St. Robert Bellarmine, S.J., St. Hildegard of Bingen, September 17, Doctors of the Church

St. Robert Bellarmine was born in Montepulciano, Italy, on October 4, 1542. He grew up in the hills of Tuscany known today for its wines. His parents were from the nobility but poor. His mother was the sister of Pope Marcellus II,  who was pope from April 1555 to May 1555.

Robert was an excellent student showing great promise as a scholar from his earliest days. In 1560 he entered the Jesuit novitiate in Rome. His studies took him to Mondovi, then the University of Padua, and finally the University of Leuven at Brabant where he completed his studies and was ordained. He went on to be a professor of Thomistic theology there for seven years, returning to Rome at the request of Pope Gregory XIII.

St. Robert Bellarmine, although often sickly, had a long and illustrious career at the service of the Church. Pope Clement VIII said of him at the time, "The Church of God had not his equal in learning." During his lifetime, he promoted the cause of St. Aloysius Gonzaga who had been a student at the University of Leuven when Robert Bellarmine was there. He was a prolific writer and scholar and has left many works for posterity. He died September 17, 1621. He was canonized in 1930 and in 1931 was made a Doctor of the Catholic Church. His remains are in a side altar at the Church of St. Ignatius in Rome. We can honor and celebrate St. Robert Bellarmine for using his many intellectual and spiritual gifts at the service of the Church. He is a good saint to pray to for help with schoolwork. St. Robert Bellarmine, pray for us!

Doctor of the Church: A title given since the Middle Ages to certain saints whose writing or preaching is outstanding for guiding the faithful in all periods of the Church's history. (Catholic Culture)

Latteruolo, Traditional Italian Dessert for Children

This traditional Italian dessert has its roots in the 1600s. We can imagine St. Robert Bellarmine having a dish of it, if not in his childhood, perhaps when he was an adult. This dessert reminds me of my grandmother's custard which I loved as a child. I still love it! The only real difference between the two is latteruolo develops a crust on the bottom as it bakes. Below is the recipe which I think the whole family will enjoy.

For little helpers, adding the sugar into the egg mixture and later adding the cornstarch into the egg mixture is something they can do with a little oversight from Mom, Grandma, or an older sibling.

Recipe sometimes referred to in English as Milkman

Ingredients                                Equipment

27 1/2 oz. milk                                    1 large mixing bowl

5 eggs                                                                  Measuring spoons

1/2 cup flour or cornstarch                                Measuring cups

1 cup of sugar                                                      Hand whisk

1 lemon                                                                Grater

Powdered sugar                                                   Pan

1 teaspoon cinnamon                                           Candy thermometer

1 pinch of nutmeg                                                Baking dish, 9 x 12 approximately

Salt

Baking spray or butter

 DIRECTIONS: Preheat over to 325 Fahrenheit

1. Add eggs to the large mixing bowl. Whisk well. Add sugar, grated lemon rind and pinch of salt. Mix well. Add cinnamon and nutmeg but be sure there are no lumps in them. Put through a strainer if necessary. Blend completely with a hand whisk.

2. Heat the milk. Do not scald it. About 125 or 130 degrees F is good. If you don't have a candy thermometer just heat it until it is hot but not boiling or scalding. 

3. Add the flour or cornstarch to the egg mixture. Mix well. Then add the warmed milk. Mix well.

4. Lightly grease a pan or casserole baking dish with butter or use baking spray.

5. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Bake for about 70 minutes. I set my timer for 50 minutes and then kept checking it every 5 minutes. You will be able to tell when the dessert is done. The mixture will be set and will not jiggle. It is similar to the doneness of a pumpkin pie filling.

6. Remove from oven and let it cool, Dust with powdered sugar if you wish. It is very delicious with or without the powdered sugar.

7. It says it serves 8 but I think you could get 10 serving out of it or more! Buon appetito

Children's Book for St. Robert Bellarmine

I could not find any children's books of St. Robert Bellarmine in print, but I did find digital copies of a number of saint e-books for children among them St. Robert Bellarmine.  A hardback copy is much nicer for reading, but the website I am listing here has a number of hard to find saint stories that I think many families will enjoy reading, catholicchildrensebooks.com If you know of a hard copy or paper back children's book of St. Robert Bellarmine please email me.

Eibingen Abbey, photo courtesy of K. Findlay

St. Hildegard Bingen was born about 1098 in Bermersheim vor der Hole, Germany. Her parents were Mechtild of Merxheim-Nahet, Hildebert of Bermersheim. They were of the noble class.

 As a young child Hildegard had visions which continued throughout her life. She was gifted intellectually in math and music and received an education in Latin, Scripture, reading, and writing. At age 18 she entered the Benedictine Abbey where her education and creative spirit were allowed to flourish. She wrote musical compositions, theological, medicinal, and biological texts. She founded monasteries. Hildegarde was a prolific writer. Volumes of her writings are with us today including Scivias, the description of her visions which include Creation through the Symphony of Heaven. This work was reviewed and blessed by Pope Eugenius III. 

St. Hildegard lived to be 81 years old, dying on September 17, 1179. She is buried in Eibingen Abbey. Pope Benedict XVI canonized her on May 10, 2012. She was named the fourth woman doctor of the Church on October 7, 2012. St. Hildegard used her intellectual and spiritual gifts to produce numerous works. She is an excellent saint to pray to for developing our talents. St. Hildegard, pray for us and guide us!

 St. Hildegard was not only a prolific writer of everything musical and scientific, but she also wrote a cookbook! Below is one of her recipes featured in Cooking with the Saints by Ernst Schuegraf. I made it according to the directions but I am modifying it slightly. This lebkuchen goes well with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. A dollop of whipped cream is just the perfect topping according to my husband. 

St. Margaret's Lebkuchen by St. Hildegard

Ingredients

3/4 cup sour cream

1 cup plain yogurt

3/4 cup of sugar

pinch of salt

1 1/2 tsp. of coriander

1 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon 

1/2 tsp. each cardamom,

nutmeg, cloves, allspice  

2 tsp. baking soda

3 tbsp. milk

3 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

Directions: Preheat the oven 375 Fahrenheit

1. Add the first 4 ingredients together and mix with a hand whisk until foamy.

2. Dissolve baking soda in milk and add to mixture.

3. Add spices to flour and blend thoroughly. Be sure the spices are completely broken down. Put through a strainer if necessary.

4. Add flour mixture to the wet mixture and with a wooden spoon blend completely. If mixture seems too stiff, add a small amount of milk or yogurt.

5. Grease a a 10 inch round baking pan with baking spray or butter. 

6. Spoon the mixture into the pan and pat evenly all the way around.

7. Bake in the bottom half of the oven for 35 to 45 minutes. It is done when a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the lebkuchen.

8. Remove from the oven and let cool. 

9, Sprinkle with confectionary sugar or a dollop of whipped cream if you like, or eat it plain as I did. It is very flavorful!

                                          Happy Feast Day, St. Hildegard!

     

                         Here is a children's book, appropriate for ages 4 - 8, by well-known author Demi.