General Archives - Page 3 of 10 - The Rev. Kenneth Allen

Pelicans in the Wilderness

June 28, 2010

This is one of the coolest images I’ve found of pelicans of late.

Pelicans feed their young by feeding them regurgitated fish from their long beak which is pulled down onto it’s breast. This was often seen as the pelican tearing into it’s breast to feed it’s young, which led to it being a symbol of self sacrifice — and a symbol of Christ feeding His Church. It’s a beautiful bird, coming back from the near extinction list, and you can read a thoroughly interesting article upon them from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Still, the image of nourishing from sacrifice is profoundly Christlike. It’s also the image on the Louisiana state seal (and flag of course,) and , of course, the state bird of Louisiana.

And, it’s good to keep pelicans in mind during this oil ‘spill’… it continues to be a heart rending tragedy.

Vacation Time

June 22, 2010

Well it’s time for a vacation and time for a spiritual renewal.

I’m looking forward to a bit of travel and some visits with great friends. (I won’t be storming the city of Tyre, I just liked that picture for my archives.)

Louis IX, King of France, Saint

October 27, 2009

Given that St. Louis is the Patron Saint of New Orleans, and the Cathedral there is named after him, it seemed fitting to make a pilgrimage to his resting place. He’s at the Basilica of St. Denis, which contains the Royal Necropolis. It’s built over the grave of St. Denis, early Bishop of Paris.

Come to find out, there’s only a little bit of him left — part of a finger to be exact, and it’s in a beautiful reliquary in a special chapel which predominates the upper Sanctuary at the very crown of the church.

Almost all of the Catholic French monarchs are buried there including everyone’s favorite, Marie Antoinette. She’s in the middle, on the left.

Many of the tombs were originally decorated with these funereal statues. During the revolution they were saved by a savvy statesman who claimed them as national art treasures. The family remains were all removed, and the funereal statues / coffins were removed to a museum. Later, everything was moved back, but most of the monarchs’ remains have been placed in a large common ossuary, except for those who could be identified. For instance, the monarchs after Napoleon, and Marie Antionette and her husband Louis XVI, who were moved from the grave they were placed in quite unceremoniously after they were murdered, had their remains placed in their own graves here.