St John Lateran’s Basilica in Rome is the “Mater et Caput”, ‘Mother and head’, of all churches in Rome and the world. This fact is solemnised by the relief that adorns the entrance to the Basilica. The name “Lateran” is derived from the fact that this Basilica was constructed on the territory that belonged to […]
Once more this year the problem arises whether to celebrate Halloween on the 31st October or the Solemnity of All Saints on the 1st November. Is there something intrinsically wrong with Halloween? Is it incompatible with the Solemnity of All Saints? Many celebrate both anniversaries without even thinking twice about it. However, a serious problem […]
“Never Stop Saying the Holy Rosary. I am always with you to help you” Virgin of Revelation, 1947, Rome. With these words, in 1947 at Tre Fontane Rome, Our Lady, under the title of Virgin of Revelation, taught the then anti-clerical Protestant, Bruno Cornacchiola, the importance of praying the Holy Rosary assuring us of […]
The Rosary is the favourite prayer of Popes and saints alike. It is therefore not surprising that we find a very powerful image that symbolises the power of the Rosary in Michelangelo’s Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel, which is the Main Chapel of the Popes. Looking closely at the detail we can see two […]
Sr Emanuela was interviewed on Relevant Radio on the Solemnity of the Assumption and she talked about the Mosaic of the Dormition of Mary in St Mary Major’sBasilica Rome.
The splendid mosaics in the apse of St Mary Major’s Basilica in Rome narrate the life story of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Of particular interest is the “Dormitio Mariæ”, the Dormition of Mary, which is found just below the central mosaic. The mosaic depicts the Marian mystery that the Eastern Church refer to as the […]
On the 15th August the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Assumption. We would like to reflect with you on this beautiful feast using the first reading from the Solemnity which is taken from the 12th chapter of the Book of Apocalypse and also using part of a homily given by the Holy Father Pope […]
Chapter 6 of St Mark’s Gospel opens with Jesus rejection by His fellow citizens from Nazareth. Following this rejection ,Jesus left His village but didn’t abandon His mission to announce the Kingdom of God but rather intensified it by enlisting the help of His disciples: “He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out […]
The Virgin of Revelation told us the power of invoking her intercession by praying the Hail Mary saying, “The Hail Marys that you say with faith and love are like golden arrows to the heart of Jesus.” At Tre Fontane, as with the other Marian apparitions of the last century, Our Lady emphasised the importance […]
Pompeo Batoni (1708-1787) is the painter who depicted the most famous image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He was born in Lucca in 1708 and his father was a skilled goldsmith who imposed the family trade on his son. As a youth, Batoni displayed his ability in the engraving and decoration of precious metals […]