Mystery Holy Card?

  • Thread starter Thread starter kevinfraser
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
There is a high probability that it is St. Catherine of Siena, because of the lily on the cross.
 
It’s St. Catherine of Siena. 🙂

The lily on the cross as well as the angels giving her the crown of thorns. The image most likely represents her receiving the stigmata.
 
Looking at the image of the holy card, there appears to me to be something on the saint’s head, perhaps a diadem.

The combination of a diadem, the plain cross and the lilies would suggest St. Helen the Empress. Lilies symbolize purity. They are often used in depictions of St. Cecelia, St. Clare, and others.

St. Catherine of Siena is usually depicted as a nun. This saint is not dressed as a nun.
 
Has anyone considered St. Rita? The crown of thorns set me to it, but the more I look at it, the more I see there’s no crucifix or AUgustinian habit. Never mind.
 
Genesis315 said:
It’s St. Catherine of Siena. 🙂

The lily on the cross as well as the angels giving her the crown of thorns. The image most likely represents her receiving the stigmata.
Click to expand...
The figure does not appear to be receiving the Stigmata, though.
 
I would have bet one of the early martyrs, like Saint Lucy, because of the crown of thorns and the lillies, but I dunno, Saint Lucy is usually depicted holding her eyes on a plate.
 
jmcrae said:
True - good point.

What is that that the top angel is holding?
Click to expand...
It appears to be pomegranates - sometimes a symbol of royalty, due to the red interior of the fruit.

Interestingly, in the wikipedia article “Helena of Constantinople” there is a photo of a coin (minted 325 AD) depicting the saint. She is diademed (instead of the big medieval crown usually seen) and the reverse shows “Securitas” holding a similar branch in her hand.

Link:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Follis-Helena-trier_RIC_465.jpg

However, St. Lucy would explain one of the other odd things about this picture: where are her eyes? I don’t see any pupils. And also there’s that neat beam of light shining at her. Also, she’s way more popular than St. Helena…
 
St Helena (my confirmation Saint btw 👍) never holds a cross that small - remember she discovered the real, life-size cross of Christ. Nor would she hold a lily - the emblem of virginity. She was a wife and mother.

And she was an Empress - she may or may not wear a diadem but never what appears to be a nightgown, always something a bit snazzier.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
I’m going to guess that the angels are offering two crowns, one of glory and one of suffering.
Click to expand...
So, we are looking for a virgin (signified by the lily) - who was not a nun or sister, whose story reminds us of both suffering and glory.

This eliminates St. Helena (not a virgin) and St. Catherine (who was a nun).

Could it be St. Barbara?

She was martyred (tortured for several days until she finally died) after she refused to marry - her reason was that she considered herself espoused to Christ, and since Christianity was illegal at the time, her suitor turned her in to the authorities - he said something to the effect of “if you want to be with Christ, I shall send you to him,” and he did.
 
The predominant symbol of St Barbara is the tower in which she was imprisoned. No sign of that here.

One person who comes to mind is St Dymphna - who was a royal princess, hence the pomegranates possibly, martyred for her refusal to sin against chastity (it was her own father who was pursuing her mind you :bigyikes:)

Another is St Philomena of course - who is incredibly popular, young (virgin) girl, martyred as well. No sign here of the arrows which are her symbol though.
 
jmcrae said:
This eliminates St. Helena (not a virgin) and St. Catherine (who was a nun).
Click to expand...
Actually, St. Catherine of Siena was not a nun. She was a lay Dominican. In her day, though, Dominican tertiaries wore the habit.
 
Wow! Thank you everyone for your contributions. Any priests out there? Here’s the link to the holy card again:

img222.imageshack.us/img222/2664/holycarddo7.jpg

A thought occurred: St. Maria Goretti, but the back of the card has an inscription of 1939… St. Maria Goretti wasn’t canonized for another 11 years after that. Would there be holy cards prior to canonization in the case of a clear martyrdom like hers?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top