IMAGES OF THE KOREAN MARTYRS

I came across these while cleaning up my room. I think I brought them with me when we closed our house in Blanchardtown. These are some of the Korean Martyrs. Beautiful paintings of people who lived beautiful lives and died heroically.

St. Chong Ha-sang Paulus

St. Hyon Song-mun Carolus

St. Kim Song-u Antonius

St. Kim Tai-gon Andreas

St. Nam Chong-sam John B.

Sts. Chon Kyong-hyob Agatha, Pak Hui-sun Lucia, Kim Yuirdae Julietta

Sts. Chong Chong-hye Elisabeth, Yu So-sa Caecilia, Chong Ha-sang Paulus

Sts. Kim Hyo-im Colomba, Kim Hyo-ju Agnes

Sts. Yu Chin-gil Augustinus, Yu Tae-chol Petrus

CAUSES OF THE SAINTS: A REMINDER OF OUR CALLING

From the VATICAN NEW SERVICE:

The Holy Father today received in audience Cardinal Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and authorised the promulgation of decrees concerning the following causes:

MIRACLES

- Servant of God Mariano Arciero, Italian diocesan priest (1707-1788).

- Servant of God Jean-Joseph (ne Alcide Lataste), French priest of the Order of Friars Preachers and founder of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Dominic of Betania (1832-1869).

- Servant of God Maria Ines-Teresa of the Blessed Sacrament Arias Espinosa (nee Manuela de Jesus), Mexican foundress of the Poor Clare Missionary Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and the Missionaries of Christ for the Universal Church (1904-1981).

- Servant of God Hildegard Burjan, German laywoman and foundress of the Sisters of Social Charity (1883-1933).

MARTYRDOM

- Servant of God Salvio Huix Miralpeix, bishop of Lleida, Spain, killed in hatred of the faith in 1936.

- Servant of God Karl Lampert, Austrian diocesan priest and pro-vicar of the apostolic administration of Innsbruck Feldkirch, killed in hatred of the faith in 1944.

- Servants of God Josefina Martinez Perez of the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, and twelve companions, killed in hatred of the faith in 1936.

HEROIC VIRTUES

- Servant of God Giovanni Marinoni (ne Francesco), Italian professed priest of the Order of Cleeks Regular Theatines (1490-1562).

- Servant of God Jose Maria Garcia Lahiguera, archbishop of Valencia, Spain, and founder of the Congregation of Oblate Sisters of Christ the Priest (1903-1989).

- Servant of God Matthew Kadalikattil, Indian diocesan priest and founder of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (1872-1935).

- Servant of God Raffaele Dimiccoli, Italian diocesan priest (1887-1956).

- Servant of God Sofia Czeska-Maciejowska, Polish foundress of the Congregation of the Virgins of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1584-1650).

- Servant of God Maria Giuseppina Benvenuti (nee Zeinab Alif), Sudanese professed religious of the Order of St. Clare (1845/46-1926).

- Servant of God Laura Meozzi, Italian professed religious of the Institute of Daughters of Our Lady of Help (1873-1951).

- Servant of God Luigia (Gina) Tincani, Italian foundress of the Union of St. Catherine of Siena of the Missionary Sisters of Schools (1889-1976).

I was just going to highlight the Poor Clare but then I thought that in heaven there are no distinctions; a saint is a saint and an inspiration and a challenge if we have ears to hear and a heart open to believe.

ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE FIORETTI BY F. CAYLEY-ROBINSON

In 1915 the publisher T.N. Foulis published Cardinal Manning's translation of the Fioretti or 'Little Flowers' a famous early Franciscan collection of Stories about Francis, Clare and the early Franciscans. It was illustrated from the works of F. Cayley-Robinson (1862-1927).  While moving and sorting our library I found a tattered copy of this work and decided to scan the images so I could share them with you.  We might remove them from the book and get them framed.

Below are the illustrations:

FOUR ICONS, GURRANABRAHER, CORK

Below are four icons I painted for the parish of the Ascension, Gurranabraher, Cork while I was a deacon there in 1999. The first, of Christ enthroned, is based on a work of Emmanuel Tzanes (1610-1690) and it's in the basement chapel. The other three of Christ Pantocrator, the Virgin Orans and the Holy Trinity (after Rublev) are in the oratory in the presbytery so are not often seen by anyone but the clergy.

They're a bit big for the oratory - I guess my enthusiasm ran away with me.  I took a few too many liberties in my treatment of the Holy Trinity (ok I got carelss).  I still plan to return to that image somewhere else and do a better job.

Painting an image which seeks to be faithful to the original and is at the same size has this extraordinary effect - it's like standing in the same space as the other painter, as one where looking not just over his shoulder but through his eyes. 

