Pilgrimage, Spatial Interaction, and Memory at Three Marian Sites

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Pilgrimage, Spatial Interaction, and Memory at Three Marian Sites University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 1-1-2016 Pilgrimage, Spatial Interaction, and Memory at Three Marian Sites Katherine Rousseau University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons, and the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Rousseau, Katherine, "Pilgrimage, Spatial Interaction, and Memory at Three Marian Sites" (2016). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1129. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1129 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. Pilgrimage, Spatial Interaction, and Memory at Three Marian Sites __________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the University of Denver and the Iliff School of Theology Joint PhD Program University of Denver __________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________ by T.K. Rousseau June 2016 Advisor: Scott Montgomery ©Copyright by T.K. Rousseau 2016 All Rights Reserved Author: T.K. Rousseau Title: Pilgrimage, Spatial Interaction, and Memory at Three Marian Sites Advisor: Scott Montgomery Degree Date: June 2016 Abstract Global mediation, communication, and technology facilitate pilgrimage places with porous boundaries, and the dynamics of porousness are complex and varied. Three Marian, Catholic pilgrimage places demonstrate the potential for variation in porous boundaries: Chartres cathedral; the Marian apparition location of Medjugorje; and the House of the Virgin Mary near Ephesus. These three places are porous in that they emplace the interactions of different groups, fostering the permeability of boundaries between categories of pilgrimage and tourism, commercial place and devotional place, and cultural and spiritual value. They also show varied degrees of spatial porousness, either topographically or in their connection to surrounding areas of cultural heritage. Porousness is interdependent with contestation as proliferating audiences—including stakeholders, caretakers, marketers, and devotional and cultural participants—invite an array of interactions. Principal sources of contestation are multiple memory narratives (where people install or enact different memories about a place or image), heterogeneous audiences (where a wide demographic coincides and interfaces), and intermingled devotional and commercial places (where the pilgrimage marketplace does not merely overlap with devotional place, but merges with it). These sources of contestation combine in different forms at all three case studies, pushing their boundaries in physical and conceptual ways and calling into question how we define pilgrimage place. ii Table of Contents Introduction—Porousness, Contestation, and Pilgrimage Place..........................................1 Case Studies .............................................................................................................5 Theory and Method ................................................................................................12 Rationale and Significance ....................................................................................20 Outline of Project ...................................................................................................27 Chapter Two—The Global Dynamics of Place and Pilgrimage ........................................30 Reframing Pilgrimage ............................................................................................32 Place and Motion: Emplaced Contestation ............................................................44 Art History, Place, and Memory: The Shrine is Never Finished ...........................55 Pilgrimage Embedded in the World .......................................................................60 Chapter Three—Integrating Heritage Place and Sacred Place: Pilgrimage and Chartres Cathedral ................................................................................................................71 Chartres in Historical Context: Emplacing the Pilgrim in the Cult of Mary .........78 Contemporary Pilgrimage and Contestation at Chartres .......................................93 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................126 Chapter Four— The Fluid Pilgrimage Environment: Contestation and Memory at Medjugorje ...........................................................................................................134 Legitimacy at Medjugorje: Contestation from its Beginnings .............................139 Revelation and Topography: Emplacing Memory Narratives at Medjugorje .....150 Contested Memory in the Former Yugoslavia and the Bosnian War ..................178 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................192 Chapter Five—Links to History: Pilgrimage and the House of the Virgin Mary at Ephesus ................................................................................................................200 The House of the Virgin Mary: Asserting Historical Legitimacy .......................204 Memory Narrative of Dwelling in the Commercial Environment .......................213 Addressing Multiple Audiences: Quranic Display ..............................................227 Mary’s House as Global and Cultural Attraction ................................................233 The House in the Ephesus Ensemble: Palimpsest and Hypertext ........................244 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................256 