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MARY'S  PRAISE  ON 
EVERY  TONGUE 


ROEHAMPTON I 
PRINTED  BY   JOHN  GRIFFIN 


OUR  LADY  OF   LOURDES. 
Original   stntue  modelled  under  Bernadette's  direction. 


MARY'S  PRAISE 
ON  EVERY  TONGUE 

A  RECORD  OF  HOMAGE  PAID  TO 
OUR  BLESSED  LADY  IN  ALL  AGES 
AND  THROUGHOUT  THE  WORLD 

By 

P.  J.  CHANDLERY,  S.J. 

Author  of  "  Pilgrim  Walks  in  Rome  " 

PREFACE  by 
Fr.  BERNARD  FAUGH  AN,  S.J. 


LONDON : 
THE  MANRESA  PRESS,  ROEHAMPTON,  S.W. 


W.  E.  BLAKE  &  SON,  Limited 

Catholic  Church  Supplies 
123  Church  St.       Toronto,  Canada 


5  4 


NIHIL  OBSTAT 

F.  Thomas  Bergh,  O.S.B. 

Censor  deputatus. 
IMPRIMATUR 

fPetrus  Epus  Southwarc. 


TO  MARY 
THE  IMMACULATE  MOTHER  OF  GOD 

THIS  SIMPLE  TRIBUTE  OF  AFFECTION 

IS  OFFERED 

THROUGH  THE  HANDS  OF  HER  LOVING  CLIENT 
ST.  JOHN  BERCHMANS, 


In  conformity  with  the  decree  of  Pope  Urban 
VIII,  the  author  hereby  declares  that  any  extra 
ordinary  events  related  in  this  volume  of  persons 
not  canonized  or  beatified,  are  to  be  accepted  as 
resting  on  mere  human  testimony,  with  no  wish 
to  forestall  the  Church's  judgment  in  the  matter. 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

following  notes  on  Mary's  Praise,  originally 
-*-  intended  only  for  private  devotion  and  for  instruc 
tions  to  Religious,  have  been  rearranged  and  prepared 
for  publication  at  the  urgent  request  of  several  devout 
persons,  in  the  hope  that  they  may  serve  to  promote 
greater  devotion  to  our  loving  Mother,  especially  in  Eng 
land.  The  work,  necessarily  compressed  to  lessen  the 
expense  of  printing,  differs  in  character  from  most  English 
works  on  the  subject,  inasmuch  as  it  does  not  contain  a 
series  of  meditations  or  reflections  on  our  Lady's  life  and 
virtues,  nor  of  devotional  exercises  in  her  honour  :  its  aim 
is  rather  to  show  the  enthusiasm  with  which  devotion  to 
her  has  been  taken  up  in  all  countries  and  by  all  classes  of 
persons,  especially  in  Catholic  England,  "  Mary's  Dowry." 
It  abounds  in  matters  scriptural,  patristic,  historical  and 
biographical,  and  will  be  found  touchingly  suggestive  of 
holy  thoughts,  most  helpful  in  private  meditation  and  in 
addresses  to  Sodalists  and  others.  Such  a  work  might 
easily  have  been  expanded  into  a  volume  three  times  the 
size,  but  the  price  would  then  have  made  its  purchase 
prohibitive  to  many  who  might  wish  to  possess  a  copy 
for  private  devotion. 


.CtL 


viii  AUTHOR'S   PREFACE 

Fr.  Drive,  S.  J.  ("  Marie  et  la  Compagnie  de  Jesus,"  p.  133) 
relates  that  St.  John  Berchmans  made  the  following  request 
to  his  friend  and  brother-scholastic  Nicholas  Ratka'i :  "If 
you  live,  won't  you  write  some  book  in  honour  of  our 
Lady,  and  particularly  in  honour  of  her  Immaculate  Con 
ception  ?  "  He  added  :  "I  have  made  a  vow  to  write 
such  a  book,  and  I  have  in  my  mind  the  plan  I  wish  to 
work  out,  viz.,  explaining  the  figures  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception,  then  the  direct  arguments,  then  the  miracles, 
etc." 

Whether  Nicholas  Ratkai  ever  carried  out  this  request 
is  unknown  ;  but  the  present  writer,  who  during  a  pro 
longed  stay  in  Rome  often  knelt  at  the  shrine  of  the  youth 
ful  Saint,  in  the  church  of  Sant'  Ignazio,  may  be  permitted 
to  offer  through  his  hands  to  our  Immaculate  Mother  this 
small  tribute  of  loving  affection,  simple  and  imperfect 
as  it  is,  hoping  that  it  may  do  some  little  good  by  making 
her  better  known,  better  loved,  and  more  widely  praised. 

MANRESA  HOUSE,  ROEHAMPTON. 
October,  1919. 


PREFACE 

MARY  IMMACULATE 

FT  is  to  me  a  strange  phenomenon,"  wrote  the  late 

•*•  Cardinal  Newman,  "  that  so  many  learned  and 
devout  men  stumble  at  the  doctrine  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception,  and  I  can  only  account  for  it  by  supposing, 
in  matter  of  fact,  they  do  not  know  what  we  mean  by 
the  doctrine  of  the  Immaculate  Conception." 

The  Cardinal  is  right  ;  the  "  learned  and  devout  men  " 
to  whom  he  refers,  in  attacking  the  doctrine  of  the  Imma 
culate  Conception,  are  assailing  it,  not  in  the  sense  in  which 
it  is  denned  by  the  Church,  but  in  the  sense  only  in  which 
they  themselves  fancy  it  must  be  denned  by  Her. 

There  is  a  proverb  which  says  :  "He  that  understands 
amiss,  concludes  worse."  This  being  so,  it  may  not  be  alto 
gether  out  of  place  to  give  here  in  a  foreword  to  this  most 
interesting  and  edifying  volume,  all  in  praise  of  God's 
Mother,  a  short  exposition  of  the  doctrine  without  the 
knowledge  of  which  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  arrive  at  a  true 
estimate  of  Mary's  dignity  and  sanctity. 

And  here,  let  me  observe,  that  my  experience  teaches  me 


x  PREFACE 

that  one  of  the  chief  reasons  why  "  learned  and  devout 
men,"  outside  the  Church,  do  not  understand  the  dogma 
of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  is  because  they  misunder 
stand  the  doctrine  of  Original  Sin.  Not  knowing  the 
rule,  they  cannot  realize  the  exception  to  the  rule  ;  not 
recognizing  the  penalty,  they  cannot  see  the  privilege  ; 
in  other  words,  not  appreciating  what  we  mean  by  the 
stain  and  guilt  of  Original  Sin,  they  do  not  and  cannot 
know  what  is  meant  by  exemption  from  it. 

Besides  personal  sin,  which  may  be  mortal  or  venial, 
there  is  another  sin  called  a  quasi-personal  sin.  It  is  the 
sin  inherited  by  the  human  family  from  Adam,  who,  as 
origin  and  constituted  head  of  the  human  family,  has 
transmitted  to  his  posterity  that  state  of  forfeiture  of 
grace,  into  which  he  fell  when  he  transgressed  God's  law 
in  the  Garden  of  Paradise. 

Revelation  teaches  us  that  Adam,  having  forfeited  for 
himself  through  an  act  of  prevarication  Sanctifying  Grace, 
together  with  all  its  formal  effects,  and  those  preternatural 
gifts,  with  which  God  had  dowered  his  being  when  He 
created  it,  has,  as  our  rightly  constituted  head,  trans 
mitted  to  us  those  fatal  consequences  of  his  lawlessness. 
Accordingly,  each  member  of  the  human  family  is  con 
ceived  and  is  born  in  a  state  of  forfeiture  and  disinherit 
ance.  Hence  the  cry  of  the  royal  psalmist  : — "  Behold  I 
was  conceived  in  iniquity,  and  in  sin  did  my  mother  con 
ceive  me." 

Since  Adam's  fall,  Man,  his  descendant,  comes  into  this 
world  despoiled  of  that  divine  life  of  grace  which  finally 


PREFACE  xi 

develops  into  the  life  of  glory.  Ti]l  reinstated  in  grace, 
Man,  being  without  supernatural  life,  is  without  a  super 
natural  end  to  life.  He  is  a  wandering  star,  and,  till  grace 
restores  him  to  divine  sonship,  he  is  no  heir  of  God  or 
co-heir  with  Christ. 

I  have  stated  the  rule — let  me  now  pass  on  to  its  excep 
tion.  Mary  is  its  exception.  When  we  speak  of  her 
Immaculate  Conception  we  mean  to  say  that  Mary  did 
not  incur  the  fatal  consequences  of  Adam's  fall  from 
Grace  ;  we  mean  to  say  that  she,  by  the  special  favour  of 
God,  was  exempted  from  Original  Sin,  so  that  there  was 
no  moment  of  her  life,  either  after  or  before  her  birth, 
in  which  she  was  in  a  state  of  forfeiture.  On  the  contrary, 
sinless  and  stainless  in  her  origin,  she  started  her  race  for 
Heaven,  enriched  with  a  wealth  of  grace,  short  only  of 
infinite. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  here  to  do  more  than  set  before  the 
readers  of  this  book  what  is  meant  by  the  Immaculate 
Conception.  Once  we  begin  to  realize  the  meaning  of  the 
doctrine,  all  Catholic  outpouring  of  appreciation,  eulogy 
and  love  of  God's  great  masterpiece,  "  the  Woman  clothed 
with  the  Sun,"  becomes  intelligible  and  reasonable. 

This  volume  is  a  bouquet  of  flowers  offered  at  Mary's 
feet ;  they  symbolize  her  virtues,  they  are  tokens  of  our 
child-like,  clinging  love  of  her,  who,  as  she  gave  to  us  her 
Son,  can  win  for  us  His  grace  and  His  love.  What  she 
has  been  in  the  past,  to  sinner  as  well  as  to  saint,  may  she 
be  to  us,  who  sorely  need  her  help.  From  her,  as  from  no 
library,  we  learn  to  know  the  workings  of  the  Sacred 


xii  PREFACE 

Heart ;  from  her,  as  from  no  Director,  we  may  gather 
the  secrets  of  our  sanctity ;  and  from  her,  as  from  no 
other  mother,  we  may  be  sure  of  guidance  in  life,  of  care  in 
sickness,  of  comfort  in  sorrow,  and  of  special  love  and  help 
in  death.  Never  can  we  tire  of  lifting  up  our  eyes,  our 
hearts  and  our  voices  to  this  incomparable  and  ever  blessed 
Mother. 

"  Above  the  Moon  her  face  reflecting  Heaven, 
Beneath  her  feet  the  Earth  with  all  its  strife, 
Thus  is  she  pictured  who  to  man  hath  given 
The  Source,  the  Author,  and  the  Crown  of  Life. 
Thou  beauteous  promise  of  Creation's  dawn, 
Destined  restorer  of  our  fallen  state, 
Brightest  Star  that  ushered  in  Redemption's  morn, 
Shine  on  our  darkness,  Oh!  Immaculate  !  " 

BERNARD  VAUGHAN,  S.J. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Our  Lady  greatly  honoured — 

I  By  God  the  Father          .          .         .*  .         i 

II  By  God  the  Son     ,~~        .          .          .  4 

III  By  God  the  Holy  Ghost.          .  6 

IV  By  the  Angels          .          .          .          .  .  /     8 
V  By  Patriarchs  and  Prophets     .          .  .       1 1 

VI  By  Figures  in  the  Old  Law     .          .  .13 

VII  By  the  Apostles       .          .          .          ,  .   .        16 

VIII  By  Early  Christians          .          .          .  .18 

IX  By  Early  Fathers  of  Eastern  Church  .       21 

X  By  Early  Fathers  of  Western  Church  .       24 

XI  By  Decrees  of  Councils    .          .          .  .27 

XII  By  Invocations  in  Ancient  Liturgies  .       29 

XIII  By  Saints  of  the  XII  Cent.     .  •       .    <  .       31 

XIV  By  Saints  of  the  XII  Cent,  (cont.)  .  "  .       34 
XV  By  Saints  of  the  XIII  Cent.    .  .36 

XVI  By  Saints  of  the  XIII  Cent.  (cont.).  .       4° 

XVII  By  Saints  of  the  XIV  Cent.     .  7       43 

XVIII  By  Saints  of  the  XV  Cent.      .          •  ,-       45 

XIX  By  Saints  of  the  XVI  Cent.    .          .  ,  .  *    47 

XX  By  Saints  of  the  XVI  Cent,   (cont.)  .       50 

XXI  By  Saints  of  the  XVII  Cent.  .          .  •>  .       52 

XXII  By  Saints  of  the  XVII  Cent,  (cont.)  .       55 

XXIII  By  Saints  of  the  XVIII  Cent.          .  *  .h,       57 

XXIV  By  Popes     „.         «~       •         .,!      .  .       60 

xiii 


XIV 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Our  Lady  greatly  honoured — 

XXV  By  English  Cardinals        .          .          .          -63 

XXVI  By  Religious  Orders         ....       64 

XXVII  By  the  Society  of  Jesus          '.          .          .68 

XXVIII  By  Catholic  England,  Mary's  Dowry         .        71 

XXIX  By  Catholic  England,  Ancient  Devotions.        75 

XXX  By  Catholic  England,  Shrines  .          .          -77 

XXXI  By  Catholic  England,  Shrines  (cont.)          ;       80 

XXXII  By  Catholic  England,  Abbeys,  Colleges     .       84 

XXXIII  By  Catholic  England,  Pilgrimages    .  85 

XXXIV  By  Faithful  Ireland          .          .        :,          .       87 
XXXV  By  Catholic  Scotland       .'      :  k       ...       92 

XXXVI  By  Catholic  Wales  .       V        .          .        '.       95 

XXXVII  In  the  United  States       .         f        ,         .       96 

XXXVIII  In  Canada       .      :••• ,         .        •- .         ,.        .     IOO 

XXXIX  In  France        .       '  ...         .        . ;    ;      .          .103 

XL  In  Spain           .          .          .  *                 .          .      105 
XLI  'in  Italy.          .          .          .          .          .          .108 

XLII  In  Belgium  and  Holland.        ...         .       no,  113 

XLIII  In  Poland      %          .          .          .          .'         .116 

XLIV  In  Germany  and  Austria          ,          .          .     118 

XLV  In  Portugal     .          .         .         .         .        -„     121 

XLVI  In  Greece.     In  Mexico  and  S.  America       .      122 

XLVII  In  Japan         .          .-        .-         .          .          .      125 

XLVIII  In  India  and  China          .          .          .          .127 

XLIX  By  Kings  of  England  and  Scotland.          .      128 

L  By  Kings  of  other  nations       .      '    .          .      131 

LI  By  Cities  and  Kingdoms.          .          .          .      133 

LII  By  Poets  and  Artists       .          .          .     "V      136 

LIII  By  Musicians  .        .,         .          .          .         .139 

LIV  By  Children    .       -,    -      .;        ...     141 

LV  By  Commanders  of  Armies  and  Navies       .     144 

LVI  By  Warriors  and  Soldiers        V        .         .     147 

LVII  By  Discoverers        .  •        .          .         .          .     150 


CONTENTS 


xv 


PAGE 


Our  Lady  greatly  honoured — 

LVIII     By  Trade  and  other  Guilds  .          .          .151 

LIX     By  non-Catholic  writers         .          .          .     153 

LX    By  non-Catholic  writers  (cont.)      .         .156 

LXI     By  Builders  of  Churches       .          .          .160 

LXII     By  Erection  of  Lady  Chapels        .          .163 

LXI  1 1     By  Pilgrimages  in  Italy         .          .          .166 

LXIV    By  Pilgrimages  in  France     .          .         .171 

LXV    By  Spanish  Shrines      .         .          .         .175 

LXVI     By  Belgian  and  Swiss  Shrines       .         .176 
LXVII     By  Institution  of  Feasts       .  .       .          .177 

LXVIII     By  Institution  of  Sodalities.          .          .      182 

LXIX     By  remarkable  Sodalists       .         .          .184 

LXX     By  illustrious  Scholars.          .          .          .186 

LXXI     By  Devotion  of  the  Rosary.          .          .      188 

LXXII  ,By  Devotion  of  the  Angelus          .          .      192 

LXXIII     By  Devotion  of  the  Scapular         .          .     193 

LXXIV     By  Devotion  of  the  Mirac.  Medal  .     195 

LXXV    By  Devotion  of  the  Little  Office,  etc.   .     197 

LXX VI     In  her  Immaculate  Conception.     The 

Dogma    .          .          ...          .          .     200 

LXX VI I     In     her    Immaculate    Conception.     The 

Controversy       .....     204 

LXXVIII     In  her  Immaculate  Conception.     The  Defi 
nition        ......     208 

LXXIX     In  her  Immaculate  Conception:  and  Eng 
land          210 

LXXX     In  her  Nativity.     Her  Privileges  .         .     212 

L&XXI     In  her  Divine  Maternity       .          ...     215 

LXXXII     In  her  Perpetual  Virginity  v         ..        .     218 

LXXXIII     In  her  Glorious  Assumption.         .         .     220 

LXXXIV    In  her  title  of  Mother  of  Mercy   .         >     224 

LXXXV     In  her  Immaculate  Heart     .         .         .     227 

LXXXVI    By  England's  Consecration  to  her         .     230 


XVI 


.  CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Our  Lady  greatly  honoured — 

LXXXVII  By  Devotion  to  her  Seven  Dolours  .     234 

LXXXVIII  By  Ordinary  Duties  done  for  her  .  .     236 

LXXXIX  By  Spiritual  Exercises  offered  to  her  .     239 

XC  By  special  acts  of  Homage   .          .  .     240 

XCI  By  loving  trust  in  her  as  a  Mother  .     243 

XCII  By  imitating  her  Virtues        .          .  .     245 

XCIII  By  imitating  the  practices  of  Saints  .     246 

XCIV  By  devotion  to  special  Pictures     .  .     249 

XCV  By  helping  to  convert  Sinners        .  ,-  T    253 

XCVI  By  helping  the  Holy  Souls    .         .  .254 

XCVII  By  honour  paid  her  at  Pontmain,  Pelle- 

voisin        .          .          ; '  -      „          .  .     256 

XCVIII  By  reciting  the  Magnificat     .         «.  .     257 

XCIX  By  invoking  her — in  war-time         .  .     259 

C  By  praise  of  her  Humility     ,          .  .260 

CI  By  reverence  for  her  spotless  Purity  .     261 

CII  By  proclaiming  her  Privileges         .  .     263 

CHI  By  defending  her  Honour      , '"  '    *  .     264 

CIV  Prayers  of  Saints.         .         .   ,      .    •  .     267 

Appendix  I  Council  of  Ephesus        .         .--'".  .270 

,,          II  Apparition  at  Pontmain         .          .  .     273 

III  Blessed  Sophie  Barat     .          .          .  .279 

Addendum  Subscribers   ......     280 


MARY'S  PRAISE  ON  EVERY  TONGUE 

SECTION  I 
OUR  LADY  GREATLY  HONOURED  BY  GOD  THE  FATHER 

HE  adopted  her  as  His  queenly  Daughter,    "  more 
beloved  by  Him,"  says  St.  Ephrem,   "  than   all 
His  creatures."1    He  made  her  to  be — 

i.  The  first  in  the  order  of  nature,  the  greatest  and  best 
beloved,  after  the  Sacred  Humanity  of  Jesus.  "  I  came 
out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Most  High,  the  first  born  before 
all  creatures."  Ecclus.  xxiv.  5.  "  From  the  beginning  and 
before  the  world  was  I  created,"  etc.  xxiv.  14.  These 
words,  spoken  of  the  Incarnate  Wisdom  of  God,  are  applied 
by  the  Church  to  our  Lady,  the  Divine  decree  selecting  her  as 
the  privileged  Mother  of  the  Word  made  flesh  being  eternal 
as  was  the  decree  of  the  Incarnation.  Pope  Pius  IX,  in  the 
Bull  of  definition  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  speaks  thus 
of  Mary  :  "  God  chose  and  prepared  from  the  beginning 
and  before  time  for  His  only  Son,  a  Mother  of  whom  He 
would  be  born  in  the  happy  fulness  of  time,  and  He  loved 
her  above  all  creatures  ;  so  that,  by  an  extraordinary 
predilection,  He  placed  in  her  alone  the  utmost  plenitude 
of  His  complacency.  Therefore,  far  above  all  angelical 
spirits  and  all  Saints,  He  filled  her  so  admirably  with  the 
abundance  of  all  celestial  gifts,  taken  from  the  treasure  of 

1  In  speaking  of  Mary  as  surpassing  all  creatures  in  grace,  glory, 
dignity,  we  exclude,  of  course,  the  Sacred  Humanity  of  Jesus  Christ, 
for  He  is  Creator  as  well  as  creature.  Mary  ranks  above  all  mere 
creatures. 

M.P.  1  B 


2  MARY  HONOURED 

His  divinity,  that,  always  exempted  from  all  stain  of  sin, 
all  fair  and  all  perfect,  she  received  such  fulness  of  sanctity 
and  innocence  that,  under  God,  no  greater  sanctity  can 
be  imagined,  nor  any  one  except  God  understand  the  per 
fection  thereof."  Brev.  Rom.  d.  9  Dec.  lect  4,  5. 

2.  The  first  of  all  His  creatures,  after  the  Sacred  Human 
ity  of  Jesus,  in  the  order  of  grace.    The  sanctifying  grace 
Mary  received  in  her  conception  exceeds  all  the  grace  which 
has  been  given  to  any  other  mere  creature,  not   only  at 
the  beginning  of  such  creature's  existence,  but  even  at  the 
consummation    of    its    perfection.     This    is    the    opinion 
of  Suarez,  and,  after  him,  of  nearly  all   the  theologians 
who  in  the  last  three  centuries  have  explicitly    treated 
of  this  subject.     "  It  is  piously  believed   and  probable," 
he  says,  "  that   the  grace  received  by  the  blessed  Virgin 
in  her  first  sanctification  was  more   intense,  greater,  and 
more  perfect  than  the  consummated  grace  of  angels  and 
men."    And  the  reason  is,    according  to  St.  Augustine, 
St.  Bernard,  and  St.  Thomas,  that  the    grace  bestowed 
on   her   must   have   been   proportionate    to   her  sublime 
dignity  of  Mother  of  God,  which  excels  whatever  greatness 
and  magnificence  we  can  imagine  in  angels  and  men. 

3.  The  first  of  all  creatures,  after  the  Sacred  Humanity 
of  Jesus  in  the  order  of  glory.    An  anonymous  writer  in 
a  little  work  on   the   Immaculate   Conception,  printed  at 
Trichinopoly  in  1904,  has  the  following  reflection  :   "  Have 
you  never  stopped  to  contemplate  in  a  moment  of  joyous 
admiration   the   sky   on   a   beautiful    night    resplendent 
with  stars  ?     What  a  marvellous  sight  is  offered  by  these 
numberless  lights  scintillating  in  the  blue  vault  of  heaven  ! 
But,  observe,  at  the  advent  of  the  dawn,  when  the  rays 
of  the  sun  set  the  horizon  aflame,  the    stars  disappear 
from  sight.     The  stars  are  the  Saints  ;  however  admirable 
they  may  be,  they  disappear  when  compared  with  Mary. 
Those  myriads  of  Angels,  that  innumerable  multitude  of 
virgins,  anchorites,  confessors,  martyrs  and  apostles,  so 
glorious  that  it  seems  nothing  can  equal  them,  all  vanish 


BY  GOD    THE   FATHER  3 

before  the  sunlike  splendour  of  the  Virgin  conceived  without 
sin.  '  Quasi  aurora  consurgens.'  Like  the  morning 
light  she  advances  full  of  grace,  and  sheds  a  light  a  thousand 
times  more  resplendent  than  theirs." 

St.  Epiphanius  (d.  403)  exclaims  :  "  Hail,  full  of  grace  ! 
For,  God  alone  excepted,  she  is  superior  to  all.  By  nature 
she  is  far  more  beautiful  than  the  very  Cherubim  and  the 
whole  Angelic  host.  To  show  her  forth  no  heavenly  nor 
earthly  tongue  at  all  suffices,  nay  not  even  that  of  the 
Angels."  Livius,  215. 

St.  Ephrem  the  Syrian  (d.  373)  says  that  she  is 
higher  beyond  compare  than  Cherubim  and  Seraphim,  and 
more  glorious  by  far.  Ibid.  213. 

St.  Sophronius,  see  §  4. 

