A Bernini marble sculpture of a skull rediscovered in Dresden – as described in Art News:

Eerily life-like marble skull—hidden in plain sight in a German castle—was made by Bernini for the Pope.

The artistic sensitivity of the baroque world was extraordinary! The marble skull was made for Pope Alexander VII around 1655. If you visit Dresden the skull can be viewed in an exhibition that has just opened. The gallery’s full description is here:

Bernini, the Pope and Death

“In the seventeenth century, sudden and often violent death was omnipresent, which is why people were intensely preoccupied with mortality. A constant threat was posed not only by wars and assaults, but above all by diseases. In 1656 there was an outbreak of plague in Rome, and it is remarkable how closely the measures Alexander VII used to fight the epidemic (quarantine, masks, and the extensive shutting down of public life) resemble those that determine our everyday life in the face of the coronavirus today. Death, too, is again more prominent in people’s consciousness due to the current situation, and Bernini’s death’s head thus proves to be a memento mori of extraordinary topical relevance.“

(From the gallery’s description)

Actually, people “were intensely preoccupied with mortality” in almost all ages and cultures up to the dawn of Western Modernity, which has made a deliberate effort to suppress and marginalize the subject. A topic already incomparably set forth by Edgar Allen Poe in The Masque of the Red Death.

Friday, March 5, 2021 at 7:15 PM EST

Price: Free

Public  · Anyone on or off Facebook. To access the event go to https://www.facebook.com/events/289596409255454/

A lecture by Charles Weaver, Music Director at St. Mary’s Church, Norwalk, CT

Much music composed for the Roman Catholic Mass over the last millennium and more has found a wide and appreciative audience outside of its original liturgical context. Listeners with little or no connection to the Church often react favorably to the transcendent and timeless qualities of plainchant, and sixteenth-century choral settings of liturgical music are a staple of concerts and recordings by vocal ensembles. In this talk, Weaver will relate this music to the gestures and ritual actions of the Mass of the Roman Rite as practiced from the sixteenth century to the present day, with an aim to enriching the understanding of modern audiences from outside of the Western Catholic tradition. He will also discuss the role that liturgical music (especially plainchant) played in older, Church-run models of music education, and how these might be adapted for use in teaching music to children today.

After their original home was destroyed by an earthquake, the community of Norcia restored a dilapidated 16th-century monastery overlooking the Valley of St. Scholastica as their new home. See the link below for a full report. The Benedictine monks of Norcia follow the Traditional liturgy.

Restored Church of Our Lady of Mercy.

Father Novajosky adds:

Back in October at St. Patrick Church we held our first 40 Hours Devotion. I know that my time here is limited, however 40 Hours was one of the highlights in my pastorate and I had planned to offer it in the Cathedral at some point during the year, so the upcoming change sped up the time table. We will offer it this upcoming Thursday, January 28 through Saturday, January 30 at St. Augustine Cathedral. It will start with a Votive Mass of the Holy Eucharist at 7pm on Thursday. The Mass ends with a procession, litany and exposition. Exposition will continue unbroken all day and night until after the Mass on Saturday morning. We need to have at least one person in the church at all times. If there are times that you intend to come and can confirm your presence, please go to the website and sign up online. You can also call the office. See the flyer for more information.

40 Hours will be part of what I am calling “X Dies.” X in Latin means 10 and “dies” means day, so 10 Days. Beginning on Friday, January 22, there will be 10 consecutive days of Sung Latin Masses, some just High (only priest celebrant) and others Solemn (priest with deacon and sub deacon). Please check out the flyer for more information and the website for updates about what will be offered. While all of them will have at least one cantor, some will have a small choir too.

The cathedral bulletin adds:

On behalf of the parish family, we thank Fr. Michael for his spiritual guidance & teaching us to expand our Faith. We thank him for his devotion to the parish, giving us every moment in the day, from dawn to dusk to pray and worship Our Lord.

We have been blessed to have a shepherd as devout and reverend as Fr. Michael.
Fr. Michael, We will miss you & keep you in our prayers as you begin your new assignment.

Cathedral Parish Bulletin