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Bartholomew is listed among the twelve apostles in the Synoptic Gospels of the New Testament. Historian Cyril Lagvanec will discuss this Biblical figure and his significance as the patron saint of Ustica, an island adjacent to Sicily. The lecture will be held at the East Bank Regional Library (4747 West Napoleon Avenue in Metairie) on Tuesday, August 12, 7 pm. It is held that Bartholomew was a missionary with Philip and Thomas, and that he preached the Gospel in India. Other traditions have him preaching in areas of the Middle East. Some say he was flayed alive and crucified upside down (hence Michelangelo’s depiction of him in the fresco of the Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel holding his skin), while others say he was beheaded.
A church dedicated to St. Bartholomew is the only one found on the island of Ustica. Its name is San Ferdinando Re, a reference to the Bourbon dynasty, which contributed financially to the church’s construction during their rule. The feast day of the saint is celebrated on August 24th.
A statue of the saint remains inside the church throughout the year and, during the week leading up to the celebration, is moved to the presbytery area so the faithful can see it while they pray. A key aspect of the procession is the composition of the parade: in addition to the faithful carrying banners in the saint’s colours, red and white, which are omnipresent in the visual symbolism of the feast, there is a group of women carrying silver ex-votos.
This lecture is sponsored in part by the St. Bartholomew Society, an organization officially known as Congregazione di San Bartolomeo Apostolo that was founded in New Orleans in 1879 by Italian immigrants from the Island of Ustica, so that "members shall find relief and assistance in case of need and wherein members shall exercise towards one another benevolence, charity and camaraderie."
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Event Venue
East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W Napoleon Ave,Metairie, Louisiana, United States
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