4.  The  most  privileged  of  all  human  creatures  by  her 
sinlessness,  her  Immaculate  Conception.  In  consequence 
of  Adam's  sin  committed  in  his  capacity  of  first  parent 
and  fountain-head  of  the  human  race,  all  his  children 
become  partakers  of  his  guilt  and  its  appalling  conse 
quences.  We  are  born  deprived  of  sanctifying  grace  and 
of  the  gratuitous  gifts  which  accompanied  it ;  we  are  at 
our  birth  no  longer  children  of  God,  but  children  of  wrath, 
and  deserve  to  be  banished  for  ever  from  the  Kingdom  of 
heaven,  because  God  does  not  find  in  us  the  divine  grace 
which  was  to  have  been  our  inheritance.  Mary,  with  her 
Divine  Son,  alone  of  all  mankind,  was  preserved  by  God 
from  contracting  the  stain  of  original  sin.  This  great 
privilege  will  be  referred  to  later. 

Father  Gallifet,  S.J.,  in  his  little  work  on  Devotion  to 
the  Blessed  Virgin,  assures  us  that  we  may  say  without 
danger  of  error,  that  in  elevating  Mary  to  the  dignity  of 
the  Divine  Maternity,  the  Eternal  Father  has  made  of  her, 
after  Jesus  Christ,  the  most  perfect  image  of  His  Divinity, 
the  most  complete  and  admirable  expression  of  His  divine 
perfections,  p.  21. 


4  MARY  HONOURED 

SECTION  II 
OUR  LADY  GREATLY  HONOURED  BY  GOD  THE  SON 

HE  chose  her  to  be  His  Mother,  a  dignity  so  sublime 
that  we  can  conceive  nothing  grander  that  God 
could  bestow  on  a  creature.  "  God,"  says  St.  Bonaventure, 
"  could  make  a  grander  world,  a  greater  heaven  ;  but  a 
greater  mother  than  the  Mother  of  God  He  could  not  make." 
In  speculo  B.  Virginis,  cap.  8. 

In  making  her  to  be  His  Mother,  God  the  Son  made  her 
to  be  in  some  way  like  Himself,  i.e.  a  sharer  in  His  perfec 
tions,  virtues,  privileges,  power  and  honour.1 

1.  A  sharer  in  His  perfections. 

(a)  Jesus  is  Goodness  itself  by  His  Divine  Essence,  i.e. 
He  contains  within  Himself  all  Divine,  all  possible  perfec 
tions  in  an  infinite  degree.     Mary,  His  Mother,  surpasses 
all  creatures  in  goodness,  just  as  she  surpasses  them  in 
dignity :    her  soul  is  adorned  with  all  created  perfections 
in  a  sublime  degree. 

(b)  Jesus  is  Wisdom  itself,  the   Incarnate  Wisdom  of 
God,  full  of  grace  and  truth.     Mary,  His  Mother,  is  super- 
naturally  enlightened  above  all  other  creatures,  and  there 
fore  is  styled  by  the  Church  "  Seat  (or  throne)  of  Wisdom." 

(c)  Jesus  is   Omnipotent.     Mary  is  spoken  of  by  the 
Saints   as   "  Omnipotentia  supplex,"   i.e.   all-powerful  in 
prayer,  an  all-powerful  intercessor. 

2.  A  sharer  in  His  virtues. 

Jesus  is  most  humble,  patient,  charitable,  merciful, 
holy.  After  Him  there  is  none  among  creatures  so  holy, 
humble,  charitable  and  merciful  as  Mary. 

3.  A  sharer  in  His  titles  and  qualities. 

(a)  Jesus  is  our  King,  our  Father,  our  Advocate,  our  life, 
hope,  consolation.  Mary  is  our  Queen,  Mother,  mediatrix, 
our  life,  our  sweetness  and  our  hope. 

1  Adapted  from  Father  Gallifet,  p.  25. 


BY   GOD    THE   SON  5 

(b)  Jesus  is  the  Way  to  Life.    Mary  is  the  gate  by  which 
we  are  to  enter  heaven.     Januacoeli.     She  is  the  mystical 
ladder  whereby  we  are  to  ascend  to  that  blessed  abode. 

(c)  Jesus  is  our  Light  and  Guide.    "  Ego  sum  via,  veritas 
et   vita."     St.  John  xiv.  6.     Mary  is  the  star  (maris  stella) 
that  guides  us  safely  to  the  harbour  of  salvation. 

(d)  Jesus  is  the  Author  of  Grace.  Mary  is  the  dispenser 
of  grace.     St.   Bernard  says    God  wills  that  we  should 
receive  all  His  good  gifts  through  Mary. 

(e)  Jesus  is  the  Sun  of  Justice.     Mary  is  the  mirror  of 
justice  reflecting  the  full  radiance  of  His  virtues. 

4.  A  sharer  in  His  privileges. 

(a)  Jesus    is  sinless  by  nature.     "  Holy,  innocent,  un 
spotted."     Hebr.  vii.  26.     Mary,  through  His  merits,  was 
preserved  from  all  stain  of  sin,  original  and  actual,  as 
beseemed  the  Mother  of  such  a  Son. 

(b)  Jesus   was   preserved   from   the    corruption  of  the 
grave  :   "  Thou  wilt  not  allow  Thy  Holy  One  to  see  corrup 
tion."     Psal.  xv.   10  ;    Acts  ii.  27  ;    xiii.  35.     Mary  was 
also  raised  from  the  tomb  after  three  days,  according  to 
the  Tradition  of  the  Church. 

(c)  Jesus  ascended  into  heaven  with  His  sacred  body 
and  soul.     So  Mary  was  assumed  gloriously  into  heaven 
(see  §  83). 

(d)  Jesus  is  seated  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father. 
Mary  occupies  a  throne  the  nearest  to  her  Divine  Son's 
that  can  be  given  to  a  creature. 

5.  A  sharer  in  His  power,  riches  and  glory. 

Jesus  is  the  Lord  of  the  earth.  "  The  earth  is  the 
Lord's  and  the  fulness  thereof."  Psal.  xxiii.  i.  He  is 
the  Author  of  grace,  the  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords. 
Apoc.  xix.  1 6  ;  Dent.  x.  17.  Mary  is  the  Queen  of  angels 
and  men,  the  dispenser  of  the  rich  treasures  of  heaven. 

6.  A  sharer  in  the  honour  paid  to  Him. 

No  cathedral,  no  church  is  consecrated  to  Him  without 
an  altar  or  chapel  dedicated  to  her.  Her  name,  associated 
with  His,  is  constantly  on  the  lips  of  the  faithful.  Her 


6  MARY   HONOURED 

praises  are  chanted  with  His  in  the  Divine  Office.  Her 
festivals,  Nativity,  Presentation,  Assumption,  Dolours, 
correspond  in  some  way  to  His.  In  paintings  and  statues 
she  is  generally  represented  with  the  Child  Jesus  in  her 
arms,  showing  how  inseparable  they  are  in  the  devotion  of 
the  faithful. 

7.  A  sharer  in  His  dignity. 

Jesus  is  exalted  above  all  angels  and  men.  Hebr.  i.  3,  4. 
Mary,  as  His  Mother,  holds  a  rank  superior  to  that  of  all 
other  creatures  (see  St.  Epiphanius,  St.  Ephrem,  in  §  i), 
a  rank  by  which  she  is  intimately  connected  with  the 
Hypostatic  Union. 


SECTION  III 
OUR  LADY  GREATLY  HONOURED  BY  GOD  THE  HOLY  GHOST 

i.  T  T  E  chose  her  to  be  His  chaste  Spouse,  Cant.  i. 
JTi  9  sq. ;  ii.  i  sq.,  united  to  Him  in  purest,  holiest 
love,  her  heart  being  inflamed  with  greater,  more  intense 
love  than  burns  in  any  of  the  highest  angels. 

He  WTought  in  her  by  a  stupendous  miracle  the  mystery 
of  the  Incarnation.  "  The  Holy  Ghost  shall  come  down 
upon  thee,  and  the  power  of  the  Most  High  shall  over 
shadow  thee."  Luke  i.  35.  The  Incarnation,  being  a 
mystery  of  infinite  love,  is  "  appropriated  "  to  the  Holy 
Ghost,  the  Spirit  of  love. 

He  preserved  her  a  pure  and  spotless  Virgin,  and  at  the 
same  time  made  her  the  most  blessed  of  mothers.  "  Be 
hold  a  Virgin  shall  conceive  and  bring  forth  a  Son."  Isai. 
vii.  14. 

He  enriched  her  with  fulness  of  grace,  lavishing  upon  her 
the  riches  of  His  treasure  house.  "  Hail,  full  of  grace  !  " 
She  alone,  says  St.  Ephrem,  because  of  her  dignity  as 
Mother  of  God,  received  more  grace  than  all  angels  and 
men. 

He  raised  her  to  a  dignity,  which  "  in  its  operation  comes 


BY    THE   HOLY  GHOST  7 

closer  than  anything  else  to  the  confines  of  the  Divinity." 
St.  Thomas,  2,  2,  q.  103,  art.  4,  ad  2. 

He  loved  her  alone,  says  Suarez,  more  than  all  the 
Saints.  "  He  prizes  this  one  pearl,"  says  Father  Segneri, 
' '  more  than  a  countless  multitude  of  inferior  j  ewels . ' '  Devout 
Client  of  Mary,  p.  54. 

He  enabled  her  to  heap  up  greater  treasures  of  grace 
and  merit  than  all  .the  Saints.  "  Many  daughters  have 
gathered  together  riches  :  thou  hast  surpassed  them  all." 
Prov.  xxxi.  29. 

In  the  very  first  instant  of  her  Conception, — i.e.  at  the 
moment  of  the  creation  of  her  soul  and  its  union  with  the 
body, — He  gave  her  more  grace  than  to  any  Saint  on  earth 
or  Seraph  in  heaven.  Suarez,  3  p.  torn.  2,  D.  4,  §  i. 

He  enriched  her  with  surpassing  beauty  and  glory.  See 
Faber,  Blessed  Sacrament,  275. 

2.  Privileges  bestowed  upon  her  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

(a)  Sanctifying  Grace,  i.e.  Sanctity,  the  greatest  ever  given 
to  any  creature,  and  that  from  the  first  moment  of  her 
Immaculate  Conception : 

(b)  suppression  of  concupiscence, — Fomes  peccati, — that 
distressing  heritage  of  evil  passions  and  propensities  we  all 
derive  from  Adam  : 

(c)  confirmation  in  grace,  so  as  never  to  forfeit  or  lessen 
it  by  sin  or  imperfection  of  any  kind : 

(d)  continual  progress  in  grace  by  heroic  acts  of  virtue, 
whereby  grace  was  intensified  within  her  to  a  degree  alto 
gether  inconceivable  : 

(e)  the  use  of  reason  from  the  first  moment  of  her  being  : 
(/)  the  lovely  grace  of  virginity  conjoined  with  the  joys 

of  motherhood : 

(g)  the  miraculous  conception  and  birth  of  the  Divine 
Child  without  the  least  detriment  to  her  virginity  : 

(h)  the  preparing  her  to  be  a  beautiful  temple  of  the 
Word  made  flesh.  "  Wisdom  hath  built  for  herself  a  house, 
etc."  Prov.  ix.  i. 


8  MARY  HONOURED 

SECTION  IV 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  THE  ANGELS 

A  CCORDING  to  Suarez  (torn.  2,  in  3  p.  disp.  22)  the 
jL\  Angels  began  to  honour  our  Lady  from  the  first 
moment  of  their  creation,  for  it  is  thought  that  the  mystery 
of  the  Incarnation  was  then  revealed  to  them,  so  they  must 
have  begun  at  once  to  honour  her  who  was  to  be  the  Incar 
nate  Word's  Virgin  Mother. 

At  her  birth  we  may  well  believe  that  the  Angels  hovered 
in  reverential  homage  over  the  cradle  of  her  who  was  to 
be  their  Queen,  and  who  far  surpassed  them  in  sanctity, 
rank,  and  beauty  of  grace. 

At  the  Annunciation  the  heavenly  messenger  Gabriel, 
as  he  entered  her  chamber,  must  have  bent  his  shining  brow 
before  her,  the  most  glorious  creature  of  God,  the  master 
piece  of  the  Creator,  after  the  Sacred  Humanity  of  Jesus. 

At  our  Saviour's  Nativity,  the  Angels,  according  to 
Suarez  (torn.  2,  in  3  p.  disp.  22),  adored  the  Divine  Child, 
and  then  paid  homage  to  His  spotless  Mother. 

At  her  tomb,  St.  John  Damascene  tells  us,  the  songs  of 
Angels  were  heard  for  three  consecutive  days.  Serm.  i, 
de  dormit.  Virginis. 

At  her  Assumption  the  Angels  escorted  her  with  heavenly 
psalmody  on  her  entrance  into  heaven,  says  the  Saint, 
and  exclaimed,  "  Who  is  this  that  cometh  up  from  the 
desert,  flowing  with  delights,  leaning  on  her  Beloved  ?  " 
Cant.  viii.  5. 

St.  Francis  of  Assisi  is  said  to  have  heard  the  Angels 
singing  the  praises  of  our  Lady  in  the  little  chapel  of  St. 
Mary  of  the  Angels,  known  as  the  Portiuncula. 

A  venerable  tradition  in  Rome  has  it  that,  during  the 
great  pestilence  of  A.D.  590,  as  the  procession  of  penance  to 
avert  the  scourge  filed  past  Ara  Coeli,  St.  Gregory  the 
Great  heard  Angel-voices  singing  high  above  the  church 
the  anthem  "  Regina  Coeli." 


BY    THE   ANGELS  g 

On  the  night  of  the  feast  of  our  Lady's  Nativity — Sept. 
8 — St.  Felix  de  Valois  is  said  to  have  sung  her  office  with 
the  Angels,  she  being  present  in  the  choir.  Brev.  Rom. 
Nov.  20. 

The  Angels  thus  honour  our  Lady  because  she  is  far 
greater  than  they,  she  being  the  Mother  of  God,  Mother 
of  the  King  of  kings,  whereas  they  are  only  His  servants. 
St.  Bernard  says  :  "  The  greatness  of  an  Angel  is  to  be 
the  servant  of  God  ;  but  Mary  has  received  a  far  greater 
dignity,  for  she  is  His  Mother,  and  so  is  raised  far  above  the 
Angels." 

St.  Ephrem  (d.  373)  speaks  of  our  Lady  as  "  more 
pleasing  to  God,  more  resplendent  than  the  Cherubim,  more 
glorious  than  the  Seraphim."  Livius,  213. 

St.  Sophronius,  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem  (d.  638), 
addressing  our  Lady  says  :  "  Who  shall  worthily  set  forth 
thy  glory  ?  Thou  art  the  exaltation  of  humanity  :  thou 
art  made  much  higher  than  the  Angels  ;  thy  brightness 
throws  the  splendour  of  the  Archangels  into  shadow  :  thou 
lookest  down  on  the  lofty  seats  of  the  Thrones ;  thoumakest 
the  exalted  heights  of  the  Dominations  to  seem  low  ;  thy 
rank  taketh  precedence  before  that  of  the  Principalities  : 
compared  with  thee  the  Powers  are  weakness  ;  thine  eyes 
see  further  than  the  contemplation  of  the  Cherubim  can 
reach  ;  the  Seraphim  have  six  wings,  but  thy  flight  is 
nobler  than  theirs  ;  in  a  word,  thou  hast  far  excelled  every 
other  work  of  God  ;  thou  wast  far  purer  than  any  other 
creature  ;  and  thou  hast  been  chosen  out  of  all  to  be  made 
His  Mother."  De  Annunt.  Deiparae. 

St.  John  Chrysostom  (d.  407),  speaking  of  our  Lady 
as  far  superior  to  the  Angels,  says  :  "  The  Blessed  Virgin 
was  truly  a  wondrous  work  of  God.  For  what  creature 
could  ever  compare  in  greatness  and  glory  with  her  ?  She 
alone  by  her  dignity  transcends  heaven  and  earth.  What 
creature  was  ever  as  holy  as  she  was  ?  Not  the  Prophets,  nor 
the  Apostles,  nor  the  Martyrs,  nor  Patriarchs ;  not  the  Angels, 
nor  the  Thrones,  nor  Dominations  ;  not  the  Cherubim 


io  JtARY  HONOURED 

nor  Seraphim ;  none  among  created  beings  visible  or 
invisible  can  compare  with  her  in  excellence.  She  is  at 
once  the  handmaid  and  the  Mother  of  God,  a  Virgin  and 
yet  a  Mother.  She  is  the  Mother  of  Him  who  was  born  of 
the  Father  from  all  eternity  ;  whom  Angels  and  men  confess 
to  be  Lord  of  all  things.  Would  you  know  how  far  this 
Virgin  surpasses  in  dignity  the  Powers  (i.e.  Angels)  of 
Heaven  ?  They  with  fear  and  trembling  stand  before  God 
covering  their  face  with  their  wings  :  she  offers  up  (as  inter 
cessor)  the  human  race  to  Him  to  whom  she  gave  birth. 
Through  her  we  may  obtain  pardon  of  our  sins.  Hail,  then, 
O  Mother,  heavenly  being,  Virgin-throne  of  God,  the  glory 
and  bulwark  of  the  Church  :  pray  for  us  constantly  to 
Jesus  thy  Son  our  Lord,  that  through  thee  we  may  find 
mercy  in  the  day  of  judgment,  and  attain  to  the  good  things 
laid  up  for  those  who  love  God."  Brev.  Rom.  Offic. 
B.M.V.,  lect.  5,  6. 

Venerable  Mary  d'Agreda — in  her  treatise  Cite  Mystique, 
Pt.  i,bk.  i,  c.  14 — says  that  Mary,  conceived  in  the  most 
perfect  innocence,  immediately  received  the  Angels  that 
God  had  destined  for  her  as  a  guard  of  honour.  St.  Bridget 
of  Sweden — in  her  Revelations,  Bk.  i,  c.  9 — tells  us  that  her 
holy  soul  as  soon  as  it  was  created  and  united  to  the  body, 
was  confided  to  the  care  of  Angels  day  and  night. 

NOTE.  Theologians  do  not  fear  to  affirm  with  St. 
Alphonsus  (Glories  of  Mary  and  Sermon  on  the  Nativity), 
Contenson,  de  Rhodes,  Cambalot  and  others,  that  the 
grace  Mary  received  in  the  moment  of  her  conception  sur 
passed  all  that  had  ever  been  given  to  all  the  Angels  and 
men  together.  Petit alot,  45.  For,  they  say,  God  at  that 
instant  loved  Mary  more  than  all  the  elect  together  ;  and, 
as  a  mark  of  that  love,  He  prepared  for  her  a  glory  without 
parallel ;  He  destined  her  for  a  dignity  which  left  far 
behind  all  other  dignities  put  together. 


BY   PATRIARCHS   AND   PROPHETS  u 

SECTION  V 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  PATRIARCHS  AND  PROPHETS 

ST.  SOPHRCNIUS  in  his  sermon  on  the  Annunciation 
(d.  638)  says  that  our  blessed  Lady  was  "  foretold 
by  the  Prophets,  foreshadowed  in  types  and  figures  to  the 
Patriarchs,   described  by  the   Evangelists,   saluted  most 
courteously  by  the  Angels." 

1.  She  was  foretold  to  Adam  and  Eve  after  their  fall,  as 
the  privileged  Woman  who  was  destined  to  crush  the  ser 
pent's  head,  and  who  with  her  Divine  Child  was  to  be  the 
enemy  of  the  serpent,  and  to  be  completely  victorious  over 
him.     Such  a  prediction  must  have  filled  them  with  great 
reverence  for  her,  who  was  thus  wonderfully  to  be  associated 
with  the  Messiah  in  the  work  of  Redemption.     St.  Bridget 
of  Sweden  is  said  to  have  learnt  by  revelation  that  Adam 
felt  inexpressible  joy  at  the  announcement  of  a  Virgin 
Mother  of  the  future  Redeemer. 

This  revelation,  with  the  joy  it  imparted,  was  passed 
on  from  father  to  son,  through  the  long  ages  of  expectation 
till  it  reached  the  Patriarchs  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob, 
and  the  leader  of  God's  people  Moses,  and  finally  received 
its  confirmation  in  the  prophetic  words  of  Isaias  and  others. 

2.  She  was  foretold  by  the  Prophet  Isaias,  vii.  14  (Matt. 
i.  23),  in  the  words  :   "  Behold,  a  Virgin  shall  conceive  and 
bear  a  Son,  and  His  name  shall  be  called  Emmanuel," 
i.e.   "  God    with    us."     Here    Emmanuel    is  Christ,  and 
the  Virgin  His  Mother.     On  this   prophecy   see  Catholic 
Encyclopedia,    vol.    xv.  p.  464.  C.    The    patristic   testi 
mony  on   Mary  as  the  Virgin  of  Prophecy,   see  Livius, 
ch.    i,  p.  36  sq. 

The  same  prophet,  c.  xi.  i  to  9,  speaks  of  a  rod  that 
shall  come  forth  out  of  the  root  of  Jesse,  and  a  flower  that 
shall  rise  out  of  his  root ;  "  And  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
shall  rest  upon  Him."  According  to  St.  Jerome  and  many 
other  Fathers  of  the  Church,  the  virgin-flower  that  bios- 


12  MARY  HONOURED 

somed  on  the  virgin-stem  was  Jesus  the  Son  of  Mary.  St. 
Anselm  says  this  rod  or  stem  represents  our  Lady,  and  this 
flower  her  Divine  Son,  on  whom  rested  the  fulness  of  the 
Godhead.  De  Conceptu.  Virg. 

3.  She  was  foretold  by  Jeremias,  xxxi.  22.     "The  Lord 
hath  created  a  new  thing  upon  the  earth,  a  woman  shall 
encompass  a  man."    This  passage  refers  to  the  virginal 
conception    of    the    Man-God.     As   the   Word    Incarnate 
possessed  from  the  first  moment  of  His  conception  all 
perfections,  His  Mother  is  rightly  said  to  "  encompass  a 
man  "  :   and  such  a  condition  of  a  newly  conceived  child  is 
rightly  called  "  a  new  thing  upon  the  earth."     "  O  woman, 
blessed  above  women,"  exclaims  St.  Methodius,  "  who  both 
knew  not  man,  and  compassed  a  man  in  thy  womb.     Mary 
compassed  a  man  by  giving  faith  to  the  Angel,  whereas 
Eve  lost  a  man  by  consenting  to  the  serpent."     Serm.  119. 
In  Nat.  Dom.  iii.  3.     Livius,  113. 

4.  She  was  also  foretold     (a)  by  the  Royal   Psalmist, 
xliv.  10,  "  The  Queen  stood  on  Thy  right  hand  in  a  vesture 
of  gold  surrounded  with  variety,"  i.e.  wrought  about  with 
varicoloured  embroidery  :   (b)  by  Solomon  in  the  Canticle 
of  Canticles,  iv.  7,  "  Thou  art  all  fair,  my  Beloved,  and  there 
is  no  stain  in  thee  "  :    (c)  by  Solomon  in  the  book  of 
Proverbs,  viii.  22  sq.,    "  The  Lord  possessed  me  in  the  begin 
ning  of  His  ways,  before  He  made  anything  from  the 
beginning,  etc."    This  passage  is  applied  by  the  Church 
to  our  Lady  :  (d)  by  Ecclesiasticus,  xxiv.  12,  "He  that 
made  me  rested  in  rty  tabernacle."     From  these  and  other 
passages  of  the  inspired  books,  as  from  a  casket  of  jewels, 
the  Church  has  enriched  our  Lady's  office. 

St.  Tarasius,  Patriarch  of  Constantinople  (d.  806), 
referring  to  the  Patriarchs,  thus  addresses  our  Lady  :  "  O 
Mary,  where  shall  I  find  words  to  praise  thee  ?  Hail, 
maiden  Mother,  blessed  art  thou  among  women  ;  thy  glory 
is  in  thy  guilelessness,  and  thy  name  is  a  name  of  purity. 
In  thee  is  the  curse  of  Adam  done  away  and  the  debt  of 
Eve  paid.  Thou  art  the  Ark  of  Noah  and  the  bond  of 


IN    THE   OLD   LAW  13 

reconciliation  with  God  in  a  new  generation.  Thou  art 
the  exceeding  glory  of  the  kingdom  and  priesthood  of 
Melchisedech  ;  thou  art  the  unshaken  trust  of  Abraham, 
the  burnt  offering  of  Isaac.  Thou  art  the  ladder  that  Jacob 
saw  going  up  to  heaven,  and  the  most  noble  of  all  his  chil 
dren.  O  purest  !  thou  art  the  book  of  Moses,  the  law-giver, 
whereon  the  New  Covenant  is  written  with  the  finger  of 
God.  Thou  art  Aaron's  rod  that  budded.  Thou  art  as 
David's  daughter,  all  glorious  within,  wrought  about  with 
divers  colours.  Hail,  just  hope  of  the  Patriarchs  !  Hail, 
special  honour  of  all  the  Saints  !  Hail,  source  of  health  to 
all  dying  creatures  !  Hail,  O  Queen,  ambassadress  of 
peace  !  Hail,  advocate  of  all  under  heaven  !  Hail,  thou 
that  art  full  of  grace,  the  Lord  is  with  thee,  even  the  Lord 
that  was  before  thee  and  from  thee,  and  that  is  with  us. 
To  Him  with  the  Father,  and  the  most  holy  and  life-giving 
Spirit,  be  ascribed  all  praise  now  and  ever,  world  without 
end.  Amen."  Petitalot,  22,  23. 
On  Prophecies  of  Mary,  see  Ibid.  16  seq. 


