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      In honor of the duo Feasts of the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary and a week later the Feast of the Queenship of Mary, we present special prayers to the Queen of Heaven at PRAYER & DEVOTIONS

      Mary, Queen Assumed into Heaven, I rejoice that after years of heroic martyrdom on earth, you have at last been taken to the throne prepared for you in Heaven by the Holy Trinity.

      Lift my heart with you in the glory of your Assumption above the dreadful touch of sin and impurity. Teach me how small earth becomes when viewed from Heaven. Make me realize that death is the triumphant gate through which I shall pass to your Son, and that someday my body shall rejoin my soul in the unending bliss of Heaven.

      From this earth, over which I tread as a pilgrim, I look to you for help. In honor of your Assumption into Heaven I ask for this favor: (Mention your request here).

      When my hour of death has come, lead me safely to the presence of Jesus to enjoy the vision of my God for all eternity together with you.

      Mary, my dear Mother and mighty Queen, take and receive my poor heart with all its freedom and desires, all its love and all the virtues and graces with which it may be adorned. All I am, all I might be, all I have and hold in the order of nature as well as of grace, I have received from God through your loving intercession, my Lady and Queen. Into your sovereign hands I entrust all, that it may be returned to its noble origin.

      Mary, Queen of every heart, accept all that I am and bind me to you with the bonds of love, that I may be yours forever, and may be able to say in all truth: "I belong to Jesus through Mary."

      My Mother, assumed into Heaven, I love you. Give me a greater love for Jesus and for you.

      Mary, Assumed into Heaven and Queen of the Universe, ever-Virgin Mother of God, obtain peace and salvation for us through your prayers, for you have given birth to Christ the Lord, the Savior of all mankind.

      Almighty, ever-living God, You raised to eternal glory the body and soul of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of Your Son. Grant that our minds may always be directed Heavenward and that we may deserve to share in her glory.Amen.

      Mary, Assumed into Heaven, I venerate you as the Queen of Heaven and earth. Your own Son led you to a throne of glory in Heaven next to His own. As you tasted the bitterness of pain and sorrow with Him on earth, you now enjoy eternal bliss with Him in Heaven. I thank Jesus for having put a most beautiful crown upon your head, while all the Angels and Saints acclaim you as their Queen.

      Because here below you shared in all the mysteries of our Redemption, Jesus has crowned you not only with glory but with power. He placed you at His right hand that you may dispose of the treasures of grace by a singular title - that of Mother of God.

      In the midst of all the Saints you stand as their Queen and ours - dearer to the Heart of God than any creature in God's Kingdom. You pray for your children and distribute to us every grace won by our loving Savior on the Cross.

      Queen Assumed into Heaven, may your glorious beauty fill my heart with a distaste for earthly things and an ardent longing for the joys of Heaven.

      May your merciful eyes glance down upon my struggles and my weakness in this vale of tears. Crown me with the pure robe of innocence and grace here, and with immortality and glory in Heaven. Amen.

Events this weekend in Church History

      While many events in Church annals occurred over this third week in August, during this time we commemorate the deaths of eight Popes over the centuries, including the "Pope of the Eucharist" from early in this century - Pope Saint Pius X who died on August 21, 1914 after an eleven year pontificate which included making Holy Communion available to children who had reached the age of reason. For all the other events that happened during this week in Church History, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES

Historical Events in Church Annals for August 13:

533 A.D.


Election of Pope Saint John I, 53rd successor of Peter. As the first Pope to travel to Constantinople, he crowned Justinian the Emperor of Byzantium. He would die in prison in Ravenna, having been imprisoned by the barbaric King Theodoric who invaded Italy.

587 A.D.


Death of Saint Radegund, Queen of the Franks who founded a hospital for the lepers. She was so dedicated to the outcast and the derelict people that those within her court were so appalled at her kissing the lepers that they warned her no one would ever want to kiss her. To this she replied, "If you never kiss me again, I really don't mind."

662 A.D.


Death of Saint Maximus the Confessor, Byzantine monk who was a great defender of Pope Honorius against the charges of monothelitism.

