DOCSLIB.ORG

The Life of Saint Paul of the Cross Founder of the Congregation of the Cross and Passion

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Life of Saint Paul of the Cross Founder of the Congregation of the Cross and Passion The Life of Saint Paul of the Cross Founder of the Congregation of the Cross and Passion 1694-1775 Volume 1 – 1694-1741 Father Louis Therese of Jesus Agonizing, C.P. 1873 Fr. Simon Woods, C.P. (Translated from the third French Edition) 1959 (INDEX TO VOLUME ONE ON FINAL PAGES) DEDICATION to HIS EMINENCE FERDINAND CARDINAL DONNET Archbishop of Bordeaux Your Eminence, The Life of Saint Paul of the Cross, which it is my privilege to dedicate to you, may rightfully be called your very own. Without your Eminence the work may not have been completed, and I may never have realized the idea that I had in mind for a very long time. It is then the humble fruit of a tree planted by your own hands in the vineyard confided to your care by the Heavenly Father. It was when your Eminence was in Rome for the Beatification of our holy Founder that you obtained from His Holiness Pope Pius IX the sons of Saint Paul of the Cross for your Archdiocese… And, if this little family was welcome and took its humble beginnings in the fruitful soil of France under your protection and guidance, is it not due to your paternal interest and initiative? Soon, it is true, a learned and zealous clergy imitated your zeal; but in those days of supreme struggle, of unceasing conflict against the rights of the Church, your Eminence realized that it is necessary that zeal be united with learning, especially when the war “against the Lord and his Christ” becomes so universal. You knew that far too many souls would tread the path leading to perdition unless men were raised up who would become the saviors of their souls. That is the reason why you have invited to your vast Diocese men taken from the ranks of the different Religious Orders, apostles ever ready to come to your side as co- operators in the ceaseless search for souls, the fire of whose zeal would successfully triumph over the obstacles hindering their apostolate efforts; and from all your apostolic assistants, you have formed one army, already united, of valiant soldiers of Jesus Christ. Your Eminence, among so many other works, due to your indefatigable apostolic zeal, there is one, I dare to say, that will not be the last of your glories before God. That is the souls, saved by these untiring apostolic laborers, the souls who will be your crown and your joy in the kingdom of Heaven, For ourselves, the humble Religious of the Passion, for a long time we have had your name inscribed within that sacred sanctuary which no one can ever efface – the heart of 2 the Divine Master; there we have included your name with those of other glorious benefactors, Crescenzi, Rezzonico, Albani, Altieri, Corsi, and among those illustrious Princes of the Church who have proved themselves loyal protectors of our Congregation, whose names are linked with the immortal name of the Sovereign Pontiff, Pius IX. In deigning to accept the dedication of these humble pages, that are so unworthy of your excellence, your Eminence, and especially unworthy of the glorious Saint whose Life we have written, we proclaim to you and to the world our debt of gratitude. You have permitted us to lay at your feet, and it is also your wish to impart to this Life a special benediction from the depths of your heart, a heart that is ever ready to encourage and to strengthen men of good will who aspire to the loyal and loving service of God, of the Church and of humanity. I am, with sentiments of most profound respect, Your Eminence, Your most humble and obedient servant, Louis Therese of Jesus Agonizing, Passionist The Retreat of Our Lady of Sorrows BORDEAUX 28TH APRIL, 1869 FEAST OF ST. PAUL OF THE CROSS 3 LETTER FROM HIS EMINENCE THE ARCHBISHOP OF BORDEAUX Bordeaux, 24th May, 1869 Reverend Father, The Life of Saint Paul of the Cross, Founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Cross and Passion of Jesus Christ, who was canonized on the 24th June, 1867, by Pius IX of immortal memory, during one of the most impressive celebrations of the universal Church, at which I had the honor of being present, is a work of the most profound interest, the marvelous achievements of his long life of more than eighty years will perhaps astonish innumerable Christians of our day who are so little accustomed to reading prodigies of a supernatural nature; but, in spite of their repugnance to these things, they doubt their authenticity. For you have written your Life not by the aid of ancient documents that have been resurrected from the tomb of forgotten things, which in spite of the talent and the good will of the biographer, still leaves the truth veiled in obscurity; but you have had at hand the testimony of conscientious witnesses who have not long passed away from us. The seal of veracity which stamps your Life is such that seems to us that you have borrowed from the Apostle, Saint Peter, the words of his first discourse to the people after the Last Supper. Virum approbatum a Deo in vobis, virtutibus et prodigiis et signis quae fecit Deus per illuin medio vestri, sicut et vos scitis. “A man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him, in the midst of you, as you also know.” Acts 2, 22 Your hero, who has become your spiritual father, you have followed from the day of his birth at Ovada in the Republic of Genoa, 3rd January, 1694, until the day of his glorious death on the Caelian Hill in the Retreat of Saints John and Paul, 18th October, 1775, with scrupulous exactness and a filial affection. You have shown with charming simplicity, at Castellazzo, the home of the Saint, his youthful piety and penances, and the charity that inspired his every action. One cannot read this Life without being emotionally stirred; nor can one read without associating Saint Benedict in the grotto of Subiaco, Ignatius in the cave of Manresa, with the austerities of the youthful Paul Danei, and of the struggles he had to endure when, withdrawing to a damp and cold room under a stairway in the sacristy of the Church of Saint Charles at Castellazzo, he wrote in obedience to the wish of the Bishop, the Rules of the Congregation of the Passion. The manner, in