walked abroad,
Beside Tiber, praising God,
They say he was attended home
By half the younger set of Rome.
Knight, novice, scholar, boisterous boy,
They followed after him with joy,
To nurse his poor and break his bread
And hear the funny things he said.
For Philip Neri (by his birth
A Florentine) believed in mirth,
Holding that virtue took no harm,
Which went with laughter arm in arm.
Two books he read with most affection--
The Gospels and a joke collection--
And sang hosannas set to fiddles,
And fed the sick on soup and riddles.6
A rosary of silver dragees is an appropriate decoration for St.
Philip Neri's day. So is the book cake with an angel (see Genoise
Book Cake).
In French, Philip is Phillipe; in Greek, Phillipos; in German,
Philipp; in Italian, Filippo; in Polish and Swiss, Filip; and in
Hungarian, Filep.
Statues of Sts. James the Less and Philip cost $8.50 (from RC,
see Abbreviations).
ROBERT
Robert is a name used in eight languages and in twenty different
forms. Fourth most popular name for boys today, its diminutives
are Rob, Bob, Bobby, and Robin, made famous by the outlaw hero of
British folklore, Robin Hood, and Christopher Robin of Winnie the
Pooh fame.
The name Robert was borne by three saintly abbots, by Robert
Flower, hermit, and by eleven beatified martyrs of England. The
most notable of the beati was the Jesuit Robert Southwell, who
shares the laurels of the English Jesuit province with Gerard
Manley Hopkins. "The Burning Babe" and "Triumph over Death" are
Southwell's best known works. A plaque of Blessed Robert costs
$3.50 (from AMS, see Abbreviations).
THE BURNING BABE
As I in hoary winter's night stood shivering in the snow,
Surprised was I with sudden heat which made my heart to glow;
And lifting up a fearful eye to view what fire was near,
A pretty Babe all burning bright did in the air appear;
Who, scorched with excessive heat, such flood of tears did shed,
As though his floods should quench his flames which with
his tears were fed.
"Alas," quoth he, "but newly born in fiery hearts I fry,
Yet none approach to warm their hearts or feel my fire but I.
My faultless breast the furnace is, the fuel wounding thorns,
Love is the fire, and sighs the smoke, the ashes shame and scorns;
The fuel justice layeth on, and mercy blows the coals;
The metal in this furnace wrought are men's defiled souls:
For which, as now on fire I am to work them to their good,
So will I melt into a bath to wash them in my blood."
With this he vanished out of sight and swiftly shrunk away,
And straight I called unto mind that it was Christmas day.
Most illustrious of saints by this name is the Jesuit Robert
Bellarmine, cardinal, confessor, Doctor of the Church, whose
career included teaching theology at Louvain, teaching and
preaching in Rome, working on the Vulgate Bible, and presiding as
rector of the Roman College. Immense audiences flocked to hear
the lectures from which originated his four-volume Discourses.
"We elect him cardinal," said Pope Clement VIII in bestowing the
red hat, "because in learning there is none who equals him in the
Church of God." Later St. Robert headed the Vatican Library. He
was an eminent polemicist and the foremost teacher against the
erroneous doctrines of the sixteenth-century reformers.
Dessert and decorations. A book cake on St. Robert Bellarmine's
feast denotes that he is a Doctor of the Church as well as the
author of the Catechism of Christian Doctrine still used in Italy
and published in sixty languages. The crown on the cake recalls
the psalmist's words: "O Lord, You welcomed him with goodly
blessings; You set upon his head a crown of pure gold" (Ps.
20:5).
The chief badge of a cardinal, the red hat with fifteen tassels
to a side, may be drawn on place-cards or enlarged as a symbol
for a shield at a child's shrine. We have dressed boy dolls as
Jesuit saints and cut others from paper sculpture for our
children's altar.
A beautifully hand-carved Italian statue of St. Robert Bellarmine
costs about $15.00 (from RC, see Abbreviations). A tiny wooden
statue for a nameday cake top costs about $1.00 (from RC, see
Abbreviations). A small plaque of St. Robert may be ordered from
BER (see Abbreviations) for $2.50. A handsome sterling and enamel
medal costs $10.00 (LAS, see Abbreviations).
"The Face of the Saints" by Wilhelm Schamoni, translated by Anne
Fremantle, contains a portrait of Robert Bellarmine by Passerotti
(Jesuit College of Chamartin de la Rosa, Madrid). Your local
library or bookshop may have a copy. "St. Robert Bellarmine" by
James Brodrick is a biography for parents to read (from RC, see
Abbreviations).
Prayer for Robert, Roberta, and Robin.
Father: Let us pray. O God, Your bishop and Doctor of the
Church, Robert Bellarmine, You adorned with admirable learning
and courage to expose the snares of error and uphold the right of
the Apostolic See; let his merits plead with You and grant that
we may grow in love of truth and that the hearts of those who
stray may find their way back to the unity of Your Church.
Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
DAVID
David, king and prophet, psalmist and ancestor of our Lord, was
"the beloved," and "the man after God's own heart" a type of
Christ in the Old Testament and one of the most lovable
characters in history.
Father: Blessed are You, O Lord God of Israel, blessed from the
beginning to the end of time.
All: Yours, Lord, the magnificence, Yours the power; splendor and
glory and majesty are Yours.
Father: To You all that is in heaven, all that is on earth
belongs; to You the kingdom, and the prince that is without peer.
All: Riches and honor come from You; all things obey Your will.
Father: From You power comes and dominion. Only Your hand exalts,
only Your hand makes strong.
All: To You, then, we pay homage this day; to Your glorious Name
we bring renown.
Father: Praise the Lord, ye gentiles.
All: Amen. St. David, pray for us.
A crown cake , a musical notation cake, a book cake (see A
Genoise Book Cake), or the Star of David cream pie may be used on
this feast. David's attribute is a harp. A six-pointed star
design reminds the namesake of our Lord, who said: "I, Jesus, am
the root and stock of David, the bright morning star" (Apoc.
22:16).
If you look for cookie cutters in the houseware departments of
large stores, you will sometimes find a six-pointed star. They
can be ordered by mail from MS (see Abbreviations). They can be
used to cut cranberry sauce or pie crusts into a six-pointed star
to place atop a pie, or to make cookies. Six-pointed stars can be
cut from gold paper to carry out the theme. A cake pan with six
points is available for about $8.00 (from MS, see Abbreviations).
This tin can be used for molded desserts or for the Scripture
Cake.
Andrew Verrocchio's "David" in terra cotta is in the National
Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Events in David's life are
commonly depicted in Renaissance art. These include: the
anointing of David (1 Sam. 16:12, 13); David playing the harp (1
Sam. 16:23); David and Goliath (1 Sam. 17); and David dancing
before the ark of the covenant (2 Sam. 6:12f). A reproduction of
Verrocchio's sculpture can be obtained from LAS (see
Abbreviations); "King David Adoring" by Fra Eustachio is also
available there. Your local museum may have color prints for a
David for his nameday, the Sunday before Christmas.
St. David of Wales has a dove for a symbol; his feastday prayer
is under Confessor-Bishops.
STAR OF DAVID CHIFFON CREAM PIE
This is a recipe which may be used for any of the saints of the
Old Testament. We begin with custard ingredients--eggs, milk, and
sugar. To these is added unflavored gelatine. No baking is
necessary. Whipped cream and beaten egg whites folded into the
filling give smoothness and height, which the gelatine captures
and holds safe for taste enjoyment. To make this pie you will
need:
gelatine eggs
sugar vanilla
salt heavy cream
milk pie shell
strawberries
Mix 1 envelope of unflavored gelatine with 1/4 cup of sugar and
1/8 teaspoon of salt in the top of a double boiler. Stir in 1-1/4
cups of milk. Place over boiling water and stir until the
gelatine is dissolved. Beat 2 egg yolks slightly. Slowly pour a
small amount of the hot mixture over egg yolks, stirring rapidly.
Return egg mixture to the double boiler and cook, stirring
constantly, until the mixture coats the spoon--about 3 minutes.
Remove from heat; add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Chill until the
mixture is slightly thicker than the consistency of unbeaten egg
white. Beat 2 egg whites until stiff. Gradually beat in another
1/4 cup of sugar. Fold in the gelatine mixture and 1 cup of heavy
cream, whipped. Turn into a baked pie shell. Chill until firm. At
serving time garnish the top of the pie with sliced strawberries
to form a star of David.
WILLIAM
Father calls me William,
Sister calls me Will,
Mother calls me Willie,
But the fellers call me Bill!
The American poet Eugene Field has explained this popular name.
Its English forms include Wilmot, Willie, and Billy; German,
Wilhelm; French, Guillaume; Dutch, Willem; Latin, Gulielmus;
Italian, Guglielmo; Spanish, Guillermo; Swedish, Wille; and
Scottish, Wullie. The Irish form of the name is Liam (pronounced
lee-am), making St. William a patron of boys called Lee.
Among the English martyrs we find Blessed William Howard, who
serves as patron for both William and Howard, and Blessed William
Ireland, a Jesuit hung, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn. St.
William of Bourges, whose symbol is a monstrance, was a
Cistercian archbishop of Bourges; William of Eskill was a
Benedictine who labored in Denmark; his symbol is a torch. St.
William of Maleval has as his symbol a coat of armor because he
had spent many years on pilgrimages before founding his
monasteries. St. William of Gellone, regarded as an ideal
Christian knight, is represented by armor, a book and staff.
Prayers for the feastday of St. William of Vercelli would be:
Father: God's honor devolved upon him, and the Lord strengthened
him with fearful powers;
All: God wrought swift miracles at his words and sustained him in
the king's presence. He gave him the commandments for his people,
and revealed to him His glory.
Father: For his trustworthiness and meekness God selected him
from all mankind.
All: He permitted him to hear His voice, and led him into the
cloud, where, face to face, He gave him the commandments, the law
of life and understanding.
Father: Let us pray. O God, who to help our weakness has given us
Your saints for our pattern and protection as we tread the path
to salvation, grant that we may so revere the merits of the
blessed abbot William of Vercelli as to secure his advocacy and
to follow in his footsteps. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Dessert and decorations. We celebrate St. William's day with
flambe desserts such as Cherries Jubilee, Sundaes-on-Fire, or
Snowballs-on-Fire. St. William's symbols are a wolf, a lily,
fire, and the passion flower.
A statue of St. William comes from Morehouse-Barlow for about
$15.00 (MB, see Abbreviations); a suitable medal is available
from the Little Art Shop in a wide range of prices beginning at
$1.50 (LAS, see Abbreviations).
THOMAS
St. Thomas the Apostle is called "Didymus," meaning "twin." All
we know about him is derived from the Gospel narrative (John
20:24f). Patron of builders, he has as his emblem in art a red
shield with a carpenter's square and a vertical spear, the
instrument of his martyrdom. A fine example of this shield can be
seen at St. Thomas' Episcopal Church in New York City. In Spanish
the name is Tomas; in Polish, Tomasz; in Italian, Tommasso. St.
Thomas is also the patron of girls called Tammie and Thomasina.
Father: The Lord and King of apostles.
All: Come, let us adore.
Father: You have learned to believe, Thomas, because you have
seen Me.
All: Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have learned to
believe, alleluia.
Father: Let us pray. Grant us, O Lord, to glory in the solemn
festival of Your apostle Thomas. May his patronage ever help us
and may we at all times imitate his faith with suitable devotion.
Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Hymn: see James the Less and Philip
Dessert and decorations. The lamb, ship, or crown cake are all
suitable for St. Thomas' feast. A cake decorated with arrows is
also meaningful.
A 45 rpm. record narrated by Janet Lennon and entitled "St.
Thomas the Apostle" is sold for $1.49 by the Sisters of St.
Joseph (SSJ, see Abbreviations). A statue of the saint is also
available for $8.50 (from RC, see Abbreviations).
Among the saints who bear this name is St. Thomas Aquinas, a
Dominican, Doctor of the Church, and patron of students. Surnamed
the "Angelic Doctor," he is known for his work, the "Summa
Theologica." His wonderful learning was due less to his genius
than to the effectiveness of his prayer. He derived more light
from the crucifix than from books.
On his feast Dominicans sing a rhymed office which his namesakes
might learn by heart. It can also be used for the family's
prayers on his feast.
Father: This is St. Thomas' festal day,
Celestial doctor of the King;
Let Mother Church in prayerful lay
Devoutly all his praises sing.
All: While all the Church enjoys the aid
The Angelic Doctor doth bestow,
St. Dominic's fold by him is made
To share with glory's special glow.
Father: O Doctor of the faithful here below,
Fair blossom of virginity unstained,
St. Thomas, grant that we may come to know
The joys which thy triumphant state hath gained.
All: St. Thomas, Doctor of the Church divine,
Italia's star, to all the world a light,
A virgin with chaste lily shining bright,
The twofold crown of glory now is thine.7
Father: Let us pray. O God, You enlightened Your Church with the
wonderful learning of blessed Thomas, Your confessor, and made it
fruitful by his holy works; grant us, we pray, both to understand
what he taught and to follow the example of his life. Through
Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
The star, St. Thomas Aquinas' symbol, signifies the divine
guidance given him in his work. A chalice and host are also used
as symbols. A star cake-tin and a star cookie-cutter, or a
sunburst dessert mold are a delight to a child who likes to help
prepare nameday dessert; small children may cut out stars or
stick gummed stars on place-mats or paper plates.
For dessert you might make a book cake inscribed with our Lord's
words: "You have written well of Me, Thomas" (this can be done
with "Cake-Mate"). A dove on a book cake, a rosary cake, or a
crown cake are other suggestions.
A handsome statue of St. Thomas Aquinas is supplied by
Contemporary Christian Art (CCA, see Abbreviations); the price
range is from $12.00 to $20.00. It is a lifetime gift and an
object of true devotion.
St. Thomas More was an ideal Christian, a model husband and
father. He was devout and cheerful, a scholar and a humanist,
having been Lord Chancellor of England. He was beheaded in the
Tower Hill. The Frick Collection (FC, see Abbreviations) exhibits
a painting, "St. Thomas More," by Holbein. It shows what a saint
really looks like--not the sugar-coated figures we are accustomed
to. For lawyer-fathers who claim this patron and for children
named after him, a slide of Holbein's "Thomas More" may be
obtained from the Frick Collection for about $1.25. Reproductions
of the painting are also available, from postcard to twenty-inch
sizes.
St. Thomas of Canterbury, bishop and martyr at the hands of King
Henry II's knights, was canonized by the people at once, and
formally canonized by the Holy See three years later. His shrine
has made Canterbury one of the most famous cities in Christendom.
His symbol is a church or a sword.
St. Thomas of Villanova, an Augustinian bishop, is particularly
remembered for his love of the poor. He has left a number of
theological writings. The book cake is his dessert; a bag of
foil-covered chocolate discs (coins) is his symbol.
STEPHEN
"Stephen, full of grace and fortitude, did great wonders and
signs among the people" (Acts 6:8). A deacon at Jerusalem, the
first martyr for Christ died praying: "Lord, do not hold this sin
against them" (Acts 7:60). His feast, the day after Christmas,
makes him a bright star in the galaxy of saints surrounding the
newborn King.
Father: Christ the Newborn today crowned Stephen.
All: Come, let us adore Him.
Father: Let us pray. Grant us, O Lord, to imitate what we revere
that we may learn to love even our enemies, for we celebrate the
birthday to immortality of him who could even plead on behalf of
his persecutors with Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives
and reigns with You forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns.
The crown cake or a dessert for martyrs is appropriate. Francia
has painted the martyr St. Stephen, a color print of which is
available (from LAS, see Abbreviations). Other forms of the name
are Steven, Istvan, Etienne, Estevan, and Stefan.
RICHARD
Richard of Chichester studied at Oxford and at Bologna, and later
became chancellor of Oxford University and diocesan chancellor to
St. Edmund Rich, Archbishop of Canterbury. When Edmund retired to
a Cistercian monastery in France, Richard accompanied him and
nursed him until his death. Two years later Richard was ordained
in Orleans and returned to England as a parish priest. He was
appointed bishop of Chichester but was prevented by Henry III
from taking possession of the see for two years. In his eight-
year episcopate Richard won the hearts of his people, was a stern
reformer of the clergy, and a great almsgiver.
The crosier, regarded as the mark of mercy, firmness and
correction, and the mitre, symbol of authority, are used for
Richard's feastday decorations. "Belgian gold," foil-covered
disks of chocolate, can be used to signify his almsgiving. A
store cake with a gold paper chalice, another favorite symbol for
St. Richard, a crown cake or a lamb cake can be used on this
nameday.
Father: Let us pray. O Lord, graciously hear the prayers we offer
on the feast of Your confessor-bishop Richard. Forgive us all our
sins through the merits of this saint who served You so well upon
earth. Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns.
Another St. Richard, father of Sts. Walburga, Willibald, and
Winebald, is revered as "King" Richard at Lucca and Heidenham.
Since the crown is his attribute, the crown cake would be an
appropriate dessert. His nameday prayer is under Confessors.
Suggestions. An interesting tile of St. Richard of Chichester may
be ordered for about $5.00 (from CCA, see Abbreviations). The
Little Art Shop carries a St. Richard medal (LAS, see
Abbreviations). Ave Maria Shop has a King St. Richard prayer on a
card for about $.15 (AMS, see Abbreviations). A little statue
from Germany to delight a Richard or Richardine costs only $1.00
and is ideal to top a nameday cake (from RC, see Abbreviations).
"Richard" by M. K. Richardson is an excellent book for eight-
year-olds (from SW, see Abbreviations).
GERALD
Ranking among the most popular names is Gerald. for whom there is
a choice of patrons. Gerald of Aurillac founded a Benedictine
abbey on his estate and lived a holy life "in the world." His
nameday crown-cake denotes that he was crowned a count on earth
and a saint in heaven. A castle cut-out may be used as a
decorative table piece; the prayer said would be that of a
confessor.
Our favorite is Gerald of Mayo, a monk of Lindisfarne who with
thirty English novices accompanied St. Colman to Ireland after
the Synod of Whitby. Things were no different then--the English
and Irish monks did not agree in Colman's foundation. Gerald
founded and ruled a house for English monks in Ireland called
"Mayo of Saxons," which flourished exceedingly. His nameday is
kept by putting a little church on a cake, or letting Gerald or
Geraldine construct a cake church in his honor. A tiny church
costs $2.50, a honey cake to decorate as a church, $2.00 (from
MS, see Abbreviations).
An original watercolor, expensive but worth it, may be procured
by special order from Patronscraft (see PC, see Abbreviations).
Father: Let us pray. May the intercession of Your abbot Gerald
gain us Your favor, we pray, O Lord, and may his advocacy win for
us that which we do not ourselves deserve. Through Christ, our
Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
GARY
Boys called Gary were usually named for the movie idol, convert
to Catholicism, Gary Cooper, who died with the words "Thy will be
done" on his lips. He selected his screen name, to replace his
baptismal name Frank, from the name of the city Gary in Indiana,
he once revealed. A saint whose name is pronounced the same is
Gery, who for thirty years was bishop of Cambrai. Attwater says
that St. Magnericus was "much delighted with St. Gery's sanctity
and talents and ordained him deacon (but not till he knew the
whole psalter by heart); from that moment on the saint redoubled
his fervor in good works, and applied himself with zeal to the
functions of the sacred ministry, especially the instruction of
the faithful." The beginnings of the city of Brussels are
attributed to him, for he built a chapel on an island in the
Senne (now Place Saint-Gery) around which a village grew up.
His symbols of ecclesiastical authority are a mitre and sceptre.
A lamb cake or a church atop a nameday cake, or perhaps a lighted
church ($2.50 from MS, see Abbreviations) are fitting
remembrances on his feastday. A child might use a village from a
Nativity scene to represent Brussels as a nameday table
decoration.
A watercolor original of St. Gery is available at Patronscraft
(PC, see Abbreviations). It is expensive because it is an
original and beautiful.
RONALD
Ronald is the Scotch equivalent of Reginald but is derived from
the Norse version of the name, Rognvalder. The patron is Blessed
Reginald of Orleans, who met St. Dominic at Rome and immediately
joined his new order of friars. Tradition holds that it was to
Reginald that Our Lady appeared and made known the wish that the
Dominicans wear the white wool scapular. Reginald organized the
priory in connection with the University of Bologna and had
immense success preaching and recruiting new members into the
order.
His symbol is a fountain, an allusion to a vision of Blessed
Jordan of Saxony, who saw a crystal-clear fountain spring forth
in the Dominican church of St. James, and as suddenly fail. A
rosary of silver or gold "shot" may be used on his nameday cake.
Or the name can be written on the cake with Cake-Mate, a gel
available from MS (see Abbreviations) or at supermarkets.
Sister Mary of the Compassion does original drawings of Blessed
Reginald for boys called Ronald and Reginald and of other
Dominican saints (SMC, see Abbreviations).
Father: Let us pray. O almighty and everlasting God, once You
gifted Your confessor Reginald with the singular protection of
Your most holy Mother; now grant us by his merits and prayers to
be strengthened by the perpetual aid of the same ever-glorious
Virgin. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
LAURENCE
Laurence ranks very high as a popular name for boys. St. Ambrose
gives an account of the saint. "Holder of the ecclesiastical
purse, guardian of the account books and keys, Laurence found
himself, after the pope, the chief personage in the Christian
community. The prefect of Rome sent for him and enjoined him to
deliver up his treasure. Having foreseen confiscation, Laurence
had changed the property he administered into cash and passed it
out as alms." Ambrose praises him for having acted in this way.
"It is a breach of trust," he wrote, "for the riches of the
Church to be put to one's own use; but it is an act of charity to
use them in ransoming captives and helping the poor."
Laurence asked for time to inventory his treasures. He came back
the next day followed by a crowd of beggars. "Behold the
treasures of the Church," he said. Furious, the magistrate
condemned the archdeacon to be roasted over a slow fire. He had
him stretched on a gridiron, believing that this long frightful
torture would make the sufferer reveal the whereabouts of the
riches he was hiding. Laurence showed admirable courage, and even
a sense of humor in these painful moments. "My flesh is well
cooked on one side," he said to his tormentor: "turn the other
and eat." He died praying for Rome.
Forms of the name include Lawrence, Loren, Lorcan, Laurens
Lawrie, Laurent, Laurenz, and Lauritz. He is also the patron of
girls named Laure, Laura, Laurie, Lauretta, Laurinda, and
Laurice. Other saints by this name are the Capuchin Laurence of
Brindisi; Laurence Justinian, mystical writer, bishop, and first
patriarch of Venice; and the Irish archbishop of Dublin, Laurence
O'Toole. Blessed Laurence Humphrey, an English martyr, was only
twenty when he was hanged, drawn and quartered at Winchester for
his conversion to the Catholic faith. Blessed Laurence Rukeimon,
a Japanese sailor, was beheaded for the faith at Nagasaki, as was
Blessed Laurence Jamada, a Dominican tertiary and a son of a
martyr, Blessed Michael.
"St. Laurence Distributing the Treasures of the Church" by Fra
Angelico, a famous reproduction, may be obtained from the Little
Art Shop (LAS, see Abbreviations), which also has medals of St.
Laurence ranging from $1.50 to $12.50.
Flaming desserts make a dramatic nameday treat for children named
after St. Laurence. Fire or flames are symbols of both martyrdom
and religious fervor. In connection with the apostles, fire
signifies the coming of the Holy Spirit to them. Fire is the
special attribute of Sts. Patrick, Anthony of Padua, and
Laurence.
Many saints extinguished fire by prayer: Aidan, Florian, Germain,
and Lambert of Maastricht. Others suffered ordeals by fire:
Francis of Assisi, Peter Gonzales, Peter Igneus, Rose of Viterbo,
and Agatha. Supernatural fire is featured in the lives of others;
Spiridion, Patrick, Dominic, Kentigern, and Basil the Great.
A jiffy dessert "on fire" for a small child consists of cupcakes,
sugar cubes, marshmallows, and fresh lemon extract. Place a
marshmallow on each cupcake. Saturate a sugar cube with lemon
extract and place on the marshmallow. Light the sugar cubes. They
will flame and toast the marshmallow, giving the children an
exciting dessert.
SNOWBALLS-ON-FIRE
A really festive meal is one with "fireworks." Coconut snowballs,
for instance. These are brought into a darkened dining room with
Fourth-of-July sparklers afire in the coconut balls. This is a
dish which a busy mother can put together hours or even weeks
ahead of time and keep in the freezer for spur-of-the-moment
festivities.
Use scoops or balls of ice cream. Roll them in coconut. Thin,
tender flakes are better than shreds because they are more moist
and have a fresher flavor. The coconut balls are placed in the
freezer for at least an hour, but, as we say, they may be left
for weeks. At serving time cover the bottom of a sherbet glass
about one-half inch deep with your favorite chocolate sauce.
Place the coconut-crusted ice cream ball on top of the sauce, and
insert Fourth-of-July sparklers into each ball. Turn out the
lights in the dining room and bring in the sparkling dessert.
CHERRIES JUBILEE
Bing cherries kirsch
corn starch ice cream
Pour the juice from a pint jar of pitted Bing cherries into the
top pan of a chafing dish or double boiler. Bring the juice to a
boil. Thicken it with 1/2 teaspoon of corn starch dissolved in a
tablespoon of cold water. Then add the cherries. Stir them in the
sauce until they are heated through. Pour over the cherries 2
ounces of kirsch and blaze. Serve the flaming cherries over 1
pint vanilla ice cream. Makes 4 servings.
GLOW WINE
Pour a "fifth" of red table wine, such as claret, into a heavy
saucepan, along with 1/4 cup of sugar, 8 cloves, 1 stick of
cinnamon, and the peel of a lemon sliced thin and cut into
slivers. Cover, and bring almost, but not quite, to a boil.
At serving time, ladle the hot glow wine into heated mugs and
garnish each with a slice of orange. On the rim of the mug rest a
teaspoon which has been warmed in hot liquid; into it place a
lump of sugar and pour over the sugar a little brandy which has
been warmed. This lump of sugar is set afire on each mug.
Dramatically the glowing wine is brought to the table to honor
the nameday child.
MOST POPULAR GIRLS' NAMES
We are starred from baptism--though the taints
Of infidelities divert us,
Patrons shall convert us.
We are called after the saints;
We shall find, having left the years,
That untouched of tiredness, tears,
And flesh, Illumined Region.8
If you want to win a bet from your best friends, ask them to tell
you the most popular name for girls in America today. You can be
generous. In fact, you can give them five guesses and they
probably will not come up with the right answer. They will
probably guess Mary, Elizabeth, Margaret, or Ann. They will be
wrong because the most popular name for girls in the last ten
years is Linda, according to the American Institute of Public
Opinion. This name is followed by Mary, which dropped from first
to second place for the second time in eighty years. Deborah,
Susan, Carol, Patricia, Catherine, Margaret, Barbara, and Karen
follow in that order. High, but not among the first ten, are
Sharon, Nancy, Elizabeth, Anne, Judith, Carolyn, and Janice. In
the coming decade Carolyn will in all probability become Caroline
because of President John F. Kennedy's daughter, and the name
will become more popular. Fads in girls' names are more common
than among boys' names.
Compilation of the list of most popular names represents the
first attempt to do this job on a nation-wide basis. Results are
based on an accurate cross-section of all people of all ages from
Maine to California. First names of each member of the family
were recorded, and the popularity of names was recorded decade by
decade from the turn of the century. Each section of the country,
each racial, religious, and income group was properly
represented.
LINDA
Rosalinda, "pretty rose," was her family's name for the Dominican
mystic of Spanish birth, St. Rose of Lima, the first flower of
sanctity in the New World, and its first canonized saint. Linda
by itself is a Spanish adjective meaning "beautiful" or "pretty."
Rosalinda is patron of girls called Rosalind, Lynd, Linda,
Roslyn, Lynn, and Rosamund.
St. Rose of Lima was a contemplative living in the world who de-
voted herself to works of charity while living a life of extreme
austerity in her native Peru. Her name in the Third Order of St.
Dominic was Sister Mary Rose. A marvelous gardener, she lived in
a hut in her garden; here the poor and sick among the Indians,
Negroes and Spaniards came for help, for free medicine, for
advice and prayers. Our Lord called her "Rose of My Heart." At
her canonization Rose of Lima was proclaimed patroness of South
America and the Philippines.
Dessert and decorations. The crown-cake for St. Rose recalls the
psalmist's words: "You have set on her head a crown of precious
stones" (Ps. 20). Roses of icing or a rosary of silver dragees
may be used to top the cake; edible rosebuds of icing for petits
fours or cupcakes are available (from MS, see Abbreviations). The
lily is a symbol of virginity and chastity. Combined with roses,
the lily is the attribute of the virgin-saint. The rose cake (see
Rose Petal Coconut Cake) is another suggestion.
"Linda" by M. K. Richardson is a patron-saint book about Rose of
Lima for a small girl's nameday (about $2.00, from RC, see
Abbreviations). "The Face of the Saints" by Wilhelm Schamoni,
translated by Anne Fremantle, includes a reproduction of a
portrait of the saint by Angelino Medora, an Italian artist
living in Peru during her lifetime (available from RC, see
Abbreviations). The only documented likeness of St. Rose of Lima,
it was painted posthumously. The artist had studied her face and
could have executed the painting during her lifetime, but in her
humility she forbade him. When she lay dead, crowned with a gar-
land of roses taken from the statue of St. Catherine of Siena,
her favorite model, Medora painted the portrait, which is now in
the Santuario de Santa Rosa in Lima. The only reproduction of
fine art that we know to be available for Linda's home shrine is
a delightful "St. Rosa" by Tiepolo ($4.00; from LAS, see
Abbreviations). Sister Mary of the Compassion does original
drawings of St. Rose of Lima on special order (SMC, see
Abbreviations).
HYMN TO ROSALINDA
(can be sung to the melody of: Come, Holy Ghost)
Let all the dwellers of the earth
Keep Rose's feast with holy mirth,
And chant her praises with the sun
From early morn till day is done.
Her unoffending flesh she bruised
In wondrous ways, and sore abused.
With thorny crown she crowned her head
With bitter gall she mixed her bread.
Rejoicing now for penance done--
For thus the great reward she won--
She follows in the Lamb's fair train
And sings the virgins' new refrain.
Be praise and honor all the time
To Him who gave these gifts sublime;
Blest Three in One, and One in Three,
Our God who reigns eternally.9
Father: The Lord, King of virgins.
All: Come, let us adore.
Father: Let us pray. Almighty God, from You comes every good
gift. It pleased You that blessed Rosalinda should blossom as a
flower of purity and patience in the Indies under the shower of
Your heavenly grace; may we, Your servants, follow the fragrance
of her sweetness so that we too may become a pleasing offering to
Christ, who lives and reigns with You forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
The prayer for a virgin's feast is said on the namedays of St.
Rosalia, patron saint of Palermo; St. Rose of Viterbo, a Fran-
ciscan tertiary to whom many marvels are attributed; Blessed
Roseline, a Carthusian nun who had the gift of reading hearts;
and Blessed Rose Veneri, who organized schools, recruited and
trained teachers, who after her death were formed into a
religious congregation by her friend, St. Lucy Filippini. Their
symbol is the rose.
DEBORAH
Deborah, the third most popular name given to American girls in
the last decade, ranks next to Mary in popularity. Sorry to say,
most of the girls with this name were no doubt named after a
movie star; they have probably never heard of the biblical
prophetess and judge Deborah, whose hymn of thanksgiving, the
famous "Canticle of Deborah" (Judg. 5), concludes the story of
this ancient "Joan of Arc" who led her people to victory in a
battle at Thabar.
God endowed Deborah with prophetic gifts which secured for her
the veneration of the divided tribes of Israel and gave her such
authority over them that she led them to war and victory. A judge
in the ordinary sense of the word, "she sat under a palm tree,
which was called by her name, between Rama and Bethel, in Mount
Ephraim, and the children of Israel came up to her for all
judgment" (Judg. 4:5).
