View allAll Photos Tagged article
Special and sincere thanks go to Agha Waseem who not only offered me hospitality but also is kind enough to allow me to use some of his photos.
Nice magazine article in My Planet Wirral about the Royal Iris. They used one of my old waterfront image and mentioned my campaign to get the Royal Iris back to Liverpool. Image 002
빅스(VIXX)가 '케이콘 2014' 참석차 8일 오후 인천국제공항을 통해 LA로 출국하고 있다.
왼쪽부터 혁, 라비, 홍빈, 엔.
3회째를 맞는 ‘케이콘 2014’는 콘서트, 드라마, 영화, 게임, 음식, 패션, 뷰티 등 K-컬쳐 콘텐츠를 기반으로 한 복한 한류 페스티벌로 9일과 10일 미국 로스앤젤레스 메모리얼 스포츠 아레나에서 열린다.
www.kenton.lib.ky.us/genealogy/history/covington/article....
Mother of God Church (Mutter Gottes Kirche)
The German Catholics of Covington attended St. Mary Parish on 5th Street from the time of its founding. However, as their numbers increased, the need for a separate parish began apparent. In 1841, the Reverend Ferdinand Kuhr, a native of Eslohe, Prussia, was appointed to organize the Covington Germans into a new congregation. A temporary chapel was set up in a building on Scott Street in 1841. Mother of God was the second Catholic parish to be established in Northern Kentucky. In the spring of 1842, the congregation purchased a lot at the southwest corner of 6th and Washington. On this lot, a new church was constructed. The German population rapidly increased throughout the pre-Civil War era in Covington. A number of new daughter parishes were formed from the territory of Mother of God to meet these needs of these newcomers. Despite the development of new German parishes in the city, Mother of God congregation continued to flourish.
In 1870, Father Kuhr and the parishioners began planning for the construction of a new Mother of God Church. The old church building was demolished and ground was broken for the new Italian Renaissance Revival structure. The new Mother of God Church sported a large portico supported by four Corinthian columns, two large towers and a cupola.
Déclaration universelle des droits de l'homme - article 19
Calligraphie libre - Encre noire et drawing gum
From a February 1957 article in Life magazine about early retirement: books.google.com/books?id=DFQEAAAAMBAJ&printsec=front...
2 of our AMAZING Skate With US coaches were featured in the Williamsville Courier. You can see Matt and Mike Steffan teaching our skaters at many of our SWU sessions!
www.gwinnettdailypost.com/features/health/covid-19-vaccin...
Covid-19 vaccine booster effectiveness wanes after four months but still offers protection, study finds
Booster doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus vaccines are safe, and they offer high levels of protection against severe Covid-19 even though that protection can wane over time, according to two studies published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday.
Evidence of waning protection "reinforces the importance of further consideration of additional doses to sustain or improve protection" against Covid-19-linked hospitalizatoions and emergency department visits," the study says.
One of the studies, published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, examined vaccine effectiveness against Covid-19 hospitalizations and emergency department and urgent care visits among adults in the United States who were either fully vaccinated with two doses or received a third dose of vaccine as a booster. The data included 241,204 emergency department or urgent care visits and 93,408 hospitalizations across 10 states between August 26 and January 22.
The data showed that vaccine effectiveness against emergency department visits and hospitalizations was higher after the third dose than after the second dose but waned over time.
With the Omicron variant dominant in the United States, vaccine effectiveness was 87% against Covid-19 emergency department or urgent care visits and 91% against hospitalizations in the two months after a third dose. It fell to 66% and 78%, respectively, by the fourth month, the data showed.
After just two doses of vaccine, when the Omicron variant was predominant, vaccine effectiveness against hospitalizations declined from 71% in the two months after vaccination to 54% by at least five months, the study found.
The data also showed vaccine effectiveness dropping while the Delta variant was dominant.
