News Archives

We have received a number of emails from readers commending our institute and its website, The Mary Page.  Thank you all for your encouragement and support.  The following is a typical example.

I love your site.  There is nothing else like it on the Internet.

Val

Updates

The University of Dayton and its Marian Library have access online to the ARTstor Digital Library, a non-profit resource that provides more than one-million digital images in the arts, architecture, humanities, and sciences with an accessible suite of software tools for teaching and research.  Their community-built collections comprise contributions from outstanding international museums, photographers, libraries, scholars, photo archives, and artists and artists' estates.

In commemoration of All Saints Day, All Souls Day, and the Day of the Dead, ARTstor published Restless Spirits and Hungry Mouths in their blog.  This article included the Marian image shown at right, as well as the theme of the "hellmouth" made popular in the television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Along similar lines consider reading an article posted on The Mary Page, Marian Symbols in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series on the WB.

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Mary in Books, Films, and Music

Photobook on UD's Mirror of Hope sculpture

The University of Dayton announces the publication of a new photo book by Father Johann Roten on the Mirror of Hope sculpture, which has been on display in the first floor lobby of Roesch Library since 2000.

Mirror of Hope tells the story of its development by artist Kevin Hanna and how it grew from a simple Nativity scene into a massive installation of more than 240 pieces, encompassing the sweep of human history as told by the Old and New Testaments.  It was commissioned by The Marian Library to commemorate the University's 150th anniversary and also 2,000 years of Christianity.

Father Roten will give a talk on "The Mirror of Hope Reality in Book" at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6, at Roesch library.  The talk is free and open to the public.  The book is $15 plus tax and will be available for purchase through the University of Dayton's Bookstore and also through the Stable Store.  Father Roten will sign books following the lecture.

Suggested A/V material

On the evening of October 25, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI attended an official viewing of the new documentary film entitled Art and Faith, which premiered in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall.  The Polish film studied the link between art and faith as found throughout the Vatican Museums, exploring the religious, historical, and cultural significance of the paintings and sculptures found throughout them.

Click here for details on the film in an article from Zenit, or here for information about the Marian Library's 2003 Exhibit of Marian art from Vatican Museums.

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Radio Maria from The Marian Library

Prayer of Blessed John Paul II for Radio Maria

Mary, guide us in our major decisions and give us strength in times of trial so that we may, with humble courage, follow the hidden ways of Heaven, keeping faith with God and mankind so that we can bring the joyful message of Christ, the Savior, to the hearts and minds of all.

Mary, guiding star of evangelization, be with us.  Be with Radio Maria as guide and be its protector.

Francesca Franchina, MS Ed., a long-time member of the Marianist Family, will be doing a series of Marian broadcasts through the local stations for Radio Maria WHJM (FM 88.7) in Anna, Ohio and WULM (AM 1600) in Springfield, Ohio.  Called "Francesca and Friends: Why Mary?," the program airs every Wednesday from 12:00 - 1:00 PM EST focusing on what is going on in the world about Mary, how to speak with others about Mary, and Mary in Scripture.  CALL IN TOLL-FREE.  PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM (during the live show) 1-866-333-6279.

On Wednesday, November 14, 2012, talks with Sister Celia Chua, MIC, of Montreal in Canada, Visiting Professor and Faculty member of the Pontifical International Marian Research Institute (IMRI) at the University of Dayton's Marian Library about Living Out a Marian Spirituality in the New Evangelization; Perspectives on the New Evangelization; The Transmission of Faith; and the Twenty-Third PAMI Congress on Mariology recently held in Rome.

Francesca and Friends with Francesca Franchina, National OSIA Trustee, is now being broadcast throughout the New York City metropolitan area at 11 pm on Friday nights on WSNR 620 AM, as well as on other local  Radio Maria USA frequencies,  and streaming on radiomaria.us.  This is the replay of the program originating on the preceding Wednesday at noon EST.  Give a listen every Friday at 11 PM; Mondays at 8:30 PM and LIVE on Wednesdays at noon EST.

The broadcast may also be heard on-line at radiomaria.us  The website also provides access to some previous broadcasts.  We'll keep you informed about future programs.  An encore of each show is broadcast Monday night from 8:30-9:30 pm EST one week after the original.

Francesca is no longer doing her Tuesday program, Through the Tummy to the Heart on Radio Maria, but all programs and recipes are still posted in the Archives on the Radio Maria website at radiomaria.us.  She will inaugurate commentary and blog on www.credoapostolate.us in the near future.