which you have described Monte Argentario, so life-like and so delicately, had made us fall in love with that hallowed room, the silent witness during long years to the prayer, the penance and the silence of the first members of your Congregation. If today this privileged place, where Mary so mysteriously called your holy Founder, has been stolen from you, let us hope that in happier times that are not far off, God will return this sacred sanctuary to you, the holy cradle of your holy 4 Congregation. Nothing is more touching than the description of those many journeys of the Saint to Rome, along arduous and treacherous paths, bareheaded and barefooted, in the biting cold of winter or the scorching heat of summer, and of the obstacles that he encountered in his efforts to obtain the approbation of the Holy See for the foundation of this new Congregation. These difficulties seemed to impede the inspired and holy work. But was it not rather that the tree destined to spread high and wide its protective shelter and shade should be buffeted by storms from the very beginning of its existence, so that its roots would acquire the strength necessary to support and sustain its innumerable branches? Yes, the works of Saint Paul of the Cross were most pleasing to God; also was it not necessary, too, that they should be tried in the fire of tribulation, Quia acceptus eras Deo, necesse fuit ut tentatio probaret te. “Because you were acceptable to God, it was necessary that temptation should prove you.” (Tobias 12,13) But, once the Congregation was approved by a Rescript from Pope Benedict XIV, it expanded and developed to equal the Orders of Dominic and Ignatius. The fecundity of the word of Saint Paul of the Cross during apostolic missions is something simply astonishing, but which is only explained in the light of the sanctity of the Missionary; and the prodigies accompanying his word and work were a sign of God’s approval on the labors of the grand Servant of God, The tender friendship that the Pontiffs - Clement XIII, Clement XIV, Pius VI - vowed to Saint Paul of the Cross is explained also by the beauty of soul of the Founder, in which these Pontiffs, disturbed by the calamities of the times, were happy to find the help and consolation they sought. I must refrain myself, Reverend Father, for if I do not, I will never finish relating those sentiments which your Life of Saint Paul of the Cross has aroused in my soul. But one word more: the doctrine which, during the course of your narrative you have related, is true and orthodox; your unpretentious style is pure, simple and delightful and your hero, as you have portrayed him, is the very same as your fathers have known, admired and loved. It now only remains for me to bless this work, and I do so with my whole heart, begging of God that it may shine before priests and people, for I am convinced that it will increase in their hearts devotion to Jesus crucified, which is the sole source of all sanctity.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Gospel of Prosperity and Healing Ministry in African Pentecostalism
    The Gospel of Prosperity and Healing Ministry in African Pentecostalism: A theological and pastoral challenge to the Catholic Church in Uganda. By Samuel Mugisa (D-4046 UKSW) Submitted in accordance with the requirements for degree of Doctor in Theology (specialization Missiology) Supervisor: Prof. UKSW Dr. Hab. Wojciech Kluj OMI Auxiliary Supervisor Dr. Mariusz Boguszewski Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw 2021 ii Figure 1.0: The Widows offering (Except from Lk 21:1-4) Source: Excerpt from Luke 21:1-4 (NRSV), author’s design, Warsaw, 2021 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES..................................................................................................................................... viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................... ix ABBREVIATIONS......................................................................................................................................... x INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................... 1 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ............................................................................................................................ 8 METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................................................... 9 OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH ...........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Father Gui Tianjue, C.M., Confessor of the Faith in China
    Vincentiana Volume 39 Number 1 Vol. 39, No. 1 Article 13 1-1995 Father Gui Tianjue, C.M., Confessor of the Faith in China Omnis Terra Follow this and additional works at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentiana Part of the Catholic Studies Commons, Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons, History of Christianity Commons, Liturgy and Worship Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Terra, Omnis (1995) "Father Gui Tianjue, C.M., Confessor of the Faith in China," Vincentiana: Vol. 39 : No. 1 , Article 13. Available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentiana/vol39/iss1/13 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Vincentian Journals and Publications at Via Sapientiae. It has been accepted for inclusion in Vincentiana by an authorized editor of Via Sapientiae. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Father Gui Tianjue, C.M., Confessor of the Faith in China Omnis Terra (1) Fr Gui Tianjue (Joseph Kuei) was the first martyr of the diocese of Yujiang in the province of Jiangxi. The inscription on his tombstone says he died in 1953. He was a Vincentian. After ordination he studied for a while in the United States. Before 1950 he worked in a Catholic church in Fuzhou, also in the province of Jiangxi. He founded the "True Light" secondary school, which he ran for over ten years. An American, Fr Steven Dunker, C.M., was one of his companions at that time. The present regime began in 1951. All priests and Christians were invited to join the Patriotic Association, which set up the Movement of Threefold Independence of the Church, at which time the police listed the false accusations against the American missionary, S.
