Pictures from the past

Brother Barry and Brother Bernhard-Maria, a member of the German Alexian community, during the General Chapter in Kleve, Germany, in May 2016.

Saint Alexius (right) in the company of St Rocus, St Sebestien and St Pirminius, mosaic. The painting on the façade of the church in Innsbruck, Austria, dates from the early 17th century. The church was erected to stop the plague epidemic in the city, which is why St. Rocus, who was venerated as a saint protecting against the plague, was added to the list of saints.

At the Remembrance Garden, located near the Knock Basilica, pilgrims can commemorate their loved ones in the tranquillity of the beautiful flower garden.

 

Portuguese edition of the Life of Saint Alexius from 1738, National Library of Portugal.

Brother Sean helps in the kitchen.

Calvary in front of the Knock Basilica during the seasons.

 

 

Altar of Virgin Mary with 13 saints, including St Alexius (2nd row from bottom left), 1458, St Martin's Catholic parish church, Oberstadion, Germany.

Brother Barry in front of the City Hall, Győr, Hungary.

This building is the strongest symbol of the city, as the image of the Győr City Hall appears next to the name of Győr in most people's minds. One of the city gates of Győr was the Fehérvár (White Castle) Gate. When the news broke in 1894 that the Fire Tower was to be demolished and a new City Hall would be built in a few years, the people of Győr insisted that the Fire Tower, the symbol of the city at that time, should live on in the tower that would rise above the City Hall building. And so it was. When the decision to build the tower was taken in 1894, the tender included a condition that the tower's defining form should be a memorial. Construction began in 1897 and the tower was inaugurated on 19 March 1900.

Saint Alexius, patron of the Alexian Brothers! We turn to you at the beginning of the week to ask for your blessing and intercession. We thank you for the example you set with your life: service, humility and love for the poor. We ask that you strengthen all members of our Order around the world to faithfully continue their mission of service to those in need. Grant them strength in fatigue, wisdom in decision, and patience in adversity. Help them to be guided always by love and mercy in their service. Bless all the institutions of the Order to be a source of refuge and hope for those who suffer. We ask that your holy example may inspire them to reflect God's love in their daily lives. Amen.

Zeichner Sebald Beham - St Alexius, circa 1531, Berlin, Germany.

Vintage postcard from 1974 with the picture of Knock Shrine.

Pictures from the past

Sightseeing during the 2016 General Chapter in Kleve, Germany, with German Alexian Brother Bernhard-Maria and Brother Barry. 

Almighty God, thank you for the weekend and we are grateful for all the blessings we have received this week. Please bless this weekend so that we may find moments of rest and recharging. Give us strength and wisdom to spend this special time in love and joy. Thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed upon us and please guide us in the days ahead. Grant us the courage to let the cares of the week fly away and the weekend bring renewal. Please protect our loved ones and help us to live each moment with an open heart and spirit. We thank you for all your good deeds and blessings. Amen.

Statue of St Alexius from Alvarelhos, Portugal.

Pictures from the past

Brother Edward Walsh and Brother Dermot O'Leary at the May 2016 General Chapter in Kleve, Germany.

Altarpiece with bust of St. Alexius, late 15th century woodwork, in the chapel of Nativity of Mary in Berglicht, Germany.

Brother Barry and Marley.

Scenes from the life of St Alexius (the upper one showing the rich young man, the lower one the deceased saint), miniature, Stuttgart, Württemberg State Library, Germany.

On August 21, 1879, in the small village of Knock in Northern Ireland, an apparition occurred when the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist appeared at the village church. 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.  

The photographs were taken of the artistic representations of the apparition in the parish church, the chapel of the apparition and the museum of village life on the site.  

For more information about the apparition in Knock:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knock_Shrine

A livestream of the Masses is also available at:
https://www.knockshrine.ie/watch-live/ 

If you are looking for accommodation in Knock at the Alexian Brothers click here.

Prayer for vocations.

Saint Alexius, the patron saint of the Alexian Brothers, is best known as the patron saint of beggars, the homeless and pilgrims. But there are places where he is venerated as a saint who protects against earthquakes and storms. One of these is the German town of Rastatt, where earthquakes struck in 1723 and 1728. Afterwards, a statue of St Alexius was erected in the market square in the centre of the town to protect it from further disasters.

