The Tree of Life is a symbol that occurs in many cultures. Let’s discover its meaning and why giving a jewel that represents it, is a gesture of great affection and friendship

Since ancient times men have bestowed upon the surrounding nature a strong spiritual value. Trees and plants in particular have been used as powerful religious and esoteric symbols as early as ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians and Greeks.

The Tree of Life is in this sense an archetype that recurs in infinite variations, as a vital symbol, regenerator, and bearer of hope and strength. It depends on the shape of the tree itself, with roots that sink into the ground and symbolise attachment to the earth, to the origins, and the trunk that rises towards the sky, extending branches and leaves and acting in a certain sense as a bridge between the world of men and that of the gods, but also as a boundary between Good and Evil, Life and Death.

In the biblical context, the Tree of Life was placed in the centre of the Earthly Paradise, next to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Until Adam and Eve, were allowed to eat of it the fruits were immortal, immune to pain, to disease. With the Original Sin and the ensuing expulsion from Paradise, they lost this privilege.

Subsequently, the symbolism of the Tree of Life evolved, transforming itself into the Cross of Jesus, the instrument of Salvation, the emblem of the supreme sacrifice of the Redeemer, who by immolating himself brought God and men closer together, with a new promise of eternal life.

Giving the Tree of Life is a way to wish good luck to someone we love, for the beginning of something new: a new job, a new home, but also marriage and even the birth of a child. The Tree of Life symbolises on the one hand the stability of affection, family, true friendship, and our roots, in short, on the other, the ability to grow and ‘bear fruit’, to develop our potential, our talents, accepting change and improving more and more.

Here is a set of jewels with the Tree of Life:

Necklace with Tree of Life pendant plated in antique silver. Necklace with rolo chain and cord composed by a green tassel and a dove in silver.
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AMEN drop earrings in 925 sterling silver with a rosé finished angel of 0.39 inches of height and a round pendant finished in rhodium
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Double chain silver bracelet with shiny beads and carms: two tones tree of life medal and angel in pink silver incrusted with transparent zircons.
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925 Silver Double Chain Tree of Life Bracelet. Elegant, but also modern, with the angel-shaped pendant in rose silver with white zircons, and the tree of life in two-tone silver. Very suitable for communion or confirmation.

AMEN round necklace with a Tree of Life in rhodium-plated 925 silver and rosé, with angel covered with white zircons. A young jewel, suitable for any occasion.

Necklace with the tree of life and brown tassel plated in silver with an antique finish, a jewel that evokes fantastic atmospheres, with a small key, a sparkling light point and a nice bell. Suitable for younger and dreamy girls.

AMEN Tree of Life earrings, pretty pendants in 925 silver with a medal representing the tree of life in rosé finish on a rhodium circle. A small angel embellished with white zircons adheres to the lobes, for an extra touch of elegance. Perfect for Mother’s Day, but also a special Valentine’s Day.

More challenging, and suitable as a gift for Valentine’s Day or a special anniversary, the AMEN Necklace in 925 rose silver with a heart-shaped pendant that encloses the tree of life studded with white zircons.

Always as a gift suitable for her and him, the AMEN prayer ring is with the Tree of Life, but in silver with a rosé finish, to wear every day to keep those you love close to the heart.

925 silver AMEN Tree of Life bracelet with rhodium-plated finish. The tree of life and the stylised angel with a rosé finish make it suitable for all ages and every occasion.

To finish in beauty, the precious pendant with a golden Tree of Life, and laser perforated and embellished with 36 hand-embedded Swarovski white zircons. A precious jewel, for an important gift, suitable for a ceremony, an anniversary, an unforgettable occasion.

On the occasion of the feast day for his liturgical memory on October 16, we discover the Sanctuary of St. Gerard Maiella, the patron saint of mothers and children

Oct. 16 marks the memory of St. Gerard Maiella, The Father of the Poor, The Apostle of the Sele Valley, as his devotees call him, a religious man who lived in the 18th century and was recognized as the protector of expectant mothers, mothers and children because of his miracles. This is why the Shrine of St. Gerard Maiella, located in Materdomini, in the province of Avellino, is still visited today by thousands of pilgrims and especially by young mothers, parturients and puerperians, who leave in the Hall of Bows, entirely covered with pink and light blue bows, their gift to thank the saint for his protection.

