A History of Halloween: Samhain to All Souls' Day

From the October 25, 2021, History.com. "Halloween Timeline:  How the holiday has changed  over the centuries" by Erik Freeland.

Halloween's origins can be traced back to antiquity.  Most point to Samhain, a Celtic celebration commemorating the end of harvest season and the blurring of the spirit and physical worlds.

Over the ages, Halloween has taking on Christian influences, European myth and American consumerism.

Today, we celebrate it with trick-or-treating, costumes, jack-o-lanterns and scary movies and, of course, that Halloween creep in the stores where the stiff starts appearing in early September.

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In the 7th century, the Catholic Church established November 1 as All Saints' Day, a day commemorating  all the saints of the church..  By the 9th century, Christianity had  come to former Celtic lands with a gradual blending and supplanting of Celtic rites

In 1000 A.D. the church made November 2 All Souls;' Day, a day to honor he dead.

--CootBoo

Chicago's Bohemian National Cemetery-- Part 1: Meet the 'Cemetery Lady'

 From the October 11, 2020, Chicago Tribune "Inside Bohemian National Cemetery with 'Cemetery Lady' Helen Sclair" by Kori Rumore.

Bohemian National Cemetery, at Pulaski Road and Foster Avenue on the Northwest Side, is a burial ground that welcomes all on its 124-acre site with beautiful scenery and memorials to people and events important in Chicago history.

Helen Sclair knows a whole lot about this cemetery as well as the more than 700 burial sites in the Chicagoland area.  She is a tour guide to these cemeteries and says she never "seen a cemetery she didn't like."

The Bohemian National Cemetery, where more than 120,000 people are buried, is the result of tensions between the Roman Catholic Church and local immigrants who came to Chicago from Bohemia and Moravia, now known as the Czech Republic.  These immigrants, called Bohemians, were expected by the Catholic Church to make confession before death.  If not, they were banned from burial within Chicago's Catholic cemeteries.

--Cooter

1918 Influenza Butler Co., Pa., --Part 7: Remembering the Victims

In 2002, the Saxonburg chapter of the General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC) spearheaded a campaign, led by Doris Herceg and Drenda Gostcowski, to designate the mass grave of the influenza victims in Winfield Township as a historic site.

They succeeded and in a ceremony at the site, Father Velerian M. Muchlik and Janet Pazzynski of St. George's Ukranian Catholic Church in Pittsburgh performed  a Greek Catholic service, respective of the victims' Eastern European heritage.

A granite cross was erected at the site to replace the original wooden cross, and a historic roadside marker was placed adjacent to the site.

--Cooter

The Belangiga Bells-- Part 1: Taken As War Trophies

Last month I wrote about the Belangiga Massacre which took place during the Philippines Insurrection in 1901.  That was in relation to Fort Russell in Wyoming where two of the bells ended up as war trophies.  That traced back to Francis E. Warren, a powerful senator from that state and a Civil War Medal of Honor recipient.  This was all part of one of my Road Tripping Through History.

From Wikipedia.

The Belangiga Bells are three bells that were taken by the U.S. Army  from the Church of San Lorenzo  de Martir in Belangiga, Eastern Samar, Philippines, as war trophies following the Belangiga Massacre in 1901.  One ended up at base camp of the 9th Infantry in South Korea and two others at the former base of the 11th Infantry at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

People representing the Catholic Church in the Philippines, the Philippines government and the residents of Belangiga have tried since the 1950s to get these bells returned and they were returned on December 11, 2018, after 117 years.

A Story With a Happy Ending.  --Cooter

60th Anniversary of the Our Lady of the Angels Fire--Part 1: December 1, 1958

From the November 28, 2018, Hi-Liter newspaper  "Remembering the students of Our Lady of the Angels school fire" by Sandra Landen Machaj.

For students at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Grade School, Dec. 1, 1958, began as an ordinary school day.  But for these students and their families, it would not end that way.  It would be a day that changed their lives in ways that would never be forgotten.

For it was on that day that a fire broke out in the school and took the lives of 92 students and three of the nuns that taught them.  The fire with its large number of deaths was the worst school fire ever in Illinois and the third worst school fire in the nation.

In 1958, Our Lady of the Angels was one of the largest parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago.  The parish consisted of about 4,500 families, many of whom sent multiple children to the parish kindergarten through eighth grade school.

The school had an enrollment of approximately 1,600 students.  Located at 909 N. Avers in the Humboldt Park section of Chicago, the community at that time was a melting pot of Italian, Polish and Irish families, most of whom had lived here for several generations.