Among recipients of three doses during the time Delta was dominant, vaccine effectiveness against Covid-19-associated hospitalizations declined from 96% within two months of vaccination to 76% at least months later. However, the researchers noted that the latter estimate could be imprecise because few data were available on people vaccinated for at least four months after a third dose during the time Delta was predominant.
Overall, "these findings underscore the importance of receiving a third dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to prevent both COVID-19-associated ED/UC encounters and COVID-19 hospitalizations among adults," researchers at the CDC and other institutions across the United States wrote in the new study.
The other CDC study analyzed safety data on Covid-19 booster shots that was reported to the federal government's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System between September and February among 721,562 adults who received booster shots.
The study found that booster doses of the coronavirus vaccines remain safe, and those who received the same type of vaccine for all of their vaccinations tended to have fewer reactions after the booster dose than after their second dose.
"Vaccination providers should educate patients that local and systemic reactions are expected following a homologous COVID-19 mRNA vaccine booster; however, these reactions are less common than those following the second primary series dose," wrote the researchers, from the CDC and the US Food and Drug Administration.
www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/covid-risks-heart-prob...
After Covid, risks of heart problems remain elevated for up to a year
Among the unvaccinated, long-term heart risks attributed to Covid-19 were "everywhere," researchers found.
As far as Michelle Wilson knew, she'd recovered from Covid-19.
Wilson, 65, contracted the virus in November 2020. Her illness, she said, was mild, and she was feeling ready to go back to work as a nurse in St. Louis by early December.
That's when her heart problems began.
"I literally woke up one morning, and my heart was racing and beating erratically," Wilson recalled. "I was having intense chest pain."
Fortunately, Wilson was not having a heart attack. But she did develop long-term heart problems, including high blood pressure, putting her at risk for further cardiovascular issues.
Despite her age, she had no prior medical history to suggest she was at risk for heart disease — other than Covid-19.
Indeed, it appears the coronavirus can leave patients at risk for heart problems for at least one year following infection, according to one of the largest analyses of post-Covid health effects to date.
The study, published last week in Nature Medicine, found that the illness increased the possibility of heart rhythm irregularities, as well as potentially deadly blood clots in the legs and lungs, in the year after an acute infection.
Covid also increased the risk for heart failure by 72 percent, heart attack by 63 percent and stroke by 52 percent — even among those, like Wilson, whose original illnesses were mild.
The study's lead author, Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis, said he and his colleagues expected to see some elevation in heart problems following Covid, but assumed it would be limited largely to people whose health wasn’t robust previously.
The elevated risk remained when researchers accounted for age and race, he said.
"It was a bit of a moment for us when we realized it was evident in all of these subgroups," Al-Aly said, "including younger adults, older adults, Black people, white people, people with obesity and those without."
"The risk was everywhere," he said.
Al-Aly's team examined the rates of new heart problems among 153,760 Covid patients for up to a year following their illness. The participants were patients who'd sought care within the Department of Veterans Affairs, and most were white men.
Cardiovascular outcomes were compared to two control groups: 5.6 million people without Covid, and another 5.9 million patients whose data was collected before the pandemic began.
Covid-19 patients in this study were infected before vaccines were available, so it is unclear how the shots might alter the findings.
But physicians on the front lines of treating Covid and its effects suspect vaccinations do cut heart risks because they reduce Covid infections in general.
"I've taken care of patients with heart problems" after Covid-19 infection, said Dr. Steve Nissen, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. "The vast majority are unvaccinated."
That Covid-19 appears to increase long-term risks of cardiovascular problems is not surprising to doctors. Other viruses, such as influenza and certain enteroviruses, have long been known to carry the same risks.
"Anybody who is hospitalized with any kind of pneumonia that they acquire in the community has these risks for six to 12 months," said Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, president of the American Heart Association. "The open question for me is, is this something unique about Covid? Or is this the same story we already know?"
Covid's heart risks may be showing up with more regularity just because the virus spread so quickly.