St. Gerard Maiella belonged to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer founded by St. Alphonsus Maria de’ Liguori, so he was a Redemptorist religious. He took his vows against the wishes of his family, who were concerned about his poor health. Famously, he ran away from home by lowering himself from the window with a sheet to join the Redemptorists, leaving his mother a note in which he wrote, “Mother, forgive me, I am going to become a saint.” Of a cheerful and gentle disposition, he lived a short life of humility, prayer and penance, and died at only 29 of consumption, but already famous for his miracles.

History of the Sanctuary of St. Gerard Maiella

The sanctuary stands in a place of worship already famous long before it was dedicated to St. Gerard. Since the Middle Ages it had been the scene of Marian apparitions, for on two occasions the Virgin showed herself to shepherds through the branches of an elder tree. Initially, only a small chapel had been erected, later replaced by a church, to allow the growing number of pilgrims to show their devotion. Declared a minor basilica, the church was dedicated to Our Lady known here by the Marian title Mater Domini.

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Saint Gerard 20 cm Plaster Statue

The Catholic saint statue of St. Gerard has a long black tunic and holds a gold cross to his chest.

In 1748, at the behest of St. Alphonsus Maria de’ Liguori a College of Redemptorist Fathers was built near the church, where St. Gerard Maiella died on October 16, 1755. The saint’s tomb was placed in the church of Mater Domini, and pilgrimages increased more and more, to the point that in 1974 it was necessary to build another church next to the previous one, the Church of the Redeemer, more than 46 meters high. Around the Shrine of St. Gerard Maiella, other buildings developed to accommodate pilgrims and give them space for prayer.

There is also a small museum, the Gerardino Museum, consisting of only two rooms, which houses paintings that tell the story of St. Gerard and many votive offerings brought by his devotees. There is also a reconstruction of the little cell in which the saint lived. In the little room there is a large crucifix, a small bed, the remains of a harpsichord, and a desk on which towers a skull, an item that every Redemptorist missionary had to have in his room as a reminder of the impermanence of life. On the skull is the inscription Always Remember, while on the door of the little cell St. Gerard had a sign posted with the words in capital letters, “Here you are doing God’s will, as God wills and for as long as it pleases God.”

The patron saint of children

St. Gerard is recognized as the patron saint of parturients, mothers and children, and invoked by nursing mothers at the time of childbirth. There are many miracles attributed to the saint involving mothers and children. In particular, one legend says that the saint, a guest of a family in Oliveto Citra, pretended to forget his own handkerchief in their home. One of the little girls of the house brought it to him, but the Saint wanted her to keep it because she would need it someday. Many years later, at the time of childbirth, the child who had become a woman was struggling between life and death, and she wanted the handkerchief laid on her belly. Thus the pain passed and she and her baby were saved.

At the Shrine of St. Gerard Maiella, the Hall of Bows commemorates the Saint’s love for children and mothers with countless pink and blue bows, ribbons, and photographs, donated by parents over the years.

The month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary. Let’s know better the Rosary of St. Michael the Archangel, its power, the promises that the devotion to the Archangel guarantees, and the prayer.

The Rosary of St. Michael the Archangel also called the Rosary of the Angels, or the Chaplet of St. Michael the Archangel, is one of the most famous and powerful rosaries of all. We want to remember it in this month of October dedicated to the Rosary, the most effective prayer against Satan, the highest expression of devotion and search for comfort for a Christian.

The reasons that made the month of October the month dedicated to the Rosary are above all historical, as we have already explored in a previous article. It was on 7 October 1571 that one of the bloodiest and most decisive battles between Christians and Ottomans was fought: the battle of Lepanto.

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St Michael chaplet, angelic rosary

Wooden devotional rosary with round beads in honor of St Michael Archangel.

Legend has it that Pope Pius V, after having recommended all the Christian armed forces to recite the Rosary before starting the battle, was so sure of the intercession of the Madonna invoked through the Rosary to decide the outcome of the battle, that he gave the order to ring the bells as a sign of victory even before it ended so that as far as Rome it was known that the Christians had won. As a thank you to the Virgin, the pope subsequently instituted the feast of the Madonna Della Vittoria, which his successor, Gregory XIII, renamed the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary.