1099 A.D.


Election of Pope Paschal II as the 160th successor of Peter. Though he would reign for nineteen years, the struggle for supremacy between the Pope and the Emperor Henry V forced Paschal into exile.

1173 A.D.


Death of Saint Nerses Klaietsi also known as "the Gracious." This Armenian saint worked tirelessly to reunite the Greek Church.

Historical Events in Church Annals for August 14:

1464 A.D.


Pope Pius II, 210th successor of Peter, who had formed a Holy League between the kings of France, Burgundy, Hungary and the Doge of Venice to fight the Turkish threat, is seriously injured at Ancona leading a holy crusade against the Turks. He would die a day later.

1941 A.D.


Death of Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe, priest and modern martyr at the hands of the Nazis at Auschwitz. For more, see DAILY LITURGY

Historical Events in Church Annals for August 15:

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven

1038 A.D.


Death of Saint Stephen of Hungary, first king of Hungary whose crown was sent to him by Pope Sylvester II and which has been preserved as "the famous crown of St. Stephen" which the American allies rescued from Germany after World War II and returned to its rightful place in Hungary. Stephen united the Magyars and basically was the father of the independent country of Hungary. He was canonized in 1083 by Pope Gregory VII.

1464 A.D.


Death of Pope Pius II, 210th successor of Peter who was dedicated to help those provinces dominated by the Turks, forming a Holy League. It was during this assault on the Turks at Ancona that Pius succumbed a day after being mortally wounded.

1534 A.D.


Saint Ignatius Loyola, aided by fellow students Saint Francis Xavier, Nicholas Bobadilla, Peter Favre, Diego Laynez, Simon Rodriguez, and Alfonso Salmeron establish the Society of Jesus in Paris. The Order, better known as the Jesuits, would formally be approved by Pope Paul III six years later.

1549 A.D.


Saint Francis Xavier, Jesuit missionary arrives in Japan to evangelize the faith to the far east.

Historical Events in Church Annals for August 16:

1378 A.D.


Death of Saint Rocco, son of a French governor who was orphaned and dedicated his life to servicing the victims of the terrible plague known as the Black Death. He is the patron saint for protection from plagues and pestilence. He is also known as Roch in France and Roque in Spain.

1898 A.D.


Pope Leo XIII issues his 68th encyclical of his pontificate - Quam religiosa dealing with civil marriage laws.

Historical Events in Church Annals for August 17:

1257 A.D.


Death of Saint Hyacinth of Krakow. This Dominican who evangelized Poland, Scandinavia, Prussia and Lithuania is venerated as the "Apostle of Poland."

1629 A.D.


Birth of John III Sobieski who would go on to become king of Poland and Lithuania and join with Emperor Leopold I to form the Holy League which greatly aided the Church in ridding Venice, Hungary and Yugoslavia of the Turkish threat during the reigns of Pope Clement X and Pope Innocent XI.

Historical Events in Church Annals for August 18:

1276 A.D.


Death of Pope Adrian V, 186th successor of Peter whose reign lasted only 39 days and he was never actually consecrated. During this short time Adrian put ecclesiastical laws in order and suspended the norms concerning conclave that had been enacted by Pope Gregory X.

1559 A.D.


Death of Pope Paul IV, 223rd successor of Peter who promoted moral reform and, by means of the Inquisition, opposed the Lutheran heresy.

1864 A.D.


Pope Pius IX issues his 22nd encyclical, Maximae quidum regarding the Church in Bavaria.

Historical Events in Church Annals for August 19:

440 A.D.


Death of Pope Sixtus III, 44th successor of Peter who served eight years. It was Sixtus who enlarged and embellished the Basilicas of St. Mary Major and St. Lawrence. He was the author of several epistles and upheld the jurisdiction of Rome over Ilyria against the Eastern Emperor who wanted it dependent on Constantinople.

