The Pittsbirgh Post-Gazette has a cute little piece on St. Joseph. The most hidden of saints deserves some recognition. One thing that isn't mentioned is that his silent faithfulness has earned him the title of "Protector of the Universal Church."
Saints: December 2005 Archives
Asia news (via Amy Welborn) has a piece on Meryem Ana Evi (the house of Mary) in Ephesus, which alleges to be the final home of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The translation might be a bit off (the article claims the home was discovered in 1891 and then states in the next paragraph that pilgrims have been visiting "since ancient times." They may be talking about the town of Ephesus, but it's not clear. it's still a great story though.
Excerpt:
Amid the silence and greenery, a simple brick house, composed of two areas identified as the living room and bedroom of the Virgin who ended her earthly life here. The suffused light shining through the small windows is made even more suggestive by countless candles which constantly light up the small sanctuary.
Fr Tarcy, an Indian Capuchin who has been there for a dozen years or so, said: “Often I see people, men and women, young and old, deeply moved and even in tears. When asked, ‘why do you cry, are you sad?’, the reply is always the same: ‘No, I am not sad, I am deeply moved, I feel something special, a peace, a joy, a warm welcome, a happiness which… I want to stay here forever.”
Later:
Everyone feels at home. Meryem Ana Evi is a place of prayer all year around for Catholics who live there and who each morning celebrate holy Mass, and it is place where Christians from Turkey and all nations of the world visit to pay their devotions. Although they belong to various Churches, here they have the possibility to celebrate services in their own language and tradition. Just as the house is visited by Christians, it is a place of pilgrimage for Muslims too. In the Koran, in fact, only one woman gets a mention about 30 times: Mary the Mother of the Prophet Jesus. “When our Muslim brothers and sisters come to Meryem Ana Evi, they do not come as tourists and mere visitors: they come here to pray,” continues Fr Tarcy. “Perhaps this is the only place in the world where people of the two great religions – Islam and Christianity – can pray together without tension.”
