Carolyn and Meredith passed through the two towns of Laboreiro and San Julian whose churches are more than worthwhile to mention. They are quick on their way to Melide the center of Galicia.

The first church is the Iglesia de Santa Maria or the Church of Holy Mary located in Leboreiro. Here is how the story of the miracle goes,

Iglesia de Santa Maria was built to house a statue of the Virgin.Villagers following a lovely smell and glowing light discovered the statue at a local fountain. They placed the Virgin in their church altar, but she miraculously returned to her  fountain. For a few days, the villagers returned the statue to the altar, but by the following morning she had always reappeared at the fountain. Eventually, the villagers  decided to honor the Virgin by carving a tympanum and dedicating the church to her. (Source: Walking the Camino by Bethan Davies and Ben Cole)

Tympanum of Igelsia de Sante Maria

This beautiful and miraculous tale is perfect for this rustic Romanesque church. Some say, that she returns each evening to the fountain to comb her hair before she retires. To the left you can see the tympanum that was carved to honor her.

The second church in San Julian del Camino is dedicated, as you might surmise to St. Julian. This church was built in the twelfth century in the Romanesque style. A number of historians believe that due to the simplicity of foliates capitals and undecorated corbels suggest that is based off a Cistercian model. Sorry, couldn’t find a picture but have a great story about the region.

Legend has it that St. Julian was from this region. When St. Julian was hunting one day, he shot a deer that told him that he would kill his parents before it died. St. Julian to avoid this prophecy, exiled he and his wife for love of his parents. Years later, his parents discovered his location and wanted to surprise him and thus traveled to his house and hid in his house. When he arrived, thinking it was his wife and a lover occupying his bed, flew into a rage and killed them both by the sword. He and his wife then made a pilgrimage to Rome to repent and set up a hospice for travelers. After a number of years an angel appeared to them granting divine pardon.

Carolyn and Meredith continue to need your prayers.  Check out their blog!

Tags: Mary, Pilgrimage

Last night Carolyn and Meredith rested in Palas de Rei. Are you praying for them? Need to keep up the prayer support they have a long way to go yet.

What can we say about Palas de Rei? To start, Palas de Rei name is derived from the Witiza the Visigothic king, Witiza who who had a palace built to hold court. Palas de Rei means, “The Palace of the King in Gallego.” The town has also hosted as its inhabitants the Celts and Romans.

The town is an important piece of European history, especially to art historians, due to its many abundant examples of Romanesque architecture. An interesting example of a typical Galician Ayuntamiento or Town Hall.

Where would you go for the Divine Liturgy? Church of san Tirso of course! The Church is dedicated to Saint Thyrsus, who is venerated as a martyr. The Roman Martyrology has it that he died for his faith during the persecution of Decius in Sozopolis (Apollonia), Phrygia. Tradition also has it that Sts. Leucius (Leukios) and Callinicus (Kallinikos) were martyred with him and that Thrysus endured many tortures before being sentanced to be sawn in half. Turns out that the saw did not cut him because his executioners miraculously could not lift it.[1] Saint Leucius, was hanged, harrowed (instrument with multiple plow blades on it) and then beheaded by the governor Cumbricius,. St. Callinicus was a pagan priest but converted after seeing the martyrdom of Thyrsus. He too was beheaded.

Thyrsus’ relics reside in Constantinople (some are now in France as well). During the Middle Ages devotion to him was so great that Thyrsus had a full office in the Mozarabic liturgy. Thyrsus is thus the titular saint of the cathedral of Sisteron in the Basses Alpes and the Cathédrale Notre Dame et Saint Thyrse. As such, Thyrsus is thus the patron saint of Sisteron.

Carolyn and Meredith, our prayers go with you! Make sure everyone visits their blog.

Tags: Pilgrimage

As the summer comes to a close and school begins, I thought we should reflect briefly upon the topic of leisure. From a Catholic perspective, leisure is actually about to begin. I know what you’re thinking, Q has lost his mind and just because his idea of leisure is studying the effects of the Modernism on Western culture does not constitute my idea of leisure. Maybe so, but I would argue that we have been so vastly brainwashed by society we have no clue what leisure is anymore – and it is not what we pass off as the lazy relaxing days of summer.

