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St Nicholas News

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The universal Feast of St Nicholas is the 6th of December. In the Roman Catholic Church till 1969 this feast was classified as obligatory. Afterwards it became optional. Today for Italy is again obligatory, and we hope it shall become so for all the Catholic world.

In Bari, like in Russia, St Nicholas is celebrated the 9th of May too, that is the day of May 1087 when the Barian ships (having saved the Saint’s relics from the Turkish danger) entered the harbour of Bari.

At the three days of feast in Bari have participated many pil-grims and tourists united by the Saint’s love.

A paper sent free to the St Nicholas’ friends

all around the world

from Fr. Gerardo Cioffari, o.p director of the “Centro Studi

Nicolaiani” of Bari (gcioffari@libero.it)

May

16th

2013

THE ST NICHOLAS’ MAY FESTIVAL

A MEETING OCCASION FOR THE ST NICHOLAS’ FRIENDS

May the 7th: the Historical Parade;

8th: on the Sea; 9th: the Manna

St Nicholas’ seal

Year 1107

To our friend Lieven Dehandschutter (right), here with Fr.

Gerardo, for years President of the Flemish “St Nicholas’

Association” in the city of Sint Niklaas (Belgium), and since

January Mayor of the same City, all the best for his job.

The sea of Bari

in the three

days of feast.

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St Nicholas’ May festival enjoyed three days of sunshine and the sea was as smooth as glass. Here are some pictures. The three days of sunshine let pilgrims and visitors to sit along the dodgers of the seafront, to enjoy the sun and to have a snack.

Some courageous young people thought to anticipate the swimming season and plunged into the waters behind St Nicholas’ Basilica.

The Basilica from the sea

mare

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In the evening of May the 7th, going out from the Norman Swabian Castle of Bari, walking through the central Corso Vittorio Emanuele, moves the historical Parade. Directed by Nicola Valenzano this year too nobles and knights, and a great number of participants belonging to humble social classes walk together in honor of St Nicholas. In the Middle Age the feast of 9th of May was celebrated throughout all Europe. It is registered in many calendars like in this miniature from the Book of Hours of the Duchess of Burgundy (XV c., Chantilly, Musée de Condé). Since the XVI century, with the exception of Bari and Russia (thanks to the Minei Četii of the metropolitan Makarij ), it fell into disuse.

While the Parade goes out of the Castle, in the waters of St George the Saint’s picture (representing the Saint’s relics) is taken on board. As it is known, the night before entering Bari (9th of May 1087) the ships with St Nicholas’ relics stopped at the nearby harbor of St George. The Parade with nobles and damsels, flag-flyers, timpanists, fire-eaters, walkers-on, through the central Corso Vittorio Emanuele, moves forward with the painted tables till the Margherita Theater, where St Nicholas’ picture coming from St George is taken on board of the caravel.

The Saint’s picture is embarked at S. Giorgio.

Giorgio

The departure from the Norman-

Swabian Castle.

Scenes from the life of

Saint Nicholas

Painted tables

show …

The picture is taken on board of

the caravel

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A crowd in St Nicholas’ Square is waiting. Finally, now are entering the first knights with their noble ladies. All the time you may hear the distant roll

of drums, that slowly is coming nearer. At the end, the timpanists make their solemn entrance into the Square.

The Dominican Friars in the darkness of the Basilica are waiting the arrival of the caravel.

The flag-flyers.

The timpanists

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A little before midnight the caravel arrives with St Nicholas’ picture. The Dominicans and the Mayor of Bari take the picture and from the stairs of the Church show it to the crowd of the faithful.

In the photo below the Rector of the Basilica, Fr Lorenzo Lorusso and the Mayor of Bari, Michele Emiliano, with the Dominican Fathers and two Orthodox Priests. In the Historical Parade participated several St Nicholas’ friends, like the German Prof. Wilhelm Forst (in the photo at right of Fr Gerardo) and Hans Peter Rust, one of the most active Santa Claus of Switzerland. Red dressed in the photo (taken by our friend Simona Dobrescu) is my collaborator Francesco Innamorato, who together with lady Mirella Tempone have done their best for welcoming the guests from Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland and England.

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MAY THE 8TH:

ST NICHOLAS ON THE SEA

The entire city with pilgrims and tourists overflows onto the seafront to look at the taking on board of the Statue of the Patron Saint of the sailors. All day long little boats full of pilgrims go near the ship with the Statue to give the Saint homage and to pray for his protection till next year.

After the morning Mass,

around 12 o’ clock the

Statue is taken on board

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It is already a tradition that the 8th of May Italian Air Force sends the Frecce

Tricolori, a display team that makes spectacular flights very much admired

by visitors.

Herman Cole, who led the Flemish group of Sint Niklaas (Belgium) had some talks on St Nicholas

Northern traditions. Fr Gerardo, after the congratulations to the Mayor Lieven Dehandschutter,

spoke to the group about the history of St Nicholas’ Basilica.

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Above: Don Camillo Markus Vankan (Holland) with the Archbishop of Bari, Francesco Cacucci.

Here above: Marcel Janssens (Liège, Belgium), Hans Peter Rust (Küssnacht am Rigi, Switzerland), Don Camillo (Marcus) Vankan (Holland), Francesco Innamorato (Bari, Italy), Rev. James Rosenthal (England).

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There is no doubt that the major attraction for the St Nicholas’ faithful is the “miracle” of the manna. Miracle for some, chemical phenomenon for others, the manna (myron for the Greeks, miro for the Russians) is the water that forms in the urn of St Nicholas near and in contact with his bones. The Dominican Fathers, to whom Pope Pius XII entrusted the Basilica in the year 1951, never did anything to spread this devotion, but preferred not to neglect it completely, because it is of great consolation and relief to sick and suffering people. In the photo right: Fr. Lorenzo Lorusso, rector of the Basilica, blesses the faithful with the manna just extracted.

Because of the crowd (about 3000 faithful), into the underground Crypt (where St

Nicholas’ bones rest) are admitted only people belonging to the Clergy. Authorities

and lay people can follow the entire ceremony through 5 or 6 maxi-screens located

in several places of the Basilica..

THE 9th of MAY:

THE DAY OF THE HOLY “MANNA”

The celebration of the Mass at 18,30 of the 9th of May in these last years has become particularly crowded because of the extraction of the manna that takes place at the end.

Usually the Mass is celebrated by the Archbishop of Bari together with some high Prelate (this year was the Cardinal Fernando Filoni).

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At the end the manna is brought into the upper Basilica and a thousand people forms

a line in order to kiss the ampulla with the manna just extracted.

FROM BARI KINDEST REGARDS TO ALL

ST NICHOLAS’ FRIENDS