    [Show full text]
  • Maximilian Kolbe's Martyrdom in 1936, He Was Recalled to Poland, and Left
    Maximilian Kolbe’s Martyrdom In 1936, he was recalled to Poland, and left Japan for the last time. WWII broke out on Sept 1 1939 When Hitler invaded Poland Sept 5 almost all the Franciscans were ordered to leave the monastery. Before letting them leave for unknown destinations For some exile For others prison or death Maximilian Kolbe said to them: Do not forget love. On September 12, 1939, the City of Mary had been occupied by the Nazi’s On Sept 19, the SS men came to arrest Kolbe and the remaining Franciscans To the frightened brothers Kolbe said, “Courage, my sons. Don’t you see that we are leaving on a mission? They pay our fare in the bargain. What a piece of good luck! The thing to do now is to pray well in order to win as many souls as possible. Let us, then, tell the Blessed Virgin that we are content, and that she can do with us anything she wishes” Amtitz They were taken to the concentration camp Amtitz Kolbe showed no fear of the Nazis He tried to speak to them of the state of their soul He even distributed the Miraculous Medal December 8 (the feast of the Immaculate Conception) For some unknown reason Kolbe and the brothers were set free Mary was showing them that even in the midst of this trial God was with them Mary was with them Everything was in Their hands God works all things for good They went back to the City of Mary And they turned it into a refugee camp Caring for 4000 people 1500 Jews Early in 1941, Kolbe printed the last edition of the Knight of Mary No one in the world can change Truth.
    [Show full text]
  • Shroud Spectrum International No. 9 Part 6
    25 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Q. What is the relation of stigmatics to the Shroud? The Shroud shows the nail wound in the back of the wrist whilst all stigmatics have wounds in their palms. Carmel Camilleri, Malta Pollard Cross: The Coesfeld Crucifix A. One thing at least is certain: The stigmata are not reproductions of historical reality. The wide variety of manifestations is proof enough, one instance being that some stigmatics have the "lance wound" on the right, some on the left. It would seem that the location of the stigmata might be determined by two factors: 1), the personality and mental images of the mystic. One good example: Praying before a Pollard cross, common in Germanic countries from early medieval times, Catherine Emmerich (d. 1924), evidently "taking up her cross", was marked on the shoulder with a Y. And 2), the general conceptions about crucifixions in the minds of the mystics' contemporaries. These general conceptions were certainly formed in contemplation of crucifixes, which have consistently shown nails in the palms of the corpus, according to Jesus' words, "See my hands ... " in a post-resurrection appearance. (Lk 24:39, Jo 20:20,24-28) But crucifixes are made by artists, none of whom ever witnessed a crucifixion. The great artists of the Renaissance hung corpses for models and were dismayed when their macabre subjects fell because the nails ripped the palms right through. Yet, faithful to artistic tradition, they continued to place nails in the palms when representing Christ crucified. Rubens and Van Eyck departed from tradition, placing nails in the wrists; but their correction is not followed even today.