SECTION  VI 
MARY  FORESHADOWED  IN  THE  OLD  LAW 

SPEAKING  in  praise  of  Mary  the  Fathers  of  the  Church 
have  borrowed  from  the  inspired  books  comparisons 
and  titles  from  objects  and  persons,  tafcen  as  typical  of  her 
lncomparable  virtue  and  greatness. 

i.  Objective  types.  Thus,  Mary  is  by  them  compared — 

to  the  virgin-soil  of  the  terrestrial  paradise,  which,  at 
the  command  of  God,  produced  without  seed  all  kinds 
of  vegetation,  and  in  its  midst  the  tree  of  life ; 

to  the  earthly  paradise,  the  abode  of  innocence,  the 
place  of  delights,  protected  by  Angels,  inaccessible  to 
venomous  serpents.  Livius,  65  ; 

to  the  Ark  of  Noah,  riding  safely  above  the  deluge, 


14  MARY  HONOURED 

protected  from  the  corrupt  waters  of  sin,  destined  to  save 
the  human  race.  Livius,  74 ; 

to  the  mysterious  ladder  of  Jacob,  uniting  earth  and 
heaven,  down  which  Angels  come  to  succour  us,  and  again 
lead  us  upward  to  heaven ; 

to  the  burning  bush  seen  by  Moses,  that  was  unconsumed 
by  the  flames.  So  Mary  was  untouched  by  the  flames  of 
passion  and  sin.  Livius,  76  ; 

to  the  impregnable  tower  of  David,  from  which  a  thousand 
shields  are  hanging  to  arm  the  strong  (Cant.  iv.  4)  :  so 
devotion  to  Mary  is  a  tower  of  strength  against  the 
enemy ; 

to  the  ark  of  the  covenant,  made  of  incorruptible  setim- 
wood,  covered  with  plates  of  gold,  and  containing  the 
tables  of  the  law  :  so  Mary  is  the  living  ark  bearing  in  her 
chaste  womb  the  Law-giver  Himself.  Livius,  74 ; 

to  a  garden  perpetually  closed,  where  the  spirit  of  evil 
never  set  foot  even  for  a  moment  ; 

to  the  white  fleece  of  Gideon,  wet  with  the  dew  (of  grace) 
while  the  surrounding  ground  was  parched  and  dry :  and 
again  preserved  dry  when  all  around  was  saturated  with 
sin.  Judges  vi.  37,  39  ; 

to  the  dove  of  the  ark,  the  harbinger  of  peace  and  recon 
ciliation  ; 

to  the  rod  of  Aaron  budding  and  blossoming  miracu 
lously.  Numb.  xvii.  5  ;  Isaias  vii.  14 ; 

to  the  throne  of  Solomon  (2  Paralip.  ix.  17),  Mary  holding 
enthroned  in  her  arms  the  Incarnate  Wisdom  of  God  ; 

to  the  cloud  of  Elias'  vision  (3  Kings  xviii.  44)  bringing 
fertilizing  showers  (grace)  to  the  barren  earth ; 

to  the  gate  of  the  temple  ;  Mary  being  the  gate  of  heaven. 
Ezech.  xliv.  2  ;  Psal.  cxvii.  20  ; 

to  the  rose  of  Jericho,  because  of  her  sweet  charity. 
Ecclus.  xxiv.  18; 

to  the  lily  amid  thorns,  because  of  her  sinlessness.  Cant, 
ii.  2. 

Still  using  the  language  of  the  Prophets,  the  early  Fathers 


IN  THE  OLD  LAW  15 

ancTwriters  of  the  Church  also  speak  of  our  Lady  as  the 
holy  Jerusalem,  the  sublime  throne  of  God,  the  dwelling- 
place  of  Divine  Wisdom,  the  Queen  abounding  in  riches, 
most  beautiful  and  lovely  in  her  purity, — a  spotless  earth, 
a  fountain  ever  clear  sealed  up  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  an 
incorruptible  wood  never  attacked  by  the  worm  of  sin,  a 
flower  blooming  on  a  withered  stem,  a  daughter  of  life  and 
blessing,  spotlessly  conceived  and  born  among  us  children 
of  wrath  and  death,  etc. 

2.  Persons  as  types  or  figures  of  Mary  here  briefly 
indicated.    The  Fathers  also  see  her  prefigured — 

(a)  in  Eve,  the  mother  of  all  the  living  in  the  order  of 
nature  ;    Mary  being  our  Mother  in  the  higher  order  of 
grace.     But  Eve  was  the  author  of  our  ruin,  Mary  through 
her  Divine  Son  of  our  restoration  ;    Eve  was  deceived  by 
the  Angel  of  darkness,  Mary  was  reassured  by  the  Angel  of 
light. 

On  the  patristic  idea  of  Mary  as  the  Second  Eve,  see 
Livius,  36  seq. 

(b)  in  Sara,  the  mother  of  a  son  in  whom  all  Israel  was 
to  be  blessed,  she  being  a  person  of  surpassing  beauty, 
made  fruitful  miraculously  according  to  the  Angel's  pro 
mise.     Gen.  xviii.  10  ; 

(c)  in  Rebecca,  the  mother  of  Jacob,  clothing  him  in  the 
garments  of  Esau,  and  obtaining  for  him  his  father's  bless 
ing  ; 

(d)  in   Debbora  and  Jahel,  those    valiant   women   who 
saved  Israel  from  Sisera.     Judges  iv.  4,  21 ; 

(e)  in  Judith  triumphing  over  Holofernes,  the  enemy  of 
God's  people ; 

(/)  in  Esther  delivering  her  people  from  oppression  and 
death. 


1 6  MARY  HONOURED 

SECTION  VII 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  THE  APOSTLES  AND  EARLY  SAINTS 

i.  OHE  was  honoured  and  revered — 

O  (a)  by  her  venerable  parents  SS.  Joachim 
and  Anna,  knowing  she  was  an  extraordinary  gift  from 
heaven,  and  a  pledge  of  innumerable  blessings  : 

(b)  by  St.  Joseph  who  was  tenderly  devoted  to  her,  and 
was  the  witness  of  her  holy  life : 

(c)  by  the  Angel  Gabriel  who  came  with  a  salutation 
from  heaven,  and  addressed  her  as  "  full  of  grace,"  and  as 
chosen  to  be  the  Mother  of  God : 

(d)  by  her  cousin  St.  Elizabeth  addressing  her  as  "Mother 
of  the  Lord  "  : 

(e)  by  St.  John  the  Baptist,  who  at  the  sound  of  her 
salutation  leaped  for  joy  in  his  mother's  womb : 

(/)  by  the  woman  in  the  crowd  who,  speaking  of  our  Lord, 
exclaimed  :  "  Blessed  is  the  womb  that  bore  thee."  Luke 
xi.  27. 

2.  By  the  Apostles. 

Jesus,  hanging  on  the  cross,  bequeathed  with  His  dying 
lips  His  holy  Mother  to  St.  John,  this  beloved  disciple 
representing  all  the  members  of  the  true  Church.  "  After 
that  He  saith  to  the  disciple,  Behold  thy  Mother.  And 
from  that  hour  the  disciple  took  her  to  his  own."  John 
xix.  27.  The  loving  affection  of  St.  John  for  our  Lady, 
his  Mother,  is  dwelt  upon  with  great  feeling  by  many  of  the 
Saints.  St.  Thomas  Villanova  writes  :  "By  the  above 
words — '  Woman,  behold  thy  son. — Son,  behold  thy 
Mother/ — Our  Lord  implanted  in  Mary's  virginal  heart  a 
maternal  love  for  John,  a  stronger  and  more  fervent  love 
than  that  which  nature  inspires  a  mother  to  feel.  And 
reciprocally  He  infused  into  the  Apostle  a  filial  regard  for 
the  Virgin  Mary,  such  as  no  son  (Jesus  excepted)  ever  felt 
for  his  mother.  It  was  not  a  bond  of  nature  but  of  grace, 
a  bond  nobler  and  more  intimate  than  the  union  that  results 
from  human  adoption."  Concio  ia  de  S.  Joan.  Apost. 


BY   THE   APOSTLES  17 

The  other  Apostles  also  cherished  a  most  tender  affec 
tion  for  Jesus'  immaculate  Mother.  With  her  they  spent 
their  novena  of  preparation  for  the  coming  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  She  was  their  counsellor,  guide,  instructor,  consoler 
in  the  arduous  work  of  spreading  the  Gospel  and  planting 
the  Church.  They  were  all,  except  St.  Thomas,  present 
at  her  happy  death  in  Jerusalem,1  and  they  bore  her  spot 
less  body  with  the  tenderest  reverence  to  the  tomb.  That 
tomb  may  be  regarded  as  the  first  sanctuary  of  our  Lady 
after  her  death. 

St.  James  the  Greater,  Apostle  of  Spain,  is  said  to 
have  erected  the  renowned  sanctuary  of  our  Lady  of  the 
Pillar  at  Saragossa.  Spinelli,  687.  Segneri,  89. 

St.  James  the  Less  in  his  Liturgy,  quoted  by  the 
early  Fathers,  shows  his  regard  for  our  Lady  by  a  com 
memoration  of  her  at  Mass  both  before  and  after  the  con 
secration.  Harper,  Peace  through  the  Truth,  ist  series, 
p.  401. 

St.  Luke  the  Evangelist  is  thought  to  have  learnt  from 
her  the  mysteries  concerning  our  Lord's  infancy,  which  he 
relates  in  his  Gospel. 

3.  By  other  Early  Saints. 

St.  Barnabas  is  believed  to  have  dedicated  to  her  the 
church  he  built  in  Milan.  Spinelli,  687. 

St.  Denis  the  Areopagite  attests  that  he  himself  was 
present,  when  several  of  the  Apostles,  among  them  being 
St.  Peter,  came  from  different  parts  of  the  world  to  visit 
her,  with  no  other  object  than  to  contemplate  her,  the 
greatest  work  (after  our  Lord's  sacred  Humanity)  of  the 
Divine  Creator.  Segneri,  88,  at  foot  of  page.  On  St.  Denis 
and  our  Lady,  see  Orsini,  269,  note. 

Fr.  Segneri  in  his  Devout  Client,  p.  89,  tells  us  that 
St.  Martha,  sister  of  Lazarus,  erected  a  chapel  to  her  in 
Marseilles  2  :  also  that  Zacheus,  the  converted  publican, 

3  See  §  83. 

2  These  early  traditions  are  uncertain  and  to  be  admitted  with 
caution. 

M.P.  C 


1 8  MARY  HONOURED 

maybe  considered  the  founder  of  the  sanctuary  of  Roc- 
amadour.1 

St.  Denis,  Bishop  of  Paris,  Martyr  (d.  275),  according  to 
tradition,  brought  a  picture  of  her  to  that  city,  and  placed 
it  in  the  purified  temple  of  Ceres,  known  afterwards  as 
"  Notre  Dame  des  Champs." 

St.  Protentianus,  Bishop  of  Sens  and  Martyr  (IV  Cent.), 
is  said  to  have  blessed  at  Chartres  the  statue  which  the 
Druids  had  previously  erected  to  the  Virgin  who  was  to 
bear  a  Son  (Virgin!  pariturae),  and  to  have  placed  it  in  the 
chapel  of  Notre  Dame  delaGrotte  built  by  him.  Catho 
lic  Encyclopedia,  vol.  iii.  p.  635. 

St.  Pothinus,  first  Bishop  of  Lyons,  Martyr  is,  thought 
to  have  erected  a  shrine  to  her  in  Lyons  in  the  II  century. 
Crasset,  Tract  V.  Q.  5,  p.  352.  Catholic  Encyclopedia, 
vol.  ix.  p.  472. 

St.  Cyril  of  Alexandria,  speaking  of  our  Lady  at  the 
Council  of  Ephesus  (A.D.  431),  refers  to  the  help  in  their 
work  the  Apostles  received  from  her.  "  Hail,  thou  by 
whom  the  only  Son  of  God  giveth  light  to  them  that  sit  in 
darkness  and  in  the  shadow  of  death  ;  by  whom  the  pro 
phets  have  spoken  ;  by  whom  the  Apostles  have  preached 
salvation  to  the  world  ;  by  whom  the  dead  are  raised  to 
life  ;  by  whom  Kings  reign.  Who  can  give  utterance  to 
the  praises  of  which  Mary  is  worthy  !  " 


SECTION  VIII 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  THE  EARLY  CHRISTIANS 
IN  THE  CATACOMBS 

IN  the  Catacombs  has  been  found  a  series  of  fresco-paint 
ings  of  the  three  first  centuries,  in  which  our  Lady  is 
constantly  represented  holding  her  Divine  Son  in  her  arms. 
One  of  these,  discovered  by  Count  De  Rossi  in  the  Cemetery 
of  St.  Priscilla,  goes  back,  so  experts  in  archaeology  tell 
^ee  §   64. 


BY  EARLY  CHRISTIANS  ig 

us,  almost  to  the  time  of  the  Apostles.  Many  learned 
persons,  skilled  in  the  knowledge  of  Greco-Roman  monu 
ments,  have  studied  this  fresco,  and  consider  it  to  be  of 
not  later  date  than  the  days  of  the  early  Antonines.  Dar- 
ras,  vol.  vi.  p.  10,  speaking  of  it  says  :  "  Suddenly  throwing 
the  flame  of  his  torch  upon  the  side  wall  of  a  recess,  De 
Rossi  showed  me  a  beautiful  picture  of  the  Virgin  Mary 
holding  the  Child  Jesus  in  her  arms.  The  Virgin  was 
seated  on  a  chair,  the  outlines  of  which  were  almost  defaced 
by  time.  Round  her  face  was  a  veil  which  fell  gracefully 
over  the  shoulders,  after  the  manner  of  Jewish  women. 
She  wore  a  robe  with  short  sleeves,  and  above  it  a  mantle. 
The  Infant-God,  seated  in  the  arms  of  His  Mother,  and 
leaning  on  her  breast,  turns  His  head  towards  the  beholders, 
and  seems  by  His  gesture  to  invite  them  to  take  refuge  in 
Mary's  arms.  A  star  of  five  flaming  rays  appears  above  the 
Virgin,  and  bathes  her  forehead  with  a  celestial  light.  On 
the  left  a  young  man  stands  upright,  clad  in  a  pallium  ;  he 
raises  his  right  hand  and  points  to  the  Virgin  and  the  star. 
His  left  hand  holds  a  roll  of  parchment,  of  which  a  feeble 
trace  can  only  be  distinguished.  This  figure  is  (thought 
to  be)  Isaias,  pronouncing,  as  he  points  to  the  star  which 
was  to  rise  upon  Jacob,  the  famous  prophecy  :  '  Behold  a 
Virgin  shall  conceive  and  bear  a  Son,  and  His  name  shall  be 
called  Emmanuel/  '  The  writer  adds  that  in  presence  of 
that  picture  he  felt  so  impressed  that  he  fell  upon  his  knees, 
and  the  tears  started  to  his  eyes.  Others  describe  the  picture 
as  wonderfully  artistic,  the  Infant  being  almost  Raphael- 
esque  in  conception  and  design. 

A  copy  of  this  fresco  *  was  greatly  admired  by  Pope  Leo 
XIII,  who  blessed  it  and  expressed  his  pleasure  on  hearing 
that  it  was  to  be  placed  in  the  little  church  of  St.  George, 
belonging  to  the  Poor  Servants  of  the  Mother  of  God,  Via 
S.  Sebastiano,  Piazza  di  Spagna.  It  has  since  become  an 
object  of  great  veneration,  and  a  special  feast  of  the  Queen 

1  Prepared  through  the  generosity  of  Mr.  A.  G.  Fullerton. 


20  MARY  HONOURED 

of  Prophets l  has  been  instituted  by  the  Sacred  Congrega 
tion  of  Rites,  with  a  proper  Mass  and  Office,  the  solemnity 
attracting  each  year  crowds  of  pious  persons  to  come 
and  kneel  before  (this  copy  of )  one  of  the  earliest  and  most 
touching  representations  of  the  Madonna. 

Elsewhere  in  the  Catacombs  are  to  be  seen  frescoes  of 
the  Annunciation,  of  our  Lady  with  the  Divine  Infant  in 
her  arms  in  the  act  of  welcoming  the  Magi.  Further 
discoveries  in  the  Catacombs  may  reveal  other  representa 
tions  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  Child,  but  those  we  have  are 
sufficient  proof  that  love  and  veneration  for  our  Lady  was 
cherished  by  the  early  Christians,  and  that  the  Mother  and 
her  Divine  Child  were  considered  by  them  as  inseparable. 

Strange  to  relate,  during  the  very  period  when  the  Chris 
tians  were  driven  to  hide  themselves  and  their  worship  in 
the  Catacombs,  they  had  an  oratory  in  a  public  place  in 
Rome  erected  by  Pope  St.  Callixtus  I,  and  dedicated  to  our 
Lady  about  the  year  223,  not  long  before  his  martyrdom. 
The  historian  Lampridius  tells  us,  that  at  the  time  men 
tioned,  the  Christians  were  in  possession  of  a  place  of 
assembly  in  Trastevere,  their  right  to  which  was,  however, 
disputed  by  the  corporation  of  popinarii,  or  tavern-keepers. 
The  question  was  brought  before  the  Emperor  Alexander 
Severus,  who  decided  in  favour  of  the  Christians,  saying 
that  it  was  better  that  God  should  be  worshipped  there,  in 
whatever  fashion  it  might  be,  than  that  the  place  should 
be  given  over  to  drinking  bouts  and  revelry.  See  Pilgrim 
Walks  in  Rome,  p.  320.  Such  was  the  origin  of  Santa 
Maria  in  Trastevere,  the  oldest  of  our  Lady's  many 
sanctuaries  in  Rome. 

1  This  title  was  suggested  for  the  picture  by  Cardinal  Parocchi. 
See  Our  Lady,  Queen  of  Prophets,  p.  54. 


BY  EASTERN  FATHERS  21 

SECTION  IX 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  THE  EARIA    F.vrr~*><5  OF  THE 
EASTERN  CHURCH 

ORIGEN  (d.  253).  "  In  the  company  of  the  many 
my  Jesus  cannot  be  found.  Learn  where  those 
who  seek  may  find  Him,  and  that  thou  too,  seeking  with 
Joseph  and  Mary,  mayest  find  Him."  Homil.  xviii.  in 
Luc.  "  Blessed  art  thou  amongst  women.  For  of  so  great 
a  grace  no  other  woman  was  ever  partaker,  nor  can  be  ; 
since  one  only  is  the  Divine  Conception  ;  one  alone  the 
Divine  Birth  ;  one  alone  is  she  who  gave  birth  to  Him  who 
is  God  and  man."  Livius,  144. 

St.  Gregory  Thaumaturgus  (d.  270).  "  All  the 
celestial  powers  salute  thee,  (O  Mary,)  and,  what  is  more, 
He  who  is  Lord  of  all  the  celestial  powers  has  chosen  thee, 
the  holy  and  all-adorned  one  from  among  all  creatures  (to 
be  His  Mother).  Thou  hast  been  made  the  holy  one,  and 
more  glorious,  more  pure,  and  more  saintly  than  all  the 
rest  of  human  kind  ;  having  a  mind  whiter  than  snow,  and 
thy  soul  more  purified  than  the  finest  gold."  Livius,  123 
seq.,  where  also  see  the  Saint's  wonderful  panegyric  of  our 
Lady. 

Vision  of  St.  Gregory  Thaumaturgus.  St.  Gregory 
of  Nyssa  relates  in  his  life  of  this  Saint  that  he  was  disturbed 
in  considering  some  ideas  of  Origen,  his  master,  upon  the 
adorable  Mystery  of  the  Blessed  Trinity,  which  did  not 
agree  with  the  common  teaching  of  Catholics.  One  night 
he  saw  before  him  a  venerable  old  man  of  a  sacred  and 
almost  divine  beauty,  who  said  he  had  come  to  remove  his 
doubts  ;  and  immediately  he  pointed  to  a  Lady  of  ravishing 
beauty  surrounded  with  light.  These  the  Saint  soon 
recognized  as  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  St.  John  the  Evan 
gelist.  Our  Lady  invited  St.  John  to  unveil  and  explain 
the  mystery,  and,  on  the  explanation  being  given,  the  vision 
disappeared.  Petitalot,  381 ;  Livius,  316. 


22  MARY  HONOURED 

St.  Basil  the  Great  (d.  379)  speaking  of  the  Purification 
says  :  "  This  Virgin  was  not  subject  to  the  law  of  purifica 
tion  in  Deuteronomy  :  since  without  human  generation 
she  became  JErnmanuel's  Mother  pure  and  holy  and  unde- 
filed ;  and,"  after  having  become  Mother,  remained  still  a 
Virgin."  Livius,  105. 

St.  Athanasius  (d.  373).  Addressing  our  Lady  he  cries 
out  :  "It  becomes  thee,  as  being  Mother  of  God,  Queen, 
Lady  and  Mistress,  for  the  sake  of  the  King,  Lord,  God  and 
Master,  l^orn  of  thee,  to  be  mindful  of  us,  as  thou  standest 
near  Him  who  .  .  .  grants  thee  all  graces  :  whence  thou 
art  called  '  full  of  grace/  as  though  full  of  all  joy  on  account 
of  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Ghost  upon  thee.  ...  Be  mind 
ful  of  us,  most  holy  Virgin,  and  bestow  on  us  gifts  from  the 
riches  of  thy  graces,  O  thou,  full  of  grace."  Orat.  in  Deip. 
Annunt. 

St.  Ephrem  Syrus  (d.  373).  He  is  one  of  the  glories 
of  the  Eastern  Church,  and  one  of  the  inspirers  of  its 
liturgy.  He  thus  addresses  our  Lady  :  "  O  holy  Mother 
of  God  !  protect  us  under  the  wings  of  thy  piety  and 
.mercy  :  all  our  hope  is  in  thee  :  from  our  mother's  breast 
we  have  been  dedicated  to  thee  :  thou  art  the  port  of  our 
refuge,  O  Virgin  undefiled,  we  are  wholly  under  thy  tutelage 
and  protection."  Serm.  de'  laudibus  B.V.M.  "  Have 
compassion  on  our  infirmities,  Immaculate  Virgin.  Who 
can  go  to  Him  who  was  born  of  thee,  with  such  assurance  as 
thou  ?  Thou  canst  do  all  things  in  thy  quality  of  Mother 
of  God  (i.e.  by  thy  intercession).  Nothing  that  thou 
wiliest  is  impossible.  Despise  not  my  sighs  nor  deceive  my 
expectation.  By  thy  maternal  prayers  do  violence  to  the 
mercy  of  thy  Son,  and  deign  to  restore  thy  unhappy  servant 
to  his  old  and  pristine  glory.  Yea,  Virgin  above  all  praise, 
all  that  thou  wilt  thou  canst  do  with  God  whom  thou  didst 
bring  forth."  Ibid.  The  Saint's  wonderful  praise  of  our 
Lady,  see  Livius,  383  to  395. 

St.  Epiphanius  of  Salamis  1  (d.  403)  speaks  of  "  the 
1  In  Cyprus. 


