of two unique birds

This is beautiful. When was the last time you saw an Eucharistic dove in a church? In the West, these were replaced by table top tabernacles centuries ago. These pictures are from St. Elias Melkite Catholic Church, Brooklyn Ohio. The parish is over an hundred years old, they moved to Brooklyn from Cleveland in 1963. The parish is Lebanese with old country neighbors the Syrians, Palestinians, and some other Arabic speaking peoples. Some have recently come to America from strife, danger and persecution in the homelands. Over the weekend they had their festival, and local television news WJW 8 and WEWS 5 came to talk to the priest about the serious situation in Syria.

Above the altar is a mural of Jesus as Pantocrator (Ruler of All), flanked by four angels, and then symbols for the four evangelists, starting from distant left and going clockwise. Often this depiction of Jesus would be on the inside of the dome, above the chandelier.

This was in number four position (distant right, close to the wall). Now, the symbol for John is an eagle. Generally, the upper part of a bird's torso has two wings. This eagle has one wing, and one arm. Only the wing has visible feathers. He is holding the gospel book with neither. His head is most un-raptor like. Tell me, if you had not known, what does this illustrated chimera resemble? He looks more aquatic than aeriel.

Mass of Reparation

In 1773 the pope, Clement XIV, suppressed the Jesuit order. He bowed to the pressure of Catholic princes of the Borbóns/Bourbons (Spain, France, Two Sicilies, Parma), and the Portuguese and Austrians. In non-Catholic states (Prussia and Russia) the princes were free to ignore the pope and protect the Jesuits. The suppressed Jesuit, Luigi Felici, in 1797 wrote the Divine Praises (expanded by Pius VII). Pius VII in 1814, with the bull, Sollicitudo omnium ecclesiarum (The care of all Churches), re-established the Jesuits.

Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His Saints.

May the heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.

The Divine Praises were to make reparations after public blasphemy. Recently, Wednesday, 17 August, the tabernacle, and its contents, including the Divine species (Jesus) in the visible form of sanctified communion wafers, were forcibly removed from the parish church of Holy Name in Cleveland, Ohio. Shortly thereafter a scrap dealer notified the police about the thief, Eddie Davis. He was also involved in the theft of a dozen items from the Anglican Cathedral, Trinity, a few days earlier. All those items, several jewel encrusted chalices amongst them, were found with two pawnbrokers. The door of the tabernacle has been found. Two luna (gilded glass or crystal case that holds a large Eucharistic Host) are missing. A ciborium (chalice with a cover mounted by a cross), which had been a gift of a Salvadoran archbishop to the current pastor, Msgr. Richard Antall, has been found, but not the cover. It contained the Eucharist, which is unaccounted for, and that is the public blasphemy. To-day, there was a Mass of Reparation concelebrated by Bp. Roger Gries, Msgr. Antall, and retired pastor, Fr. Thomas O'Donnell at Holy Name.

Mass began with a silent procession, five Knights of Columbus attending. The altar was bare. An asperges (sprinkling) took place, first the altar, then the people, then the walls. Mass continued. At the offertory, an incensing was made in that order, then the altar table was prepared for Liturgy of the Eucharist. Mass continued, an Eucharistic procession (inside) took place with an Exposition of the Eucharist and Benediction. Benediction was followed by a recitation of the Divine Praises.

The diocese needs dozens of such Masses. The first Mass reading had been the voiced exasperation of Jeremias to God.

Thou hast deceived me, O Lord, and I am deceived: thou hast been stronger than I, and thou hast prevailed. I am become a laughing-stock all the day, all scoff at me. For I am speaking now this long time, crying out against iniquity, and I often proclaim devastation: and the word of the Lord is made a reproach to me, and a derision all the day. Then I said: I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name: and there came in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was wearied, not being able to bear it. — Jeremias xx.7-9.DRC

Bishop Gries, noted, “It is practically in the job description for a prophet to be martyred.” Jeremias was not a happy man, and not a silent one. He performed his mission, and suffered in it. Jeremias was not a volunteer, he was compelled to do what he did.


Holy Name was in the process of rehabbing several stained glass panes.

Guelph Treasure

Henry the Lion, duke of Saxony in the north, and Bavaria in the south (which included modern Austria and border marches south) was only second, as a german prince, to the emperor Barbarossa (Frederick II). When Henry fell afoul of Frederick II, his lands, power, and wealth were diminished, he went to Normandy. Henry's second wife was sister to Richard, Couer de Lion.

Henry was enfeoffed with Saxony in 1142, and Bavaria 1156. In 1157-8 he founded München (Munich), in 1159 Lübeck in '59. In 1172-3 he travels to Byzantium, and Palestine. Emperor Manuel I Komnenos gave him several items to add to what became known as the Welfenschatz (Guelph Treasure). In 1173 cathedrals are begun in Braunschweig (Brunswick)[it had been a church since 1030 and Countess Gertrude had the first four outstanding objects, three are now in Cleveland], and Lübeck. Henry dies in 1195, and is buried in the cathedral (as are his descendants). The cathedral and collegiate church is consecrated December 29, 1226, and named after Saints Blaise, John the Baptist, and Thomas Becket. The Welf family added items for three centuries. In 1543 the city, and church join the protestant heresy, and has remained lutheran.