1458 A.D.


Cardinal Enea Silvio Piccolomini is elected 210th successor of Peter and takes the name Pope Pius II on this date. He would go on to have a great influence on the crusades, even appointing himself to head the campaign, but he died enroute to the crusades.

1503 A.D.


Death of Pope Alexander VI, 214th successor of Peter. It was he who, by a simple mark on the maps of the new lands in America, decided the destiny of the new continent.

1568 A.D.


Pope Pius V sets up a commission to handle the problems that had cropped up regarding missionaries in the new world and the in-fighting among various orders.

Historical Events in Church Annals for August 20:

651 A.D.


Death of Saint Oswin , king of Deira who, like his royal father, was murdered by a rival king who was jealous.

1153 A.D.


Death of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot and Doctor of the Church. This author of the inspirational devotion Memorare is highlighted in DAILY LITURGY.

Historical Events in Church Annals for August 21:

1241 A.D.


Death of Pope Gregory IX, 178th successor of Peter, who excommunicated the disobedient Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II because of his negligent attitude towards the Crusades. It was Gregory who canonized Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Anthony of Padua, and Saint Dominic as well as instituting the Holy Inquisition when it was truly holy and worthwhile.

1567 A.D.


Birth of Saint Francis de Sales, a nobleman who would go on to found the Visitandines and write spiritual classics that have withstood the test of time and garnered many souls for God. He was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1877 and in 1923 Pope Pius XI proclaimed him Patron Saint of the Catholic Press.

1914 A.D.


Death of Pope Saint Pius X, 257th successor of Peter. For more on this beloved and holy pontiff who died late in the evening of the 20th but was announced on the 21st, see DAILY LITURGY.

Historical Events in Church Annals for August 22:

Feast of the Queenship of Mary

1280 A.D.


Death of Pope Nicholas III, 180th successor of Peter, who was the first Pope to actually reside permanently at the Vatican. It was Nicholas who actually laid out the famous gardens. He also sent missionaries to convert the Tartar kings.

1485 A.D.


The Last White Rose: Death of the Catholic Plantagenet King Richard III at the Field of Bosworth. It is significant to the Church because it not only ended the War of the Roses, but enabled the Tudor line to take hold through the victory of King Henry VII who sired a son. And we all know the story of his son Henry VIII!

1670 A.D.


The Catholic convert Hiacoomes is ordained, thus becoming the first Native-American Indian priest. Exactly three centuries later within a week in the same month another Native-American would be ordained and go on to make great strides on the American Catholic scene: Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver.

1886 A.D.


Pope Leo XIII issues his 20th encyclical Quod multum on the liberty of the Church, specifically in Hungary.

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SIMPLY SHEEN: Without God's truths we are haunted!

    They say a picture is worth 1000 words, but the words of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen have been known to launch a thousand images in one's mind, one of the ways this late luminarydid so much to evangelize the faith. Because of the urgency of the times and because few there are today who possess the wisdom, simplicity and insight than the late Archbishop who touched millions, we are bringing you daily gems from his writings. The good bishop makes it so simple that we have dubbed this daily series: "SIMPLY SHEEN".

"Superstition manifests itself not only in credulity, but also in servility. Scripture says the 'last times' will be characterized by a refusal to endure sound teaching."

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July 25th Medjugorje Monthly Message

   Dear children! Also today I rejoice with you and I call you all to prayer with the heart. I call all of you, little children, to give thanks to God here with me for the graces which He gives to you through me. I desire for you to comprehend that I want to realize here, not only a place of prayer but also a meeting of hearts. I desire for my, Jesus' and your heart to become one heart of love and peace. That is why, little children, pray and rejoice over everything that God does here, despite that satan provokes quarrels and unrest. I am with you and I lead you all on the way of love. Thank you for having responded to my call.

For more on Medjugorje, click on MEDJUGORJE AND MORE

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Click here to go to SECTION SEVEN or return to SECTION ONE or SECTION TWO or SECTION THREE or SECTION FOUR or SECTION FIVE or click here to return to the graphics front page of this issue.

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August 13-22, 1999 volume 10, no. 152-157   DAILY CATHOLIC