    [Show full text]
  • October 18, 2020
    Page 2 CURRENT LITURGICAL SCHEDULE Please see our current schedule below Masks are required at all mes, covering both mouth and nose, and social distancing guidelines will be followed MASS Monday through Friday 8:30 am (Upper Church) ST. PAUL OF THE CROSS WELCOMES: Saturday 4:30 pm (Upper Church) Sunday 7:30 am (Upper Church) Charlee Joelle Olmen 9:00 am (Holy Family Chapel) child of Zachary and Rebecca Olmen 10:30 am (Upper Church) Connor Thomas Paso ADORATION child of Andrew and Amanda Paso 1st and 3rd Fridays immediately following 8:30 am Mass in Upper Church (must register for and aend Mass to stay for Adoraon) Domenico Louis Orlando Adoraon chapel remains closed at this me child of Michael and Samantha Orlando CONFESSION Hannah Grace Pinter Wednesday 3 pm to 4 pm child of Joseph and Tara Pinter Saturday 8 am to 9 am FUNERALS Monday through Saturday Morning WEDDINGS Friday and Saturday BAPTISMS Sunday REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL MASSES To register for Mass, call 847-825-7605 or visit our SignUpGenius registraon pages below: Car Masses: hps://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0d45afab2da2ff2-carmass All Other Masses: www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0d45afab2da2ff2-massdaily III Brian Green and Emily Sherbin Registraon opens every Friday for the following week Registraon closes 24 hours before the start of the Mass SCHEDULE UPDATES UPCOMING CAR MASS: OCTOBER 21st AT 5:00 PM ADORATION IS HELD 1ST AND 3RD FRIDAYS AFTER 8:30 AM MASS Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time October 18, 2020 “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.” — Mahew 22:21 Page 3 A LETTER FROM OUR PASTOR, FR.
    [Show full text]
  • Dominic Barberi & the Conversion of J. H. Newman
    YOUR EBOOK is brought to you by: Author: Passionist Nuns Company: St.Joseph Monastery Description: Whitesville, KY Web: www.passionistnuns.org Email: [email protected] Copyright: Electronic Rights 2004 Passionist Nuns, Whitesville, KY 42378 All Rights Reserved ________________________________________________________________________ “HE WAS A GREAT LOVER OF ENGLAND” Dominic Barberi and the Conversion of J. H. Newman by Fr. Gregor Lenzen, C.P. Provincial of the South German–Austrian Vice-Province of the Passionists with its seat in Munich. Translated from the German by Sandra Harper Electronic Rights 2004 – Passionist Nuns, Whitesville, KY 42378 All rights reserved The Roman Peasant No account of the conversion of John Henry Newman, the great Christian thinker and future Cardinal, should be written without a reminder of the man who received him into the Catholic Church, namely the Passionist priest Dominic Barberi (1792-1849). Newman himself commemorated him in literature in “Loss and Gain”, his story of a convert, with the following words: “On the Apennines, near Viterbo, there dwelt a shepherd-boy, in the first years of this century, whose mind had early been drawn heavenward; and, one day, as he prayed before an image of the Madonna, he felt a vivid intimation that he was destined to preach the Gospel under the northern sky. There appeared no means by which a Roman peasant should be turned into a missionary; not did the prospect open, when this youth found himself, first a lay- brother, then a Father, in the Congregation of the Passion. Yet, though no external means appeared, the inward impression did not fade; on the contrary it became more definite, and, in process of time, instead of the dim north, England was engraven on his heart.
    [Show full text]
  • Is There Grace in the Soviet Church.Djvu
    Is the Grace of God Present in the Soviet Church? “Notes about the Catacomb Church in the USSR.” Professor I.M. Andreyev Translated from the Russian published originally in Jordanville, New York 1948 Contents Introduction ........................................................................ 7 Professor I.M. Andreyev In Memoriam .................................................................... 19 Is the Grace of God Present in the Soviet Church? 23 Notes on the Catacomb Church ........................................ 59 Notes 82 Introduction In the Orthodox Church many of the most profound theological works written by the great Church Fathers were written not for the mere sake of discoursing on the sublime truths, but to defend the faithful against the appearance of an error - an innovation, a human invention alien to the Divinely inspired Truth preserved by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the Church. Often the Fathers of the Church would have preferred to keep silent, continuing in prayer and living the truths of Divine Revelation, which car. at best be imperfectly reflected in human words. Th discourses they have left in defense of the Faith art very often more in the nature of fences surrounding the Truth - declaring what God is not, while God in His essence remains unfathomable to the human mind. Nevertheless, as a result (one might say, a by- product) of their polemical writings, we have received from the Church Fathers a rich heritage of inspired theological writings which help us to better understand what Orthodox Christianity really is. The present work falls into this category. Unfortunately, however, it will not be valued in this way but rather in terms of the reader’s sympathies for, or lack thereof, the present day church organization in Russia known as the Moscow Patriarchate.