Pictures from the past

On 8 December 2016, on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Brother Leo, a member of the Alexian mission in Hungary, made his life vows. The ceremony took place in the church of the Immaculate Conception, located next to the monastery, and was attended by members of the American, German and Irish Alexian communities.

Jacques Callot - Saint Alexius (1636)

Saint Alexius, patron of the Alexian Brothers!

At the beginning of the new week, we ask you to bless the Brothers of our Order and those who help them in their ministry, throughout the world, in Germany, Ireland, America, Belgium, the Philippines and Hungary, who every day are committed to serving the needy, the homeless and the suffering. Fill them with courage and strength to faithfully continue their mission. Give them the wisdom to shine the light of love and goodness in every encounter. Help them to approach those they meet with patience and understanding, and to follow in your holy example.

Strengthen their community and make them warriors of love and hope in the world. Saint Alexius, teach us also how to live fraternity and service, and help us to be present in the world in your spirit. Bless this week so that all members of our Order may be strengthened in faith and love.

Amen.

The Knock Basilica and the Apparition Chapel in the dawn light.

Statue of Saint Alexius - Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, Barcelona, Spain, 1685.

Morning visit to the old Knock cemetery, where the witnesses of the apparition of Our Lady of 1879 are buried.

Pietro da Cortona (Italian Baroque painter, 1596-1669) - The Ecstasy of Saint Alexius

Brother Barry in front of the Church of the Holy Cross, founded in 1787, in the village of Csanak, adjacent to the Alexian Monastery in Hungary. The church was for many years under Benedictine control until 1951, when the Communist regime, following the dissolution of the monastic orders, transferred the care of the diocese of Pannonhalma to the Bishop of Győr. After the regime change in 1989, Csanak was again under Benedictine control.

José Juárez (Spanish painter, 1617-1661) - Saint Alexius

One of the rare moments in Ireland, the sun is shining beautifully. Brother Sean enjoying the sunshine.

The Death of Saint Alexius, Neapolitan School, 18th Century.

With Brother Barry on the Dunakapu Square, Győr, Hungary

In 2015 summer, the renewed Dunakapu (Gate of Danube river) Square in Győr was inaugurated, where Zoltán Pál's sculpture "PULZUS" was also installed. The huge, rotatable lens both reflects and captures the square, the city and the people, creating a continuous experience for all those who pass by.

Francesco Guarino - Death of Saint Alexius, 1st half of the 17th century, Naples, Italy.

Pictures from the past

Three members of the Irish Alexian community, Brother Luke Polding, Brother Dermot O'Leary and Brother Dominic Walsh, visited the Alexians in Hungary in February 2013. During their stay, they visited the Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma, founded in 996, one of Hungary's outstanding historical sites and centres of ecclesiastical and artistic history. The picture shows the beautiful library of the abbey, which is still growing and currently holds 400,000 books. 

Saint Alexius and Mary Magdalene, 1904, Russian icon.

Pictures from the past

Brother Dermot O'Leary and Brother Bernhard-Maria from the German Alexian community at the General Chapter in May 2016 in Kleve, Germany.

Saint Alexius, beloved patron of the homeless, pilgrims, and the Alexian Brothers,

As this new week begins, we turn to you with hearts full of hope and gratitude. We ask for your intercession as we seek to walk in love and compassion, just as you did during your earthly life. Guide us to recognize those who are in need around us—those who struggle without shelter, those who wander in search of purpose, and those who are weary from their journeys. Inspire us to reach out with open hands and willing hearts, bringing comfort and support where it is most needed. Saint Alexius, instill in us the courage to embody your love and hospitality in our daily lives. Help us to be instruments of kindness and mercy, reflecting the light of Christ to all we meet. With your heavenly assistance, may this week be filled with compassion, understanding, and opportunities to serve those who need it most.

Amen.

Holy water fountains await thirsty pilgrims in the square in front of the Knock Apparition Chapel.

Bombelli Pietro Leone - Saint Alexius, 18th century, Rome, Italy. The drawing is a copy of the statue of St Alexius in the church of St Alexius and St Boniface in Rome.

With Brother Barry at the Country House Museum - Bakonybél, Hungary

The history of the village Bakonybél is closely connected to the Benedictine Bakonybél Abbey founded by Saint Stephen I in 1018. Saint Gellert resided here as a hermit between 1023 and 1030. Country house museums in Hungary are special public collections that include elements of museology, community formation, folk monument protection and maintenance.