Latest news with #StFrancis
Wall Street Journal
3 days ago
- General
- Wall Street Journal
Giotto's ‘The Legend of St. Francis': Assisi's Devotional Frescoes
When I first saw Giotto's fresco cycle 'The Legend of St. Francis' in the upper church of the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi—a small Italian town two hours from Rome by train—I thought: Is this really what I traveled halfway around the world to see? The colors have faded into ghosts of what they once were. The figures are as boxy as the houses that surround them. Their stiff faces look like those of cadavers that have been stretched into place. But spending more time with these huddled masses of earnest zealots slowly reveals the complex inner lives behind their static masks. If we set aside our modern biases and 800 years of artistic advancement, we can start to understand why medieval viewers thought these images were the most lifelike they had ever seen—and why the founding father of art history, Giorgio Vasari, stated in his 'Lives of the Artists' that Giotto alone rescued painting from 'an evil state and brought it back to such a form that it could be called good.'
BBC News
7 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Ashby de la Launde church to increase security following theft
A church is planning additional security measures after a statue and other items were Police received a report of the theft from St Hibald, in Ashby de la Launde, near Sleaford, just after 14:00 BST on stolen objects stolen included a large wooden statue, believed to depict St Francis of Assisi, a 100-year-old chair and a prayer Reverend Mark Kennard said the loss of the statue made it feel like a "family heirloom was taken away". The thefts were discovered when a church member went to cut the grass on Monday morning and saw the padlock on the outer gate was missing, said Mr Kennard, who has been priest-in-charge at the church for eight said the thieves had "broken into somewhere precious" and added: "In my head and my heart I just compare it to someone's house."The St Francis statue had been in the church for several generations, and most of the stolen items were likely to have been donated by families, he said. Mr Kennard said the church would increase its security measures and take more precautions due to a "lack of trust".The church is asking people to keep an eye out for any of the items appearing for sale value of the items was unknown, police said. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Borneo Post
25-05-2025
- General
- Borneo Post
St Augustine's Church Mission District at Kpg Mambong elevated to 49th Anglican parish
Danald signs the plaque to signify St Augustine Mambong Parish while others witness. KUCHING (May 25) The St Augustine's Church Mission District at Kampung Mambong was officially declared the 49th parish under the Anglican Diocese of Kuching yesterday. The proclamation was made by Diocesan Bishop Rt Rev Datuk Danald Jute during a special prayer service at the church, attended by about 800 congregants. 'Today is a (significant) day for all of us as children of God. Today is the elevation of our Mission District to a Parish. 'I am very grateful that those present today are not only from Kampung Mambong and surrounding villages, but also the state government leadership, represented by Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, and community leaders,' he said. Danald, leaders of the Anglican Church in Sarawak and Brunei, and the congregation in a photo call. The elevation aims to meet the needs of the people through pastoral ministry while at the same time creating a greater sense of belonging within a church family where friendship and opportunities to make a difference will continue to grow. 'Indeed, being a Parish, no matter how small, no matter how good the house of God is, this is our home, we are grateful and as we often hear, our home is our heaven. The same goes when we become a Parish,' he continued. 'Hallelujah, I thank God and God's blessings will definitely be real. I hope from here, (God's blessings) will overflow to others.' Danald plants a belian tree to symbolically open St Augustine's Mambong Parish while others witness. Danald encouraged the new Parish to hold activities such as seminars, fellowships and Bible studies, which must be organised and systematic. With the appointment, the St Augustine's Mambong Parish now includes six churches, namely St Francis Petag Church, St Monica Bangau, St Alban Sitang, St Matthias Kampung Sinar Baru, St Edmund Tabuan Rabak and St Clement, Patung. Established in the 1930s, St Augustine's Mambong started as a small church under the Parish of St Paul Benuk before being upgraded to a new Mission District under the Diocese of Kuching in 2024.
