May 9, Sixth Sunday in Easter
Center photo is the saint's incorrupt body seated on a golden throne, and second from right, a Madonna painted by the saint.
ST. CATERINA DI BOLOGNA (Italy, 1413-1463), Poor Clare, Mystic, Painter and Writer
Daughter of a diplomat, Caterina Vigri was raised and educated in the Este ducal court of Ferrara, but at 17, she joined the
Franciscan Third Order along with a group of friends who wished to perform an active apostolate. At 21, she joined the Poor
Clares, where she made her way from baker and portress to mistress of novices. In 1456, she was sent to establish a convent
in Bologna, where she became the abbess and remained for the rest of her life. She is known to have had mystic visions and
she wrote about her spiritual life in a couple of instructive books and her 'sermons' to her congregation. She also wrote poems,
played the violin and was an accomplished painter, illustrating manuscripts with miniatures and even painting frescoes. When
she died, her body was exhumed after 17 days because her grave emanated perfume. She was incorrupt, and her remains were
kept seated upright on a throne, in the Poor Clares convent. Many miracles were attributed to her. Some 12 years after her death,
the Poor Clares published her book Le Sette Armi Spirituali (Seven Spiritual Weapons) which became a medieval bestseller.
Her remains are venerated at the Chiesa della Santa in Bologna, where she is still seated on a golden throne, but the face is
mummified and blackened from centuries of candle soot.
Readings for today's Mass:
www.usccb.org/nab/readings/050910.shtml
OR today.
Benedict XVI to the bishops of Belgium on ad limina visit urges
'A new Christian consciousness for Belgium'
(A full translation of the Holy Father's address has been posted in the story about the Belgian bishops' visit, in the last post on the preceding page.)
The other papal story in this issue: the Pope's eulogy for the late Cardinal Luigi Poggi at the Friday afternoon funeral Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. Page 1 international stories: An analysis of the Greek debt crisis and its effects on the European Union and the euro; and a UN report says there are 213 million minors being exploited in child labor, mostly as unpaid farm workers, as well as through child prostitution, and in jobs that are often dangerous like mining and working in environmentally hazardous conditions. Inside, the Vatican statement to the UN nuclear non-proliferation conference warning about the conversion of civilian nuclear enterprises to nuclear arms production.
THE POPE'S DAY
Regina Caeli - The Holy Father paid tribute to Mary as the 'spiritual heart of the Christian community',
saying she was the best example of what Jesus says in today's Gospel that 'whoever loves me follows my
words'. He asked the faithful to pray for his trip to Portugal on Tuesday, centered on the devotion to
Our Lady of Fatima. After the prayers, he addressed words in Portuguese to Brazilian Catholics gathered
in Brasilia for their 16th National Eucharistic Congress. The Holy Father sent Cardinal Claudio Hummes,
archbishop emeritus of Sao Paolo and Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, as his personal representative.
New volcanic ash cloud
won't affect Portugal trip
VATICAN CITY, May 9 (AP) - The Vatican says the volcanic ash cloud shouldn't affect the pope's trip to Portugal this week.
Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi told journalists Sunday that he checked with aviation authorities and no changes to flights appear necessary for Benedict XVI's four-day pilgrimage, which begins on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Italy's civil aviation agency said northern Italian skies would re-open on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. (1200 GMT). The agency late Saturday had announced a six-hour flight shutdown for the day for most of northern Italy's airports, although Venice's continued to operate.
The Pope's trip May 11-14 will take him to the Fatima shrine, as well as Lisbon and Porto.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 10/05/2010 12:13]