"It's very concerning because so many people will be getting Covid in the next however many years, and so many have already gotten it," said Dr. Jennifer Haythe, co-director of the Women's Center for Cardiovascular Health at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York. "This may really increase the burden of cardiovascular disease across the board."
Al-Aly's research is not the first to suggest long-term heart risks following Covid-19.
A study of recovered Covid patients in Germany found that 78 percent of patients had heart abnormalities. Swedish research, too, found an increased risk of heart attack and stroke following Covid-19.
It is not entirely clear how Covid could cause heart problems over the long term, though it is known that the virus can affect blood vessels all over the body and in multiple organs, including the heart.
For Wilson, the irregular heartbeat has endured.
She has had to sleep nearly upright for months.
"It got so bad that when I laid down, I couldn't sleep because my heart was so erratic," she said.
Her physicians are now monitoring her for any indication of heart failure.
Regardless of infection, the pandemic itself is also upping the risk of heart health problems.
"Too many patients are delaying getting back into their routine within the health care system," Lloyd-Jones said. "We've seen marked increases in overall blood pressure levels, weight gain, worsening control of diabetes, and all of those things are contributing to increased risk."
Anyone whose Covid recovery stalls, or who experiences a sudden onset of new symptoms, such as chest pain, intense muscle weakness or shortness of breath, should call 911 immediately, Lloyd-Jones said.
Those aren't just red flags, he said. "Those are flashing lights."
Relic under my family custody
More miraculous stories in the life of Saint Padre Pio
(This article is a continuation of miraculous stories in the life of St Padre Pio. Part 1 which is entitled "Little known stories in the life of St Padre Pio" can be found here.
I would like to sincerely thank Brother Michael of the Cross and also Thomas Warner M.D. for transcribing these stories. -Webmaster)
The cure of Gaspare di Prazzo, Cianciana, Agrigento
Mr. Gaspare di Prazzo had a case of Mediterranean Fever which had become very serious. A woman, Signora Vacarro, knew of Padre Pio and recommended the patient invoke Padre Pio's help for a cure and Signora Vacarro gave Gaspare a picture of Padre Pio to use while invoking his intercession. Upon receiving the photo, the patient kissed the photograph of Padre Pio and begged him to cure him.
A few days passed when one evening at 6pm the patient said to his wife: "Put someone at the door and don't let anyone in, because Padre Pio is coming, and I don't want to be seen by anyone.'
The wife nodded assent and assured him that their nephew was already near the door.
Later that night, at eleven o'clock, when all were in bed and only his wife was sitting up by the patient's bedside, and the patient had a significant fever he said to his wife: 'Put out the light because Padre Pio is about to come, and I don't want to be seen by anyone, not even by you.'
His wife obeyed and put out the light. All of a sudden the patient began to speak, very joyfully: "Oh! Padre Pio, are you here to heal me? I thank you. Pass your hand from my head to my feet. I cannot go on anymore and I do not want to leave my wife a widow...'
The patient felt Padre Pio near his bed. He passed his stigmatized hand over all his body. His wife saw nobody, but understood that Padre Pio was beside her beloved spouse, and trembling in a corner of the room on her knees, weeping she also prayed to Padre Pio: ' As you have come, Padre Pio, ask Our Lord for the grace of my husband's cure.'
After a few minutes, the wife asked her husband if she could put on the light, and the patient replied: 'No, because Padre Pio has not gone out yet, he is still by my bedside.'
Another ten minutes passed, then the husband told his wife to put on the light, because Padre Pio was gone. After putting on the light, his sister and Dr. Giannone came around the bed of the patient, whose eyes were shining, and who was emitting deep sighs. He said he felt better, and then told them the following:
"A little while ago I found myself in a beautiful church, where Padre Pio was celebrating Mass, and I was on my knees . I saw the Holy Ghost in the beautiful form of a dove above the altar. After Mass, I drew closer to him, and he said to me: 'Have faith in God. But you must go to confession and you must not swear any more.' Being thirsty, I asked Padre Pio for water, and he accompanied me to a cistern. I filled a bottle with lovely fresh water; groaning with pain I drank it in one draught, burning with fever. As soon as I had drunk the water I smelt perfume which resembled the smell of vanilla. Then Padre Pio went away."