Another battle, of minor historical importance, took place on July 31, 1646, between the Catholic fleet of the Philippines and the Dutch. Also on that occasion, the special protection of the Madonna was invoked through the recitation of the Holy Rosary. The Philippine Islands achieved victory and freedom.

But already in the tenth century, the recitation of the Rosary had begun to be encouraged as a devotional form, especially for men and women who could not read and write. The Carthusians first and the Mendicant orders later promoted the practice of reciting short litany prayers as a manifestation of love and adoration by the humblest people, who turned to God through the sweet intercession of the Virgin.

In the late Middle Ages the Confraternities of the Holy Rosary created by Pietro da Verona, a preacher belonging to the Dominican Order, spread this form of prayer which according to tradition their founder Saint Dominic had learned directly from the Virgin Mary herself, who had given him the gift of first Rosario while he was in Toulouse, to fight the Albigensian heresy. The Virgin had also recommended the fifteen promises to him and had assured him that the Rosary would allow him to stop the heresy without violence.

Today as then, it is Our Lady herself who urges us to recite the Rosary, to perpetrate this act of love and trust towards God. Reciting the Rosary is still a widespread practice today to receive indulgences, thanks to the intercession of Our Lady, to obtain graces for oneself and for one’s loved ones, but also a way to pray for the salvation of the world, for peace among men.

Why is the Rosary of St. Michael the Archangel famous?

This particular Rosary was allegedly taught by the Archangel Michael himself on the occasion of a private revelation to the Portuguese Carmelite nun Antónia de Astónaco. Antónia d’Astónaco related that the Archangel Michael had urged her to honour God and all the angels by reciting nine special invocations, one for each of the heavenly choirs, together with the Our Father and a sequence of Ave Maria.

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Rosary beads and rosary cases

Here you will find a wide selection of rosary beads. Precious, elegant, simple or collectable.

Thus was born the Rosary of St. Michael the Archangel, which guarantees those who recite it the support of the angels for themselves and their loved ones and after death the liberation from Purgatory for the person in favour of whom the Rosary is said.

In 1851 Pope Pius IX approved this prayer and granted a series of indulgences to those who had recited the chaplet:

• Partial indulgence for those who recite this Chaplet with a contrite heart;
• Partial indulgence for those who wear the Rosary of St. Michael the Archangel and kiss the medal of the Holy Angels that hangs from it;
• Full indulgence for those who recite the Rosary of St. Michael the Archangel once a month provided that on the day chosen for the devotion they are truly contrite, and pray according to the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff (exaltation of the Catholic Church, propagation of the faith, elimination of heresy, conversion of sinners, true harmony among the nations);
• Full indulgence for those who recite the Rosary on the occasion of the feasts of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel (May 8); for the feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael (29 September) and on the day of the Holy Guardian Angels (2 October).

Chaplet of San Michele Arcangelo

The angelic chaplet of St. Michael the Archangel is made up of nine parts, each including three beads for the Hail Marys and one for the Our Father. Under the cross, there are four beads that symbolize the four Our Father to be recited after the invocation to the nine angelic choirs in honour of the four Archangels and the Guardian Angel.

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Saint Michael Archangel carved wood statue

In Hebrew, the name Michael means “who is like God” and he is famous for having defeated evil forces.

The medal of the pendant depicts on one side St. Michael the Archangel defeating the devil, as we often see in the statues of St. Michael the Archangel, and on the opposite side the Guardian Angel. In fact, this Rosary has among its characteristics that of being very powerful to drive away the Devil and protect the wearer from his enticements and pitfalls.

The prayer of St. Michael the Archangel

Here is the Rosary of St. Michael and the prayers dedicated to the Archangel:

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

(holding the crucifix in his fingers)

O God, come and save me. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning now and forever, forever and ever. Amen.

(starting to shell the first large grain of the Rosary)

At the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial choir of the Seraphim, may the Lord make us worthy of the flame of perfect charity.

(one Our Father, three Hail Marys)

At the intercession of St. Michael the Archangel and the heavenly Choir of Cherubim, may the Lord give us the grace to abandon the life of sin and run into that of Christian perfection.

(one Our Father, three Hail Marys)

At the intercession of St. Michael the Archangel and the sacred Choir of Thrones, may the Lord infuse our hearts with the spirit of true and sincere humility.

(one Our Father, three Hail Marys)

By the intercession of St. Michael the Archangel and the celestial choir of the Dominations, may the Lord grant us the grace to dominate our senses and correct corrupt passions.