A New Knights of Columbus Building in DeKalb in 1918

From the July 11, 2019, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1918, 100 Years Ago.

"The work of constructing a new building for the DeKalb Knights of Columbus on the site on Lincoln Highway recently occupied by the Cook livery barn has been started, and a s rapidly as material and equipment can be hauled to the scene the work will progress."

"The Knights recently consumated a deal whereby they will become the owners of six feet of additional ground, now occupied by the building owned by B.C. Knowdle and used by Jack Cook as an office.  This old building will be torn down within the next few days and removed so that work may go forward without delay."

Of course, there would be a continuing decline in businesses of the livery nature as the automobile increased in popularity.

A New Building on Lincoln Highway in DeKalb.  --Cooter

Looking Back to 1966: NIU's Newman Center Receive Parochial Status

From the December 14, 2016, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois) "Looking Back."

1966, 50 Years Ago.

"After 25 years of service to the Northern Illinois University community the Newman Center, 512 Normal Road, has received parochial status, effective December 11.

"The Chancery of Catholic Diocese of Rockford announced the establishment of the university parish of Christ the Teacher."

Kind of important to Liz and myself as we were married there in 1973.

--Cooter

No School? Why?-- Part 4: The "Honors" Excuse

Letting kids out of school as a way to bestow honor on someone is commonplace.  Presidents Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Pulaski Day, Memorial Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day are some of them in Chicago and Illinois.

In 1913, as part of the celebration of Abraham Lincoln's birthday, schools were closed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.

In 1939, children were urged to attend the American Legion parade September 26th instead of going to school.

Parochial and public schools were closed October 5, 1979, for Pope John Paul II's public Mass i Grant Park.  Public  school students stayed home on January 29, 1981, "to celebrate the return of the 52 hostages" from Iran.

As It Begins to Snow Again Right Now.  DaCoot

Roman Catholics Through the Years AD 30 to AD 2200 (est.)

From the March 3, 2013, Chicago Tribune "The power of the papacy."

30--  as many as 10,000
100--  170,000
300--  4.9 million
500--  12.7 million
800--  15.9 million
1000--  18.9 million
1350--  47.2 million
1500--  44.8 million
1650--  60.1 million
1750--  82.4 million
1800--  106.4 million
1850--  163.2 million
1900--  265.6 million
2000--  1.04 billion
2010--  1.17 billion

Interesting to note the big drop between 1350 and 1500 and the huge growth after 1850.

Popes of the Catholic Church-- Part 8

Continuing with the March 3, 2013, Chicago Tribune article "Focus Papal Legacy."

1939:  Pope Pius XII becomes pope seven months before the outbreak of World War II and his efforts to remain neutral cause great controversy.  Some accuse him of indifference to the persecution of Jews.  His supporters point to his behind-the-scenes efforts to save victims of the Nazis.

1962:  Pope John XXIII opens the Second Vatican Council which continued under his successor, Paul VI.  This effort caused major changes in church doctrine and a big one was allowing Mass to be said in languages other than Latin as well as supporting friendship with other faiths.

1978:   John Paul I dies just a month into his reign.  His successor, John Paul II, is a vigorous, charismatic Polish-born pope.  He is the first non-Italian pontiff in more than 450 years.  During his papacy, he makes more than 100 international trips, survives an assassination attempt and changes the worldwide image of the church.  A 1979 Mass in Chicago's Grant Park attracted 200,000 worshippers.

2013:  Pope Benedict XVI is the first pope in nearly 600 years to abdicate St. Peter's Throne.

And, there you have it, a very short history of the popes of the Catholic Church.

Popes of the Catholic Church-- Part 7

1633:  Pope Urban VIII, who had once been a friend of Italian physicist Galileo Galilei, orders he be put on trial for theorizing that the earth revolves around the sun.  Galileo is found guilty of heresy.  This is part of what is called The Inquisition, a centuries-long crackdown on heretics and nonbelievers (essentially anyone disagreeing with church doctrine and especially Protestants).  Many are imprisoned, tortured or killed..

1799:  Pope Pius VI dies in prison.  He had denounced Napoleon during the French Revolution and Napoleon had him thrown in prison when he invaded Italy.  At the time, many feared Pius was to be the last pope.

