A legendary painter and Carmel

I did not recognise today’s saint – Blessed John of Fiesole (c.1395-1455) – until I looked him up and then realised that this was the legendary painter and Dominican Friar known as Fra Angelico.  Fra Angelico is considered one of the creative geniuses of the Renaissance whose work has had an enduring impact on the Western idea of religious painting.  The thing is, Carmel seems to have had an influence on him.  I quote from a website:   ‘In 1417 he joined a Carmelite confraternity the Compagnia di San Niccolò Bari at Santa Maria del Carmine.  Such confraternities were groups of lay and ordained, with similar spiritual aims, often in similar employment, meeting for support and encouragement in religious devotion.  Sometimes they specialised in fostering particular spiritual practises: San Marco, where Fra Angelico later painted as a Dominican friar, supported several such confraternities. Fra Angelico’s confraternity of 20 men, mostly Carmelite friars, was based on strict discipline, self-flagellation for penitence, and acts of charity. The Dominican reforming prior Giovani Dominici who promoted art as a spiritual exercise & means of contemplation was an earlier member …  Probably the spiritual emphasis of this confraternity, and contact with Dominican  reformers, influenced Fra Angelico’s calling to take holy orders.’

Intercessions:

Bernard - operation

Marie, Bernard (and wife Angela), Agnes – cancer

Siena, Elara – sick children

Rosemarie – very seriously ill

Wojtek – massive heart attack leaving him incapacitated

RIP Anthony Kirke, husband of Judith Kirke OCDS (distributors of the Carmelite Diary) – funeral on Wednesday

RIP Roswitha Watson OCDS (former President of St Therese Community, Oxford)