Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Today's Stational Church is that of Saint John at the Latin Gate :
Dedicated to the beloved disciple of Jesus, this church stands as the most ancient and venerable monument of Saint John the Evangelist’s sojourn in Rome. It is perhaps the most picturesque of the old Roman churches. The enormous conifer which shades the antique well standing in the forecourt, plus the classical columns which support the medieval portico, and the superb twelfth-century campanile, add up to an extraordinarily beautiful scene. The church was originally reconstructed by Celestine III in 1191; subsequently, it was restored several times more. The care of the church has changed hands many times as well. It has belonged to the Lateran Chapter, the Augustinians, the Confraternity of San Petronio di Bologna, the Mercedaen Scalzi, and the Minimi di San Francesco da Paola (who were driven out by the French in 1798). The State took over part of the buildings in 1873, and in the same year the Franciscan Tertiaries of Albi took charge until malaria drove them away. Then came the Blue Sisters (the Sisters of Santissima Annunziata) who enclosed themselves in the convent. Meanwhile, the whole area was cleared of swamp, improved, and became a residual quarter. Finally in 1937 the church and the buildings attached to it were entrusted to the Institute of Charity (Rosminians) who have carried out much restoration work. [source]
Today's Readings: Ezekiel 37:21-28; Jer 31 (Ps); John 11:45-56
Liturgy of the Hours: Week I
History: Saint Bernard of Clairvaux preaches his famous sermon calling for a second crusade (1146); Births of Pope Pius IV (1499) and Pope Benedict XIV (1675).
Of Note: Cardinal Somalo, the Camerlengo whose job it is to lead much of what goes on at the Vatican during a papal interregnum, turns 80 years old today, and thus becomes ineligible to vote in the next papal conclave.
Tomorrow is the beginning of Holy Week and also World Youth Day. You can read the message of the Holy Father here.
Labels: Daily Almanac