After this account the patient repeated that he felt better. The cousin,a medical physician, examined him an noted a very significant change: the fever had already diminished, and by the next morning he was without any, and the fever never returned. Early that next morning Signora Vacarro went to visit him - the reader will recall that it was she who lent him the photograph of Padre Pio - and joyfully upon seeing him she said:
"The grace has been given! I dreamt of Padre Pio last night and he said to me: 'The grace has been given.'"
-and truly the grace had been obtained, for a few days afterwards the patient got up cured and went to church to thank Our Lord. Later he had a solemn day of the Blessed Eucharist celebrated in the Church of the Liguorini, where he confessed and received Holy Communion, after having been away from the Sacraments for ten years. From then on Signor Piazzi has never swore again and he is very grateful to Padre Pio, whose photograph he always carries about with him."
Cure of a diabetic through a vision of Padre Pio
On Corpus Christi, June 20, 1946, at about 6pm a nun named Lucia was suffering from severe diabetes and because of this was impelled to drank quarts of water for relief. Suddenly however she no longer felt the need to drink water and she called the Mother Superior. She said she must now go to the chapel to pray.
Nevertheless, the Mother Superior asked the sister to bring along a glass of water. The Mother Superior had a presentiment that it was the beginning of the end. Lucia told her with a happy smille: "I will die soon, Mother, Padre Pio came to see me. He was just like picture on the bureau. He said I could not be cured (i.e. by the doctors). But he also told me to hope, and to have faith in the help of Heaven.
Evidently, from the succession of events we will read below, Lucia has initially misunderstood Padre Pio. Two sisters assisted her to the chapel. She did not ask for water, and even refused when offered the glass that had been taken along. It was now already a quarter of an hour since she had taken anything to drink. After finishing her prayers she was brought back to her little room as it appeared that she was fainting. The chaplain was called and a drinking tube was put into her mouth, but she immediately pushed it away. Suddenly she opened her eyes with a strange smile on her lips. She sat up in her bed and gesticulated joyously, saying Padre Pio had just told her in the name of God: "You are cured. Get up! Come immediately to my monastery. I want to bless you and thank the Almighty with you." Lucia went to the monastery with two of the sisters on June 17. When they appeared before Padre Pio, he said with a smile: "I was waiting for you," and he blessed her.
__________________
A spiritual grace, Porto Maurizio, September 11, 1940
A gentleman from Porto Maurizio writes:
"No matter how much I say with regard to the graces received through Padre Pio, I could not say enough, for he procured me a great number, and continued to do so. When I saw Padre Pio for the first time, it seemed to me like a dream, and my heart leapt for joy.
"I assisted at the Mass he celebrated with saintly ardor. I was also fortunate enough to see him at close range, for I was kneeling at the side of the altar; large drops of tears fell from his eyes ... in that instant I repented of my sins and implored forgiveness for myself and for all mankind. At the Consecration, I was doubly wrapped in prayer, and at the Elevation of the Host I looked up with faith, and to my astonishment it appeared radiant and beautiful. I said nothing about it to anyone that day, but the following day I went to the confessional of the Padre and I said, 'Father,the Host consecrated by you does not look the same as the others.' 'What,' he said, 'is there something special about mine?' 'Yes, I replied, 'the Host of every other priest looks ordinary, and there is a crucifix in the center, while yours appears beautiful and radiant.' he did not reply, so I continued, "Tell me Father, is this so, or is it an illusion?' Entering into a state of recollection within himself, he replied with gravity, 'What you saw in fact was true.'