(one Our Father, three Hail Marys)

At the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of Powers, the Lord deigns to protect our souls from the snares and temptations of the devil.

(one Our Father, three Hail Marys)

At the intercession of St. Michael and the Choir of the Admirable Heavenly Virtues, the Lord does not allow us to fall into temptation but free us from evil.

(one Our Father, three Hail Marys)

At the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly Choir of the Principalities, may God fill our souls with the spirit of true and sincere obedience.

(one Our Father, three Hail Marys)

At the intercession of St. Michael and the heavenly choir of the Archangels, may the Lord grant us the gift of perseverance in faith and good works.

(one Our Father, three Hail Marys)

By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of all the Angels, may the Lord deign to grant us to be guarded by them in the present life and then introduced into the glory of Heaven.

(one Our Father, three Hail Marys)

(passing to the four grains between cruise and medal of San Michele)

An Our Father to San Michele.

An Our Father to San Gabriel.

An Our Father in San Raffaele.

An Our Father to the Guardian Angel.

Concluding prayers:

O glorious Prince, St. Michael, leader of the celestial militia, most faithful guardian of souls, effective victor of rebellious spirits, faithful servant in the palace of the Divine King, be our guide and our leader. You who shine with immense splendour and superhuman virtues, free us from all evil. We turn to you with full confidence. Assist you with your protection, because we are ever more faithful to God’s service every day of our life.

Or

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle: be our support against the perfidy and snares of the devil. May God exercises his dominion over him, and we plead with you. And you, o prince of the celestial militia, with the divine power, drive back into Hell Satan and the other evil spirits who wander in the world to lose souls. Amen.

Pray for us, glorious St. Michael, Prince of the Church of Jesus Christ. Because we are worthy of getting his promises.

Almighty and eternal God, we adore you and bless you. In your wonderful goodness, and with the merciful desire to save the souls of mankind, you have chosen the glorious archangel St. Michael as the prince of your Church. We humbly plead with you, Heavenly Father, to deliver us from our enemies. At the hour of our death, do not allow any evil spirit to approach us to harm our soul. God and our Lord, lead us through this archangel. Arrange for it to lead us to the presence of your sublime and divine majesty. We ask you for the merits of Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

With its apparitions and shrines, Saint Michael the Archangel still fascinates us today: in this article, we discover the mystery of the Sacred Line of Saint Michael the Archangel.

History of Saint Michael the Archangel

Devotion to Saint Michael the Archangel has centuries of history. In particular, the holy Archangel – of whom we have already spoken in other articles – is remembered to be the warrior of God, defeating sin and wielding the sword of divine justice. Often it is represented with a sword or a spear in hand, intent on destroying the dragon, a symbol of the Devil. Together with the Archangels Gabriel and Raphael, he is remembered on 29 September.

Saint Michael the Archangel: apparitions on the Gargano

Saint Michael is known for his appearances on the Gargano, which we have mentioned in an article on our blog. After the apparitions and the stories linked to them, popular faith in his intercession grew in the places where he manifested himself and not only. In particular, in Italy, the sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo was built, in Apulia, in correspondence with the cave in which the Archangel showed himself.

The Feast of St Michael the Archangel

In Monte Sant’Angelo, the feast of the patron Saint Michael on 29 September is full of events. In particular, the procession of the Holy Sword of St. Michael is a suggestive and exciting event, the only day of the year on which the saint’s sword leaves the Basilica. In the days before the actual feast, instead, the historical procession of the apparitions of St. Michael the Archangel unfolds: young people stage the apparitions of St. Michael.

The Sacred Line of Saint Michael: seven shrines united by a line

Not everyone knows that between Europe and the Middle East, there are seven shrines dedicated to the holy Archangel Michael. Each of these shrines is linked to devotion to St. Michael. They often arise in significant places or, as for that of Monte Sant’Angelo in Puglia, where the saint manifested himself with apparitions and miracles. But the most mysterious and incredible thing is that these seven shrines are located on a dead straight line that connects them with precision: the Sacred Line of St. Michael the Archangel.