Conclusion—The Facts of Distance and the Joys of Proximity ......................................265 Porousness and Contestation at the Three Case Studies ......................................267 Areas for Future Research ...................................................................................284 Pilgrimage Place, Unfinished...............................................................................285 Bibliography ....................................................................................................................287 iii List of Figures Figure 3.1. Sancta Camisia and reliquary, Chartres, France ..........................................130 Figure 3.2. Notre-Dame du Pilier, Chartres ...................................................................130 Figure 3.3. South transept central portal, Chartres ........................................................131 Figure 3.4. Exterior labyrinth, Chartres .........................................................................131 Figure 3.5. Shops facing south transept, Chartres .........................................................132 Figure 3.6. Mile marker for Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage outside West Portal, Chartres .......................................................................................................132 Figure 3.7. UNESCO World Heritage plaque on east cathedral grounds, Chartres ......133 Figure 4.1. First Joyful Mystery, the Annunciation, on Apparition Hill, Medjugorje ..196 Figure 4.2. Queen of Peace statue in plaza of St. James church, Medjugorje ...............196 Figure 4.3. Outdoor altar behind St. James church, Medjugorje ...................................197 Figure 4.4. Christ as Risen Savior statue by St. James church, Medjugorje .................197 Figure 4.5. First Station of the Cross, Jesus is condemned to death, on Cross Mountain, Medjugorje ..................................................................................................198 Figure 4.6. Cross at summit of Cross Mountain, Medjugorje .......................................198 Figure 4.7. Shops with Marian memorabilia, Medjugorje .............................................199 Figure 4.8. Blue Cross at base of Apparition Hill, Medjugorje .....................................199 Figure 5.1. Historical Notes, House of the Virgin Mary, Turkey ..................................259 Figure 5.2. Statue of Mary, House of the Virgin Mary, Turkey ....................................260 Figure 5.3. House exterior with lines, House of the Virgin Mary, Turkey ....................261 Figure 5.4. Prayer stand with statue of Mary, House of the Virgin Mary, Turkey ........261 Figure 5.5. Wellspring, House of the Virgin Mary, Turkey ..........................................262 Figure 5.6. Wishing wall, House of the Virgin Mary, Turkey .......................................262 Figure 5.7. Wishing wall close up, House of the Virgin Mary, Turkey ........................263 Figure 5.8. Display of Quranic verses, House of the Virgin Mary, Turkey ..................264 iv Introduction Porousness, Contestation, and Pilgrimage Place [S]he came to Bethlehem and entered into the cave where the savior was born….When she looked upon these things, I say, she protested in my hearing that she could behold with the eyes of faith the infant Lord wrapped in swaddling clothes and crying in the manger, the wise men worshipping him, the star shining overhead, the virgin mother, the attentive foster-father, the shepherds coming by night… –Saint Jerome on Paula’s fourth century pilgrimage to Holy Land sites1 After
Recommended publications
  • Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi: the Doctrine of the Theotokos As a Liturgical Creed in the Coptic Orthodox Church
    Journal of Coptic Studies 14 (2012) 47–62 doi: 10.2143/JCS.14.0.2184687 LEX ORANDI, LEX CREDENDI: THE DOCTRINE OF THE THEOTOKOS AS A LITURGICAL CREED IN THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH BY BISHOY DAWOOD 1. Introduction In the Surah entitled “The Table Spread” in the Quran, Mohammed, the prophet of Islam, proclaimed a long revelation from God, and in a part that spoke of the role of Mary and teachings of Jesus, the following was mentioned: “And behold! Allah will say: ‘O Jesus the son of Mary! Did you say to men, ‘worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah’?’” (Sura 5:116).1 It is of note here that not only the strict mono- theistic religion of Islam objected to the Christian worshipping of Jesus as God, but it was commonly believed that Christians also worshipped his mother, Mary, as a goddess. This may have been the result of a mis- understanding of the term Theotokos, literally meaning “God-bearer”, but also means “Mother of God”, which was attributed to Mary by the Christians, who used the phrase Theotokos in their liturgical worship. Likewise, in Protestant theology, there was a reaction to the excessive adoration of the Virgin Mary in the non-liturgical devotions of the churches of the Latin West, which was termed “Mariolatry.” However, as Jaroslav Pelikan noted, the Eastern churches commemorated and cel- ebrated Mary as the Theotokos in their liturgical worship and hymnology.2 The place of the Theotokos in the liturgical worship of the Eastern Chris- tian churches does not only show the spiritual relation between the Virgin Mother and the people who commemorate her, but it is primarily a creedal affirmation of the Christology of the believers praying those hymns addressed to the Theotokos.