________________
Padre Pio predicts a boy to a childless couple, and later baptizes the baby under miraculous circumstances
A couple from Genoa visited Padre Pio to tell him they had no children. "Bring him to me to be baptized when he is born," was his answer. He could often foretell the sex of an unborn child.
The following year the fortunate couple returned to the monastery Church with their new baby boy, but in the Church of Our Lady of Graces there was such a large crowd that it was impossible to reach Padre Pio who was hearing confessions and then reciting the evening prayers . The mother remained in the parish house of San Giovanni Rotundo one mile away, whilst the father went to the monastery to talk to Padre Pio's fellow priests, telling them that Padre Pio had invited them to come there and that they were to meet with him; hoping to try to arrange a meeting with him in the next few days. Since by then it was getting quite late, he was told to come back in the morning. So, he returned to his wife at the parish house and when he arrived his wife informed him that Padre Pio had come to baptise the baby earlier in the evening. "But how is that possible!" he replied, because at the time specified Padre Pio was without a doubt in the Church reciting the evening prayers and hearing confessions of the many people assembled there.
_________________
A woman is revived from a coma
On July 20, 1921, a Monsignor D'Indico of Florence, whom this author [Fr. Charles Carty] met in 1923 when studying theology at the Archbishop's Seminary in Florence, was alone in his study. He felt the sensation of having someone at his back. He turned and saw a monk, who disappeared. He left his room to tell a chaplain what happened. The chaplain thought it was mere hallucination due to his state of anxiety over his sister, who was very ill. He invited him to take a short walk for mental distraction. When they returned they went to see his sister in her sick room. His sister, who a little before had been in state of coma, at the same hour when her brother felt the sensation of being in the presence of Padre Pio, told how she had seen a monk enter her room who approached her and said : "Don't be afraid; tomorrow your fever will disappear, and after a few days there will be no trace of your illness in your body." But, Padre, she answered, "are you then a saint?" "No, I am simply a creature who serves the Lord through His mercies."
"Let me kiss your habit, Padre."
"Kiss the sign of the Passion," and he showed his hands transfixed and bleeding.
"Padre, I recommend to you my husband and child."
"Pray, pray that you will be good, and be assured that your child will be under my protection," and blessing her, he vanished.
She immediately got better and in eight days was entirely cured.
____________________
Fr. Antonio narrates that during the war in Africa an Italian soldier was standing behind a large rock, while a fierce battle was going on. Suddenly a monk stood beside him and pulled him gently by the sleeve, saying he should get out form behind the rock. The soldier did not want to leave what he thought was a safe place. The monk pulled a second time, and was more emphatic. he did not move. Then the monk pulled him out by force. Right after that the entire place where the soldier had been standing blew up. The monk disappeared. Some days after as he was relating this to a fellow soldier, the companion showed him a picture of Padre Pio which he always carried with him. The soldier whose life had been saved exclaimed: "Why, that is definitely the monk who saved my life!"
Prior to this he had never seen Padre Pio or heard of him before.
_____________________
The Church approved miracle for the canonisation of Padre Pio
January 20th , 2000, was a regular school day for seven years old Matteo Pio Colella of San Giovanni Rotondo until he started to shiver and develop a fever. He was brought home weak and vomiting. That he evening he was progressively worse with the development of bleeding into and necrosis of his skin. In the modern hospital of San Giovanni Rotondo (Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza ) he was found to have clots in his blood vessels, signs of kidney and liver failure and hyperacute meningitis with septicaemia : an extremely serious condition, which by next morning, had rapidly affected all organ systems with septic shock, respiratory failure, cyanosis, a heart rate of 20 , dilated pupils and cardiac arrest. Despite therapy, the prognosis for survival was hopeless. Meanwhile, prayers for his recovery were being offered by many through the intercession of Padre Pio. By mid-day, despite the most morbid prognostication, he showed signs of improvement. Even with a persistent lung problem he made great progress within ten days. In a few weeks recovery was complete.