    [Show full text]
  • Tridentine Community News January 22, 2012 – the Third Sunday After Epiphany
    Tridentine Community News January 22, 2012 – The Third Sunday After Epiphany Next Tridentine Mass at Ss. Peter & Paul West Side Titles Assigned to Saints One week after the news that St. Hyacinth Church has decided to Every Saint in the calendar is assigned one or more titles. These hold an additional Mass in the Extraordinary Form, Ss. Peter & titles are most frequently found in missals and listings of weekday Paul (west side), Detroit has announced that it will hold another Masses. For example, “St. John Chrysostom, Bishop, Confessor, Tridentine High Mass at 12:15 PM on Sunday, March 18, the & Doctor”. Let’s explore what these titles mean: Fourth Sunday of Lent (Lætáre Sunday). As with St. Hyacinth, your support of the first Mass there in December demonstrated Bishop : Self-explanatory that there is sufficient interest to continue scheduling Tridentine Masses. Additional Masses may be scheduled in the future if Confessor [of the Faith] : A male champion of the Faith who has demand continues. not been martyred. Effectively the catch-all term for male Saints not classified by another title. We ask your prayers for, and words of thanks to, the priests and people of Ss. Peter & Paul, St. Hyacinth, St. Albertus, and our Doctor [of the Church] : One who has made an important own St. Joseph and Sweetest Heart of Mary, for hosting these contribution to theology or doctrine periodic Masses. They are in the vanguard of the growing presence of the Extraordinary Form in ordinary parish life. Holy Abbot : Superior of a monastery “Commemoration” of the Baptism of the Lord Holy Woman : A female champion of the Faith.
    [Show full text]
  • Symbol of Conquest, Alliance, and Hegemony
    SYMBOL OF CONQUEST, ALLIANCE, AND HEGEMONY: THE IMAGE OF THE CROSS IN COLONIAL MEXICO by ZACHARY WINGERD Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Arlington in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON August 2008 Copyright © by Zachary Wingerd 2008 All Rights Reserved ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I offer thanks to Dr. Dennis Reinhartz, Dr. Kenneth Philp, Dr. Richard Francaviglia, and Dr. Joseph Bastien who agreed to sit on my dissertation committee and guide my research and writing. Special thanks are given to Dr. Douglas Richmond who encouraged my topic from the very beginning and as the committee chair actively supported my endeavor. May 1, 2008 iii DEDICATED TO MY LOVING WIFE AND SONS Lindsey, Josh, and Jamie iv ABSTRACT SYMBOL OF CONQUEST, ALLIANCE, AND HEGEMONY: THE IMAGE OF THE CROSS IN COLONIAL MEXICO Zachary Wingerd, PhD. The University of Texas at Arlington, 2008 Supervising Professor: Douglas Richmond The universality of the cross image within the transatlantic confrontation meant not only a hegemony of culture, but of symbolism. The symbol of the cross existed in both European and American societies hundreds of years before Columbus. In both cultures, the cross was integral in religious ceremony, priestly decoration, and cosmic maps. As a symbol of life and death, of human and divine suffering, of religious and political acquiescence, no other image in transatlantic history has held such a perennial, powerful message as the cross. For colonial Mexico, which felt the brunt of Spanish initiative, the symbol of the cross penetrated the autochthonous culture out of which the independent nation and indigenous church were born.
