Book Rendering of Girona Cathedral

Girona Cathedral/Cathedral of St. Mary of Girona
Girona, Catalonia, Spain

"Girona ... is a city in Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the rivers Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell and has an official population of 99,013 as of January 2017. It is the capital of the province of the same name and of the comarca of the Gironès. It is located 99 km (62 mi) northeast of Barcelona. Girona is one of the major Catalan cities. "(Link 2.)

Southern Portico, the Apostles

"The Girona Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Girona ... is a Roman Catholic church located in Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Girona. The cathedral's interior includes the widest Gothic nave in the world, with a width of 22 metres (72 ft), and the second-widest of any church after that of St. Peter's Basilica .... Its construction was begun in the 11th century in the Romanesque architectural style, and continued in the 13th century in the Gothic style. Of the original Romanesque edifice only the 12th-century cloister and a bell tower remain. The second bell tower was completed in the 18th century.

Tower

"A primitive Christian church existed here before the Islamic conquest of Iberia, after which it was converted into a mosque, in 717. The Franks reconquered the city in 785 under Charlemagne and the church was reconsecrated in 908.

Main Facade and Entrance Under the Tower

 "The church and its cloister were built until 1064, in Romanesque style. The bell tower was completed in 1117.

"The church has a Baroque main façade (begun in 1606, with the upper part finished in 1961)^[ preceded by a large staircase completed in 1607. The sculptures decorating the three orders of the façade were executed by local sculptors in the 1960s. Other exterior features include the Gothic portal of St. Michael, on the northern façade, and the southern portico of the Apostles, from the 14th century. 

Sanctuary

"The church has two bell towers. The oldest one, named after Charlemagne, is the surviving one of the two originally flanking the first Romanesque church (the other ceased to exist in the 14th century). Begun in the early 11th century, it has a square plan with six levels separated by friezes with Lombard bands and double mullioned windows. The new bell tower, begun in 1590 and completed (with a modified design) in the 18th century, has an octagonal plan. It houses six bells, the oldest one dating to 1574."(Link 1.)

Exterior

Tower

****** 

Photos: Taken in 2018 by RW with his iPhone while travelling in

                 Spain from his home in Switzerland.

Link 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girona_Cathedral
Link 2:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girona

                                                                    Prayer

God, be with persecuted Christians throughout the world. Amen (SW.)

Remembrance Day
The Wall

This is a story of my family.  My grandmother, Marie,  was born on a farm in Petasky, Michigan.  She had 5 brothers and 4 sisters.  She moved to Wisconsin as a bride and died in 1952 at age 67 in Kaukauna, Wisconsin.  My mother kept in touch with several of her brothers and sisters.  One of these was her Uncle Charlie who had moved to Rapid City South Dakota. In 1956 when I graduated from high school and my brother graduated from grade school my mother took us by train and then bus to visit the Black Hills, Yellowstone Park, and her Uncle Charlie.

I had heard about her Uncle Charlie over the years.  He and his 1st wife Kate had never had children.  Then in his 60's they were divorced and he married his second wife, the young Kate.  Kate had been a nurse in the Korean War.  Her 1st husband had been a pilot who was killed in that war.  She had a son, Alan, from that marriage. Kate and Uncle Charlie also had a son, of course, named Charlie. Charlie had red hair and freckles, was rambunctious and looked like "What me worry?"  This great gift to Uncle Charlie so late in his life became his life.  Alan was 9 and Charlie was about 5 when my mother, brother, and I visited this family.

Many years after this visit I heard that Charlie, the great gift to my mother's Uncle Charlie, was killed in Vietnam.  My prayers went out to Uncle Charlie in his grief and Kate who had suffered such a loss in the Korean War.

When the Vietnam War Memorial was installed in Washington D. C. an accompanying "Moving Wall"  went on tour.  The replica was true to the original, a long rambling wall of black with the names of those that sacrificed their lives in the Vietnam War.  A soldier stood on guard with eyes on the wall. This "Moving Wall" came to Vancouver in 1988 and was mounted in Sunset Beach Park.  It was here that I visited the "Moving Wall".  I approached the soldier on guard who took me to the spot where "Charlie Reberg" was carved into the black surface.  I touched his name and thought of the little five year old with red hair and freckles and his parents who adored him.  And I prayed for them and all the other parents who had such a loss.

In 1998 the US Government offered rubbings of the names of those on the wall on request.  I gratefully received a copy of "Charlie Reberg" as it appears on "The Wall".  It can be seen in the photo below.