Living with Mary Today! Live: Thursdays and Fridays 2:30-3:00 PM EST: From the Pontifical International Marian Research Institute (IMRI) at the University of Dayton Marian Library, internationally-known Mariologists Fathers Bertrand Buby, François Rossier, Johann Roten, and Thomas Thompson of the Society of Mary (Marianists), and other IMRI faculty; Michael Duricy, Jean Frisk, and others will discuss Marian themes such as The Blessed Mother and Ecumenism; Mary and The Family; Mary and Suffering, Marian Teachings and Writings of Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI; Mary and Scripture from the Founder of the Marianists, Blessed William Joseph Chaminade; Mary and Vatican II, Marian Apparitions, and others.  The Marian Library at the University of Dayton houses the largest collection of Marian books and artifacts in the world, and IMRI is one of the two sites of post-graduate studies in Mariology for the STL and STD.  Find out more by visiting marypage.org.  The University of Dayton; The Marian Library, and IMRI are collaborators with the International Satellite Radio Maria Network and Radio Maria Ohio.  Click here for the audio archive!

This week's programs:

Michael Duricy, Thursday, November 15, 2:30 PM on Lourdes

Dr. Gloria Dodd, Friday, November 16, 2:30 PM on Our Lady of Purgatory

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From the Marian Treasure Chest

The Admiral and His Lady: Mary in the Life of Columbus by Brother John M. Samaha, S.M.

Brother John sent us the following article about about Christopher Columbus' devotion to Mary which was published in Vocations and Prayer, July-September 2012, pages 26-27.

While a maelstrom of controversy and uncertainty concerning Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) has been unleashed in recent decades, there is no doubt of the admiral's loving relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary and his loyalty to the Church.  He was patently Mary's devoted client and servant.  This explorer may be a favorite target of self-appointed and erroneously-informed critics, yet no one can deny that his insistence on bringing missionaries with him to the New World was pivotal to the implantation of Catholicism among the natives of North, Central, and South America and for improving their lives.

Historical setting

Born into an Italian family in Genoa, Cristoforo Colombo (his name in Italian) became an outstanding sailor even in his youth.  As a young seaman he dreamed of making a voyage to find a shorter route to the Far East because Marco Polo's land route to China was becoming more dangerous and expensive.  Columbus knew the world was not flat, and so did most educated people of his time.  King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain were persuaded to sponsor the expedition to secure Spain's wealth--Ferdinand's goal, and to spread the Catholic faith--Isabella's concern.

Remember that 1492 was still the Middles Ages.  The Protestant Revolt did not erupt until fifteen years later.  And later, unlike Hernán Cortés, Columbus didn't see Native Americans as slaves or enemies, but as children of God, and as potential converts, and allies of Spain.

The Admiral's Dedication to Mary

Columbus was a staunch champion of the doctrine of Mary's Immaculate Conception.  His veneration of the Mother of the Redeemer was clearly a symbol of his faith and a mainspring of his life's work of discovery.

At the very outset of his grand adventure, he recorded his devotedness to Mary by giving her name to his flagship.

Spanish seamen of that era frequently referred to their vessels by two designations: one was formal and dignified; the other was informal and casual.  The nickname was generally used more popularly than the official, often religious, name of the ship.

The Niña ("Girl") derived her familiar name from her master, Juan Niño.  Formally christened the Santa Clara, the caravel was almost always listed by her popular nickname.  The Pinta ("Painted One") most likely bore the name of a saint, but it was probably used so seldom that no extant document lists it.

Columbus' third and largest ship had been built in Galicia and was called La Galléga.  Crew members noticed her tendency to lurch when turning, and dubbed the vessel Marigalanta ("Frivolous Mary").  In May 1492, she was chartered from Juan de la Cosa of Santona.  Columbus himself named her the Santa Maria.

Before setting sail from southern Spain Cristobal Colón (his name in Spanish) went to confession and received Holy Communion at Mass.  His flagship was outfitted with a chapel, where Mass was offered daily.  Today the altar of that chapel is in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, at the Christopher Columbus Museum.  Mathilde DeLagarde Boal inherited the altar in 1908 from her aunt, Victoria Colón, a descendant of Columbus who had preserved it at the Colón Castle in Spain.