    [Show full text]
  • Thinking Through Matters of Faith
    THINKING THROUGH MATTERS OF FAITH “Born of the Virgin Mary”: Toward a Sprachregelung on a Delicate Point of Doctrine his essay offers an interpretation of the traditional Catholic teach- Ting that “Jesus Christ, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, was born of the Virgin Mary.” It will be attempted to do so in such a way as to positively acknowledge three blocks of non-theological knowledge: (1) the critical difference between tacit, unspoken mean- ing-elements in speech and the invisible, unwritten meaning-elements discoverable in texts; (2) the account of the anatomical and physiolog- ical “facts” involved in human fertilization and conception as they were widely understood in the classical and medieval periods, and thus, presumably, at the place and time of the composition of the infancy narratives in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, and (3) the modern, scientific account of these same “facts,” now generally understood and accepted. Indirectly, the contrasts treated in (1) and between (2) and (3) will raise issues in the field of the hermeneutics of Christian doctrine. For all this, the author’s chief purpose in writing is systematic- theological, but in such a way as to emphasize linguistic, and hence, pastoral elements as well. After all, the accepted, shared language of faith must never be totally severed from the live speech of the people professing it, and silence is a strangely telling part of live speech. Happily, the Great Tradition’s constant teaching on this point is now being studied in many places. Unhappily, some of the scrutiny, often allegedly academic, is mixed with scorn; still, scrutinizing (as against doubting) Christian doctrine is the birthright of Christians; if they do not take advantage of this privilege, non-Christians will.
    [Show full text]
  • Catholic Church & Resources
    Aug. 7-8, 2021 / Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time CAAVT HEO LMI C AC HRU RICAH 5068 Annunciation Circle, Ste. 101, Ave Maria, FL 34142 | 239.261.5555 | [email protected] | M-F 9am-5pm Weekly Reflection Our Priests Fr. David Vidal, Ph.D. Pastor [email protected] Fr. John Andem, S.Th.D. Parochial Vicar [email protected] Fr. Piotr Paciorek, Ph.D. Parochial Vicar [email protected] Our Deacons Jeffrey Ball Deacon [email protected] Gary Ingold Deacon [email protected] In his Apostolic Letter, “At the Beginning of the John Jarvis Deacon New Millennium” (Novo Millennio Ineunte, [email protected] 2000), St. John Paull II presents the road map Tom Kinnick Deacon of our journey towards Heaven. He tells us that [email protected] “We shall not be saved by a formula but by a Our Parish Staff Person, and his assurance: ‘I am with you Martha Baca always, until the end of the age!’ (Mt 28:20).” Data Entry Clerk [email protected] Becky Hampton Dir. of Religious Ed St. John Paul II makes another important [email protected] observation: “Conscious of the Risen Lord's Craig Kadlec Business Manager presence among us, we ask ourselves today [email protected] the same question put to Peter in Jerusalem Dcn. Tom Kinnick Dir. of Youth Ministry immediately after his Pentecost speech: ‘What [email protected] must we do?’” (Acts 2:37). Marian Mandy Dir. of Music [email protected] Jesus offers us salvation. Now, what must we Stephanie Pointz Secretary do? We must believe in Christ, of course, but at [email protected] the same time, our belief must be James Stephens Facilities Manager accompanied by works of faith.
