A Saint Besieged: Heaven Knows, Many Need Help

St Cajetan praying to the Holy Virgin

A newspaper article from the late 1990s 

when the Argentine Financial Crisis was at its height

8th August 1997

Unable to feed his family after losing his job as a welder last year, Roberto Fuentes went to church on Wednesday afternoon to petition St. Cayetano, the patron saint of bread and work.

But Mr. Fuentes had to wait in line, a rather long line stretching 15 city blocks, as Argentines flocked to pay homage to St. Cayetano, a priest who used his family fortune to help the poor of Naples and who died on Aug. 7, 1547.

After waiting 18 hours through a freezing winter night, Mr. Fuentes, 32, burst into tears and walked on his knees when he entered St. Cayetano Sanctuary on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

''As it was in your day, St. Cayetano, the Government ignores those in need,'' Mr. Fuentes said, kneeling before a statue of the saint. ''We are hungry, we are cold, we are suffering. All we have is you, dear Saint.''

It was a scene repeated over and over again today as more than a million people passed through the church -- a record turnout, according to police estimates.

On seeing the small statue of St. Cayetano, which cradles a baby Jesus in its arms, many people gasped, crossed themselves or prayed loudly as they held rosaries. Some kissed or placed their hands on the glass encasing the statue. An elderly woman fainted at the foot of the statue but was revived by Red Cross workers, who said she had forgotten to eat during the nine hours she waited.

Church officials said the vast pilgrimage was an extraordinary outpouring of faith and proof that Roman Catholicism was still relevant in Argentina despite the recent growth of Protestantism and sects.

But critics of President Carlos Saul Menem's Government said the large turnout reflected just how desperate Argentines have become after years of record unemployment and declining salaries in a country that was accustomed to lifelong employment.

Church officials said the Government's inflexibility perhaps explained why the number of Argentines who came to honor St. Cayetano was so large this year.

''Argentines are an intelligent people and they know where to go when they need help, especially material things,'' said the Rev. Fernando Maletti, who oversees St. Cayetano Sanctuary. ''They know when it's appropriate to block roads, or to knock on the door of a Government agency, or to go to church and ask God or the saints for what they need.''

O Glorious St Cajetan, Father of Divine Providence, help all those who are unemployed, who search for employment and who fear for their jobs, lead them towards what they are looking for and pray for us all that we may be courageous in the face of adversity.

Monthly Commemoration of St Cajetan

A Statue of St Cajetan from Hamrun, Malta

O Glorious St Cajetan, Father of Divine Providence, help all those who are unemployed, who search for employment and who fear for their jobs, lead them towards what they are looking for and pray for us all that we may be courageous in the face of adversity

Why positivity must be carefully cultivated and negativity avoided at all costs

Once, a young man visited the renowned Father Paisios of Mt Athos for advice. Being simple-hearted, however, he couldn't restrain himself from listening to negative thoughts. These thoughts were acting as an obstacle to every good work he was trying to accomplish. Father Paisios, due to his discretion, realised that his negative thoughts were the cause of his problem and told him the following:

-There was a man who used to say: “If I get married and have children, and my children are boys and there is war, they will have to join the army and finally they will get killed. So, there is no reason for me to get married.”

Then, the Elder turns to him and says:

- Isn't that a silly thought?

- Yes, the young man replied.

The Elder went on:

-Be careful, because you are doing the same thing. Bear in mind that you will never achieve anything good, if you think and act this way.

Fr Paisios (1924-1994) in his cell on Mt Athos

 

St Anthony the miracle worker, helper in difficulty

St Cajetan always ardently recommended that his parishoners should have a strong faith in God's saints and encouraged them to access this heavenly treasury through Novena prayers and the recitation of Holy Rosary. In fact there is a story told of him that whenever a parishioner asked him to pray on their behalf for a special need, he would ask them to promise a certain number of rosaries or candles

if their request should be granted, naturally they always had to "pay up".

The prayer below in honour of St Anthony is known for being very miraculous and gains great graces for those who say it with faith.

The Responsary Of St Anthony

1. If then you ask for miracles,

go to St Anthony,

Death, error, all calamities,

leprosy and demons fly,

And health succeeds infirmities.

Chorus:

The sea obeys, and fetters break,

And lifeless limbs thou dost restore,

Whilst treasures lost are found again,

When young and old thine aid implore.

2. All dangers vanish at thy prayer,

And direst need doth quickly flee;

Let those who know thy power proclaim,

Let Paduans say: "These are of thee." 

Chorus:

The sea obeys, and fetters break,

And lifeless limbs thou dost restore,

Whilst treasures lost are found again,

When young and old thine aid implore.

3. Glory be to the Father, the Son & The Holy Spirit

As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, World without end.

Amen

Chorus:

The sea obeys, and fetters break,

And lifeless limbs thou dost restore,

Whilst treasures lost are found again,

When young and old thine aid implore.

Pray for us, Blessed Anthony,

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O God! May the votive commemoration of St. Anthony, Thy Confessor

and Doctor, be a source of joy to Thy Church, that she may always be

fortified with spiritual assistance and may deserve to possess eternal joy.

Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Monthly Commemoration Of St Cajetan

St Cajetan holding the Christ Child, Sta Catalina, Seville

 O Glorious St. Cajetan, shining model of virtue and ornament of the Priesthood, you rejected the corruption amongst the clergy of your time, your only concern being for the poor and abandoned who you brought to God through teaching them the prayers of the Holy Rosary and through devotion to the Saints. You were truly a spiritual shepherd, and all your concern was focused on the salvation of souls. But as well as caring for their souls, you also were concerned with the temporal necessities of your flock, seeking to lift them out of their poverty, not just by feeding them but also helping them gain a dignified living by work. Look upon us with pity, O glorious saint, we have many unemployed people in our midst and their families go hungry. We ask you to guide all who are looking for work, especially fathers and mothers. Amen

O Glorious St Cajetan, Father of Divine Providence, help all those who are unemployed, who search for employment and who fear for their jobs, lead them towards what they are looking for and pray for us all that we may be courageous in the face of adversity

In any suffering or pain we are never alone!

Loving Father, you who rejoices in both our work and our play, 

I come before You, unemployed, afraid, and shaken in my trust.

When I lose courage and hope while searching for work, be my rock of safety.

When I find it hard to believe in my talents, revive in me an appreciation of the gifts You have given to each of us.

When I begin to doubt my worth, help me to remember that I do not need to earn Your love. 

When our fears take hold and start to overwhelm us, let us find comfort in Your care for us and for those we love. 

Thank You for all those who continue to support and encourage us during this difficult time. 

May it bring us closer to one another and to You.

A Miracle of St Cajetan during the great plague of 1656

St Cajetan curing plague victims, 17th century print

This miracle obtained through the intercession of St Cajetan, was reported and sworn to in written testimony by the governor of the biggest hospital in Naples, Don Filippo di Dura, at the time of the great plague there in 1656.

"In the months of June and July we had more than 7,000 sick in the hospital with many more arriving at all hours. During these months the daily mortality rate was between 600-700 people and deprived of all aid in the midst of such a pestilence, we turned to God and Beato Gaetano (he was yet to be canonised) as our only hope of help, and as his feast grew nearer the mortality rates started dropping sharply.

In the morning of the 7th of August, we celebrated the feast of Beato Gaetano with a Mass accompanied by music and a general confession and communion and on that day not one death was reported whereas before many hundreds had perished daily. After this the plague receded and the city was soon liberated from its terrible grip."

The same miracle was reported from the Loreto hospital in Naples where similarly not one person died from plague on the feast of St Cajetan, and the whole area was soon after free of contagion.

Love one another as I have loved you

"St Cajetan holding the Child Jesus"

acrylic on panel 2012

On Monday the second largest annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Sameiro took place, presided over by the Auxiliary Bishop of Braga, Dom Manuel Linda, who confirmed in his homily to the thousands of people attending, that the church considers it "a sin which cries to Heaven" that companies and people take advantage of the financial crisis "to unnecessarily leave salaries low and not raise them in line with inflation and living costs, without having good reason for doing so". 

The financial crisis which is causing so much pain to so many ordinary people is being used by those who caused it, to rise to ever new heights of greed and corruption. Let us pray that their short sighted thirst for ever more profit, is countered by those who will be spurred on to work for the common good inspired by Our Lord's command to "Love one another as I have loved you".

Our Lady of Sameiro

An 18th century Italian print of the death of St Cajetan

The Holy Death Of St Cajetan

The authorities at Naples, civil as well as ecclesiastical, had resolved to institute the Inquisition in the city, to guard the faithful more thoroughly against heresy. The people were, however, opposed to it to such an extent, that a revolt was feared, and neither the exhortations and persuasions of St. Cajetan nor of other men were of any avail. The holy man was deeply distressed at the danger posed to so great a city and still more to so many souls. Hence he offered his life as a sacrifice to appease the wrath of the Almighty, praying that God would accept of it, restore peace, and spare the city and its inhabitants. The following event will show how pleased the Almighty was with this sacrifice. Soon after the Saint had offered himself to Heaven, he became dangerously sick, and repeating his offer, died a most peaceful and holy death, having had the privilege of seeing Christ and the Blessed Virgin. The Saviour assured him of his salvation, the Divine Mother of her protection until his death. And yet he would not die in any other manner than as a penitent; for when the physician said he needed a more comfortable bed, he protested most emphatically against it, saying that he would not, in his last hour, allow his body any comfort, but that he would be laid in his penitential robes upon ashes on the ground, adding: "There is no road leading to Heaven but that of innocence or repentance. He who has departed from the first, must take the second; else he is eternally lost." 

He received the last Sacraments with great devotion, turned his eyes towards Heaven, and rendered up his soul tranquilly to God, in the year of our Lord 1547. The strife in the city soon after ceased and peace was restored, as if God had wished to show that He had accepted the life of St. Cajetan as a peace offering for the salvation of innumerable souls.