The mortality from his illness ---fulminant meningitis with acute respiratory distress syndrome and multi-organ (nine organ systems) failure ---- is 100 percent. His recovery was medically inexplicable and was declared a miracle by the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints in the presence of Pope John Paul II.
An unusual visitor
While asleep, Matteo said that he was unable to pray to Padre Pio but started to do so, on awakening. “As soon as I awoke, I put out my hand searching for another hand saying: I want Padre Pio “. However during his ‘sleep’ he was not alone but was visited by an old man with a white beard and a long brown garment. This man, smiling, gave him his hand and said “Matteo don’t be worried you will soon be healed “. Beside this man he saw three angels, one dressed in white with green wings and two in red with white wings; their faces were not clear because of their brilliance. Another day afterwards, he told his uncle Giovanni that the very night he was healed there was a child with green eyes and black hair, lying rigid, on a little bed in a hospital in Rome. Subsequently he related the dream to his mother who asked: “How did you get to Rome? “. Matteo told her that he made a kind of flight with Padre Pio who held him by the hand and who spoke to him interiorly; when they arrived Padre Pio asked: “Do you want to be healed ? And Matteo replied “How will that happen? “ “Will it with prayer”.
Then his mother asked: “How did you know you were in Rome? “ Matteo recognized Luna Park ( a theme park ) which he had visited with uncle Giovanni! In conclusion, Matteo said “I was healed by Padre Pio“
Matteo was present in Saint Peter’s Square for the canonization of Padre Pio (June 16th, 2002 ) and at this Mass he made his First Holy Communion. Incidentally, Matteo has green eyes and black hair.
Finally, as if to remind us of an unusual ‘event’ in the Saint’s life, the official missal for the occasion had on the cover an icon depicting Jesus Christ crucified with Saint Francis beneath one arm of the Cross and Padre Pio beneath the other. This ‘event’, to be described briefly, was reported by Fr. Alberto D’Apolito, a friend of Padre Pio’s.
Jacopa and the Third Order
Giovanna Rizzani Boschi, a shy lady from Udine, became a spiritual daughter of Padre Pio in 1923. In 1905, while her father lay dying her mother gave birth to Giovanna in their courtyard where, during labour, she thought she saw a Capuchin friar. Meanwhile , in 1905, as a seminarian in the Capuchin friary Padre Pio wrote about a similar incident in which he found himself in a nobleman’s home during the birth of a child as her father was dying. The Virgin Mary appeared to Padre Pio and said: “I am entrusting this child to you --- she will seek you out --- but first you will meet her in St. Peter’s.
The Boschi family moved to Rome in 1922. One afternoon Giovanna visited St. Peter’s where she discussed doubts about her faith in a confessional with a Capuchin friar. She waited for this “gifted man “ before the Basilica was closed to arrange a further meeting. The sacristan showed her that the confessional was empty; he had vanished. Later, she heard about Padre Pio for the first time and decided she must meet him and arranged a trip to San Giovanni Rotondo. While Padre Pio was passing through a large crowd he stopped in front of her and said: “Giovanna, I know you. You were born the day your father died.” And he continued to reveal details of her birth and her visit to St. Peter’s. On a later visit he asked her to join the Franciscian Third Order, giving her the name Jacopa which she didn’t like. But he insisted, saying that a noble Roman woman called Jacopa was present at the death of St. Francis of Assisi. “One day you will be present at my death”.
In September 1968, the anniversary of the stigmata, Giovanna heard his voice calling her to San Giovanni because he was going away. She arrived and went to confession. After Mass, on September 22nd, Padre Pio became ill, but not seriously. That night, either in a dream or a vision, she found herself in Padre Pio’s cell where he lay dying, surrounded by friars and two doctors. She woke up and cried out to her friend that Padre Pio was dying. She got dressed and outside the monastery was told by a friar that Padre Pio was dead. Later, she related the strange events to Fr. Alberto D’Apolito and described in detail the interior of Padre Pio’s room (which before his death had never been photographed). He agreed with her description.
