Celebrating Fall

In addition to the celebrations for All Saints and All Souls, there are a number of feasts of the saints to celebrate this time of year. Two are named Martin. 

Traditionally on November 3, the feast of St. Martin de Porres, Puerto Ricans make and present lovely seed necklaces as ex voto offerings to the saint. This St. Martin was born in Lima, Peru, in 1579, the natural child of a Spanish knight and a free black woman from Panama. Even as a child Martin had a reputation for charity. He became a Dominican lay brother, assisted in founding a number of charitable institutions, and cared for the slaves brought to Peru from Africa. He had a love for nature and a tender regard for all animals, including vermin, and one of the charming legends about the saint is that he was once overheard telling the mice that they must leave the monastery as they were causing too much damage, but that they could take up residence in the barn and he would see that they were fed. Martin is the patron of social justice. 

November 11 is the feast for St. Martin of Tours. St. Martin was born in the part of the Roman Empire which is now Hungary. He was a soldier and a convert to Christianity. He became the Bishop of Tours. In art, Martin is usually pictured on horseback and shown cutting his cloak in half to share it with a beggar. The legends say that that night Christ appeared to Martin dressed in half of Martin’s cloak, showing the saint that what he had done for the poor beggar had also been done for Him. He is particularly loved by Hispanics who call him San Martin de Caballero – St. Martin on the horse. He is the patron both of soldiers and peacemakers. Our friend Karin Murthough remembers how his feast was celebrated in her hometown in Germany when she was a child. The children carved lanterns of sugar beets, or made them of paper, to carry them in the procession. They cut out pictures of the saint on his horse to paste on their lanterns. 

In the early evening of his feast, a man dressed as the saint but wearing only half a cloak rode in the streets near the parish church carrying a burlap sack filled with pretzels or soft rolls, leading a procession. The children followed, holding up their lanterns on sticks and singing a song about feeding the hungry beggar. When the procession arrived at the church, the children gathered close to the saint to receive a treat from his sack. 

You may enjoy helping your children use their imagination to make a paper lantern in honor of St. Martin of Tours.

As you celebrate the beauty and joys of this season with your family, remember to thank God for the precious gifts of liberty and religious freedom.

Happy Fall!

- Ann 


Seed Necklaces

Supplies needed:

- sharp needle and heavy thread 
- thimble - optional, but helpful
- wooden beads – optional
- microwave and cup or pan and stove
- water
- seeds
- dishrag
- small cardboard box

Gather the seeds you want to use. Squash, pumpkin, persimmon, and others are good choices.

Work on a hard surface such as a cutting board or formica counter; cover your work area with a paper grocery bag to protect it.

Place your seed in a coffee cup and cover with water. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove from microwave, cover and allow to stand until cool. Or boil the seed in a pan on the stove for a few minutes to soften them.

Tie a knot in the end of your thread and string the seeds and beads in a pleasant pattern. Even after boiling, some seeds will be hard; when you put the needle into the seed, you can direct it toward the box and push the top of your needle with a thimble. That way, you can avoid jabbing the needle into your finger. A dishrag will help pull the needle through a particularly stiff seed.

When your strings are long enough to slip over your head easily, hang them to air dry for a few days. Make them a few inches longer than you want your finished string to be because they will shrink as they dry. Do not tie your necklace until it is thoroughly dry for this reason.


Wild Persimmon Bread

If you can’t locate a wild persimmon tree, you can purchase domestic ones at the store. Wash the persimmons, remove stems and cut off any black areas and put them in a pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer until fruit is soft. Pour into a colander which is set in a bowl to catch the persimmon pulp. Mash gently and then let them set to drain. You can freeze any excess for a later baking or make it into persimmon jam.

Put half a cup of dried fruit bits in a cup and cover with amaretto, cognac, or liquor of your choice. If you substitute fruit juice or water for the liquor, microwave it for about one minute. Allow fruit to sit to soak up the liquor.

Mix:
1 cup persimmon pulp
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup white sugar
2 eggs
½ cup oil

Add:
2 cups self rising flour
1 to 2 tsp. spices such as cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, allspice or ginger.

Beat well, until all lumps are gone. Stir in the fruit and, if you like, add a half cup of walnut or pecan pieces.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour 4 of those small throw-away loaf pans. Divide batter evenly into the pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.