In 1930, the deposed and last duke put the remaining items up for sale. Two frankfurters, and a new yorker bought the Welfenschatz for eight million reichsmarks (about five million dollars). Public exhibitions were held in Frankfort, and Berlin. Catholics on trains arrived to view the reliquaries, and saints' relics. Then the show hit New York City. The dealers sold the first six pieces to the Cleveland Art Museum (it has nine? now). Eight pieces were sold to Art Institute of Chicago. Most of the remaining pieces are in the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts) -- Staatlichen Museum Berlin, through the involvement of the Prussian Prime Minister, Hermann Göring.

In early 1931 the Welfenschatz was in Cleveland. The three dealers made a gift to the Cleveland Museum of this reliquary for a bone of St. Sebastian. A braunschweiger goldsmith made this final reliquary in 1484. For years it, and some other pieces of the Guelf's, were the first items one saw when entering the Museum. After going through the original entrance there it was, it has lost that pride of place. The museum was closed for nearly three years (2005-8), and it went on tour.
When the museum re-opened it was put in mediæval sculpture on a lower floor. In a large plexiglass cage. The lower floors are beset with new false ceilings, and many inadequate, low lumen lights, or too glaring spot lights. I did not know gray light was possible.The art of western civilisation prior to 1500 is in bad light. The workmen install what they are told to.

Reliquaries are mere containers. They house bits of material that were part of the bodies of saints, or items they touched. One of the relics of the Guelfs had a piece of the true cross. The spiritual value of these relics, were of such great sentimental, and sacramental value, that, extravagance of material to house them was not extravagance. People were awed to be in proximity of a relic, often a bone, of St. Sebastian, or Lawrence, or John the Baptist. Their souls abide in heaven with God, but this portion of them is still here. With the protestant heresies this was challenged, often with complete destruction of the relics, and pillaging, and trafficking in the base materials. One no longer felt devotion to the person, but gold, silver, and minerals were wealth.

I remember going on a grade school outing to the Cleveland Museum. All the children got a kick out of the armour court [which was immediately in the room to the right (east)], and the horse mounted with a fully outfitted knight. I did too, i also was amazed that there was a bone of Saint Sebastian* there. My father told me of such objects, this was supposed to be on, or in the altar of a church. Years later, this thought came to my mind, and i thought people should come on pilgrimage. Some art tourists do act in that sort of manner for certain pieces. This relic of Sebastian, is more important than the gilt silver, and rock crystal around it; and of course the work of the smitty Werner Korff is more important than the drip painting of Pollock, and the schlock and con that is of 'contemporary modern art' that the museum is proud of having, and some people flock to. I was in the museum for the first time in several years, and got there after two o'clock. When we were told they were closing in five minutes, i had just made it to the El Greco Crucifixion. It is one of several he did. Read, or listen to Sr. Wendy Beckett of why it is so marvelous. I had to ask one of the usher/guards how to get back to the garage. He gave me wonderful, detailed instructions; i was confused, he was accurate, “turn left at the ball”. Behind a glass door, there it was: something between a gourd, and a christmas tree ornament, made of wood, and the size of a large easy chair. That had not been there the last time i was. The museum's description of the thing is likewise jargon, and nonsense:

“Organic in form and media, the free-standing sculpture Alien Huddle consists of three inter-connected spheres. Puryear’s craftsmanship employs both the media in service of the form and elevates the properties of the media itself. The arrangement of planks enveloping each sphere heightens the volumetric nature of the sculpture. Trained as a furniture maker, Puryear attached the red cedar planks to the pine core without metal fixtures that would obscure the lush, unfinished wood surface.”

As i had said, it has been sometime since i visited. I would soon like to go again and see what i didn't get to, and review some favorites. I should have the opportunity, unlike that with the many churches closed by Richard Lennon. I can go to Westerville and see the loot and booty of several parish treasures he sold off.
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*there is a parish in Akron of Saint Sebastian, but what of i know of it (certainly not then) now, it is better it stays at the museum

A diamond monstrance

Countess Ludmila of Kolovrat received as a wedding gift, from her third husband, 6,222 diamonds. She had these put into a monstrance for the Loreta shrine in Prague. In 1696-99, in the workshops of Vienna the gems were set in gold, the resultant object was made; it is called the Diamond Monstrance, or the Prague Sun.

In September 1935, the Seventh National Eucharistic Congress was held in Cleveland. The parish monstrance (pictured) belonged to Saint Procop's parish is a replica. The gold is gold, the gemstones are not diamonds. This monstrance was used in that Congress.

With Procop's suppressed this became the property of the diocese. In St. John the Baptist, Akron, on 31 October 2009, Richard Lennon declared that he was the owner of everything in the diocese. A state court decision declared bishops the owner of such in the 19th century, he insisted. What is the estimate of such an object? Several hundred thousand dollars? You will not see this on his internet trading site, perhaps if you have the password.