In Hebrew, Deborah signifies "honey bee," itself a symbol of
regal power and tireless activity. The feastday of this
prophetess is the Sunday before Christmas. The prayer is that to
a patron saint (see Ruth). The dessert with honey (see Honey
Chiffon Pie) or the crown cake is used.
A tile of Deborah costs about $5.00 at Contemporary Christian Art
(CCA, see Abbreviations). Another Deborah, the Celtic equivalent
of Gobnait (name of an Irish abbess), is given under Abina,
Deborah, Abigail, Gail.
SUSAN
Chaste Susanna is the heroine of the Judgment of Daniel, as set
forth in the book of Daniel (ch. 13). She was saved by this
inspired youth, whose superior wisdom put to shame her false
accusers and secured their punishment. Another Susanna is
mentioned in Luke 8:1-3: "And it came to pass afterwards that he
was journeying through towns and villages.... And with him were
the Twelve, and certain women: Mary...and Joanna,...and Susanna,
and many others, who used to provide for them out of their
means."
Most famous of the patrons for Susan is the virgin-martyr St.
Susanna, daughter of the learned St. Gabinius and niece of St.
Caius, Pope. According to "Butler's Lives of the Saints," "she
was as beautiful as she was charming and so highly educated that
her scholarship matched that of her learned father. Sought in
marriage by the emperor's son, she declared herself the bride of
Christ and would take no earthly husband." Messengers of the
emperor, Claudius and Maximus, were converted to Christianity by
Susanna,, as was her father. All three were martyred before
Susanna, who was beheaded. Claudius and Maximus are honored on
February 18, and Gabinius the following day.
Blessed Susanna Cobroje, wife of Blessed Asaki, was beheaded in
the Japanese martyrdom of Nagasaki. Her nameday prayer is given
under Women Martyrs, her nameday dessert is Martyrs' Chiffon
Dessert.
Father: The Lord, King of virgins.
All: Come, let us adore.
Mother: Son of a Virgin, Maker of Thy Mother,
Thou rod and blossom from a stem unstained,
Now while a virgin fair of fame we honor,
Hear our devotion.
Death nor the rending pains of death appalled her;
Bondage and torment found her undefeated:
So by the shedding of her blood she attained
Heavenly guerdon.
Fountain of mercy, hear the prayer she offers,
Purge our offenses, pardon our transgression,
So that hereafter we to Thee may render
Praise with all thanksgiving.10
Father: Let us pray. O God, one of the marvelous examples of Your
power was granting the victory of martyrdom even to delicate
womanhood; may the example of Your virgin-martyr Susanna, whose
heavenly birthday we celebrate today, draw us close to You.
Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
One can get a little wooden statue of St. Susanna made in Germany
(from RC, see Abbreviations). This import will delight a child
when centered on a nameday cake. Medals and booklets of this
patron come from the Paulist Fathers, St. Susanna Church, Rome,
Italy ($1.00). A fine tile of St. Susanna for $5.00 is available
from CCA (see Abbreviations).
Since the word Susan in Hebrew means "lily," this flower might
provide the theme for today's dessert and decorations: icing
lilies for the cake (from MS, see Abbreviations); calla lily
sandwiches for the nameday luncheon (see Lily Sandwiches); a lily
with a crown of martyrdom and the sword on a shield for a home
shrine.
CAROL
Ranking fifth in popularity as a girl's name is Carol or Carole
and its diminutives Caroline, Carey, Carolyn, Cheryl, and
Carolina--all feminine forms of Charles. Attwater also lists an
Irish bishop Carroll as a patron saint's name. Carol, as a boy's
name, is Slavonic for Charles.
However, there is a more likely patron for children of the name
Carol--Our Lady of the Carol, whose feast is kept in Paris. Chil-
dren bearing the name will be happy to find their nameday in the
Queen of Hearts Calendar, available for an offering of $1.00
(from MF, see Abbreviations). There is a lovely nameday tile for
$5.00 from CCA (see Abbreviations), and a medal from LAS (see
Abbreviations).
Father: With heart and mind let us sing praise to Christ on the
feast of Our Lady of the Carol, Mother of God.
All: With joy let us celebrate this feast that Mary, Our Lady of
the Carol, may intercede for us with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Father: Let us pray. O God, whose Mother is honored today under
the title of Our Lady of the Carol, grant that we may be shielded
by her devotion and attain eternal joys. You live and reign
forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
A small statue of our Blessed Mother may be set atop a cake with
musical symbols in keeping this feastday.
CAROL CAKE
Frost loaf cake with white frosting. Melt 1/2 cup semi-sweet
chocolate morsels over hot (not boiling) water. Force melted
chocolate through decorating tube to make a musical staff on top
of cake. Dot staff and sides of cake with additional morsels,
points in, to form bases of musical notes. With decorating tube
make stems of notes. Place row of chocolate morsels around base
of cake.
If you have no decorating tube, you can make one by cutting out a
triangle of stiff white paper or folded wax paper, rolling it
into a hollow cone, secured with scotch tape, and snipping off
the pointed end.
PATRICIA
Sixth in popularity among the names for girls is Patricia, whose
patrons are an almost unknown virgin-martyr St. Patricia and the
national apostle of Ireland, St. Patrick.
According to legend, Patricia was a maiden of noble birth who
fled from Constantinople to Rome, where she took vows
consecrating herself to God. Returning to Constantinople, she
distributed her goods among the poor. She died in Naples while
returning to Rome. She is honored as a patroness of Naples, and
what is believed to be a relic of her blood liquefies there, like
that of St. Januarius.
Icing lilies and roses (from MS, see Abbreviations) are the cake
decorations for her feast. A lily, symbol of purity, and a crown,
her reward, may be used on her nameday shield. The prayer for the
day is that of a virgin (see Virgin Saints).
St. Patrick was both an able administrator and a mystic. A little
bit of his writings included on p. 143 shows the doctrine he
taught. A point always omitted in his biographies, it seems to
us, is that the Gaels' love for God's Mother is a lesson from St.
Patrick's lips. A year before Patrick was ordered to his mission
in Ireland, the Council of Ephesus vindicated Mary's title as
Mother of God. The Council defined her unique dignity, an event
greeted with extraordinary outbursts of popular enthusiasm. Such
memories were fresh in the mind of Patrick when he returned to
Ireland, where he had once been a shepherd, to begin his
apostolate. His people have called her Mother Mary in their
native tongue ever since.
THE BLESSING OF SHAMROCK
Mention of St. Patrick's Day brings to mind the parade on that
day up Fifth Avenue. It may surprise some to learn that there are
Patricians who attend Mass at which sermons and the final prayers
are in Gaelic. Most memorable of the customs on this day is the
blessing of shamrocks which is given in several large cities, at
the airport chapel in Boston and in the Scapular Church of Our
Lady of Mount Carmel in New York, where we attend with our Myles,
born in Cork.
The altar is flanked by two gold harps, which are accompanied by
a Stradivarius violin in playing Irish hymns. Symbol of the Book
of Psalms and of all songs in God's honor, the harp makes heaven
touch earth for us in the crowded church on the East Side.
The service opens in Gaelic. We translate as best we can for
Myles the words of the priest, who will summarize his talk in
English. As the Gaelic Society Choir, in saffron and white robes
with green scroll work, sings Gaelic hymns to the harp
accompaniment, who could but recall the verse: "David and all
played before God with all their might and with singing and with
harps" (1 Chron. 13:8).
A cross-bearer with a copy of the Cross of Cong leads acolytes
swinging green lanterns, Carmelite priests, and altar boys,
bearing baskets of shamrocks to be blessed, in procession through
the church to the shrine of St. Patrick. A priest recites the Act
of Faith in Gaelic and blesses the shamrocks. Then the procession
goes to the shrine of Our Lady of Knock, where prayers are said
before a penal altar stone, a reminder of the time when Mass was
forbidden in Ireland.
Flown in by Irish Air Lines, the trefoil plant is still moist
when worn with fierce pride at Mass and in the parade as a
reminder that Patrick taught the doctrine of the Trinity with the
aid of the shamrock to illustrate the mystery.
In New York thousands of non-Irish join in the parade. This is as
it should be, don't you think, for the conversion of Ireland was
not a local event but ultimately a European one. Christopher
Dawson has pointed out that only when the Church was forced from
the Greek and Roman organization of Christianity was she able to
handle the barbarians. Patrick's mission to Ireland was to a land
with no urban life. He organized the Irish Church much
differently than the Romanized one on the continent, and as a
result his missionaries, centuries after, reached the hunters,
fishers, and tillers of Europe by being able to think, speak, and
act like them.
Families on pilgrimage will want to visit two well-known shrines
to St. Patrick. The cathedral that bears his name in New York is
a spacious old building whose lacy twin spires point to God amid
the glass and steel of Radio City. On St. Patrick's Day thousands
without number honor his relic enshrined on the main altar.
Referred to as the "housemaids' cathedral," it was built in great
part with the offerings made by cooks and maids from their tips
and wages.
Another shrine is St. Patrick's Church in Montreal, which dates
back to 1841. Set amid stately elms in the heart of the city,
this church of purest twelfth-century Gothic, with its soaring
interior and delicately carved stone, is widely admired.
"St. Patrick" by Tiepolo is considered the best art work,
according to the director of the National Museum of Ireland, to
whom we wrote in connection with the iconography for this nameday
(from LAS, see Abbreviations). A handsome St. Patrick, looking
like a patriarch and not like a "stage" Irishman, is available
from Contemporary Christian Art ($8.00 and up; CCA, see
Abbreviations). There is an especially lovely French medal
ranging from $1.50 to $30.00, depending on the finish (from LAS,
see Abbreviations). A tiny wooden German import of St. Patrick
costs about $1.00 and will delight a child when it is placed atop
a cake (from RC, see Abbreviations). Morehouse Barlow has a
handsome St. Patrick for $10.00 (MS, see Abbreviations).
ST. PATRICK'S BREASTPLATE
I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's Host to save me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength in the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession in the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.11
Father: Go forth out of thy country and from thy kindred, and out
of thy father's house, and come to the land that I shall show
thee. And I will make of thee a great nation.
All: Give glory to the Lord and call upon His Name; declare His
deeds among the Gentiles.
Father: Let us pray. O God, who deigned to send Patrick, con-
fessor and bishop, to teach Your glory to a pagan people,
mercifully grant that through his merits and intercession we may
be able to accomplish the tasks which You have laid upon us.
Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
PATRICK, SAINTLY FATHER
{Musical notation cannot be displayed in ASCII text.}
1. Patrick! saintly father,
Erin's gift from God.
Faithful children gather
Where thy feet have trod.
Fires of faith were lighted
By thine ardent plea;
Men, too long benighted,
Learned of God through thee.
2. Patrick! by thy teaching,
Souls untold were saved;
Souls with hope of reaching
Christ, beyond the grave.
Thou hadst shown the beauty,
Men of old had sought;
Serving God is duty,
They have not forgot.
3. Patrick! aid our praying;
Pray'r from the we learned;
Pray that souls now straying
Unto God beturned.
May the light thou gavest
Ever brighter grow;
May it guide and save us
By its holy glow.
Dessert and decorations. A lamb cake, or the lamb from the Na-
tivity set atop a cake, recalls that Patrick was a shepherd; a
flambe dessert (see Cherries Jubliee), that he lit the Easter
vigil fire on the hill of Slane, breaking the law of the pagan
Druids; the shamrock molded dessert, that he utilized the plant
to teach the mystery of the Trinity. Such molds are found in
local houseware stores or at Maid of Scandinavia (MS, see
Abbreviations).
ST. PATRICK'S DAY DESSERT SALAD
1 envelope unflavored gelatine 2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup pineapple syrup 1 cup crushed pineapple,
2 egg yolks well drained
1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1/3 cup vinegar or
1/2 cup sugar 2/3 cup ice cold evaporated
1/4 teaspoon paprika milk, whipped
Sprinkle 1 envelope of unflavored gelatine on 1/2 cup of
pineapple syrup in top of double boiler to soften. Add 2 egg
yolks, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/3 cup of vinegar, 1/2 cup of
sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of paprika and 2/3 cup of milk. Beat until
blended. Place over hot water and cook, stirring constantly,
until mixture thickens slightly.
Remove from heat, then chill until mixture is the consistency of
unbeaten egg white; fold in pineapple. Fold gelatine mixture into
whipped cream or whipped evaporated milk. Turn into 9 x 5 x
3-inch loaf pan. Chill. To serve, unmold on salad greens and
garnish with shamrock cut from green pepper. Serve with
shamrock-shaped sandwiches.
Yield: 8 servings.
CATHERINE AND KAREN
Among the ten most popular names for girls are two forms of the
same name, the English Catherine and the shortened Danish form
Karen. The first St. Catherine was a virgin-martyr whose alleged
relics have been enshrined for a thousand years in the Orthodox
monastery of Mount Sinai. Her reputation for learning has made
her the patron of philosophers, although not a single fact about
her has been established. She is called Catherine of Alexandria.
Many saints have felt a special attraction to St. Catherine. Ger-
trude the Great saw her in a vision seated on a throne so lofty
and magnificent that it seemed her glory was sufficient to have
filled the courts of heaven had she been its sole queen; from her
crown a marvelous brightness was reflected on her clients. St.
Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orleans, was entrusted by St. Michael to
the guidance of St. Catherine and St. Margaret. A chapel
dedicated to St. Catherine is contained in the National Shrine of
the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C.
In art St. Catherine's symbols are a broken wheel on which she
was racked, the sword by which she was beheaded, a book to
signify her learning, and a crown for her martyrdom; any of these
may be used as nameday decorations or on a shield for the home
shrine. A reproduction and a slide may be procured from the
Metropolitan Museum of Art (MMA, see Abbreviations); the slide,
costing about $1.00, can be shown on a home screen or enjoyed
through a small slide-viewer. A small Beuronese plaque costs
$1.00 (from CCA, see Abbreviations). Il Correggio's "The Marriage
of St. Catherine of Alexandria" can be obtained from The Little
Art Shop (LAS, see Abbreviations). The nameday prayers for St.
Catherine of Alexandria appear under Virgin-Martyrs.
The prayer of a virgin is said for the following Catherines (see
Virgin Saints). Catherine Laboure, a Sister of Charity of St.
Vincent de Paul, had the first miraculous medal struck at Our
Lady's request; she is commemorated in paintings in Mary's
Central Shrine of the Miraculous Medal, Germantown, Pennsylvania.
"The Song of the Dove" by M. F. Todd makes a fine nameday gift
for a young Catherine (about $3.00, from RC, see Abbreviations).
St. Catherine of Bologna, baker, novice mistress, and then
superior of the Poor Clares, had unusual powers of healing the
bodies as well as the souls of sinners. Catherine Dei Ricci, a
Dominican marked by the stigmata, had ecstasies and the gift of
miracles, which brought her to the attention of St. Philip Neri.
The prayer for a holy woman (see Holy Women) is said on the feast
of St. Catherine of Vadstena, the daughter of Bridget of Sweden,
and a distinguished, beautiful widow. She devoted her later life
to charitable works, pilgrimages and the welfare of the
Bridgittine Order, of which she became a member. The same prayer
is said on the feast of St. Catherine of Genoa, who, despite much
unhappiness in her marriage, lived a most intense spiritual life
combined with unwearying activity. Her two important documents of
mysticism are a treatise on purgatory and "A Dialogue of Soul and
Body." The book cake is the special dessert on the feasts of
these St. Catherines. A 15-cent pamphlet, "St. Catherine of
Genoa" by Rev. James Walsh, C.S.P., is available from the Paulist
Press (see PP, see Abbreviations).
There are many forms of the names Catherine and Karen: Kathryn,
Caron, Cathy, Katharine, Katrina, Kassia, Kati, Katerina,
Catarine, and Kateri. No people loved the name more than the
Irish; among them the form Cathleen or Kathleen was made popular
by the Dominicans in honor of their patroness, St. Catherine of
Siena.
She was one of the truly great women of Christendom. The youngest
of twenty-five children, she dedicated herself to a religious
life and prayed to her patroness, St. Catherine of Alexandria,
that she might have Christ as her heavenly Bridegroom. She was a
Dominican tertiary.
Catherine's early life was favored by celestial visions and
consolations and was devoted to the care of the poor and the
sick. She was radiantly happy, despite continual persecution by
friars and sisters of her community, and was full of practical
wisdom as well as deepest spiritual insight. It was her devotion
to Christ's Church that makes her such a noble figure. Her fame
was such that as a result of her persuasions Pope Gregory XI left
Avignon to return to Rome. She left over four hundred letters,
remarkable for their beauty of diction, and a great mystical
work, her "Dialogues."
Two of St. Catherine's favorite maxims, taught to her by our
Lord, are pertinent for her namesakes. "You must not love Me, or
your neighbor, or yourself, but you must love all for Me alone."
And the second: "Make in your soul, as it were, a little
spiritual cell closed in with the material of My will, which must
so encompass every faculty of your body and soul that you shall
never do anything but what you deem pleasing to Me, nor think of
anything but what you believe to be agreeable to Me."
HYMN TO ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA
{Musical notation cannot be displayed in ASCII text.}
"My daughter, choose!" Christ's dear voice said,
"This jewel-bright crown to grace your head,
Or this thorny crown instead."
Catherine cried out eagerly:
"Lord, give Thy thorny crown to me,
That I, by suffering grow like Thee!"
Father: Let us pray. Almighty God, we celebrate today the
birthday of Your virgin, Catherine of Siena. May her feast fill
us with joy and may we profit from the example of her great
faith. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
There are so many attributes for this saint that a namesake could
grow up celebrating the feast a different way each year. The book
cake commemorates her writings; a gold wedding ring on her cake
symbolizes her spiritual betrothal to our Lord; white icing doves
(from MS, see Abbreviations) signify the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit; icing roses and lilies (MS, see Abbreviations) in a
wreath stand for a virgin-saint. A heart cake with the letters
IHS on it refers to the legend that in response to St.
Catherine's prayers, our Savior appeared to her and replaced her
heart with His own Sacred Heart. A cross cake might be used, or
gummed-paper gold crosses (from MS, see Abbreviations) might be
placed on a ready-made cake.
Religious goods stores carry statues, pictures and medals of St.
Catherine of Siena. The Little Art Shop (LAS, see Abbreviations)
has medals of sterling silver for $1.50, enameled ones for about
$12.50, and key rings with medals. Hand painted original pictures
by the Carmelite nuns of Japan are also available there. Regina
Coeli Center (RC, see Abbreviations) specializes in tiny wooden
statues for nameday cakes. Our favorite painting is the
sixteenth-century Italian "Trance of St. Catherine," a detail of
a larger work by Il Sodoma, which depicts the saint after she had
received the stigmata (from LAS, see Abbreviations). A handsome
statue of carved wood is an import costing about $25.00, but it
will last for many years (from FP, see Abbreviations). Sister
Mary of the Compassion does a magnificent St. Catherine on
special order (SMC, see Abbreviations).
Sigrid Undset's "Catherine of Siena" has a general appeal for
parents who wish to read a biography in order to make their
storytelling more interesting to their nameday child. "St.
Catherine of Siena" by Mary Reed Newland is excellent (both books
from RC, see Abbreviations). The Paulist Press puts out a
fifteen-cent pamphlet on "St. Catherine of Siena" (PP, see
Abbreviations).
MARGARET
Eighth favorite name for girls is the much-loved Margaret. Be-
cause great saints have borne the name, it is a world-wide
favorite with many variants: Marjory, Peggy, Maggie, Margo,
Greta, Meg, Margherita, Margarita, Margot, Marguerite, Marjorie,
Maisie, Maret, Marjorita, the German Margarethe with its
diminutives, Gretchen and Gretel, and the Gaelic diminutive,
Megan. St. Margaret is also the patroness of Pearl and Daisy. In
the East she is called Marina.
Margaret was one of the most popular child martyr-saints of the
Middle Ages; but nothing is really known about her. Legend says
she was beheaded in Antioch. Symbols for her nameday shield
include the crown, sword and palm, or a wreath of marguerites
(daisies). For dessert we suggest the crown cake decorated with a
wreath of roses and lilies of icing (MS, see Abbreviations).
"St. Margaret with Mary Magdalen," a reproduction of Hugo van der
Goes' work, is available from the Little Art Shop (LAS, see
Abbreviations); they also carry a beautiful medal from Paris
marked St. Marguerite ($2.00).
The prayer for a virgin-martyr (see Virgin-Martyrs) is said on
her feastday.
Most famous of the saints with this name is Margaret Mary
Alacoque, saint of the Sacred Heart, the "symbol of that
boundless love which moved the Word to take flesh, to institute
the holy Eucharist, to take our sins upon Himself, and dying upon
the Cross, to offer Himself as a victim and a sacrifice to His
eternal Father." A Visitation nun, she learned from a vision of
our Blessed Lord that it was His divine will that a liturgical
feast be kept in honor of His Sacred Heart and in reparation for
man's ingratitude.
A heart-shaped dessert is used on Margaret Mary's day. The Little
Art Shop has medals of St. Margaret Mary (LAS, see
Abbreviations). Regina Coeli Center (RC, see Abbreviations)
carries a miniature figure of Margaret Mary, a German import, to
be used atop the nameday cake. The Paulists publish a
fifteen-cent pamphlet entitled "St. Margaret Mary" (from PP, see
Abbreviations).
Father: Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, You wondrously revealed
all of the deep treasures of Your Heart to Margaret Mary. May her
merits and example win us the grace to love You above all things
and in all things so that we may make our abode in Your own
Sacred Heart. You live and reign forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Queen Margaret of Scotland, wife of Malcolm, was renowned for her
love of the poor. She is the secondary patroness of Scotland. Her
nameday dessert, a crown cake, denotes her rank; a book cake
would recall the love she had for Sacred Scripture. Margaret's
copy of the Gospels is preserved in the Bodleian Library at
Oxford University. Chocolate "coins" wrapped in gold foil are
distributed to nameday guests in memory of her generosity.
Father: Let us pray. O God, who filled Queen Margaret with
singular and admirable love for the poor, grant that her pleading
and example may continually increase divine love in our hearts.
Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
St. Margaret of Cortona's prayer is that of a holy woman, (see
Holy Women); she is the Magdalen of the Seraphic Order. St.
Margaret of Hungary lived an extraordinary life of self-denial as
a Dominican nun. Her nameday prayer is that of a virgin (see
Virgin Saints); her dessert, a crown cake or a Nun's Lemon Layer
Cake with a rosary of dragees on the frosting.
There are many Margarets in the lists of the saints. Our
favorites are the martyr Blessed Margaret Clitherow, put to death
during the English Reformation, and Blessed Margaret of
Citta-di-Castello, a foundling, who spent her life looking after
children for their mothers. Her feastday dessert is a crown cake
or heart mold; her prayer is that of a virgin (see Virgin-
Saints).
BARBARA
"In the time that Maximus reigned there was a rich man Diascorus
who had a young daughter named Barbara, for whom he made a strong
two-windowed tower in which he did keep and close her so that no
man should see her because of her-great beauty." So begins in
Caxton's version of the "Golden Legend" the story of a virgin-
martyr, one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, whose name is the ninth
most popular for girls today. Though "Butler's Lives of the
Saints" says the legend is in all probability spurious, the life
of the saint is continued. "Barbara's father made a trip and
during his absence she had a third window made in the tower. To
his questioning later she announced, 'Three windows be taken
clearly for the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, three Persons
and one God, whom we ought to believe and worship.' Barbara was
imprisoned, scourged and tortured, but stood firm in her belief.
Her father, carrying out her death sentence, beheaded her
himself, and in turn, legend says, was consumed by a fire from
heaven."
Father: Maidens follow in her retinue into the King's presence,
all rejoicing.
All: In all majesty, in all beauty make ready; ride on in triumph
and take your crown.
Father: Let us pray. O God, who among other marvels of Your power
has given even to weak women the triumph of martyrdom, grant us
this grace, that we who are celebrating the birthday of the
virgin-martyr Barbara may be led nearer to You by her example.
Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
In art the distinctive emblems of St. Barbara are her tower, and
the chalice and host, which may be used with a sword on her name-
day shield or on the family bulletin board or home altar. She is
invoked against fire and lightning because of the fate that
overtook her father. Barbara's prayer before her execution
accounts for the belief that she is a protectress of those in
danger of dying without the sacraments.
Desserts and decorations. On this nameday a crown cake signifies
the crown of martyrdom and the crown of glory Barbara received in
heaven. For a busy mother a gold-paper crown on a cake or a
gumdrop crown is appropriate. Another "quickie" is a wreath of
roses and lilies made of icing (from MS, see Abbreviations) which
can be put atop a cake. A molded strawberry dessert is another
suggestion for a martyr's feast.
STRAWBERRY FROSTED LAYER CAKE
instant white cake mix strawberry frosting
Prepare a cake mix with 1 package of instant white cake mix
according to the directions on the package. For a pale pink cake,
add 2 or 3 drops of red food coloring and 1 teaspoon of rose
extract (optional). Bake in two round nine-inch layer pans. Cool
and spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of
the cake.
STRAWBERRY BUTTER FROSTING
margarine or butter confectioner's sugar
salt crushed strawberries
Cream 1/2 cup of margarine or butter with a dash of salt. Then
add 3 cups of sifted confectioner's sugar gradually, blending
after each addition. Add 1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar
alternately with 1/3 cup of crushed strawberries and juice (fresh
strawberries or thawed quick-frozen strawberries) and beat until
of light consistency to spread, beating vigorously after each
addition until smooth and creamy. Fill and frost cake layers.
A nameday child in the vicinity of Santa Barbara, California,
will enjoy a visit to the Mission of Santa Barbara, a great stone
church with fine cloisters, fragrant with flowers, with a
tinkling fountain in the plaza. This place of pilgrimage is the
only one in the chain of Franciscan missions which has always
been in their hands.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MMA, see Abbreviations) offers a
reproduction of "Madonna and Child in the Enclosed Garden"
showing Barbara with her tower. A slide from the same source can
be obtained to show on a home screen (about $1.00).
More expensive are the fifteenth-century Italian reproduction of
"St. Barbara," a detail from an altar piece in the church of St.
Dominic, Siena, by Matteo di Giovanni, and the sixteenth-century
reproduction of "St. Barbara" by Palma Il Vecchio (both from LAS,
see Abbreviations). "Virgin and Child with St. Barbara and
Elizabeth," a color print for home framing, can be procured from
the Frick Collection for $.50 (see FC, see Abbreviations).
Nameday medals range from $2.00 to $10.00 at the Little Art Shop
(LAS, see Abbreviations). Regina Coeli Center (RC, see
Abbreviations) offers statues imported from France for about
$12.00, and also a wooden statue from Germany to top a cake.
Spanish-speaking sections of large cities have a great devotion
to St. Barbara and import statues of her from Spain.
"Barbara" by M. K. Richardson is a $2.00 book that would make a
splendid nameday gift for a small namesake of the virgin-martyr
(from RC, see Abbreviations). St. Barbara is available in a
plaque or on a holy card from Berliner & McGinnis (BER, see
Abbreviations).
CUT-UP CAKES
Nameday Cakes without Special Pans
Cut-up cakes are a way to make nameday cakes without special
pans. You simply bake your favorite cake recipe or cake mixes in
standard-size pans. The trick is in the cutting, which is simple
and fun to do. The beauty of these cakes is the flaky coconut
which decorates them and the symbolism which is so intriguing to
children of all ages. Our children never tire of these cakes; in
fact, they enjoy looking at them so much that they sometimes do
not like to see them eaten. Among the cakes made by this method
are:
Eaglet for John the Evangelist; John of the Cross; Augustine of
Hippo; Priscilla, an early Christian martyr; the
Benedictines Cuthbert, Bertolph, and Thierry (or
Theodoric); Leopold; and Wenceslaus, who is shown in
art with an eagle on a shield.
Ship for Peter, Parnel, Andrew, Kieran, Nicholas of Myra,
Nicholas of Tolentino, Paula, Boniface, Cordelia
(patroness of Cora and Corinne), Ursula, Wilfrid, Devota
(patron of Monaco), Brendan, Brenda, Adelaide, Bertin,
Restituta, Amalburga, Anselm, Selma, Otto, Elmo (patron
of sailors), Marcella, Jude, Mother Cabrini, Raymond,
Francis Xavier, and Victoria.
Dog for Dominic; Donato (Gaelic, Dennis or Donough);
Godfrey, Roch, Vitus or Guy; Rochelle; Margaret of
Cortona; King Ferdinand III; Donnan; Bernard of
Clairvaux.
Lion for Mark the Evangelist; Jerome; Adrian and Natalie,
husband and wife martyrs; Ignatius of Antioch; Leota
and Leo.
Horse for Thomas of Canterbury; Martin of Tours; Irene; Ivan;
Leonard; Aidan; Columba; Gregory of Tours; James Major
(horse with white banner).
Fish for Peter, Andrew, Simon, Clement, Raphael, Peter
Gonzales, Jude Thaddeus, Walter of Hereford, Zeno,
Petronilla or Parnel, Kentigern, Gregory of Tours, Ulrich,
Brendan the Voyager, Bertold, Anthony of Padua, Arnulf,
Christopher, and Egwin.
Goose for Brigid, Melbride or Bride of Kildare, Martin, Ambrose.
Heart for a symbol of Christian charity on any saint's day. It is
particularly the attribute of Anthony of Padua,
Augustine of Hippo, Cajetan (Gaetano), Catherine of
Siena, Teresa of Avila, Osanna, Margaret Mary Alacoque,
John Houghton, John Eudes, Irmina, Ignatius of Antioch,
Erentrude, Francis de Sales, Gertrude, Ignatius Loyola,
Jane Frances de Chantal, Peter Thomas, and Alonzo
Rodriguez.
A booklet of "Cut-up Cakes" costs $.15 from P.O. Box 103
Kankakee, Illinois (include payment, but not in stamps).
EAGLET CAKE
1) You will need a 9-inch square cake. Bake it from a cake mix or
from your best-liked recipe. When cool, cut a strip diagonally
across the center of the cake, 3 inches wide to use for the body.
Cut the corner off one end to make a beak.
2) Place the cake strip so that the pointed end is the head; use
the cut-off piece for the beak. Use remaining cake pieces as
spread-out wings. Frost with white seven-minute frosting.
3) When the fluffy frosting is swirled on the eaglet, add coconut
for feathers. Make a red gumdrop eye and a glistening beak of
tiny yellow candies. For the feet and wing tips use split pieces
of licorice "shoelaces."
SHIP CAKE
1) Bake a 9-inch square cake from a mix or favorite recipe. When
cool, cut diagonally in half to make two triangles. One is the
large sail. From the other cut off a strip 2 1/4 inches wide to
use for the hull.
2) Arrange the cake pieces on a tray, using the small triangle as
a second sail. Spread white buttercream frosting on the sails.
Cover the hull with chocolate frosting.
3) Put a line of chocolate frosting between the sails for the
mast. Then sprinkle coconut flakes on the sails. White
"Lifesaver" candies make neat portholes; gumdrops are easily cut
into anchors. The saint's name may be added with "Cake-Mate" (MS,
see Abbreviations).
LION CAKE
You will need a 9-inch square cake from a mix or favorite recipe.
Cool. Cut a 3-1/2 x 5 inch rectangle for the lion's body. The
remaining large piece will form the head and chest of the lion.
Arrange the pieces on a tray as shown. Frost the cake with fluffy
mocha-colored frosting, swirling it freely for a "furry" effect.
Use toasted flake coconut for a thick mane.
The legs are made of bent licorice sticks. The tail is stick
candy, with a pom-pom of marshmallow, frosted and coated with
toasted flake coconut. Make the ears, eye and mouth with candy,
and the nose with a cherry. To toast coconut place it on a pie
plate or cookie tray and place in oven at 250 degrees for about
10 minutes.
