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*Originally posted 23 July 2023. ~ Re-posted on 4 November 2025 to bypass unresolved Weebly website editor glitch on the original post. Vincent Cavanagh 23 July 2023, 7:30 AM Padua–Venice time | 3:30 PM Sydney time.
In this painting she is seated with her lap open to all who are finding life difficult and seek her intercession. With one hand she is holding aloft a golden Monstrance containing the Eucharistic presence of Christ, representing when she held aloft the same Eucharistic presence when various marauding armies came to lay siege to Assisi during the 13th Century and from which shone so bright a light of heaven from the Monstrance that those same armies fled, leaving the city and convent of the Poor Clares safe from harm and destruction.
In recent times there have been social media testimonies of women being visited by St Clare when in deep difficulty, and saying, ‘here are my soft hands, here is my soft lap’. These graces have resulted in significant conversions. Vincent Cavanagh 3 July 2025 Comments closed |
| | After having received them from the printers this morning, I can announce that my 2025 Calendar is now available for the coming year. The 2025 Calendar is a return both to sharing my artwork as well as the saints (and not yet declared saints) of the Catholic Church. — Cost for the 2025 Calendars is $30 AUD each, plus postage (within Australia), with a deal for three (3) calendars at $80 AUD. — Postage is as follows: +$3 AUD for 1 calendar +$4 AUD for 2* +$6 AUD for 3* * delivered in the same envelope. — For International postal orders we will arrange Air Mail costs appropriately, on an order-by-order basis. You can place your order through the form found under the Contact page or by messaging me via Facebook, or talk to me in person. Vincent Cavanagh 28 Nov 2024 |
* 2024 Calendars are now Out of Stock *
— Cost for the 2024 Calendars is $30 AUD, plus postage (within Australia).
— For International postal orders we will arrange Air Mail costs appropriately, on an order by order basis.
You can place your order through the form found under the Contact page or by messaging me via Facebook, or via LinkedIn (though I am hardly ever on that, at all).
Vincent Cavanagh
29 Sept 2023
Yes, with all the great Italian food available – this is bizarre. But we did the Macca’s thing for lunch on our last day in Rome, too. Comfort food, and smells of home, perhaps.
From left to right: seminarian Paul, Bettina, and Izzy just visible over my right shoulder.
(Photo by Jessica 'Jess' Jakubek.)
They don't call it The Eternal City for nothing ;)
Vincent Cavanagh #bbwyd
31 Jul 2023, 2.42pm Italy | 31 Jul 2023, 10.42pm Sydney
But first, a reflection on my time at the Catacombs of St Callistus:
It was almost like St Patrick’s, Church Hill, in the city of Sydney, but cooler (as in colder) and underground. An oasis away from the mad throng (physical and/or spiritual) of Rome, and a place of shelter, calm, and cool away from the heat.
It was a spiritual palate cleanser from the Colosseum and Forum, and the rest of the city at large. A moment to breathe, be, and know that we aren’t alone in our trials in this current age. Many have gone before us; and are calling us on with them to the heavenly home land.
Vatican Museums
Sancta Sanctorum
It contains some much-venerated icons.
The Colosseum
The Roman Forum
Basilica of St Cosmas and St Damian
Parish church of St Paula the Roman Matron (Chiesa Parrocchiale di Santa Paola Romana)
It was walking distance from our hotel.
St Paula, a widow, lived at the same time as St Jerome, and was of great assistance to him not only in Rome, but also in Bethlehem.
Trevi Fountain
Church of the Gesu
The Pantheon
Vincent Cavanagh #bbwyd
31 Jul 2023, 2.42pm Italy | 31 Jul 2023, 10.42pm Sydney
There are a lot of important people in my life named Paul or Pauline; the most important of them being my Dad. So this was a must-visit place for me, to pray for them.
Exterior of St Paul's
Statue of St Paul, in the middle of the atrium
Left Transept, Interior of St Paul's
Nave of St Paul's
On the left-hand side is a statue of St Peter, and on the right-hand side is a statue of St Paul. The apse itself is covered in beautiful mosaics. The curved part of the apse has a very large depiction of Jesus as ruler and judge, flanked by St Luke and St Paul on the left, and by St Peter and St Andrew on the right. With all the columns on both sides of the nave, it has the traditional early basilica shape – even though it has been though fire and earthquake, and has been enlarged, restored and reconstructed many times.