Indeed, in 1209, when St. Francis travelled to Rome to submit the rule of his new order to Pope Innocent III, he was supported by a Roman noblewoman called Jacopa de Settesoli. Subsequently she followed St. Francis’ life of austerity and was probably the inspiration for the founding of the Third Order of St. Francis. Jacopa was present at the death of St. Francis in Assisi. She died in Assisi in 1239 where her remains were placed in the “Saint’s Crypt“ bearing the inscription : HIC REQUIESCIT IACOPA SANCTA NOBLISQUE ROMANA
Beatification-Canonisation
Patience is a virtue and a virtue that was recognized as such by the devotees, prayer groups and spiritual children of Padre Pio. Even though the cause for canonization could have been initiated in 1973, ten more years elapsed before the complex process of beatification would begin with anihil obstat in 1982. In December 1997 the Decree of heroic virtue was promulgated in the presence of Pope John Paul II. The Servant of God was now Venerable. The medical board of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints examined a miracle attributed to the intercession of Padre Pio and the Decree on the miracle was promulgated again in the presence of the Pope in December 1998. His beatification by the Pope followed on May 2nd.1999 in the presence of a huge crowd.
Pope John Paul met Padre Pio in 1947, confessed to him and attended his Mass. This made a lasting impression on Fr. Wojtyla who recalled that Padre Pio “physically suffered “during the Eucharistic celebration. Also, in 1962 Bishop Wojtyla wrote to Padre Pio asking for his prayers for a friend who had advanced cancer. The malignancy disappeared the day before scheduled surgery.
There was no shortage of miracles during the life of “the man of prayer and suffering”, as Pope Paul VI called him. However, only those miracles occurring after death are considered for beatification with another, following that, for canonization. Again, the canonical documents were sent from the diocese of Manfredonia-Vieste to the Congregation and the medical testimony from Matteo’s cure was examined. In December 2000 the Theological Consultors met, followed by the Session of Cardinals and Bishops. Finally, the Decree of miracle and subsequently the Decree of Canonization were promulgated in the presence of Pope John Paul II.
Piazza San Pietro was packed for Mass on Sunday, June 16th. 2002. A large tapestry with the image of Padre Pio hung over the main door of the Basilica. No doubt many of his followers and spiritual children were ecstatic. The introduction included prayers, hymns and readings from Padre Pio’s writings. The choir sang the “Canto d’ingresso” followed by Psalm 97. Then the Pope recited a beautiful prayer in Italian, beginning with: “My dear brothers and sisters, today the Church inscribes the name of Blessed Padre Pio of Pietrelcina in the Register of the Saints---“,followed by the Miserere nostri ---. The Litany of the Saints preceded the Rite of Canonization with the Formula solemnly read in Latin by the Pope “ --- Beatum Pium a Pietrelcina Sanctum esse decernimus et definimus, ac Sanctorum Catalogo adscribimus ----“. “In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti”. Amen.
Padre Pio's feast day falls on September 23rd, the anniversary of his holy death.
References:
1. San Pio da Pietrelcina: Gerardo di Flumeri & Luciano Lotti; Frati Minori Cappuccin,Provincia di “Sant’ Angelo e Padre Pio”.
2. "Padre Pio, Man of Hope" Renzo Allegri; Servant Publications, Ann Arbor, MI.
3. "Witness to Hope" George Weigel; Harper Collins, New York.
4. "Padre Pio, The Stigmatist". Fr. Charles Mortimer Carty. Tan Books.
from the article:
Breastfeeding should not have to prove itself—not breastfeeding is the choice that needs explaining. Similarly, the chemical burdens our bodies bear are not our responsibility; this polluting of our bodies was not done with our consent.