BY  EASTERN   FATHERS  23 

fragrant  perfume  that  breathes  over  the  world  through 
the  virtue  of_the  holy  children  of  virginity,  which  had  its 
beginning  from  holy  Mary."  Haeres,  25,  p.  750  ;  Livius, 
302.  His  words  denouncing  false  devotion  to  our  Lady, 
viz.  adoring  her  as  though  she  were  a  goddess  :  See  in 
Livius,  302.  Defending  our  Lady's  honour  against  here 
tics  he  writes  :  "  With  what  shameless  boldness  do  they 
attack  that  stainless  Virgin,  who  merited  to  be  the  dwell 
ing-place  of  God  ;  who  out  of  the  infinite  number  of 
Israelites  was  elected  for  this  one  end,  that  she  might  be 
consecrated  as  the  vessel  and  habitation  for  the  Divine 
Childbirth  alone."  Elsewhere  he  exclaims  :  "  Hail,  full 
of  grace  :  for,  God  alone  excepted,  she  is  superior  to  all. 
By  nature  she  is  far  more  beautiful  than  the  very  Cherubim, 
and  the  entire  Angelic  host .  To  show  her  forth  no  heavenly 
nor  earthly  tongue  suffices,  nay  not  even  that  of  the 
Angels."  Livius,  215.  The  following  beautiful  prayer 
occurs  in  his  writings  :  "  Succour  me,  O  Mother  of  God  ! 
O  Mother  of  mercy  !  during  my  life  avert  from  me  the 
attacks  of  my  enemies,  and  at  the  hour  of  death  preserve 
my  miserable  soul,  and  repel  the  dark  aspect  of  the  devils. 
In  the  tremendous  day  of  Judgment  preserve  me  from 
eternal  damnation  :  finally  place  me  among  the  Saints, 
and  render  me  heir  to  the  inaccessible  glory  of  thy  Son." 
St.  John  Chrysostom  (d.  407).  (See  above  under  §  4.) 
St.  Cyril  of  Jerusalem  (d.  386)  shows  that  Mary  is 
both  the  rod  of  Aaron  and  of  Jesse.  (See  above,  §  6.) 
His  words  are  :  "  Blossoming  rod  of  Aaron  :  (Num.  xvii. 
5) .  Truly  thou  (0  Mary)  wert  the  rod,  and  thy  Son  the 
flower  ;  since  from  the  root  of  David  and  Solomon  budded 
forth  Christ,  our  Creator,  Almighty  God  and  Lord,  the 
alone  Most  High.  Of  Him  who  is  God  and  man  art  thou 
the  Mother,  Virgin  before  (His)  birth,  Virgin  in  birth, 
and  Virgin  after  birth."  Livius,  108. 

St.  Cyril  of  Alexandria  (d.  444).  Preaching  on  our 
Lady's  excellence  he  exclaims  :  "  What  man  is  there  who 
may  enumerate  the  multitudinous  graces  of  Mary  ?  O 


24  MARY   HONOURED 

Miracle  !  The  wonder  strikes  me  dumb  with  amazement." 
His  words  at  the  Council  of  Ephesus.  (See  §  n.) 

St.  Basil  of  Seleucia  (d.  448)  says  :  "  What  gifts 
sufficiently  worthy  of  her  can  we  offer — of  whom  all  earthly* 
things  are  unworthy  ?  "  His  touching  words  on  Mary 
contemplating  the  Holy  Child :  See  Livius,  395,  6. 

St.  Proclus,  Patriarch  of  Constantinople  (d.  446),  says  : 
"  Mary  is  the  glory  of  virgins,  the  joy  of  mothers,  the 
support  of  the  faithful,  the  diadem  of  the  Church,  the 
express  model  of  the  true  faith,  the  seat  of  piety,  the  robe 
of  virtue,  the  dwelling-place  of  the  Holy  Trinity."  Orat.  6. 

St.  James  of  Batnae  (d.  521).  "If  any  stain  or  defect 
had  been  in  her  soul,  the  Lord  would  have  sought  out 
another  Mother  for  Himself,  who  should  be  free  from  all 
sins." 

St.    Sophronius    of    Constantinople    (d.    638).     (See 

§  40 

St.  Tarasius  of  Constantinople  (d.  806).     (See  §  5.) 
St.  John  Damascene  (d.  754),  the  last  of  the  Greek 

Fathers.     (See  §  83.) 


SECTION   X 

MARY    HONOURED    BY    THE    EARLY    FATHERS    OF    THE 
WESTERN  CHURCH 

ST.  IRENAEUS,  Bishop  of  Lyons    (d.  202),  speaks  of 
Mary  as  the  Second  Eve,  as  unfallen  Eve,  bearing  a 
part  in  man's  Redemption  similar  to  that  which  the  first 
Eve,   by  her  transgression,   had  in  his   Fall.     Livius,   37 
seq.,  43. 

St.  Ambrose  of  Milan  (d.  397).  "  Evil  came  by  the 
woman  (Eve),  so  good  has  come  by  a  woman  :  for  by  Eve 
we  fell,  by  Mary  we  stand  ;  by  Eve  we  were  prostrated, 
by  Mary  we  are  raised  ;  by  Eve  we  were  reduced  to  slavery, 
by  Mary  we  are  made  free  (through  her  Divine  Son).  Eve 
took  from  us  length  of  days,  Mary  restored  to  us  immor- 


BY    WESTERN    FATHERS  25 

tality ;  Eve  caused  us  to  be  condemned  by  an  apple  of 
the  tree,  Mary  wrought  our  pardon  by  the  gift  of  the 
tree  ;  because  Christ  also  hung  upon  the  tree  as  fruit. 
As  therefore  we  died  through  a  tree,  so  by  a  tree  are  we 
brought  to  life.  All  (the  evil)  that  was  done  by  Adam 
is  washed  out  by  Mary  "  (i.e.  through  the  Blood  of  her 
Divine  Son).  Livius,  52,  53. 

St.  Jerome  (d.  420).  "  After  Mary  had  brought  forth 
to  us  the  strong  infant  God,  the  curse  was  removed.  Death 
came  by  Eve,  life  by  Mary."  Ad  Eustochium  de  custod. 
Virginit.  "  The  most  holy  Virgin  is  a  garden  enclosed 
whereinto  sin  and  Satan  have  never  entered  to  sully  the 
blossoms  ;  a  fountain  sealed,  sealed  with  the  seal  of  the 
Trinity."  Serm.  de  Assumpt.  "  Come  from  Lebanon, 
My  spouse,  come.  Not  unjustly  is  she  bidden  to  come 
from  Lebanon,  for  Lebanon  is  so  named  on  account  of 
its  stainless  and  glistening  whiteness.  The  earthly  Leba 
non  is  white  with  snow,  but  the  lovely  heights  of  Mary's 
holiness  are  white  with  purity  and  grace,  brilliantly  fair, 
whiter  far  than  snow,  sparkling  with  the  gifts  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  She  is  undented  like  a  dove,  all  clean,  all  upright, 
full  of  grace  and  truth.  She  is  full  of  mercy  and  of  righte 
ousness  that  hath  looked  down  from  heaven,  and,  there 
fore,  is  she  without  stain,  because  in  her  hath  never  been 
any  corruption."  Ibid. 

St.  Augustine  of  Hippo  (d.  430).  'The  life  of  Mary 
was  such  as  to  be  a  rule  of  conduct  for  all  Christians.  Her 
example  shows  us  what  we  ought  to  correct,  what  we 
ought  to  avoid,  what  we  ought  to  do."  Again  :  "  For 
the  honour  and  respect  due  to  the  Lord,  I  always  except 
Mary  when  there  is  question  of  sin."  De  natura  et  gratia. 
He  here  asserts  that  she  was  untouched  by  original  sin. 
Elsewhere  he  says  :  "  Mary  is  the  Mother  of  the  members 
of  Christ,  which  we  are  ;  because  by  her  charity  she 
co-operated  in  giving  faithful  children  to  the  Church." 
De  sancta  Virginit. 

St.   Peter  Chrysologus  of  Ravenna   (d.   450).     "  In 


26  MARY   HONOURED 

lodging  God  in  her  breast,  Mary  gave  glory  to  heaven, 
peace  to  earth,  salvation  to  the  lost,  life  to  the  dead  ; 
she  united  heavenly  things  with  earthly  ones,  and  caused 
an  intercourses  to  exist  between  God  Himself  and  the 
creature."  Serm.  64. 

St.  Gregory  of  Tours  (d.  594).  His  words  on  the 
death  and  Assumption  of  our  Lady.  (See  in  §  83.) 
Livius,  360.  His  story  of  the  little  Jewish  boy  pre 
served  miraculously  by  our  Lady  from  being  burnt  to 
death.  See  Livius,  322. 

St.  Peter  Damian  (d.  1071).  "All  creatures/'  he 
says,  "  were  groaning  and  sighing  (before  Mary's  birth). 
At  length  she  was  born,  and  appearing  in  this  gloomy 
shadowy  world,  beautiful  in  her  comeliness  she  ravished 
God  Himself,  and  drew  down  upon  her  the  eyes  of  the 
Divinity."  Serm.  de  Annunt.  "  Forthwith  the  name  of 
Mary  is  drawn  from  the  treasure  of  the  Divinity,  and  by 
it,  and  in  it,  and  with  it,  all  this  (the  work  of  Redemption) 
is  decreed  ;  that  as  without  it  nothing  was  created  (Eccl. 
xxiv.),  so  without  it  nothing  was  repaired."  Ibid.  Again  : 
"  As  the  dawn  announces  the  close  of  night  and  the  open 
ing  of  day,  so  Mary  has  dispelled  the  eternal  night,  and 
diffused  upon  earth  the  Day  (the  Light)  which  was  born 
of  her  virginity."  Serm.  de  Assumpt.  Elsewhere  he 
says  :  "  Let  us  rejoice  in  the  Nativity  of  Mary,  which 
proclaims  to  the  world  a  new  joy,  and  is  a  blessed  harbinger 
of  salvation  :  let  us  exult,  I  say,  and,  as  we  are  accus 
tomed  to  manifest  cur  joy  at  the  Nativity  of  Christ,  let 
us  rejoice  also  at  the  Nativity  of  His  Mother.  This  day 
is  born  the  Queen  of  the  world,  the  gate  of  Heaven,  the 
tabernacle  of  God,  the  star  of  the  sea,  the  celestial  ladder 
by  which  the  King  of  heaven  descended  to  earth,  and 
man  ascended  to  heaven."  Serm.  de  Nativit.  B.V.M. 

St.  Ildephonsus,  Archbishop  of  Toledo  (d.  669),  was 
remarkable  for  his  great  devotion  to  our  Lady.  When 
some  heretics  in  Spain  revived  the  heresy  of  Helvidius, 
and  denied  the  perpetual  virginity  of  the  Blessed  Virgin, 


BY   DECREES   OF  COUNCILS  27 

the  Saint  wrote  a  powerful  treatise  against  them,  in  which 
he  displayed  the  greatest  zeal  for  Mary's  honour.  By 
this  work,  and  by  frequent  exhortations  to  his  flock,  he 
effectually  checked  the  heresy.  The  story  is  told  that 
one  morning  some  time  after  this,  as  he  was  entering  his 
cathedral  for  Matins  on  the  feast  of  the  Annunciation, 
our  Lady  appeared  to  him  seated  on  a  throne,  holding  in 
her  hands  his  book  against  the  heretics.  She  thanked 
him  for  all  he  had  done  in  defence  of  her  honour,  and, 
in  token  of  her  gratitude,  gave  him  a  chasuble  for  Mass. 


SECTION   XI 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  DECREES  OF  COUNCILS 


i.  npHE  Council  of  Ephesus  (431),  the  Third  General 
JL  Council.  About  the  year  428,  Nestorius,  Patri 
arch  of  Constantinople,  raised  his  impious  voice  against 
the  Divinity  of  Christ  and  the  Divine  Maternity  of  Mary. 
Alarmed  at  this  blasphemous  impiety,  the  Fathers  of  the 
Church  assembled  in  great  numbers  at  Ephesus,  and  at 
the  opening  of  the  Council  St.  Cyril  of  Alexandria 
delivered  an  address  which  excited  the  admiration  of  the 
venerable  assembly.  It  was  received  with  acclamation, 
and  deemed  worthy  of  being  included  among  the  Acts  of 
the  Council.  Some  extracts  of  this  discourse  are  here 
given  :  "  Hail  Mary,  thou  by  whom  the  Son  of  God  giveth 
light  to  them  that  sit  in  darkness  and  the  shadow  of  death, 
by  whom  the  prophets  have  spoken,  by  whom  the  Apostles 
have  preached  salvation  to  the  world,  by  whom  the  dead 
(i.e.  sinners)  are  raised  to  life,  by  whom  Kings  reign  ! 
Who  can  give  utterance  to  the  praises  of  which  Mary  is 
worthy  !  Hail  to  thee,  O  Mary  !  venerable  treasure  of 
the  whole  earth,  inextinguishable  lamp  (light  of  the  world), 
crown  of  virginity,  sceptre  of  true  doctrine,  indissoluble 
temple  of  God,  dwelling  of  Him  whom  no  place  can  con 
tain  :  Mother  and  Virgin,  by  whom  He  is  named  Blessed 


28  MARY  HONOURED 

in  the  gospels,  Who  is  come  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 
Hail !  thou  who  hast  enclosed  in  thy  holy  virginal  womb 
the  Immense,  the  Incomprehensible  One  ;  thou  by  whom 
the  Holy  Trinity  is  adored  and  glorified  ;  by  whom  the 
precious  Cross  is  celebrated  and  reverenced  throughout 
the  world  ;  by  whom  the  heavens  exult,  the  Angels  and 
Archangels  rejoice  ;  by  whom  the  devils  are  put  to  flight, 
the  tempter  is  overcome,  frail  nature  is  raised  to  heaven. 
What  tongue  can  worthily  praise  the  most  glorious  Virgin 
Mary  ?  " 

In  this  General  Council  Mary's  glorious  title  of  Deipara 
(Theotokos,  i.e.  Mother  of  God)  was  vindicated  and  denned 
as  of  faith. 

2.  Council  of  Nicaea    (in  Asia  Minor),  A.D.  325,  the 
First  General  Council.     In  Act  6  occur  these  words  :   "  Let 
us  therefore  have  the  fear  of  God  before  our  eyes  in  all 
we  do,  soliciting  also  the  intercession  of  the  ever  unspotted 
Virgin  Mary,  our  Lady  and  Mother  of  God— and  of  all 
the  Angels  and  Saints." 

3.  Council    of    Basle    (1439),    although    schismatical, 
affords  valuable  evidence  as  to  the  belief  of  the  Bishops 
and  theologians  present  in  our  Lady's  sinlessness.     One 
of  the  decrees  of  the  36th  session  states  that  "  the  glorious 
Virgin  Mary,  Mother  of  God,  by  the  operation  of  a  singular 
anticipating  grace  of  God,  was  never  subject  to  original 
sin,  being  always  free  from  all  sin,  original  and  actual, 
always  holy  and  immaculate." 

4.  Council  of  Avignon   (1457),  which  was  convoked 
by  Cardinal  Pierre  de  la  Foix  and  Cardinal  Alanus  de 
Coetivi,  both  legates  of  the  Holy  See,  and  in  which  a  large 
number  of  Bishops  of  the  metropolis  and  of  the  provinces 
of  Aries  and  Aix  took  part,  declared  that  the  decree  of 
the  Council  of  Basel  concerning  the  Immaculate  Concep 
tion  of  Mary  was  to  be  held  inviolably. 

5.  Council  of  Trent  (1545).     In  one  of  its  decrees  on 
Original  sin,  it  confirms  what  St.  Augustine  had  said,  that, 
wherever  there  is  question  of  sin,  Mary  is  always  to  be 


IN  ANCIENT  LITURGIES  29 

except ed.     It  also  approved  of  the  feast  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception. 


SECTION   XII 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  INVOCATIONS  IN  ANCIENT 
LITURGIES  AND  HYMNS 

LEX  supplicandi  lex  credendi."  The  prayers  sanc 
tioned  by  the  Church  in  her  Offices  are  to  be 
accepted  as  an  indication  of  her  faith.  The  Liturgies  of 
the  Church,  being  the  established  formularies  of  her  public 
worship,  are  among  the  most  authentic  documents  that 
can  be  adduced  in  favour  of  any  religious  practice. 

1.  In  the  Liturgy  of  St.  James  (II  or  III  Cent.),  Mary 
is  commemorated  as  "  Our  most  holy,  immaculate,  and 
most  glorious  Lady,  Mother  of  God,  and  ever  Virgin  Mary." 
Bibl.  Max.  Patrum.  torn.  2,  31. 

2.  In  the  Maronite  Ritual  (V  Cent.)  she  is  invoked  as 
"  our  holy,   praiseworthy,   and  immaculate   Lady."     DC 
Sacris  Ordinat.  313. 

3.  In  the  Alexandrine  Liturgy  of  St.  Basil  (IV  Cent.) 
she  is  addressed  as  "  most  holy,  most  glorious,  immacu 
late."     Renaudot.  Lit.  Orient. 

4.  Ethiopia  Hymn   (V  Cent.),  translated  by  Rev.  J. 
Rodwell,  a  learned  Orientalist.     It  dates  from  A.D.  430, 
i.e.  before  the  Councils  of  Ephesus  and  Chalcedon.     The 
hymn  is  a  dogmatic  one,  intended  to  teach  the  true  doctrine 
of  Christianity.     The  following  is  an  extract  : 

"  Rejoice,  0  Mother  of  God,  thou  joy  of  Angels  ! 

"  Rejoice,  0  pure  one,  foretold  by  the  prophets. 

"  Thou  art  the  Mother  of  the  Light,  the  honourable 
Mother  of  the  Lord,  who  didst  bear  the  unseen  Word, 
and  after  bearing  Him  didst  remain  a  Virgin. 

"  Praise  and  benediction  shall  be  given  thee. 

"  Where  is  the  tongue  that  shall  be  able  to  utter  what 
should  be  said  of  thee,  O  Virgin  Mother  of  the  Word  of 


30  MARY  HONOURED 

the  Father  !  Thou  hast  become  the  throne  of  the  King 
whom  the  Cherubim  adore.  We  will  call  thee  blessed,  O 
blessed  one,  and  will  remember  thy  name  to  all  generations, 
0  fair  Dove,  Mother  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

"  All  the  heavenly  hosts  exclaim,  Blessed  art  thou  ! 
Thou  art  a  second  heaven  upon  earth,  the  Portal  of  the 
East.  The  Father  looked  down  out  of  heaven,  and  behold 
ing  none  like  thee,  sent  His  only-begotten  Son,  Who 
became  Man  of  thee. 

"  Rejoice,  O  holy  one,  Mother  of  all  who  live.  To  thee 
do  we  look  up.-  Pray  for  us."  Livius,  461  to  466. 

This  hymn  was  sung  by  the  Christians  of  Alexandria, 
and  from  them  passed  to  the  Christians  of  Ethiopia. 

5.  Syriac  Hymn  of  St.  Ephrern  (IV  Cent.).  "  Holily 
did  the  Virgin  Mary  give  birth  to  her  Son,  and  give  milk 
to  the  Nourisher  of  nations,  and  support  on  her  virginal 
knees  Him  who  upholds  all  things ;  Virgin  she  is  and 
Mother  ;  and  what  is  she  not  ? 

"  Holy  is  she  in  body,  beautiful  in  soul,  pure  in  mind, 
unalloyed  in  intelligence,  most  perfect  in  sense,  clean  of 
heart,  well-approved,  and  full  of  every  virtue. 

"  Let  the  whole  order  of  virgins  rejoice  in  Mary,  because 
she  alone  of  them  so  disposed  herself  that  she  might  bring 
forth  the  Hero  that  bears  up  all  creation,  by  whom  the 
human  race  that  groaned  under  slavery  has  been  set  free. 

"  Let  great  Adam,  struck  down  by  the  serpent,  take 
joy  in  Mary.  She  it  was  who  gave  Adam  the  new  graft, 
nurtured  wherewith  he  crushed  the  abhorred  viper,  and 
to  strength  recovered  from  its  deadly  bite. 

"  Let  priests  rejoice  in  the  Blessed  Virgin  who  gave 
birth  to  the  great  Priest  made  victim  ;  since  He  freed 
them  from  (earthly)  victims,  and  became  Himself  the 
Victim  that  appeased  the  Father. 

"  Let  the  whole  order  of  prophets  rejoice  in  Mary  ; 
because  in  her  their  visions  have 'found  their  term,  and 
prophecies  their  completion. 

"  Let  the  whole  order  of  patriarchs  rejoice  in  Mary. 


5Y  XII  CENTURY  SAINTS  31 

For  as  she  obtained  their  benediction,  so  also  did  she 
render  them  perfect  in  her  Son  ;  since  by  Him  have  seers, 
just  men,  and  priests  been  purified. 

"  Instead  of  the  bitter  fruit  that  Eve  plucked  from  the 
tree,  sweet  Fruit  has  Mary  given  to  men.  Lo,  with  Mary's 
Fruit  the  whole  world  is  delighted."  Livius,  410  seq. 


SECTION   XIII 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  SAINTS  OF  THE  XII  CENTURY1 

i.  QT.  ANSELM,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  (d.  1109). 

0  He  was  born  at  Aosta,  Piedmont,  in  1033  ;  entered 
the  Benedictine  Order  in  spite  of  his  father's  opposition  ; 
succeeded  Herluin  as  Abbot  of  Bee  in  Normandy   (the 
most  famous  school  of  the  XI  Cent.)  in  1078  ;  was  con 
secrated  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  in  succession  to  Lan- 
franc  in  1093  ;    had  great  troubles  with  William  Rufus 
and  Henry  I  on  the  subject  of  ecclesiastical  rights,  posses 
sions  and  investitures  ;    suffered  exile  for  his  resistance 
to  the   royal   tyrants,   but   was   finally  recalled.     He   is 
regarded  as  a  second  St.  Augustine,  superior  to  all  his 
contemporaries  in  intellectual  power,  scholastic  learning, 
and  dialectical  skill.     His  eminent  virtue  raised  him  to  a 
place  among  the  Saints.     He  was  very  devout  to  our  Lady, 
and  declared  such  devotion  to  be  a  mark  of  predestination. 
The  saying  "  A  servant  of  Mary  will  never  be  lost  "  is  attri 
buted  to  him.     Appealing  to  our  Lady  for  protection  he 
exclaims  :    "  Whither  shall  I  fly,  whither  go  to  hide  me 
from  the  face  of  thy  Son,  my  Judge  ?     The  Church  has 
apostles,  martyrs,  strong  defenders  whom  I  would  fain 
invoke  ;    but  thou,  my  Sovereign  Lady,  art  better  than 
all  of  them,   for  thou  art  the  universal   Queen.     What 
they  all  can  do  in  union  with  thee,  thou  canst  do  alone. 
And  whence  hast  thou  this  power  ?     It  is  that  thou  art 

1  N.B. — Only  a  few  oi  the  better  known  Saints  are  selected  from 
each  century. 


32  MARY  HONOURED 

the  Mother  of  our  Saviour,  the  Mistress  of  heaven  and 
earth.  To  thee  I  have  recourse,  with  thee  I  take  refuge, 
thee  I  pray  to  assist  me  in  all  things."  Orat.  46  ad  B.V.M. 

Speaking  of  Mary's  spotless  purity  he  says  :  "It  behoved 
the  God-Man  to  be  conceived  of  a  Mother  so  pure  that 
greater  purity,  except  in  God,  is  unimaginable.  It  was 
fitting  that  the  incomparable  Virgin,  to  whom  God  had 
decreed  to  give  His  only  Son,  should  be  adorned  with  a 
purity  so  splendid  that  none  could  conceive  a  greater 
after  that  of  God."  De  Concept,  c.  18.  Addressing  our 
Lady  he  exclaims  :  "  Holy  Mother,  Immaculate  Mother  ! 
Mother  of  piety  and  mercy  !  Open  to  me  the  bosom  of 
your  clemency."  Orat.  48.  "  Who  can  more  surely 
appease  the  anger  of  the  Judge  than  you,  who  have  merited 
to  be  the  Mother  of  this  same  Judge  and  Redeemer." 
"  The  only  grace  I  ask  of  you  in  the  Name  of  your  Son 
is,  that  you  will  give  me  a  continual  remembrance  of  your 
name,  that  it  may  be  as  sweet  food  to  my  soul."  Orat. 
57.  "  To  proclaim  this  alone  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  that 
she  is  the  Mother  of  God,  exceeds  every  height  of  dignity, 
every  title  which,  after  that  of  God,  it  is  possible  to  think 
of."' 

St.  Anselm  and  the  Immaculate  Conception.  (See  § 
77.  On  the  Assumption,  §  28,  2  d.) 

