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     For events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history today, click on TIME CAPSULES: ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME

Historical Events in Church Annals for May 22:

337 A.D.


Death of Constantine the Great, the Roman Emperor who liberated Christianity. His mother was Saint Helena who discovered the Holy Cross. After three centuries of severe persecutions throughout the Roman Empire, Constantine made Catholicism the state religion and from that time on Christians were free to worship and the faith flourished.

1457 A.D.


Death of Saint Rita in Cascia, Italy. After being abused through an eighteen year marriage where she had two sons, both her unfaithful husband and her children were killed and she became a nun in 1413. She was renowned for her austerity and charity and is said to have wrought many miracles including the stigmata on her forehead after hearing a sermon on the crown of thorns. Canonized by Pope Leo XIII at the turn of the century, Rita is the patron saint of desperate causes.

1509 A.D.


Death of Henry VII, the first of the Tudor monarchy and the one who defeated the House of Warwick and Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, thus ending the War of the Roses with Henry's marriage to Elizabeth of York. Henry VII was also the last loyal Catholic King of England. His notorious successor and son Henry VIII eventually caused all of England to break away from Rome and the faith.

1545 A.D.


Pope Paul III calls the Council of Trent, inviting both the Catholic Bishops and Protestant leaders of the Reformation to gather in the mountainous city of Trent, Italy for dialog. The Protestants refuse but the Council will go on regardless and thank God it did for it solidified and strengthened Holy Mother Church in a time when she could have been ripped apart by dissension.

Historical Events in Church Annals for May 23:

1192 A.D.


Richard I of England recaptures Daron during the Third Crusade.

1430 A.D.


Saint Joan of Arc is taken prisoner by the Burgundians who ransom her to the English.

1533 A.D.


The marriage of Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon is declared null and void by Thomas Cranmer who Henry appointed Archbishop of Canterbury after Saint Thomas More resigned in protest for he believed marriage is indissoluble and he could not in good conscience find a legitimate reason to annul the marriage.

Historical Events in Church Annals for May 24:

1218 A.D.


The Fifth Crusade sails from Acre to Egypt.

1337 A.D.


King Philip VI, monarch of France, confiscates the duchy of Gascony from England which prompted the beginning of the One Hundred Years War during the reign of Pope Benedict XII who was, in essence, a prisoner of Philip's in France during the Avignon Exile years.

Historical Events in Church Annals for May 25:

709 A.D.


Death of Saint Aldhelm, Benedictine English monk and Bishop of Sherborne who studied under Saint Adrian and founded numerous monasteries, supplanting the Celtic liturgical customs with the Latin liturgy in compliance with Rome. He wrote numerous Latin poems and is considered the Church's first English scholar, but he is not a Doctor of the Church.

735 A.D.


Death of Saint Bede the Venerable, who also was a Benedictine monk in England and a learned man who specialized in English history and wrote an account of Christianity in Britain from the earliest times up to his time. He was dubbed "the Venerable" because of his wisdom and learning acumen. Unlike Aldhelm, he was named a Doctor of the Church in 1899 by Pope Leo XIII. He is said to be the first to date events using A.D. (anno Domini.

1085 A.D.


Death of Pope Saint Gregory VII, the 157th successor of Peter and a strong pontiff who excommunicated the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV and lifted it only after Henry came on bended knee wearing a rough hewn habit of public penance in the bitter cold of northern Italy to seek a pardon.

1261 A.D.


Death of Pope Alexander IV, the 181st successor of Peter and the pope who canonized Saint Clare and confirmed the reality of the stigmata of Saint Francis of Assisi. It was something he was eminently qualified for since he had been Cardinal Protector of the Franciscans before his elevation to the papal throne.

1521 A.D.


Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, crowned by Pope Clement VII summoned the princes and bishops of Germany to a conference at Worms in Germany. In it they confronted Martin Luther and accused him of heresy and apostasy and demanded he recant. He refused and the group convened by Charles ordered Luther and his followers condemned and his writings burned and destroyed. This became the Edict of the Diet of Worms.