Each Remembrance Day, I remember.  I remember the sparkle in Uncle Charlie's eyes as he watched his five year old Charlie play in the front yard of their Rapid City home.  I remember that quietness of 9 year old Alan that seemed to reflect the death of his father in the Korean War. I think of the grief of young Kate and her double sacrifice.  And I pray for all the other families that have made this sacrifice.  Let us remember.

Photo: Taken of Suzanne Wilson's copy of "Charlie Reberg's" name on the Vietnam Memorial, "The Wall."
Link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_Veterans_Memorial

Prayer

God, be with the persecuted Christians through out the world. Amen (SW.)

St. Joseph (Foyer Statue)

Mount Joseph Catholic Hospital
Vancouver, B.C. Canada

"Joseph (Hebrew: יוֹסֵף‎, romanized: Yosef; Greek: Ἰωσήφ, romanized: Ioséph) is a figure in the canonical gospels who was married to Mary, Jesus' mother, and was Jesus' legal father.^[1] In the Apocrypha, Joseph was the father of James, Joses, Jude, Simon, and at least two daughters. According to Epiphanius and the apocryphal History of Joseph the Carpenter, these children were from a marriage which predated the one with Mary, a belief that is accepted by some select Christian denominations. Perspectives on Joseph as a historical figure are distinguished from a theological reading of the Gospel texts.^[2]

"Joseph is venerated as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church, Anglicanism and Lutheranism.^[3][4] In both Catholic and Protestant traditions, Joseph is regarded as the patron saint of workers and is associated with various feast days. Pope Pius IX declared him to be both the patron and the protector of the Catholic Church, in addition to his patronages of the sick and of a happy death, due to the belief that he died in the presence of Jesus and Mary. In popular piety, Joseph is regarded as a model for fathers and has also become patron of various dioceses and places.(Link 2)

Chapel

"Mount Saint Joseph Hospital opened in Vancouver in 1946, but its history begins many years earlier, with the dream of a young Quebec girl named Délia Tetreault.

Altar Area

"In 1902, Delia Tetreault of Marieville, Quebec, helped found the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception – the first missionary congregation for women in Canada. Nineteen years later, four Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception moved across Canada to Vancouver. In a home on Keefer Street, they provided health and education services primarily to the Asian community.

"By the time the Sisters marked the 25-year anniversary of their arrival in Vancouver, their work had outgrown three buildings, leading to the opening of Mount Saint Joseph Hospital (MSJ) in 1946. During their years in Vancouver, a total of 173 Sisters have served through health care, education, parish work and family counseling. Each and every Sister has been faithful to the teaching of Mother Délia.

 (Right of Altar Statue)

Left of Altar Statue

"Today, MSJ is a 240-bed acute and extended care facility with an international reputation for excellence in providing for the needs of multi-faith and multi-ethnic communities. MSJ was founded on the principles of adaptability and responsiveness to ever-changing community needs, and continues to fulfill that mission. 

Sanctuary Banner

"A HISTORY OF MILESTONES

1946 — Mount Saint Joseph Hospital opens.
1948 – Mount Saint Joseph Hospital is recognized as a general hospital.
1956 – A 50-bed wing is added, thanks in part to the work of the newly created Ladies’ Auxiliary.
1960s – A dramatic drop in maternity admissions leads to a decision to close the maternity ward.
1965 – The chronic care department is converted into an Extended Care Unit, with state-of-the-art physiotherapy facilities.
1969 – A new three-bed Intensive Care Unit is created.
1970 – The Day Care Surgery Centre opens.
1979 – The Short Stay Assessment and Treatment Centre opens, establishing the first specialized geriatric service of its kind in BC.
1984 – Mount Saint Joseph Foundation is established.
1989 – The Lifeline Emergency Response System is introduced (Now the second-largest program of its kind in Canada, the system allows at-risk individuals to wear a button linking them to an emergency centre 24 hours a day, allowing them to safely remain in their own homes.)
1991 – An addition to the fourth floor paves the way for the new pediatric unit; two years later the hospital joins forces with BC’s Children’s Hospital to share expertise and to jointly operate MSJ’s expanded pediatric wing.
1992 – MSJ creates the positions of director of Multicultural Services and a coordinator of Interpreter Services." (Link 1.)

Sanctuary Side Windows

*********

Photos: Taken in September 2019 by SW.

Link 1: http://www.providencehealthcare.org/hospitals-residences/mount-saint-joseph-hospital/overview/history

Link 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Joseph

Prayer

God, be with persecuted Christians throughout the world. Amen (SW.)