Look through the columns on the right-hand side, you should see a coloured part illuminated by light.
Papal Medallions
Vincent Cavanagh #bbwyd
30 Jul 2023, 5.56pm Italy | 31 Jul 2023, 1.56am Sydney
It was welcome relief after being in the very hot sun most of the day at the Colosseum and trudging through the remains of the Roman Forum.
Before St Callistus was pope, while he was still a deacon, he was entrusted with the care of this cemetery which bears his name. By then the cemetery already held many tombs of the earliest popes and martyrs, as well as the non-martyred. It was in this place St Cecilia was first buried until her body was transferred some 600 years later into the basilica built over her home in Rome. There are some 15 hectares of underground cemetery in this place, and 5 levels of catacombs.
On the left-hand side you can see motifs of the Good Shepherd.
Of the fish which was a symbol of Jesus during times of persecution. Although if the fish is large it can refer to Jonah and the whale, and be a symbol of resurrection.
Of the chi-rho combination of Greek letters that look like a capital P covered with a capital X, which two letters begin the phonetics of Christ.
Five Greek capital letters together: Iota for the first Greek sound of the name of Jesus; Chi for the first Greek sound of the name Christ, which in turn means anointed one; Theta for the first Greek sound of God; Upsilon as the first Greek sound for the name of son – without the silent h; and Sigma for the first Greek sound of the name Saviour. ICQUS.
A symbol of an anchor is for Jesus the anchor of our hope.
A symbol of a woman with hands raised in prayer, and sheep. A woman with hands raised is a symbol of the Church at prayer, depending on the depiction it can also refer at the same time to Mary, mother of Jesus, who is the model of the Church at prayer.
The fronds of palm are symbols of martyrdom.
Doves can symbolize baptism, peace, Christian souls.
On the right-hand side you can see drawings about how the catacombs were built and decorated; and how the entry points were small and easy to miss, and how they got light into the larger chapel spaces.
Vincent Cavanagh #bbwyd
30 July 2023, 6.13pm Italy | 31 July 2023, 2.13am Sydney
There is no St John Lateran: it is Lateran because it sits on the Lateran hill in Rome, and the basilica honours both St John the Baptist and St John the Apostle; although technically its primary dedication is to Jesus as Saviour of the World, with minor dedication to the two St Johns.
We do something similar when we qualify which church of St John the Baptist we are talking about, e.g. St John the Baptist Woy Woy and St John the Baptist Bonnyrigg.
It is this Basilica as the mother of all churches that the Church celebrates with a feast on 9 November, the ‘Dedication of the Lateran Basilica’.
What St Francis wanted was to get papal approval for the Franciscan Rule of Life needed to recognise St Francis and his followers as a religious order. Would you let a group of barefoot, poorly clad men into a papal audience? But God found a way. God gave the pope of that time, Pope Innocent III, a dream while he slept, of Francis holding up the basilica of St John Lateran. This helped the pope take Francis and his men seriously and give them a Yes to their request. Hence the memorial statue of this event.
In case you are wondering what that blue round thing is in the foreground, I’ve got one too. It came in our pilgrim pack, and it folds spirally down into a flattish circular object about the size of the palm of an adult hand. When the weather is hot, it can be used as a fan; and if anyone feels playful it can also be used as a frisbee. But the most important thing is that it fits inside our pilgrim satchels.
Along each side of the nave, between the high arches, are very tall, white statues of the Apostles. Surrounding each statue of an Apostle are grey columns on each side. St Paul in this depiction of the Apostles replaces St Matthias, and the statues of St Peter and St Paul are the ones closest to the altar. Each of the Apostles carries the weapon with which they were martyred – except St John, who has an eagle at his feet, a writing stylus in one hand, and an open book in the other hand.
Vincent Cavanagh #bbwyd
29 Jul 2023, 7.19pm Italy | 30 Jul 2023, 3:19am Sydney
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