      We celebrate the final week of Easter before the Solemnity of Pentecost next Sunday as the Novena for the Holy Father and discernment for him to make the right decision on proclaiming the Final Dogma continues this weekend up to next Sunday. Monday we celebrate the feasts of Saint Bede the Venerable, Doctor of the Church, Saint Gregory VII, Pope, and Saint Mary Magdalen di Piazzi, Virgin and Religious. In addition we look ahead to Tuesday and the feast of Saint Philip Neri. For the liturgies, meditations, and vignettes on the saints during this time, click on LITURGY FOR THE WEEKEND.

Friday, May 22:
Friday in the Sixth Week of Easter

White vestments

First Reading: Acts 18: 9-18
Psalms: Psalm 47: 2-8
Gospel Reading: John 16: 20-23

Saturday, May 23:
Sixth Saturday of Easter

White vestments

First Reading: Acts 18: 23-28
Psalms: Psalm 47: 2-3, 8-10
Gospel Reading: John 16: 23-28

SUNDAY, May 24:
SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

White vestments

First Reading: Acts 7: 55-60
Psalms: Psalm 97: 1-2, 6-7, 9
Second Reading: Rev/Apoc 22: 12-14, 16-17, 20
Gospel Reading: John 17: 20-26

or...     For some strange reason, in the dioceses and Archdioceses in the West (Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Nevada and Hawaii) the Solemnity of the Ascension is not celebrated on Thursday but transfered to today - the Seventh Sunday of Easter.

      This mystery, honored 40 days after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, celebrates the Triumph of Jesus Ascension into Heaven. It gave new hope not only to all the Apostles and disciples, but for every person to follow for all generations, for all have ingrained in their hearts and minds Jesus' Own words, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you all days, even unto the consummation of the world" (Matthew 28: 19-20). At His beckoning, we are invited, rather commanded, to follow Jesus through the authority He placed here on earth - Holy Mother Church. The Church, through the dogmas, doctrines and teachings, combined with tradition, Sacraments, and Sacred Scripture carries on this edict Christ set down just before elevating into the Heavenly clouds and returning to the Father. Just like her Founder, the Church realizes that for all those faithful to Christ's One, True, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church the only way to be reunited with Him in Heavenly bliss is through the Cross. Jesus has shown us that the way of humiliation and suffering is the only true freeway to Heaven. This feast was not officially recognized by the Church until the Fourth Century. Up to that time, the Ascension had traditionally been part of the paschal mystery tied in with the Resurrection. Because of the denial by Celsus in the second century as a pagan myth, the Church finally decided to emphasize this feast, acknowledging that all souls who were saved but denied Heaven before Christ's Death and Resurrection, were brought into the Heavenly Glory with Jesus. His Ascension is the example for all of us that, by doing God's Will, we, too, can look forward to being assumed into Heaven by the grace of God.

Monday, May 25:
Seventh Monday of Easter   and
Feast of Saint Bede the Venerable  and
Feast of Saint Gregory VII, Pope   and
Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, Virgin and Religious.

White vestments

First Reading: Acts 19: 1-8
Psalms: Psalm 68: 2-7, 33
Gospel Reading: John 16: 29-33

      This English saint -Saint Bede the Venerable - was a Benedictine monk in England and a learned man who specialized in English history and wrote an account of Christianity in Britain from the earliest times up to his time. He was dubbed "the Venerable" because of his wisdom and learning acumen. He was named a Doctor of the Church in 1899 by Pope Leo XIII. He is said to be the first to date events using A.D. (anno Domini.

     Born in Tuscany as Hildebrand, the great Pope Saint Gregory VII was the 157th successor of Peter and a strong pontiff who excommunicated the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV and lifted it only after Henry came on bended knee wearing a rough hewn habit of public penance in the bitter cold of northern Italy to seek a pardon at Canossa. Gregory called a Council and issued a Dictatus Papae in which he decreed only the Pope is universal; no one can judge him; he alone can dispense from vows. Gregory was beatified by Pope Gregory XIII in 1584 and canonized in 1606 by Pope Paul V.

      This Firenzen-born saint Saint Mary Magdalen de Pazzi was born into an influential Florentine family who wanted her to marry, but she resisted their urgings and joined a Carmelite Convent in Florence, taking the name of "Mary Magdalen". Though bedridden for most of her life after her profession as a nun, she was gifted with prophecy and the ability to perform miraculous healings. Her private revelations were recorded by fellow sisters and published after her death. She was canonized in 1669 by Pope Clement IX.