St. Joseph (Foyer Statue)

Mount Joseph Catholic Hospital
Vancouver, B.C. Canada

"Joseph (Hebrew: יוֹסֵף‎, romanized: Yosef; Greek: Ἰωσήφ, romanized: Ioséph) is a figure in the canonical gospels who was married to Mary, Jesus' mother, and was Jesus' legal father.^[1] In the Apocrypha, Joseph was the father of James, Joses, Jude, Simon, and at least two daughters. According to Epiphanius and the apocryphal History of Joseph the Carpenter, these children were from a marriage which predated the one with Mary, a belief that is accepted by some select Christian denominations. Perspectives on Joseph as a historical figure are distinguished from a theological reading of the Gospel texts.^[2]

"Joseph is venerated as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church, Anglicanism and Lutheranism.^[3][4] In both Catholic and Protestant traditions, Joseph is regarded as the patron saint of workers and is associated with various feast days. Pope Pius IX declared him to be both the patron and the protector of the Catholic Church, in addition to his patronages of the sick and of a happy death, due to the belief that he died in the presence of Jesus and Mary. In popular piety, Joseph is regarded as a model for fathers and has also become patron of various dioceses and places.(Link 2)

Chapel

"Mount Saint Joseph Hospital opened in Vancouver in 1946, but its history begins many years earlier, with the dream of a young Quebec girl named Délia Tetreault.

Altar Area

"In 1902, Delia Tetreault of Marieville, Quebec, helped found the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception – the first missionary congregation for women in Canada. Nineteen years later, four Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception moved across Canada to Vancouver. In a home on Keefer Street, they provided health and education services primarily to the Asian community.

"By the time the Sisters marked the 25-year anniversary of their arrival in Vancouver, their work had outgrown three buildings, leading to the opening of Mount Saint Joseph Hospital (MSJ) in 1946. During their years in Vancouver, a total of 173 Sisters have served through health care, education, parish work and family counseling. Each and every Sister has been faithful to the teaching of Mother Délia.

 (Right of Altar Statue)

Left of Altar Statue

"Today, MSJ is a 240-bed acute and extended care facility with an international reputation for excellence in providing for the needs of multi-faith and multi-ethnic communities. MSJ was founded on the principles of adaptability and responsiveness to ever-changing community needs, and continues to fulfill that mission. 

Sanctuary Banner

"A HISTORY OF MILESTONES

1946 — Mount Saint Joseph Hospital opens.
1948 – Mount Saint Joseph Hospital is recognized as a general hospital.
1956 – A 50-bed wing is added, thanks in part to the work of the newly created Ladies’ Auxiliary.
1960s – A dramatic drop in maternity admissions leads to a decision to close the maternity ward.
1965 – The chronic care department is converted into an Extended Care Unit, with state-of-the-art physiotherapy facilities.
1969 – A new three-bed Intensive Care Unit is created.
1970 – The Day Care Surgery Centre opens.
1979 – The Short Stay Assessment and Treatment Centre opens, establishing the first specialized geriatric service of its kind in BC.
1984 – Mount Saint Joseph Foundation is established.
1989 – The Lifeline Emergency Response System is introduced (Now the second-largest program of its kind in Canada, the system allows at-risk individuals to wear a button linking them to an emergency centre 24 hours a day, allowing them to safely remain in their own homes.)
1991 – An addition to the fourth floor paves the way for the new pediatric unit; two years later the hospital joins forces with BC’s Children’s Hospital to share expertise and to jointly operate MSJ’s expanded pediatric wing.
1992 – MSJ creates the positions of director of Multicultural Services and a coordinator of Interpreter Services." (Link 1.)

Sanctuary Side Windows

*********

Photos: Taken in September 2019 by SW.

Link 1: http://www.providencehealthcare.org/hospitals-residences/mount-saint-joseph-hospital/overview/history

Link 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Joseph

Prayer

God, be with persecuted Christians throughout the world. Amen (SW.)

St. Joseph (Foyer Statue)

Mount Joseph Catholic Hospital
Vancouver, B.C. Canada

"Joseph (Hebrew: יוֹסֵף‎, romanized: Yosef; Greek: Ἰωσήφ, romanized: Ioséph) is a figure in the canonical gospels who was married to Mary, Jesus' mother, and was Jesus' legal father.^[1] In the Apocrypha, Joseph was the father of James, Joses, Jude, Simon, and at least two daughters. According to Epiphanius and the apocryphal History of Joseph the Carpenter, these children were from a marriage which predated the one with Mary, a belief that is accepted by some select Christian denominations. Perspectives on Joseph as a historical figure are distinguished from a theological reading of the Gospel texts.^[2]

"Joseph is venerated as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church, Anglicanism and Lutheranism.^[3][4] In both Catholic and Protestant traditions, Joseph is regarded as the patron saint of workers and is associated with various feast days. Pope Pius IX declared him to be both the patron and the protector of the Catholic Church, in addition to his patronages of the sick and of a happy death, due to the belief that he died in the presence of Jesus and Mary. In popular piety, Joseph is regarded as a model for fathers and has also become patron of various dioceses and places.(Link 2)

Chapel

"Mount Saint Joseph Hospital opened in Vancouver in 1946, but its history begins many years earlier, with the dream of a young Quebec girl named Délia Tetreault.