HOBBY HORSE CAKE
1) Bake a 9 x 13 x 2 inch cake. Cool. Cut a curve across a long
side to both corners. Now cut a 1-1/2 inch wide strip from the
opposite long side and divide into three sections.
2) Cut a small triangle for the ear. Cut 2-inch strips from the
remaining cake for the legs. Place the pieces as shown, using the
large piece for the body. Make a fluffy white frosting.
3) Add a square of melted chocolate to 1 cup of frosting for the
saddle. Spread the remaining frosting over the cake. Swirl on
coconut flakes. Decorate with candies, gumdrops, licorice, and
silver dragees.
HEART CAKE
1) No heart-shaped pan is needed. Instead, bake two round 8 or
9-inch layers from favorite recipe or cake mix. Spread a fluffy
pink frosting between the layers; then cut a wedge from one side,
about 3-1/2 inches wide by 3 inches deep.
2) The cut-out wedge goes on the opposite side of the cake to
make the point of the heart. Now frost the entire cake, swirling
pink frosting over the top and sides.
3) Sprinkle white coconut flakes over the top and around the
sides of the cake. Pat the coconut on while the frosting is still
soft so that the coconut will stick. Red cinnamon candies make a
pretty heart center, as do roses of icing (available from MS, see
Abbreviations).
FISH CAKE
1) Start with a cooled 9-inch square cake. From one corner mark 5
inches along one side, and 5-1/2 inches along the other. Cut on
curve through the points.
2) Divide this in half, cutting on a curve to make two fins. From
the opposite corner measure 6 inches along the sides and cut on a
curve for the tail. Place the pieces to form a fish.
3) Spread on fluffy seven-minute frosting, tinted pale green.
Sprinkle with flake coconut. Use gumdrop for the eye, mouth, and
slivers of licorice for eyelash. Add candy scales and bubbles (we
use "Lifesavers").
DOG CAKE
1) Bake a 9 x 13 x 2 cake. Cool it. Cut out a 3 x 10 rectangle.
Then cut off a 4-inch piece and divide the remaining strip in
half. Cut a narrow strip from the L-shaped piece for the tail.
2) Assemble the pieces on a tray as shown. Spread a fluffy seven-
minute frosting generously over the cake. Pat toasted coconut
flakes on part of the head and back to look like spots.
3) Now sprinkle on white flaked coconut for the dog's coat.
Gumdrops are used for his eyes and nose, licorice for his mouth,
and a sculptured cookie for his ear. His collar is made from
licorice, silver dragees and cut green gumdrops.
GLAMOR FOR NAMEDAYS
Over the years we have assembled a collection of different molds:
a rooster for St. Peter; a shell for St. James; a lamb for Sts.
Agnes, John and Patrick; a crown for Sts. Helen, Edward,
Elizabeth and Richard; a fleur-de-lis for Sts. Louis, Genevieve,
and Joan of Arc; a horse for Sts. Martin and Aidan; and a fish
for the Apostles. Into these we pour gelatin and whipped egg
white or whipped cream desserts which unmold beautifully onto
ice-cold platters, garnished at serving time with whipped cream,
shaved chocolate, chocolate bits, nuts, or maraschino cherries.
"Cake-Mate," a gel that writes like a pencil, is handy for
writing names on desserts (MS, see Abbreviations).
Symbolic molds can be purchased at local houseware stores or at
Maid of Scandinavia in Minneapolis (see MS, see Abbreviations).
Auctions are good places to find molds for little money; so are
second-hand stores, restaurant supply houses, and grandmother's
attic.
In time we acquired a taste for "mousse" dessert, a mixture of
sweetened whipped cream and other ingredients, frozen without
stirring. Then we added a "bombe" dessert made in a mold with a
tight lid for iced desserts containing two or three flavors of
ice, ice cream, mousse, or pudding. If you are interested in
frozen desserts, don't let the lack of a mold stop you. A coffee
can or any tin receptacle that will close tightly can be used. Or
you can freeze the "bombe" recipe in two refrigerator trays,
being careful to moisten the outside bottom of the trays before
putting them into the refrigerator.
Once we had acquired a repertoire of these desserts, we began to
make up our own. For Irish saints, for instance, we use a melon
"bombe" lined with 1-1/2 inches of vanilla ice cream; then we add
pistachio ice cream and fill the center with orange ice or
sherbet to give the dessert the colors of Ireland--green, white
and gold. Later we discovered that classical desserts bearing
special names are known around the world. To our amazement we
also discovered that the great chefs throughout Europe and even
in New York follow a culinary calendar that includes desserts for
many big feastdays (see Classical Recipes).
VANILLA MOUSSE
heavy cream vanilla extract
granulated sugar eggs
pulp of vanilla bean salt
Partially whip 1 pint of heavy cream, adding 1/2 cup of fine
granulated sugar, and continue to beat until the cream will hold
shape. Scrape the pulp from a 1/2-inch piece of vanilla bean and
moisten with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, or use 1 teaspoon
of vanilla extract. Stir this into the whipped cream. Fold in the
stiffly beaten whites of 2 eggs, mixed with 1/8 teaspoon of salt.
Freeze, without stirring, in individual molds or a large mold.
BOMBE GLACE
ice cream or sherbet vanilla mousse
Chill a conical bombe mold or a tightly covered coffee tin
thoroughly and line it with a layer of orange sherbet or ice
cream 1-1/2 inches thick. Fill the mold or can with the mousse
preparation above, cover it with buttered paper, and seal with
the lid of the mold. Freeze by packing the mold in ice and salt.
Allow from 2 to 6 portions of ice to 1 portion of salt, and cover
the mold completely. A bucket or pail that will allow for about a
3-inch packing is best. Freeze the cream from 4 to 6 hours.
Line the inside of a melon bombe or coffee tin with chocolate ice
cream 2 inches thick and refreeze in the freezing unit of the
refrigerator if necessary to harden. Fill the interior bombe with
vanilla ice cream. Chill. Unmold. Garnish with whipped cream and
angelica, if available, with maraschino cherries or any other
fruit desired.
CLASSICAL RECIPES
The vogue of naming a dish of food in honor of a celebrity or
mythical god was well known already among the Greeks and Romans.
When all the world was Catholic, special dishes were made to
honor the saints. "St. Joseph's Sfinge" as made by the Italians
is an example. When men ceased to keep saints' days they
concocted such things as the Fool's Day Cake or the Arbor Day
Cake seen on the women's page of our daily papers. Another
example we noticed recommended for January 27, Lewis Carroll's
birthday, was Mock Turtle Soup and Hare Salad to recall two
character's of "Alice in Wonderland"!
The following are classical recipes known across the world. Many
of these desserts contain items not readily available. You may
substitute similar ingredients that you have. The original recipe
is included here so that you will know the dessert as it is
served in exclusive restaurants of New York, London, Paris, or
Rome, and what it should contain, even though you have to change
the recipe to suit the material on hand.
Glace Alexandra (May 3)
A bombe mold lined with vanilla ice cream and filled with a layer
of raspberry ice and then a layer of peach ice cream.
Alexandra, feminine form of Alexander, is the source of the name
Sandra. Pope Alexander's prayer is under Popes.
Coupe Alexandra (May 3)
A coupe is nothing more than a dressed-up sundae served in a
stemmed glass. Although the combination of ice creams with
various flavors is common in America, the idea and, of course,
the name are of French origin. In France coupes are almost
invariably served in champagne glasses. In this country, however,
tall, narrow parfait glasses, wine or sherbet glasses are
commonly used for this dessert. Before serving time arrange ice
cream by spoonfuls vertically in a serving glass.
This time it's an Irish dessert--iced fruit salad flavored with
Irish Mist liqueur. Cover with half vanilla ice cream and half
raspberry ice decorated with whipped cream.
Alice Bavarian Cream (June 15)
Bavarian Cream (see Raspberry Bavarian Cream) with roasted
chopped almonds. Cover with whipped cream and streak with red
currant jelly. The whole is set off on a cake base.
Attwater and Thurston give Alice or Aleydis, a Cistercian nun, as
the saint of this name.
Glace Beatrice (July 29)
Vanilla ice cream sweetened with honey and flavored with lemon
juice and brandy.
St. Beatrice was martyred with her brother. There are two Blessed
Beatrices, both members of the Benedictine Order.
Pears Helene (August 18)
Fresh pears stewed in vanilla syrup. Allow to get very cold.
Place on ice cream and cover with rich, glossy chocolate sauce.
Garnish with whipped cream, or use "Cake-Mate" to write the name
Helen on the sauce.
St. Helen, an Asiatic by birth, was the empress who discovered
the true Cross in a rock-cistern near Mount Calvary. This is a
dessert for Elinor, Eleanor, Eileen, Helena, Aileen, Elena,
Evelyn, Elaine, Lorna, Lena, and Leonore. The cross-cake on p. 34
may be used on St. Helen's day. Others of this name are: Blessed
Helen of Arcella (Nov. 7); Blessed Helen of Bologna (Sept. 23);
St. Helen of Skovde (July 31), and Blessed Helen of Udine (April
23). Blessed Jolenta of Hungary is called Helena by the Poles.
She is the patron of Yolande and Iolanthe.
Glace Benedictine
Strawberry ice cream flavored with Benedictine, a famous aromatic
liqueur first made by a monk called Dom Bernardo Vincelli. This
is a dessert that could be used on the namedays of Benedictine
saints, such as Sts. Gertrude, Benedict, Scholastica, and Maurus.
Strawberries Capucine
A ring mold of jello filled with strawberries dipped in liqueur,
and the whole coated with whipped vanilla cream.
This is a dessert for Capuchin saints, such as Fidelis, Veronica
Giuliani, and Conrad.
Fruit Cardinal
Strawberries, peaches or raspberries stewed in syrup and placed
on strawberry or raspberry ice cream, with strawberry or
raspberry sauce, and sprinkled with sliced roasted almonds and a
little pistachio nut. The sauces come in jars at the ice cream
counter of a supermarket. This is a dessert for all the saints
who were cardinals, such as Robert Bellarmine, Charles Borromeo,
Peter Damian, and Raymond Nonnatus.
Bombe Cardinal
Line bombe mold or covered coffee tin with raspberry ice and
raspberries, interior of vanilla ice cream. When unmolded,
decorate with crystallized rose petals, which may be made at home
(see Crystallized Rose Petals) or bought at the fancy grocery
department of large stores at a fancy price.
Charlotte Carmen (July 16)
Charlotte mold or fluted round cake-tin lined with overlapping
ladyfingers and filled with whipped strawberry cream, stiffened
with a little gelatine and flavored with chopped ginger.
Bombe Carmen (July 16)
Bombe mold lined with strawberry ice cream, then a layer of
vanilla, with the center filled with coffee ice cream.
These are desserts not only for Carmen, Carmelo, Carmel and
Carmelita, but also for Marys who keep Our Lady of Mount Carmel's
feast, for Sharon and Althea.
Catherine Cakes (November 25)
This is a traditional recipe supposedly named by Catherine of
Aragon, the queen who kept her nameday on the feast of St.
Catherine of Alexandria.
Sweet bread dough or ready-mix for rolls into which is kneaded
butter, sugar, eggs, and caraway seeds is baked in small flat
cakes. This recipe might also be used for St. Catherine Dei Ricci
(Feb. 13); St. Catherine of Sweden (Mar. 24); St. Catherine of
Siena (Apr. 30); and St. Catherine of Genoa (Sept. 15).
Coupe Eugenie (December 25)
Vanilla ice cream to which is added broken candied chestnuts. At
serving time garnish with whipped cream and more chestnuts and
top with a maraschino cherry.
This is a dessert for children who bear the Gaelic name Owen
(Eugene), Eugenia, Eugenio, and Gene. St. Eugenia was a virgin-
martyr. St. Eugene was bishop of Ardstraw in Ireland. There was
also a Pope St. Eugene.
Bombe Florence (November 24)
Bombe mold lined with pecan ice cream and the center filled with
strawberry-flavored whipped cream.
St. Flora was a virgin martyred by the Moors.
Bombe Georgette (April 23)
Bombe mold lined with praline ice cream and the center filled
with kirsch-flavored vanilla ice cream.
St. George the Great, patron of Georgette, Georgine, Georgeann
and George, has for his symbols a coat of armor, a white banner
with a red cross, or a sword. He is a patron of Russia, England
and Greece. The cross cake on p. 34 could be used on his day, or
his own Melachrino cake, p. 191.
Fruit Irene (October 20)
Apple, pear, peach or apricot halves stewed in syrup. Fill cavity
with ice cream and cover with a puree made of the corresponding
fruit.
St. Irene was a Portuguese nun who suffered death in defense of
her chastity. Her shrine is Santarem (Sancta Irenes). Her symbols
are a horse and a tower.
Bombe Glace Tullamore (for Irish saints)
A traditional Irish dessert. Coffee ice cream lines a bombe; the
center is filled with almond-flavored mousse and Irish Mist
liqueur.
Coupe St. Jacques (July 25)
Two or three kinds of fruit with two or three kinds of ice cream
neatly arranged in deep glasses, flavored with liqueur and
garnished with whipped cream. This is a dessert for James,
Jacqueline, Jacquette, Jaime, Seumas or Shamus.
The symbol of St. James the Great, the Apostle of Spain, is a
scalloped shell. or a white horse with a white banner.
Bombe Josephine (October 17)
A bombe mold lined with coffee ice cream, and the center filled
with pistachio ice cream. This dessert is for girls named in
honor of St. Joseph.
Blessed Josephine, an Ursuline martyr of Valenciennes, was guil-
lotined during the French Revolution.
Bombe Leopold (November 15)
Bombe mold lined with vanilla ice cream and the center filled
with wild cherries flavored with kirsch.
St. Leopold the Good, Emperor of Austria, has as his symbols a
rosary and a crown.
Fruit Louise (March 15)
Stewed or canned fruit with vanilla ice cream on sponge cake,
coated with liqueur-flavored fruit sauce.
St. Louise de Marillac was the foundress of the Sisters of
Charity. In her honor the cake might be baked in a heart-shaped
cake pan, or a store sponge cake might be cut in a heart shape.
This dessert is for Louise, Lois, Aloisa, Heloise, Ludovika,
Lulu, Luisa, Lisette and Eloise.
Madeline Cakes
Small cakes baked in fluted cups called Madeline molds. A fluted
cupcake tin will do as well. A genoise cake from a favorite
cookbook is given under A Genoise Book Cake, but a cake-mix will
do. When baked, dip Madelines in hot apricot jam. cover with
coconut flakes, and decorate with a blob of white fondant or
marshmallow.
This is a dessert for Madelene Sophie Barat (May 25), foundress
of the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; for Mary Magdalen
Postel (July 16); and for the Magdalen (July 22).
Bombe Margot (July 20)
Bombe mold lined with almond ice cream with inside layers of
pistachio and vanilla.
This is a dessert for the feasts of St. Margaret, virgin and
martyr; St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland, who made the foundation
of the Benedictine Abbey of Dunfermline, where she is buried
(June 10); for St. Margaret of England (Feb. 3); St. Margaret of
Hungary (Jan. 26); and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (Oct. 17).
Their namesakes are Maria Marguerite, Margaret, Gretchen, Margo,
Margie, Marjory, Margharita, Greta, Megan, Meg, Daisy and Pearl.
Bombe Odile (December 13)
Mold lined with vanilla ice cream and the interior filled with
praline ice cream. Since praline ice cream is hard to find, the
recipe for Glace Benedictine can be used.
St. Odile, born blind, was rejected by her family. She was
adopted by a convent and eventually became the foundress of
Odilienberg, under Benedictine rule.
Bombe Parisienne
Mold lined with strawberry ice cream and the center filled with
walnut cream. This is a dessert used on the feasts of French
saints, especially St. Genevieve, patroness of Paris, on January
3.
Pudding Reine (September 7)
Mold lined with vanilla ice cream and center filled with
sweetened vanilla cream and crushed preserved chestnuts.
St. Reine or Regina, a virgin-martyr, is venerated at Autun.
There are no particulars of her life known. Her symbols are a
dove, a lamb, and a torch. This dessert may be used for the feast
of Mary's Queenship, May 31.
Crepes Suzette (August 11)
Make sweet pancakes as thin as possible. Cream 8 ounces of butter
with 8 ounces of sugar and add the grated peel of 1-1/2 oranges
and a dash of brandy. Mix thoroughly. Spread some of the cream
over each pancake and then fold. Place them in a chafing dish or
open frying pan and pour some warm brandy over them. Darken the
room and dramatically light the suzettes just before serving.
St. Susanna, a Roman virgin, died for the faith for refusing to
marry the emperor's son. Her symbols are a crown and a sword.
Bombe Victoria (December 23)
Mold lined with cherry ice cream and the center filled with
vanilla ice cream and chopped candied fruit.
St. Victoria and her sister Anatolia were martyred at Rome for
refusing to marry pagan men. St. Victoria's symbols are an angel,
a dagger, sword, or arrows.
APOSTLES AND SAINTS WHO BEAR THEIR NAMES
The apostles were called by our Lord to be witnesses of Him and
to preach the gospel. They are Sts. Peter and his brother Andrew;
James the Greater, and his brother John; Thomas; James the Less
and his brother Jude (Thaddeus), cousins of Jesus; Philip;
Bartholomew; Matthew; Simon Zelotes; and Matthias, who took the
place of Judas. The New Testament includes Paul, Barnabas and
others, and these with St. Luke are celebrated as apostles
liturgically (but Luke is not mentioned in the Canon of the
Mass).
Donald Attwater in "A Catholic Dictionary"12 says: "The apostles
were the first bishops of the Christian Church. Through them the
bishops have ever since had the divine commission to teach all
men and govern the Church in union with the representative of
their chief, St. Peter, and the God-given power to confer the
sacraments necessary to the salvation of souls and the
continuance of the Church."
Each apostle has a traditional symbol of ancient origin which is
recognized all over the world. Examples of the shields of the
apostles with their symbols may be seen in the great Catholic
cathedrals and even in non-Catholic churches. An excellent
example of modern symbolism is "The Twelve Apostles" in the
Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, South Orange, New Jersey.
Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, has a set of
apostolic shields in stone which are among the best in America.
Those carved over the main door of the First Baptist Church in
Pittsburgh and in the Presbyterian Church in lndianapolis are
also excellent. These are mentioned to assist Catholics in mixed
marriages to answer objections to the symbolism connected with
the saints.
Thomas, James the Greater, Philip, and James the Less are in-
cluded under the most popular names for boys.
ST. PETER, PRINCE OF THE APOSTLES
When our Pete was still a baby, we began the nameday dessert
custom quite simply. On a dish of green jello we froze a quarter
of a canned peach. Into it we stuck a toothpick (for the mast)
with a tiny paper sail marked "St. Peter." Later as Pete grew we
used the sail idea on a sandwich cut like a ship. Then we began
to make walnut sailboats as place-cards and found that Pete could
also sail his "walnut ship." We put some clay into an empty half
shell to hold the mast, cut a triangle of paper 1-1/2 inches
high, and stuck a toothpick through it. At nameday games we raced
the sailboats. A boating set to top a cake can be had for $.95
(from MS, see Abbreviations).
Desserts and decorations. Children named in honor of St. Peter
have much interesting symbolism to choose from. Peter's shield is
red and bears two large keys, one gold and one silver. They are
saltire, crossed like an X, in reference to the words of Jesus
given in St. Matthew 16:15f: "I will give thee the keys of the
kingdom of heaven."
In a rooster mold we make gelatin desserts. Dennison has seals in
rooster shapes to use on a cake, place-cards, or invitations (see
MS, see Abbreviations). A toy rooster may be set atop a cake to
remind the nameday child of St. Peter's denial of Jesus and his
subsequent repentance.
Sometimes on St. Peter's day we use "Snowballs-on-Fire" or a
flambe dessert as a reminder of the flames of the Holy Spirit on
Pentecost. Fire symbolizes the power, light and grace of a saint.
We make a cover of fish net cut from a single package of blue
crepe paper (directions under Andrew); regular fish net,
available in marine stores, may be used. We add as a centerpiece
a large fish of gummed orange crepe paper. Place-cards refer to
our Lord's calling of Peter and Andrew (Matt. 4:18).
A child named after St. Peter will be delighted with the ship
cake. The lamb cake is also suitable for Peter, "shepherd of the
flock." West Bend Aluminum makes a chanticleer mold (from MS, see
Abbreviations). An unlined copper mold may be used only for
frozen desserts; a tin-lined mold is suitable for baking (about
$2.00 from MS, see Abbreviations).
To celebrate the feasts of the apostles we acquired a huge red
candle made in Germany from an ancient Swedish mold. It bears the
image and the symbol of each apostle. We light the candle on our
dining room table on their feasts. The candle is expensive but
will last for years (from LAS, see Abbreviations).
An excellent medal of St. Peter in a boat costs anywhere from
$1.50 to $10.00, depending on the finish (from LAS, see
Abbreviations). An imported statue is also available for about
$8.00 (from RC, see Abbreviations). A key chain for Peter's
nameday gift costs about $3.25; for $5.00 you can get one which
depicts St. Peter with a large key (from LAS, see Abbreviations).
On the feast of St. Peter's Chair, February 22, the prayers are
as follows:
Father: You are the shepherd of the sheep, the prince of the
apostles.
Ail: God gave to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
Father: From a homily of St. Augustine:
The feast we are keeping today was called St. Peter's Chair by
our forefathers because there is a tradition that it was on this
day that Peter, chief of the apostles, took possession of his
episcopal chair. Rightly do we celebrate the first beginnings of
that See which the Apostles occupied according to our Lord's
words: "You are Peter and upon this rock I will build My Church."
Our Lord named Peter as the foundation of His Church. For this
reason the Church honors Peter, the foundation upon which her
lofty edifice is reared.
All: Thanks be to God.
Father: Let us pray. O God, You bestowed the keys of the heavenly
kingdom upon Your apostle Peter, conferring on him pontifical
authority to bind and loose; grant that by the help of his
intercession we may be released from our sins. You live and reign
forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Among the great saints named after St. Peter are the Dominican
Peter Martyr, shown in art bearing a sword; Peter Baptist, a
Franciscan, with a cross for his symbol because he was crucified
at Nagasaki; Peter Canisius, originator of the Catholic Press,
whose symbol is a book; Peter Chanel, a Marist and the first
martyr of Oceania; Peter Thomas, a Carmelite; Peter Damian, a
Doctor of the Church, whose symbol is also the cross; Peter
Claver, patron of enterprises for Negroes; Blessed Peter Julian
Eymard, founder of the Priests of the Blessed Sacrament, whose
symbols are a book and a bell; and Peter of Alcantara, a
Franciscan mystic, having a dove as his symbol, as does Peter of
Tarentaise, a Cistercian.
PAUL
St. Paul is the most widely known of the first-century followers
of Christ because of the fourteen epistles which he wrote to the
Christian communities and because of St. Luke's Acts of the
Apostles.
On the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul the prayers are:
Father: The Lord, King of apostles.
All: Come, let us adore.
Father: This day Simon Peter ascended the gibbet of the cross.
All: This day Peter, keybearer of the kingdom, journeyed
generously to Christ; this day the apostle Paul, light of the
whole world, bent his head for the name of Christ and was crowned
with martyrdom.
Father: Let us pray. O God, this day You made holy with the
martyrdom of Your apostles Peter and Paul; grant that Your Church
may in all things follow the precepts of those from whom it first
received the faith. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Hymn: NOW LET THE EARTH WITH JOY RESOUND (see James the Less and
Philip).
On June 30, the Commemoration of St. Paul, the prayers are as
follows:
Father: The Lord, King of apostles.
All: Come, let us adore.
Father: From a homily of St. Augustine:
The apostle Paul, when we first meet him, is a man with many
demerits, but he received the grace of God, who repays injury
with kindness. Paul, writing to Timothy shortly before his
martyrdom, says: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished
the race, I have kept the faith." It is his good merits that he
mentions here, hoping they will be followed by a prize as his
demerits were followed by grace. "I look forward," he says, "to
the prize that is waiting for me, the prize I have earned. The
Lord, the Judge whose award never goes amiss, will grant it to me
when that day comes." To whom would the Lord as a just Judge give
the prize, if He, as a merciful father, had not first given His
grace? And how could that prize have been earned if that grace
which makes a just man of the sinner had not gone before? How
could it have been earned if the power to earn it had not been
freely given?
All: O peerless teacher Paul, do thou direct our ways.
Draw unto heaven hearts that put their trust in thee.
Till faith, now veiled, be dazzled in the noonday rays
And love alone reign like the sun triumphantly.
Father: Let us pray. O God, by the teaching of Your apostle Paul
You instructed a multitude of nations; grant that we may feel the
power of his advocacy whose memory we are honoring. Through
Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Dessert and decorations. In art St. Paul is identified by the
sword with which he was beheaded, by the book of his epistles,
and by a fountain which, according to tradition, sprang up where
he was beheaded. His shield is red with two crossed silver swords
or a palm tree, symbol of the resurrection--a truth he constantly
stressed. This shield may be used for a child's home shrine or on
the family bulletin board on his feasts.
The book cake decorated with a sword is used on St. Paul's feast,
or the crown cake to honor the crown of victory of which he
writes in his epistles.
Our favorite painting of St. Paul is that by Rubens; it hangs in
the Spanish Museum at 155th Street and Broadway, New York.
Foppa's "St. Paul" hangs in the Delgado Museum in New Orleans.
Many museums throughout the country have paintings of St. Paul
and reproductions for sale. A statue for a child's shrine costs
about $8.00 (from RC, see Abbreviations). A Byzantine
reproduction in full color is available for $4.00 (from LAS, see
Abbreviations).
In addition to the apostle Paul, there is St. Paul of the Cross,
founder of the Passionists, who was endowed with the gift of
prophecy. The cross cake, or the book cake with a cross
decoration, is used on his feast and on the feast of Blessed Paul
Miki, S.J., a Japanese crucified at Nagasaki.
For girls there is a St. Paula, who helped St. Jerome with his
biblical work and settled near him in Bethlehem. Blessed Paula
Frassinetti founded the Congregation of St. Dorothy. Their symbol
is the book cake.
ANDREW
St. Andrew, brother of St. Peter, patron of Scotland, Greece, and
Russia, was the first of Christ's apostles in the order of time.
He is mentioned in John 6:8-9 and John 12:22; his name occurs in
the Canon of the Mass and in the embolism upon the Lord's Prayer
in the Ordinary of the Mass.
Father: The Lord and King of apostles.
All: Come, let us adore.
Father: Blessed Andrew, seeing this cross shouted joyfully: "I
have ever been your lover, desiring to embrace you, O good
Cross!"
All: Take me away from men and return me to my Master, so that
through you He may receive me who through you redeemed me,
alleluia.
Father: Let us pray. O Lord, as Andrew the apostle was both a
preacher and a ruler of Your Church, so may he unceasingly
intercede for us with You. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Hymn: NOW LET THE EARTH WITH JOY RESOUND (see James the Less and
Philip).
Dessert and decorations. St. Andrew's emblem is the traditional
cross of his martyrdom, shaped like an X. A red shield bears this
cross (saltire) with the ends reaching to the border. Another
shield bears crossed fish, recalling Andrew's original occupation
and his call to become a "fisher of men" (Mark 1:17).
For a favorite Andrew of our acquaintance we made a "fisherman's
net" tablecloth. A package of blue crepe paper, left folded and
cut alternately in half-inch strips to within one inch of the
fold on either side, opens to a fish-net table covering, if the
folded paper is opened carefully. With this we used a large gold
fish of gummed crepe paper for a centerpiece. Each child's
place-card was in the shape of a fish. We used the ship cake for
the dessert. Another easy dessert would be gelatine in a fish
mold, which can be bought in hardware stores.
At the Metropolitan Museum of Art is El Greco's "St. Andrew,"
reproductions of which are available by mail for about $1.00 (see
MMA, see Abbreviations). An imported French statue costs about
$8.00 at Regina Coeli Center (RC, see Abbreviations). CCA (see
Abbreviations) will also special order handsome plaques of St.
Andrew by Felix Oudin. "The Calling of Andrew and Peter" by
Duccio, a laminated reproduction ready for hanging, comes from
the National Gallery of Art ($1.25, see NGA, see Abbreviations).
Other saints of this name are St. Andrew Fournet, whose nameday
symbol is a book; he founded the Congregation of the Daughters of
the Cross; St. Andrew Avellino, whose symbol is an altar;
christened Lancelot, he is the patron of boys called Lance.
Blessed Andrew Chakichi was an eight-year-old Japanese boy
beheaded at Nagasaki together with his parents and his brother.
Blessed Andrew Kagwa of Uganda, a Negro military officer, was
condemned to death after his baptism. His right arm was severed
from his body before he was beheaded in 1886. Our favorite is the
martyr Andrew Bobola, S.J., called by schismatics "Duszuchwat"
(robber of souls). For these Andrews the cross cake or the crown
cake is an appropriate dessert.
BARTHOLOMEW
A Gaelic given name in our family is Bartelmy, derived from
Bartholomew. St. Bartholomew's symbol in art is a huge silver
scimitar on a red shield; or a silver shield with a fig branch
(cf. John 1:48). The Nathaniel mentioned in John 21:2 is believed
to have been Bartholomew.
Father: The Lord and King of apostles.
All: Come, let us adore.
Father: Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, who has given
us this day a reverent and holy joy in the feast of the apostle
Bartholomew, grant Your Church ever to love that which he
believed and to preach that which he taught. Through Christ, our
Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Hymn: NOW LET THE EARTH WITH JOY RESOUND (see James the Less and
Philip).
Dessert and decorations. The cross cake or the book cake with a
knife made of frosting would be appropriate for this feast.
From the Birmingham Museum of Art you can obtain a copy of a
painting by Pietro Perugino showing St. Bartholomew with the
instrument of his martyrdom and a book (see BMA, see
Abbreviations).
For girls there is also a St. Bartholomea, who founded the
Sisters of Charity of Lovere together with St. Vincentia Gerosa.
SIMON AND JUDE
Sts. Simon and Jude are jointly commemorated on October 28. The
only mention of Simon in the Bible is that he was one of the
twelve apostles. Jude Thaddeus, brother of James the Less, is the
author of one of the New Testament epistles.
Father: The Lord and King of apostles.
All: Come, let us adore.
Father: Let us pray. O God, through Your apostles Simon and Jude,
You have brought us knowledge of Your Name; grant us both to
celebrate their eternal glory by making progress in virtues and
by celebrating their glories to advance in virtue. Through
Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Dessert and decorations. In art St. Simon is represented by a red
shield bearing two oars and a hatchet. St. Jude's symbol is a
sailboat with a cross on the mast on a red shield. The book cake
and the ship cake are suitable for children called Jude, Thad-
deus, or Judy.
A sterling silver medal of St. Jude on a chain can be had for
about $3.25 (from RC, see Abbreviations). The National Gallery of
Art (NGA, see Abbreviations) has a painting of St. Simon, and the
William R. Nelson Gallery of Art, Kansas City, Missouri, has an
excellent marble relief of St. Jude by Andrew Bregno (see WRN,
see Abbreviations). A good statue of St. Jude, with the
appearance of pressed wood, is a worthwhile buy at $1.50 (from
FP, see Abbreviations).
Greatest of the saints named after the apostle Simon is St. Simon
Stock. According to Carmelite tradition, Our Lady appeared to him
and gave him the privilege of the brown Carmelite scapular. His
symbol is the book cake. A small plaque of great beauty may be
obtained for $2.00 (CCA, see Abbreviations).
MATTHIAS
The symbol of St. Matthias is a doubleheaded axe or a hatchet on
a red shield. A cookie-cutter in a hatchet shape can be ordered
($.15 from MS, see Abbreviations). A statue of this saint is
available for $8.00 (from RC, see Abbreviations).
