Tuesday 24 September 2024

Holy Cards - Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua

Holy Cards 
Barbara Calamari
ISBN 9781419702273
eISBN 9781613126080
ASIN B00DS289TG

Holy Cards - Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua

I stumbled upon this volume while searching for prayer cards for the rack at the back of our church. The cover immediately attracted my attention. Not knowing either of the authors, nor having heard about this or any of the many other volumes they co-authored I was hesitant to pick it up. I was blown away by the volume and my 16 year old son read it as soon as I finished. 

The description of this volume states:

“A treasury of the devotional art that has comforted and inspired millions of Catholics—portraying a remarkable gallery of saints.
 
Often used in daily rituals or given out at significant life events such as wakes and funerals, communions and confirmations, the holy card can be appreciated as both a religious tradition and a beautiful work of folk art.
 
This comprehensive volume offers a richly illustrated overview, organized thematically, along with brief biographies and attributes of prophets and angels, disciples and evangelists, hermits and visionaries, martyrs and mystics—in exquisite depictions that run the gamut from dramatic and disturbing to moving and comforting.
 
Including detailed explanations of the often-enigmatic symbolism found in these unique keepsakes, Holy Cards is a compendium that will fascinate anyone who enjoys the artistic beauty for which the Roman Catholic Church is renowned.”

The chapters and sections in it are:

Acknowledgements
Introduction
A Brief History
Prophets & Angels
     St. John the Baptist
     St. Gabriel the Archangel
     St. Elias
     St. Michael the Archangel
     St. Raphael the Archangel

Disciples & Evangelists
     St. Andrew
     St. Peter
     St. Paul
     St. James
     St. Jude
     St. Matthew
     St. John
     St. Luke
     St. Mark
     St. Mary Magdalen
     St. Bartholomew

Martyrs
     St. Fidelis
     St. Anthony of Hungary
     St. John of Cologne
     St. Eugene
     St. Ursula Bl. Peter Sanz
     St. Agnes
     St. Lucy
     St. Barbara
     St. Cecilia
     St. Susanna
     St. Laurence
     St. Sebastian
     St. Liverius
     St. Iraeneus
     St. Renatus Vitalis
     St. George
     St. Philoterus
     St. Margaret of Antioch
     St. Peter of Verona

Hermits
     St. Paul
     St. Jerome
     St. Alexis
     Bl. Gundisalvus
     Bl. Eve of Liege
     St. Cyril
     St. Meinrad

Visionaries & Mystics
     St. Julienne
     St. Rita
     St. Rose of Lima
     St. Gertrude the Great
     St. Catherine of Siena
     St. Martin de Porres
     St. Francis of Assisi
     St. Veronica Giuliani
     St. Bernadette
     St. Bridget of Sweden
     St. Mechtild
     St. Gerard Majella
     St. Bénézet
     St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
     St. Peter of Alcantara
     St. Thérèse of Lisieux
     St. Teresa of Avila

Religious Orders
     Bl. Frances D’Amboise
     Bl. Mary Bartholomea de Bagnesi
     St. Gilbert of Neuffontaines
     St. Francis de Sales
     St. Jeanne Frances de Chantal
     St. Alphonse Liguori
     St. Angela Merici
     St. Walburga
     St. Othilia
     St. Anthony of Padua
     St. Clare
     St. Alanus of Rupe
     St. Colette
     St. Benedict
     St. Frances of Rome
     St. Camillus
     St. Aloysius Gonzaga
     St. Thomas Aquinas
     St. Raymund Pennafort

Missionaries
     St. Francis Borgia
     St. Patrick
     St. Swithbert the Elder
     St. Leonardo of Port Maurice Bl. Marie of the Incarnation
     St. Francis Xavier
     St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
     St. Hyacinth

Holy People
     St. Joan of Arc
     St. Monica
     St. Liberata
     St. Zita
     St. Nicholas
     St. Anne
     St. Sofia
     St. Joseph
     St. Helena
     St. Louis
     St. Charles Borromeo
     St. Jerome Emiliani
     St. Roch
     St. Veronica
     Jesus Christ
     The Virgin Mary

Halos
Significance Lists
Plants, Trees, Flowers & Fruit
     Objects
     Colors
     Birds
     Shapes and Numbers
     Animals, Fish & Insects
     Clothing
     Body Parts

Bibliography
Picture Credits

I only highlight a few passages my first time through this volume, they are:

“FROM THE BIRTH OF CHRISTIANITY, saints have inspired the classic works of Western art. They are human representatives of divine grace, and their stories of faith and suffering, and trial and transcendence, have fascinated the secular and comforted, consoled, and encouraged believers. One of the most important and endearing traditions of Catholic iconography is that of the holy card. Offering images of the saints, these portable objects of daily ritual are carried for protection; given as remembrances at communions, confirmations, and funerals; and collected and traded.”