The Monastery of Skelling

The Skelling Monastery, on the island called Skelling Michael, is a unique place of its kind. Skelling Michael Island, also known as Skelling Rock or Great Skelling, is a very interesting natural formation, originating millions of years ago, which has retained a characteristic rugged and wild appearance. The date of the foundation of the monastery has not been identified with certainty, however, it was likely built before the 8th century. Today you can admire the ruins and the extraordinary organisation of the spaces, adapted to the surrounding environment. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

St. Michael’s Mount Abbey

St. Michael’s Mount is an island in Cornwall. Here it is said that the Archangel Michael appeared in the fifth century and for this reason, the Benedictines founded an abbey in his honour. Legends also tell of several apparitions of Saint Michael to sailors and fishermen, guided to safe harbours by the saint or warned of some danger at sea. The island is tidal: when the tide is low, you can reach it on foot walking on dry soil; when the tide rises, the island is surrounded and can only be reached by boat. Today only the church and the refectory remain of the abbey: during the sixteenth century, it was replaced by a fortress that can be admired even today.

The Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel

It is interesting the similarity between St. Michael’s Mount and Mont Saint-Michel, in Normandy (France). This is also a tidal island and houses the third sanctuary on the Sacred Line: the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel. According to legend, in 709 the Archangel Michael appeared to the Bishop of Avranches and asked that a church be built on the rock in his honour. The bishop, reluctantly, began to build in another place, more hospitable, but St. Michael convinced him by burning his skull with a finger. In the cathedral of Avranches, the washed skull of the bishop is preserved. The abbey went through numerous vicissitudes and became an important pilgrimage destination.

The Sacred of Saint Michael the Archangel

The Sacred of Saint Michael is located in Piedmont, not far from Turin. Here there was a military garrison in Roman times; in the 6th century the cult of St. Michael spread and a small church was probably built. The actual architectural complex is dated to the end of the 10th century. Again, history is guided by an apparition of the Archangel, this time to the Archbishop of Ravenna John Vincent. The saint asked for the same thing: that a sanctuary dedicated to him be erected in that place. It is said that the angels themselves consecrated the chapel: the citizens saw it, one night, surrounded by a mysterious fire.

The Sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo in Monte Sant’Angelo

The Shrine of St. Michael the Archangel in Monte Sant’Angelo, Apulia, we have already talked about in this article and others. The development of devotion to St. Michael and the first sanctuary is dated to the end of the 5th century. Many interventions and intercessions of St. Michael are linked to this sanctuary: the saint intervened both to defend the population at war against the invaders and to ward off the plague when it afflicted the areas of southern Italy. Numerous popes, sovereigns, nobles and saints – including Saint Francis of Assisi, John XXIII and John Paul II – visited the shrine as pilgrims.

The Monastery of St. Michael Archangel of Panormitis

The sixth place on the Sacred Line is the Greek Orthodox monastery of St. Michael Archangel of Panormitis, on the Greek island of Simi, in the Dodecanese archipelagos. There was once a temple dedicated to the god Apollo. The monastery does not have a certain date of construction but it is likely to date back to the 5th century. The church of San Michael houses many icons including an icon of the Archangel Michael two metres high and covered with silver leaves. Legend has it that the icon miraculously appeared in that place and, once removed, was found again in its place.

The Stella Maris Monastery on Mount Carmel

The place that closes the Sacred Line of St. Michael the Archangel is the Carmelite monastery of Stella Maris, located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. This place has been a place of Christian worship since time immemorial: Mount Carmel is considered the place where the prophet Elijah lived and challenged the prophets of Baal. Although the monastery today is of Marian dedication, the first foundation, dating back to the Byzantine era, was dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel.

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Saint Michael Archangel

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The Cave of Saint Michael the Archangel

All the places we have talked about are wonders both from the point of view of religious and artistic and naturalistic significance. The cave of San Michele, on which stands the sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo was recognised in 2014 by the National Geographic Society as one of the most beautiful sacred caves in the world. The cave played a central role in the apparitions of the Archangel and today houses the statue of the saint.

Have you ever visited the Sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo? It was built after an apparition of Saint Michael the Archangel; here is the story of the 5 apparitions of Saint Michael.

The history of the Sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo, in Monte Sant’Angelo, in the province of Foggia, begins in 490 AD, the year in which according to tradition, the Holy Warrior among the Archangels appeared in San Lorenzo Maiorano. On the site of the apparition, three years later, the first sanctuary was built. In the following centuries Saint Michael appeared again: here are the 5 apparitions handed down by tradition. In some cases, the apparitions are told in different details, but the fundamental episodes occur in all versions.