    [Show full text]
  • Awkward Objects: Relics, the Making of Religious Meaning, and The
    Awkward Objects: Relics, the Making of Religious Meaning, and the Limits of Control in the Information Age Jan W Geisbusch University College London Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor in Anthropology. 15 September 2008 UMI Number: U591518 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U591518 Published by ProQuest LLC 2013. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Declaration of authorship: I, Jan W Geisbusch, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis. Signature: London, 15.09.2008 Acknowledgments A thesis involving several years of research will always be indebted to the input and advise of numerous people, not all of whom the author will be able to recall. However, my thanks must go, firstly, to my supervisor, Prof Michael Rowlands, who patiently and smoothly steered the thesis round a fair few cliffs, and, secondly, to my informants in Rome and on the Internet. Research was made possible by a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of Pilgrimage Upon the Faith and Faith-Based Practice of Catholic Educators
    The University of Notre Dame Australia ResearchOnline@ND Theses 2018 The impact of pilgrimage upon the faith and faith-based practice of Catholic educators Rachel Capets The University of Notre Dame Australia Follow this and additional works at: https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/theses Part of the Religion Commons COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Copyright Regulations 1969 WARNING The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any further copying or communication of this material by you may be the subject of copyright protection under the Act. Do not remove this notice. Publication Details Capets, R. (2018). The impact of pilgrimage upon the faith and faith-based practice of Catholic educators (Doctor of Philosophy (College of Education)). University of Notre Dame Australia. https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/theses/219 This dissertation/thesis is brought to you by ResearchOnline@ND. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of ResearchOnline@ND. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE IMPACT OF PILGRIMAGE UPON THE FAITH AND FAITH-BASED PRACTICE OF CATHOLIC EDUCATORS A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy, Education The University of Notre Dame, Australia Sister Mary Rachel Capets, O.P. 23 August 2018 THE IMPACT OF PILGRIMAGE UPON THE CATHOLIC EDUCATOR Declaration of Authorship I, Sister Mary Rachel Capets, O.P., declare that this thesis, submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy, in the Faculty of Education, University of Notre Dame Australia, is wholly my own work unless otherwise referenced or acknowledged. The document has not been submitted for qualifications at any other academic institution.
    [Show full text]
  • Medjugorje (Part 5 of 5): Spiritual Guides Disobedient, Excommunicated, Unchaste
    Medjugorje (Part 5 of 5): Spiritual Guides Disobedient, Excommunicated, Unchaste (New Era World News) THE FRANCISCAN SPIRITUAL DIRECTORS of the Medjugorje “Seers” have scored a “trifecta”; all three of them have been laicized, excommunicated, or suspended a divinis. Father Tomislav Vlasic was the third spiritual adviser of the Medjugorje “seers” to be suspended from his ministry (2009). The second was, Father Jozo Zovko, who was suspended by Bishop Peric in 2004. Father Iveca Vego holds the infamous dishonor of being the first; he was suspended on Jan. 29 1982, six months after the apparitions began at Medjugorje. Nonetheless, he continued to exercise his priestly ministry in defiance of the Bishop of Mostar. Vego refused to comply until after the Vatican got involved and the other two were implicated on various charges serious enough to warrant suspension and excommunication before the Curia took up Vego’s case in 2009. l Father Iveca Vego According to Bishop Zanic, Father Ivica Vego, a Franciscan priest among the first confidants and spiritual directors of the "seers", was dispensed from his vows and expelled from the Franciscan Order in January (1982) by his superiors in the Order of Friars Minor (OFM) after which the bishop appealed to the Vatican Congregation for Religious to have him reduced to the lay state. According to Bishop Zanic, eventually Ivica Vego’s behavior, which included persistent and flagrant disobedience and immoral sexual conduct (the seduction and impregnation of a nun named Sister Leopolda) caught up with him. "By an order of the Holy Father the Pope, he was thrown out of his Franciscan religious order OFM by his General, dispensed from his vows, and suspended "a divinis".
    [Show full text]
  • Donatello's Terracotta Louvre Madonna
    Donatello’s Terracotta Louvre Madonna: A Consideration of Structure and Meaning A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Fine Arts of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts Sandra E. Russell May 2015 © 2015 Sandra E. Russell. All Rights Reserved. 2 This thesis titled Donatello’s Terracotta Louvre Madonna: A Consideration of Structure and Meaning by SANDRA E. RUSSELL has been approved for the School of Art + Design and the College of Fine Arts by Marilyn Bradshaw Professor of Art History Margaret Kennedy-Dygas Dean, College of Fine Arts 3 Abstract RUSSELL, SANDRA E., M.A., May 2015, Art History Donatello’s Terracotta Louvre Madonna: A Consideration of Structure and Meaning Director of Thesis: Marilyn Bradshaw A large relief at the Musée du Louvre, Paris (R.F. 353), is one of several examples of the Madonna and Child in terracotta now widely accepted as by Donatello (c. 1386-1466). A medium commonly used in antiquity, terracotta fell out of favor until the Quattrocento, when central Italian artists became reacquainted with it. Terracotta was cheap and versatile, and sculptors discovered that it was useful for a range of purposes, including modeling larger works, making life casts, and molding. Reliefs of the half- length image of the Madonna and Child became a particularly popular theme in terracotta, suitable for domestic use or installation in small chapels. Donatello’s Louvre Madonna presents this theme in a variation unusual in both its form and its approach. In order to better understand the structure and the meaning of this work, I undertook to make some clay works similar to or suggestive of it.
