reflections, updates and homilies from Deacon Mike Talbot inspired by the following words from my ordination: Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach...
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Local newspaper to highlight 300 influential people for the 300th anniversary of New Orleans; portrait #1 is a beloved Catholic Priest on way to Sainthood
Francis Xavier Seelos, brother's keeper: 1 of 300
A portrait of Francis Xavier Seelos by artist Saegan Swanson of Where Y'Art, as commissioned by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune for its "300 for 300" celebration of New Orleans' tricentennial. (NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)(NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
The Times-Picayune is marking the tricentennial of New Orleans with its ongoing 300 for 300 project, running through 2018 and highlighting 300 people who have made New Orleans New Orleans, featuring original artwork commissioned by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune with Where Y'Art gallery. Today: Francis Xavier Seelos.
The icon: Francis Xavier Seelos. The legacy: Francis Xavier Seelos' time in New Orleans wasn't long. He arrived in 1866 to serve as pastor of the Church of St. Mary's Assumption in the Irish Channel. He died the following year, in October 1867. In that short time, however, Seelos inspired the city through his unflagging hope and selflessness. It was the latter quality that spurred him to the care for the city's poor and infirm. It was also what killed him, as he contracted yellow fever while caring for local victims of the disease. Three weeks later, he was dead. In 2000, Pope John Paul II beatified Seelos, placing him one step away from sainthood. The artist: Saegan Swanson, WhereYart.net. The quote: "I have come here to pass the rest of my days and find a lasting resting place at Saint Mary's. I feel I have traveled enough. I shall never leave New Orleans." -- Francis Xavier Seelos
TRI-via
Two church-certified miracles must be attributed to a person before they are considered eligible for sainthood. The first miraculous cure attributed to Seelos' intervention was that of a Gretna cancer patient who in 1966 was given three weeks to live. She died in 2001. That leaves Seelos one miracle away from sainthood.
Seelos was born in 1819 in Fussen, Germany. From an early age, he wanted to become a priest.
He entered the seminary in 1842 and moved to America in 1843 to become a missionary, ministering specifically to German-speaking immigrants. He was ordained later that year in the Redemptorist Church of St. James in Baltimore.
He quickly gained a reputation for his kindness, being described as a man "with the constant smile on his lips and a generous heart, especially towards the needy and the marginalized."
Before coming to New Orleans, Seelos worked in cities including Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland.
Because yellow fever is so contagious, the Redemptorists sent only volunteers to New Orleans to minister to those struck by the disease. Seelos was one of those volunteers.
During his three-week struggle with yellow fever, newspapers published updates on his condition. When he finally succumbed, his death was front-page news.
New Orleanians reportedly flocked to St. Mary's for his funeral and to pray before his casket.
St. Mary's Church, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is home to the national Seelos shrine. It includes a sacred reliquary, which houses the remains of Seelos..
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