February 18--Feast of Bl. Fra Angelico

Although we rarely get to celebrate his feast day because it almost always falls in Lent, today we remember the feast of our beloved Bl. Giovanni da Fiesole known by everyone as "Fra Angelico" because of the celestial beauty of his paintings. In 1982, the Servant of God, John Paul II, honored him with the title of "Blessed" and gave him a feast day for the the Dominican Calendar. He also named him "Patron of Artists".

"We, with sound knowledge, bearing in mind the considerable merits in the Church of Fra Giovanni da Fiesole, exclusively for the good of souls, of Our own initiative and with Our apostolic authority, concede as a sign of special grace that his birthday, with the title of "Blessed" in the Liturgy of the Hours and in the Eucharist may be celebrated, with an obligatory degree of remembrance, in the basilica of S. Maria sopra Minerva, where his body is buried, and with a facultative degree of remembrance throughout the Order of Preaching Friars."

For the complete homily of John Paul II which also gives a short biography of the life of Bl. Fra Angelico go to the website of our Brethren in Australia HERE.