Father: The Lord and King of apostles.
All: Come, let us adore.
Father Let us pray. O God, who added Matthias to the company of
the apostles, grant that through his intercession we may
constantly feel the tenderness of Your enfolding love. Through
Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
BARNABAS
Barnabas (Barnaby) merited the title of apostle because of his
association with St. Paul and later missionary work. He "was a
good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith" (see Acts 11:24).
Barnabas is said to have been martyred in Cyprus.
Father: Let us pray. O God, who gladdens us by the intercession
of Blessed Barnabas, Your Apostle, grant that we who ask Your
blessings through him may obtain them by the gift of Your grace.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen. Christ conquers! Christ reigns!
THE EVANGELISTS
Symbols of the four evangelists can be traced to the beginning of
the Christian era. The symbols most frequently met with are the
four winged creatures mentioned in the Book of Ezechiel, as well
as in the fourth chapter of the Apocalypse: a man, lion, bull,
and eagle.
In the vision of Ezechiel these four living creatures formed the
chariot upon which God rode at will over the earth; similarly
Christ and His gospel are borne throughout the world by the four
evangelists. Each of the chariot-bearers represented the acme of
an attribute: wisdom, awe-inspiring fear, might, swiftness. But
He who sat in the chariot borne by such creatures, He Himself
must possess these attributes in an infinitely perfect degree.
The gospel of Jesus is consummate wisdom, power, awe-inspiring
and swift to accomplish its purpose of judgment unto good and
evil. The traditional symbols for the evangelists retain their
genuine significance when understood in this Biblical context.
MATTHEW
St. Matthew, or Levi, as he was called by our Lord, was a tax-
gatherer at Capharnaum. On St. Matthew's day the prayers are:
Father: The Lord and King of apostles.
All: Come, let us adore.
Father: Let us pray. We beseech You, Lord, with the prayers of
Matthew, Your apostle and evangelist, to assist us that those
things which by ourselves we cannot obtain may be granted to us
through his intercession. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Dessert and decorations. The traditional book cake inscribed with
the words "Verbum Dei manet in aeternum" (God's Word lasts
forever) would teach children that the Gospel of the inspired
evangelist will continue forever upon the earth. Gold coins are
suitable for Matthew's feast or for his cake decoration. The
coins are really discs of chocolate wrapped in gold foil; they
can be found at almost any candy store.
Simone Martini's painting of St. Matthew in the National Gallery
of Art is a reproduction for a boy's room (from NGA, see
Abbreviations). An $8.00 statue of the saint is available (from
RC, see Abbreviations).
LUKE
St. Luke, a Greek physician and a Gentile (Col. 4:1-2), became a
fellow-worker of St. Paul and remained with him until the great
Apostle's martyrdom. Author of the third Gospel, Luke wrote the
full account of the incarnation; he also wrote the Acts of the
Apostles.
Father: The Lord and King of apostles.
All: Come, let us adore.
Father: Let us pray. We beseech You, O Lord, grant us to be aided
by the prayers of St. Luke, Your evangelist, who for the glory of
Your Name ever bore in his body the mortification of the Cross.
Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
The winged ox is St. Luke's attribute because of his emphasis
upon the sacrificial aspects of our Lord's atonement, as well as
upon His divine priesthood. The ox was a sacrificial animal of
the Jews.
A statue of St. Luke imported from France can be had for $8.00
(from RC, see Abbreviations); a small early painting on a plaque
costs about $2.00 (from CCA, see Abbreviations).
MARK
From the Gospel of St. Mark we have the resurrection account on
Easter Sunday and he proclaims well the royal dignity of Christ.
Mark himself was probably the young man who ran away after the
arrest of Jesus (14:51-52). He was with Paul on some of his jour-
neys and was "the disciple and interpreter of Peter," who calls
him "my son Mark" (1 Pet. 5:13). Bishop of Alexandria, he was
martyred there in 74 A.D., according to a tradition.
Father: The Lord and King of apostles.
All: Come, let us adore.
Father: Let us pray. O God, by Your grace You raised up Mark,
Your evangelist, to be a preacher of the gospel; grant, we
beseech You, that we may ever profit by his teaching and be
defended by his prayers. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
On this nameday the book cake is marked "Peace be to you" with
"Cake-Mate" or with frosting piped from a tube. A small toy lion
atop the cake and gummed seals in lion shapes stress Mark's
emphasis on the royal dignity of Christ, the Lion of Judah. The
lion cake is a cake for lads called Mark and for girls called
Marcia. It is fun to make. A nameday statue for a child's altar
costs about $8.00 (from RC, see Abbreviations).
St. John, "the disciple whom Jesus loved," is called the "Divine"
or the "Theologian." He was a fisherman, the younger brother of
St. James the Greater (Luke 9:54). To John our Lord committed the
care of His Mother after His death (John 19:26-27). Tradition
tells us that she lived with him until her death. John is the
author of the Gospel which bears his name, of three canonical
epistles, and of the Apocalypse.
Father: The Lord and King of apostles.
All: Come, let us adore.
Father: (1 John 2:1-5). Little children, the purpose of this
letter is to keep you clear of sin. Meanwhile, if any of us does
fall into sin, we have an advocate to plead our cause before the
Father, Jesus Christ the just. He in His own person is the
atonement made for our sins, and not only for ours, but for the
sins of the whole world.
All: Thanks be to God.
Mother: From a homily of St. Jerome:
The evangelist John lived on in Ephesus until extreme old age. In
the end he could just get to the church, supported by his
disciples. Whenever he addressed the faithful, he never said
anything other than, "Little children, love one another." At
length his congregation, weary of ever hearing the same thing,
asked him: "Master, why do you always say that?" The answer he
gave was well worthy of John: "Because it is the Lord's
commandment, and if that alone be kept, it is enough." This
charity reigns in all his writings.
All: Greatly to be honored is blessed John, who leaned back on
the Lord's breast at the Last Supper.
Father: Let us pray. O Lord, in Your goodness shine upon Your
Church that, being enlightened by the doctrine of John, apostle
and evangelist, she may attain to everlasting gifts. Through
Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Dessert and decorations. The heart cake brings to mind St. John's
constant admonition, "Love one another." Excellent too would be
the eagle symbol for his feastday dessert (see Eaglet Cake). Of
the many paintings of St. John that are extant, that by Holbein
in the Frick Collection (FC, see Abbreviations) shows the apostle
with flowing white hair and a beard and wearing a scarlet robe.
Copies of the painting are available in a 2 x2 slide for $1.25,
and in 11 x 14 reproductions for framing for about $.50. A statue
for a home shrine costs about $8.00 (from RC, see Abbreviations).
Blessing of St. John's Wine. Some churches have the traditional
blessing of wine for the feast of St. John the Evangelist. The
blessed wine is used for the feastday, and a portion is kept for
sickness during the year. If wine is not blessed at church, the
father of the family may read the blessing in the presence of his
family:
Father: Lord, You called Yourself the vine and the apostles
branches; and out of all those who love You, You desired to make
a good vineyard. Bless this wine and pour into it the might of
Your benediction so that everyone who drinks or takes of it may,
through the intercession of Your beloved disciple, the holy
apostle and evangelist John, be freed from every disease or
attack of illness and obtain health of body and soul. You live
and reign forever.
All: Amen.
At the nameday party in honor of St. John, the blessed wine can
be added to grape juice and given to the children in goblets. The
nameday child, John or Jeanne, touches his or her goblet to a
guest's and says: "I give you the love of St. John." Each child
in turn touches a glass and gives the same greeting. This custom
children love dearly; it goes deep into their hearts and minds
and memories, particularly when they understand the homily on St.
John.
A CHILD'S GOSPEL NIGHT PRAYER
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
Bless the bed that I lie on.
Before I lay me down to sleep,
I give my soul to Christ to keep.
Four corners to my bed,
Four angels there aspread,
Two to foot and two to head,
And four to carry me when I'm dead.
I go by sea, I go by land;
The Lord made me with His right hand.
THE SAINTS OF THE CANON OF THE MASS
Ignatius was added to our third child's name because his brother
and sister had as patrons Peter and Cecilia. In this way the
children claimed patrons whose names are mentioned in the Canon
of the Mass daily. The Canon contains the names of forty saints;
many are mentioned more than once. Yet how seldom do we think of
them, how seldom do we review their lives.
Children who have these saints for patrons should feel especially
honored, for in every Mass holy Mother Church invokes their in-
tercession. Andy, Jude, and Judy will find their patrons, Andrew
and Jude respectively, mentioned in the prayer called the
"Communicantes." Comelia, Connie, Corney and Neil will find their
patron Cornelius listed there too, as will Lawrence, Loren,
Laureen, and Laura.
St. Andrew's symbols are a fish, a fisherman's net, or a cross
saltire (X); St. Jude's is a ship, and St. Cornelius', a sword.
For St. Lawrence the symbol is fire, suggesting a flaming
dessert. St. Clement has an anchor as his symbol.
In the "Nobis quoque peccatoribus" we find listed St.
Bartholomew, patron of Bartley and Nathaniel; Alexander, patron
of Sandra. There is also a patron for Lucille, St. Lucy; for
Sheila, St. Cecilia; and for Stacey, St. Anastasia, "into whose
company, we pray You, admit us, not weighing our merits but
bestowing on us Your free pardon." St. Michael the Archangel is
mentioned, as well as St. John the Baptist.
The cross cake is for Bartholomew; a blazing dessert for
Alexander, Sandra, Lucinda, Lucille, and Lucy; a harp or a wreath
of roses on a cake for Cecilia, Cecil and Sheila (or the musical
cake; and the ship cake for Stacey and Ansty.
At Mass we honor many patrons, "reverencing the memory first of
glorious Mary, ever Virgin, St. Joseph...likewise of the blessed
apostles and martyrs Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, John, Thomas,
James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon, and Thaddeus; of
Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Lawrence,
Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian, and of all the
saints, by whose merits and prayers grant that we may be
guarded...." Of these saints, twelve are martyrs, five were
popes, one a bishop, one a deacon, one a cleric, and four were
laymen.
In the "Nobis quoque peccatoribus" we also invoke Sts. Stephen,
Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter,
Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, and Anastasia.
Of the first seven, most are well known. Marcellinus, patron of
Marcel and Marcella, was a priest, Peter an exorcist. Of the
women saints mentioned in this prayer, two were married, four
were virgins, and one was a widow.
A pamphlet entitled "Saints of the Canon of the Mass" by Rev. E.
P. Graham is published by the Paulist Press for $.15 (see PP, see
Abbreviations). It includes a reproduction of the saints of the
Canon, the original of which hangs in St. John the Baptist
Church, Canton, Ohio.
The martyr-saints have been honored by our Lord in a special way:
"Thou hast set upon his head a crown of precious stones." For
their feasts we suggest a cake topped by a crown of jeweled
gumdrops, a crown cake, or a frozen gelatine dessert in a crown
mold.
PRAYER TO THE MADONNA AND SAINTS OF THE MASS
Father: O Madonna and saints of the Mass, who are so marvelously
enshrined in the sacred rite to be with our Lord when He returns
to offer Himself anew for us, thus recalling the holy group who
accompanied Him in His journeys on earth, we, your clients,
humbly pray that through your intercession we may understand
better and honor and love more profoundly the mystery of the holy
Sacrifice which He established on the eve of His death. Amen.
All: O Madonna and saints of the Mass, pray that assistance at
the daily Sacrifice may increase.
OTHER POPULAR NAMES
ANTHONY
Anthony was an Augustinian canon regular, when in 1220 the
remains of the first Franciscan martyrs were brought back from
Morocco to be buried in his church. Burning to follow in the
footsteps of these heroes, he left his Order to enter that of the
Friars Minor. Anthony lived in a cave at a hermitage, leaving it
only to attend Divine Office and to sweep the monastery; only at
his ordination were his theological knowledge and rhetorical
talents revealed. When an expected preacher failed to show up,
Anthony's confreres obliged him to speak impromptu. From then on
he was in constant demand as a preacher. He died at Padua in his
thirty-sixth year, at the height of his fame. He was canonized
less than a year after his death.
St. Anthony of Padua, wonder-worker of the Latin Church, is
invoked in every need. St. Francis de Sales asserted that he had
the power of finding lost articles. Pope Pius XII declared him a
Doctor of the Church.
His nameday dessert is the fish cake, or a cake decorated with
icing lilies (from MS, see Abbreviations). Lily sandwiches might
also be used.
Blessing of Lilies on St. Anthony's feast. A parent may read the
Church's official prayer while the children sprinkle holy water
on the lilies.
Father: O God, Creator and Preserver of mankind, You are the
lover of holy purity, the giver of spiritual grace, the dispenser
of eternal salvation. Bless these lilies which we bring on this
day in thanksgiving to You and in honor of St. Anthony, Your
confessor. Pour out on them heavenly dew by the saving sign of
the most holy Cross. O God of love, You have endowed these lilies
with delicious fragrance to be a comfort and help to those on
their sickbeds. Wherefore, imbue them with so great strength that
when they are used in a home in a sickroom, in honor of St.
Anthony, they may drive out evil spirits, safeguard chastity,
turn away illness, and bestow on Your servants peace and grace.
Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen
Anthony has several forms: Antonio, Anton, Antony, and Antoine.
There is a St. Antonia, a martyr, but many girls called
Antoinette are named in St. Anthony's honor. Other saints of this
name are St. Anthony, abbot and patriarch of all monks, who is
shown in art with a T-shaped cross, a bell, and a pig, St.
Anthony Mary Zaccaria, founder of the Barnabites, who died as a
result of his unceasing apostolic zeal; and Anthony Mary Claret,
founder of the Claretians, who had the gifts of prophecy and
miracles. Blessed Anthony Ixida and Blessed Anthony Kuin, both
Jesuits, were burned alive at Nagasaki.
Van Dyck's "Madonna and Child with St. Anthony" for a child's
shrine costs only $4.00 (from LAS, see Abbreviations). They also
carry a thirteenth-century "St. Anthony" by Maestro di S.
Francesco for the same price.
HELEN
St. Helen, mother of Constantine the Great, has numberless name-
sakes in Ellen, Helene, Helena, Elaine, Elena, Elinor, Eleanor,
Lena, and Lenore. The south of Ireland pronounces the Gaelic
Eiblin as Eileen or Aileen, and the northern part pronounces it
Evelyn; both are forms of Helen.
St. Helen is credited with finding the true Cross. In art she is
shown with a crown, an open book, or supporting a cross. These
symbols can be carried out in the cross, crown or book cakes.
Father: God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
All: Through whom the world is crucified to me and I to the
world.
Father: Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, You were pleased to re-
veal to blessed Helen the place where Your Cross was hidden in
order to enrich Your Church with this inestimable treasure
through her; grant through her intercession that the ransom paid
on that life-giving wood may win us the rewards of everlasting
life. You live and reign forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns.
St. Helen's Cross. It is customary for our children to make a St.
Helen's Cross for her feastday and to keep it displayed until the
feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross. On the cross are written
the names of the members of the family. The children are told the
story of the appearance of the cross in the sky shortly before
St. Helen's son Constantine won the battle at the Milvian Bridge.
Special stress is laid on the words that were written in fire
around the cross: "In this sign you shall conquer" and on its
significance to the family.
A St. Helen's Cross with family names inscribed may be ordered
from Contemporary Christian Art for about $3.50 (see CCA, see
Abbreviations). This studio also has an excellent small plaque of
St. Helen, a German import, for only $1.00. Patronscraft (see PC,
see Abbreviations) Will do an original watercolor on special
order.
"St. Helena and the True Cross" by Louis de Wohl is a nameday
gift in the $2.00 range (from RC, see Abbreviations).
EDWARD
King Edward, who rebuilt Westminster Abbey and is buried there,
was canonized in 1161. Butler's "Lives of the Saints" gives an
excellent description of him (this is a set of four volumes which
mothers' clubs will want to donate to school and parish libraries
so that all families will have the opportunity to look up and
become acquainted with their patrons--order from RC, see
Abbreviations).
Father: Let us pray. O God, You gave the blessed confessor King
Edward a crown of everlasting glory. May we who honor him on
earth be worthy to rule with him in heaven. Through Christ, our
Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Another Edward, King St. Edward the Martyr, has a cult but in all
likelihood he was not a martyr. There are a number of beati bear-
ing this name among the post-Reformation martyrs, e.g., Edward
Oldcorne, S.J., and Edward Jones, who were executed for their
priesthood.
Dessert and decorations. The crown cake is used for St. Edward's
feastday. His symbols are the crown, a scepter surmounted by a
dove, and a ring.
Medals of St. Edward the Confessor range in price from $1.50 to
$10.00 (LAS, see Abbreviations). Berliner and McGinnis have a
small plaque of St. Edward the Confessor for a child's home
shrine (BER, see Abbreviations).
GEORGE
St. George, a martyr, suffered in Palestine before Constantine's
time. Subject of numerous legends, including the one that he
killed a dragon, St. George has been revered as patron of
soldiers in the East since early times and was declared the
protector of England by Pope Benedict XIV. During the seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries his feast was a holy day of obligation
in England.
Father: Let us pray. O God, the merits and prayers of Your
blessed martyr George are a source of happiness for us. Grant us
as a gift of grace the blessings we seek through him. Through
Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Dessert and decorations. We were happy to see the Melachrino Cake
recommended in an English cookbook as the traditional name-day
cake for St. George's feast. We first discovered this recipe in
Florence Berger's "Cooking for Christ" (NCRLC, see
Abbreviations), and it has remained our children's favorite
recipe. Because we bake it at Christmas with a tiny Infant in wax
paper tucked away in the batter, the children call it "Hidden
Jesus Bread." The cross cake can also be used on St. George's
feast.
ST. GEORGE (MELACHRINO) CAKE
butter mace
sugar cinnamon
eggs ground cloves
milk baking soda
flour lemon juice
salt
Cream 3/4 cup of butter and 1-2/3 cups of sugar. Beat in 3 eggs.
Sift 1/4 teaspoon of mace, 1-1/4 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1/4
teaspoon of ground cloves, 1-1/2 teaspoons of baking soda, 1/3
teaspoon of salt with 1-2/3 cups of flour. Add 3/4 cup of milk
alternately with sifted dry ingredients. Stir in 1-1/2
tablespoons of lemon juice. Pour the batter into a greased 9 x 14
loaf pan. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 45 minutes.
While the cake is still warm, glaze with a mixture of 2 cups of
confectioner's sugar, 5 or 6 tablespoons of water and 1/2
teaspoon of lemon juice.
The National Gallery of Art has Memling's "St. George and the
Dragon" in postcard size for $.05, and in a color print for $.50.
There is a "St. George" by Raphael, laminated in plastic with a
hanging device attached to the back for $1.25, and framed for
$5.00 (see NGA, see Abbreviations). Felix Oudin's "St. George," a
terra cotta piece, costs about $20.00 (from CCA, see
Abbreviations). A handsome medal is sold by the Little Art Shop
(LAS, see Abbreviations). St. George comes in a plaque for a home
shrine, about $2.50 (BER, see Abbreviations).
Another patron for George, Georgette, Georgia, or Georgeann might
be Blessed George Gervase, who served on Drake's last expedition
to the West Indies, became a Benedictine at Douay, was hung,
drawn and quartered in England for his priesthood. He is
proto-martyr of Downside Abbey.
CHARLES
St. Charles Borromeo was a cardinal of the Church and one of the
four outstanding public figures of the counter-Reformation. It
was he who instituted the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.
Father: O God, keep Your Church under the protection of Your holy
confessor-bishop Charles, who was distinguished by his vigilant
care of his flock. Enkindle in us a burning love of You through
his intercession. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Desserts and decorations. Boys and girls named after St. Charles
Borromeo--Carl, Karl, Carlos, Carlo, Carla, Carol, Cheryl, Car-
lotta, Caroline, Carolyn, and Lottie--have a bishop's symbol for
their nameday. Other symbols of this saint include a rope, an
altar, a cardinal's hat, or a chalice and host. A plaque of St.
Charles Borromeo is available for about $2.50 (from BER, see
Abbreviations).
St. Charles Garnier, Jesuit missionary from France, was martyred
by the Iroquois; his feast is a fine opportunity to have
Indian-style parties to commemorate his heroism. See Shari Lewis'
"Fun with the Kids" for ideas on an Indian party (from MS, see
Abbreviations).
Blessed Charles Spinola, also a Jesuit, was burned to death in
the great Japanese martyrdom at Nagasaki. "Charles Spinola" was
the name of a white mouse bought by our Pete on Blessed Charles'
feastday to be fed to a snake known as "Satan." All of our
children's pets are named for the saint on whose day they arrive.
Thus our black cocker spaniel is called Kiara for an Irish abbess
who, we discovered, lived at a place called Kilkeary near my
husband's home in Tipperary.
But to get back to Satan and Charles Spinola. Pete, like most
boys, wanted a garter snake. In the heart of a big city these are
hard to come by, so we sent him downtown to a store carrying
unusual pets. The phone rang and it was Pete. "There are no
garter snakes, Mother, but there is a baby boa constrictor. May I
have it? The store attendant says it won't bite." We were not
convinced.
Pete put the attendant on the phone. "It wouldn't bite a baby,
ma'am," he assured me, "and it is safe for the boy." The fact
that the snake would soon be able to strangle a baby was
something we were to find out. So was the snake's diet--live
white mice which Pete brought along home.
A family council voted that the boa could not have a saint's
name; so the name "Satan" was agreed upon. And a tricky, wily
creature he was, a real lesson in devilish scheming. He did not
appreciate the wired fifteen-gallon tank that was his home and
too often escaped to wind himself around the radiator in
Grandma's room (she was away). He ate all the white mice, each
having a saint's name, except "Charles Spinola," who never did
get eaten. Instead, Satan learned to like aging hash, and Charles
Spinola became a family pet.
ELIZABETH
High on the list of popular names but no longer among the top ten
is Elizabeth, the name of the mother of St. John the Baptist. All
we know of her is limited to the first chapter of St. Luke's
Gospel. Elizabeth gave first utterance to the words which ever
since have been addressed to the Mother of God: "Blessed art thou
among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." Her feast,
along with her husband Zachary's, is kept on November 5.
Two Queen Elizabeths are saints. Elizabeth of Portugal, called
Isabella, was married to King Denis and became a Poor Clare
tertiary after his death. Her feast is July 8. Her niece,
Elizabeth of Hungary, was married to Louis, landgrave of
Thuringia, at the age of fourteen; she was an exemplary wife and
mother, and after Louis died on a crusade, she became a
Franciscan tertiary, devoting herself to the relief of the
destitute and living a life of voluntary poverty until her death
at 24 years of age. Her feastday is November 9.
Legend says that on one occasion in the middle of winter she left
her castle with her apron filled with bread for the poor. On the
way she met her husband. He opened her cape to see what she
carried and found her apron full of roses, not bread. When he
bent to kiss Elizabeth he found her face transfigured with the
radiance of heaven. In addition to the rose, she has as her
symbol three crowns to indicate her royal birth, her married
state, and her glorification in heaven.
Elizabeth of Hungary is the patroness of Bette, Beth, Eliza,
Eiles, Isabel, Ishbel, Elsie, Bessie, Bettina, Elise, and Ilse.
Her nameday prayer is:
Father: Let us pray. O God of mercy, enlighten the hearts of Your
faithful and grant us the grace that through the prayers of the
glorious and blessed Elizabeth we may scorn the wealth of the
world and see heaven as our joy and consolation. Through Christ,
our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
{Musical notation cannot be displayed in ASCII text.}
Good St. Elizabeth carried away
Fresh little loaves for the poor each day.
One wintry day, Louis saw her go
Heavily burdened and walking slow;
"My Lady," he cried, "What do you bear
So heavy beneath your mantle there?"
"Roses!" Amazed, he saw most fair,
Blossoms that perfumed the frosty air!
Smiling, he closed her mantle and said:
"Go, my dear, give the poor the bread."
Dessert and decorations. The rose cake or the crown cake is
suitable on the feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. If you have a
punch bowl, freeze a wreath of roses to decorate it. In a ring
mold, fill half way with water and partially freeze. Add
unsprayed roses and leaves, evenly spaced. Add water to fill the
mold and freeze. Unmold at serving time and use in a bowl of
fruit punch.
Saints Plaits (see Heilige Kapfe) are also appropriate on this
nameday. Bake small loaves or biscuits in a muffin tin to honor
St. Elizabeth's charity to the poor. Frost and top each with a
tiny rose. A baker (or an artistic mother with plenty of time)
will find the basket cake interesting to make on this feastday.
"Elizabeth" by Mary Harris is a book for eight or nine-year-olds
to read (about $2.50; from RC, see Abbreviations). "Virgin and
Child with St. Elizabeth and St. Barbara" by Van Dyck comes from
the Frick Collection in an 8 x 10 color print for $.35; it also
comes in a 2 x 2 slide for about $1.25 (FC, see Abbreviations). A
small liturgical plaque of Elizabeth Of Hungary costs only $1.00
(from CCA, see Abbreviations).
NAMEDAY SUGAR COOKIES
Symbolic cookies cut with sharp cookie cutters are ideal for
namedays. Cutters may be found in local department stores or at
the Maid of Scandinavia (MS, see Abbreviations), which carries
the widest selection we know. Cross-shaped cookies can be used
for any saint because each followed in his own way the
commandment: "Take up your cross and follow Me." Crown-shaped
cookies likewise can be made for any saint's day. Most of the
saints have particular emblems; thus for St. Michael, Raphael,
Gabriel, Frances and Ladislaus--an angel cookie; for Sts.
Germaine, Isabel, Serafina (Fina), Hugh, Flora, Dorothy and
Elizabeth--a flower-shaped cookie; for Sts. David, Devota,
Dominic, Scholastica, Benedict, Regina, Remy, Hilary, Gregory,
Fabian, Clare, Celestine and Emily--a dove-shaped cookie; for
saints of the Old Testament--a six-pointed star cookie; for Sts.
Thomas, Nicholas, Fidelis and Bruno--a five-pointed star cookie.
A few tips may be helpful. Avoid the use of flour in rolling the
dough by rolling it between sheets of waxed paper. Chilled dough
is more easily handled than warm dough. If there is time, chill
it for an hour. Better still, make the dough on the eve of the
feast. It is wise to bake a trial cookie. If the batter is thin,
add a bit of flour; if too thick, add a little liquid. Use a
spatula to remove hot cookies from the pan. Place them on a cake
rack to cool. For this recipe you will need:
1/2 cup butter 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar 1/3 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg 1/3 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup commercial sour cream
Cream butter. Gradually add sugar and cream until light and
fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Sift together flour, soda, salt
and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour
cream. Chill dough overnight. Roll out half the dough 1/8-inch
thick on a lightly floured board or pastry cloth. Keep remaining
dough chilled until ready to be rolled. Cut the dough into
symbolic designs. Sprinkle with colored granulated sugar. Place
on a greased baking sheet. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees
F.) 5 to 8 minutes.
ANNE
Anne ranks fourteenth among the most popular names for girls; its
diminutive form, Nancy, ranks twelfth. The name goes back to
biblical times. In Hebrew it is Hannah, which means "grace." In
the first book of Samuel we read of pious and patient Anna, who
vowed that if God would end her long sterility, she would
consecrate her child to Him. The birth of her son Samuel was the
answer to her prayers and tears. She brought the child to the
high priest to be consecrated to God. In her joy she chanted the
sublime Canticle of Anna (1 Sam. 2). The song of every barren
woman made fruitful, it begins: "My heart has rejoiced in the
Lord." Further on we read how she raised Samuel: "The child
advanced and grew on, and pleased both the Lord and men." Samuel
was the last judge of Israel. The apocryphal stories of St.
Anne's conception of the Virgin Mary bear a startling resemblance
to the opening chapters of First Samuel.
In Tobias 1:9 we come across another Anna: "But when he (Tobias)
was a man, he took to wife Anna of his own tribe, and had a son
by her, whom he called after his own name." She was taken into
captivity with him.
At the presentation of the Child Jesus in the temple we find Anna
the prophetess, whose feast occurs on September 1: "There was
also Anna, a prophetess, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of
Asher....And coming up at that very hour, she began to give
praise to the Lord, and spoke of him to all who were awaiting the
redemption of Israel" (Luke 2:36-38). The Greek Church keeps her
feast on February 3.
Blessed Anne Marie Taigi lived the normal life of a married woman
of the Italian working class and was endowed with the gift of
prophecy. Blessed Anne Line, an English convert, was sentenced to
death for harboring priests during the Reformation.
Most girls by this name claim Anna, the wife of Joachim and
mother of Our Lady, as their patron. Her cult goes back to the
sixth century in the East, and to the eighth century in the West.
She is often shown in art teaching Our Lady to read the
Scriptures. Through the ages she has been depicted wearing a
green mantle and a red dress, colors symbolic of immortality and
divine love.
Rev. Edgar Schmiedler in "Your Home: A Church in Miniature" (FLB,
see Abbreviations) mentions the custom in Louisiana of children
of French extraction named Anne wearing red and green ribbons in
her honor. These are colors to bear in mind for party decorations
on her feast. There is no need to look "Christmasy" by using
equal amounts; rather, use cool green for the main color scheme
with accents of red.
Devotion to St. Anne was brought to Louisiana by French priests
from Brittany and fostered by Canadian priests sent to labor in
the South among the French-speaking people. St. Anne d'Auray and
St. Anne de Beaupre, famed shrines in Brittany and Canada respec-
tively, inspired the people of Louisiana to dedicate parishes and
societies to her, particularly in New Orleans, where her feast is
kept with solemnity and where there is an Archconfraternity of
St. Anne and an official publication, "St. Anne's Herald." Other
immigrants brought devotion to St. Anne from the Old World
shrines in Duren in the Rhineland and Apt in Provence.
Here in New York are a shrine church of St. Anne on East 12th
Street and a shrine in St. Jean Baptiste's on Lexington Avenue at
76th Street, which used to be known as "St. Anne des Canadiens."
In Scranton, 150,000 pilgrims visit St. Anne's Passionist
Monastery on her feast. There is remembrance of St. Anne on tiny
Isle Lamotte in Vermont, where Mass was first offered in New
England in 1666.
St. Anne has been honored in song and poetry through the ages.
Geoffrey Chaucer in the fourteenth century wrote:
Oh thou that art so fair and full of grace,
Be thou my advocate in that high place,
There, as withouten end is sung Hozanne,
Thou Christes mother, daughter dear of Anne!
Thomas Moore, "poet of the people of Ireland," composed in Gaelic
the "Canadian Boat Song" sung by Canadian boatmen as they left
the shrine and reached the river rapids:
We'll sing to Saint Anne our parting hymn, Row, brothers, row,
the stream runs fast, The rapids are near and the daylight's
past.
On St. Anne's feast the family prays:
Father: We all rejoice in the Lord,
As we keep holiday in honor of blessed Anne,
Of her whose feast fills angels with joy,
And sets them praising the Son of God.
All: Amen.
Father: Spotless Anna, Juda's glory,
Through the Church from East to West
Every tongue proclaims thy praises,
Holy Mary's mother blessed.
All: From thy stem in beauty budded
Ancient Jesse's mystic rod;
Birth from thee received the Mother
Of the almighty Son of God
Father: Let us pray. O God, You were pleased to bestow Your grace
upon Anne so that she might fitly become the mother of her who
was to bear Your only-begotten Son; grant that we who keep her
feast will be helped by her protection. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Dessert and decorations. Several symbols including the book cake
decorated with a flowering rod suggest themselves for St. Anne's
nameday cake. A tiny statue of Our Lady or St. Anne teaching the
child Mary to read may top the cake. Green place-mats and paper
plates accented with red roses will bring out the colors proper
to St. Anne. A light green frosting and pink icing roses are also
suggested (from MS, see Abbreviations).