Tuesday, May 26:
Feast of Saint Philip Neri, Religious Founder

White vestments

First Reading: Acts 20: 17-27
Psalms: Psalm 68: 10-11, 20-21
Gospel Reading: John 17: 1-11

     Having a profound effect in the turbulent sixteenth century, Saint Philip Neri was born and reared in Florence, Italy on July 22, 1515. He received his education from the Dominicans of San Marco. Later, while emersed in secular commerce his travels took him to the famed Benedictine Monastery Monte Cassino where he drank in the spirituality set down by Saint Benedict...all this during the time England and much of Europe were bolting from Holy Mother Church. At the age of 18 Philip's business led him to Rome where three years later he met Saint Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits and enrolled at Sapienza University. Through the guidance of other holy men such as Saint Charles Borromeo and Saint Francis de Sales, Philip realized his vocation was not in the secular world. Thus he dropped out of the university to become a lay apostle, preaching in the streets and markets to the Roman populace all he had garnered from the conglomeration of religious orders he had been exposed to. Soon his fame spread and he became a confidant of the popes of the times. He founded the lay Confraternity of the Most Blessed Trinity in an effort to help pilgrims coming to Rome as well as promoting 40 hour Adoration, but realized he could be even more effective if he became a priest. Ordained in 1551 at the age of 36 he sought to form another religious organization called the Congregation of the Oratory which many of his followers joined. For a time however Pope Paul IV would not allow Philip to hear confessions because of false rumors and information forwarded to the Holy Father. Though this pained Philip greatly, he was totally obedient and his patience paid off in 1564 when he was totally absolved by Pope Pius IV and the Congregation was approved. It received papal approval by Pope Gregory XIII through encouragement by his predecessor Pope Saint Pius V. Philip was given the church of St. Mary of Vallicella as headquarters for the Congregation. Philip was one of the most popular and well beloved men in all of Rome and the people flocked to hear him and to call him their confessor. Philip spent countless hours, forsaking sleep, to hear confessions which, along with the Holy Eucharist and spiritual conferences to reinforce the teachings of the Church and love for all Christ bequeathed His children, he made the paramount mission of his Oratorians. He became known as the "Apostle of Rome" and was credited with miracles and prophecy. In 1593, because of ill health he resigned as superior general of the Oratorians but continued to minister to the people and counsel the popes, in this case Pope Clement VIII, by intervening to stop a potential dangerous conflict between Rome and France through his insistence that the French king Henry IV be absolved. Two years later Philip died peacefully on May 26 at the age of 80 having served His Lord well and venerated for the last half of his life by the people as a saint. This formality of canonization was accomplished in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV.

Pope pays special visit to Shroud of Turin this weekend as crowd count swells to over one million so far

      This Sunday the Holy Father will make a special pilgrimage to Turin to view and reverence the famous Shroud of Turin, the burial cloth purported to have held Jesus and bequeathed to the Vatican by King Umberto. Rescued from a terrible fire a few years ago, it was finally put back on display April 19 and will continue to be shown for a few more weeks, closing on June 3rd. To date over one million have gone through the turnstiles to view the Shroud, hailing from all continents. For more, click on Shroud of Turin

      VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- More than 1 million pilgrims have already viewed the Shroud of Turin, since it was put on display in the city's cathedral on April 19.

      Pope John Paul will visit Turin and reverence the Shroud himself on Sunday, May 24. The cloth-- which is widely believed to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ-- will remain on display until June 3. In order to prevent overcrowding, organizers of the exposition have been selling tickets for specific time periods.

      To date, the vast majority of pilgrims viewing the Shroud have been Italian. However, thousands of people have also come from France, Switzerland, Germany, the United States, Poland, and Spain, with other pilgrims, in smaller numbers, representing nearly every country on earth.

