It looked like a novelty item. A "Mini Figurine with Prayer Card" of "Saint Clare, Patron Saint of Television"" , $4.99 at a chain-store called "Ricky's" in NYC. "What a great stocking-stuffer," I chuckled, tossing one into my cart. "I've got to do a vlog about Saint Clare!" The Prayer itself seemed equally whimsical and hilarious: "The Prayer to Assist in Experiencing Quality Television" . "O wonderous St. Clare, I ask that you bless my television with clear reception and good color balance. I also ask for your assistance in choosing quality programs that provide me with endless hours of enlightening entertainment. Amen."
I showed my new novelty to a non-vlogging religiously-inclined friend. "St. Clare is one of my favorite Saints because she is Irish!" He declared. I was amazed to discover Saint Clare was as real. Through Google I discovered 143,000 search results. Concisely put the facts are these: "POPE PIUS XII in 1958 named St. Clare the patron saint of television because the 13th-century saint had clairvoyant experiences. Clare was a follower of Francis of Assisi and a founder of the "poor Clares," a Franciscan order for women. `I took up the challenge of painting her as she might be today,' said Melissa Weinman. `I wanted to depict how Clare might use the power of television to awaken us to the suffering of others.' On the left is a prisoner of conscience being executed in China; on the right is a chimpanzee suffering in a research experiment.' Weinman, who works mostly in charcoal and oil, has exhibited widely, Â…She teaches at the University of Puget Sound." I went to a meeting of NYC vloggers last night for a Holiday get-together with St. Clare in my bag, my tiny Samsung NV3 camera on my belt and copies of the above flier to pass around. I suggested we start a campaign to make St. Clare the "Patron Saint of Videoblogging". St. Clare, a follower of Francis of Assisi, would probably even be acceptable to vegan vloggers. Someday, we might be able to spot each other at public events by the "Node 101" buttons on our lapels and the "Saint Clare" patches on our camera bags. Serious discussion soon followed. "Vloggers on the Yahoo list might consider 'The Patron Saint of Television' to be a demon!" Someone opined. "How many television sets could sit on the head of a pin?" Another deep thinker mused. " Nanotechnology will someday be able to answer that question." I theorized. "This will turn vlogging into a cult!" someone declared.. "It already is!" I replied knowingly. Fantasies of the "good works" St. Clare's Video Brigade might undertake danced in the light I felt growing around my head: "Starting 10-Step Groups for Seriously Addicted Vloggers"; organizing politically to protect videomakers copyrights and having free wireless Internet connections installed everywhere! What fun it would be to have a mass of videos focusing on Saint Clare. They would be more cheerful than the "666" collaboration, more socially-significant that "Carp Caviar". I remembered an inspiring video by Clark Saturn from a year ago: "ZipZapZop 11 Nov 05: The House of Vlog, Vlogfather" with this description: "Naked Friday was usurped today for this important message from the Vlogfather, regarding the House of Vlog. Tags: vlogfather, house of vlog, clark saturn, vlog loves you, zipzapzop, vlog is love, the vlogfather." I knew there were other lost souls on the Internet who would adopt St. Clare and create "new" curse words like NBC, CBS, CNN and FOX NEWS. Those who refused to see "the video light" might be condemned to the eternal Hell of only being allowed to post on YouTube J. "Oh, come all ye faithful!" Vloggingly yours, Randolfe (Randy) Wicker Videographer, Writer, Activist Advisor: The Immortality Institute http://www.blip.tv/posts/?user=Randolfe%20Wicker