Many beautiful reproductions of paintings of St. Anne are avail-
able. For $.35 you can get a reproduction of De La Tour's "St.
Anne with the Virgin" (from FC, see Abbreviations). Sepia prints
of "The Madonna and Child with Saint Anne" by Bernandino Luini,
Milan, are available from the same source for $6.00. Other
paintings of St. Anne include "The Nativity of Mary" in the
Church of Saint Severin, Paris; Murillo's "Saint Anne Teaching
the Virgin," Prado Gallery, Madrid; and "The Virgin and Child
with Saint Anne" by Leonardo and pupils, the Louvre, Paris
(available unframed for about $4.00 from LAS, see Abbreviations).
For a nameday gift a signed Serraz makes a perfect statue for a
child's altar; the work is about $15.00 (from CCA, see
Abbreviations). An inexpensive statue from Italy with the
traditional green mantle is about $1.50 (FP, see Abbreviations).
Be sure to specify the green mantle because others in this price
range are not good. The latter also has an imported handcarved
wooden statue painted in delicate colors for about $25.00, a gift
to save up for during the year. The book "St. Anne" by Anne
Parkinson Keyes makes a nice gift for Ann, Annamarie, Nancy,
Lillian, Nanette, Anita, Aine, Joann, and Marianne (from RC, see
Abbreviations); "Anne" by M. K. Richardson is a book to read to
little girls; the text is suitable for an eight-year-old to read
by herself (from RC, see Abbreviations). A French medal ranges in
prices from $2.00 to $10.00 (from LAS, see Abbreviations).
NAMEDAY STRAWBERRIES
rice gelatine
salt cream
sugar strawberries
milk kirsch (optional)
vanilla
Cook 3/4 cup of well-washed rice in 1 quart of milk with 1/3
teaspoon of salt and 2/3 cup of sugar. When the rice is very soft
and creamy, force it through a sieve and add 1 teaspoon of
vanilla (we blend ours in a Waring blender). Soften 2 tablespoons
of gelatine in 1/4 cup of water and dissolve it in the hot rice.
Cool the rice to lukewarm. Fold in 1 cup stiffly beaten cream and
turn the mixture into a ring mold. Chill until well set, usually
about 2 hours. Unmold on a cold platter and fill the center of
the ring with 3 cups of strawberries mashed with 1/2 cup of fine
granulated sugar. Save the best strawberries to use as a garnish
for the ring. To the 3 cups of strawberries may be added 3 ounces
of kirsch a half hour before serving, but this is optional.
VIRGIN SAINTS
Once after a nameday talk a mother came and said: "My husband is
of German descent, but I'm Irish. Enn is the name of our
daughter. Who is her patron?" "A Bavarian virgin, Erentrude of
Salzburg," we had to confess!
The virgin renounces all for the love of Christ. Virginity of
mind and heart and body, kept perpetually and gladly sacred,
develops human personality to high perfection, making it strong
in self-possession, in apostolic charity, and in alertness for
whatever may please Christ and deepen union with Him.
Nameday prayers on feasts of virgins:
Father: Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear because the King
greatly desires your beauty.
All: My heart overflows with good tidings; I sing my song to the
King.
Father: Let us pray. Hear our prayers, O God our Savior, and let
us learn the spirit of true devotion from your virgin N.... as we
joyfully celebrate her feast. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
{Musical notation cannot be displayed in ASCII text.}
1. Keep Thou Thine image, O Lord, in my heart.
Let all mean naught to me, save that Thou art.
Be Thou my thought thro' day and thro' night:
Waking or sleeping, O be Thou my Light.
2. Mine be the wisdom to know Thy true Word.
Be ever with me and I with Thee Lord;
Be Thou my father, make me Thy son;
Dwelling within me, and I in Thee, one.
3. Lord, God of heaven! when my life is done,
Grant me the joy of a heaven full won;
Joy of our hearts! whatever befall,
Still keep me with Thee, O Maker of all.
"Seven Books of Wisdom" by Roland E. Murphy will provide
background for understanding the prayers used for virgin-saints,
for Our Lady, and other holy women (from RC, see Abbreviations).
Desserts and suggestions. Lilies, symbol of purity, or lilies of
the valley in icing (from MS, see Abbreviations) are used to top
homemade or purchased cakes for virgin-saints. A white rose may
be used on the rose cake. The rose may be purchased ready-made
(MS, see Abbreviations) or it may be made of frosting, using
tubes from the Ateco sets found in department stores or ordered
from Maid of Scandinavia (MS, see Abbreviations). "Cake-Mate" has
frosting in various colors and easy tubes for decorating. It is
found in most supermarkets. "Decorating Cakes for Fun and Profit"
by Richard Snyder will help mother to turn out a beautifully
decorated cake (from MS, see Abbreviations).
The symbols proper to each virgin-saint can be incorporated into
your decorations. Roses are the attribute of Rose Venerini, the
Franciscan Rose of Viterbo, Roseline, a Carthusian, and Rosalie,
patron saint of Palermo. Keys are used for St. Sytha or Zita, as
well as for St. Odile, a patron of Alsace. A heart depicts St.
Hildegarde, "Sybil of the Rhine," the first illustrious German
mystic, poet, physician, and political moralist; a $1.00 plaque
is available from CCA, see Abbreviations. For the abbess Aurea
the symbol is a millstone; for Hilda of Whitby and Edith of
Wilton, a church; for Christina, a millstone and two arrows.
St. Gertrude the Great has seven rings or a heart, because of her
love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Serafina, usually called
Fina, has a chain or coins; Martha, keys or a ship; and
Marcelline, elder sister of St. Ambrose, a cross. The Book of
Psalms is the attribute of Audrey or Ethel, whose patron is
Etheldreda. Blessed Isabel of France was a sister of St. Louis of
France; a nameday gift for their namesakes would be "Brother and
Sister Saints" by M. P. Harney, S.J. (about $3.00 from RC, see
Abbreviations).
Hyacintha Mariscotti is the patron of Cynthia; Blessed Giovanna
Bonomo, a Benedictine, is Yvonne's patron. Two Dominican beatae
have charming names: Sibyllina, a blind orphan, who lived as a
tertiary anchoress, is the patron of Sibyl; and Stephana, a
secular tertiary, patron of Stephanie. Other virgins include St.
Mariana of Quito; Lelia, whose name in Gaelic, Liadan, is that of
our youngest niece; Darerca or Moninne, another Celtic saint; and
Lutgarde, who ranks as one of the most sympathetic figures among
medieval mystics. St. Scholastica, sister of St. Benedict, has a
dove for her symbol.
Recently canonized as a saint of the "little way" is Bertilla.
Veronica Giuliani, Bernadette of Lourdes, Beatrice d'Este and her
aunt, Blessed Baptista Varani, both Benedictines, and the famous
Walburga are also classed among the virgin-saints. An imported
St. Bernadette medal costs about $1.50 (from LAS, see
Abbreviations). A rare Bernadette with a lamb, a signed piece of
sculpture, may be ordered for about $8.00 (from CCA, see
Abbreviations). St. Genevieve, patron of Paris, and St. Germaine
of Pibrac also have a lamb as their sign. Medals by Py are
available for both of them (about $1.50 from LAS, see
Abbreviations). St. Genevieve, a terra cotta piece by Felix
Oudin, costs about $20.00 (from CCA, see Abbreviations). Blessed
Lydwina was "a prodigy of human suffering and of heroic
patience"; Mary Frances had spiritual experiences including the
mystical marriage. St. Alice or Aleydis, a Cistercian nun, died
at an early age. Gemma Galgani has a crown cake. Her name in
Italian means "jewel."
VIRGIN-MARTYRS
How fortunate are girls named after the glorious virgin-martyrs
who battled to maintain their integrity and faith, and in return
were divinely protected and rewarded. The virgin-martyrs
sacrificed what was naturally good for the sake of God, the
supreme Good. Their lives should inspire the faithful, and
particularly their namesakes, to pay due homage to God.
Nameday prayers on feasts of virgin-martyrs:
Father: Come, O spouse of Christ, receive the crown which has
been prepared for you forever by the Lord, for whose love you
shed your blood.
All: In your splendor and your beauty, make ready, ride in
triumph, and rule.
Father: Let us pray. O God, from whose bounty all good gifts
proceed and who in Your virgin-martyr N.... did both give the
flower of virginity and the palm of martyrdom, at her
intercession unite our souls to You by love so that we may avoid
all perils and gain the rewards of eternity. Through Christ, our
Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Desserts and suggestions. During the Middle Ages, lilies and red
roses were used in wreaths to commemorate the namedays of these
saints. Chaucer was familiar with this usage:
Thou with thy garland, wrought of rose and lilies,
Thee mene13 I, mayde and martyr, seint Cecile.
We encircle the nameday cake for our Sheila (Gaelic for Cecilia)
with fresh, artificial, or icing flowers, usually wafer roses and
calla lilies (from MS, see Abbreviations). Sometimes we use the
dessert for a martyr (see Martyrs Chiffon Dessert) or the cake
with musical notation (see Musical Cake). A laminated
reproduction of "St. Cecilia and an Angel" by Gentileschi costs
$1.25 at the National Gallery of Art (NGA, see Abbreviations).
Other cakes suitable for a virgin-martyr are the crown cake ,
which designates her recompense in heaven, and the cross cake ,
which reminds the nameday child that her patron heeded the Lord's
admonition: "Take up your cross and follow Me."
For Sts. Agnes and Reine the lamb cake is used (mold available
for $4.95 from MS, see Abbreviations). A beautiful Italian statue
of Agnes, hand-carved of wood, costs about $25, an inexpensive
one about $1.50 (FP, see Abbreviations). A plaque of St. Agnes
costs only $1.00 (CCA, see Abbreviations). A good idea for a gift
is the record "St. Agnes" by Janet Lennon ($1.49, from SSJ, see
Abbreviations).
Cut-up cakes are particularly appropriate for Anastasia, whose
attribute is a ship; Irene (a horse); and for Priscilla, Thecla,
and Blandina (a lion).
The sword as a symbol of martyrdom can be made with "Cake-Mate,"
a gel that writes like a pencil on cake tops; it is available in
most supermarkets or can be ordered from MS, see Abbreviations.
This is appropriate for the feasts of the virgin-martyrs Agatha;
Winifred, patron of Una, Oona, Gwen, Gwenfrewi; Parnel, English
form of Petronilla; Eugenia; Vivian; Victoria; Theodora;
Anatolia; Priscilla; Valerie; Euphemia.
St. Cecilia's symbol, the harp, should not be hard to locate; we
found one which was meant as a planter in a florist shop and used
it as a centerpiece. There are gold paper decals in this form
which have exciting uses for a child on place-cards, candy cups,
and even on cakes (from PB, see Abbreviations, about $1.50 a
dozen). St. Julia's symbol, the cross, instrument of her
martyrdom, comes in gummed seals for about $.15 (from MS, see
Abbreviations). The same symbol is used for St. Faith; Hope and
Charity have an anchor and a heart respectively as their special
signs. On St. Eulalia's day white icing doves (from MS, see
Abbreviations). are used on a cross cake. The fleur-de-lis is
used for the French nuns, Blessed Henrietta, patron of Harriet,
Blessed Constance, and Blessed Charlotte, martyrs of the
Revolution.
In addition to the sword attribute, St. Winifred also has a
fountain as a symbol, as does Reine. St. Lucy has a lamp; a
splendid statue of her, a handcarved import, is available for
about $25.00 (from FP, see Abbreviations).
Our devotion to St. Agatha has resulted in a collection of color
and black-and-white prints of the works of artists who have
treated this saint. Prints come from Alinari's in Florence, Italy
(AL, see Abbreviations). A similar collection could be made for
other saints from the same source, either by mail or by a
personal visit to the gallery in Florence.
In Italy St. Agatha's feastday celebration is kept with
fireworks. In her honor a chef in a famous New York night club
created a recipe he called "Flambe Cherry Pie." This is not a
recipe for little children; it is quite adult. Cherries Jubilee
might be served over ice cream for the children while the
grownups have the following dessert.
FLAMBE CHERRY PIE
cognac red vegetable food coloring
1 lb. can red sour pitted egg whites
cherries, waterpacked gelatine
milk cold water
egg yolks heavy cream
sugar lemon juice
cornstarch
To make the pie, line a 9-inch pie plate with a pie crust made
from a favorite recipe or a packaged pie crust mix. Substitute 1
tablespoon of cognac for one of the tablespoons of water in the
pastry. Bake. (This recipe, incidentally, calling for a baked
pastry crust bottom, has never been used before, according to our
friend the chef who created the recipe for this book.)
Drain pound can of red sour pitted cherries and soak in 4 ounces
of cognac.
Heat 1-1/2 cups of milk to scalding. Mix 2 egg yolks, 2-1/2
tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, another 1/2
cup of cold milk, and 2 drops of red vegetable food coloring. Add
this mixture to the scalding milk. Put this custard aside to cool
for 1 hour, or refrigerate until thoroughly cooled, about 1/2
hour.
Beat 6 egg whites with 3 tablespoons of sugar until firm. Dilute
1 tablespoon of clear gelatine in 1/2 cup of cold water. When
dissolved, warm over fire and blend into egg whites. Blend the
gelatine and egg whites into the chilled custard very gently,
being careful to keep the texture smooth. Beat 3/4 cup of heavy
cream until stiff and gradually blend it into the custard.
Refrigerate 1/2 hour.
Remove 3/4 of the cherries from the cognac, and reserve the
cognac. Fold the cherries into the chilled chiffon filling very
gently and mix, but not too thoroughly. Spread into pie shell.
Refrigerate for 2 hours. Meanwhile, make a glaze by heating 1 cup
of cherry juice, 1 drop of red vegetable food coloring, 1
teaspoon of lemon juice, and add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to
thicken. Remove the pie from the refrigerator and spread the
remaining cherries over the top, covering with the glaze.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. At serving time, heat the
cognac in which the cherries were soaked and quickly pour the
heated cognac over the pie and light it. Dim the lights in the
room and bring the lighted cherry pie to the table.
MARTYRS
The Greek word for "martyr" signifies "a witness who testifies to
a fact of which he has knowledge from personal experience." It
was in this sense that the term first appears in Christian
literature. The apostles were "witnesses" to all that they had
experienced in the public life of Christ, as well as all they had
learned from His teaching.
In the course of the first age of the Church the term martyr came
to be exclusively applied to those who had died for the faith.
St. Paul in his Second Letter to Timothy (2:8-10; 3:10-12)
explains that to live Christian ideals and to inspire men to love
Christ, one must sacrifice all that is contrary to His will and
to suffer all protests, whether mild or violent, against divine
commands.
MARTYR-BISHOPS
The heroism of the ancient martyr-bishops, as well as of the
modern ones like Bishop Ford, makes everyone's distress seem more
bearable. When martyrs suffer, Christ is suffering in His
members, ransoming souls for heaven. Parents should read 2
Corinthians, 1:3-7 from the Bible for children bearing the names
of martyr-bishops. A cross cake will remind the nameday child of
Matthew 16:24: "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him take
up his cross and follow Me." A lamb cake or a crown cake is also
appropriate.
Nameday prayers for a martyr-bishop:
Father: The Lord established a covenant of peace with him.
All: And made him a prince that the dignity of the priesthood
should be his forever.
Father: Let us pray. O God, who gladdens us each year by the
feast of Your blessed martyr-bishop N...... mercifully grant that
we who celebrate his birthday may also enjoy his protection.
Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
In the category of martyr-bishops are the following, with their
symbols: St. Timothy, bishop of Ephesus and the "beloved son in
faith" of St. Paul (a club and stones); St. Blaise of Armenia
(the crossed candles used in the blessing of throats on his
feastday); St. Denis, bishop of Paris (a white chasuble, or a
sword); St. Thomas a Becket, primate of Canterbury (a sword
through a mitre); St. Lambert of Maastricht and St. Frederick of
Utrecht (a sword on a book, or a cross); St. Stanislaus of Cracow
(an open purse); St. Ignatius of Antioch (a lion); St. Irenaeus
of Lyons (a lighted torch); St. Polycarp, illustrious Apostolic
Father, disciple of St. John the Evangelist, and bishop of Smyrna
(a dove and fire); St. Erasmus or Elmo, bishop of Formiae and
patron of sailors (a ship); St. Kilian (two swords); St. Valerian
(swords); St. Januarius or San Gennaro (two red phials on a book
to commemorate a phenomenon called the "liquefaction" of the
alleged relic of his blood, which is preserved in the cathedral
of Naples).
Nameday prayers on the feast of a martyr who was not a bishop:
Father: Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly
delights in His commandments.
All: You have placed on his head a crown of precious stones.
Father: Let us pray. O almighty God, grant that we who joyfully
celebrate the birthday in heaven of Your martyr N.... may be made
stronger in our love of You through his intercession. Through
Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
The palm, symbol of victory, when it appears in the catacombs, is
often associated with a martyr's grave. A frond of palm above the
patron's name may be used on a shield for a child's home altar.
The significance is derived from Apoc. 6:9-11: "And when he
opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those
who had been slain for the word of God, and for the witness that
they bore.... And there was given to each of them a white robe;
and they were told to rest a little while longer, until the
number of their fellow-servants and their brethren who are to be
slain, even as they had been, should be complete."
The crown cake and the cross cake might be alternated yearly for
dessert on the feast of a martyr.
MARTYR KINGS
The crown is the sign peculiarly proper to martyred kings.
Included in this class of saints are St. Wenceslaus, grandson of
St. Ludmila and patron of Czechoslovakia; St. Olaf, apostle of
Norway, whose symbols are bread, a scepter, and a sword; St.
Oswald of Northumbria, formerly venerated as one of the
illustrious national heroes of England; St. Oswin, king of Deira;
St. Edwin, king of Northumbria, husband of Ethelburga; St.
Kenelm, who succeeded to the crown of Mercia at the age of seven
and whose shrine was at Winchcombe; St. Edmund, king of the East
Angles, whose emblem is arrows; St. Ethelbert, king of the East
Angles; St. Hermenegild, son of the Visigoth king of Spain, whose
symbol is the letters IHS upon a heart; and St. Eric, king and
principal patron of Sweden, whose banner carries three crowns on
a fountain.
OTHER MARTYRS
The sword is the usual emblem of countless martyrs, recalling the
instrument of their death. It is used for St. Angelo, an early
member of the Carmelite Order; St. Peter Martyr, the Dominican
for whom the word Credo is written on a feastday cake; St. Justin
of Rome, called "the Philosopher"; St. Valentine of Rome, after
whom "valentines" are named; St. Victor of Marseilles; St.
Placid, whose symbol is a crescent; and Blessed John Cornelius,
an Irish Jesuit.
Arrows are used as symbols on the feast of St. Sebastian, a
famous Roman martyr; St. Demetrius, great saint of the East; and
St. Constantine, a missionary martyred in Scotland.
St. Florian, patron saint of firemen, has an eagle and flames for
his symbols (a $3.00 medal is available from RC, see
Abbreviations). St. Pantaleon, patron of physicians, is
represented by a budding olive branch, a lion, phials of
medicine, and a sword with a vase. St. Cassian of Imola, who was
a schoolmaster, has a heart with a dagger as his symbols; St.
Eustace, a white stag with a cross in its antlers; St. Maurice,
leader of the Theban Legion, a banner with a lion rampant, seven
stars or an eagle on a shield (medal for $1.50 from LAS, see
Abbreviations). St. Christopher, also a martyr, is shown in art
carrying the Christ Child. A little wooden statue to top a
nameday cake is available from RC, see Abbreviations, for about
$1.50.
WOMEN MARTYRS
Sanctified in married life by its trials and spiritual helps,
many a wife has crowned her sacrifices with martyrdom. In modern
times we can think of the English martyrs Blessed Anne Line,
hanged at Tyburn in 1601 for harboring priests; Blessed Margaret
Pole, niece of Edward IV and Richard III; Blessed Margaret Ward,
hanged for helping a priest escape from jail. Blessed Agatha Kim,
a Korean, was killed for the faith in 1846. In ancient times
there was St. Sabina in Rome and St. Sophia, the legendary mother
of Sts. Faith, Hope and Charity.
Nameday prayers on the feast of a woman-martyr:
Father: Let us pray. O God, one of the marvelous examples of Your
power was granting the victory of martyrdom even to delicate
womanhood. May the example of Your martyr N.... whose birthday we
celebrate today, draw us closer to You. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
SEVERAL MARTYRS
St. Peter tells us that every sufferer, especially the martyr,
thanks God for the assured end to all trials and for the certain
happiness that is every faithful soul's everlasting reward (1
Pet. 1:3-7). This passage should be read on martyrs' namedays.
Sts. Vitalis and Valerie were the parents of the martyrs Gervase
and Protase. Sts. Vitus, Modestus and Crescentia fled from Rome
to escape the persecution of Vitus' father. Other martyrs who are
honored together are Sts. Cyprian and Justina, a magician and a
Christian maiden respectively; Sts. Timothy and Maura; Sts. Thea
and Valentina, sister martyrs; Sts. Aquila and Priscilla,
disciples of St. Paul who are mentioned in the Acts of the
Apostles; Sts. Flora and Mary; Sts. Cosmas and Damian, whose
symbols are arrows; Sts. Chrysanthus and Daria, husband and wife;
Sts. Felicity and Perpetua; Sts. Boris and Gleb; Sts. Isaac
Jogues, John de Brebeuf, Charles Garnier and five other Jesuits,
the first canonized saints of the North American continent. Their
story is published in a fifteen-cent pamphlet, "The Mohawk
Martyrs," by Rev. J. MacFarland, S.J., (from PP, see
Abbreviations).
MARTYRS' CHIFFON DESSERT
l pint strawberries 3 tablespoons lemon juice
l envelope unflavored 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
gelatine 1 can (1-2/3 cups) icy cold
1/2 cup water evaporated milk, whipped
2/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Crush strawberries, reserving several whole strawberries for
garnish. Sprinkle gelatine on water in saucepan to soften. Place
over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatine is dissolved.
Remove from heat. Add sugar and salt and stir until sugar is
dissolved. Stir in strawberries, lemon juice and lemon rind.
Chill until mixture is the consistency of unbeaten egg white.
Fold in whipped evaporated milk. Turn into 1-1/2-quart mold or
bowl (a crown mold would be most appropriate). Chill until firm.
At serving time, unmold and garnish with whipped cream and sliced
strawberries.
YIELD: 8 servings
CONFESSORS
The term "confessor" is used to designate those men of remarkable
virtue and knowledge who proclaimed the faith of Christ before
the world by the practice of heroic virtue, by their writings,
and by their preaching. After the age of the early martyrs, such
persons received veneration by the faithful, and chapels
(martyria) were erected in their honor, a privilege previously
reserved to martyrs.
On the feasts of confessors the family prays:
Father: The mouth of the just man utters wisdom, and his tongue
speaks justly.
All: The law of God is in his heart.
Father: Let us pray. O God, it is a joy for us to celebrate
yearly the feast of Your confessor N.... May we who commemorate
his birthday also initiate his example. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Let us list some of these holy men of God. There is Paschal
Baylon, a Franciscan doorkeeper, who had power over souls; the
Dominican Vincent Ferrer, who in troublesome times traveled
through Spain, France, Switzerland and Italy preaching penance,
working wonders, and converting thousands; and Alexis, the "man
of God," a very popular saint in the East. St. Vincent's symbol
is a crucifix, or the letters IHS on a heart; for Alexis it is a
seashell. A reproduction of a famous painting of St. Vincent
Ferrer comes from the Little Art Shop for about $4.00 (LAS, see
Abbreviations).
St. Ansgar, first archbishop of Hamburg, preached and organized
missions in Germany and Scandinavia; his symbol is a staff with a
cross. St. Camillus de Lellis, a founder, is known as the "Red
Cross saint." St. Didacus or Diego, a Franciscan lay-brother
remarkable for his goodness and ability, has roses and bread for
his attributes. St. Francis Borgia is known as the second founder
of the Jesuits. Fiacre, an Irish hermit in France, still has a
shrine in Seine-et-Marne; he is venerated at Kilfiacha and is
invoked against physical ills. His symbols are birds and flowers.
St. Jerome Emilian is patron saint of orphans. St. Bernardine of
Siena displayed the monogram IHS for veneration and had it
painted on houses to promote devotion to the Holy Name. St.
Hyacinth, a Polish Dominican, is characterized by a staff. St.
Cajetan (Gaetano), founder of the Theatines, is known as the
"hunter of souls."
St. Martin de Porres, a recently canonized Dominican, is the
"saint of universal brotherhood" and a shining example to every
social worker. Medals, statues, and books may be obtained from
the St. Martin Guild (SMG, see Abbreviations).
Several kings are confessor-saints. Ferdinand III freed the vast
territories of Spain from the Saracens. King Louis of France is a
"characteristic example of the good and great medieval layman;
indifferent to comfort, humbly devoted to the poor and to
religion, the father of eleven children, and a fighting man who
admirably governed and consolidated his own kingdom" (Attwater).
An exceptional statue of St. Louis costs about $8.00 (from CCA,
see Abbreviations).
St. Ladislaus, King of Hungary and its national hero, extended
the borders of his state, kept its enemies at bay, made it
politically great, ushered in an era of peace, and fostered
Christianity. King Henry the Good was a Holy Roman emperor.
Emperor-confessor St. Leopold the Good was the father of eighteen
children and a ruler for forty years.
Crown cakes are used on feastdays of these king-confessors.
Imported medals of St. Louis and St. Henry come in sizes from
$2.00 to $10.00 (from LAS, see Abbreviations).
St. Casimir, a Polish prince, is the "father and defender of the
poor and unfortunate." St. John of God, patron of hospitals,
nurses, and the sick, has a chest of coins to denote his charity
to the poor. A small plaque for his feast is included in the
$2.50 series put out by Berliner & McGinnis (see SER, see
Abbreviations). St. Ives of Kermartin, patron of lawyers, was an
ecclesiastical and civil lawyer who spent the last fifteen years
of his life in parish work; his symbol is a book. For St. Raymond
of Pennafort, patron saint of confessors, a rosary symbol is
used; for St. Raymond Nonnatus a ship. The cut-up cake will do
nicely.
Joachim, father of our Lady, is a confessor, as is Roch, patron
of Rochelle, a layman who nursed the plague-stricken in Italy.
The "dog" cake is used on his feast. Dominican confessors include
Blessed Bertrand and Blessed Jordan. Blessed Herman Joseph has
three roses as his symbol.
St. Philip Benizi, chief promoter and best-known saint of the
Servite Order, has toy surgical instruments or a chariot on top
of his feastday cake. St. Philip Neri, who exercised his
apostolate through the confessional, has a rosary or a lily. St.
Thomas Villanova, a bishop, is remembered particularly for his
love and goodness toward the poor; coins of chocolate, signifying
charity, are used on his cake. For St. Peter Nolasco the ship
cake is suggested.
One of the great Spanish mystics, St. Peter of Alcantara
practiced penances and austerities which were "incomprehensible
to the human mind," according to St. Teresa of Avila; his symbols
are a cross and a dove. St. Peter Claver is represented by a ship
to commemorate his heroic work among the Negro slaves. The
Augustinian St. Nicholas of Tolentino, known for his work in the
slums, led an uneventful life marked by patience, humility, and
indefatigable preaching; his symbol is a cross with lilies, or a
flaming star. St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows has a heart with
a tiny statue of Mother Mary as his symbol. St. Francis Xavier's
immortal fire of love for Christ still draws missionaries to high
adventure for God and souls. An excellent statue of him,
handcarved of wood, costs $25.00 (from FP, see Abbreviations).
CONFESSORS' LIGHT CHOCOLATE CAKE
flour baking powder
sugar baking soda
egg yolks salt
whole eggs milk
chocolate morsels butter or margarine
Light chocolate cake is an American favorite. This cake uses
semi-sweet chocolate morsels, the kind used in chocolate chip
cookies. Semi-sweet chocolate bits make an attractive beading
around the edge of a white frosting.
Melt 1 six-ounce package (1 cup) of semi-sweet chocolate morsels
over hot (not boiling) water. Cream 1/2 cup of margarine or
butter; add 1 cup of sugar gradually, creaming thoroughly. Add 2
egg yolks and 1 whole egg, one at a time, beating well. Sift
together 2 cups of cake flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1
teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Sift again.
Add alternately to the creamed mixture with 1 cup of milk. Stir
in melted chocolate. Turn into 2 eight-inch greased pans, two
inches deep. Bake in a moderate oven, 350 degrees, for 35
minutes. Cool. Frost with seven-minute frosting or with boiled
frosting. Garnish with additional semi-sweet chocolate morsels.
Chocolate "Cake-Mate" may be used to add the name of a child's
patron to the cake.
NAMEDAY CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM
sugar egg yolks
water heavy cream
chocolate chips
1. Boil 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water for 3 minutes. Put
6 ounces of chocolate chips into a blender. Pour boiled water and
sugar over the chocolate. Cover. Blend on high speed for 6
seconds.
2. Add 3 egg yolks to the mixture. Cover and continue blending on
high speed until smooth.
3. Separately, using an electric mixer or rotary beater, beat 1-
1/2 cups of heavy cream until the cream stands in peaks. Using a
spatula, gently fold the chocolate mixture into the whipped
cream.
4. Spoon the mixture into a refrigerator tray. Cover the tray
with wax paper or aluminum foil and set in the refrigerator
freezing compartment for 2 or 3 hours or until frozen. Recipe
yields about 1 quart of ice cream for a nameday party.
CONFESSOR-BISHOPS
"Behold, a great priest who in his days pleased God and was found
just; and in time of wrath he was made a reconciliation. There
was none found the like to him who kept the law of the Most High.
Therefore by an oath the Lord made him increase among his
people."
Parents whose children are named for confessor-bishops will want
to take out their Bibles for a reading from the Book of
Ecclesiasticus 44:16-27 and 45:3-20, which begins with the above
lines, in order to have the children understand and love their
patrons. The symbols for bishops are the mitre, scepter, lamb,
and crown.
Nameday prayers for a confessor-bishop:
Father: The Lord established a covenant of peace with him.
All: And made him a prince that the dignity of the priesthood
should be his forever.
Father: Let us pray. O almighty God, grant that our solemn
celebration of the feast of Your confessor-bishop N.... may
increase our devotion and bring us closer to our salvation.
Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Although any purchased or homemade cake decorated with the
bishop's name and a tiny mitre can be used on the feast of a
bishop-saint, the traditional cake is "Bischofsbrot" or "Bishop's
Bread."
Beat 6 egg yolks until light and creamy. Add 2/3 cup of sugar and
beat it in. Stir in 1 cup of sifted flour and 2/3 cup of almonds
blanched and slivered; 1/2 cup each of white and dark raisins (or
1 cup of dark raisins); 1/4 cup of diced candied citron; 1/8 cup
each of candied lemon and candied orange rind; and 6 ounces of
sweet cooking chocolate cut into small pieces. Fold in 6 egg
whites beaten stiff but not dry. Pour the batter into a greased,
floured loaf pan and bake in a slow oven (300 degrees) for 1
hour. Let the bread stand for 24 hours and serve in very thin
slices.
This recipe comes from a wonderful collection entitled "Gourmet's
Old Vienna Cook Book" by Lillian Langseth Christensen (GO, see
Abbreviations).
An easy symbol to design for a patron who was a bishop is a
mitre, the tall headdress with the top cleft crosswise,
resembling a pointed arch. Attached to the back and falling over
the shoulders are two flaps or fanons, which are said to
symbolize the New and Old Testaments. The mitre, a sign of
episcopal authority, can be used on a shield for a child's home
shrine.
Being a prince of the Church, a bishop rates a crown cake or a
lamb cake. A gold mitre or crown may be used upon the cake; or
you may simply put the lamb from your Nativity set atop a store
cake. A frozen dessert in a crown-shaped mold is also appropriate
(mold is available from MS, see Abbreviations, or from a
department store). Famous "Bishop Wine" is a good nameday drink.