    [Show full text]
  • NP 2013.Docx
    LISTE INTERNATIONALE DES NOMS PROTÉGÉS (également disponible sur notre Site Internet : www.IFHAonline.org) INTERNATIONAL LIST OF PROTECTED NAMES (also available on our Web site : www.IFHAonline.org) Fédération Internationale des Autorités Hippiques de Courses au Galop International Federation of Horseracing Authorities 15/04/13 46 place Abel Gance, 92100 Boulogne, France Tel : + 33 1 49 10 20 15 ; Fax : + 33 1 47 61 93 32 E-mail : [email protected] Internet : www.IFHAonline.org La liste des Noms Protégés comprend les noms : The list of Protected Names includes the names of : F Avant 1996, des chevaux qui ont une renommée F Prior 1996, the horses who are internationally internationale, soit comme principaux renowned, either as main stallions and reproducteurs ou comme champions en courses broodmares or as champions in racing (flat or (en plat et en obstacles), jump) F de 1996 à 2004, des gagnants des neuf grandes F from 1996 to 2004, the winners of the nine épreuves internationales suivantes : following international races : Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini, Grande Premio Brazil (Amérique du Sud/South America) Japan Cup, Melbourne Cup (Asie/Asia) Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Europe/Europa) Breeders’ Cup Classic, Breeders’ Cup Turf (Amérique du Nord/North America) F à partir de 2005, des gagnants des onze grandes F since 2005, the winners of the eleven famous épreuves internationales suivantes : following international races : Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini, Grande Premio Brazil (Amérique du Sud/South America) Cox Plate (2005), Melbourne Cup (à partir de 2006 / from 2006 onwards), Dubai World Cup, Hong Kong Cup, Japan Cup (Asie/Asia) Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Irish Champion (Europe/Europa) Breeders’ Cup Classic, Breeders’ Cup Turf (Amérique du Nord/North America) F des principaux reproducteurs, inscrits à la F the main stallions and broodmares, registered demande du Comité International des Stud on request of the International Stud Book Books.
    [Show full text]
  • The Enactment of Religious Conversion in Medieval and Early Modern European Saint Plays
    Transformed Within, Transformed Without: The Enactment of Religious Conversion in Medieval and Early Modern European Saint Plays Emily Ciavarella Kuntz Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy under the Executive Committee of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2020 © 2020 Emily Ciavarella Kuntz All Rights Reserved Abstract Transformed Within, Transformed Without: The Enactment of Religious Conversion in Medieval and Early Modern European Saint Plays Emily Ciavarella Kuntz My dissertation investigates the ways in which both medieval and early modern saint plays depict and incite religious conversion through self-aware theatrical techniques. In each of my chapters, I examine one or two popular saint plays from a given period and area (medieval England, medieval France, early modern Spain, and early modern England) and show how each play invites the audience to undergo a spiritual shift parallel to that of the saint protagonist. These playmakers harnessed the affective power and technology of theatrical performance to invite the audience to engage with performed religious conversion in a controlled, celebratory environment and to encourage them to convert toward a more deeply felt Christianity. The plays reconfigured the audience’s sensory and intellectual understanding of Christian theology in order for the audience to recognize spiritual truth within an inherently communal, participatory, and performative space. The plays I examine depend on the audience’s familiarity with theatrical culture and practice in order to distinguish between sincere and insincere religious performance. By making the process of conversion a theatrical performance onstage, these plays could advocate for the theatrical medium as a genuine and effective catalyst for spiritual renewal.
    [Show full text]
  • Some Striking
    NUMERICAL DECLINE OF RELIGIOUS INSTITUTES SINCE 1964 Religious Difference SOME STRIKING Orders and 1964/1977 STATISTICS Congregations Benedictines 12 131 12 500 12 070 10 037 -2 463 Capuchins 15 849 15 751 15 575 12 475 - 3 276 - The table alongside gives statistics for Dominicans 9 991 10091 9 946 8 773 1 318 the 62 religious congregations of men Franciscans 26 961 27 140 26 666 21 504 -5 636 17584 11 484 - 6 497 . 17 981 with more than 1,000 members in De La Salle Brothers . 17710 - Jesuits 35 438 35 968 35 573 28 038 7 930 1962. - Marist Brothers 10 068 10 230 10 125 6 291 3 939 Redemptorists 9 308 9 450 9 080 6 888 - 2 562 uniform decline in member- - The Salesians 21 355 22 042 21 900 17 535 4 507 ship is striking. practically all the Congrega- For Augustinians 4 273 4 353 4 447 3 650 703 1964 was the peak year, and 3 425 625 tions, . 4 050 Discalced Carmelites . 4 050 4016 since then all except one have de- Conventuals 4 650 4 650 4 590 4000 650 4 333 1 659 clined in membership, the one ex- Vincentians 5 966 5 992 5 900 7 623 7 526 6 271 1 352 ception being an Indian Congrega- O.M.I 7 592 Passionists 3 935 4 065 4 204 3 194 871 tion - the Carmelites of Mary Im- White Fathers 4 083 4 120 3 749 3 235 885 maculate. Spiritans 5 200 5 200 5 060 4 081 1 119 Trappists 4 339 4 211 3819 3 179 1 032 What, one may ask, is this tidal S.V.D 5 588 5 746 5 693 5 243 503 wave that has engulfed all the Con- gregations, broken their ascent and condemned them to statistical decline? Calced Carmelites ...
    [Show full text]