1870:  As part of the unification of Italy, the church loses dominion over Rome.  Also, the demise of the Papal States in central Italy led Pope Pius IX to call himself a "prisoner of the Vatican.  For the next 59 years, popes would not leave the Vatican because they did not accept the Italian government's claims to the surrounding area.

The 1929 Lateran Treaty established Vatican City as the Roman Catholic Church's sovereign domain.

Popes of the Catholic Church-- Part 6

1501--  Alexander VI, one of the most notorious popes dies.  A member of the Borgio family, he is a womanizer who bribed his way to the papacy.  According to one story of his death, he tried to poison a rival with a drink, but had them switched accidentally.

1521--  As the papacy grew in power, the corruption and abuse also grew.  Martin Luther strongly objected to the sale of indulgences, which forgave sins.  They were being sold to pay for the new St. Peter's Basilica.

Martin Luther issues his 95 Theses which led to the Protestant Reformation.

In 1521, Pope Leo X excommunicated Luther, but that didn't stop the Reformation.

1582--  Gregory XIII orders the use of the more accurate Gregorian calendar which introduced leap year and meant that the day after October 4th that year became Oct. 15th.  It was decades before the Protestant countries adopted the new calendar.

Continuing.

Popes of the Catholic Church-- Part 5

1198-1216--  Pope Innocent III  rules at the height of papal power in the Medieval Ages.  He consolidated the power of the Papal States in current-day Italy and extended his power over kings and queens.  He held priests to higher moral standards, demanded spiritual frugality and ran the Curia (papal court).

During his time, the Fourth Crusade went awry and ended with the sacking of Constantinople in 1204.  He ruled the Magna Carta void and that all Muslims and Jews had to wear distinctive dress.

1271--  Gregory X is elected pope after a nearly three-year process that ended only when the cardinals were locked in a room and forced to decide.  In 1274, Gregory establishes the process where a "conclave" is held.

1378--  By this year, there had been nearly 40 antipopes, essentially antichrists.  This year, the first antipope, St. Hippolytus is canonized.  He had fought three other popes from 217-235 over being too lenient on people he considered to be heretics.

Some of the most famous antipopes were the latter Avignon popes of the Western Schism.  Urban VI was elected amid controversy in April 1378.  In August, French cardinals declared his election invalid and elected a French nobleman, Robert of Geneva, in his place.  The Great Western Schism continued for many years with both groups excommunicating each other.  Eventually it ended in 1417.

More to Come. 

Popes of the Catholic Church-- Part 4

1054--  The East-West Schism between the Eastern orthodox churches and the Roman Catholic Church comes to a climax as Pope Leo IX and the patriarch of Constantinople excommunicate each other.

1073-1085--  Gregory VII, one of the most influential popes, transforms the papacy and changes the way the church interacts with Europe's kings and queens.  He forbade simony, the buying and selling of church offices and spiritual vlessings., though the practice continued to cause problems for centuries.

He claimed supremacy over all Christendom,  forbade the common practice of royalty appointing bishops and ordered all clergy to pledge allegiance to the pope.

King Henry IV of the Holy Roman Empire answered by deposing Gregory, who then excommunicated Henry.

1095--Pope Urban II launched the First crusade to retake the Holy Land from the Muslims.  He died two weeks after the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, but the news didn't reach him in time.

And, So It Goes.

Popes of the Catholic Church-- Part 3

451:  Leo the Great has the Chalcedon Council in which he successfully argues for the dual human-divine nature of Jesus Christ.  He is also later credited for persuading Attila the Hun to leave Ital and spare Rome in 452.

He was also the first pope to claim to be a successor to Peter and the papacy as supreme authority over the church.

867:  Adrian II becomes head of the church and is the last married pope.

897:  Pope Stephen VII orders the corpse of his predecessor, Formosus, dug up, dressed in papal vestments and put on trial for violations of church law.  The body is convicted in what is called the Cadaver Synod, and the three fingers used to give blessing cut off.  The corpse is then tossed into the Tiber River, but later recovered and reburied.

More to Come.

Popes of the Catholic Church-- Part 2: On This Rock, I Will Build My Church.

Very little is known about the early popes.  Some early papal succession lists show Linus as being the first bishop of Rome.  AD 60: St. Peter is historically considered to be the first pope, it is unlikely that he was the first bishop in Rome.  When he arrived in Rome in 60 AD, he found a Christian community already in existence.

As one of the original Apostles, Peter played a major role in the Gospels and the early years of the church.  In the New Testament, Jesus refers to him when he says, "On this rock, I will build my church."