    [Show full text]
  • August 12, 2018 Rev
    204 N US Highway One, P.O. Box 3726, Tequesta, FL 33469 Phone: (561) 746-7974 Fax: (561) 743-6127 Web Site: www.stjudecatholicchurch.net Email: [email protected] Very Rev. Charles E. Notabartolo PASTOR August 12, 2018 Rev. Frank D’Amato PAROCHIAL VICAR Very Rev. Albert Dello Russo, JCL IN RESIDENCE Deacon Les Loh MASS SCHEDULE Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM Sunday: 7:30, 9:00, 10:30 AM & 5:30 PM Holyday of Obligation: Vigil: 6:00 PM Holyday: 7:30, 8:30 AM, Noon & 6:00 PM DAILY MASSES (November through April) Monday-Saturday 7:30 & 8:30 AM (May & June, and Sept. & Oct.) Monday - Friday: 7:30 & 8:30 AM Saturday: 8:30 AM (July and August) Monday - Saturday: 8:00 AM Rosary following Daily Masses Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturday: 3:00 - 3:45 PM in Chapel (Other Times by Appointment) OFFICE Office Hours: Monday: 1:00 - 4:00 PM Welcome to our Parish Family! Tuesday - Friday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Thank You for attending Mass today. Closed for Lunch 12:00 - 1:00 PM We are glad you came! The Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time August 12, 2018 Parish Office Phone Number: 561-746-7974 Parish Secretary: Janet Richards, Ext. 222 Bookkeeper: Sandi Gallagher, Ext. 224 Saturday, August 11 Receptionist: Mary Lehman, Ext. 221 4:00 p.m. Deceased of Pratt Family (Fr. Art) Facilities Manager: Tom Lehman, 746-7974 Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 12 Deacon Les Loh: 746-7974, Ext. 234 7:30 a.m. Lillian Karam by Her Family (Fr.
    [Show full text]
  • Holy Family Catholic Church South Pasadena, California
    Presents: An 11-Day Pilgrimage through the Aegean Walking in the Footsteps of St. Paul including a 3-Night Cruise with Fr. Marlon Mateo and Cambria Tortorelli October 20 - 30, 2017 Holy Family Catholic Church South Pasadena, California Fr. Marlon Mateo Cambria Tortorelli For more Information please contact: Nancy Bevins at 626-403-6107 ([email protected]) or Faith Journeys at 1-877-732-4845 REGISTER by January 5, 2017 and SAVE $100! Following in the Footsteps of St. Paul with a 3-night Cruise 11 days / 9 nights Therefore, comfort and upbuild one another…esteem them with the greatest love…remain at peace with one another. (I Thess 5: 11, 13). On our pilgrimage through Greece, we will follow the footsteps of Paul to discover firsthand the sights, sounds, and feelings that he may have had as he established the Church in this enchanting, ancient land. As we behold the timeless holy places and contemplate the exemplary life of Paul who came not in word only, and not in affliction only, but also in power and with much assurance and great joy to admonish those he served, to join them in giving thanks to God and to remember without ceasing… great works of faith, labours of love and patience of hope in Jesus Christ (I Thess 1), we will renew our commitment to the roots of our Catholic faith. The masses and meditations we celebrate along the way will draw us together as a community, and will remind us of our blessings and the call to stewardship as followers of Jesus Christ.
