The sun clawed its way up against a cloudy sky at 07:11.
It will set behind the clouds at 18:44.
The Ave Maria Bell is in its 1900 cycle for the Curia.
It is the Anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto! A great day!
I learned recently that the ceiling of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, on the Capitoline Hill, with its gold, deep blue, heraldic devices, Marian imagery and martial trophies was made in honor of the Holy League over the Ottoman fleet at the Battle of Lepanto on 7 October 1571.
Not too shabby.
The basilica itself is on the Arx of the Capitoline Hill where the Temple of Juno Moneta was, Juno the “warner” (Latin moneo). This is where we get the word “money”. In Italian a coin is “una moneta”. When the Gauls invaded in 390 BC the Romans sheltered on the Capitoline. One night some Gauls scaled the cliff and wound up in the pen of the sacred geese of Juno which made a racket, thus awakening and warning the Romans. Thus, Juno the Warner. The money connection is that is where the mint for coins was. Hence, “money”. In any event, the victory over the heathen at Lepanto was certainly Our Lady’s victory, and the feast was originally called Our Lady of Victory, though now it is called Our Lady of the Rosary.
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Also in Rome today… there is a Marian conference at my old school, the Augustinianum. Card. Burke defends the title Co-Redemptrix. Leo did not invite Card. Burke to the big “spit in the bucket” meeting going on across the way.
JUST IN: Cardinal Raymond Burke today in Rome opens the Oct. 7-8 Marian Conference, “De Maria numquam satis” [about Mary, one can never say enough] — The Blessed Virgin Mary in Dogma and Worship — on the 455th anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto. https://t.co/L74oJoHIQF
— Diane Montagna (@dianemontagna) October 7, 2026
White to move and mate in 4.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
Maybe Cardinal Burke, with his strong devotion to Our Lady of Guadelupe, is exactly where he should be? May this conference be a fruitful one.
White to move and mate in 4
1. Qh6+ Kg8 {or Kf7}
2. Qh8+ Kf7
3. Qh7+ Ke8 forced
4. Qe7#
If
1. Qh6+ Kf7
2. Qh7+ Ke8 forced
3. Qe7#
On a recent trip to Greece, we stood at the bay near where the battle took place, and my oldest son recited Chesterton’s “Lepanto.” The nice Greek lady who was our tour guide was moved to tears.
There is still Trouble of the West hidden amongst this sifting sand of synodalism and diversity and perversion. One day, God willing, it will break out and again March to conquer for the Cross.
It was confirmed yesterday that Leo invited no one to the Amoris Laetitiae boondoggle. The Secretariat of the Synod, and therefore Cardinal Grech, was in charge of the invite list.
that ceiling is spectacular!
a few years back i bought a replica of Don Juan’s flag from a Catholic artisan. after a recent reorganization of my hidey-hole, it is now properly displayed rather than just furled in a corner.
here is a pleasant recitation of Chesterton’s Lepanto: https://dn711201.ca.archive.org/0/items/short_poetry_113_1211_librivox/spc113_lepanto_chesterton_mkr.mp3