2.  St.  Bernard,  Abbot  of  Clairvaux  (d.  1153).  Efe  was 
born  at  the  castle  of  Fontaines  near  Dijon  in  Burgundy, 
1091 ;  entered  the  Cistercian  monastery  of  Citeaux  at 
the  age  of  twenty-two,  and  was  made  Abbot  of  Clairvaux 
in  Champagne  two  years  later.  He  was  one  of  our  Lady's 
most  faithful  and  devoted  clients,  and  a  great  apostle  of 
devotion  to  her.  He  says  that  all  the  graces  of  God  to 
us  pass  through  the  hands  of  Mary,  she  being  the  dispenser 
of  His  gifts  to  men.  "  Deus  nos  omnia  habere  voluit 
per  Mariam."  He  adds  that  there  is  no  grace  which  God 
will  refuse  at  her  intercession ;  that  all  our  pious  senti 
ments  and  inspirations  come  to  us  through  her  mediation  ; 
that  the  courage  and  strength  we  receive  to  practise  virtue 


BY  XII   CENTURY  SAINTS  33 

and  overcome  temptation  are  bestowed  on  us  through 
her  ;  in  fine  that  "  according  to  the  dispensation  of  Divine 
Providence,  all  the  gifts  which  we  receive  from  His  mercy 
come  to  us  through  the  hands  of  His  holy  and  powerful 
Mother,  who  is,  as  it  were,  the  treasurer  and  dispenser 
of  them  all."  His  confidence  in  Mary's  protection  is 
shown  in  the  well-known  prayer  the  "  Memorare,"  and  in 
the  following  passage :  "  Why  should  poor  weak  man 
fear  to  come  to  Mary  ?  There  is  nothing  austere,  nothing 
terrible  about  her :  she  is  all  sweetness.  Ponder  the 
whole  course  of  Gospel  history,  and  if  you  find  in  Mary 
any  such  thing  as  harshness,  and  even  the  least  sign  of 
displeasure,  trust  her  not  again  and  fear  to  draw  near  her. 
But  if  you -find  her  to  be  altogether,  as  indeed  she  is,  full 
of  a  mother's  tenderness  and  grace,  full  of  gentleness  and 
mercy,  give  thanks  unto  Him  Who,  in  the  vast  abundance 
of  His  goodness,  has  given  you  such  an  advocate  in  whom 
you  cannot  fail  to  trust.  In  fine,  through  the  boundless 
ness  of  her  charity  she  hath  made  herself  '  all  things  to 
all  men.'  i  Cor.  ix.  22.  She  openeth  to  all  the  bosom  of 
her  mercy,  that  of  her  fulness  (of  charity)  all  may  receive  ; 
the  captive,  ransom ;  the  sick,  health ;  the  sorrowful, 
comfort  ;  the  sinful,  pardon  ;  the  righteous,  grace  ;  even 
Angels,  gladness.  She  is  not  one  who  inquireth  what  we 
have  deserved ;  but  is  to  all  most  easy  to  be  entreated 
and  most  merciful ;  in  the  breadth  of  her  love,  she  hath 
pity  upon  the  needs  of  all."  Serm.  12  de  Stellis.  See 
Rom.  Brev.  May  24,  lect.  4,  5. 

Speaking  of  her  as  the  Star  of  the  Sea  he  says  :  "  She 
is  the  noble  star  of  Jacob  that  shines  in  heaven  illuminating 
the  world,  inspiring  souls,  consuming  vice  and  enkindling 
virtue.  She  is  the  wonderful  star  that  rises  above  our 
wide  horizon  by  her  example  and  by  her  merit.  Ye,  who 
are  tossed  on  the  sea  of  life  in  the  midst  of  storms  and 
tempests,  fix  your  eyes  on  the  shining  star  that  you  may 
not  be  engulfed  in  the  waves.  If  the  furies  of  temptation 
arise,  if  you  are  assailed  by  tribulation  and  driven  towards 

M.P.  D 


34  MARY  HONOURED 

the  reefs,  look  up  to  the  star  and  call  upon  Mary.  If 
anger,  avarice  or  temptation  from  the  flesh  assail  you, 
look  up  to  Mary.  If,  overwhelmed  by  the  weight  of  your 
crimes,  confused  by  your  failings,  or  terrified  by  the  fear 
of  God's  judgments,  you  sink  into  the  abyss  of  sadness 
and  despair,  think  of  Mary.  In  peril,  anguish  and  per 
plexity  call  upon  Mary.  Let  her  name  be  never  far  from 
your  heart  and  your  lips  ;  and  that  your  prayers  may 
be  rendered  effectual,  imitate  her  example.  When  you 
follow  Mary  there  is  no  straying  from  the  way  ;  when 
you  pray  to  her  there  is  no  cause  to  despair  ;  if  she  holds 
your  hand  you  will  not  fall,  and  if  she  protects  you  there 
is  no  need  of  fear.  When  she  is  your  guide,  you  will  not 
fail  to  reach  the  goal,  and  you  will  learn  with  what  truth 
it  was  said,  '  The  name  of  the  Virgin  is  Mary.'  '  Homil. 
2  super  Missus  est.  See  Rom.  Brev.  April  26,  Office  B.V.M. 
de  Bono  Consilio,  lect.  vii. 

The  concluding  words  of  the  hymn  Salve  Regina — "  O 
clement,  O  loving,  O  sweet  Virgin  Mary  !  " — are  said  to 
have  been  first  uttered  by  St.  Bernard  in  a  moment  of 
enthusiastic  religious  fervour  in  the  cathedral  of  Spires. 
To  commemorate  the  event  the  town  authorities  had 
these  titles  of  our  Lady  engraved  conspicuously  on  the 
walls  of  the  church,  that  after  generations  might  recognize 
how  constant  and  tender  was  their  devotion  to  the  Mother 
of  God. 


SECTION   XIV 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  SAINTS  OF  THE  XII  CENTURY  (cont.) 

ST.  THOMAS,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  (m.  1170), 
the  son  of  Gilbert  a  Becket,  was  born  in  South- 
wark,  1117.  Henry  II  made  him  Lord  High  Chancellor. 
Being  consecrated  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  in  1160,  for 
six  years  he  defended  the  rights  and  property  of  the  Church 
against  the  King's  tyranny,  suffering  exile  and  finally 


BY   XII   CENTURY   SAINTS  35 

martyrdom.  From  his  infancy  his  mother  taught  her 
little  son  to  fear  God,  and  inspired  him  with  a  tender 
devotion  to  Mary.  "  From  his  cradle,"  says  Dr.  Rock 
(Church  of  our  Fathers,  hi.  297),  "  St.  Thomas  was  taught 
to  ]ove  the  Virgin  Mary  by  his  own  mother,  who  used,  in 
her  hallowed  playfulness  of  heart,  to  put  her  boy,  while 
he  was  yet  a  child,  into  a  scale,  and  bestow  his  weight  in 
food,  clothing  and  money  on  the  poor,  that  she  might 
thereby  win  for  her  darling  the  prayers  and  protection  of 
Blessed  Mary."  Cardinal  Vaughan  and  the  Bishops  of 
the  Province  of  Westminster  in  a  letter  addressed  to  the 
Catholics  of  England  in  1894,  speaks  as  follows  of  St. 
Thomas'  devotion  to  our  Lady :  "It  was  commonly 
believed,  and  it  seems  to  be  uncontradicted,  that  this 
beloved  martyr  and  champion  of  the  Church's  unity  was 
not  only  one  of  Mary's  devoutest  clients,  but  had  written 
sweet  and  pious  verses  in  her  honour.  It  was  probably 
in  his  retirement  at  Pontigny,  where  his  soul  grew  nearer 
to  God,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  took  possession  of  all  his 
powers  and  aspirations,  that  he  wrote  those  hymns  which 
have  been  handed  down  to  us.  Two  sequences  of  his, 
one  beginning  Imperatrix  gloriosa,  and  the  other  Hodierna 
lux  diei,  are  found  in  numerous  Missals  of  the  Middle 
Ages  all  over  Europe  ;  and  had  not  our  liturgical  books 
been  almost  utterly  destroyed  by  the  Reformers,  we  should 
have  known  how  popular  they  were  in  England." 

St.  Hugh,  Bishop  of  Lincoln  (d.  1200),  was  born  in 
Burgundy,  1135,  and  placed  when  eight  years  old  under 
the  care  of  Canons  Regular.  He  was  ordained  deacon 
at  the  age  of  nineteen,  being  already  remarkable  for  his 
holiness  of  life  and  great  austerity.  Being  attracted  by 
the  severity  of  the  Grande  Chartreuse,  he  entered  the 
Carthusian  Order  at  Grenoble,  and  later  on  was  sent  to 
England  to  establish  a  monastery  at  Witham.  In  1186 
he  was  promoted  to  the  see  of  Lincoln,  in  which  position 
his  personal  holiness,  firmness  of  character  and  sweetness  of 
manner  gave  him  great  influence  over  Henry  II,  Richard  I 


36  MARY   HONOURED 

and  John.  England  owes  to  him  one  of  its  noblest 
ecclesiastical  buildings,  the  Cathedral  church  of  Lincoln, 
dedicated  by  him  to  the  Blessed  Virgin.  He  usually  spoke 
of  it  as  "  the  church  of  my  dear  Lady  Mary,  the  Mother 
of  God."  To  raise  this  monument  and  make  it  worthy 
of  her  whom  he  styled  his  Lady  and  Queen,  the  Saint 
was  ready  to  bestow  not  only  his  revenues,  but  his  own 
personal  service.  He  himself  worked  as  a  labourer,  and 
might  be  seen  hewing  stones  and  carrying  bricks  and 
mortar  in  the  midst  of  a  crowd  of  workmen.  The  story 
is  told  that  a  cripple  asked  to  be  allowed  to  touch  the 
rough  hod  which  the  Saint  had  been  carrying  on  his  shoul 
der,  and  at  once  obtained  a  miraculous  cure.  St.  Hugh 
spoke  of  the  estates  of  the  see  of  Lincoln  as  belonging  to 
"  our  Lady  St.  Mary/'  and  felt  himself  to  be  her  repre 
sentative  and  champion  in  the  defence  of  her  rights.  On 
arriving  at  Dover  from  the  continent  in  his  last  illness, 
his  first  thought  was  to  hasten  at  once  to  a  church,  and 
there  celebrate  Mass  in  our  Lady's  honour. 


SECTION   XV 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  SAINTS  OF  THE  XIII  CENTURY 

ST.  DOMINIC  de  Guzman  (d.  1221)  founded  the 
Order  of  Friars  Preachers  in  1215.  He  was  born  in 
Old  Castile  in  1170,  and,  at  the  age  of  twenty-four,  being 
remarkable  for  holiness  and  apostolic  zeal,  was  made 
Canon  of  the  Cathedral  of  Osma.  When  a  student  he 
had  sold  his  bcoks  to  feed  the  poor,  and  offered  himself 
in  ransom  for  a  slave.  By  means  of  the  Rosary  the  Saint 
combated  the  foul  errors  of  the  Albigenses,  and  drew  down 
abundant  grace  upon  his  apostolic  work.  He  never  began 
his  instructions  without  first  imploring  our  Lady's  assist 
ance,  and  impressed  upon  his  religious  an  extraordinary 
devotion  to  this  blessed  Queen.  In  a  life  of  the  Saint  by 
Theodoric  we  read  that  while  passing  near  the  dormitory 


BY  XIII     CENTURY   SAINTS  37 

where  his  brethren  were  sleeping  (at  Santa  Sabina  on  the 
Aventine,  Rome)  he  began  to  pray,  and  suddenly  our 
Lady  appeared  to  him  telling  him  she  had  come  to  bless 
the  infant  Order,  and  to  show  towards  it  a  special  mark 
of  her  tenderness.  On  another  occasion  he  saw  in  vision 
his  religious  gathered  under  our  Lady's  wide  mantle,  a 
sign  of  her  maternal  protection.  The  Saint  never  wearied 
of  preaching  devotion  to  God's  holy  Mother. 

St.  Francis  of  Assisi  (d.  1226),  founder  of  the  Fran 
ciscan  Order  (Friars  Minor).  He  was  born  at  Assisi  in 
1182.  His  baptismal  name  was  John,  but  from  his  fami 
liarity  in  youth  with  the  Romance  language  of  the  trou 
badours,  he  acquired  the  name  of  "II  Francesco  "  (the 
Frenchman).  He  founded  his  Order  in  1216. l  The 
Saint,  while  in  retreat  on  Mount  Alvernia  (Tuscany), 
received  the  impression  of  the  five  bleeding  Wounds  in 
his  hands,  feet  and  side.  His  heart  was  aflame  with  love 
for  our  Lady.  It  was  under  her  protection  in  the  little 
church  of  the  Portiuncula,  Assisi,  that  he  wished  to  make 
a  trial  of  the  sort  of  life  which  the  Holy  Spirit  had  inspired 
him  to  embrace.  Among  the  many  pious  practices  which 
he  adopted  in  honour  of  his  heavenly  Patroness  was  that 
of  fasting  from  the  vigil  of  St.  Peter's  feast  until  the  Assump 
tion.  He  received  during  his  lifetime  the  most  extraordi 
nary  graces  in  the  little  sanctuary  above  mentioned,  which 
has  since  become  so  renowned  under  the  title  of  St.  Mary 
of  the  Angels.  He  was  there  favoured  with  visions  of  our 
Lord  and  of  His  blessed  Mother.  Feeling  his  end  approach 
he  requested  to  be  carried  into  that  hallowed  shrine,  and 
died,  as  he  had  lived,  full  of  seraphic  love  of  Jesus  and 
Mary. 

St.  Edmund  of  Canterbury  (d.  1240).  He  was  born 
at  Abingdon  in  Berkshire,  his  family  name  being  Rich. 
While  still  a  child  he  learned  from  his  pious  mother  Mabel 
to  cherish  a  tender  devotion  to  the  Virgin-Mother  of  God. 
When  a  young  student  in  Oxford,  he  went  one  day  into 
1  See  Pilgrim  Walks  in  Rome,  p.  70. 


38  MARY   HONOURED 

St.  Mary's  Church,  the  most  frequented  place  of  worship 
in  the  town,  and  there  "  in  the  presence  of  his  confessor, 
he  promised  to  offer  and  to  vow  his  unsullied  virginity 
to  Mary,  the  most  chaste  Mother  of  God,  and  to  preserve 
it  all  the  days  of  his  life,  reciting  words  to  this  effect  before 
her  statue.  Then  suddenly  he  rose  up  and  placed  a  ring 
(which  he  had  procured  for  the  purpose)  on  the  finger  of 
the  statue,  saying,  as  he  fitted  it  on  :  '  To  thee,  O  most 
pure  Virgin  of  virgins,  I  vow,  promise,  and  consecrate 
the  gift  of  my  chastity.  With  this  ring  I  plight  thee  my 
troth,  and  gratefully  adopt  thee  for  my  Lady  and  Spouse  ; 
that  so  I,  a  virgin,  may  merit  the  grace  to  serve  thee  a 
Virgin  better  for  the  future.'  And  on  bended  knees  he 
prayed  most  devoutly  before  the  statue,  as  though  before 
the  Mother  of  God  herself ;  and,  pouring  forth  abundant 
tears  ...  he  said  :  '  O  Lady,  most  dear  to  my  heart, 
obtain  from  Thy  Son,  my  Lord,  by  thy  prayers  that  I 
may  persevere  in  the  service  of  you  both,  and  so  merit 
to  follow  the  footsteps  of  JBlessed  John  the  Evangelist.' 
And  after  his  prayer,  when  he  wished  to  take  off  the  ring 
which  he  had  placed  on  the  finger  of  the  statue,  lest  it 
might  be  the  cause  of  wonderment  to  the  people,  he  was 
not  able  to  do  so,  though  he  tried  in  every  way  he  could. 
Whereat  rejoicing  he  conceived  the  hope  that  the  Blessed 
Virgin  had  favourably  accepted  his  vow."  Cot.  MS.  f.  124. 
During  his  studies  in  Oxford  and  in  Paris,  Mary's  image 
stood  ever  on  his  table  ;  and  when  at  length  after  a  life 
of  long  conflict  he  came  to  die,  his  love  of  her  shone  out 
more  brightly  than  ever.  Having  received  with  great 
joy  the  last  Sacraments,  he  asked  that  his  Crucifix,  with  the 
figure  of  the  Mother  of  Sorrows,  might  be  brought  to  him. 
He  kissed  them  with  inexpressible  tenderness,  and  having 
laid  himself  on  the  floor,  caused  them  to  be  so  placed  that 
his  dying  eyes  might  rest  on  these  representations  of  Jesus 
and  Mary,  and  so  his  soul  went  to  God.  H.  S.  Bowden. 
St.  Hedwige  (d.  1242),  wife  of  Henry,  Duke  of  Silesia. 
Devotion  to  the  Blessed  Sacrament  was  the  keynote  of 


BY  XIII   CENTURY   SAINTS  39 

her  life.  Summer  and  winter  she  walked  barefoot  to  the 
church,  her  feet  often  bleeding,  and  knelt  for  hours  before 
the  altar  without  leaning  on  any  support.  In  honour 
of  Christ  and  His  Apostles  she  kept  always  by  her  thirteen 
poor  persons,  suffering  from  incurable  diseases.  She  used 
to  carry  about  with  her  a  picture  of  our  Lady,  and  con 
tinued  to  hold  it  tightly  with  three  fingers  of  the  left  hand 
when  dying  ;  so  that  after  death  it  could  not  be  removed. 
She  was  buried  with  it,  and  twenty-five  years  after  her 
death,  when  her  grave  was  opened,  the  fingers  incorrupt 
still  held  the  holy  picture. 

St.  Hyacinth,  O.P.  (d.  1257),  the  apostle  of  Poland 
and  Russia.  He  had  inherited  from  St.  Dominic  a  child 
like  confidence  in  the  Mother  of  God  :  to  her  he  ascribed 
the  success  of  his  missionary  labours,  and  to  her  aid  he 
looked  for  his  salvation.  On  the  eve  of  her  Assumption 
he  was  warned  of  his  coming  death.  In  spite  of  a  wasting 
fever  he  celebrated  Mass  on  the  feast,  and  communicated 
as  a  dying  man.  He  was  anointed  at  the  foot  of  the  altar 
and  died  that  very  day.  The  story  is  told  of  him  that 
when  he  was  at  Kiev,  the  Tartars  sacked  the  town,  but 
it  was  only  as  he  finished  Mass  that  the  Saint  heard  of 
the  danger.  Without  waiting  to  unvest  he  took  the 
ciborium  in  his  hands,  and  was  leaving  the  church.  As 
he  passed  by  a  statue  of  Mary  he  heard  a  voice  say  :  "  Hya 
cinth,  my  son,  why  dost  thou  leave  me  behind  ?  Take 
me  with  thee,  and  leave  me  not  in  the  hands  of  enemies." 
The  statue  was  of  heavy  alabaster,  but  when  Hyacinth 
took  it  in  his  arms,  it  became  light  as  a  reed.  With  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  and  the  image  he  came  to  the  river 
Dnieper,  and  walked  dryshod  over  the  surface  of  the 
waters.  H.  S.  Bowden. 

Blessed  Herman  Joseph  (d.  1230).  From  his  earliest 
years  he  was  a  devoted  client  of  the  Mother  of  God.  When 
a  little  child  he  used  to  spend  all  his  playtime  in  the 
church  at  Cologne  before  an  image  of  Mary.  Once  our 
Lady  is  said  to  have  stretched  out  her  hand  to  take  an 


40  MARY   HONOURED 

apple  which  the  boy  offered  her  in  pledge  of  his  love. 
Another  time  he  saw  her  high  up  in  the  tribune,  with  the 
Holy  Child  and  St.  John  :  he  longed  to  join  them,  but 
saw  no  way  of  doing  so.  Suddenly  he  found  himself 
raised  in  the  air  and  placed  by  their  side,  where  he  held 
sweet  converse  with  the  Infant  Jesus.  At  the  age  of 
twelve  he  entered  the  Premonstratensian  house  at  Stein- 
feld,  and  there  led  an  angelic  life  of  purity  and  prayer. 


SECTION   XVI 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  SAINTS  OF  THE  XIII  CENTURY  (cont.) 

ST.  THOMAS  OF  AQUIN  (d.  1274).  This  Saint, 
surnamedthe  "  Angel  of  the  Schools  "  on  account  of 
his  angelical  chastity  and  the  purity  of  his  doctrine,  always 
cherished  a  most  affectionate  devotion  to  the  Virgin 
Mother  of  God,  who  repaid  his  affection  by  many  remark 
able  favours.  He  consecrated  his  talent  to  the  defence 
of  her  sublime  privileges,  and  offered  all  his  labours,  studies, 
writings  to  her.  While  at  work  at  his  desk  he  had  con 
tinually  before  his  eyes  the  images  of  Jesus  crucified  and 
of  His  blessed  Mother,  and  he  confessed  to  his  disciples 
that  it  was  from  them  that  he  had  received  all  his  learning. 
He  declared  some  days  before  his  death  that  the  Mother 
of  God  had  appeared  to  him,  and  that  she  had  always 
obtained  from  him  whatever  he  asked  of  her.  Speaking 
of  our  Lady's  spotlessness  he  says  :  "  The  Blessed  Virgin 
committed  no  sin  mortal  or  venial,  that  in  her  might  be 
fulfilled  that  phrase  of  the  Canticle  of  Canticles,  '  Thou 
art  all  fair,  my  beloved,  and  there  is  no  stain  in  thee.'  ' 
Summa  Theol.  III.  q.  27,  a.  4.  Again  :  "  Mary  never 
would  have  been  worthy  to  be  Mother  of  God  if  she  had 
committed  a  single  sin."  "  The  Blessed  Virgin  being  a 
creature  we  do  not  owe  her  the  cult  of  Latria,  but  we  owe 


BY  XIII   CENTURY   SAINTS  41 

her  in  a  more  eminent  degree  than  to  other  beings  (Saints 
and  Angels)  the  cult  of  Dulia,  in  that  she  is  the  Mother 
of  God."  Summa  III.  q.  25.  This  special  cult  paid  to 
our  Lady  is  known  as  Hyperdulia.  See  St.  Bonaventure's 
words  below. 

St.  Bonaventure  (d.  1274),  one  of  the  greatest  of  St. 
Francis'  sons,  and  one  of  the  brightest  lights  of  his  Order. 
He  is  known  as  the  "  Seraphic  Doctor  "  from  the  fervour 
of  divine  love  which  breathes  in  his  writings.  He  was 
the  friend  of  St.  Thomas  of  Aquin,  who  asked  him  one 
day  whence  he  drew  the  wonderful  thoughts  that  abound 
in  his  works  :  the  Saint  replied  by  pointing  to  his  Crucifix. 
He  wrote  a  long  Psaltery  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  full  of 
sweetness  and  devotion.  Speaking  of  her  he  says  :  "It 
is  impossible  that  the  virginity  of  that  body  wherein  God 
dwelt,  should  ever  have  suffered  the  least  stain,  or  that 
the  holiness  of  her  soul  should  ever  have  been  tarnished 
by  the  shadow  of  a  sin."  "  The  worship  that  befits  Mary 
is  that  of  hyperdulia,  because  she  possesses  a  dignity  far 
above  that  of  the  Angels  and  Saints,  by  the  very  fact  that 
she,  as  Mother  of  God,  is  singularly  raised  above  other 
created  beings." 

St.  Simon  Stock,  Carmelite  (d.  1265).  He  was  born 
in  the  county  of  Kent,  and  left  his  home  when  he  was  but 
twelve  years  of  age  to  live  as  a  hermit  in  the  hollow  trunk 
of  a  tree,  whence  he  was  known  as  Simon  of  the  Stock. 
After  twenty  years  of  this  penitential  life  he  learnt  from 
our  Lady  that  he  was  to  join  an  Order  not  then  known 
in  England.  He  waited  in  patience  till  the  White  Friars 
came,  and  then  entered  the  Order  of  Our  Lady  of  Mount 
Carmel.  He  repeatedly  asked  this  heavenly  Queen  to 
make  known  to  him  how  he  could  best  honour  her.  One 
day,  while  in  prayer  before  her  statue,  she  appeared  to 
him  bearing  in  her  hands  a  scapular  (such  as  monks  wear), 
which  she  gave  him  saying  that  this  was  the  means  by 
which  she  would  be  honoured,  and  by  it  she  wished  her 
true  servants  to  be  distinguished.  She  further  promised 


42  MARY  HONOURED 

that  this  holy  habit  would  be  a  pledge  of  salvation  to 
those  who  wore  it  faithfully  till  death. 

St.  Louis  of  France  (d.  1270).  This  glorious  King 
was  animated  from  his  very  childhood  with  a  tender 
devotion  towards  God's  blessed  Mother.  In  order  to 
honour  her  and  imitate  her  humility,  every  Saturday  he 
used  to  entertain  a  number  of  poor  persons  in  his  palace, 
washing  their  feet  and  waiting  on  them  at  table.  He 
died  on  a  Saturday,  as  he  had  desired,  wishing  to  crown 
by  this  last  act  all  the  honour  he  had  paid  to  Mary  on 
that  day  during  his  life-time. 

St.  Philip  Benizi  (d.  1285).  He  was  born  in  Florence, 
and  in  his  fifteenth  year,  after  praying  to  our  Lady  for 
light  and  guidance,  entered  the  Servite  Order,  then  recently 
established.  There  he  devoted  himself  wholly  to  Mary's 
service,  striving  to  win  the  approbation  of  the  Queen  of 
Heaven  by  holiness  of  life  and  imitation  of  her  virtues. 
Being  ordained  Priest,  he  preached  up  and  down  Europe 
with  marvellous  success  under  Mary's  protection,  his  con 
stant  aim  being  to  spread  devotion  to  her  Seven  Dolours. 
By  this  means  he  effected  countless  conversions,  our  Lady 
manifestly  blessing  his  apostolical  labours.  His  life  was 
marked  by  great  purity  of  heart  and  mind,  and  by  the 
practice  of  the  highest  virtues.  He  fell  ill  on  the  feast 
of  the  Assumption,  and  died  on  the  octave  day. 