    [Show full text]
  • Stateside Pilgrimage Leaders Guide
    WORLD YOUTH DAY USA STATESIDE TM PILGRIMAGE Leaders Guide in preparation for World Youth Day 2019 World Youth Day USA Stateside Pilgrimage Leaders Guide Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 1 World Youth Day USA – Stateside Pilgrimage Leaders Guide Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction to the Guide 4 The Stateside and Digital Pilgrims 6 Encounter, Accompany, Send: The Role of the World Youth Day Pilgrimage Leader 14 Hosting a Stateside World Youth Day Pilgrimage: Process and Sample Formats 23 • Stateside Model #1 (Evening Program) 39 • Stateside Model #2 (Afternoon & Evening Program) 40 • Stateside Model #3 (Morning to Evening Program) 42 • Stateside Model #4 (Two Day Overnight Program) 44 • Stateside Model #5 (Two Day Overnight Program) 46 • Stateside Model #6 (Evening Program: USA National Pilgrim Gathering) 47 • Stateside Model #7 (Evening Program) 48 • Stateside Model #8 (Interactive Pilgrim Communications) 49 • Stateside Model #9 (Local Pilgrimage Journey) 50 • Stateside Model #10 (Local Mission Work) 51 World Youth Day Follow-Up: Connecting Stateside and International Pilgrims 52 • Vocational Discernment Gathering for World Youth Day Pilgrims 61 2 World Youth Day USA Stateside Pilgrimage Leaders Guide The World Youth Day USA Stateside Pilgrimage Leaders Guide was developed as a resource and approved by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap., Chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). It was authorized for publication by the undersigned. Msgr. J. Brian Bransfield General Secretary, USCCB Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C.
    [Show full text]
  • Virgin Enthroned, School of Jacopo Di Cione
    The Technical and Historical Findings of an Investigation of a Fourteenth-Century Florentine Panel from the Courtauld Gallery Collection By Roxane Sperber and Anna Cooper The Conservation and Art Historical Analysis: Works from the Courtauld Gallery Project aimed to carry out technical investigation and art historical research on a gothic arched panel from the Courtauld Gallery Collection [P.1947.LF.202] (fig 1).1 The panel was undergoing conservation treatment and was thus well positioned for such investigation. The following report will outline the findings of this study. It will address the dating, physical construction, iconography, and attribution of the work, as well as the likely function of the work and the workshop decisions which contributed to its production. Dating Stylistic and iconographic characteristics indicate that this work originated in Florence and dates to the last decade of the fourteenth century. The panel is divided into two scenes; the lower scene depicts a Madonna of Humility, the Virgin seated on the ground surrounded by four standing saints, and the upper portion of the work is a Crucifixion with the Virgin and St John the Evangelist (the dolenti) seated at the cross. It is difficult to trace the precise origins of the Madonna of Humility and the Dolenti Seated at the Cross. There is no consensus as to the origins of these formats, although numerous proposals have been suggested.2 Millard Meiss proposed that the Madonna of Humility originated in Siena with a panel by Simone Martini,3 who also produced a fresco of the same subject in Avignon.4 Beth Williamson agrees that these mid fourteenth-century works were early examples of the Madonna of Humility, but suggests that the Avignon fresco came first and the panel, also produced during Martini’s time in France, was sent back to the Dominican convent in Siena, an institution to which Martini had ties.5 The Madonna of Humility gained popularity throughout the second half of the fourteenth century and into the fifteenth century.
    [Show full text]
  • Medjugorje's Effects: a History of Local, State and Church Response
    MEDJUGORJE'S EFFECT'S: A HISTORY OF LOCAL, STATE AND CHURCH RESPONSE TO THE MEDJUGORJE PHENOMENON Teresa M. Pangle A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS May 2011 Committee: Dr. Beth Greich-Polelle, Advisor Dr. Gary R. Hess ii ABSTRACT Dr. Beth Greich-Polelle, Advisor This thesis examines the impacts of the alleged appearances of the Virgin Mary which began in Medjugorje, Yugoslavia in 1981. Through the examination of primary sources such as Catholic Church and the United States Department of State documentation and eye-witness interviews, this study creates a basic history of the events in Medjugorje and clearly defines the Catholic Church’s position on these events. This thesis provides an academic history of the events surrounding Medjugorje and provides historical insight into the motivations behind the response of the local villagers and clergy members, the Yugoslavian state and the Vatican. The events studied include a carefully-documented history of the first two months of the apparitions, an account of the officially-atheistic, Yugoslavian government’s response to the subsequent religious outpouring, and a history of the Catholic Church’s response to the alleged apparitions up to the present day. The dispute of the authenticity of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Medjugorje - which is currently under investigation by the Catholic Church - is polarizing within Catholic culture. The historiography of these events is divided into two groups of “pro-authenticity” or “anti-authenticity” authors who publish opposing and even contradictory information while using the same sources.
    [Show full text]