Altar Area

"In 1902, Delia Tetreault of Marieville, Quebec, helped found the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception – the first missionary congregation for women in Canada. Nineteen years later, four Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception moved across Canada to Vancouver. In a home on Keefer Street, they provided health and education services primarily to the Asian community.

"By the time the Sisters marked the 25-year anniversary of their arrival in Vancouver, their work had outgrown three buildings, leading to the opening of Mount Saint Joseph Hospital (MSJ) in 1946. During their years in Vancouver, a total of 173 Sisters have served through health care, education, parish work and family counseling. Each and every Sister has been faithful to the teaching of Mother Délia.

 (Right of Altar Statue)

Left of Altar Statue

"Today, MSJ is a 240-bed acute and extended care facility with an international reputation for excellence in providing for the needs of multi-faith and multi-ethnic communities. MSJ was founded on the principles of adaptability and responsiveness to ever-changing community needs, and continues to fulfill that mission. 

Sanctuary Banner

"A HISTORY OF MILESTONES

1946 — Mount Saint Joseph Hospital opens.
1948 – Mount Saint Joseph Hospital is recognized as a general hospital.
1956 – A 50-bed wing is added, thanks in part to the work of the newly created Ladies’ Auxiliary.
1960s – A dramatic drop in maternity admissions leads to a decision to close the maternity ward.
1965 – The chronic care department is converted into an Extended Care Unit, with state-of-the-art physiotherapy facilities.
1969 – A new three-bed Intensive Care Unit is created.
1970 – The Day Care Surgery Centre opens.
1979 – The Short Stay Assessment and Treatment Centre opens, establishing the first specialized geriatric service of its kind in BC.
1984 – Mount Saint Joseph Foundation is established.
1989 – The Lifeline Emergency Response System is introduced (Now the second-largest program of its kind in Canada, the system allows at-risk individuals to wear a button linking them to an emergency centre 24 hours a day, allowing them to safely remain in their own homes.)
1991 – An addition to the fourth floor paves the way for the new pediatric unit; two years later the hospital joins forces with BC’s Children’s Hospital to share expertise and to jointly operate MSJ’s expanded pediatric wing.
1992 – MSJ creates the positions of director of Multicultural Services and a coordinator of Interpreter Services." (Link 1.)

Sanctuary Side Windows

*********

Photos: Taken in September 2019 by SW.

Link 1: http://www.providencehealthcare.org/hospitals-residences/mount-saint-joseph-hospital/overview/history

Link 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Joseph

Prayer

God, be with persecuted Christians throughout the world. Amen (SW.)

Santa Anna Church

Santa Anna Church
Alcudia, Mallorca

Map (Link 1.)

"Alcúdia (Catalan pronunciation: [əlˈkuðiə]) is a municipality and township of the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. It is the main tourist centre in the North of Majorca on the eastern coast. It is a large resort popular with families. Most of the hotels are located in Port d'Alcúdia and Platja d'Alcúdia along the 14 km long beach that stretches all the way to Can Picafort. In Alcúdia the old town is well preserved with houses dating back to the 13th century. The old town is surrounded by a medieval wall.

Town entrance and Wall 

"The area where Alcúdia is located has been inhabited since the Bronze Age, but it is with the arrival of the Romans that the city makes its entry in the history books. The Romans used the beaches of Alcúdia bay when they captured the island in 123 B.C. Shortly after this the capital Palma was founded and then the city of Pollentia. From Pollentia it was possible to view both the bay of Pollenca and the bay of Alcúdia. "(Link 1.)

Church Plaque

Church Plaque

From Church Booklet/Crypt

Architectural Church Map

********

Photos: Taken in Dec. 2018 by RW with his iPhone while travelling by bike to 

                 Mallorca from his home in Switzerland.

Link 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alc%C3%BAdia

                                                                    Prayer

God, be with persecuted Christians throughout the world. Amen (SW.)

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