US okays Miami Archdiocese to provide aid to Cuba, but Church officials alarmed at rash of abortions in Cuba as Communist plot to curb population

      The Archdiocese of Miami applied for and received permission from the US Government to provide aid to needy Cubans on that tiny Communist island. Medical supplies will be flown in and distributed by Caritas. At the same time there is great consternation that abortions are on the rise as a ploy by Castro's regime to curb population, regardless of what Pope John Paul II preached during his trip there in January. For more, click on Cuba.

      MIAMI (CWNews.com) - The US government gave approval on Thursday to a request by the Archdiocese of Miami to begin shipments of humanitarian aid to Cuba which had been suspended since 1996.

      The archdiocese was granted a license for a direct flight to Cuba one day after the Clinton administration authorized a resumption of aid flights, said Peter Coats, special assistant to Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Wenski, the director of Catholic Charities in Miami. Fifteen palettes loaded with disposable medical supplies such as syringes, gauze, bandages, gloves, and surgical masks were sitting in the archdiocese warehouse ready for transporting, Coats said. The charter plane is expected to fly in the last week of May.

      The Cuban Catholic group Caritas will disburse the supplies throughout the country. Regular flights are expected to be set up. The Clinton administration warned that the allowance of aid flights should not be seen as a relaxing of the 36-year-old embargo which Pope John Paul II criticized during his recent visit to the Communist country. A spokesman said the embargo would continue until the administration saw significant reforms in the one-party Communist system.

      In a related story, A human rights group warned on Thursday that the majority of Cuban hospitals are promoting abortion among teenagers and young women as a way to keep the Communist country's birth rate low.

      In a report made public in Mexico, the Lawton Foundation revealed that there has been an dramatic increase in the number of chemical abortions performed in hospitals throughout Cuba. Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet Gonzalez and Rolando Munoz Yiyobre, both members of Lawton, said that during the ten months in 1997 when the investigation was conducted, one hospital alone performed 1,780 abortions.

      Munoz said abortions performed with a chemical product known as Rivanol are becoming more frequent. "This substance that is supposed to kill the baby after the first three months of pregnancy, frequently allows the birth of the baby who is left to die few hours later," he said.

      The research showed that in 60 percent of the cases of women who were having their second or third pregnancy, the babies survived the use of Rivanol, but the doctors let them die. The Lawton Foundation said that Cuban doctors frequently say that the babies are born with malformations, but the investigation showed that in 80 percent of the cases the babies were healthy and did not have any visible health problem.

Mexican Bishops speak out strongly against those politicians who would hide behind the shield of religion

      With elections in the near future throughout Mexico, Archbishop Jose Trinidad Perez of Durango issued a warning to the Mexican faithful that some politicians will say anything to garner votes, including using Catholicism to lure the poor and uneducated while not meaning a word. They are hypocrites and all voters need to be aware was the gist of the Archbishop's document, unanimously endorsed by the association of Mexican Bishops. For more, click on Mexican politicians.

      MEXICO CITY (CWNews.com) - Before upcoming regional elections in 14 Mexican states and the beginning of the presidential campaign for 2000, two bishops on Thursday denounced the manipulation of the Catholic faith in some political campaigns that also include "vote shopping" among poor people.

      Archbishop Jose Trinidad Perez of Durango released a document entitled "Christian and Civic Behavior in Elections" in which he asked people to be "careful with some political groups that are trying to manipulate faith and poverty to get votes." The archbishop especially criticized political TV ads that use phrases related to Catholic customs such as "God bless you," "In Our Lord we wait," or "Thanks be to God" as political slogans.

      Meanwhile, the outspoken Bishop-emeritus Genaro Alamilla Arteaga of Papantla called on Catholics to reject what he called "vote shopping." "We have candidates that have been dreaming and even kissing in their dreams their congressional or governor's chair, and they are willing to do anything to fulfill their dream," said Bishop Alamilla, and he warned "that is not the kind of people we need in those chairs."

      He added, "We need people able to lead our country, to stop violence and lack of security, to curb poverty, and to promote social justice. But above all, they must be people capable of showing good will, high moral standards, prudence, and honesty."

For more headlines and articles, we suggest you go to the Catholic World News site. CWN is not affiliated with the Daily CATHOLIC but provides this service via e-mail to the Daily CATHOLIC Monday through Friday.

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May 22-24, 1998 volume 9, no. 100   DAILY CATHOLIC