BISHOP WINE
Burgundy cinnamon
sugar orange
Heat to the boiling point a bottle of red Burgundy, 7/8 cup of
sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, and the grated rind of an orange
scraped free of white pulp. Serve hot.
Numberless confessors were bishops. With each one we will list
his special emblem which can be used in your decorations for his
feast. First there is St. Francis de Sales, whose symbol is a
flaming heart; St. Dunstan, primate of Canterbury, a harp; St.
Eligius (Eloi), patron of metal workers, a horseshoe or a
miniature church in gold St. Hugh of Lincoln, a notable defender
of the Jews, a swan, St. Benno of Meissen, whose canonization
annoyed Martin Luther, a fish with a key; St. Aidan of
Lindisfarne, a stag or fire; St. Amator of Auxerre, a hatchet;
St. Aubert, two loaves of bread, St. Anatole, a book, because he
was a celebrated mathematician.
St. Martin of Tours, a highly venerated saint, is represented by
a horse or a goose; St. Wilfrid, a successful missionary, by a
fish or a ship; St. Remy, who baptized King Clovis at Rheims, by
a dove or birds; St. Nicholas of Myra, popular saint of the East
and West, by a ship, three gold balls on a book, or coins.
The cross is a special attribute of St. Augustine (Austin) of
Canterbury, who was sent to evangelize England; of St. Cloud,
grandson of King Clovis; and of St. Bernard, for whom a "jeweled"
cross cake might be baked. St. Brice of Tours, a patron for
Bruce, has a basket of eggs, as does St. Rupert, apostle of
Bavaria. A flaming heart is used for St. Leander of Seville,
brother of two bishop-saints, Isidore and Fulgentius, and a
fountain for St. Rieul (Regulus) of Senlis and for St. Ives. A
book, signifying the Bible, is the attribute of St. Osmund of
Salisbury; of Chad, bishop of Litchfield; of Ulrich of Augsburg;
and of Cyril of Alexandria.
Broken images and a book are the marks in art of Titus of Crete,
to whom St. Paul addressed a canonical epistle. A fish and a ring
denote St. Kentigern, first bishop of Glasgow, whose symbols are
perpetuated in the official coat-of-arms of that city. David of
Wales, patron saint of that country, has a dove and a fountain;
Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, the wonder-worker of Britain, has a
swan.
POPES
Included among the pope-saints are Peter, Clement, Alexander,
Victor, Urban, Fabian, Cornelius, Lucius, Marcellus, Felix,
Sylvester, Julius, Boniface, Celestine, Leo, Gregory, Eugene,
Sergius, Paschal, Callistus, Dionysius and Damasus.
Father: If you love Me, Simon Peter, feed My lambs, feed My
sheep.
All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy
Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Father: Let us pray. O eternal Shepherd, it was You who appointed
blessed N.... shepherd of the whole Church; let the prayers of
this pontiff (and martyr) move You to look with favor upon Your
flock and to keep it under Your continual protection. Through
Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
The symbols of a pope are the tiara, a triple cross, and a
church. The tiara, a circular headpiece, consists of three
crowns, one above the other, surmounted by a cross. A triple
papal cross has three crossbars. It can be made of paper, worked
into a dessert with frosting in a tube, or written on with "Cake-
Mate," a frosting that writes like a pencil (available in
supermarkets or from MS, see Abbreviations). The church cake can
be made from a honey cake ready for construction and frosting
(MS, see Abbreviations). The lamb cake may also be used.
A liturgical plaque of St. Gregory costs only $1.00 (from CCA,
see Abbreviations). Striking medals ranging in price from $1.50
to $10.00 can be ordered from the Little Art Shop (see LAS, see
Abbreviations).
Traditionally a German punch called Papst is served on the feast
of a pope.
Rub several lumps of sugar on half the rind of an orange scraped
free of white pulp; place it in a bowl. Add an orange cut in very
thin slices, a small piece of cinnamon stick, and a clove or two.
Add a bottle of Tokay wine and steep for 24 hours. Serve without
chilling.
CARDINALS
The symbol of a cardinal is the red hat with a broad brim, low
crown, and two cords with fifteen tassels each. On a shield the
red hat makes a suitable hanging for a home altar. Since a
cardinal is a prince of the Church, the crown cake is used. The
nameday prayer is the same as that of a bishop.
DOCTORS OF THE CHURCH
The word "doctor" comes from the Latin docere, meaning "to
teach." In the Old Testament we read of doctors, i.e., those who
expounded the Law. At the time of Christ, the title was still in
use. When lost as a Boy, Jesus was found in the temple "in the
midst of the doctors of the Law" (Luke 2:45).
Under the New Law the doctors are those who have received a
special gift or charism, such as the "prophets and doctors" of
the Church of Antioch (Acts 13:1), and of whom St. Paul says that
"God indeed has set some in the Church, first apostles, secondly
prophets, thirdly teachers. . . ." (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11).
Use of the academic title "doctor" dates from the founding of the
medieval universities. The apostolate of teaching demands the
patience to endure rebuff and indifference, as well as the
courage to rebuke and correct. Performed for Christ, such conduct
merits eternal joy. The role of doctor of the Church is described
by St. Paul in 2 Timothy 4:1-8.
Nameday prayers on the feast of a Doctor of the Church:
Father: This is the faithful and wise servant whom the Lord has
set over His household.
All: His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; the righteous
generation shall be blessed.
Father: Let us pray. O God, may blessed N.... intercede for us in
heaven as he once instructed Your faithful on earth and directed
them in the way of eternal salvation. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Among the saints who have earned the title Doctor of the Church
are the popular wonder-worker, St. Anthony of Padua, who is
invoked for help in finding lost articles; and St. Thomas
Aquinas, who in a relatively short life of teaching, writing and
praying derived more light and help from the crucifix than from
books. He is the author of "Summa Contra Gentiles" and "Summa
Theologica," the classic scientific exposition of sacred
theology.
Other doctors are St. Bernard, author of many treatises and
sermons on the love of God and a commentary on the Song of Songs;
St. Anselm, the "father of scholasticism," who was declared a
doctor without having been formally canonized; St. John
Damascene; St. John of the Cross; St. Ephrem; and St. Robert
Bellarmine (see p. 120). An imported French medal of St. Bernard
can be had in different finishes priced from $1.50 to $10.00
(from LAS, see Abbreviations).
St. Jerome carried on the work of revising and translating the
Latin Bible or Vulgate. El Greco's "St. Jerome" is available in
an 8 x 10 colored print for $.35 and a kodachrome for $1.25 (from
FC, see Abbreviations). A framed Zurbaran, "Jerome with St. Paula
and St. Eustochium" may be ordered for $5.00 (from NGA, see
Abbreviations).
St. John Chrysostom was such an eloquent speaker that he was
surnamed "golden-mouthed." His symbol is a beehive, denoting his
sweetness of speech. The honey dessert (see Honey Chiffon Pie) is
appropriate for his feastday. St. Gregory Nazianzen is the
subject of a famous painting hanging in the Buffalo Museum. St.
Basil the Great ranks in influence and importance as a monk on a
par with St. Benedict. He is called the father of Eastern monks.
St. Ambrose was one of the most beloved bishops of all time.
St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo, was the greatest of the Latin
Fathers; he is best known for his "Book of Confessions." St. Leo
the Great, by his wisdom and his defense of the Catholic faith
against heresy and his intervention with Attila the Hun, raised
the prestige of the Holy See to great heights; a lion cake can be
used on his feastday. St. Bede the Venerable, the only doctor of
English birth, is best known as the author of "The Ecclesiastical
History of the English People." Some of his homilies are read in
the Divine Office.
St. Albert the Great, a Dominican bishop, is the author of
thirty-eight quarto volumes including treatises on logic,
metaphysics, mathematics, ethics, and physical science, as well
as biblical and theological works and sermons. One of the four
great Greek doctors of the Church was St. Athanasius. St.
Bonaventure was illustrious as a mystical theologian and as a
scholastic during the Middle Ages.
The book cake on the feastday of a doctor of the Church would
designate his writings. Additional symbols can be added, such as
a cross for St. Peter Damian; a star, dove, chalice and host for
St. Thomas Aquinas; a ship for St. Anselm; a dove or beehive for
St. Ambrose; a lion for St. Leo the Great; a lion or a cross for
St. Jerome; a ship for St. Athanasius; a dove or fire for St.
Basil; a dove or triple cross for St. Gregory the Great; a
beehive or three mitres for St. Bernard; and a flaming heart or
arrows piercing a heart for St. Augustine. For St. Cyril of
Jerusalem the dessert called "Snowballs-on-Fire" could be used.
A GENOISE BOOK CAKE
Genoise, the French butter spongecake, is the most versatile cake
you can make.14 It is rich, yet light and delicate, and
unforgettably delicious. It is a one-bowl cake and not at all
difficult when directions are followed.
To make the Book Cake you will need:
large eggs sweet butter, melted
sugar and clarified
sifted flour vanilla flavoring
Set oven at 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour 1 Book Cake
pan.
In a large bowl combine 6 eggs and 1 cup of sugar. Stir for a
minute, or until they are just combined. Set bowl over saucepan
containing 1 or 2 inches of hot water. Water in pan should not
touch bowl; nor should it ever be allowed to boil. Place saucepan
containing bowl over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until eggs
are lukewarm. Heating the eggs helps them whip to greater volume.
It is not necessary to beat them continuously as they are
warming. They should, however, be lightly stirred 3 or 4 times to
prevent them from cooking at bottom of bowl.
When eggs feel lukewarm to your finger and look like a bright
yellow syrup, remove bowl from heat. Begin to beat, preferably
with an electric mixer. Beat at high speed for 10 to 15 minutes,
scraping sides of bowl with a rubber spatula when necessary,
until syrup becomes light, fluffy, and cool. It will almost
triple in bulk and look much like whipped cream. It is the air
beaten into the eggs that gives genoise its lightness.
Beating by hand with a good rotary beater will take about 25
minutes.
Sprinkle 1 cup of sifted flour, a little at a time, on top of the
whipped eggs. Fold in gently, adding 1/2 cup slightly cooled,
clarified butter and 1 teaspoon of vanilla flavoring. (Clarified
butter is pure fat from which milk solids and water have been
removed. Place butter in a saucepan and melt over low heat. Cook
until foam disappears from top and there is a light brown
sediment on the bottom of pan--about 10 minutes. The liquid
should be golden, not brown. Pour off the clear butter and leave
sediment in the sauce-pan.) Folding can be done with electric
mixer turned to lowest speed, or by hand. Be especially careful
not to over-mix.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven 25 to 30
minutes, or until cake pulls away from sides of pan and is golden
brown and springy when touched lightly on top. Remove from pan
immediately and cool on cake rack. A frosting, packaged the
Seven-Minute Frosting may be used. Roses and "Cake-Mate," to use
in writing a name on the Book Cake, may be ordered from MS (see
Abbreviations).
ABBOTS
Children whose patrons are abbots should read, or have read to
them, the passage from the Book of Ecclesiasticus 45:1-6. Just as
Moses was divinely chosen and endowed to be the head of God's
people, so through an abbot does God reveal His will to the
monks.
Nameday prayers on the feast of an abbot:
Father: Beloved of God and man, N.... memory is held in
benediction.
All: He made him like the saints in glory.
Father: Let us pray. Let the blessed abbot N.... intercede for
us, O Lord. May his prayer win us Your help, since our own
actions cannot merit it. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
A church atop a cake is used for the feasts of abbots ($2.50,
from MS, see Abbreviations). The crooked pastoral staff called
the scepter, mark of authority and jurisdiction, may be drawn on
a shield with the abbot's name for a home shrine or family
bulletin board. A book cake would also be appropriate.
Some abbots, e.g., St. Benedict and the Irish ones, are listed
elsewhere under their particular sections, Founders, and Irish
Saints. Besides these there are St. John Climacus, whose symbol
is a book or ladder, because of his book Ladder to Paradise; St.
John Walbert, a crucifix; St. John of Matha, a red and blue
cross, or a chain; St. Gildas the Wise, a bell or a fountain; St.
Leonard, a fleur-de-lis on a book; St. Antony the Abbot, patron
of all monks, a belled pig, a lion, or a staff with a bell; and
St. Sergius, best known of all Russian saints.
St. Harvey is a popular Breton saint; his symbol is music, and
the cake on is appropriate for his feast. Because an eagle showed
him where to build a church, St. Theodoric or Thierry has an
eagle for his attribute; Derek is another form of this name. St.
Odilo, who instituted the commemoration of all the faithful
departed, has a banner with a red and white cross. St. Gall of
Switzerland, most eminent of the twelve monks who left Ireland
with St. Columban, is represented by a bear, or bread and a
staff; St. Maurus, disciple of St. Benedict, by a book and
censer, or a pair of scales; St. Romuald, by a ladder; St. Loman,
by gold coins; and St. Giles, by a hind.
FOUNDERS OF RELIGIOUS ORDERS
A book cake recalls for the nameday child the rule written by his
or her patron, the founder of a religious family. If the symbol
or motto of the saint is known, it can be written with "Cake-
Mate" on the page of the book cake.
A general prayer for the many founders whom, we cannot include
individually here is given under General Prayer for Other
Founders.
BENEDICT
St. Benedict's Rule is considered one of the most potent factors
in building the civilization of Christian Europe. In Italian the
name is Benedetto; French, Benoit; Spanish, Benito; Portuguese,
Bento; German, Benedikt. The English Benet is also derived from
the name Benedict. Girls' names include Benedicta, Benetta,
Benoite, Benita, Benicia, and Betta.
The prayers for his feast are taken in part from the "Te Deum,"
the Church's hymn of praise:
Father: We praise You, O God. We acclaim You Lord and Master.
All: Everlasting Father, all the world bows down before You.
Father: All the angels sing Your praise, the hosts of heaven and
all the angelic powers.
All: All the cherubim and seraphim call out to You in unending
chorus.
Father: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of angel hosts.
All: The heavens and the earth are filled, Lord, with Your
majesty and glory.
Father: Let us pray. May the intercession of Your abbot Benedict
gain us Your favor, we pray You, Lord, and may his advocacy win
for us that which we do not ourselves deserve. Through Christ,
our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Dessert and decorations. The book cake is used for St. Benedict's
feastday with the words, "Listen, my son," written on one of the
pages; these are the opening words of his Rule. A dove, such as
is used on wedding cakes, may be placed on his cake as a reminder
of his vision of his sister St. Scholastica ascending to heaven
at her death. Icing doves can be purchased from MS, see
Abbreviations.
St. Benedict medals are available from LP, see Abbreviations, in
five different finishes. Fra Filippo Lippi's "St. Benedict Orders
St. Maurus to the Rescue of St. Placid" hangs in the National
Gallery of Art; prints are available (see NGA, see
Abbreviations). Hans Memling's "St. Benedict" is available in
reproduction from the Little Art Shop (LAS, see Abbreviations),
which also carries Pietro Perugino's "St. John and St. Benedict"
in a color print (about $4.00). A signed Serraz statue ranges in
price from $8.00 to $20.00 (from CCA, see Abbreviations).
DOMINIC
St. Dominic founded the Order of Preachers to combat the
Albigensian heresy and to preach and teach throughout Europe.
Father: Let us pray. O God, it was Your pleasure to enlighten
Your Church by the merits and teachings of St. Dominic; grant
that through his intercession she may not be deprived of temporal
help and may continually advance in spiritual growth. Through
Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Dessert and decorations. The book cake is used on St. Dominic's
feast; for decoration you might letter the word "Truth" on the
cake with Cake-Mate (from MS, see Abbreviations, or from your
supermarket). Another suggestion would be to use a rosary made of
silver dragees to recall the devotion ascribed to St. Dominic.
Other symbols for him include a dog carrying a lighted torch, or
a star, in remembrance of the one which is said to have appeared
on his forehead when he was baptized. The cut-up cake (dog) or a
flambe dessert (see Flambe Cherry Pie) is also suitable.
Lippo Memmi's "St. Dominic"; Angelico's "St. Dominic at the Foot
of the Cross" and his "St. Dominic with His Bible"; and Benozzo
Gozzoli's "Miracle of St. Dominic" are available for a nameday
child's home shrine for about $4.00 (from LAS, see
Abbreviations). The second one mentioned comes in a book of
pictures which would supply a family with excellent small
reproductions in color of Sts. Joseph, Magdalen, Thomas Aquinas,
Francis of Assisi, Stephen, and Our Lady; these are appropriate
for framing for a family shrine. The book is entitled "Beato
Angelico" and is written in Italian. Published by the Sylvana
Editorial d'Arte in Milan, it can be obtained from RC (see
Abbreviations) for about $4.00. A famous "St. Dominic" by Lippo
Vanni is in the William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art, Kansas
City, Missouri. Another is Biagio d'Antonio da Firenze's
"Adoration of the Child with Saints," including Dominic, in the
Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Contemporary Christian Art
has a plaque of St. Dominic, Our Lady, and St. Catherine of Siena
for only $1.00 (CCA, see Abbreviations); the same is available in
a large size, framed, for about $20.00 An excellent medal of St.
Dominic is available for $1.50 (from LAS, see Abbreviations). An
original of St. Dominic may be ordered from Sister Mary of the
Compassion, O.P. (SMC, see Abbreviations).
FRANCIS
St. Francis of Assisi, "Il Poverello," one of the best loved
saints, founded the Order of Friars Minor, characterized by
"loving joyous worship of the sacred humanity of Christ and by a
profession of poverty." In Italian the name is Franco;
Portuguese, Francisco; German and Swiss, Franz; French, Franchot
and Francois.
Father: We praise You, O God. We acclaim You Lord and Master.
All: Everlasting Father, all the world bows down before You.
Father: All the angels sing Your praise, the hosts of heaven and
all the angelic powers.
All: All the cherubim and seraphim call out to You in unending
chorus.
Father: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of angel hosts.
All: The heavens and the earth are filled, Lord, with Your
majesty and glory.
Father: Let us pray. O God, through the merits of Francis of
Assisi You enriched Your Church with a new offspring; grant that
after his example we may despise earthly things and ever find joy
in partaking of the gifts of heaven. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Dessert and decorations. St. Francis' symbol for a page of his
book cake might be a lamb, perhaps from your Nativity set; or,
better, birds and animals made of icing; or musical notes in
honor of his "Hymn to the Sun" (MS, see Abbreviations, has icing
birds and animals).
A medal of "St. Francis and the Wolf" by Fernand Py costs about
$4.00 (from LAS, see Abbreviations); LAS also carries a Japanese
walnut plaque for about $3.50. CCA (see Abbreviations) has a St.
Francis for $8.00. Gentile Bellini's "St. Francis in Ecstasy" may
be purchased as a 2 x 2 slide for $1.25; a $16.00 reproduction
makes a splendid gift; the 8 x 10 size costs only $.35 (from FC,
see Abbreviations). Matted in velvet and framed at the dime
store, this color print is ideal for a child's altar.
A small nameday gift our children have enjoyed is "St. Francis of
Assisi" by Maisie Ward, a book in the "Saints in Pictures" series
(from SW, see Abbreviations). "The Song of St. Francis" by C. R.
Bulla ($2.50 from RC, see Abbreviations) and Francis by Sister M.
Francis ($2.00 from RC, see Abbreviations) are also books that
make appropriate nameday gifts.
A French medal of St. Francis costs from $1.50 to $10.00 (from
LAS, see Abbreviations). Regina Coeli has a splendid statue for
$12.50 (RC, see Abbreviations).
CLARE
St. Clare, spiritual daughter of St. Francis of Assisi, is the
founder of the Poor Clares. When the infidels were attempting to
besiege her convent, she placed a monstrance containing the
sacred Host on the threshold, whereupon the attackers threw down
their weapons and fled. Her symbol, therefore, is a monstrance;
the design can be put on her book cake.
An inexpensive statue of St. Clare costs $1.50; a hand-carved
import in delicate colors, $25.00 (from FP, see Abbreviations).
CCA has a walnut plaque that is exceptional for $12.50, and a
statue from France for $12.00.
Another Poor Clare, a reformer of the Order, was St. Colette,
whose name is a contraction of Nicolette. She is a suitable
patroness for Nikki and Colleen, an Irish name meaning "girl."
The prayer for Colette is the same as that of her spiritual
mother, St. Clare, which is given below.
The different forms of the name are Clara, Chiara, Clarabel,
Clarissa, Clarice, Clarita, Claire, Clairette, Clarinda.
Father: Let us pray. Hear us, O God our Savior, that as we
rejoice in the festivity of Clare, Your virgin, so we may be
instructed in the affection of pious devotion. Through Christ,
our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
TERESA
St. Teresa of Avila is one of the most remarkable, attractive and
widely appreciated women the world has ever known and the only
one to whom the title "Doctor of the Church" is popularly (not
officially) applied. In spite of violent opposition she reformed
the Carmelite nuns, founded the Discalced (shoeless) Carmelites,
and wrote books of the highest mystical order. She is the
patroness of Theresa, Teresita, Terry, Tessa, Teresina, and
Tracy.
Father: Let us pray. Graciously hear us, O God our Savior, that
as we rejoice in the festival of Your virgin Teresa, so we may be
fed with the food of her heavenly teaching and grow in loving
devotion toward You. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
The book cake could be used for her feast; on its page might
appear the letters IHS or a heart. The heart cake would also be
appropriate.
An original picture of this patron on Japanese walnut, the work
of the Carmelite nuns of Japan, costs about $3.50 (from LAS, see
Abbreviations); a larger size is also available for $6.50. A
sterling silver medal of St. Teresa costs about $2.75 (from RC,
see Abbreviations).
JOHN BOSCO
St. John Bosco founded the Salesian Congregation for the
education of boys. To decorate the page of his feastday book
cake, use an eagle, a heart, or a chalice. An inexpensive statue
of the saint can be procured for $1.50 (from RC, see
Abbreviations). Henri Gheon has written "The Secret of St. John
Bosco," it makes an ideal nameday gift (from SW, see
Abbreviations).
Father: Let us pray. O God, You raised up the confessor St. John
Bosco to be a father and teacher of youth and willed that by his
doing and the Virgin Mary's help new families should flourish in
Your Church; grant that we, being fired with the same flame of
charity, may be ennobled to seek out souls and to serve only You.
Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
MADELEINE SOPHIE
Madeleine Sophie Barat, foundress of the Society of the Sacred
Heart, established 105 schools in her lifetime and lived to see
her religious established in nine European countries and America.
The book cake decorated with a heart, or a heart cake will be
fitting on her feastday.
A small plaque of Madeleine Sophie comes from Berliner and
McGinnis (about $2.50, also a print--BER, see Abbreviations) St.
Madeleine's portrait by Savinien Petit, Sacre Coller, Amiens, is
included in the book "The Face of the Saints" by Wilhelm
Schamoni, translated by Anne Fremantle (from PA, see
Abbreviations).
English variants of the name include Magdalen and Magda. In
Italian it is Maddelena, and in German, Magdalene.
Father: Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, You modeled the soul of
Madeleine Sophie in the likeness of Your Sacred Heart and,
endowing her with humility and love, willed that through her
there should flower forth a new family of virgins. May we be
close to Your most Sacred Heart and imitate It, so that we may
joyously become Your companions. You are God, living and reigning
forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
JULIE
Julie, Juliette, and Jill have as their patron Blessed Julie
Billiart, foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. The
cross cake, or a cross on a book cake is used on her nameday.
Father: Let us pray. O God, You willed that through Julie
Billiart's invincible love of Your Cross she should enrich Your
Church by the establishment of a new congregation dedicated to
the teaching of poor children. May her intercession help us to
endure suffering courageously, so that we may attain to the
happiness of eternal life. You are God, living and reigning
forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
HUGH, ALEXIS, AND AMADEUS
These are three of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order.
For their dessert the book cake is decorated with seven red
roses.
Father: The Lord and King of confessors, come, let us adore.
All: Let their names be remembered in blessing.
Father: Far from men's haunts the Holy Founders so live for God
they seem in Peter's vision gleaming white lights, pleasing to
our Lady, perfect in beauty.
All: Urged on by love in countryside and cities, they seek to
wound all hearts with true, compunction, preaching the sword that
pierced the soul of Mary, Mother of sorrows.
Father: Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, in order to renew the
memory of the sorrows of Your most holy Mother, through the seven
blessed Fathers, You enriched Your Church with the new Order of
Servites; mercifully grant that we may be so united in their
sorrows as to share in their joys. You are God, living and
reigning forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
LUCY FILIPPINI
St. Lucy Filippini, founded the congregation which bears her
name. On her feast we pray:
Father: Let us pray. O God, You raised up blessed Lucy Filippini
to promote Christian piety among Your people and through her
established a new congregation in the Church to teach the young.
May we follow her teaching and example and attain to the rewards
of eternal life. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
FRANCIS DE SALES
The Salesians, though named after St. Francis de Sales, were
founded by St. John Bosco. St. Francis de Sales was a bishop of
Geneva; with St. Jane Frances de Chantal he founded the
Visitation Order of nuns. He was declared a Doctor of the Church
in 1877, and is the patron of writers and journalists.
Father: Let us pray. O God, You willed that the blessed
confessor-bishop Francis de Sales should become all things to all
men to save their souls. Fill us with the spirit of Your love, so
that, guided by the counsels of Your saint and aided by his
merits, we may come to the happiness of eternal life. Through
Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
JANE FRANCES
Patroness of Jane Frances, Jane, Janet, Chantal, Jayne, and
Janice is St. Jane Frances de Chantal, mother of four children
who founded the Visitation Order together with St. Francis de
Sales, her director. The prayer for her day is as follows:
Father: Let us pray. Almighty and merciful God, with the purpose
to add glory to Your Church through a new congregation founded by
Jane Frances de Chantal, You inflamed this saint with such a love
of Yourself that her wondrous strength of soul led her in the way
of perfection during her whole life. May her merits and prayers
bring us grace from heaven to overcome everything that hinders
us, for we are conscious of our own frailty and trust solely in
Your strength. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
A small plaque of St. Jane Frances de Chantal costs about $2.50
(from BER, see Abbreviations). A portrait from the Visitation
Convent in Turin is included in "The Face of the Saints" (from
PA, see Abbreviations).
IGNATIUS
The letters IHS or AMDG (Latin for: "All for the greater glory of
God") belong on the book cake for St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of
the Society of Jesus. A heart with three nails is appropriate,
too.
Father: Let us pray. O God, to promote the greater glory of Your
Name You reinforced the Church militant with a new army by means
of Ignatius; grant that we who do battle here on earth, with his
help and after his example, may deserve to be crowned with him in
heaven. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
A student portrait of the saint and the original death mask are
shown in "The Face of the Saints" by Wilhelm Schamoni (from PA,
see Abbreviations). A brief biography is "St. Ignatius Loyola" by
Rev. G. C. Treacy, S.J., ($.25 from PP, see Abbreviations). "St.
Ignatius and the Company of Jesus" by A. Derlith is a $2.00
nameday gift (from FSC, see Abbreviations). Medals ranging from
$1.50 to $10.00 can be purchased from The Little Art Shop (LAS,
see Abbreviations).
VINCENT DE PAUL
St. Vincent de Paul, a man of unbounded love for the poor and
unfortunate, is the patron of charitable societies, the Sisters
of Charity, the Congregation of the Missions, and the society
which bears his name and does such good work almost unnoticed in
parishes all over the world.
Father: Let us pray. O God, through Vincent de Paul You founded a
new congregation in the Church dedicated to the salvation of the
poor and the formation of the clergy. Fill us with the same
spirit that filled Your saint, so that we may love what he
cherished and practice what he taught. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
The finest statue of St. Vincent de Paul that we have seen is a
carved wood import costing $25.00 (from FP, see Abbreviations). A
contemporary hand-carved wood panel depicting St. Vincent comes
hand-colored and in a gold-leaf moulding for $35.00 (from FP, see
Abbreviations). Medals from $1.50 to $8.00 are available from
LAS, see Abbreviations.
LOUISE
With St. Vincent de Paul, St. Louise de Marillac founded the
Sisters of Charity. Their book cakes each bear a heart, the
source of love, courage, and devotion.
Father: Let us pray. O God, the Author of charity and its reward,
You raised up a new religious congregation in the Church under
the maternal guidance of Louise de Marillac. Grant that we may
merit the promised reward in heaven by practicing works of
charity here on earth. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
A copperplate engraving of St. Louise is found in "The Face of
the Saints" by Wilhelm Schamoni (from PA, see Abbreviations). A
hand-carved panel for $35.00 comes from FP, see Abbreviations. A
watercolor original may be ordered from Patronscraft (PC, see
Abbreviations). For $10.00 you can get a beautifully colored
enamel medal; different finishes are less expensive (from LAS,
see Abbreviations).
Variants of the name Louise are Louisa, Aloisia, Lois and
Lousine; in French, Aloyce, Heloise, Loiselle; Italian, Eloisa
and Luisa; German, Ludovica; Swedish, Lavisa; and Polish,
Ludoisia.
ALPHONSE MARY
St. Alphonsus de Liguori is the founder of the Congregation of
the Most Holy Redeemer, whose members are called Redemptorists.
He is the patron of boys called Alphonse, Alfonso, Alonso, and
Lonny. A wreath of edible roses, an angel, or a cross decorates
the book cake for St. Alphonsus' feastday.
Father: Let us pray. O God, in Your blessed confessor and bishop
Alphonsus Mary You enkindled a burning zeal for souls and by his
means caused Your Church to bring forth a new offspring; we pray
that we may learn from his wholesome teaching and be strengthened
by his example to make our way despite all obstacles into Your
presence. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
NORBERT
St. Norbert, bishop, founded a community of canons regular of
strict observance called Premonstratensians or Norbertines.
Father: Let us pray. O God, You made Norbert an outstanding
preacher of Your word and through him caused Your Church to bring
forth new offspring; grant that by his help we may be enabled to
practice what he taught by word and deed. Through Christ, our
Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
FRANCES XAVIER CABRINI
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American citizen to be
canonized, founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart.
Her body is enshrined in Fort Washington, New York City, a place
of family pilgrimage. She is the patron of Frances, Francesca,
Fanny, Francine, Francoise, Franchetta, Franchon, and Francella.
The heart cake or a heart on a book cake is used for her feast.
Medals and statues may be obtained from her shrine (see CAB, see
Abbreviations).
Father: Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, You enkindled the fire
of Your Sacred Heart in Frances Xavier so that she might win
souls for You in many lands and by her means established a new
religious congregation of women in Your Church. Grant that we too
may imitate the virtues of Your Sacred Heart through her
intercession so that we may be worthy of the haven of eternal
happiness. You are God, living and reigning forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
LOUIS MARY DE MONTFORT
St. Louis Grignion de Montfort founded the Society of Mary to
continue his work, and also a congregation of women called
Daughters of Wisdom. A cross or a rosary of silver dragees is
used to decorate his book cake. Medals and statues can be
obtained from ME, see Abbreviations.
Father: Let us pray. O God, You made Louis Mary, Your confessor
and admirable preacher of the Cross and the holy Rosary and
through him gave a new family to the Church; grant by his merits
and intercession and by the resurrection of Your only-begotten
Son that we may obtain the reward of eternal life. Through the
same Christ our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
ANGELA
St. Angela Merici formed a congregation under the patronage of
St. Ursula, the first teaching order of women to be established
in the Church. The members are called Ursulines. A small plaque
of St. Angela costs about $2.50 (from BER, see Abbreviations).
Father: Let us pray. O God, You instituted a new congregation of
holy virgins in the Church through Angela Merici. May her
intercession help us to practice the angelic virtues and renounce
earthly things for the sake of everlasting happiness. Through
Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
VIRGINIA ROSE
Girls called Virginia Rose have a patron in St. Euphrasia
Pelletier, who founded the Institute of Our Lady of Charity of
the Good Shepherd. Her baptismal name was Virginia Rose. The lamb
cake or the rose cake may be used on this feast.