Each day at nightfall, the admiral gathered his crew to sing the Salve Regina to salute their Protectress.  Christopher Columbus emphatically demonstrated that his devotion to the Christian faith and to Mary was vital and vigorous.  This is attested by the names he bestowed on lands never before seen by European eyes.

New Lands

He called his first discovery in the New World San Salvador in honor of our Holy Savior.  Next he expressed his devotion to the Immaculate Conception by naming an island Santa Maria de la Concepción.

On subsequent voyages, Columbus called an archipelago east of Cuba "Our Lady's Sea," and an unusually circular island, Santa Maria Rotunda.  Neither of these names has been preserved in modern maps.  And geographers have failed to identify the land he christened La Concepción in August 1498.  Unfortunately, many names of religious and patriotic significance were later secularized.

On the return of the first voyage, difficulties multiplied.  The hardships endured were much more severe than those of the westward sailing and tested the mettle of all crew members.  Food was scarce and supplies rapidly diminished.  More than one hurricane struck and battered the caravels mercilessly.  The Santa Maria had already run aground.

Vows in Times of Distress

The end seemed imminent on Feb. 14, 1493.  Columbus called together the crew and urged them to implore God's help.  After praying for a time, each crew member made a solemn vow to make a pilgrimage if the lot should fall to him.  Columbus directed that the first act of thanksgiving be a pilgrimage to the famous Marian shrine of Santa Maria de Guadalupe in southern Spain, and that the chosen representative carry a five-pound candle.  Chickpeas were used to draw lots.  One was marked with a cross.  Columbus himself drew the marked pea.

The admiral selected a second renowned shrine of Our Lady for pilgrimage--Santa Maria de Loreto in Ancona, Italy.  This time the cross-marked pea was drawn by seaman Pedro de Villa.  Columbus promised to defray the expenses for this long pilgrimage.

Yet another lot was drawn, and this bound the admiral to spend a night in prayer at the church of Santa Clara de Moguer, home port of the Niña.  To conclude this intense time of prayerful intercession, Columbus bound himself and the entire crew to go in their shirts in thankful visit to the first church of the Virgin Mary they encountered when they reached land.

Almost miraculously they rode out the storm, survived the damage and continued homeward.

But more danger awaited them.  Two weeks later, on March 3, howling winds split their sails and threatened to rip them from the masts.  Again the crew stormed heaven and drew lots for the pilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Santa Maria de la Cinta in Huelva, the port from which they had departed on the historic and world-changing voyage.  Again the lot fell upon Columbus.  It appeared that Our Lady was intervening to bring the admiral to her shrines.

This was an age in which people were quick to take vows during times of distress, only to forget them when trouble subsided and calm was restored. Not so Columbus.

Landing at the Azores on Feb. 17 or 18, 1493, he reminded his men of their obligation.  Walking barefoot in their shirts led by Columbus, they went in procession to a small chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary.  Mass was celebrated for them by a local priest.  For most of the day Columbus remained at the chapel in prayer.

The Admiral's Faithfulness

When they reached Spain, Columbus was honored by the reigning monarchs and hailed by the common people.  But in this hour of triumph he was faithful to his vows.  Traveling south from Barcelona to Seville, he went by way of the monastery and shrine of Santa Maria de Guadalupe on the slope of the Sierra de Estremadura.  Not only did Columbus make the promised pilgrimage, but on the second voyage he named an island Guadipea because its mountains resembled those behind Santa Maria de Guadalupe.

Until life's end, Columbus actively promoted the honor of Mary and her veneration.  In 1498, he executed a formal document for the disposition of his property and future income.  One of the major bequests was made for the establishment of a church on Española to be named Santa Maria de la Concepción.  Seven years later, he stipulated in his last will and testament the specific site for the proposed church.  Sadly, this memorial to Mary was never erected.  Spanish rulers failed to honor their contract with Columbus and his estate did not have enough funds to materialize his wishes.

In his waning years, Columbus' dedication to Mary was evidenced even more openly.  Frequently, be wore the white cord of a Franciscan, and on at least one occasion appeared in the full habit of the sons of St. Francis of Assisi.

His ties with the Franciscans were close and genuine.  He sought them out for their guidance and moral support, and the friars influenced his devotion to Mary and her Immaculate Conception.