SOME WORK BY RICHARD KING (1907 - 1974)

Below are a number of postcards I have from years back.  They are of the work of the Irish artist Richard King.  We actually have quite a few of his works stored away as he was a regular contributor to the Capuchin Annual.

Richard King was born in Castlebar in 1907. His father was a sergeant in the Royal Irish Constabulary. There was an artistic streak in the family. His uncle, Brian King, was a sculptor. Richard attended the De La Salle College in Castlebar before his family moved to Westport in 1922, where he completed his education with the Christian Brothers.
When the family located to Dublin in 1926 he became a student at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art, planning to study architecture. Austin Molloy, a tutor at the college, felt his artistic talent lay in a different direction.
He introduced him to Harry Clarke, the most significant Irish stained glass artist of the 20th century. King joined Clarke’s studio. On Clarke’s death in 1931, he became its chief designer, and later manager. In 1940 he set up his own studio in Dalkey.
Examples of King’s stained glass are mainly to be found in Ireland, though he also features in the UK, Australia and the US. In her article, Ruth Sheehy concentrates on his work in St Patrick’s Church, Newport, and in the Church of Our Lady, Help of Christians in Swinford.
King’s artistic achievements were not confined to the genre of stained glass. He was versatile. In the early years of the new Irish state our postage stamps were noteworthy for the quality of their design. Between 1933 and 1949, King provided designs for 12 stamps, including a hurling one in 1934 to mark the Golden Jubilee of the GAA. He was the leading illustrator for the Capuchin Annual. He exhibited paintings in Dublin and Cork.
He is, however, best known for his interest in liturgical art. The theologian, Paul Tillich, once wrote that it ‘is the task of the Church architects to create places of consecration where people feel able to contemplate the holy in the midst of their secular life’. As an architect of stained glass and a creator of church paintings, King implicitly devoted himself to this aim.
King’s paintings of the Stations of the Cross in Swinford are a striking impression of his artistic talent. Here he was especially influenced by the Spanish artist, El Greco, and the French artist, Georges Rouault, both noted for their dramatic representations of Jesus Christ. The stations concentrate intensely on Christ’s physical and psychological sufferings as he endured his passion. They give a close-up view, vigorously expressed by the use of strong contrasting colours such as reds, blues, yellows and whites.

Fr. Kevin Hegarty in the Mayo News.


They are in order of descent: Sts. Patrick, Bridget, Columcille, Columba, Fiacra, Senan, Lorcan (Lawrence) and Ita.

I hope you find them  interesting.

FOUR ICONS FROM THE CHURCH OF ST. FRANCIS, PRIORSWOOD, DUBLIN

It being some time since I posted here and noticing that others were posting their own work I decided to post some images of my own icons. These four icons are in the parish church of St. Francis, Priorswood, Dublin (not far from the airport and the M50). The Deesis was made for the church and was painted in acrylic on MDF. Each icon is 118 x 89 cm and they are copies of a set kept at the Monastery of Dionysiou, Mt. Athos. They were blessed at the Easter Vigil 2001.

The remaining icon of the Theotokos Panagia was originally made for the now (sadly) defunct Sacred Heart chapel in Church St. It was made to fit over the door to the friary and sacristy and to complement another icon which sat over a stained glass image of the Sacred Heart. It is painted in egg tempera with gilding in both oil (outside the figures) and water (the area of the disk around the Christ child including his clothing) methods. It now sits over the door to the church from the sacristy in Priorswood.

You can see them in situ here at the St. Francis' parish virtual tour.

FRESCOES FROM THE BAPTISTRY OF AGIOS GREGORIOU, MOUNT ATHOS

Back in 2005 I made a pilgrimage to Mount Athos, Greece with two other friars. We were much moved by the experience. That was before I got a digital camera so I am only now getting around to the task of scanning some of the many photos I took. This 'Baptistry' (I think that's what it was) struck me as particularly beautiful. We witnessed a liturgy there that involved a blessing and drinking of water, presumably with a renewal of baptismal/monastic vows.

The Font is on the left of this outer courtyard at Gregoriou.

Christ the Great Angel or Holy Wisdom in the centre of the Cupola

The Theotokos as the Life-giving Fountain

Christ heals the paralytic at the pool of  Bethsaida

Christ and the Samaritan woman at the well

Christ's Baptism in the Jordan

1. Moses with the Theotokos as the Burning Bush. 2. St. Damian. 3. Assumption of Elijah in the firey chariot.

1. Assumption of Elijah. 2. St. St. Kosmos and the Grieving of the Israelites in Babylon (Ps. 137)

By the waters of Babylon (Ps137), St. Ermalaos, Christ heals the blind man.

St. Panteleimon, St. Nicholas calms the storm, St. Anastasia

St. Gregory, St. Tryphon and Athonite Saint with the Theotokos.

St. Aniketos, St. Akakios of Kavsokalyvia, St. Sampson.