Telegraph
20-05-2025
- Telegraph
This fun-loving Italian city remains untouched by mass tourism
'It's like a time machine,' says my new friend Fabrizio Croce, as he leads me down a long twilit tunnel within Perugia's ancient city walls. As darkness closes in around us, I soon see what he means. We board an escalator that carries us up and up, from the archaic foundations at the foot of this steep hill to the bustling citadel at the summit. We step out into the sunshine, and I realise we've traversed 3,000 years. We're standing in the Piazza Italia, surrounded by a sea of people. Some of them are here to eat and drink, in the sleek bars and cafés that surround this sunlit square, but most are simply drinking in the view. And what a view. Below us, lush countryside stretches far away into the heat haze on the horizon. Welcome to Umbria, aka the green heart of Italy. And welcome to Perugia, its underrated, relatively undiscovered capital. Like a lot of British travellers, I'd been to Tuscany several times before I even thought of visiting Umbria, its less fashionable and landlocked neighbour. More fool me. The gentle Umbrian countryside is just as beautiful as Tuscany, and since Umbria attracts fewer visitors, its landmarks are less crowded, and its hotels and restaurants tend to be better value. Umbria's main attraction is Assisi, the sacred homeland of St Francis, and it was St Francis who first lured me here a few years ago. Like many visitors to Umbria, I flew into Perugia's compact airport and then headed straight on to Assisi, about 10 miles away, without delay. When I told my Italian friends about my trip, they said I'd missed a treat. Unlike Assisi, Perugia isn't overrun with sightseers, they said. It's just as historic but a lot livelier, they said. I duly put Perugia on my Italian bucket list, and then promptly forgot all about it. With no must-see sights, it's the sort of holiday destination you tend to put off for another day. Last month, that day finally arrived – and it turns out my Italian friends were right. Perugia has all the essential elements of a classic city break: fascinating art and architecture, fantastic food and drink. Why had I never got around to coming here before? Perugia is such a pleasant spot, it's easy to forget it owes its spectacular location to its warlike past. The battlements that surround the Old Town are enormous, started by the Etruscans, completed by the Romans, augmented during the Renaissance and reinforced in every successive century. You can trace each period of Perugia's long history in these robust walls. Chatting to Fabrizio, a suave and amiable middle-aged man who works for the Comune di Perugia (Perugia's city council), I'm relieved to hear I'm not the only Briton who's previously bypassed this handsome city. Sure, Assisi is wonderful, famous for its holy sites and precious frescos, but it's rooted in the past. Despite its antique architecture, Perugia is young at heart. The thing that gives Perugia its youthful buzz is its thriving university. Founded way back in 1308, it's one of the oldest universities in the world (only Oxford, Cambridge and half a dozen others are older). It boasts around 26,000 students, most of whom seem to be milling around the Piazza Italia when I arrive. There's also a smaller second university, solely for foreign students, which gives Perugia a cosmopolitan flavour that belies its modest population – barely 160,000, about the same size as Mansfield. Fabrizio was a student here, half a lifetime ago. Like a lot of people who come here to study, he never left. He was born and raised in Naples, but you can tell his heart is here. He's passionate about Perugia and his enthusiasm is infectious. Although he works for Perugia's city council, he's not a typical bureaucrat – he's spent most of his working life as a musician and music promoter. Stylish and slightly grungy, he personifies Perugia's laid-back, vaguely anarchic ambience. Perugia's mayor, Vittoria Ferdinandi, only 38, also has a background outside politics. As Fabrizio walks me round town, we bump into her, quite by chance. Perugia is that sort of place. Fabrizio's office is in the Palazzo dei Priori – an ornate, intimidating building in the heart of the Old Town (in the olden days, criminals were hurled to their deaths from its upper windows, into the street below). It has been the seat of the city council since it was built, in the 14th century. On the top floor is the Galeria Nazionale dell'Umbria ( Umbria's most important art gallery. Its Renaissance artworks are the big draw, above all the intimate religious paintings of Pietro Vannucci, aka Perugino (like a lot of Italian artists, he was nicknamed after his hometown). A pupil of Piero della Francesca and a teacher of Raphael, his tender pictures are still fresh and vivid, over 500 years after he painted them. Seeing them in a palazzo he would have visited really brings them back to life. Perugia's broad piazzas are impressive, but its narrow backstreets are more alluring. Here you'll find the best streetlife – winding lanes lined with dank boltholes where locals sip their potent, fierce espressos and swig big goblets of Torgiano and Montefalco, the smooth, seductive local wine. By day, exploring this labyrinth of blind alleys is exhilarating. After dark, it seems more sinister. For all its flair and bonhomie, this feels like a city with a hard edge. As I follow these dingy rat-runs down the hillside, I feel like a detective in a spooky thriller, lost in a maze of dead-ends and cryptic clues. 