In the fifteenth century, the theological opponents of the mystery of the Immaculate Conception were varied and vocal.  But the Franciscans were early and ardent supporters of the doctrine.  As early as 1263, the Franciscans celebrated the feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Since 1484, Columbus enjoyed close relations with noted Franciscans.  They had befriended him in his darkest hour, successfully interceded for him at court, and persuaded Isabella to sponsor his first voyage.  It was the friary of Santa Maria de la Rábida in Huelva that offered him the strongest support.

In time of distress, the admiral turned to Mary for aid, and she responded.  Is it too much to conjecture that a major motive in his unparalleled career of discovery was his desire to lay new treasures at the feet of his Lady?

No wonder, then, that more than a century and a quarter ago Venerable Father Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, chose the intrepid navigator and admiral as model for the fraternal order of Catholic gentlemen.  This is reflected in the page one report of the May 25, 1878, edition of the Connecticut Catholic: "As American Catholics, we do not know of anyone who more deserves our grateful remembrance than the great and noble man--the pious, zealous, and the faithful Catholic--the enterprising navigator, and the large-hearted sailor, Christopher Columbus--'the Christ-bearing dove' as his name signifies."

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Upcoming Exhibit

At the Manger 2012

Click here for advanced notice, about the exhibit of nativity scenes to held in the Roesch Library Gallery, which opens with a Grand Open House on Saturday, November 24.  Click here for more details.

From Nov. 19, 2012 through Jan. 31, 2013 the Marian Collection of Father Joseph J. Schuck, Mary - A Labor of Love will also be on display.

We have a permanent crèche exhibit and a dedicated online giving page specifically for those who wish to support The Marian Library crèche collections.  There is also a general page to give to all areas of ML/IMRI and Roesch Library.

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Web Collaborators

Two important Catholic websites have added The Mary Page to their list of Media Partners.  CatholicWeb.com highlights items from The Mary Page in their section on Catholic News.  Catholic.net includes a Mariology section on their navbar with articles from The Mary Page.  Please visit these sites in return.  We expect continued collaboration with them in the future.

Radio Maria originated east of Milan, Italy in 1983, and is now heard in fifty-four countries.  The main USA station is in Alexandria, Louisiana with affiliate stations across the USA [including FM 88.7, WHJM,  in Anna, Ohio (north of Dayton) and AM 1600, WULM, in Springfield/Dayton, Ohio.  All USA Radio Maria stations regularly air live Marian talks from UD's Marian Library every Wednesday from 12:00-1:00 pm EST and on Thursday and Friday from 2:30-3:00 pm EST, as well as local programming originating from many other affiliated Radio Maria stations in the USA.

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International Marian Research Institute Course Schedule

IMRI courses for the Fall 2012 semester concluded on November 9, 2012!

The Pontifical Academic Program leading to STL and STD in theology with a specialization in Marian Studies offers courses in three year-round sessions.  See our course offerings for Spring 2013.

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In keeping with the season, we suggest The Year of Faith with Mary.

Material on international stamps with images of Mary exists on The Mary Page (also available in French). The latest updates were Seychelles, St. Helena, Swaziland, Senegal, and Uganda.

We have revised and expanded our material in Chinese.  This is a work in progress, so expect more content soon.  Feel free to let us know what you think of this section.

We have posted a new article, Mary and the Unicorn, as well as information about our upcoming symposium on Our Faith and Mary.

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Late Raphael

Title: Exposition Raphaël, les dernières années

Date: October 11, 2012 - January 14, 2013, 9 am - 6 pm

Location: Napoleon Hall at the Louvre in Paris, France

This unprecedented exhibition, organized by the Louvre in partnership with the Prado Museum, brings together the works produced by Raphael in Rome during the last years of his short life.  It includes many well-known images of the Madonna.  Click here for details in English or in French.

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Filipino Catholics to Gather for Day of Prayer
Call for End to Controversial Reproductive Health Bill
Source: Zenit (Manila) November 6, 2012

Catholics from across the Philippines will gather on November 12 to pray against the nation's proposed Reproductive Health (RH) bill.  If passed, the bill would allow for universal access to contraceptives, birth control, and intrauterine devices (IUDs).  The bill would also enforce sexual education on children starting at the fifth grade level....

Commenting on the gathering, Bishop Gabriel Reyes of Antipolo called the event an occasion for all the faithful to unite in prayer to prevent the passage of the bill.  Bishop Reyes also serves as chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life for the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

"Let this be an occasion for Marian devotees and Pro-lifers to unite in the prayer of the Holy Rosary to ask the Lord for the graces to continue and persevere in the unending work of service to the most helpless of God's creations, the unborn baby," Bishop Reyes said.