The  Seven  Servite  Saints  (XIII  Cent.),  founders  of 
the  Order.  On  the  feast  of  the  Assumption,  1233,  seven 
Florentine  nobles  met  together,  as  their  custom  was,  to 
recite  the  Office  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  Suddenly  she 
appeared  before  them,  and  bade  them  forsake  the  world 
for  a  more  perfect  life.  At  once,  like  the  Christians  of 
old,  they  sold  their  goods,  gave  the  money  to  the  poor, 
changed  their  senatorial  robes  for  the  simple  habit  of 
religious,  and  retired  to  a  lonely  spot  on  Monte  Senario, 
some  ten  miles  from  Florence.  To  one  of  them,  named 
Alexis  Falconieri,  our  Lady  presented  the  black  habit 
which  they  were  told  to  wear  in  memory  of  the  Passion 


BY   XIV   CENTURY   SAINTS  43 

of  her  Son.  They  propagated  everywhere  devotion  to 
Mary's  Seven  Dolours.  The  name  "  Servites  "  was  given 
to  them  because  a  child  at  its  mother's  breast,  seeing  them 
enter  Florence,  cried  out  :  "  See,  the  servants  of  the 
Madonna  !  "  H.  S.  Bowden. 


SECTION   XVII 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  SAINTS  OF  THE  XIV  CENTURY 

ST.  GERTRUDE,  Abbess  (d.  1302).  Born  of  a  noble 
Saxon  family,  she  was  placed  for  her  education  at 
the  age  of  five  in  the  Benedictine  Abbey  of  Rodelsdorf, 
and  later  entered  the  Order,  where  she  soon  became  perfect 
in  humility,  mortification,  obedience  and  all  other  religious 
virtues.  Her  life  was  crowded  with  wonders.  One 
Christmas  night  she  saw  the  Mother  of  God  enter  the 
choir  and  accost  each  of  the  nuns,  presenting  to  each  her 
Divine  Child,  whom  she  carried  in  her  arms.  On  another 
occasion  our  Lady  allowed  her  to  embrace  the  Divine 
Infant,  and  she  says  she  felt  His  little  arms  around  her 
neck,  and  a  breath  from  His  lips  full  of  the  sweetness  of 
heaven.  On  the  feast  of  our  Lady's  Nativity,  Gertrude 
saw  her  during  Mass  praying  for  the  community  with 
clasped  hands,  while  Christ  in  answer  turned  towards 
the  nuns  and  blessed  them  with  the  sign  of  the  cross, 
thereby  preparing  them  to  receive  more  worthily  the 
adorable  Sacrament  of  His  Body  and  Blood. 

St.  Andrew  Corsini,  Bishop  of  Fiesole  (d.  1373),  a 
Florentine  of  noble  birth.  His  pious  parents  had  dedi 
cated  him  to  our  Lady  from  his  birth,  but  at  the  age  of 
fifteen,  Andrew  entered  the  way  of  sinful  frivolity  that 
leads  to  perdition.  His  mother  reminded  him  with  tears 
that  he  had  been  consecrated  to  Mary,  and  this  reminder 
made  him  a  Saint.  Entering  the  Carmelite  Order  he 
advanced  rapidly  in  virtue,  and  soon  became  a  model  of 
perfection.  At  the  command  of  his  Superiors  he  became 


44  MARY  HONOURED 

a  Priest,  and  was  afterwards  chosen  Bishop  of  Fiesole, 
near  Florence,  a  dignity  he  strove  his  utmost  to  avoid. 
Throughout  his  religious  life  he  retained  the  warmest 
devotion  for  Mary,  his  powerful  protectress,  whose  glory 
he  strove  to  advance  by  every  means  in  his  power.  While 
praying  one  Christmas  night  in  her  little  chapel  of  the 
Primerana,  Fiesole,  he  was  warned  by  her  of  his  approach 
ing  death,  and  on  the  following  feast  of  the  Epiphany 
his  blessed  soul  took  its  flight  to  heaven. 

St.  Catherine  of  Sienna  (d.  1380).  The  daughter  of 
a  humble  tradesman,  she  was  raised  up  to  be  the  guide 
and  guardian  of  the  Church  in  one  of  the  most  trying 
periods  of  its  history.  As  a  child,  prayer  was  her  delight. 
She  would  say  the  "  Hail  Mary  "  on  each  step  as  she 
mounted  the  stairs,  and  was  granted  a  vision  of  Christ 
in  glory.  When  seven  years  old  she  made  a  vow  of  per 
petual  chastity,  and  took  our  Lady  in  a  special  manner 
as  her  beloved  Mother.  It  was  her  wont  never  to  com 
mence  any  action  without  first  recommending  it  to  Mary  ; 
and  with  the  desire  of  consecrating  herself  more  closely 
to  her,  she  entered  the  Third  Order  of  St.  Dominic  at  the 
age  of  fifteen.  From  that  time  all  her  thoughts,  all  her 
hopes  seemed  centred  in  Mary,  who  in  turn  bestowed 
marvellous  favours  on  this  seraphic  soul. 

St.  Bridget  of  Sweden  (d.  1373)  was  born  of  the 
Swedish  royal  family  in  1304.  At  ten  years  of  age  she 
was  most  tenderly  affected  by  a  sermon  on  the  Passion, 
and  thereafter  the  image  of  Christ  crucified  was  ever 
present  to  her  soul.  She  relates  in  her  revelations  that 
she  one  day  obtained  of  God  the  conversion  and  grace 
of  a  happy  death  for  a  great  sinner,  because  she  implored 
it  through  the  sorrows  of  Mary  during  her  Son's  Passion. 
She  also  heard  our  Lord  say  that  His  Mother  was  justly 
styled  "  Mother  of  Mercy,"  for  there  was  no  misery  so 
abject  that  she  despised,  no  distress  so  great  that  she  did 
not  commiserate,  and  incline  the  Divine  Heart  to  pity. 
Addressing  the  Saint  He  said  :  "  Ask  what  thou  wilt 


BY  XV   CENTURY  SAINT  45 

through  My  Mother  Mary,  for  neither  thy  charity  nor 
thy  request  will  be  rejected/'    Revelations,  Bk.  vi.  c.  33. 

Blessed  Henry  Suso,  O.P.  (d.  1366),  a  great  ascetic 
of  the  Middle  Ages.  Speaking  of  our  Lady  as  the  comforter 
of  the  afflicted  he  says  :  "  When  our  heart  is  oppressed 
with  grief  and  fear  and  can  find  no  remedy  for  its  suffering, 
we  have  no  resource  but  to  look  upwards  to  the  Queen 
of  Heaven,  the  Virgin  Mary.  In  every  struggle  wre  are 
sure  to  find  in  her  both  help  and  consolation.  In  truth 
thou  art,  O  Mary,  the  Mediatrix  between  sinners  and  thy 
Divine  Son  ;  thou  art  the  consoler,  the  asylum  of  the 
afflicted.  Turn  then  and  look  with  pity  on  me,  thou 
who  hast  never  turned  away  thine  eyes  from  souls  in 
desolation,  for  in  thee  is  my  hope.  How  many  sinners, 
after  abandoning  and  denying  their  Lord,  losing  all  hope, 
have  found  refuge  in  thee,  and,  under  thy  protection, 
returned  to  God's  grace  !  Divine  virtue  has  made  thee 
so  kind  even  to  sinners  that  thy  goodness  restores  us  to 
hope.  Yes,  heaven  and  earth  shall  perish  before  thou 
art  seen  to  abandon  the  miserable  (beings)  who  pray  to 
thee  sincerely.  Truly  art  thou  Queen  and  Mother  of 
mercy.  Rise  up,  then,  and  be  our  Mediatrix  to  reconcile 
us  to  thy  Divine  Son,  so  that,  thanks  to  thee,  He  may 
pardon  and  bring  us  to  eternal  life." 


SECTION   XVIII 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  SAINTS  OF  THE  XV  CENTURY 

ST.  VINCENT  FERRER,  O.P.  (d.  1419),  known 
as  the  "  Angel  of  the  Judgment."  He  was  born 
at  Valencia  in  Spain  in  1350,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
was  professed  in  the  Order  of  St.  Dominic.  His  marvellous 
apostolate  lasted  twenty-one  years,  countless  conversions 
being  the  fruit  of  his  preaching  wherever  he  went.  A 
tender  love  for  the  Blessed  Virgin  characterized  him  from 
childhood.  He  strove  his  utmost  to  copy  her  virtues 


4  6  MARY   HONOURED 

and  please  her  by  the  great  purity  of  his  life.  One  day 
while  praying  to  her,  the  Queen  of  Heaven  appeared  to 
him,  and  promised  her  protection  in  every  assault  against 
his  virtue.  He  afterwards  led  the  life  of  an  angel  rather 
than  of  a  man,  advancing  as  it  were  with  winged  feet  in 
the  paths  of  virtue  and  religious  perfection. 

St.  Bernardine  of  Sienna  (d.  1446),  one  of  the  glories 
of  the  Franciscan  Order.  From  early  boyhood  it  was  his 
habit  to  go  every  morning  to  salute  a  frescoed  picture  of 
our  Lady  that  crowned  one  of  the  gates  of  the  town. 
There,  as  he  knelt  in  prayer,  he  committed  to  her  maternal 
care  his  innocence,  and  chose  her  as  his  Patroness  and 
Protectress.  From  her  he  received  his  vocation  to  the 
Franciscan  Order,  the  gift  of  touching  the  hearts  of  even 
the  most  hardened  sinners,  and  the  power  of  working 
miracles.  He  became  the  apostle  of  the  Holy  Name  of 
Jesus  throughout  Italy.  Speaking  of  our  Lady  he  says  : 
"  Mary  has  the  keys  of  the  divine  treasury,  so  that  she 
can  distribute  to  whom  she  wills  and  as  much  as  she  wills, 
the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit."  Serm.  in  Nativ.  B.V.  a.  i. 
Hence  the  oft-quoted  saying,  "  Quod  Deus  imperio,  tu 
prece,  Virgo,  potes  "':  "  What  God  can  do  by  His  Will, 
thou,  O  Virgin,  canst  do  by  prayer."  Hence  also  she  is 
styled  "  Omnipotentia  supplex,"  i.e.  "  Omnipotent  through 
prayer,"  as  having  a  power  founded  on  divine  goodness, 
able  to  obtain  any  favour  from  her  Divine  Son.  St. 
Bernardine  was  born  on  September  8,  the  feast  of  our 
Lady's  Nativity,  and  he  chose  that  day  for  receiving  the 
religious  habit,  for  celebrating  his  first  Mass,  and  for 
preaching  his  first  sermon.  He  seemed  never  to  be  able 
to  do  enough  to  show  his  affection  for  her,  and  to  spread 
devotion  to  her. 

St.  Casimir,  son  of  Casimir  III,  King  of  Poland  (d. 
1483).  This  young  Saint,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
five,  was  animated  from  his  earliest  years  with  a  most 
tender  devotion  to  Mary.  To  her  he  consecrated  his 
innocence  by  a  vow  of  chastity,  and  chose  rather  to  die 


BY  XVI   CENTURY  SAINTS  47 

than  forfeit  that  treasure.  He  was  fond  of  repeating  the 
hymn  "  Omni  die  die  Mariae,"  etc.  :  "  Daily,  daily  sing 
to  Mary,"  written,  it  is  said,  by  St.  Bernard,  though  by 
some  attributed  to  St.  Casimir.  He  desired  a  copy  of 
it  to  be  placed  in  his  coffin  and  buried  with  him.  Count 
less  miracles  took  place  at  his  tomb.  One  hundred  and 
twenty-two  years  after  his  death  his  tomb  was  opened 
in  the  cathedral  of  Vienna,  when  his  body  was  found 
incorrupt,  and  under  his  head  was  the  hymn  to  our  Lady. 


SECTION   XIX 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  SAINTS  OF  THE  XVI  CENTURY 

ST.  IGNATIUS  OF  LOYOLA  (d.  1556),  the  founder 
of  the  Society  of  Jesus.  He  was  always  tenderly 
devoted  to  Mary,  and  loved  to  visit  her  sanctuaries  round 
Loyola.  After  being  seriously  wounded  at  Pampeluna, 
as  he  lay  convalescent  in  his  father's  castle,  he  was  favoured 
with  a  vision  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  who  obtained  for 
him  the  gift  of  perfect  chastity,  never  after  assailed  by 
temptations.  The  better  to  recall  the  principal  events 
of  the  life  of  Christ  and  of  the  Saints,  he  wrote  copious 
notes  during  his  convalescence  in  a  quarto  volume  of  300 
pages,  the  words  and  actions  of  Christ  being  noted  down 
in  bright  red  ink,  some  even  in  gold,  those  of  our  Lady 
in  bl*ie,  and  those  of  the  Saints  in  various  other  colours. 
In  the  beginning  of  his  conversion  to  a  perfect  life,  imitat 
ing  the  knights  of  old,  he  made  his  "  Vigil  of  Arms  "  in 
Mary's  sanctuary  at  Montserrat.  On  his  way  there,  a 
Moor,  with  whom  he  was  travelling,  began  to  speak  dis 
respectfully  of  our  Lady,  denying  her  perpetual  virginity. 
The  Saint,  after  vainly  trying  to  convince  him,  was  tempted 
to  run  him  through  with  his  sword,  and  could  hardly 
withhold  himself.  In  jej^^Jie  chose  her  church  at  Mont- 
martre,  there  to  lay  the  first  foundations  of  his  Society 
on  the  feast  of  her  Assumption.  His  solemn  religious 


4S  MARY  HONOURED 

profession  and  that  of  his  first  companions  was  made  at 
Mary's  altar  in  St.  Paul's  basilica,  Rome,  April,  1541.  It 
was  his  desire  that  devotion  to  her  should  ever  be~one  of 
the  characteristic  features  of  the  Society.  The  first  church 
he  secured  for  his  Order  was  "  Santa  Maria  della  Strada," 
where  an  ancient  picture  of  her  is  greatly  venerated.  For 
long  years  the  Saint  had  continually  near  his  heart  a  small 
picture  of  our  Lady  of  Dolours,  and  he  declared  that  he 
had  by  this  means  obtained  many  graces.  He  was 
favoured  more  than  once  with  visions  of  the  adorable 
Trinity,  of  holy  Mary  and  her  Divine  Child. 

St.  Francis  Xavier  (d.  1552).  One  of  St.  Ignatius' 
first  companions.  This  great  Apostle  of  the  Indies  had 
a  very  tender  devotion  to  the  Mother  of  God.  He  pro 
nounced  his  first  religious  vows  in  her  sanctuary  at  Mont- 
martre  (Paris)  on  the  feast  of  the  Assumption,  1534.  In 
his  apostolic  journeys  he  invariably  wore  her  Rosary 
round  his  neck  or  attached  to  his  cincture  :  all  his  sermons 
and  instructions  he  began  by  invoking  her  aid,  and  con 
cluded  with  the  "  Salve  Regina."  In  every  difficulty  he 
had  recourse  to  her,  and  he  is  said  to  have  made  a  vow 
to  defend  her  Immaculate  Conception.  As  he  lay  dying 
in  the  island  of  Sanciano,  off  the  coast  of  China,  his  lips, 
we  are  told,  kept  murmuring  "  Monstra  te  esse  Matrem," 
"  Show  thyself  a  Mother."  The  story  is  told  l  that  a 
merchant  of  Meliapur,  about  to  sail  for  Malacca,  asked 
the  Saint  for  some  parting  souvenir.  St.  Francis  gave 
him  his  rosary  saying,  "  This  will  be  of  great  service  to 
you,  if  only  you  have  confidence  in  Mary."  Hardly  had 
they  wreighed  anchor,  when  a  fearful  storm  arose  which 
dashed  the  ship  to  pieces  on  a  rock.  There  appeared  no 
chance  of  safety  for  the  crew,  when  suddenly  the  merchant, 
remembering  St.  Francis  Xavier 's  parting  injunciion,  and 
trusting  confidently  in  Mary's  help,  grasped  his  rosary  in 
his  hand,  and  instantly  the  whole  party  found  themselves, 
how  they  knew  not,  safe  on  shore. 

1  Month  of  May,  by  Rev.  Father  Beckx,  SJ. 


BY  XVI   CENTURY  SAINTS  49 

St.  Francis  Borgia  (d.  1572),  third  General  of  the 
Society  of  Jesus.  He  had  been  Duke  of  Gandia,  Viceroy 
of  Catalonia,  a  great  favourite  of  the  Emperor  Charles  V, 
and  was  a  Saint  amid  the  splendours  of  court-life.  An 
incident  at  the  funeral  of  the  Empress  Isabella,  whose 
features,  on  opening  the  coffin  to  certify  the  remains  as 
being  hers,  were  seen  to  be  so  terribly  ravaged  by  death 
that  the  sight  inspired  horror,  made  him  resolve  to 
quit  the  world  and  all  earthly  vanities.  He  was  fond  of 
relating  that  he  owed  his  vocation  in  great  measure  to 
our  Lady,  and  throughout  his  religious  life  he  preserved 
the  most  lively  gratitude  for  this  favour.  So  convinced 
was  he  that  devotion  to  Mary  is  a  necessary  means  to 
arrive  at  religious  perfection,  that,  when  General  of  the 
Society,  he  refused  to  admit  into  it  some  novices  who 
seemed  cold  in  their  devotion  to  her.  With  Pope  St. 
Pius  V's  permission,  never  given  before,  he  caused  copies 
of  our  Lady's  picture  in  St.  Mary  Major  to  be  painted, 
and  sent  to  different  houses  of  the  Society.  One  was  given 
to  Blessed  Ignatius  Azevedo,  Martyr,  who  held  it  tightly 
in  his  arms  when  cast  into  the  sea  by  Calvinist  corsairs. 

Of  the  members  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  the  Saint  used 
to  say :  "It  would  be  a  monstrous  thing  if  any  one  were 
to  belong  to  the  Society  of  Jesus  and  did  not  love,  serve, 
and  revere  the  Mother  of  Jesus."  Above  all  he  expected 
to  find  this  devotion  shining  forth  in  the  novices  of  the 
Society.  If  a  novice  had  a  marked  love  for  Mary,  the 
Saint  felt  sure  that,  no  matter  how  many  were  his  diffi 
culties  and  temptations,  he  would  persevere.  If  any 
novice  showed  little  practical  devotion  to  Mary,  he  said 
he  felt  convinced  he  would  not  stay  in  the  Society. 

St.  Aloysius  Gonzaga  (d.  1591).  This  angelical 
youth,  the  privileged  child  of  Mary,  was  inspired  to  make 
a  vow  of  perpetual  chastity  before  her  altar  in  the  church 
of  SSma  Annunziata,  Florence,  when  only  nine  years  old. 
A  few  years  later,  when  acting  as  page  at  the  court  of  Spain, 
he  received  a  distinct  call  from  our  Lady  to  enter  the 

M.P.  E 


50  MARY  HONOURED 

Society  of  Jesus.  His  mind,  ever  filled  with  loving  thoughts 
of  Jesus  and  Mary,  was  never  troubled  by  an  impure 
temptation.  His  greatest  pleasure  was  to  visit  the  sanc 
tuaries  of  Mary,  and  he  is  said,  even  at  the  age  of  twelve, 
to  have  fasted  every  Saturday  in  her  honour,  taking  nothing 
but  bread  and  water.  In  all  his  needs  he  had  recourse 
to  her,  and  was  unwearying  in  his  efforts  to  make  himself 
more  and  more  pleasing  to  her  and  her  Divine  Son. 

St.  Stanislaus  Kostka  (d.  1568).  As  a  child  he  was 
more  like  an  Angel  than  a  human  being,  and  was  so  sensi 
tive  and  pure-hearted  that  he  would  faint  on  hearing  an 
indelicate  word.  Twice  he  received  Holy  Communion 
from  an  Angel,  and  was  favoured  with  a  wonderful  vision 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  who  placed  the  Infant  Jesus  in 
his  arms.  She  bade  him  enter  the  Society  of  her  Son. 
His  zeal  for  Mary's  honour  led  him  to  make  extracts  from 
the  works  of  the  Fathers  and  Saints  referring  to  her  or 
in  praise  of  her.  When  conversing  with  others  he  always 
contrived  to  say  something  in  his  Mother's  honour.  While 
kneeling  before  the  picture  of  St.  Mary  Major  in  Rome 
he  fell  into  an  ecstasy  :  and  on  leaving  the  basilica  Father 
Emmanuel  Sa  said  to  him :  "  Stanislaus,  you  seem  to 
love  the  Blessed  Virgin  very  much."  "  Ah,  yes,"  was 
the  Saint's  reply,  "  she  is  my  Mother.  The  Mother  of 
God  is  my  Mother  !  "  His  pure  soul  took  its  flight  to 
heaven  on  the  feast  of  her  Assumption,  at  the  age  of 
seventeen. 


SECTION  XX 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  SAINTS  OF  THE  XVI  CENTURY  (cont.) 

ST.    CHARLES    BO RROMEO,  Archbishop  of  Milan 
(d.  1584).     He  was  the  nephew  of  Pope  Pius  IV,  who 
created  him  Cardinal  when  only  twenty-two  years  of  age. 
As  Archbishop  he   effected  wonderful   reforms,   restored 


BY   XVI   CENTURY   SAINTS  51 

ecclesiastical  discipline,  founded  schools  and  seminaries, 
and  proved  himself  a  living  copy  of  the  Good  Shepherd. 
He  felt  a  sort  of  impassioned  love  for  his  Mother  Mary, 
reciting  her  Rosary  every  day  on  his  knees  as  well  as  her 
Office,  and  fasting  on  the  eves  of  all  her  feasts.  On  hearing 
the  Angelus  bell  he  would  fall  on  his  knees  even  in  the 
public  street,  though  the  ground  might  be  wet  and  muddy. 
He  established  in  his  Cathedral  church  in  Milan  a  chapel 
and  confraternity  of  the  Rosary.  Over  the  main  door 
of  every  church  in  the  Archdiocese  he  caused  an  image 
of  .Mary  to  be  placed,  as  a  reminder  to  the  faithful  that 
she  is  the  Gate  of  Heaven,  and  that  if  they  wished  to 
enter  into  that  temple  of  glory,  it  must  be  through  her 
intercession.  All  the  pious  institutions  founded  by  him 
were  dedicated  to  Mary,  and  placed  under  her  protection. 

St.  Teresa  (d.  1582).  She  was  the  Foundress  of  the 
Reformed  Carmelites.  When  a  child,  she  had  arranged 
a  small  oratory  in  her  father's  house,  where  she  placed 
a  statue  of  Mary  and  surrounded  it  with  flowers.  To  this 
she  paid  frequent  visits,  bringing  gifts  of  various  kinds. 
At  twelve  years  of  age  she  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  her 
virtuous  mother.  In  the  intensity  of  her  grief  she  ran 
to  prostrate  herself  before  our  Lady's  image,  and  begged 
her  to  be  her  Mother,  promising  to  be  a  faithful  child. 
Mary  watched  over  her  constantly  with  loving  protection. 
Teresa  had  unbounded  confidence  in  this  Mother  of  Mercy, 
and,  when  a  Carmelite  Superior,  she  placed  the  keys  of 
each  convent  she  founded  at  the  foot  of  her  image,  thereby 
appointing  her  the  first  Superioress.  Angelic  hands  bore 
her  soul  heavenwards  in  the  presence  of  Jesus  and  Mary. 
Month  of  May  for  Interior  Souls,  120. 

St.  Philip  Neri  (d.  1595),  Founder  of  the  Oratory 
and  one  of  the  glories  of  the  Church  in  the  XVI  Cent. 
He  never  spoke  of  our  Lady,  but  his  face  became  radiant 
with  joy,  those  listening  to  him  feeling  something  of  the 
warmth  of  his  devotion  imparted  to  them.  In  all  his 
sermons,  exhortations,  conferences,  he  had  always  some- 


52  MARY  HONOURED 

thing  to  say  in  praise  of  this  loving  Mother  ;  and  to  his 
penitents  and  all  who  sought  his  advice  he  warmly  recom 
mended  devotion  to  her.  "  My  children/'  he  would  say, 
"  if  you  wish  for  the  grace  of  perseverance,  cultivate  great 
devotion  to  Mary."  Whenever  he  had  to  deal  with 
hardened  sinners,  he  recommended  them  to  her,  and 
astonishing  conversions  were  the  result.  He  called  her 
his  love,  his  joy,  his  consolation,  and  uttered  these  words 
with  such  deep  feeling  that  his  hearers  were  frequently 
moved  to  tears.  In  a  serious  illness  our  Lady  appeared 
to  him  filling  him  with  rapturous  joy  ;  and  the  physicians 
and  priests  present  beheld  him  raised  in  the  air  above 
the  bed,  with  his  arms  outstretched  as  though  he  wished 
to  clasp  some  one  in  their  embrace.  Ibid.  He  took  a 
special  delight  in  visiting  the  wonder-working  picture  of 
St.  Mary  Major,  as  well  as  other  sanctuaries  dedicated  to 
her  in  Rome.  In  every  church  or  oratory  built  by  his 
children,  he  enjoined  that  a  picture  of  the  Madonna  should 
be  placed  over  each  altar. 