'Drinking cocktails saves the planet,' reads the graffiti on an alley wall. Thankfully, during my three days in Perugia, these creepy sensations were only fleeting. When the sun shines, Umbria's capital seems like a happy, hopeful place – somewhere I'm eager to revisit. As I head for the airport, already planning my return trip, I recall how Fabrizio's eyes lit up when he told me about the visit of Miles Davis to Perugia's famous jazz festival ( held here every summer. Herbie Hancock and Lionel Richie are the big names this year. Maybe I'll see you there. How to get there Ryanair flies direct to Perugia from London Stansted. Where to stay Built in 1884, in a prime site on the elegant Piazza Italia, the five-star Sina Brufani is the grande dame of Umbrian hotels. Highlights include dramatic views from the rooftop terrace, and a swimming pool in the medieval vaults, built upon Etruscan foundations. Doubles from €252 per night, including breakfast – very good value for such a smart hotel. Where to eat and drink It's hard to go wrong eating out in Perugia. Here, even the most basic places serve first-rate food and drink. For superb coffee and scrumptious cakes and chocolates, head for Sandri, a debonair pasticceria founded in 1860. It's on Corso Vannucci, Perugia's grandest boulevard. The best sit-down meal I ate was at La Taverna, a traditional Italian restaurant hidden down a back alley, which breathes fresh life into familiar staples, supplemented by some superb local wines.
BBC News
09-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Pope Leo XIV: What's behind the name Robert Prevost chose?
Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected pope and will be known as Pope Leo 69-year-old is the first American to become as pontiff and will lead members of the Catholic Church's global community of 1.4bn in Chicago, he is seen as a reformer and worked for many years as a missionary in Peru before being made an archbishop also has Peruvian nationality and is fondly remembered as a figure who worked with marginalised communities and helped build bridges in the local Church. Why do popes choose different names? One of the first acts of a new pope is to choose a new name, changing their baptismal decision is part of a longstanding tradition but it has not always been like more than 500 years, popes used their own then changed to symbolic names in order to simplify their given names or to refer to previous the years, popes have often chosen the names of their immediate or distant predecessors out of respect or admiration and to signal the desire to follow in their footsteps and continue the most relevant example, Pope Francis said his name honoured St Francis of Assisi, and that he was inspired by his Brazilian friend Cardinal Claudio Hummes. Why has the new Pope chosen Leo XIV as a name? The new Pope has not yet specified why he has decided to be known as Pope Leo could be many reasons for it, but the name Leo has been used by many popes over the Leo I, also known as St Leo the Great, was pontiff between 440 and 461 was the 45th pope in history and became known for his commitment to to legend, the miraculous apparition of Saints Peter and Paul during the meeting between Pope Leo I and Attila the king of the Huns in 452 AD made the latter desist from invading scene was then depicted by Raphael in a fresco. Who was Leo XIII? The last pope to choose the name Leo was Pope Leo XIII, an Italian whose baptismal name was Vincenzo Gioacchino in 1878, he was the 256th occupant of the throne of St Peter and led the Catholic Church until his death in is remembered as a pope who was dedicated to social policies and social is particularly known for issuing an encyclical - a letter sent to bishops of the Church - called "Rerum Novarum", a Latin expression which means "Of New Things".The encyclical included topics such as workers' rights and social justice. What are the most popular papal names? Leo is among some of the most popular papal most commonly used name has been John, first chosen in 523 by Saint John I, Pope and martyr. The last pope to choose this name was Italian Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, elected Pope John XXIII in 1958, who was proclaimed Saint by Pope Francis in 2014.
