Was William Shakespeare a Catholic? The Vatican says there’s ‘little doubt’ he was
In light of the release of the new movie Anonymous, interest has arisen again whether William Shakespeare was secretly Catholic. In Elizabethan England, many Catholics were persecuted and massacred. The Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, refers to references in Shakespeare’s work as main proof he was Catholic. Is Shakespeare’s work purely fiction, or personal opinion? Nick Pisa of the Daily Mail reports on the Vatican’s evidence that they say points to William Shakespeare being Catholic.
The Vatican has reignited the debate over whether playwright William Shakespeare was Catholic by insisting there was
‘little doubt he was’.
Historians have been in two minds over Shakespeare’s faith with splits between whether he was a Roman Catholic or a Protestant and the argument has surfaced again with the release of blockbuster film Anonymous.
The political thriller stars Rafe Spall and Rhys Ifans and is set against the backdrop of 16th Century England and controversially claims that Britain’s most prolific playwright was in fact a fraud and cover for the then Earl of Oxford.
Questions have also long surrounded his religion and there is little direct evidence of his faith, although he is buried in the Protestant church of Holy Trinity in Stratford Upon Avon, historians say there is some evidence that he was secretly Catholic.
Read the rest of the article at Was William Shakespeare a Catholic? The Vatican says there’s ‘little doubt’ he was | Mail Online.
Psalter returns to St Albans Cathedral
A copy of an ancient religious book, created in St Albans almost a thousand 
years ago, has been given to the city’s cathedral.
The Bishop of Hildesheim in Germany presented the St Albans Psalter, a book containing psalms used in daily worship, at a ceremony on Tuesday.
The original St Albans Psalter was made in the abbey between 1123 and 1143.
It is believed to have been a gift for Christina of Markyate from Geoffrey of Gorham, Abbot of St Albans.
The book is regarded as a masterpiece of English Romanesque art with 46 pages of illustrations and the earliest known image of Saint Alban’s martyrdom.
Read More at BBC News – Psalter returns to St Albans Cathedral
The Church of Our Lady before Týn – Prague, Czech Republic
Historical clothing design of the day is the The Church of Our Lady before Týn – Prague, Czech Republic. Each day a new design is chosen and an article is posted to highlight the historical significance of the design.
The Church of Our Lady before Týn (Týn Church) or just Týn) is a dominant feature of the Old Town of Prague, Czech Republic, and has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century. The church’s towers are 80 m high and topped by four small spires.
History
In the 11th century, this area was occupied by a Romanesque church, which was built there for foreign merchants coming to the near Týn Courtyard. Later it was replaced by an early Gothic Church of Our Lady in front of Týn in 1256. Construction of the present church began in the 14th century in the late Gothic style under the influence of Matthias of Arras and later Peter Parler. By the beginning of the 15th century, construction was almost complete; only the towers,
the gable and roof were missing. The church was controlled by Hussites for some time, including John of Rokycan, future archbishop of Prague, who became the church’s vicar in 1427.
The roof was completed in the 1450s, while the gable and northern tower were completed shortly thereafter during the reign of George of Podebrady. His sculpture was placed on the gable, below a huge golden chalice, the symbol of the Hussites. The southern tower was not completed until 1511, under Matěj Rejsek. In 1626, after 
the Battle of White Mountain, the sculptures of George of Podebrady and the chalice were removed and replaced by a sculpture of the Virgin Mary, with a giant halo made from by melting down the chalice. In 1679 the church was struck by lightning, and the subsequent fire heavily damaged the old vault, which was later replaced by a lower baroque vault.
Renovation works carried out in 1876-1895 were later reversed during extensive exterior renovation works in the years 1973-1995. Interior renovation is still in progress.
Boom to bust: Statue stolen from church during the Blitz to return to its rightful home
It has had an astonishing 70-year journey across Europe but at last this ‘priceless’ sculpture 
is to be returned to its rightful owners.
The 400-year-old bust of eminent botanist and physician Dr Peter Turner was thought to be lost forever after being dramatically stolen from a church badly hit by the Germans during the Blitz in 1941.
Thieves stepped through the rubble and looted the famous Medieval St Olave’s Church in the City of London on the night of April 17 taking the artefact with them from its damaged nave.
But the 1614 statue – worth an estimated £70,000 – has been recovered after a keen-eyed curator at the Museum of London got wind of its impending auction and tipped off church officials.
Read More at Boom to bust: Statue stolen from church during the Blitz to return to its rightful home | Mail Online.
Village raises thousands to save Wangford’s ancient church
St Peter and St Paul parish church in Wangford, near Southwold, is in dire need of restoration.
The grade I listed building, with a history dating back to 1160, has been badly damaged by weather in recent years.
Rain which cannot run off the roof has leaked inside and been soaked up by the 100-year-old mortar walls. As a result floor boards are rotten and irreplaceable monuments are being badly water damaged.
But now, enough money has been raised to start repairs on the ancient roof.
By selling plants at car boot sales, holding raffles, hosting orchestral concerts and applying for grants, villagers and church supporters have managed to put more than £284,734 in the bank.
Read More at Village raises thousands to save Wangford’s ancient church – News – Eastern Daily Press.
Story by Lauren Rogers
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