St.  Cajetan  (d.  1547),  Founder  of  the  Theatines.  He 
is  thought  to  have  been  the  first  to  introduce  the  Forty 
Hours'  adoration  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  as  an  antidote 
to  Calvin's  heresy.  He  bore  a  most  tender  love  for  our 
Blessed  Lady,  and  his  piety  was  well  rewarded.  One 
Christmas  night,  as  he  knelt  before  the  relic  of  the  Holy 
Manger  in  St.  Mary  Major,  Rome,  she  appeared  to  him 
and  placed  the  Infant  Jesus  in  his  arms.  She  also  appeared 
to  him  at  his  death. 


.       SECTION   XXI 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  SAINTS  OF  THE  XVII  CENTURY 

ST.    FRANCIS  DE  SALES  (d.  1622).     He  was  one 
of  Mary's  most  loving  children.     When  a  student  he 
was  for  a  time  a  prey  to  the  greatest  anxiety  concerning 
his  eternal  salvation,  and  tempted  almost  to  despair  of 


BY  XVII    CENTURY    SAINTS  53 

ever  being  admitted  into  heaven.  In  this  torture  of  mind 
he  cast  himself  on  his  knees  before  a  statue  of  Mary,  recited 
the  "  Memorare,"  and  at  once  all  his  trouble  of  mind 
vanished.  He  exhorted  the  Sisters  of  the  Visitation  to 
strew  spiritual  flowers  every  morning  in  front  of  our  Lady's 
image — the  marigold  by  imitating  her  ;  the  heart's  ease 
(pansy)  by  always  serving  her  ;  and,  above  all,  the  lilies 
and  roses  of  purity  and  ardent  charity  ;  also  the  violets 
of  humility  and  simplicity.  In  his  apostolic  work  in  the 
Chablais  (Switzerland),  he  is  said  to  have  converted  72,000 
Calvinists.  His  sweetness  of  character  he  owed  chiefly 
to  his  devotion  to  her  who  is  "  our  life,  our  sweetness, 
and  our  hope." 

St.  Alphonsus  Rodriguez,  S.J.  (d.  1617),  a  lay-Brother 
of  the  Society  of  Jesus.  From  his  childhood  his  love  for 
our  Lady  was  remarkable.  He  would  look  for  her  images, 
press  them  to  his  heart,  kiss  them  with  deep  affection, 
addressing  the  most  fervent  prayers  to  her,  his  loving 
Mother.  Once  when  a  boy,  he  spoke  thus  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin  :  "  Dearest  Mother,  I  know  that  you  love  me — 
but  not  as  much  as  I  love  you."  She  replied  :  "  What 
are  you  saying,  my  child  ?  My  love  for  you  is  far  above 
yours  for  me  :  as  heaven  is  above  the  earth."  As  he 
grew  older  his  love  for  Mary  went  on  increasing.  In  his 
later  years,  when  porter  of  the  college  at  Majorca,  her 
Rosary  was  constantly  in  his  hand ;  and  after  his  death 
it  was  discovered  that  the  skin  of  his  thumb  and  fore 
finger  had  become  perfectly  hard  from  the  constant  friction 
of  the  beads  passing  through  them.  The  Immaculate 
Conception  was  a  great  object  of  his  devotion,  and  he 
spread  copies  of  her  little  Office  among  the  college  students, 
even  transcribing  them  with  his  own  hand.  More  than 
once  he  was  favoured  with  visions  of  Jesus  and  Mary. 

St.  John  Berchmans,  S.J.  (d.  1621).  This  angelical 
youth  was  one  of  our  Lady's  most  loving  and  devoted 
children.  "  I  shall  never  rest,"  he  said,  "  till  I  have 
acquired  a  most  tender  love  for  Mary.  If  I  love  Mary,  I 


54  MARY   HONOURED 

am  assured  of  perseverance,  and  shall  obtain  from  God 
all  I  desire."  He  made  a  vow  to  defend  always  the  doc 
trine  of  her  Immaculate  Conception,1  and  wrote  it  out, 
signing  it  with  his  own  blood.  His  greatest  delight  was 
to  converse  on  the  glories  of  Mary ;  and  the  better  to  do 
this,  he  had  enriched  his  memory  with  beautiful  passages 
from  the  writings  of  the  Saints  in  praise  of  the  Queen 
of  heaven.  He  always  wore  her  rosary  round  his  neck 
as  though  it  were  a  precious  relic,  and  was  heard  to  say 
that  he  had  three  treasures  with  which  he  wished  to  die, 
viz.,  his  crucifix,  rosary  and  rule-book.  He  had  the  con 
solation  of  dying  with  these  cherished  objects  clasped  in 
his  hands.  To  one  who  visited  him  in  his  last  illness  he 
said  :  "I  love  Mary  ;  I  have  always  loved  her  ;  I  have 
a  firm  hope  of  eternal  life  relying  on  her  protection."  To 
another  who  asked  him  if  he  loved  our  blessed  Lady  very 
much,  he  replied  :  "  Ah,  yes  !  I  love  her  with  my  whole 
heart,  and  if  I  had  a  thousand  hearts,  I  would  love  her 
with  them  all." 

St.  Mary  Magdalen  de'  Pazzi  (d.  1607),  a  Carmelite 
nun  in  Florence.  The  Queen  of  heaven  often  appeared 
to  her  encircled  with  glory,  and  taught  her  how  to  make 
herself  acceptable  to  Jesus  crucified.  For  two  years  she 
was  assailed  by  most  painful  temptations,  being  finally 
delivered  by  our  Lady  who  covered  her  with  a  white  veil. 
Her  very  presence  seemed  to  breathe  the  sweetness  of 
holy  purity,  diffusing  a  heavenly  fragrance  that  excited 
others  to  love  the  angelical  virtue.  She  was  favoured 
with  many  remarkable  visions  and  revelations.  On  our 
Lady's  feasts  she  felt  herself  caught  up,  as  it  were,  into 
heaven  :  she  was  also  permitted  to  share  some  of  the  pangs 
of  Mary  at  the  foot  of  the  cross,  by  suffering  acute  bodily 
pain. 

St.  Andrew  Avellino  (d.  1608),  a  holy  priest,  a  glory 
of  the  Theatine  Order.  His  baptismal  name  was  Lancelot, 
which  he  changed  to  Andrew  out  of  devotion  to  St.  Andrew 

1  Defined^by  the  Church  as  an  article  of  faith  in  1854. 


BY  XVII   CENTURY   SAINTS  55 

and  to  show  his  love  of  the  cross.  His  mortifications 
were  wonderful.  In  his  old  age  nothing  could  prevent 
him  from  saying  Mass  every  day,  in  spite  of  acute  sufferings, 
being  at  times  so  weak  and  exhausted  that  he  could  scarcely 
reach  the  altar.  One  day,  while  reciting  the  Psalm  Judica 
at  the  foot  of  the  altar,  he  fell  forward  in  a  fit  of  apoplexy 
and  was  carried  into  the  sacristy.  In  his  last  illness  he 
was  severely  assaulted  by  Satan,  but  protected  by  Mary, 
whom  he  had  deeply  and  constantly  loved  ;  and,  with 
a  grateful  salutation  to  her  image,  he  breathed  forth  his 
soul  to  God. 


SECTION   XXII 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  SAINTS  OF  THE  XVII  CENTURY  (cont.) 
^T.   JOHN   FRANCIS   REGIS,  SJ.  (d.  1640).     His 


s 


very  childhood  was  marked  by  ardent  love  for  Mary, 
and,  when  still  a  boy,  he  hastened  to  join  one  of  the  Sodalities 
founded  in  her  honour.  His  constant  effort  was  to  make 
himself  more  and  more  pleasing  to  his  heavenly  Mother. 
Being  admitted  into  the  Society  of  Jesus,  his  devotion 
received  a  fresh  impulse,  and  he  sought  every  opportunity 
of  kindling  a  deep  love  for  her  in  others,  especially  in  the 
hearts  of  the  young.  Later  on,  during  his  wonderful 
missionary  life  in  France,  he  was  never  tired  of  preaching 
about  her,  her  name  being  ever  on  his  lips,  his  zeal  in  her 
cause  unwearying.  In  his  dying  moments  he  was  aided 
and  consoled  by  a  vision  of  Jesus  and  Mary,  who  came 
to  lead  his  soul  to  eternal  rest.1 

JSt.  Jane  Frances  de  Chantal  (d.  1641),  Foundress 
with  St.  Francis  de  Sales  of  the  Order  of  the  Visitation. 
Being  left  an  orphan  while  still  a  child,  she  found  a  tender 
and  most  affectionate  Mother  in  Mary.  In  the  married 
state  as  a  lady  of  the  world,  she  led  the  life  of  a  Saint,  and 
it  was  part  of  her  devotion  to  recommend  herself,  her 

1  Rev.  P.  Beckx,  S.J.,  Month  of  May. 


56  MARY  HONOURED 

household,  and  all  her  affairs  to  the  Blessed  Virgin.  Be 
sides  other  prayers  to  Mary,  she  bound  herself  by  vow 
to  recite  the  Rosary  every  day.  As  a  Religious  Superior 
she  urged  her  subjects  to  do  all  they  could  to  give  pleasure 
and  honour  to  holy  Mary.  On  our  Lady's  feasts  she 
would  join  the  novices  and  other  Sisters  in  singing  the 
"  Magnificat  "  and  "  Ave  Maris  Stella  "  before  a  picture 
of  her  loving  Protectress. 

St.  Peter  Claver,  S.J.  (d.  1654).  This  great  apostle 
of  the  negroes  in  South  America  triumphed  over  the  most 
painful  and  humiliating  labours  by  the  help  of  Mary's 
protection.  Thousands  of  poor  negroes  sunk  in  a  degraded 
state  of  body  and  soul  he  converted  and  made  children 
of  God,  teaching  them  to  look  up  to  and  seek  help  from 
Jesus'  spotless  Mother.  One  of  the  means  he  adopted 
to  sustain  his  courage  was  to  wear  near  his  heart  a  little 
book  containing  representations  of  the  mysteries  of  our 
Lady's  life  :  these  he  frequently  contemplated  and  made 
the  subject  of  his  constant  meditations. 

St.  Vincent  de  Paul  (d.  1660),  Founder  of  the  Lazarists 
(Vincentians)  and  Sisters  of  Charity.  He  was  one  of  the 
most  wonderful  of  modern  Saints.  When  a  captive  of 
the  Mahommedans  in  Tunis,  he  consoled  himself  by  singing 
the  praises  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  To  her  he  owed  his 
liberty.  Wherever  he  might  be,  even  if  conversing  with 
a  prince,  at  the  sound  of  the  Angelus  bell  he  would  fall 
down  on  his  knees  and  recite  the  prayer  with  the  greatest 
fervour.  To  promote  devotion  to  her  was  the  great  ambi 
tion  of  his  life,  and  he  impressed  upon  his  children,  the 
members  of  his  Congregation,  that  they  were  to  consider 
themselves  Mary's  apostles  and  defenders,  as  well  as 
imitators  of  her  virtues.  By  this  means,  he  assured  them, 
their  labours  for  the  conversion  of  sinners  would  be  blessed 
with  abundant  fruit. 

Blessed  John  Eudes  (d.  1680),  Founder  of  the  Eudists 
and  Good  Shepherd  nuns.  This  great  servant  of  God 
was  the  first  to  make  the  devotion  to  the  Pure  Heart  of 


By   XVIII   CENTURY   SAINTS  57 

Mary  public.  He  frequently  preached  upon  it,  established 
several  religious  societies  that  are  pledged  to  promote  it, 
and  obtained  permission  for  a  feast  in  its  honour  in  several 
dioceses.  It  was  not  until  the  year  1855  that  the  Con 
gregation  of  Rites  finally  sanctioned  the  Office  and  Mass 
of  the  Most  Pure  Heart  of  Mary,  but  without  imposing 
them  on  the  Universal  Church.  Blessed  John  wrote  his 
great  work  on  this  subject  entitled  Le  Cceur  Admirable 
de  la  Tres  Sainte  Mere  de  Dieu,  which  first  appeared  at 
Caen  in  1681.  It  has  recently  been  reprinted  in  three 
volumes,  and  is  a  glorious  monument  of  the  burning  love 
of  an  enraptured  soul. 

Blessed  Bernardine  Realino,  S.J.  (d.  1616),  was  sent 
by  our  Lady  to  the  Society  of  Jesus,  and  favoured  by  her 
with  apparitions,  on  one  occasion  receiving  the  Divine 
Infant  into  his  arms.  For  sixty-two  years  he  laboured 
in  the  town  of  Lecce  in  Italy,  where  all  revered  him  as 
a  Saint.  He  was  often  seen  during  prayer  with  a  coun 
tenance  radiant  with  light ;  and  sometimes  bright  rays 
shone  from  his  whole  body.  He  lived  in  closest  union 
with  Jesus  and  Mary. 


SECTION   XXIII 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  SAINTS  OF  THE  XVIII  CENTURY 

ST.  FRANCIS  JEROME,  S.J.  (d.  1716),  the  Apostle 
of  Naples  and  Central  Italy.  Full  of  the  deepest 
veneration  and  love  for  holy  Mary,  he  made  it  his  constant 
aim  to  inspire  others  with  the  same  sentiments.  For 
the  space  of  twenty-two  years  he  preached  every  Thursday 
on  our  Lady's  privileges  in  one  of  the  Neapolitan  churches 
dedicated  to  her.  He  was  extremely  zealous  in  spreading 
devotion  to  her  among  the  young,  considering  it  the  most 
powerful  means  of  shielding  their  innocence,  and  of  reclaim 
ing  the  wanderer.  He  was  wont  to  say  that  it  was  next 
to  impossible  for  any  one  to  attain  real  holiness  who  was 


58  MARY  HONOURED 

cool  in  devotion  to  her.  On  his  missions  he  always  had 
a  picture  of  her  placed  in  view  of  his  hearers,  that  he  might 
by  her  intercession  ensure  the  Divine  blessing  on  his  labours, 
and  lead  those  listening  to  him  to  Jesus  through  Mary. 

St.  Alphonsus  de'  Liguori  (d.  1787),  Founder  of  the 
Congregation  of  the  Redemptorists,  an  enthusiastic  client 
of  Mary,  and  a  true  apostle  of  devotion  to  her.  He  is 
said  to  have  preserved  through  her  protection  his  baptismal 
robe  unsullied.  From  his  earliest  years  Mary  was  the 
object  of  his  tenderest  affection,  and,  as  time  went  on, 
his  love  for  her  grew  stronger  and  stronger.  "  The  world, 
he  said,  owes  its  Redemption  to  Jesus,  but  also  in  some 
sense  to  Mary  :  for  if  Jesus  is  the  fount,  Mary  is  the  channel 
of  every  grace."  His  love  for  her  prompted  him  to  write 
his  golden  book  on  The  Glories  of  Mary.  Out  of  devotion 
he  fasted  every  Saturday,  and  on  the  eves  of  all  her  feasts  ; 
constantly  wore  the  rosary  round  his  neck ;  and  made  a 
vow  to  recite  it  daily,  as  also  to  preach  frequently  on  her 
greatness  and  mercy.  Full  of  zeal  for  her  honour  he  wrote 
a  treatise  in  defence  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  long 
years  before  it  was  denned  as  an  article  of  Faith,  and 
summed  up  the  various  arguments  in  favour  of  its  being 
so  denned.  Speaking  of  our  Lady  he  says  with  great 
feeling  :  "  Let  us  listen  to  the  voice  of  our  Mother  encour 
aging  us  to  become  like  little  children,  to  keep  near  her 
and  call  upon  her  in  our  necessities.  '  Si  quis  est  parvulus 
veniat  ad  me.'  Prov.  ix.  4.  Little  children  cry  per 
petually  to  their  mother,  especially  when  they  fear  danger, 
'  Mother,  Mother !  '  Ah,  sweet  Mary,  tender  Mother, 
that  is  what  thou  wishest  us  to  do,  that,  as  thy  children, 
we  should  call  upon  thee  to  help  us  in  all  our  dangers  ; 
for  thou  wilt  certainly  protect  and  save  us,  as  thou  hast 
always  done  when  thy  children  have  turned  to  thee." 
Glories  of  Mary,  chap.  i. 

St.  Leonard  of  Port  Maurice,  O.S.F.  (d.  1751).  This 
Saint,  a  fervent  sodalist  of  our  Lady  from  his  boyhood, 
wrote  a  wonderful  letter,  as  though  inspired  by  a  spirit 


BY  XVIII   CENTURY   SAINTS  59 

of  prophecy,  in  which  he  expressed  his  longing  desire  to 
see  the  great  truth  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  denned 
by  the  Church,  foretelling  the  advent  of  great  blessings 
for  the  time  when  the  Holy  See  should  deem  it  suitable 
to  pronounce  the  definition.  He  established  in  Rome  a 
Confraternity  of  the  Lovers  of  Jesus  and  Mary,  one  of  the 
religious  exercises  being  to  make  regularly  every  week 
the  Stations  of  the  Cross  in  the  Colosseum,  and  to  bring 
as  many  as  possible  to  join  in  the  devotion. 

de  Montfort  (d.  1716).     He  was  a 


zealous  promoter  of  devotion  to  Mary,  regarding  it  as  a 
great  means  to  sanctity.  If  practised  with  fervour  he 
felt  sure,  he  said,  it  would  cause  saints  to  arise  in  the 
Church.  "  All  perfection  (sanctity)  consists  in  our  being 
conformed  to  and  united  with  our  Divine  Saviour.  The 
most  perfect  devotion  is  that  which  consecrates  us  to 
Him.  Now  of  all  creatures  Mary  is  the  most  conformed 
to  our  Divine  Lord  :  therefore  it  follows  that  devout 
imitation  of  her  will  make  us  most  like  to  Him  ;  and  the 
more  a  soul  is  consecrated  to  Mary,  the  more  devoted  it 
will  be  to  our  Lord."  He  urges  Catholics  to  call  themselves 
and  become  the  slaves  of  Mary,  consecrating  themselves 
in  body  and  soul  to  her,  that  she  may  present  us  to  Jesus 
Christ.  He  enumerates  the  Saints  and  other  holy  persons 
who  have  made  themselves  slaves  of  Mary,  among  them 
being  St.  Odilo,  Abbot  of  Cluny,  about  the  year  1040. 
On  this  form  of  devotion,  see  Petitalot,  390,  note. 

Blessed  Crispin  of  Viterbo  (d.  1750).  He  was  a 
Capuchin  lay-Brother,  known  as  "  the  Apostle  of  Mary." 
With  the  oil  from  the  lamp,  which  he  kept  burning  before 
her  image,  or  flowers  from  her  altar  he  wrought  marvellous 
cures.  It  was  commonly  said  that  the  oil  and  flowers  of 
Brother  Crispin  did  more  good  than  all  the  doctors'  medi 
cines.  Frequently  employed  to  gather  alms  for  his  con 
vent,  he  would  teach  Christian  doctrine  to  children  in 
the  streets,  as  also  little  hymns  which  he  himself  had 
composed  in  Mary's  honour. 


60  MARY  HONOURED 

SECTION   XXIV 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  THE  POPES 

ST.  CALLIXTUS  I  (218  to  223)  built  the  church  of 
S.  Maria  in  Trastevere  not  long  before  his  martyrdom. 
Julius  I  rebuilt  it  on  a  larger  scale  in  340,  and  this  Julian 
basilica  was  restored  and  adorned  with  frescoes  by  John 
VII  (705-707).  This  is  the  first,  the  most  ancient  church 
of  our  Lady  in  Rome.  The  historian  Lampridius  relates 
that  during  the  Pontificate  of  Callixtus  I  the  Christians 
were  in  possession  of  a  place  of  assembly  in  Trastevere 
(the  part  of  Rome  west  of  the  Tiber),  their  right  to  which 
was  disputed  by  the  corporation  of  popinarii,  or  tavern- 
keepers.  The  question  was  brought  before  the  Emperor 
Alexander  Severus  who  decided  in  favour  of  the  Christians, 
saying  that  it  was  better  that  God  should  be  worshipped 
there,  in  whatever  fashion  it  might  be,  than  that  the 
place  should  be  given  over  to  revelry.  Pilgrim  Walks  in 
Rome,  320. 

St.  Liberius  (d.  366)  consecrated  the  original  church 
of  St.  Mary  Major,  Rome,  known  as  "  Our  Lady  of  the 
Snow  "  from  a  miraculous  fall  of  snow  in  August  (the 
hottest  month  of  the  year),  the  site  and  dimensions  of 
the  future  building  being  found  traced  thereon.  The 
story  will  be  found  in  the  Roman  Breviary,  August  5, 
and  in  Pilgrim  Walks  in  Rome,  107. 

Sixtus  III  (d.  440)  rebuilt  this  basilica,  as  the  original 
edifice  was  found  to  be  too  small  for  the  crowds  flocking 
to  it  ;  intending  also  that  it  should  serve  as  a  memorial 
of  the  great  Council  of  Ephesus  (held  in  430)  and  of  the 
vindication  of  our  Lady's  title  of  "  Mother  of  God  "  against 
Nestorius.  Pilgrim  Walks  in  Rome,  108. 

St.  Hilary  I  (d.  467)  and  St.  Gelasius  (d.  496)  are 
said  to  have  instituted  the  feast  of  our  Lady's  Purification 
with  a  view  to  suppressing  the  indecent  games  of  the 
pagan  Lupercal. 


B.Y    THE   POPES  61 

St.  Gregory  the  Great  (d.  604)  had  the  picture  of 
our  Lady  St.  Mary  Major  carried  in  a  public  procession 
through  the  streets  of  Rome  to  obtain  a  cessation  of  the 
plague.  Pilgrim  Walks,  112. 

St.  Boniface  IV  (d.  615)  purified  the  Pantheon,  Rome, 
denied  by  Pagan  worship,  and  consecrated  it  under  the 
title  of  "  Our  Lady  of  Martyrs."  Ibid.  342. 

St.  Leo  IV  (d.  855)  "  in  order  to  exterminate  the  pesti 
lential  monster  of  Saracenism,  whose  look  and  breath 
had  infected  Rome  and  filled  her  streets  with  dead,  added 
an  octave  to  the  ancient  feast  of  the  Assumption."  Father 
Segneri,  S.J.,  Devout  Client  of  Mary.  Note.  The 
Saracen  invasion  of  Rome  occurred  in  846. 

Urban  II  (d.  1099),  desirous  of  raising  a  bulwark  to 
withstand  the  flood  of  Turkish  invasion,  ordered  Priests 
and  clerics  to  recite  daily  the  Office  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 
Father  Segneri,  Ibid. 

Gregory  IX  (d.  1241),  to  free  the  Church  from  the 
oppression  of  the  Emperor  Frederick,  commanded  all  the 
faithful  to  invoke  our  Lady's  protection  three  times  every 
day  at  the  sound  of  the  Angelus  bell.  Father  Segneri,  Ibid. 

Innocent  IV  (d.  1254)  chose  Mary  as  the  Church's 
protectress  against  the  fierce  persecution  of  Frederick  II, 
and  added  an  Octave  to  the  feast  of  her  Nativity.  Baro- 
nius. 

Boniface  IX  (d.  1404),  seeking  to  heal  the  wounds  of 
the  Church,  whose  unity  had  been  rent  by  a  schism 
of  several  years,  instituted  the  feast  of  the  Visitation. 
Segneri. 

Paul  II  (d.  1471)  in  the  scandals  and  troubles  of  that 
calamitous  period  had  recourse  to  our  Lady's  protection, 
and  decreed  that  the  festival  of  her  Presentation  in  the 
Temple  should  be  celebrated  with  special  solemnity  through 
out  the  Church.  Segneri. 

Sixtus  IV  (d.  1484),  in  fulfilment  of  a  vow  he  had 
made  for  the  restoration  of  peace  and  concord  among 
Christian  princes,  erected  in  Rome  the  church  of  S.  Maria 


62  MARY  HONOURED 

della  Pace  ("  Our  Lady  of  Peace  ").  See  Pilgrim  Walks 
in  Rome,  359.  He  also  approved  of  the  feast  of  the  Im 
maculate  Conception  (1476),  and  granted  indulgences  for 
assisting  at  Mass  on  that  day. 