This was part of a series of pictures on my IG account - what follows is taken directly from that post (some of the following may not make sense here, but it still has some interesting information). If you'd like to see the series in its entirety please follow this link: www.instagram.com/p/BaPBjgonngp/?taken-by=around_and_abou...
From the IG post [the photo above is referred to as pic 3]:
"Pic 1. The KEYNES MATE badge seems an appropriate addition to pic 1 as it's a painting of MK's oldest known citizen: Ichthyosaur aka Big Eye / The Caldecote Monster (and my favourite) Icky.
Pic 2. Explains how Icky was found back in 1982 whilst Caldecote Lake was being created.
Pic 3 [ the one above here on Flickr ]. Takes a look at why lakes like Caldecote were created here in MK.
Pic 4 is a map from the thesis made by David Michael Martill *A (he was one of the experts from Leicester University). It shows where they found Icky and from looking at a modern map of the area, I think it was on the southern lake (where @miltonkeynesrowingclub is based). I am however, only guessing.
Pic 5 is also from Mr Martill's thesis and explains how Icky came to rest there: apparently Icky was a mature adult ichthyosaur - approximately 5m long - and the cause of death couldn't be fully ascertained.
Pic 6 is from today - before Icky was swimming along with the sea of books at the library, those powerful flippers were used to swim around "the warm sea which covered this area more than 165 million years ago" *B
Ichthyosaurs were featured on the BBC documentary Walking with Dinosaurs, this clip talks of the same genus as Icky: youtu.be/rezCswEi6cA - it's a bit gruesome at the end though!
On this day Icky was featured in the then local paper - pic 7. As with the previous post, I'll put the articles onto Flickr.
I took pic 8 at Caldecote the other day. Every time I see lamp posts in this state they make my imagination do a double take, but especially so after researching this post.
You can visit the oldest known citizen of our area by visiting Icky in the CMK Reference Library - there's construction work going on but they're still open.
Sources:
A: David Michael Martill thesis hdl.handle.net/2381/8441
B: CMK Big Eye leaflet
Credits:
Pic 1. The badge design is by Gareth Horner. The pictures of the design are by IG @badge_geek The main painting is by Michael David Martill
All other credits within the pictures themselves
A lap around Scottsboro Raceway, courtesy of an old Car Model magazine supplement feature. This was inspiration for my own basement race track at the time, and still is.
Starfall: It is the second day of the week-long interviews with Strike 5. Today we have the jungler, Kurt “babyHawk” Keaton with us.
Kurt: Hey Starfall. You are even prettier in real life.
Starfall: *uncomfortable smile* Thank you. What brought you to LoL?
Kurt: Grey. I followed him around from game to game for years. Started with Diablo II, play WoW for years, now it’s League. Never thought we’d go pro, though.
Starfall: Do you like being a pro player?
Kurt: What’s not to like? I play video games for money.
Starfall: How about the gaming house, do you enjoy living with other members of the team?
Kurt: Well, I’m used to living with Grey, we shared a dorm in college. The others are okay too.
Starfall: Was it an easy transition from a college student to a pro player?
Kurt: I don’t think anything really changed. Still spend hours in front of the computer.
Starfall: Yesterday Doranson said that you make a lot of the action calls during games. Is that true?
Kurt: I guess. I just know when it’s time to go into a fight and when we should back out.
Starfall: Your champion pool is pretty selective, you prefer playing tanky champs. Why?
Kurt: I can play pretty much any champion in the jungle, I just like knowing that I’ll probably survive the fight. Also, I like taking the attention away from Grey and Sexy, so they can do the damage.
Starfall: What’s the most important position in the game?
Kurt: Mine, obviously. Wouldn’t be playing it otherwise.
Starfall: And favourite question of the fans: Are you single?
Kurt: For you? Yes. For everyone else it depends.
Starfall: And that’s a wrap. Guys, we’ll see you tomorrow with yet another person of the team!