The apparition of the Bull

Following the first apparition of Saint Michael, the place where the Sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo stands was identified. It is called “del Toro” because the story, handed down with variation from tradition, tells that a rich landowner of the place, lost his best bull, followed him finding him at a cave. Unable to reach him because of a mysterious force that kept him out of the cave, the man threw an arrow at the bull: the arrow turned back, hitting him. According to some traditions, as he fell from the wound, he saw a warrior angel wielding a flaming sword. The man ran to tell the event to Bishop Lorenzo Maiorano, who called three days of prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel. At the end of the third day, Saint Michael appeared in a dream to the bishop, confirming the miracle and asking him to consecrate the cave to him. However Maiorano, perhaps for the inaccessibility of the place, perhaps because it had been the seat of pagan cults, hesitated before following the words of the Archangel.

The apparition of the Victory

The second apparition is of the “Victory”. The evening before a battle of the Lombards against the Byzantines, occurred a few years after the first episode according to tradition, but perhaps a few centuries later, San Michele appeared again to Bishop San Lorenzo Maiorano, announcing that the following day the victory would be assured to him by the will of the saint. The battle the following day was accompanied by earthquakes, lightning and lightning and ended with victory. This date marked the day dedicated to the veneration of the saint: May 8.

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Saint Michael the Archangel

Discover all the articles dedicated to the Saint!

The apparition of Dedication (or Meditation)

The third apparition occurred shortly after the Victory episode. San Lorenzo Maiorano, supported by other bishops and the pope, was convinced to complete the task of consecrating the cave of San Michele. However, he remained uncertain how to do so. The archangel then appeared to him again to tell him that the place did not need human consecration, as it had already been consecrated by the very presence of Saint Michael. Maiorano and some other bishops went to the place: it was summer and it was very hot, but by miracle, some eagles protected the bishops from the sun with the shadow of their wings. On the spot they saw a rough stone altar with a cloth and a cross: Saint Michael had indeed miraculously consecrated the place, ready for the celebration of the sacrifice. In the stone, they also found a tangible sign of the presence of the archangel: the footprint of the foot of Saint Michael.

The apparition of the mole Adriana

A fourth apparition took place to Pope Saint Gregory the Great. While the plague prostrated Rome, Saint Michael appeared to the pontiff announcing the end of the epidemic. In the dream, Saint Gregory saw the Archangel above the mole Hadrian. When the prediction of the archangel came true, Saint Gregory the Great changed the name of the mole Adriana in Castel Sant’Angelo, a name that the place still retains today.

The apparition of the plague

Even the most recent appearance occurred during a plague that plagued southern Italy in 1656. Archbishop Alfonso Puccinelli, finding no human strength to oppose the plague, invoked the intervention of Saint Michael with prayers and fasts. The saint appeared to Puccinelli entrusting him with the task of blessing the stones of the cave of the sanctuary and carving on it the initials M. A. (Michael the Archangel). Anyone who kept these stones, or asked for them, would be protected from the plague. The miracle led to the salvation of the people and the end of the plague. The archbishop, in honour of the archangel, had a monument erected with this inscription: “To the Prince of the Angels Victor of the Plague Patron and Keeper monument of eternal gratitude Alfonso Puccinelli 1656”.

Other apparitions and shrines of Saint Michael

In addition to these apparitions, Saint Michael the Archangel appeared in other contexts and countries, such as Saint Oberto, Bishop of Avranches. The archangel asked him to build the abbey of Mont Saint Michel in France. The legend says that the bishop did not listen to the request until Saint Michael swallowed his skull with his finger, which is still preserved in the cathedral of Avranches. The sanctuary of Mont Saint Michel is located on a straight line, called the Sacred Line of Saint Michael the Archangel, which connects seven sanctuaries dedicated to him in different countries: the Monastery of Skelling (Ireland), the monastery of St. Michael’s Mount (Cornwall – England) the Abbey of Mont Saint Michel (Normandy – France), the Sacra di San Michele (Piedmont – Italy), the Sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo (Monte Sant’Angelo – Italy), the monastery of San Michele Arcangelo di Panormitis (island of Symy – Greece) the monastery of Stella Maris on Mount Carmel (Haifa – Israel).

