Brother Barry in front of the St George's Well in the main street of Győr. It is the work of Tibor Rieger, a Kossuth Prize-winning sculptor (the highest Hungarian state award for the cultivation of Hungarian culture), who also created the statue of St Alexius of the Alexian Mission in Hungary, which stands in the inner courtyard of the monastery.

A stained glass window depicting Saint Alexius in the chapel of the Alexian community in Signal Mountain, Tennessee.

Morning chat over a cup of tea with Brother Dermot, Brother Sean, Brother Barry and Rosie.

Manuscript codex detail, 1490-1500, Parma, Italy.

Initial (in written works, the ornate first letter of a chapter or paragraph, usually larger than the other characters of the text. The word initial is derived from the Latin initialis, meaning to stand in front, to begin) with St. John the Baptist in the centre, episodes from the lives of the hermit saints in the circle, and the signs and instruments of Christ's Passion (hammer, whip, spear and sponge, the hand of Judas the betrayer with the golden talers, etc.).

On the lower left, perhaps the most depicted moment in the life of St Alexius, the saint kneeling under the stairs in his parents' house.

The Irish Alexian Brothers welcome visitors to their monastery and guest house on a permanent basis. Due to the popularity of the Knock shrine, rooms are booked months in advance. Brother Luke is responsible for liaising with visitors, arranging appointments and dealing with the administratliaising with visitorsion.

For more information click here.

Prayer for vocations from the prayer book of the Irish Alexian Brothers.

A selection of pictures of the monastery's birds with Brother Barry.

Brother Barry and Marley

 

Rare stained glass window depicting the baptism of Saint Alexius, Le Bugue, France.

Brother Barry and Rosie the monastery dog chase the ball.

Exterior and interior photos of the Alexian monastery and guest house in the village of Knock, Ireland.

The Alexian monastery and the interior view of the Alexian church in Louven, Belgium, old postcards.

Brother Luke and Rosie, the dog of the Irish Alexian Brothers, go for a long walk every day when the weather is nice.

Necklace ornament of St. Alexius and on the other side a depiction of Christ the Healer, the work of Valentino Bianco CFA (1923-2013).

Morning prayer in the light of the rising sun with Brother Sean, in the chapel of the Irish Alexian Monastery, Knock.

Johann Wolfgang Baumgartner - St. Alexius as protector against earthquakes, coloured engraving, 18th century.

Brother Barry at the Borostyán well in the village of Bakonybél in Hungary, where tradition has it that St Gellért, the teacher of Saint Stephen's son, spent years.

 

St Alexius, Sacred Heart of Jesus parish, Poland.

Pictures from the past

One of the most beautiful jewels of Győr Cathedral, the icon of Our Lady of Tears, which was placed in Győr with the help of Irish Bishop Walter Lynch, who fled from Cromwell's campaign against Ireland and Scotland, is very popular among the Irish. Bishop János Püsky of Győr invited him to Győr, where he lived for the rest of his life and bequeathed the image known as the Weeping Madonna to the city in 1663.

In February 2013, three members of the Irish Alexian community, Brother Dermot O'Leary, Brother Dominic Walsh and Brother Luke Polding, visited Hungary and of course they also visited the image of the Weeping Madonna.

 

Madonna of St Alexius or Madonna of Edessa

Icon of the Virgin Mary of Byzantine origin, currently preserved in the Basilica of St Boniface and St Alexius in Rome. Legend has it that Alexius, from a wealthy Roman family, spent 17 years as a beggar in Edessa, Greece, and prayed often before the miraculous image in the church. Before servants sent by his family to the city to find Alexius, the image rang out, revealing the saint's identity and addressing him as 'Man of God'.

The Irish Alexian community consists of Brother Dermot, Brother Sean, Brother Barry, Brother Luke and Brother Dominic.

Brother Dermot with a newborn dwarf goat.

 

In 1979, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Knock apparition, Pope John Paul II visited the shrine. This is commemorated by this Celtic cross, which stands where the Pope said mass.

The jewel of the Knock Basilica, the mosaic depicting the miraculous apparition of 21 August 1879, is the work of Irish and Italian artists and consists of one and a half million pieces.

Images from the museum exhibition on the life of Knock village and its transformation into an international sanctuary.

https://www.knockshrine.ie/key-places-to-visit/knock-museum/

 

 

145 years ago today, on 21 August 1879, in the small village of Knock in Northern Ireland, an apparition took place in the village church of the Virgin Mary, St Joseph and St John the Evangelist. In the more than 100 years since then, Knock has become the most visited pilgrimage site in Europe, along with Fatima and Lourdes, with one and a half million pilgrims visiting every year. 

More about the apparition:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knock_Shrine

In Hungary, 20 August is the feast of St Stephen, the founder of our state, and the end of the harvest and the new bread. According to tradition, the first loaf of bread made from new wheat was baked on St Stephen's Day after the harvest. Since the first baking of new wheat was in August, this month is also known as the month of new bread.

The photo shows Brother Barry in front of the Holy Right (the mummified hand of our founding king, St Stephen), which is kept in St Stephen's Basilica in Budapest.

St Alexius painting, Ponikiew, Poland.

 

The prayer of the Irish Alexian Brothers for vocations.

Brother Sean and Brother Luke, members of the Irish Alexian community. The picture was taken in September last year, when the two brothers celebrated their 86th birthdays a day apart.

Saint Alexius, patron saint of pilgrims and of the Alexian Brothers, we turn to you for your intercession during the new week ahead. Guide us on our journey, so that our every step may strengthen our faith and commitment, and that we may love and support one another, following your example. May we discover goodness and beauty in the daily life of the week, and consciously seek truth and love in all we do. Help us to face challenges with courage and perseverance, and to always remember your teachings. Please bless our family, friends and all those we meet. Fill our hearts with peace and joy, that every moment of this new week may be a blessing to us. Please be with us in our daily lives and guide us in the way of the Lord. Amen.

Brother Luke with Rosie the dog of the Irish Alexian community.

Brother Barry and Brother Leo, a member of the Hungarian Alexian community, in front of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Hungary in front of the statue of Pope St. John Paul II, which was erected in 1987 during the socialist era.

Saint Alexius, man of God so pure,
His faith and love forever endure.
A life of selflessness and devotion,
A true example of deep emotion.

In service to the poor and in need,
He showed compassion with every deed.
His prayers uplifted the suffering soul,
And his kindness made the broken heart whole.

A humble man, he sought no acclaim,
But worked in silence, in Jesus' name.
His faith in God was unwavering,
And his love for all was unyielding.

Saint Alexius, a beacon of light,
Guiding us through the darkest night.
His life inspires us to be kind,
And in God's love, true solace find.

May we learn from his humble grace,
And in God's love, let our hearts embrace.
Saint Alexius, man of faith so true,
Pray for us, and guide us, in all we do.

Next to the monastery is a small aviary with beautiful, colourful birds, which are kept by the brothers for the pleasure of their guests and visitors.

Brother Dermot