"Let us offer our prayers and sacrifices in reparation for the countless abortions committed against innocent human life which wound the consciences of those who participate in this unspeakable crime," he said.

The prayer gathering will take place at the Nuestra Señora de Guia Parish Church in Ermita, Manila.  The event will also celebrate the ninth anniversary of Rosary for Life in the Philippines.  Rosary for Life is a worldwide voluntary association of Christian faithful to promote respect for the life of the unborn by means for praying the rosary.  The association has initiated various programs that raise awareness on the negative effects of abortion and the RH bill.

Click here for the complete article.

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The director and editors of The Mary Page under the auspices of the International Marian Research Institute do not necessarily endorse or agree with the events and ideas expressed in this feature.  Our sole purpose is to report on items about Mary gleaned from a myriad of papers representing the secular press.

Since 2000, thousands of students, faculty, staff, and visitors have walked past or stopped to consider the Mirror of Hope, the mountain-like, many-figured sculpture in the lobby of Roesch Library.

It is easy to pick out familiar scenes: Creation, the Nativity, the wedding feast at Cana, the Crucifixion, the Heavenly City.  But the more you look, the more there is to see and the more the humanity of each small figure emerges.

There's too much to take in all at once.  But just in time for the annual crèche display, University Libraries has published Mirror of Hope, a new book tracing the history and symbolism of the sculpture as it grew from a simple account of the sweep of Christianity from the Creation to the City of God.

It's also the story of an unusual collaboration between two men--Father Johann Roten, S.M., who wrote the book, and sculptor Kevin Hanna--working together over many months and long-distance telephone lines to bring to life the stories of the Old and New Testaments in layers of humanity, faith, art history, symbolism, and the spiritual.

Roten, as the Marian Library's director, commissioned Connecticut-based Hanna to create a sculpture distinctive to the University of Dayton, to commemorate the University's 150th anniversary and to celebrate tw-thousand years of Christianity.

The five-year collaboration between Roten, the theologian scholar, and art historian, and Hanna, the deeply-spiritual Protestant artist, resulted in an intricately-detailed piece of twenty-four scenes, twelve feet long, five feet high, containing more than 240 figures--men, women, children, familiar biblical figures, celestial beings as well as animals--and even evokes the Immaculate Conception Chapel.

The sculpture traces a "journey of love," Roten says, that starts with God, and then, through Christ, comes back to God.

"We did the book to make sure that people don't forget, that there is permanence, a memory of what it all means," said Roten, now the library's director of research and special projects and the book's author.  It's actually gained in popularity.  We can see that no matter what the exhibit or event at the library, in the end, everyone ends up in front of it."

Events and how to go:
At the Manger: Peace on Earth, all-new display of more than two-hundred Nativities from the Marian Library collection, Saturday, November 24, 2012, through Sunday, January 27, 2013, in Roesch Library.

Grand Open House, 1-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24  At the Manger premieres with a free community open house, expanded children's activities, refreshments, live music, and a college football viewing area.  Four exhibits and the Stable Store will be open.

Lecture, 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6  Father Johann Roten, S.M., will discuss the Mirror of Hope.  A book signing will follow his talk.

Exhibit hours vary.  For information on exhibits, hours, directions, and parking, visit www.udayton.edu/libraries/manger or call 937-229-4234.  Guided group tours are available on request by calling937-229-4214.  All campus exhibits are closed Dec. 23-25 and Dec. 31 - Jan. 1.  All events are free and open to the public.

Book sales:
The Mirror of Hope book is $15 and will be sold in the Stable Store gift shop through the annual Nativity exhibit, which opens Nov. 24.

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Marian Commemoration Days

To celebrate the month of November with Mary:

• Presentation of Mary (November 21)

The Mary Page offers a variety of resources inviting study, reflection and meditation.  We also list important Marian dates for each month of the year.  Please see Marian Commemoration Days for the month of November.

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You are invited to help us pray for our Prayer Corner intentions.  Please take a look!  This site has been updated and enhanced and now allows users to submit prayer requests directly or to volunteer as a prayer partner for these intentions!

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The Mary Page website is updated frequently. Please stop in again and see what's in the news.

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