Father: Let us pray. O God, by Your gift the blessed Mary
Euphrasia followed in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd. May we
imitate her example on earth to gain the rewards of heaven
promised to those who are merciful. Through the same Christ, our
Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
JOHN BAPTIST DE LA SALLE
St. John Baptist de la Salle founded the congregation of the
Brothers of Christian Schools for the education of the young. He
was declared the patron saint of schoolteachers in 1950.
Father: Let us pray. O God, You raised up Your confessor John
Baptist to promote the Christian education of the poor and to
confirm the young in the way of truth, inspiring him to gather
together a new family in the Church; grant us the grace that his
pleading and example may fire us with zeal to glorify You by
saving souls and enable us to become sharers of his crown in
heaven. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
PHILIP NERI
St. Philip founded the Congregation of the Oratory. The poet
Phyllis McGinley has written a delightful poem about him (see
Cream of the Jesters). Like all great founders, he rates a book
cake on his birthday into heaven.
Father: Let us pray. O God, Your confessor Philip You enthroned
in glory among Your saints; grant that we may, profit by the
example of his virtues in whose feast we are rejoicing. Through
Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
JULIANA
St. Juliana Falconieri is honored as the foundress of all women
religious of the Servite Order; the tertiaries are known as
Mantellates. The prayers for her feastday are compiled from the
Vesper hymn in her honor.
Father: Come, bride of Christ, receive the everlasting crown that
the Lord has prepared for you.
All: To have for spouse the Lamb of God,
O Juliana, thou didst seek;
For this thou didst go forth from home
To lead the choir of virgins meek.
Father: The pains of Christ upon the Cross
Both day and night thou didst deplore,
Till pierced with sword of bitter grief
Thy body, too, His likeness bore.
Father: Your lips overflow with gracious utterance.
All: The blessings God has granted you can never fail.
Father: Let us pray. O God, wonderfully did You refresh blessed
Juliana, Your virgin, on her deathbed with the precious Body of
Your Son. We pray You, through her merits, that when our last
hour shall come, we too may be comforted and strengthened and
safely guided by You to our heavenly home. Through the same
Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
PAUL OF THE CROSS
From his early years St. Paul of the Cross showed a great love
for our Savior's passion. He founded in Rome the Passionist
Congregation, which is devoted to preaching the mystery of the
Cross. Either the book cake or the cross cake is suitable on his
feast. A fifteen-cent pamphlet on his life is available (from PP,
see Abbreviations).
Father: Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, You endowed Saint Paul
with special charity to preach the mystery of the Cross and
willed that through him a new family should flourish in the
Church; grant us at his intercession that by keeping ever before
us in this life the memory of Your passion, we may become worthy
to partake of its fruits in heaven. You are God, living and
reigning forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
JOHN EUDES
St. John Eudes was a great "home missioner" in France and an
apostle of devotion to the Sacred Heart. He founded the Sisters
of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge, from whom sprang the Good
Shepherd nuns, and a congregation for the sanctification of the
clergy, who are called Eudists. Two hearts in honor of the Sacred
Hearts of Jesus and Mary are appropriate on his book cake.
Father: Let us pray. O God, You inflamed blessed John with
marvelous zeal to promote the public worship of the Hearts of
Jesus and Mary; grant that we who revere his godly merits may
also learn from the example of his virtues. Through the same
Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
DIANA, AMY AND CECILIA
These spiritual daughters of St. Dominic should be included here.
Their nameday dessert is a book cake with a rosary decoration.
Father: Let us pray. O God, You endowed the virgin Diana with
admirable fortitude of spirit and gave her Amy and Cecilia as her
companions in treading the path of evangelical perfection; grant
that we may be strengthened in difficulties by their example and
protected by their help in adversities. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
General Prayer for Other Founders
Father: Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, You endowed Your servant
N.... with special charity and were pleased that a new family
should flourish in Your Church through him (her). Grant that at
his (her) intercession we may become worthy to enjoy the
happiness of heaven. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Among the many founders and heads of religious communities whom
we cannot treat at further length are the following: Sts. Bridget
of Sweden, Mary Soledad, Blessed Mary Teresa de Soubiron, Anthony
Mary Claret, Felix, Josepha Rosello, Peter Fourier, Mary di Rosa,
Blessed Vincentia Lopez, Anthony Zaccaria, Blessed Anne Mary
Jahouvey, Mary Magdalen Postel, Camillus de Lellis, Jerome
Emiliani, Blessed Marguerite d'Youville, Bartholomea Capitanio,
Blessed Peter Julian Eymard, Blessed Joan Delanoue, Blessed
Beatrice da Silva, Mary de Mattias, Joan Antide Thouret, Mary
Michaela Desmaisieres, Elizabeth Bichier, Joseph Calasanctius,
Emily de Rodat, Blessed Teresa Couderc, Gaspar del Bufalo,
Blessed Raphaela Mary, Blessed Alix LeClercq, Stephen Harding,
Blessed Margaret Bourgeoys, Blessed Vincent Pallotti, Joan de
Lestonnac, Gilbert, Blessed Teresa Verzeri, St. John of God,
Ludovic Pavoni, Joseph Cottolengo, Magdalen di Canossa, Michael
Garicoits, Mary Mazzarello, Joachima de Mas y de Vedruna, Edith
of Polesworth, Ethel of Faremoutier, Etheldreda or Audrey, Frieda
or Frideswide, Bruno, Gertrude the Great, Hilda of Whitby,
Walburga, Scholastica, Paula, and Venerable Elizabeth Seton.
NUN'S LEMON LAYER CAKE
For all patronesses who were nuns and especially for great
foundresses we also suggest this delicious cake dessert. For it
you will need:
butter baking soda
sugar salt
eggs milk
cake flour lemon juice
Cream together 1/2 cup of butter until lemon-colored and light.
Gradually add 1-1/4 cups of sifted fine granulated sugar, and
cream until smooth. Add 2 well-beaten egg yolks, one at a time,
beating briskly after each addition. Sift twice and mix 2 cups of
cake flour with 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon of
salt. Add to this creamed mixture alternately with 1/2 cup of
cold milk and 2-3/4 tablespoons of unstrained lemon juice. Fold
in 3 stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour the batter into two buttered
and floured layer cake pans and bake in a moderate oven for about
30 minutes. Turn the layers out to cool on a cake rack. Put them
together later with lemon filling.
A lemon filling mix and a frosting mix are suggested here to save
space. Actually we prefer a homemade lemon filling and the seven-
minute frosting for this cake. However, any frosting may be used.
HOLY WOMEN
"Holy Women" is the title given to those who served God in the
married state and to penitents who were neither virgins nor
martyrs. St. Rita of Cascia, a widow who became an Augustinian
nun and was frequently wrapt in ecstasy, Margaret of Cortona,
Mary Magdalen and Veronica, the name traditionally given to the
woman who wiped Jesus' face on His way to Calvary, are examples.
Legends of the Madonna include the story of Mary Salome, who at
the crucifixion supported the Virgin Mother and was at the
resurrection with Mary Magdalen. Salome is shown in art with her
sons St. James the Greater and St. John the Evangelist. Mary
Cleophas also present at the crucifixion and resurrection, is
shown in art with her four saint sons, Jude, James the Less,
Simeon and Joseph Barsabas.
Many women saints were of noble birth: Clotilde, wife of King
Clovis, Hedwig, Flavia, and Melanie, a Roman patrician who
withdrew from the world with her husband to Jerusalem. The symbol
on her nameday cake is a pitcher--perhaps one from a set of
doll's dishes.
Widowed women opened many hospitals and monasteries in order to
devote their lives to charity and prayer. Among these holy women
are Paula, who retired from Rome to a hospital in Jerusalem; she
was a friend of St. Jerome, as was Marcella, whom he called "the
glory of the ladies of Rome." Adele founded a monastery as did
Emma, Bertha and Matilda (or Maude), wife of King Henry and
mother of Otto the Great.
Patron of housewives is St. Frances of Rome, whose symbol is an
angel. Monica was the mother of the world's greatest "problem
child," St. Augustine; his conversion was her life's work. Model
of very patient wives is Blessed Ida of Toggenberg, who, Attwater
says, was tossed out of a window by her husband. Delfina, patron
of Naples, was a Franciscan tertiary. Blessed Anne Marie Taigi,
wife of a servant, became adviser of great men in the Church and
state. A prayer for any in this class of saints would be:
Father: Let us pray. Hear us, O God our Savior, and grant that we
who are gladdened by the nameday of blessed N.... may learn from
her how to be lovingly devoted to You. Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
SCRIPTURAL SAINTS
Old Testament
DAVID
David is treated under the Most Popular Boys' Names.
RUTH
The name Ruth ranks high in popularity among names for girls
There is no New Testament saint of this name which was borne by
one of the more charming characters in the Old Testament, Ruth
the Moabitess, ancestress of King David. The Book of Ruth gives
one of the finest stories ever written. Ruth's feast is kept on
the Sunday before Christmas when all of our Lord's ancestors are
commemorated. Sheaves of wheat are her symbol.
For a nameday party a cake is baked in a "Star of David" pan, or
cookies are cut from a "Star of David" cutter (available from MS,
see Abbreviations). Another suggestion is an edible wafer cake
top with the Torah, seven candles and a six-pointed star (6-inch
size, 3 for $1.00, from MS, see Abbreviations). Bible balloons
can be used at a party for Ruth or for any other saint of the Old
Testament (also from MS).
Child: Dear heavenly patron N...., whose name I am proud to bear,
always pray to God for me. Confirm me in the faith. Strengthen me
in virtue. Defend me in the fight that I may be able to conquer
the evil one and obtain eternal glory.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
SARAH
The first baker mentioned in holy Scripture is Sarah (Gen. 18:6).
When Abraham, her husband, told her to make cakes upon the
hearth, he said: "Make ready three measures of fine meal,"
suggesting perhaps that there were cake and bread flours even
then. Sarah means "princess," so a crown cake may be used on her
feast. She is referred to in the marriage blessing of the nuptial
Mass. Sally and Sadie are variants of Sarah.
ESTHER
Esther, Jewish wife of a Persian king, saved her people from
massacre by Haman. A crown cake in remembrance of her queenship
is appropriate, or else a star dessert to commemorate her name
which in Persian means "star." In Hebrew it means "myrtle"; she
is the patroness of girls of that name. In her honor at Purim,
the Jewish festival of mirth and memories, Hamantaschen are
baked; these are three-cornered pieces of sweet dough shaped like
hangman's hoods filled with prune jam and baked. They recall
Haman's destruction. Dutch Jews bake "Little Hamans," or
gingerbread men. Recipes are given in "The Jewish Holiday
Cookbook" by L. W. Leonard, available in public libraries.
JUDITH
Judith saved the Jewish people by slaying the general Holofernes,
an episode which is a favorite with Renaissance painters. A
number of the texts for Our Lady's feasts are taken from the Book
of Judith.
Father: A new hymn will I sing to the Lord, My God.
All: Great and glorious, Lord, are You; there is no outmatching
Your wondrous power.
Father: Let all Your creatures do You service. Were they not made
at Your word, fashioned by a breath from You?
All: When You command, none but must obey.
Father: Great is he who fears the Lord in all His doings great.
All: Blessed Judith, pray for us.
OTHER OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS
The Old Testament contains many beautiful names and patrons.
Rachel, meaning "ewe lamb," was "dear to her husband," and
Rebecca, wife of Isaac, was "prudent," as we read in the Nuptial
Mass. There were Adah (Gen. 4:19); Abigail, wife of David (1 Sam.
25); Naomi, Ruth's mother-in-law; Leah, the sister of Rachel and
wife of Jacob; Dinah, his daughter; Jemima, daughter of Job;
Daniel, the great prophet; Jeremias, Elias, and Joel, also
prophets. Jeremy and Ellis are English forms of Jeremias and
Elias respectively. Samuel was one of Israel's first prophets.
NEW TESTAMENT
THECLA
Thecla, a convert of St. Paul, is the protomartyr of women. In
art her symbols are a serpent to commemorate her imprisonment in
a dungeon surrounded by serpents, a lion, and wild beasts. The
lion cake could be used for her feast. El Greco's "The Virgin
with Thecla and Inez" costs $5.00 from NGA, see Abbreviations.
Father: Let us pray. Grant, we pray You, almighty God, that we
who keep the birthday of blessed Thecla, Your virgin and martyr,
may both rejoice in her yearly festival and profit by the example
of such great faith. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
MARY MAGDALEN
Mary Magdalen's story is covered in the Gospel of St. Luke,
chapter 13, and St. John 20:14-16. Her name means "Mary of
Magdala," a place near the Sea of Galilee, but by association it
connotes "penitent."
Father: Let us pray. May the prayers of Mary Magdalen help us, O
Lord, for it was in answer to them that You called her brother
Lazarus back from the grave to life four days after his death.
You live and reign forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Mary Magdalen's symbol is a jar of ointment in reference to her
anointing of the feet of Jesus. A Renaissance gilt bronze
plaquette mounted on dark blue velvet and ready for hanging, can
be had for $7.50 (from NGA, see Abbreviations). Local museums
carry color reproductions of Mary Magdalen in scenes of the
crucifixion for as little as a quarter.
VERONICA
St. Veronica is remembered for having wiped the face of Jesus on
His way to Calvary. She is the patroness of Berenice, for her
name in Greek is Berenike, "victory-bringer."
A 2 x 2 color slide of Memling's "St. Veronica" costs $.35 (from
NGA, see Abbreviations). The same color reproduction, framed in a
11 x 14 size costs $5.00, as does Feti's "The Veil of Veronica."
OTHER NEW TESTAMENT NAMES
The New Testament presents many patrons and patronesses: Lois and
the highly praised Eunice, grandmother and mother of Timothy
respectively (2 Tim. 1:5; Acts 17); Dorcas or Tabitha, whose
symbol is a heart because it denotes her charity (Acts 9:36);
Lydia, dyer of purple, St. Paul's first European convert (Rom.
16:1-2); Damaris, another convert (Acts 17:34); Bernice (Acts
15:13); Priscilla, who is mentioned three times (Acts 18:3-19;
Rom. 16:3-5; 1 Cor. 16:19); Rhoda, who dashed to tell of Peter's
release from prison while he waited at the door (Acts 12:13);
Phoebe, a deaconess (Rom. 16:1-2); Claudia, who had Paul give her
greetings to Timothy (2 Tim. 4:2); and Chloe, a woman of Corinth
(1 Cor. 1:22).
For boys there is Denis, a convert (Acts 17:34); Titus, great
bishop of Crete; Jason (Acts 15:15); Silas, principal companion
of St. Paul (Acts 1:19); and Timothy, his "beloved son in faith."
And, of course, there are the Apostles, who are treated under
Apostles.
The cross cake or cross cookies are appropriate for these
followers of Christ who obeyed His invitation: "If anyone wishes
to come after Me, let him take up his cross and follow Me" (Mark
8:34)
SCRIPTURE CAKE
This cake was contributed to a New England church fair contest by
some unknown little Yankee girl who knew her Bible well.
1 cup of butter Judges 5:25 milk
2 cups of sugar Jeremiah 6:20 sweet cane from a
far place
3-1/2 cups of flour 1 Kings 5:2 Solomon's provisions
2 cups of figs 1 Samuel 30:12 cake of pressed figs
2 cups of raisins 1 Samuel 30:12 two clusters of raisins
1 cup of water Genesis 24:22 drinking by camels
1 cup of almonds Genesis 43:11 almonds
6 eggs Isaiah 10:14 as one gathered eggs
1/4 teaspoon of salt Leviticus 2:13 every meal seasoned w/salt
2 tbsp. of honey Exodus 16:13 manna, like wafers
made with honey
1 tsp. of cinnamon 1 Kings 10:2 Sheba came with spices
1/4 tsp. of allspice
1/4 tsp. of mace
1/4 tsp. of ginger
Follow Solomon's advice for making good boys: BEAT WELL (Prov.
23:14).
Cream butter and sugar. Stir in half the amount of sifted flour.
Chop figs and raisins in a cup of hot water. Blanch, chop and add
the almonds. Beat egg yolks, and stir in honey. Beat egg whites
with a pinch of salt until they stand in peaks. Combine yolks and
honey alternately with remaining flour sifted with salt and
spices. Stir in egg whites lightly. Beat, with an electric mixer
if possible. Turn the batter into a large rectangular pan lined
with wax paper. Bake at 375 degrees for about 50 minutes or until
the cake is browned on top and begins to stand away from the
sides of the pan. Cool. Cut into diamond shapes. The Star of
David pan may be used (from MS, see Abbreviations).
SPECIAL PATRONS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
AGNES
St. Agnes, one of the most popular saints, has always been
regarded as a special patron of purity. Her name is commemorated
every day in the Canon of the Mass. The lamb cake is especially
fitting on her feastday.
Father: The Lord is King of virgins.
All: Come, let us adore Him.
Father: Let us pray. O almighty and everlasting God, who chose
the weak things of the world to confound the strong, grant that
we who celebrate the solemnity of Your virgin-martyr Agnes may
experience her intercession. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
{Musical notation cannot be displayed in ASCII text.}
Beautiful! God alone
Called this lovely maid His own.
Dear little Agnes, prison bands
Clattered from her slender hands.
Fair martyr, Agnes, at the nod
Of a tyrant died for God.
On her nameday in St. Agnes Church in Rome two white lambs are
offered at the sanctuary rail and are blessed. They are cared for
until the time for shearing. Out of their wool are woven the
pallia which are laid upon the altar in the "Confessio" at St.
Peter's Basilica, immediately over the body of the Apostle. These
pallia are sent to new archbishops "from the body of blessed
Peter" in token of the jurisdiction they derive from the Holy
See.
St. Agnes' story is best given in "Butler's Lives of the Saints"
(from PJK, see Abbreviations). A reproduction of Paolo Veronese's
"Sacra Conversazione, Madonna and Child surrounded by Sts.
Lawrence, Agnes and Antony" hangs in the Isaac Delgado Museum of
Art, New Orleans, Louisiana.
For a home altar or shrine an original plaque of great beauty,
the work of a Belgian artist, may be special ordered (from CCA,
see Abbreviations) for about $10.00. These take time to be
shipped from abroad but are well worth waiting for. A liturgical
plaque costs $1.00 (from CCA, see Abbreviations). The Little Art
Shop has medals ranging from $1.50 to $12.50 for bright enameled
ones from France. They also carry a reproduction of Dolci's "St.
Agnes with a Lamb" for $4.00 (LAS, see Abbreviations).
A beautifully carved statue of St. Agnes in the mission of Santa
Inez near Solvang, California, where Indians still come for their
great festivals, is a place of pilgrimage for families on tour of
the Southwest.
Different forms of the name are: Spanish, Inez; Portuguese, Ines;
Danish, Agnete; and Italian, Agnese.
GERARD MAJELLA
Pope Leo XIII referred to St. Gerard Majella as "one of those
angelic youths whom God has given to the world as models for
men." In his short life of twenty-nine years he became the most
famous wonder-worker of the eighteenth century. A tailor by
trade, Gerard entered the newly founded Congregation of the Most
Holy Redeemer and his sanctity was recognized by St. Alphonsus
Liguori, who shortened his novitiate. As a Redemptorist lay-
brother Gerard had a genius for bringing sinners to repentance.
Father: let us pray. O God, it was Your good pleasure to draw St.
Gerard to Yourself from his youth and to make him like unto the
image of Your crucified Son. Grant to us, we beg of You, that
following his example we too may be transformed into that image.
Through the same Christ our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers; Christ reigns!
LUCY
Among the most illustrious martyrs whom the Church venerates is
the young martyr St. Lucy, whose name occurs in the Canon of the
Mass. Possibly because her name suggests "light," she was invoked
during the Middle Ages by those suffering from eye trouble. In
Sweden and at Swedish gatherings in this country on Santa Lucia
day, she is honored by a young girl dressed in flowing gown and
wearing on her head a wreath with four lighted candles. She is
the patron of Lucia, Lucille, Lucilla, Lulu, Lucie, and Lucinda.
Around the cake for martyrs (see Strawberry Frosted Layer Cake)
is placed a wreath with four lighted candles. A crown cake may
also be used. Her symbol, a lamp, can be used on place-cards.
Father: Let us pray. Hear us, O God our Savior, so that we who
find joy in the festival of Your virgin-martyr Lucy may learn
from her the spirit of godly service. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
St. Lucy with her palm of martyrdom, a reproduction in 8 x 10
size, is available for $.25 (from NGA, see Abbreviations).
Another by Veneziano sells for $4.00 (from LAS, see
Abbreviations). An original watercolor can be ordered for $35.00
(from PC, see Abbreviations). A handsome statue cost $8.50 (from
RC, see Abbreviations).
ALOYSIUS
St. Aloysius Gonzaga, model of innocence, piety and penance, is
patron of youth and students. A Jesuit, he died at the age of
twenty-three. His symbols are a lily and a crucifix. The lilies
to top a nameday cake come in the form of icing (from MS, see
Abbreviations); they also have a cross cake pan in which to bake
St. Aloysius; nameday cake. A crown cake might also be used to
denote the rank which he renounced to enter the Society of Jesus.
His symbols are incorporated in a small plaque from Germany which
can be bought for $1.00 (from CCA, see Abbreviations).
Father: Let us pray. O God, in distributing Your heavenly gifts
You united in the angelic youth Aloysius wonderful innocence of
life with an equal spirit of penance; grant through his merits
and prayers that we who have not followed him in innocence may
imitate him in penance. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
DOROTHY
St. Dorothy was racked, scourged and beheaded in Cappadocia. Her
symbols are a basket of fruit and flowers, which are incorporated
in a copper mold for her nameday dessert. The symbols can be
worked out by tiny fruit and edible flowers (from MS, see
Abbreviations). At big railroad stations one frequently finds
boxes of candy in flower and fruit designs.
Father: Let us pray. O Lord, pardon our sins through the
intercession of Your virgin-martyr Dorothy, who pleased You by
her purity and her faith. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
1. "Send me roses and apples red
Culled from Paradise," Theophilus said;
And Dorothy died, with promise given
She would send him gifts from heaven.
2. "Dorothy sends you, " the angel said,
"Paradise apples and these roses red."
Then Theophilus died, that he might go
Where such fruit and flowers grow.
St. Dorothy is one of the saints around the bedside in "The Death
of St. Clare," a painting by the Master of Heiligenkreuz. A
framed 11 x 14 reproduction costs $5.00 (from NGA, see
Abbreviations). Patronscraft does a lovely watercolor for $35.00
(see PC, see Abbreviations).
St. Dorothy is the patroness of Dorothea, Doris and Dora.
MARIA GORETTI
Comparing the martyr Maria Goretti to St. Agnes, Pope Pius XII in
1950, the year of her canonization, remarked that "the delicate
grace of these adolescent girls might make us overlook their
courage; yet strength is the virtue of virgins and martyrs." The
crown cake or the dessert for martyrs (see Martyrs' Chiffon
Dessert) is appropriate today.
Father: Let us pray. O God, among the other miracles of Your
power You gave even to the weaker sex the victory of martyrdom;
grant that we who celebrate the heavenly birthday of Maria, Your
virgin-martyr, may by her example draw nearer to You. Through
Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
"Cinderella Saint" is a 25-cent biographical account of Maria
Goretti written by Rev. Kenan Carey, C.P. (available from PP, see
Abbreviations). A statue of her is available for about $10.00
(from CCA, see Abbreviations).
EDMUND
St. Edmund Rich, another model for youth, as a student promised
Our Lady that he would live a life of purity in her honor. Edmund
sealed his promise by placing one ring on his own finger and
another on the finger of her statue. He became archbishop of
Canterbury and died in France. The prayer on his feast day is
under Confessor-Bishops.
DOMINIC SAVIO
Born the son of peasants in 1842, Dominic Savio became a student
of St. John Bosco and aspired to the priesthood. He died at the
age of fifteen. His brief life had been the "little way" of
today's saints--doing even the smallest things in the light of
the love of God. Don Bosco wrote Dominic's biography, and to him
we owe our knowledge of the details of his saintly life.
A small booklet, Dominic Savio, medals and statues are available
from SF, see Abbreviations. St. Dominic's emblem, the lily,
signifies his purity of heart. Icing lilies are used on a heart
cake for this feast (from MS, see Abbreviations).
JOHN BERCHMANS
Patron of altar boys, St. John Berchmans was another young Jesuit
who was noted for his purity and modesty; he died at the age of
twenty-two. His nameday cake and shield bear the letters AMDG,
his Society's motto: "All for the greater glory of God." A crown
cake is served on his feastday, or a cake topped by a boy doll
dressed as an altar boy.
Father: With him early achievement counted for long
apprenticeship (Wis. 4:13).
All: So well the Lord loved him, from a corrupt world He would
grant him swift release.
Father: Let us pray. Grant, Lord God, that in serving You we may
follow the same pattern of innocence and loyalty with which the
angelic youth John Berchmans hallowed the springtime of his life.
Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
For a pilgrimage there is a shrine to St. John Berchmans at the
College of the Sacred Heart, Grand Coteau, Louisiana. Medals for
altar boys and for his namesakes are available from LAS, see
Abbreviations.
THERESE
St. Therese of the Child Jesus, known as the "Little Flower," is
the patroness of all foreign missions. She has never ceased to
fulfill her promise: "I will pass my heaven in doing good on
earth." Her cult has had phenomenal extension and influence. Her
nameday dessert is the Rose Petal Coconut Cake, in memory of how
she fulfilled her dying words: "I will let fall a shower of roses
after my death." The book cake could also be used to commemorate
"The Story of a Soul," which she wrote two years before her death
at the age of twenty-four.
Father: Let us pray. O Lord, You said: "Unless you become as
little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."
Grant us so to follow in humility and simplicity of heart the
footsteps of the virgin Therese that we may obtain everlasting
reward. You are God, living and reigning forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
The National Shrine of the Little Flower in Chicago contains the
most noteworthy collection of her relics outside of France. Other
places of pilgrimage to which parents and godparents may take
their nameday children are Shrines of the Little Flower, Royal
Oak, Michigan; San Antonio, Texas; and Nashville, Rhode Island.
A charming biography, "The Little Flower," by Rev. Joseph
McSorley, C.S.P., costs only $.15 (from PP, see Abbreviations).
Especially suited for teen-agers is "A Little Queen's Request" by
Sister Jean Helen ($3.00, from SSJ, see Abbreviations).
Reproductions of an original untouched photograph of St. Therese
and a French medal can be ordered from LAS, see Abbreviations.
From the same source comes a painting with the thorns so apparent
under her sandals. An Italian woodcarving of the saint costs
about $25.00 (from FP, see Abbreviations). You can obtain a
signed Serraz sculpture for about $10.00 (from CCA, see
Abbreviations). A tiny Therese seated in her cloister garden
costs $6.50 (from RC, see Abbreviations).
Parents with a daughter named Therese will want to read "The
Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux," translated by Monsignor
Ronald Knox, to enhance their storytelling (from RC, see
Abbreviations).
CHRISTINA
A valiant martyr was St. Christina, who as a child of ten
despised the idols of Etruscan paganism. Her nameday desserts are
the crown cake and the martyr's cake (see Strawberry Frosted
Layer Cake). The sword is her symbol. A medal can be ordered from
LAS, see Abbreviations.
Father: Come, bride of Christ.
All: Receive the crown which the Lord has prepared for you for
all eternity.
Father: Let us pray. We beseech You, Lord, that the virgin-martyr
Christina may implore for us forgiveness; she was ever pleasing
to You by the merit of chastity and the confession of Your power.
Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
STANISLAUS (STANLEY)
St. Stanislaus Kostka, a Polish Jesuit seminarian, was
distinguished for his purity and innocence. He died as a novice
at only eighteen years of age. On his feastday icing lilies are
used on the cake (available from MS, see Abbreviations); an
alternative would be to write the letters AMDG (the Jesuit motto:
"All for the greater glory of God") on the cake with "Cake-Mate"
(available from MS, see Abbreviations).
Father: Let us pray. O God, among other marvels of Your wisdom
You gave even to those of tender age the grace of mature
holiness; grant, we pray, that following the example of
Stanislaus, we may avail ourselves of the time we have to apply
ourselves to work and make haste to enter into eternal rest.
Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
A portrait of St. Stanislaus by Scipio Delfini from the Castle of
St. Symphorian, Isere, is given in "The Face of the Saints" by
Wilhelm Schamoni (from PA, see Abbreviations).
BERNADETTE
At fourteen, Marie Bernadette Soubirous witnessed eighteen
apparitions of Our Lady at Lourdes. Her life was spent as a
Sister of Charity at Nevers. A tiny statue of Our Lady of Lourdes
or a rosary may be used to decorate the nameday cake.
Father: Let us pray. O God, protector and lover of the humble,
You have bestowed upon Marie Bernadette the favor of beholding
the Immaculate Virgin Mary and of conversing with her. Grant
that, walking through the simple paths of faith, we may deserve
to behold You in heaven. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
A lovely statue of St. Bernadette in a shepherd's dress and
clogs, with a lamb in her arms, costs about $10.00 (from CCA, see
Abbreviations).
IMELDA
"Flower of the Holy Eucharist" is the title of Blessed Imelda,
patron of first communicants. In the Dominican convent of Bologna
where she lived, a radiant Host, miraculously suspended in the
air above Imelda's head, was given to her as her first Communion.
The happy child closed her eyes and breathed forth her soul to
make endless thanksgiving in heaven.
Father: Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, who, wounding the virgin
Imelda with the fire of Your love and miraculously feeding her
the immaculate Host, did receive her into heaven, grant us
through her intercession to approach the holy table with the same
fervor of charity that we may long to be dissolved and deserve to
be with You. You are God, living and reigning forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
BEATRICE
St. Beatrice was martyred at Rome with her brother Simplicius.
Both have the nameday dessert Martyrs' Chiffon Dessert.
Father: Let us pray. O Lord, all Christian nations joyfully unite
today to celebrate the feast of Your martyr Beatrice. Grant that
we may rejoice in it all through eternity and share the triumph
of Your saint which we commemorate. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
MARTYRS AND SAINTS OF GREAT BRITAIN
Martyrs of England! still be near us;
Make us steadfast in hope and faith.
Martyrs of England! let naught deride us
From love of Jesus in life and death. Amen.
Four centuries ago an illustrious band of Englishmen sacrificed
their lives because they would not deny the supremacy of the
Pope. Said Blessed John Houghton, the first to be put to death:
"Seeing that Jesus Christ gave spiritual power to His vicars by
the words: 'I will give to thee the keys of heaven,' and no
doctor has ever asserted these words to be spoken save to St.
Peter only, which power is derived from him to the other
apostles, and subsequently to the Pope and bishops--how could
these words be so understood of a king, a layman and a secular
person?"
The great Christian humanist Thomas More refused to recognize the
king's sovereignty as spiritual head of the Anglican Church and
died with a heroism full of good humor and simplicity. His friend
Holbein has left a painting to show what a saint really looks
like. For lawyers who claim him as their patron and for boys
named after him, an excellent nameday gift is a color print from
the Frick Collection (see FC, see Abbreviations). An 8 x 10 print
costs only $.30; a 29 x 23 costs $15.00.
St. John Fisher, chaplain to the queen and chancellor of
Cambridge University, was bishop of Rochester. His refusal to
take the oath required of English bishops led to his imprisonment
in the Tower of London, where he received the cardinal's hat
shortly before his martyrdom.
Martyrs suffered in the reign of Henry VIII because they rejected
his spiritual supremacy; in the time of Elizabeth they suffered
for another reason. Not only was holy Mass prohibited, but it was
treason for a priest to remain in England or for anyone to assist
him. Consequently, many laymen and priests were martyred. (Only
Thomas More and John Fisher have been canonized.) Among them were
courageous women, such as Anne Line, hanged at Tyburn, and
Margaret Clitherow, who was pressed to death at York.