The confusion with the early popes is due to the fact that the infant Christian Church was outlawed and early Christians were subject to periodic persecution which didn't end until the 4th century when Emperor Constantine I made Christianity legal.  Christianity was declared the state religion of the Roman Empire in 380.

By 325: the papacy's power had increased and two ecumenical councils were held.  The First Council in Nicaea in 325 and the Council of Chalcedon 125 years later.

The council was the first to define the divinity of Jesus.  They also set the formula by which the date of Easter is decided.  However, the current pope at the time, Sylvester wasn't there, he was back in Rome.

More to Come.

Popes of the Catholic Church-- Part 1

From the March 3, 2013, Chicago Tribune "The power of the papacy" by Stephan Benzkofer, Ron Grossman, Mark Jacob and Chad Yoder.

With all of the hoopla leading to the selection of the new pope to replace Pope Benedict who was the first pope to abdicate in 600 years, the Tribune's crack team of researchers, especially Benzkofer and Jacob who do those excellent ten things you didn't know columns every so often, did a huge amount of work to come up with a two-page spread listing every pope there ever was.

Personally, I didn't think popes were allowed to resign/abdicate.  Pope John Paul II was in such poor health at the end of his papacy, that he should have done so.

Some popes reigned for a long times, others for a very short period.  From 1045 to 1049, there were seven popes.  Pope John Paul I died just one month into his reign in 1978.

"Spanning three millenniums, the papacy is one of history's most enduring institutions.  Catholics believe the men who serve as pope--  from St. Peter in the first century through Benedict XVI in the 21st--  constitute an unbroken lineage back to Jesus Christ.

How the more than 260 popes built up the power, stature and influence of the papacy is a remarkable story."

More to Come.

The Catholic Church-- Part 4

THE CHURCH AND STATE

England split off as well.  King Henry VIII was denied annulment of his marriage so he could marry Anne Boleyn by Pope Clement VII, who feared offending Emperor Charles V, nephew of Henry's current wife.

Also, doctrine said that the pope not only had power over the church, but over states and kings as well.  Definitely something the kings weren't keen on.

Then in the 11th century, the Catholic Church in Constantinople split with the one in Rome, a split that continues on to today with the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

Three centuries later, the papacy also survived the push for parliamentary democracy which made the English king a figurehead.  Then, in the late 1400s came the Two Popes, one was in Avignon and one in Rome.

Pope Gregory VII, before he became pope, created the system where cardinals elect the pope... Some popes like John Paul II and Urban II wre great preachers. It was Urban II who called for the military expedittions to get the Holy Land back from the Muslims.  This led to the Crusades.

Surely, a Lot of History Here. 

The Catholic Church-- Part 3

Despite all the current outpouring of love and respect for Pope Francis, not everyone in the past has been so enchanted with popes.  Martin Luther once referred to the pope as as "ass" and the "Antichrist."  In the 1800s, Levi Boone (a relative of Daniel Boone) became mayor by exploiting anti-Catholic sentiment (The No-Nothing Party).  And, look at what happened to the Solid Democrat South after that party nominated John F. Kennedy for the presidency.

Indeed, some chapters of the papacy's 2,000-year history are extremely inspirational. but others not so much.


THE SISTINE CHAPEL

This structure was in the news a whole lot this past week.  It is considered a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture and an inspiring symbol of papal power.  Yet, its construction set in motion a series of events that cost the church millions of parishioners.

It cost a fortune and Pope Sixtus IV, the 15th-century pope for which it is named, and his successors didn't have the money.  To pay the bills, they authorized the sale of indulgences-- certificates attesting that the buyer had done penance and the amount of time in purgatory was reduced.

In Germany, a "pardoner" was someone who sold them.  This so angered a monk named Martin Luther that this was a major catalyst for the Protestant Reformation and Europe was split in two.  The south remained loyal to the papacy, but in the north, Lutheran, Calvinist and other non-Catholic churches were established.

More to Come. 

The Catholic Church-- Part 2

Pictures from the article.

Napoleon and his wife, Josephine, kneel as Pope Pius VII anoints the man who crowned himself emperor of France.  Five years later, Pius had to surrender the Papal States (in Italy) as a prisoner of Napoleon.

Pope Clement VII refused to annul Henry VIII's marriage.

Pope Sixtus IV, lent his name to the Sistine Chapel.  With frescoes by Michelangelo and Botticelli, it is a symbol of papal power, but paying for it by selling indulgences helped fuel the Reformation.