“The saints were human beings with human problems. They had bad marriages, debts, wayward children; they came from all walks of life. Yet through divine grace they were able to overcome their own personal obstacles and transcend the burdens of the material world. To Catholics they are an extended family that serve as a great inspiration in the ability of prayer and faith to change one’s life. They have fascinating stories of suffering, failure, and victory, and many of us implore our favorite saints to pray with us and for us.”

“They are not idols with magical powers, but they are mentors with whom we are able to identify. Since great art, architecture, and music are believed to be divinely inspired, visual art is an important element in Catholic religious expression. Frescoes in churches and stained glass windows traditionally served to instruct those who could not read. Images had to be designed to tell a story using objects, symbols, and colors that had their own significance. Many holy cards, besides being a visual physical portrait, also display the elements of a saint’s story or patronage.”

“Presently, while holy cards are produced in the millions, there is less diversity in style and quality. Many companies still use the paintings of one hundred years ago with their mysterious objects and symbols embedded in them, but modern people are less able to read them. Cards of more recent saints like St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Mother Cabrini, or Padre Pio are basic photo-like portraits resembling head shots or publicity stills. It is no longer considered necessary to try and include the mysterious elements that tell a story. In perusing the many pages of artists’ lists it becomes apparent that the average person of a century ago was able to read much more into a picture than people of today.”

And finally:

“Holy cards are extremely important to Catholics. Many still carry them for protection or out of loyalty to a patron saint. They are given as remembrances for communions, confirmations, and most commonly, at wakes and funerals. Prayers are put on the back with the name of the deceased, their birth and death dates. Even the least devout save these cards as a tribute. They are used as bookmarks, kept in drawers, carried in wallets, or openly displayed. They contain images that are comforting, disturbing, and extremely powerful in that they trigger strong emotions. Because they are not considered precious works of art but standard everyday objects, holy cards are a wonderful example of folk art pieces that help expand our spiritual lives.”

The concept of reading Holy Cards was new to me. It is intriguing and moving. My youngest two children each have a prayer corner in their rooms and Holy cards play a key role in their space. They were encouraged by the sacramental prep team as then began their first communion journey to create a prayer space, and the Catholic grade school they attended had a prayer corner in each room and one in the entrance for the whole school. I myself have a small box full of prayer cards going back to my own teen years. And I have a small stand on my desk and pull out a different card each day to pray and spend time with that friend in heaven. Over the last many months I have been working to fill the prayer card rack at the back of our church. 

Many years ago I was at church at a mass time I did not normally attend; a family was in front of me. The daughter had a prayer card she used in her missal a painting of Jesus, one I did not recognize but that spoke to me. After mass I asked if I could see it as it caught my attention to try and track down a copy. She gave it to me and for a long time I used it in my prayer book daily. I do not recall ever encountering the family again.

Holy cards are encouraging, inspiring and motivational. They are like photos of friends in heaven. And this volume which is part history part reflections and it has 101 cards as specific sections but there are a few cards in the information prior to that.   

Overall I was awed and inspired by this volume. And have picked up the other books by the authors that are available as eBooks. There is 1 older volume I will try and track down in a physical edition. I can easily recommend this book and look forward to reading more from the authors.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2024 Catholic Reading Plan

My 16 year old son's prayer corner.
My 13 year old daughter's prayer corner.

Books by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua:
Novena: The Power of Prayer (1999)
Our Lady of Guadalupe in a Box: A Novena Prayer Kit (2002)
Visions of Mary (2004)
Our Lady of Guadalupe (2004)
Holy Cards (2004)
Saints: Ancient & Modern (2007)
Patron Saints: A Feast of Holy Cards (2007)
Holy Places: Sacred Sites in Catholicism (2015)
...

Books by Barbara Calamari:
The Bible Companion: The Complete Illustrated Handbook to the Holy Scriptures

Patron Saints - Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua

Visions of Mary - Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua

Holy Cards - Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua

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