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Saint Michael Archangel silver 925 medal

The medal is available in three sizes: 21mm (4.5 grams); 16mm (2.3 grams) and 12mm (1.2 grams).

Saint Gregory the Great, “the consul of God”, venerated as a saint and doctor of the Church. But who was this extraordinary man?

It has not happened to many men in the course of history to receive from their contemporaries the title of Magno, ‘great’. And it is even more amazing when receiving such a nickname is not a leader and conqueror like Alexander the Great or a great ruler like Charlemagne or Peter the Great of Russia, but a churchman. Yet Pope Gregory the Great fully deserved this title, what in ancient Rome would have been called a cognomina ex virtute, an honorary appellation reserved for conquerors and military commanders.

But what did Saint Gregory do to be called Great and to be counted among the Doctors of the church?

Born in Rome to a rich patrician family in 540 AD, Gregory showed his excellence in his studies from an early age, although he never had a high cultural education as Saint Augustine and Cassiodorus, based on the great Latin classical authors, like Sallust, Horace, Virgil and Ovid. Instead, he remained linked to the literature of his time, poorer than that of the past, but closer to the present. He adopted the philosophical notions of Cicero and the Stoic school and adapted them to Christian moral doctrine.

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Saint Benedict crosses

Here you can find the authentic Saint Benedict crosses made of metal, olive wood and natural or painted wood.

Fascinated by the figure of Benedetto da Norcia, he wanted to become a monk, but the family pushed him to pursue a brilliant political career that led him to become just thirty prefect of Rome. Even so, I will be able to continue my vocation by practising charity, offering assistance to the needy and transforming his possessions in Rome and Sicily into monasteries.

At the death of his father, however, although he was thrown into a political career, appreciated and well-seen by the authorities and the people, he decided to turn his back on all the possibilities that public life offered him and to embrace a completely different mission. He decided to transform his family’s house into a monastery and to become a monk, devoting his life to the study of Scripture and religious texts.

However, his merits and abilities had not gone unnoticed even in religious circles.  Pope Pelagius II sent him as a representative to the court of Constantinople to ask for help against the Lombards to the Eastern Emperor. Even the emperor could only appreciate his abilities, and with regret let him leave to join the Pope and become his personal advisor, a role that he was able to support with so much skill to be acclaimed in turn Pope at the death of Pelagius.

Gregory did not wish to become Pope and accepted the task with initial reluctance.

The Church of which he found himself at the head went through a terribly complicated and difficult period, as difficult was the political situation in which the Empire and the Italian peninsula found themselves. In addition to political unrest, to the raids of the Lombards, many epidemics, storms, floods, and famines took place in those years.

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Valgardena coloured wooden statue of Saint Gregory with dove

Statue in maple wood, painted by the artisans of Val Gardena.

Gregory was a physically weak man, often sick, but animated by strength and a steadfast force that allowed him to hold in his own hands the ranks of his pontificate, also making use of apostolic vicars, who represented him at the courts of all Europe and beyond.  He worked hard to reorganize the monastic institution, especially in its relations with the church and bishops, and to ensure greater legal and economic autonomy for the monasteries.

He also managed to reach a peace agreement with the Lombards. 

Famous is his vision of the Archangel Michael, which occurred while crossing the bridge of the Mole Adriana, then became Ponte Sant’Angelo, leading a procession to prevent the plague epidemic. After the vision the epidemic ceased and the Romans began to call the Mole Adriana “Castel Sant’Angelo”.

Above all, he always carried on his love for the Holy Scriptures and his spirit of evangelization. It was on his orders that the monk Augustine (Saint Augustine of Canterbury) left for Britain dominated by the German populations to eradicate paganism.

But Gregory was also a great scholar and left many works still today considered fundamental texts for the Church, starting from the Pastoral Rule, a treatise intended both for the principles of the Church and to lay rulers, to help them support their task and to rule the world Christianly, to get to the 35 volumes of Moralia in Job, exegesis of the book of Job, which Gregory himself called “A consideration extended on moral issues”. And then Letters, Homilies, Dialogues and much more. All these texts made him one of the first Doctors of the Church of the West, together with Saint Ambrose, Saint Augustine of Hippo and Saint Jerome. He also reorganized the Roman liturgy, and promoted the liturgical chant that he would call “Gregorian“.

He died on 12 March 604 and his liturgical memorial falls on 3 September or 12 March.