To the ancients (that does not mean our grandparents) leisure was the principle factor in the development of every Western society. It was and is the foundation of any culture. The word for leisure in the Attic Greek is skole or in the Latin schola. I know most of us do not do the Latin and Greek thing so, let me translate into English: school. That’s right, school (shhhh, don’t tell the kids, their minds might explode).

Leisure is about piercing though the veil of information gathering to see that which is good, pleasing and perfect – not a time for our minds to check out and fry in slothful oblivion. But, the type of learning that leisure is aimed towards is not only the objective information gathering, memorization and application that we associate with learning. The end of this type of learning for most students means school is a necessary evil towards a high paying job with some sort of existential utilitarian satisfaction, which is exactly what leisure is not. Leisure is associated less with discursive learning and more with contemplation.

Discursive learning is about the particulars while contemplation (this is not the grace with which the Holy Trinity draws us into union) is about appreciating the object in its essence. It is accepting everything about the object or even the person – the good, the bad and the ugly. We so many times are so concerned with what something does, how we can use it, and/or of the value is holds for us.

To learn about something is to first see and love it for what it is. God created all things good. Only when we appreciate the object’s goodness can we begin to understand the object and appreciate its value for ourselves and society. School is backwards today. We learn to manipulate and get the highest score to get into a school or job by amassing information. That is not leaning but using something or someone. We wonder why the last last few generations have perfected the art of using people to accomplish a task, meet their “life” goals thereby meeting their own needs. Yes, even in ministry.

We need to repent. To rethink how we approach everything and everyone. Leisure is meant to be peaceful which leads to relaxation – it is not meant to give us more time to do something but become someone. Holiness amplifies leisure and quickly gives meaning to our lives. Maybe we should think through our relationships and see which ones are healthy. Do our relationships push us towards holiness or entertain us and reinforce how we choose to live? Do we reject the situation and the people the Lord has put into our life or do we flee for the comfortable and complimentary. Scripture proclaims, “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverb 27:17)

Once we look at ourselves, we should look towards those to whom we are Christ’s ambassadors. I would like to encourage us to re-evaluate how we define learning and what we demand of our children and students. Teach them to love learning and leisure by teaching how to appreciate the object of their desire before they dissect it. Teach them to look at something without a motive in mind. Teach them to see beauty before utility.

Do not get me wrong. The days of religious education, youth ministry and education proper that are just about talking about what is going on in our lives must become secondary. We will find Jesus in others but we must first teach what they are looking for and how to avoid the lies. That can only be done over time – we must be in for the long-haul because there are no short-cuts. As I hope I have made clear, education has a proper context.

And then there is prayer. For instance, Adoration. Many times when we go before the Lord we look at the Monstrance and make our considerations about every detail of His life and ours. But do we take the time to adore him – to appreciate the beauty of who He is. Even more importantly, do we allow Him to adore us? He wants to cast His loving gaze upon us too and just enjoy our presence. Don’t fight it…leisurely spend some time with him and let Him adore us in the beauty He created.

There is much more to learn about leisure and this is only a taste. Josef Pieper compiled two of his essays and entitled the work, Leisure, the Basis of Culture. You will find that it will shed a plenitude of light on the subject i.e., purchase the book and read it.

I pray that your children and students will have a leisurely school year.

Tags: Prayer

On day two of their hiking, Carolyn and Meredith stopped to rest in Portomarin. In Portomarin is the Church of St. Nicholas which is the temple-fortress built by the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. The Galician town is on the main route where the Templar and Knight Hospitaller churches were built to protect the way to the tomb of Santiago.

Architecture of St. Nicholas

The church is a fine example of a late Romanesque structure designed to be both a church and a castle. Because of this it shares characteristics of both. As a church, it reveals one barrel vaulted nave, a semicircular apse and all the common Romanesque ecclesial decorative features including: a carved portal with archivolts, rose windows and carved capitals. The striking castle featueres include a perimeter surrounded by merlons. Additionally, it sports four defense towers (one at each corner) while hidden behind is an adarve or a strategically defense street.

Don’t forget to pray for Carolyn and Meredith and check out their blog!

Tags: Pilgrimage