
Saints, Feast, Family
- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -
September 19
Saint of the day:
Saint Maria de Cervellon
Patron Saint of navigators
Saint Maria de Cervellon’s Story
Mary de Cervellione (Catalan: Maria de Cervelló; Mary of Cervellon) (1230 at Barcelona – 19 September 1290) was a Catalan superior of a Third Order of Mercedarians. She is a Catholic saint; her following, which began immediately after her death, was approved by Pope Innocent XII in 1692. She is invoked especially against shipwreck and is generally represented with a ship in her hand. Her feast is celebrated on 19 September. On account of her charity towards the needy she began to be called Maria de Socos (Mary of Help).
María de Cervellón was born in Barcelona, according to Mercedarian tradition, on December 1, 1230. At that time, the Mercedarian friars had been redeeming captives from the power of the Saracens for several years, and in that seaport and commercial city, there was talk about the great work of charity, and of the growing needs of the Friars in financing redemptions and the upkeep of the Hospital of St. Eulalia where the ransomed were kept once they returned.
As with every young woman in her time, her family had made other plans for her future. They had tried several times to marry her off to various and prominent men so as to strategically strengthen their familial alliances and strengthen their position. However, Maria's heart belonged to Another and she refused each offer her family made on her behalf. She had become the bride of Christ the Redeemer and would spend her life in service to her spouse in the guise of the captive, the wounded, the sick, and the needy. With the assistance of Fr. Bernardo de Corbera, she consecrated herself to God in the Order of Mercy on May 25, 1265, together with other young women from Barcelona.
Maria was not the first, for there is written evidence that the female branch of the Order of Mercy began earlier, but she is the first one whose self-offering we know about. From then on her life would be spent between her house and the Hospital of Saint Eulalia, on the sea, on the shore of Villanova, where it was built thanks to a donation by Raimundo de Plagamans. The Sisters were not originally formed as a contemplative family, but their life was centered on prayer. They were not founded as closeted nuns, but gathered in fellowship to be able to live out the Lord's command: There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. St. Maria took this call to heart and was able to convince others to follow the path that she had set out on. They formed a community of sisters who were ready to share in the work of redemption, even to the end.
It is reported that St. Maria had the gift of bilocation. In Spanish, she was known by the surname de Socós or de Socorro (meaning helper), because she was seen coming to the aid of the ransom ships, walking in the midst of the waves of stormy and rough seas, in order to guide the sailors and their precious cargo to safety. She died on September 19, 1290, and her remains are preserved in the Basilica of La Merced in Barcelona.
On February 13, 1692, Pope Innocent XII gave a favorable judgment and confirmed her immemorial cult; and she was introduced into the Roman Martyrology in November 8, 1729. Today, the nuns and sisters of the Order proclaim her as a strong woman who followed Jesus Christ, taking flesh in the realities of captivity, so as to be redeemers with Christ through prayer and various apostolates according to their respective constitutions.


Prayer:


Visit:
Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy
Carrer de la Mercè, 1, 08002 Barcelona, Spain

Recipe:
Agua de Valencia
Ingredients
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500 ml fresh-squeezed Valencia orange juice
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300 ml cava (or champagne)
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100 ml gin
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100 ml vodka
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1 spoon sugar
Directions
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Start by making fresh-squeezed orange juice (if you can find Valencia oranges,
all the better). It may be a bit labor intensive, but trust me, you will taste the
difference! Fresh-squeezed orange juice has a much lighter, fresher taste that will
make your Agua de Valencia super refreshing. In Spain, many grocery stores have
orange juice machines where you can simply press a button to get a liter of
Valencia’s famous orange juice. Taste your orange juice and take note of its sweetness.
If its on the bitter side, you may need to add some sugar. -
Pour all the liquid ingredients in your pitcher. Mix together and taste. If you used a
bitter cava or type of champagne, this will also affect how much sugar needs to be
added. Agua de Valencia is not meant to be a super sugary drink, but it isn’t meant
to be bitter either! -
Grab a couple of large wine glasses and pour your fresh Spanish cocktail over ice.
Chop a few orange slices and add them as a garnish.
Clink your glasses, say “¡Salud!” and enjoy!
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