Our favorite English martyr is Edmund Campion, S.J., who is
immortalized in Robert Hugh Benson's book, "Come Rack, Come
Rope." Children named Brian have patrons in Brian Lacey, a
layman, and Brian Caulfield, a Jesuit. Another interesting name
is Everard (Eberhard) after Blessed Everard Hanse, a converted
Protestant minister who became a priest in Rheims and was
butchered at Tyburn for his priesthood. An imported plaque of
Edmund Campion costs $3.50 (AMS, see Abbreviations).
Other English martyrs include Oliver Plunkett, archbishop of
Armagh, who was hanged, drawn and quartered in the persecution
and whose relics are enshrined at Downside Abbey; Roger James, a
Benedictine, whose given name is rendered for the Gaelic Rory and
for the English Roy; George Gervase; Miles Gerard; Christopher
Bales; Ralph Sherwin; Maurus Scott; David Lewis; Humphrey
Middlemore; Walter Pierson; Robert Southwell, a Jesuit missionary
to England and poet; Thurston Hunt; Arthur Bell; and Nicholas
Owen, Jesuit lay-coordinator who saved countless priests by
devising hiding places for them. Arthur Bell would be the patron
for boys named Arthur since there is no saint having that name.
Boys called Howard, a name often given in families of Irish
extraction, will be happy to find two patrons: Philip Howard,
earl of Arundel, and his grandson, William Howard, viscount of
Stafford. The crown dessert (see Crown Cake) carries a double
significance on their feastday: their royalty and the reward of
their martyrdom. Other beatified martyrs are Sidney Hodgson;
Germain Gardiner; Eustace White; Richard Gwen, first martyr of
Wales; and Sir Adrian Fortescue, Knight of the Bath and of St.
John and a tertiary of St. Dominic.
Nameday desserts for these martyrs are Strawberry Frosted Layer
Cake and Martyrs' Chiffon Dessert. A common symbol for them is
the palm.
Prayer of the Beatified Martyrs
Father: Let us pray. Grant, almighty God, that we who admire in
Your martyr N.... the courage of his glorious confession may
witness in ourselves the power of his intercession. O God, who
glorifies those who glorify You and who are honored in the
honoring of Your saints, by the solemn judgment of Your Church
glorify the blood of martyrs put to death in England for the
testimony of Jesus, who lives and reigns forever.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
For more detailed prayers, we suggest a booklet, "Prayers to the
English Martyrs," with a calendar of dates of their martyrdom by
Rev. W. Raemers, C.SS.R. (from RC, see Abbreviations).
OTHER SAINTS OF GREAT BRITAIN
When we were children growing up in New England, we used to
lament the naming of cousins with such "Yankee" names as Mildred
because we had never heard of the wonderful women saints who
ruled monasteries of men as well as women and who were the glory
of early English Christianity. The abbess Mildred of Thanet was
one of them. A church cake or a tiny church placed atop a book
cake can be used on the feast of an abbess. Mildred's particular
attribute is a crosier bearing a pendant white veil. Patronscraft
produces a watercolor painting of St. Mildred on special order
for about $35.00 (see PC, see Abbreviations).
St. Etheldreda is the patron of Audrey (a contraction); Ethel
founded and governed the monastery at Ely; Edith of Wilton was
professed at the age of fifteen; Hilda of Whitby, St. Bede tells
us, "inspired much love there"; and Frideswide, patron of Frieda,
founded a nunnery at Oxford and is patron of the university
there.
For these sainted nuns a book cake or church cake is used. For
their feastday pray:
Father: Let us pray. O God, our Savior, hear our prayer and let
us learn the spirit of true devotion from Your virgin N.... as we
joyfully celebrate her feast. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Alban the Fair, patron of Albion, was a layman and protomartyr of
Britain. St. Boniface, English Benedictine, became apostle to
Germany, where he labored for thirty years before his martyrdom.
The axe, the instrument of their martyrdom, is the symbol for
these two The dessert for martyrs (see Martyrs' Chiffon Dessert)
or the crown cake is used on their feasts. The prayer under
Martyr-Bishops is said for St. Alban's day, and that of a martyr-
bishop, for St. Boniface's feast.
St. Donald was a Scot. His nameday cake is decorated with nine
stars to denote his nine daughters who lived under his rule in
the Glen of Ogilvie. His prayer is under Confessors.
St. Gwenifrewi is patroness of Gwen, Wendy, Gwendolyn, Winifred
(English form), and Una (Gaelic form). Guinevere and Jennifer are
also derived from this name. Her symbol is a fountain.
BISHOPS OF GREAT BRITAIN
England was blessed with illustrious saintly bishops. Among them
are St. Augustine (Austin) of Canterbury; Bede the Venerable,
father of English history; Anselm, who is dealt with under
Doctors of the Church; Hugh of Lincoln and Chad of Litchfield,
whose relics rest in Birmingham Cathedral and whose attribute is
a branch. St. Wilfrid ruled the see of York; Theodore occupied
the throne of Canterbury, as did Dunstan. St. Cuthbert, wonder-
worker of Britain, was bishop of Lindisfarne; David, patron saint
of Wales, governed the see of Minervia.
St. Kentigern, first bishop of Glasgow, was called by the pet
name "darling" (Mungo in Gaelic). A ring and a fish distinguish
him in art. St. Brice was the bishop of Tours and could serve as
patron for Bruce.
The common dessert for bishop-saints is the lamb cake, to signify
their role as shepherds of the faithful. A mitre and crosier are
their symbols. The prayer for their feasts is under Confessor-
Bishops.
FAITH OF OUR FATHERS
Faith of our fathers, living still,
In spite of dungeon, fire and sword:
Oh, how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene'er we hear that glorious word.
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.
Our fathers, chained in prisons dark,
Were still in heart and conscience free:
How sweet would be their children's fate,
If they, like them, could die for thee!
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.
GAELIC NAMES AND IRISH SAINTS
John Cardinal Newman wrote: "The book of life alone is large
enough to hold the names of the Irish multitude of saints." With
this in mind, the reader may expect here but a glimpse of a few
whose lives are recorded in "Butler's Lives of the Saints."
"Over most of our saints' lives," wrote Canon O'Hanlon in "Lives
of the Irish Saints," "the impenetrable mist of the ages has
fallen." It is disconcerting to be reminded of this when saints
so attractive, and indeed so thrilling, judged by historical
evidence and legends, come up for consideration.
PATRICK
St. Patrick, the national apostle of Ireland, is treated under
Most Popular Girls' Names (see Patricia).
KEVIN
No one in Ireland except Patrick, it is said, received more
favors from God than Kevin, the "pure bright warrior," abbot of
Glendalough in Wicklow, patron of Dublin. Attwater says "he lived
so austerely that the branches of the trees sang sweet songs to
him, and heavenly music alleviated the austerity of his life."
Glendalough is one of Erin's four great places of pilgrimage.
Many legends anticipating those of St. Francis tell of Kevin's
love for animals, an ideal in contrast to the barbarism of his
age. There is a legend set to music by Samuel Lover and sung by
Burl Ives entitled "In Glendalough There Lived a Young Saint"; it
is included in the collection "Irish Songs" (from IR, see
Abbreviations). The song tells of the temptation of the youth
Kevin by "Kathleen of the wicked blue eyes." As you may guess,
"Kevin landed Kate in a watery bed" in the lake. The same sources
offers a $1.75 book on "St. Kevin."
Suggested for dessert on St. Kevin's day is a book cake or a
church (MS, see Abbreviations) on a cake to denote his scholastic
and monastic establishment, famous throughout Europe for three
centuries. The crosier symbol can be used to denote his authority
and jurisdiction as abbot. You might wish to bring out his love
for creation by a cake in a lamb or rabbit mold (from MS, see
Abbreviations), or by placing wild animals of icing atop a cake
(also from MS--six for $.65).
Father: Let us pray. May the intercession of Your abbot Kevin, O
Lord, commend us to You, that what by our own merits we cannot
obtain, we may receive through his patronage. Through Christ, our
Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers. Christ reigns!
A handsome original watercolor of St. Kevin can be obtained from
Patronscraft (see PC, see Abbreviations). LAS has medals of St.
Kevin.
The Irish loved abbots; in Gaelic they called the pope "abbot of
Rome"; the devil, "abbot of hell"; and our Lord, "Abbot of the
blessed in heaven." The above prayer (changing the proper name)
is said on the feast of St. Kenneth (Canice), in whose honor the
Cathedral of Kilkenny was built. The same prayer is said for St.
Columban of Luxeuil and Bobbio, greatest of the Irish
missionaries to Europe, whose attribute is a bear; for St.
Brendan the Navigator, friend of St. Columcille, whose emblem is
a ship; and for St. Columcille, patron of Colin and Colum, who
made Iona a great spiritual center and became a famous saint of
Scotland. St. Adamnan, "little Adam," patron of boys called Adam,
spoke of St. Columcille as "holy in deed, great in counsel and
personal attractiveness." St. Gerald headed an abbey called Mayo
of the Saxon. St. Fintan is called the "Irish counterpart of St.
Benedict" in a preserved tractate; his name is borne proudly in
our family.
Other abbots include Sts. Angus, who wrote a metrical hymn on the
saints; Conal; Cormac, anglicized Charles; Diarmuid or Dermot the
Just; and Blessed Christian, first abbot of Mellefont, whose name
in Irish is Gilchrist (meaning servant of Christ).
KIERAN
Our Uncle Pat used to say: "There is no sense in my telling you
that there was a great saint in Ireland before St. Patrick
because you wouldn't believe it." The saint was Kieran, who
christianized the South before Patrick. Then Uncle would add:
"Sure, if you can't believe that, there is no sense in my telling
you that he was one of us O'Driscolls." Years afterwards his son,
while studying at Yale and later in Dublin, discovered that
Kieran did teach the faith in Ireland before St. Patrick. In
tradition Kieran is represented as an Irish John the Baptist.
Kieran's well is the oldest Christian relic in Great Britain.
(Another pre-Patrician saint is St. Declan, bishop; his main
church is at Ardmore, Waterford.)
In art St. Kieran is shown against a cruciform with a crosier in
his hand and a lamb at his feet. A good reproduction can be found
in the "Capuchin Annual," 1956-57 (from IR, see Abbreviations).
St. Kieran is the patron of Ciaran, Cary, and Kerry.
Father: Let us pray. Grant we beseech You, O God, that the
celebration of the feast of Your confessor-bishop Kieran may
increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through Christ,
our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
With a change of name this prayer is said for Sts. Declan;
Malachy O'More, Erin's first formally canonized saint and
archbishop of Armagh; Laurence O'Toole, archbishop of Dublin,
whose name in Gaelic is Lorcan; Fergus, missionary bishop to
Scotland; and Finbar who founded the city and see of Cork at the
mouth of the River Lee the diminutive form of his name, Bairre,
gives us the English Barry.
There is St. Flannan of Killaloe, Jarlath of Tuam, Conleth of
Kildare, and Aidan of Lindisfarne (a middle name of our youngest
child). St. Bede wrote: "The highest recommendation of Aidan's
teaching to all was that he and his followers lived as they
taught."
Blessed Thaddeus McCarthy, who died in Italy, and Tierney were
bishops. Ternan, a patron for Terence, was an early missionary
bishop who evangelized the Picts. Mel was a celebrated bishop of
Ardagh, and Celsus was archbishop of Armagh who gave the veil to
St. Brigid. Murtagh, bishop of Killala, is a patron of Mortimer,
Morgan, and Meredith (from the Welsh Maredudd). The prayer for
these saints is under Confessor-Bishops.
When the English forced the Irish to give up their native tongue,
English equivalents were used for similar sounding Gaelic names.
Lads of Irish extraction who now bear Scriptural names like
Daniel, Timothy, Jeremiah and Cornelius had ancestors who were
called Donal, Teague, Diarmuid, and Conor. Eamon is Edmund; Brian
is used for Bernard; Rory is Roger or Roderick. No saint is
listed for Desmond, a fairly common Irish name.
DYMPHNA
Events in the life of the celebrated virgin St. Dymphna, martyred
at Gheel by her father, are depicted there in a set of twenty
panels said to be the work of Memling. They form a unique
pictorial biography. His paintings incorporate events from her
legend which must have been accepted in his time. For centuries
St. Dymphna has been invoked against diseases of the mind; a
community has grown up to care for the sick who even today are
brought by the hundreds to her shrine. The prayer for her feast
is that of a virgin-martyr.
NORA (NOREEN)
O'Hanlon's "Lives of the Irish Saints" lists Onora, wife of St.
Efflam, an Irish chieftain, with whom she left Ireland and lived
in exile in Brittany. The Normans called her Annora. Both are
feminine forms of Honorius. A chapel in her honor is in use today
at St. Malo.
Father: Let us pray. Hear our prayer, O God our Savior, and let
us learn the spirit of devotion from blessed Nora as we joyfully
celebrate her feast. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
BRIGID
Largely it was the courage and confidence of women who made St.
Patrick's mission an immediate and comprehensive success. In this
respect he was like our Lord and St. Paul.
St. Brigid, greatest of Ireland's women saints, is patroness of
newborn babies and nuns. Anglicization has caused her name to be
confused with Bridget or Brigitta, celebrated Swedish foundress.
Melbride, "servant of Brigid," is a lovely name for a girl born
on February 1.
A goose, a cow, or a barn are all symbols for St. Brigid; perhaps
the lamb cake would be suitable.
Father: The Lord, King of virgins.
All: Come, let us adore.
Father: Let us pray. O God, who gladdens us this day by the
festive nameday of Your virgin Brigid, grant graciously that we
may be helped by the merits of her whose chastity shines upon us
with such luster. Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Irish Industries Depot (see IR, see Abbreviations) carries an
imported Brigid with lambs under her blue mantle for about $1.00
in an unusually beautiful reproduction. Others are available
framed. A good medal ranges from $1.50 to $12.50 (from LAS, see
Abbreviations).
ABINA, DEBORAH, ABIGAIL, GAIL
There is an Irish abbess Gobnait, a Celtic name for which Deborah
is used as an equivalent. Its abbreviation to Abby has caused
other names to be derived from it. Abigail is given as an
equivalent in "The Oxford Book of English Christian Names," by E.
G. Withy (Oxford University Press), as is Abina, a favorite name
in our family; grandmother, mother, daughter and cousins galore
bear it proudly generation after generation. They are baptized
Gobnata the Latin form. From Abigail comes the shortened form
Gail.
In view of the Hebrew meaning of the name Deborah (honey bee), it
is interesting to note the tales which have come down to our
times of this Irish abbess' love for bees and their docility to
her will. They are included as her emblem in modern art even as
they were in medieval times.
A short biography and a charming reproduction of this patroness
are given in the "Capuchin Annual," 1959 ($6.50, from IR, see
Abbreviations). Abina or Gobnata, abbess of Ballyvourney, is
depicted in blue against a cruciform and holds in her hand the
pastoral staff of her office. Blue signifies her faithfulness,
wisdom, and charity. Bees are incorporated into the painting, the
work of a contemporary Dublin artist, Richard King. We have
framed this beautiful reproduction.
The feastday of St. Gobnata is Valentine's eve, but in ancient
books we find her honored also on Whitsun Thursday. T. Smith in
his "History of Cork," 1750 edition, cites a decree of Pope
Clement VIII granting an indulgence to all who visit her shrine
church at Ballyvourney. Destroyed by the Roundheads, the ancient
church has been replaced by a modern one dedicated to this saint
whose name is living and well loved both in English and in
Gaelic. The church in the little town where she made her original
foundation is a symbol and center of her enduring presence and
power among her people.
Nameday desserts for children called in her honor include the
crown cake ; icing lilies and roses in a wreath on a cake; or a
honey dessert (see Honey Chiffon Pie).
Father: The Lord, King of virgins.
All: Come, let us adore.
Father: Let us pray. Hear us, O God our Savior, that we who find
joy in the festival of Abina (Deborah or Abigail), Your virgin,
may learn from her the spirit of godly service. Through Christ,
our Lord.
All: Amen. Christ conquers, Christ reigns!
Maureen, Kathleen, and Rosaleen were popularized by the
Dominicans in honor of Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, St.
Catherine of Siena, and St. Rose of Lima. A girl named Maureen
might keep the feast of Our Lady of Knock on August 22. Devotions
and medals are available from the Scapular Press (see SP, see
Abbreviations). A magnificent original "Lady of Knock" carved in
wood by Haugh of Dublin is expensive but worthy of a beautiful
chapel (from CCA, see Abbreviations).
The prayer for a virgin (see Virgin-Saints) is said for the
following: Ita, who was Deirdre before she became an abbess in Hy
Conaill; Lelia, who lived in Killedy (her Gaelic name is Liadan);
Tara, who lived as a solitary in Killaraght (the name derives
from the Gaelic Attracta); and Moninne or Darerca, abbess of
Killeary. Melissa and Gillisa, meaning "servant of Jesus," are
two other lovely names in the Irish martyrology. Ethna of the
Golden Hair received baptism and holy Communion from St. Patrick
and died straight away of joy, according to Gaelic hagiography.
Back issues of the "Capuchin Annual" (from IR, see Abbreviations)
carry color plates suitable for framing of Irish saints done by
Richard King. The used volumes can be ordered in secondhand
bookstores; new copies can be ordered from Irish Industries (IR,
see Abbreviations). They also carry small color prints, about
$.25, of Sts. Columcille, Brendan, Columban, Ita or Deirdre, and
of St. Patrick lighting the vigil fire on Easter on the hill of
Slane. Suitably matted and framed, these prints make very
pleasing nameday gifts. Medals of any Irish saint may be ordered
from LAS (see Abbreviations).
LATINIZED IRISH NAMES
Across the pages of history flit a thousand Irish saints
disguised as "foreigners" because their names have been Latinized
in the missionary records of Europe. When we were small, father
used to tell us legends about them. For instance, St. Shiel
(Sedulius) wrote the earliest and most admired Nativity hymn in
the breviary, "A Solis Ortus Cardine." Spacemen will be
interested in St. Farrell, called Virgilius. Brilliant
mathematician and astronomer, Farrell was charged by Boniface on
a complaint to the Pope that he taught that "the earth is round,
that there may be other worlds with other men." He was later
vindicated. His body rests under the high altar at Salzburg where
he was bishop.
Kilian, whose name in Gaelic is Cilleen, was apostle of
Franconia. His head may be seen in a silver shrine under the
altar at Wurzburg. A sword is his attribute; his prayer is that
of a martyr-bishop.
St. Colman was martyred near Wurttemberg while on pilgrimage to
the Holy Land. The place of his martyrdom is called St. Colman's
Woods. On his feast in Bavaria animals are blessed to commemorate
his body's being untouched by wild animals after his death.
Animals of icing (from MS, see Abbreviations) are used on his
cake.
Tommasini's "Irish Saints in Italy" includes St. Cataldo, whose
name is Cathal (Charles) in Gaelic. He was a bishop, as was
Donatus of Fiesole, who was called to that office through
miraculous intervention. His name in Gaelic, Donough, becomes
Dennis in English. With him in art is a dog, in addition to his
episcopal symbols, the crosier and mitre.
The ninth-century Latin verse of Donatus or Dennis on "Ireland in
the Golden Age" is adapted from Virgil's lines on Italy in the
second "Georgic":
Rich in goods, in silver, jewels, cloth and gold,
Benign to the body, in air and mellow soil
With honey and with milk flow Ireland's lovely plains
With silk and arms, abundant fruit, with art and men.
No fury of bears is there and the Irish land
Has never nurtured the savage seed of lions;
There no poison harms, no serpent glides the grass,
No frog loudly sings his loud complaint in the lake.
Worthy are the Irish to dwell in this their land,
A race of men renowned in war, in peace, in faith.
Irish monks, to whom exile was the greatest penance, placed
primary emphasis upon penance and missionary activities. They had
no inhibitions about preaching the gospel to anyone who would
listen. Their finest and greatest energies were spent in
Christianizing heathen Europe; their monasteries were
springboards from which men went out to teach and preach. We who
have named our children for such stalwart sons and daughters of
God would do well to inculcate into their namesakes this emphasis
upon penance and missionary activity as a need of our time.
IRISH RECIPES
MOUSSE TULLAMORE
Prepare 1 pint of sugar syrup at 350 degrees and allow to cool.
To the syrup add 1 pint of fresh strawberry pulp, flavored with
1/2 glass of Irish Mist Liqueur and 2 pints of fresh whipped
cream. Mix all ingredients gently together. Serve into glasses
and place in the refrigerator to chill and set.
IRISH COFFEE
coffee vanilla
sugar Irish whiskey
cream
Whip 1/2 pint of heavy cream with 4 teaspoons of sugar and 1/2
teaspoon of vanilla. Place in the refrigerator to keep chilled.
Make full-strength coffee and pour into 6 coffee cups or Irish
coffee mugs. Fill the cups to within an inch of the top. Add 1
teaspoon of sugar and stir. Into each pour 1 jigger of Irish
whiskey. Then add 3 tablespoons of whipped cream and serve
immediately. We purposely put no teaspoons at the place-settings
so that the guests cannot stir the coffee--that ruins it
entirely.
Irish coffee mugs can be procured from IR, see Abbreviations, or
in most large department stores.
SAINTLY MOTHERS
"Names and Namedays" by Donald Attwater (Burns, Oates and
Washbourne, Ltd., London) lists a number of mothers of saints who
are saints themselves. St. Celine was the mother of St. Remy of
Rheims. St. Blanche of Castile, mother of St. Louis IX, was
popularly venerated in France. St. Nonna raised a son who became
an Eastern Doctor of the Church, St. Gregory Nazianzen. St.
Matilda, patroness of Maude, widow of King Henry I, was the
mother of St. Bruno. Sts. Tierney and Kenneth were the sons of
St. Mella of Ireland, who ruled a monastery after the death of
her husband. Patroness of Nonna and Nita is St. Nonnita, mother
of St. David of Wales. St. Sylvia lived to see her son, St.
Gregory the Great, raised to the pontificate. One of the first
Russians to be baptized was St. Olga, wife of the grand-prince of
Kiev and grandmother of St. Vladimir. St. Monica's part in the
conversion of her son, St. Augustine of Hippo, was the great
achievement of her life. St. Amelia or Amalburga was the mother
of St. Gudula, and Gwladys or Gladys, Welsh noblewoman, the
mother of St. Cadoc.
The nameday dessert for these saints is the crown cake or the
book cake to signify the training they gave their children. Their
prayer is given under Holy Women.
HEILIGE KAPFE (Saint's Plaits)
Ideal for a nameday breakfast after Mass, this recipe comes from
Lillian Langseth-Christensen's book, "Gourmet's Old Vienna
Cookbook," which includes beautiful color plates (available from
GO, see Abbreviations).
Make any preferred sweet roll dough from your favorite recipe or
ready-mix. When the dough is ready for shaping, make into small
uniform mounds 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Press each mound with
the heels of the hand alternately until an oval with two liplike
parts and a groove in the center is formed. Pull the thick part
opposite you with the fingers of both hands toward the center
groove and press it down firmly. Reverse the procedure and pull
in the other side. Press firmly with the heel of the hand to seal
the two thick parts along the center. Roll the elongated piece
gently into a cylindrical shape with small pointed ends.
Lay three elongated pieces together and braid them. Place each
plait carefully on a greased baking sheet. Allow room for them to
rise. Let them rise, covered in a warm place. Brush the rolls
with water and bake them in a hot oven (450 degrees) for about 15
minutes. Place a pan of hot water on the oven bottom to assure a
crisp crust. Cool on a wire rack.
CHOCOLATE SYMBOLS FOR CAKE DECORATIONS
Hearts are used as symbols for many of the saints mentioned in
this book. On their feastdays you might like to try cake magic
made possible by semi-sweet chocolate morsels. Very little work
or added ingredients are needed to make expert decorations. It
does require time to do the work successfully, though. Semi-sweet
chocolate morsels are the same little pieces of chocolate that
are used to make authentic chocolate chip cookies, just as they
originated at the Toll House in Whitman, Massachusetts.
We give instructions here for hearts, but the recipe can be used
with different cookie cutters also. You will find cut-out hearts
of semi-sweet chocolate easy to make for your child's cake. In no
more time than it takes to translate hope into reality, you will
have a jaunty little row of chocolate silhouette hearts.
Made with only two ingredients, the chocolate morsels and
shortening, these hearts require only metal cookie cutters with a
good cutting edge and a length of aluminum foil. You will have
enough chocolate hearts from this recipe to decorate a big pink-
frosted cake, and an auxiliary flotilla of cupcakes.
To make semi-sweet chocolate heart cakes, have ready two 9-inch
cake layers and twenty medium cupcakes. (The cake pans also come
in a heart shape from MS, see Abbreviations.) For the frosting
prepare one and a half times the recipe for a standard butter
frosting. For St. Valentine's day you might tint pale pink with
one or two drops of red food coloring. Frost the sides and tops
of the 9-inch layers and the cupcakes.
Combine and melt over hot (not boiling) water 1 cup (6-ounce
package) of semi-sweet chocolate morsels and 2 tablespoons of
vegetable shortening. Spread evenly with the back of a spoon in a
15 x 10 pan lined with aluminum foil. Chill until firm,
approximately 20 minutes. Invert carefully on a 15 x 12 cookie
sheet lined with waxed paper. Gently peel off the foil. Using a
heart-shaped cookie cutter, 2 inches across at the widest point,
cut 32 hearts (reverse direction of every other heart). Then with
a cutter 2-1/2 inches across at its widest point cut 4 hearts
(reverse direction). Rechill until firm enough to handle,
approximately 5 minutes.
To decorate, place 4 large hearts on top of the frosted layer
cake. Place twelve small hearts around the side of the layer
cake. Put 1 small heart on each cupcake.
NO-BAKE LEMON CHEESE CAKE
Lemon Cheese Cake made the no-bake way enjoys year-round
popularity at our house because of its excellent taste,
availability of ingredients, and the fact that it can be made
ahead of time. For this fresh lemon-flavored dessert, a custard
base, cream-style cottage cheese, and whipped cream are given
form with unflavored gelatine. In contrast to the compact baked
type, the no-bake cheese dessert is light and delicate and takes
only twenty-five minutes of preparation. The refrigerator then
takes over and eliminates the hour of baking time. The dessert
crumb crust trim may be molded in a spring-form pan, a loaf or
square pan. It can be put into one of the large symbolic molds or
into small individual molds for miniature cheese cakes. The
recipe may also be halved and chilled in a pie plate. For it you
will need:
unflavored gelatine grated lemon rind
sugar lemon juice
salt vanilla
eggs creamed cottage cheese
milk heavy cream
Mix 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatine and 3/4 cup of sugar with
1/4 teaspoon of salt in the top of a double boiler. Beat together
2 egg yolks and 1 cup of milk; add to the gelatine mixture. Cook
over boiling water, stirring until the gelatine dissolves and the
mixture thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add 1 teaspoon of grated lemon rind, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice,
and 1 teaspoon of vanilla; then cool. Sieve 3 cups (about 24
ounces) of creamed cottage cheese into a large mixing bowl; beat
with an electric beater until smooth.
Stir in the cooled gelatine mixture. Chill, stirring
occasionally, until the mixture mounds slightly when dropped from
a spoon. While the mixture is chilling, prepare crumb topping and
set aside.* Beat 2 egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gradually
add 1/4 cup of sugar and beat until very stiff. Fold into a
gelatine-cheese mixture. Fold in 1/2 pint (1 cup) whipped cream.
Turn into a prepared mold or pan.
*For the crumb topping you will need:
melted butter cinnamon
sugar nutmeg
graham cracker crumbs
Mix together 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 tablespoon of
sugar, 1/2 cup of graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 teaspoon of
cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg. Turn the cheese cake
mixture into an 8-inch springform pan or mold; sprinkle with
crumbs. Chill until firm. If desired, an 8- or 9-inch square pan
or a 9 x 5 loaf pan may be used; line with waxed paper. Press the
crumb mixture in the bottom of the pan- turn in the cheese cake
mixture.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings for a nameday party. For 5 or 6 servings
only use half of the gelatine but the full amount of the crumb
mixture in an 8-inch round pan or a 9-inch pie plate.
BASKET CAKE
The Basket Cake consists mainly in the decorative detail added to
most any type of a cake base, for instance, a chocolate or angel
cake. Time and a certain artistic ingenuity are presupposed; but
for saints whose characteristic virtues were generosity and
kindness, the basket with its symbolism of giving to the needy is
quite in place.
INDEX OF RECIPES
Almond Torte
Assumption Day Fruit Medley
Basket Cake
Bischofsbrot (Bishop's Bread)
Bishop Wine
Bombe Glace
Carol Cake
Cherries Jubilee
Chocolate Angel Cake
Chocolate Cake Decorations
Confessors' Light Chocolate Cake
Cross Cake
Crown Cake
Crystallized Rose Petals
Cut-up Cakes
Dog Cake
Eaglet Cake
Fish Cake
Heart Cake
Hobby Horse Cake
Lion Cake
Ship Cake
Flambe Cherry Pie
Four-Minute Frosting
Genoise Book Cake
Glow Wine
Heilige Kapfe (Saint's Plaits)
Honey Chiffon Cake
Honey Chiffon Filling
Irish Coffee
Kugelhupf
Lamb Cake
Lily Sandwiches
Martyrs' Chiffon Dessert
Melon Bombe
Mousse Tullamore
Mulled Orange Punch
Musical Cake
Nameday Chocolate Ice Cream
Nameday Strawberries
Nameday Sugar Cookies
No-Bake Lemon Cheese Cake
Nun's Lemon Layer Cake
Orange Doughnuts
Papst (Pope Punch)
Raspberry Bavarian Cream
Rose Petal Coconut Cake
St. George (Melachrino) Cake
St. Joseph's Cream Puffs (St. Joseph's Sfinge)
St. Patrick's Day Dessert Salad
Scripture Cake
Seven-Minute Frosting
Snowballs-on-Fire
Snow Hearts (Floating Heart)
Star of David Chiffon
Cream Pie
Star-Studded Chiffon Pie
Strawberry Butter Frosting
Strawberry Frosted Layer Cake
Sugarless Sponge Cake
Sunburst Dessert
Vanilla Mousse
ENDNOTES
1. Little white-haired darling.
2. From "Times Wall Asunder" by Robert Farren (Sheed and Ward,
New York).
3. From "Times Wall Asunder" by Robert Farren (Sheed and Ward,
New York).
4. "Cherry Tree Carol," Appalachian Mountain version of a carol,
by The Grail, LP recording, "Songs for Advent and Christmas" (see
GR, p. 7).
5. From "Poems for Children" by Eleanor Farjeon (J. B. Lippincott
Co., New York).
6. From "Love Letters of Phyllis McGinley" (Viking Press Inc.,
New York).
7. "Hymns of the Dominican Missal and Breviary" (St. Louis: B.
Herder).
8. From "New Irish Poets" by Blanaid Salkeld (Devin-Adair Co.,
New York).
9. "Hymns of the Dominican Breviary and Missal" (St. Louis: B.
Herder).
10. "Hymns of the Dominican Breviary and Missal" (St. Louis: B.
Herder).
11. Selections from "Ancient Irish Poetry" by Kuno Meyer (London:
Constable & Co., Ltd., 1911).
12. Available from: The MacMillan Company, New York.
13. Old English for: mean.
14. This recipe is from our favorite cookbook, "The Art of Fine
Baking (pub. by Simon and Schuster) by Paula Peck, who has
contributed recipes to, and has had her pastries photographed for
"The New York Times" and "Life," and has taught at the James
Beard Cooking School. Her kitchen next door fills us with joy at
the whiff of the delicious aroma of freshly baked bread, and
makes us nostalgic for the magic days of childhood when mother or
grandmother made wonderful cake at home.