St.  Pius  V  (d.  1571),  to  save  Christendom  from  the 
power  of  the  Ottomans,  urged  all  the  faithful  to  appeal 
earnestly  to  our  Lady  by  the  devout  recitation  of  the 
Rosary.  Segneri.  After  the  battle  of  Lepanto  he  insti 
tuted  the  feast  of  Our  Lady  of  Victory. 

Gregory  XIII  (d.  1585),  after  several  victories  over 
the  Turks  obtained  through  Mary's  intercession,  appointed 
the  feast  of  "  Help  of  Christians  "  to  be  kept  every  year, 
It  replaced  the  feast  of  Our  Lady  of  Victory. 

Gregory  XV  (d.  1623)  forbade  any  one  to  speak  or 
write  against  our  Lady's  Immaculate  Conception. 

Pius  VII  (d.  1823),  after  having  been  kept  for  five  years 
in  a  most  humiliating  captivity  by  Napoleon  Buonaparte, 
attributed  his  deliverance  and  return  to  Rome  to  our 
Lady's  intercession  (1814),  and  in  thanksgiving  crowned 
our  Lady  of  Savona,  and  gave  new  sanction  to  the  feast 
of  "  Our  Lady,  Help  of  Christians." 

Pius  IX  (d.  1878)  defined  as  of  faith  the  dogma  of 
Mary's  Immaculate  Conception  in  1854,  to  the  great  joy 
of  the  whole  Catholic  world. 

Leo  XIII  (d.  1903)  in  the  Church's  trials  and  neces 
sities  ordered  the  Rosary  to  be  recited  in  all  churches 
every  day  during  the  month  of  October. 

Pius  X  (d.  1914)  confirmed  what  his  predecessor  had 
prescribed  regarding  the  October  devotion  of  the  Rosary. 

N.B.  The  Popes  and  the  doctrine  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception.  (See  §§  77,  78.) 


BY  ENGLISH   CARDINALS  63 

SECTION   XXV 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  ENGLISH  CARDINALS 

CARDINAL  WISEMAN.  His  sermons  on  our  Lady 
V_x  (xv,,  xvi.)  abound  with  beautiful  thoughts  that 
show  how  deeply  he  loved  this  glorious  Virgin. 

Cardinal  Newman  has  written  with  tenderest  feelings 
and  matchless  eloquence  on  "  The  Glories  of  Mary  for 
the  sake  of  her  Son,"  No.  17  of  Discourses  to  Mixed  Con 
gregations.  His  Difficulties  of  Anglicans,  vol.  II,  contains 
striking  passages  concerning  the  Belief  of  Catholics  in 
our  Lady  (a)  as  the  Second  Eve,  pp.  31-44  ;  (b)  in  her 
Immaculate  Conception,  pp.  44-50  ;  (c)  in  her  dignity 
and  exaltation,  pp.  50-61  ;  (d)  in  her  title  of  Theotokos, 
pp.  62-67  ;  (e)  in  her  intercessory  power,  pp.  68-76  ; 
(/)  on  Devotion  of  Catholics  to  her,  pp.  77-88  ;  (g)  on 
excesses  in  devotion  :  see  Answers  to  Dr.  Pusey,  pp.  89-118. 

Cardinal  Vaughan,  in  his  work  The  Young  Priest, 
p.  44  seq.,  writes  as  follows  :  "A  Paradise  of  great  beauty 
and  perfection  had  been  created  for  the  Angels.  A  Para 
dise  was  created  for  our  first  parents,  a  garden  of  delights 
proportioned  to  their  nature.  A  Paradise  was  also  created 
for  the  Incarnate  Son  of  God.  Mary  most  holy.  It  was 
measurable  not  by  her  physical  limitations,  but  by  the 
magnitude  and  multitude  of  her  spiritual  endowments. 
In  the  moment  of  her  Immaculate  Conception  the  germ 
of  the  fulness  of  every  grace  and  virtue  was  laid  within 
her.  In  the  exquisite  and  entrancing  beauty  of  her 
sanctity  she  approached  nearer  to  God  than  any  one  that 
had  ever  come  from  His  creative  Hand.  She  was  a  vast 
spiritual  kingdom,  a  world  of  heavenly  grace  and  loveli 
ness,  so  spacious  that  the  Word  moved  at  ease  within  her 
realms  of  light,  rejoicing  in  a  Paradise  which  He  had 
made  worthy  of  Himself,  the  masterpiece  of  all  creation. 

"  Mary  was  far  more  to  Jesus  than  an  earthly  taber 
nacle,  more  than  a  natural  mother  to  bear  and  nurse  Him. 


64  MARY  HONOURED 

She  was  bound  up  with  His  life,  and  the  lifelong  companion 
of  His  sacerdotal  mission,  from  its  beginning  and  ordina 
tion  in  her  womb  to  its  consummation  in  the  Sacrifice  of 
the  Cross. 

"  At  the  Annunciation  the  angel  had  declared  that  she 
was  not  only  possessed  of  the  fulness  of  grace,  gratia  plena, 
but  that  the  Lord  Himself  was  with  her,  Dominus  tecum, 
an  expression  truly  without  significance  had  it  only  meant 
that  He  was  with  her  as  He  is  with  all  the  souls  of  the 
just,  or  as  He  is  everywhere  present  in  creation.  It  meant 
that  the  Lord  had  become  united  to  her  by  a  new  relation 
ship,  contracted  with  the  Three  Divine  Persons,  a  relation 
ship  altogether  singular  and  special  to  herself.  A  unique 
and  personal  alliance  had  been  entered  into,  and  God 
became  related  to  Mary  as  a  son  to  a  mother.  No  more 
intimate  union  is  to  be  found  than  that  between  God 
and  the  soul  of  Mary,  except  only  the  union  between  the 
two  natures  in  Christ,  and  the  unity  of  the  Three  Divine 
Persons.  The  consequences  of  this  union  of  God  with 
Mary  are  ever  flowing  as  a  river  of  wealth  and  refreshment 
through  the  whole  spiritual  order  of  existence,  until  they 
reach  their  ultimate  results,  of  which  we  men  are  the 
enriched  and  blessed  gainers.  Mary  is  the  Queen  of  the 
Universe,  while  her  Son  is  its  Lord.  She  is  the  happy 
Eve  and  Mother  of  the  new  creation,  He  its  second  Adam 
and  its  Father." 


SECTION  XXVI 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  RELIGIOUS  ORDERS 

T)  ENEDICTINES  (founded  563),  the  first  and  chief 
J3  monastic  Order  of  the  Western  Church.  The 
honour  of  the  first  celebration  of  the  feast  of  the  Immacu 
late  Conception  in  the  Western  Church  is  thought  to 
belong  to  the  English  Benedictine  Monks  of  Winchester, 
disciples  of  the  Saxon  St.  Ethelwold.  In  a  manuscript 


BY   RELIGIOUS   ORDERS  65 

calendar  still  extant,  said  to  have  been  written  in  the 
monastery  of  Newminster  at  Winchester  between  the 
years  1034  and  1057,  there  is  inscribed  in  the  original 
hand  under  the  8th  of  December  :  Conceptio  Sanctae  Dei 
Genitricis  Mariae.  Another  calendar  of  the  Cathedral 
Priory  at  Winchester,  belonging  to  about  the  year  1030, 
has  the  same  entry.  After  a  few  years  the  feast  seems 
to  have  waned,  and  its  renewal  was  mainly  due  to  the 
influence  of  the  younger  Anselm,  nephew  of  the  Saint. 
See  Ave  Maria  Magazine,  December,  1901.  Article  by 
Dom.C.  Edmonds,  O.S.B.  St.  Anselm,  O.S.B.,  Arch 
bishop  of  Canterbury  (d.  1109),  famous  for  his  devotion 
to  Mary,  is  generally  credited  with  having  (publicly) 
established  the  feast  in  the  West.  The  Winchester  calendar 
possibly  referred  to  a  private  feast  kept  in  certain  Bene 
dictine  monasteries. 

Carthusians  (founded  1086),  an  austere  Order  founded 
by  St.  Bruno  in  a  desert  valley  of  the  Alps  near  Grenoble, 
and  known  as  "La  Chartreuse."  Its  religious  consider 
themselves  the  special  children  of  Mary,  to  whom  St. 
Bruno  had  consecrated  his  Order,  and  honour  her  daily 
by  special  religious  exercises.  The  first  chapel  erected 
in  the  solitude  of  Grenoble  was  dedicated  in  1085  by  St. 
Bruno  to  the  honour  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  was  known 
as  "  Our  Lady  of  the  Cells."  It  became  a  frequent  place 
of  pilgrimage,  and  here  for  long  centuries  the  monks  sang 
the  praises  of  the  Most  High.  Besides  the  Divine  Office 
each  monk  was  expected  to  recite  the  Office  of  our  Lady 
every  day. 

Cistercians  (founded  1098),  an  austere  reform  of  the 
Benedictine  Order  instituted  by  St.  Robert,  Abbot  of 
Molesme,  who  withdrew  with  twenty-one  religious  to  a 
solitude  known  as  "  Citeaux  "  in  the  diocese  of  Chalons 
sur  Soane,  and  there  built  a  celebrated  monastery  in  honour 
of  our  Lady.  Nearly  all  the  monasteries  of  the  Order 
are  dedicated  to  her.  (See  §  32.)  St.  Bernard  (d. 
1153)  entered  Citeaux  not  long  after  its  foundation,  and 

M.P.  F 


66  MARY  HONOURED 

his  ardent  devotion  to  Mary  has  descended  as  a  rich  heir 
loom  in  the  Order. 

Premonstratensians  (f.  1119).  An  Order  of  Canons 
Regular  founded  by  St.  Norbert,  as  directed  by  a 
revelation  from  our  Lady.  Devotion  to  her  has 
ever  been  a  very  marked  characteristic  of  its  mem 
bers. 

Dominicans  (f.  1216).  The  devotion  of  the  Rosary, 
so  fruitful  of  marvellous  results  in  the  salvation  of  souls, 
has  ever  been  one  of  the  great  means  used  by  the  Friars 
Preachers  for  the  benefit  of  the  Church,  and  the  gaining 
souls  to  Christ.  In  the  XIII  Cent,  the  question  was 
agitated  whether  the  Blessed  Virgin  had  been  conceived 
without  original  sin  or  not.  A  number  of  schoolmen  on 
the  authority  of  Peter  Lombard,  Master  of  the  Sentences 
(d.  1164),  and  of  St.  Bernard  himself,  adopted  the  view 
contrary  to  this  privilege  of  Mary.  (On  St.  Bernard  and 
the  Immaculate  Conception  see  §  77.)  St.  Thomas  of 
Aquin  (d.  1274)  and  Albert  the  Great  (d.  1280)  his  master, 
are  said  to  have  supported  the  same  opinion  ;  but  the 
teaching  of  St.  Thomas,  the  Prince  of  Theologians,  is  not 
clear.  In  his  Commentary  on  the  Book  of  the  Sentences 
and  other  works  of  his  youth  he  openly  favoured  the 
doctrine  of  the  Immaculate  Conception. 

Franciscans  (f.  1216).  The  Seraphic  school  of  this 
Order  have  ever  considered  the  defence  of  our  Lady's 
Immaculate  Conception  as  a  family  inheritance.  The 
cause,  opposed  by  theologians  of  another  Order,  triumphed 
when  John  Duns  Scotus  (d.  1308),  a  Franciscan,  in  a 
solemn  disputation  held  before  the  theological  Faculty 
of  Paris  by  order  of  the  Pope  and  in  presence  of  his  legate 
in  1307,  proved  convincingly  with  unanswerable  arguments 
that  the  Blessed  Virgin  was  ever  free  from  the  stain  of 
original  sin.  (See  §77.)  He  spoke  with  such  eloquence, 
and  answered  the  objections  with  such  force  that  the 
Faculty,  of  which  several  famous  Doctors  had  previously 
embraced  the  contrary  view,  declared  itself  for  the  opinion 


BY    RELIGIOUS   ORDERS  67 

defended  by  Duns  Scotus,  and  conferred  on  him  the  title 
of  Doctor  Subtilis. 

Servites  (f.  1233).  The  Servants  of  Mary,  founded  in 
the  XIII  Cent,  by  seven  Florentine  Saints,  who  were 
directed  by  our  Lady  to  practise  and  spread  devotion  to 
her  Seven  Dolours,  are  among  our  Lady's  most  zealous 
and  devoted  children  and  apostles. 

Carmelites.  The  devotion  of  the  Brown  Scapular, 
revealed  by  our  Lady  to  St.  Simon  Stock,  a  Carmelite 
religious,  belongs  especially  to  this  Order,  which  in  other 
ways  has  proved  itself  one  of  the  foremost  of  religious 
bodies  in  spreading  the  honour  and  cultus  of  Mary.  St. 
Teresa  and  St.  John  of  the  Cross  were  the  founders  of 
the  Reformed  Carmelites. 

Augustinians  or  Austin  Friars  (f.  1278),  an  Order 
originally  of  hermits,  but  now  following  the  rule  of  St. 
Augustine.  Their  great  devotion  is  to  our  Lady  of  Good 
Counsel,  her  miraculous  picture  being  greatly  revered  at 
Genezzano,  Italy  (see  Pilgrim  Walks,  473),  and  copies  of 
it  spread  throughout  the  world. 

Redemptorists  (f.  1732),  Congregation  of  the  most 
Holy  Redeemer,  founded  by  St.  Alphonsus  de'Liguori. 
His  extraordinary  devotion  to  Mary  has  descended  to  his 
children,  and  is  their  cherished  inheritance.  In  their 
missions  to  the  people  the  Redemptorist  Fathers,  true 
apostles  of  Mary,  are  most  zealous  in  spreading  everywhere 
devotion  to  this  good  Mother.  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 
Succour  is  one  of  their  special  devotions.  On  this  picture 
see  Pilgrim  Walks  in  Rome,  118. 

Passionists  (f.  1746).  The  sons  of  St.  Paul  of  the 
Cross  have  inherited  from  him  an  enthusiastic  love  for 
Mary.  The  novice-master  of  Blessed  Gabriel  dell'Addo- 
lorata,  present  at  the  latter's  beatification  in  1908,  being 
asked  for  some  special  characteristic  of  the  young  Beato's 
sanctity,  replied  that  as  he  possessed  all  virtues  in  perfec 
tion,  it  would  be  hard  to  single  out  any  one  as  more  promi 
nent  than  another  :  one  remarkable  trait,  however,  he 


68  MARY  HONOURED 

might  mention,  viz.  a  passionate  devotion  to  the  blessed 
Virgin. 

The  other  Religious  Orders  and  Congregations,  both 
of  men  and  women,  Vincentians,  Eudists,  Canons  Regular 
of  the  Lateran,  Marists,  Oratorians,  Salesians,  and  the 
rest,  vie  with  each  other  which  shall  do  most  to  honour 
and  spread  devotion  to  Jesus'  loving  Mother. 

The  Military  Orders  acknowledged  Mary  as  their 
Queen  and  Mistress,  and  bore  the  sword  in  one  hand  and 
the  rosary  in  the  other.  The  Knights  Templar  swore  to 
defend  even  to  the  loss  of  life,  the  mysteries  of  the  Faith, 
the  seven  Sacraments — the  perpetual  Virginity  of  Mary. 
The  Military  Orders  of  Spain,  viz.  those  of  Calatrava,  of 
Alcantara,  of  St.  James,  made  a  vow  to  defend  the  doctrine 
of  the  Immaculate  Conception.  The  Knights  of  Malta 
and  Rhodes  also  pledged  themselves  to  defend  Mary's 
honour. 


SECTION  XXVII 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  THE  SOCIETY  OF  JESUS 

ON  the  devotion  to  Mary  of  the  Saints  of  the  Society, 
see  above,  §§  19,  21,  22,  23. 
It  would  seem,  according  to  St.  Alphonsus  Rodriguez, 

the  holy  Jesuit  lay-Brother,  that  one  of  the  objects  of  the 
Institution  of  the  Society  was  to  defend  the  Immaculate 
Conception.  In  the  life  of  the  Saint  written  by  Father 
Mathew  Marimon,  S.J.  (Bk.  7,  §  49),  we  have  the  following 
passage  :  "  Alphonsus  happened  one  day,  while  in  recrea 
tion  with  the  community,  to  hear  of  the  objection  which 
some  good  people  were  urging  against  this  glorious  privi 
lege  of  his  Queen  and  Sovereign.  The  question  turned 
on  the  theses  that  the  Religious  of  a  certain  Order  had 
posted  up  and  intended  to  defend  in  a  '  public  act  '  against 
the  Immaculate  Conception.  Alphonsus  became  so  excited 


BF  SAINTS,    SJ.  69 

that  he  surprised  us  all  by  the  zeal  and  fervour  he  dis 
played  in  defence  of  this  privilege.  He  stood  up,  and 
stretching  forth  his  arm,  his  eyes  raised  to  heaven,  in  a 
loud  voice  he  exclaimed  :  '  Let  no  one  attack  the  Mother 
of  God,  for,  although  she  is  so  kind,  and  gentleness  and 
sweetness  itself,  she  has  a  Son  exceedingly  jealous  of  His 
Mother's  honour,  and  numbers  of  Angels,  who  well  know 
how  to  defend  their  Queen  and  avenge  (any  denial  of)  the 
purity  of  her  origin/  Then  he  added  that  '  one  of  the 
reasons  why  God  had  sent  the  Society  into  the  world  was 
to  teach  and  defend  this  truth  in  Holy  Church/  Seeing 
him  speak  with  such  animation,  one  of  the  Fathers  present 
said  to  him  :  '  Brother  Rodriguez,  how  do  you  know  that 
God  has  sent  the  Society  into  the  world  to  defend  the 
Immaculate  Conception  of  our  Lady  ?  '  He  replied  :  '  I 
know  it  for  certain  '  :  and  again  lifting  up  his  hand  and 
eyes  to  heaven,  he  added  :  '  It  is  from  there  above,  from 
on  high  that  I  learnt  it ;  and  if  Father  Rector  will  give 
me  leave  I  will  go  and  proclaim  this  in  the  streets  of 
Palma/  " 

Father  Goldie  in  his  life  of  St.  Alphonsus  Rodriguez,  p. 
351,  writes  :  "  Certain  it  is  (a)  that  the  Founder  of  the 
Society  of  Jesus  bound  himself  by  vow  to  defend  the 
doctrine  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  as  St.  Francis 
Xavier,  St.  Francis  Borgia,  and  St.  John  Berchmans  did 
after  him.  (b)  Father  James  Laynez  attributed  to  his 
invocation  of  our  Lady  under  the  title  of  Immaculate, 
the  power  he  received,  in  spite  of  an  attack  of  quartan 
ague,  to  speak  at  the  Council  of  Trent,  and  that  with  such 
force  as  to  obtain  from  the  assembled  Fathers  an  important 
concession  in  favour  of  the  doctrine. 1  (c)  The  last  clause 
of  the  Decrees  of  the  Fifth  Session  on  '  Original  Sin/  which 
refuses  to  include  Mary  under  the  law  common  to  all 
humanity,  owes  its  existence  to  the  learned  arguments 
of  Laynez.  (d)  The  same  doctrine  was  defended  in  the 

1  He  is  said  to  have  spoken  at  the  Council  for  three  consecutive 
hours  on  the  Immaculate  Conception, 


70  MARY  HONOURED 

very  first  public  theses  of  the  Roman  College,  (e)  Its 
defence  was  imposed  by  oath  on  all  graduates  of  St.  Francis 
Borgia's  University  of  Gandia.  (/)  Its  defence  was  under 
taken  by  Suarez  in  his  theological  works  ;  and  finally, 
in  1594,  was  ordered  by  the  Fifth  General  Congregation 
of  the  Society  to  be  taught  by  all  its  theologians." 

The  Society,  which  came  into  existence  only  in  the 
middle  of  the  sixteenth  century,  vied  nobly  with  the 
Franciscans  in  upholding  the  doctrine  of  Mary's  Immacu 
late  Conception,  Bellarmine,  Suarez,  de  Lugo,  Salazar, 
Petavius  (Petau),  Lossada  and  others  being  among  its 
chief  supporters  and  defenders. 

Books  innumerable  have  been  written  by  the  Society 
on  our  Lady's  privileges,  the  best  known  being  those  of 
Blessed  Peter  Canisius,  Fathers  Arias,  Barradas,  Viegas, 
Tursellini,  Bruno,  Spinelli,  Segneri,  Poire,  and  the  works 
of  the  great  Jesuit  theologians  above-mentioned. 

The  first  church  owned  by  the  Society  was  Santa  Maria 
della  Strada,  Rome.  Cardinal  Baronius  bore  public 
testimony  to  the  remarkable  fervour  in  the  frequentation 
of  the  Sacraments  as  seen  in  this  church.  At  the  time 
yearly  Communion  had  been  thought  sufficient  by  the 
majority  of  Catholics. 

Venerable  Father  Guttierez,  S.  J.,  in  a  vision  vouchsafed 
to  him  saw  our  Lady  protecting  with  her  mantle  the 
children  of  the  Society  (Ven.  Fr.  Louis  de  Ponte,  Life  of 
Father  Balthasar  Alvarez,  c.  27),  a  vision  similar  to  that  of 
St.  Dominic  related  above. 

On  the  establishment  of  the  Sodality  B.M.V.  by  a  member 
of  the  Society,  and  on  the  May  devotions  originating  in 
the  Society,  see  §  68. 

On  our  Lady  and  the  Society  see  Father  Drive,  Marie 
et  la  Compagnie  de  Jesus. 

^ 
I 
LIBRARY  ,3 


i 


BY   CATHOLIC  ENGLAND  71 

SECTION  XXVIII 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  CATHOLIC  ENGLAND 
i.  England  her  Dowry.     The  Ancient  Faith 

N  a  touching  address  on  devotion  to  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
Dr.  Bilsborrow,  former  Bishop  of  Salford,  reminded 
his  hearers  that  ever  since  the  introduction  of  Christianity 
into  this  island,  Englishmen  had  practised  this  devotion 
with  a  sincerity  of  conviction  and  a  fervour  of  piety  not 
surpassed  by  any  other  nation  in  the  world.  "  For  upwards 
of  1500  years,  he  said,  it  was  interwoven  with  the  woof 
and  web  of  their  lives,  and  mingled  with  all  their  thoughts 
and  duties  to  God.  In  no  country  of  the  world,  perhaps, 
were  there  more  numerous  sanctuaries,  more  miraculous 
images,  more  celebrated  shrines  of  our  Lady  than  in  old 
Catholic  England.  In  fact  it  so  rilled  the  imagination  of 
the  architect,  inspired  the  chisel  of  the  sculptor,  guided 
the  brush  of  the  painter,  and  welled  up  in  the  heart  of 
every  Christian  in  the  land,  that  England  became  known 
amongst  the  nations  of  the  earth  by  the  beautiful  title 
of  the  Dowry  of  Mary." 

i.  The  Dowry  of  Mary.  In  1893  Pope  Leo  XIII, 
addressing  a  number  of  English  pilgrims  conducted  by 
the  Duke  of  Norfolk  and  presented  to  His  Holiness  by 
Cardinal  Vaughan,  spoke  of  Catholic  England  as  having 
"  acquired  the  singular  and  honourable  title  of  Mary's 
Dowry."  DosMariaeis  the  title  claimed  for  England  in 
Latin  documents  of  the  XV  Cent.,  meaning  a  land 
specially  given  and  consecrated  to  our  Lady.  In  the  year 
1399  (the  date  of  Richard  II's  deposition  and  Henry  IV's 
accession),  Thomas  Arundel,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
wrote  these  words  :  "  The  contemplation  of  the  great 
mystery  of  the  Incarnation  has  drawn  all  Christian  nations 
to  venerate  Her  from  whom  came  the  first  beginnings  of 
our  Redemption.  But  we  English,  being  the  servants  of 
her  special  inheritance  and  her  own  Dowry,  as  we  are 


72  MARY  HONOURED 

commonly  called,  ought  to  surpass  others  in  the  fervour 
of  our  praises  and  devotions/' 

An  idea  of  the  wonderful  devotion  to  her  in  old  England 
may  be  gathered  from  the  following  verses  in  her  honour 
written  in  the  XII  or  XIII  Cent.  The  spelling  is 
modernized  : 

"  Christ's  meek  Mother,  Saint  Marye  ! 
My  life's  light,  my  beloved  Ladye  ! 
To  thee  I  bow  and  bend  my  knee, 
And  all  my  heart's  blood  I  offer  thee. 
Thou  art  my  soul's  light,  my  heart's  bliss, 
My  life,  my  hope,  my  safety  therewith  ! 

"  I  ought  to  honour  thee  with  all  my  might, 
And  sing  thy  praise  by  day  and  night  : 
For  thou  hast  holpen  me  in  many  ways, 
And  brought  me  out  of  hell  l  to  Paradise. 
I  thank  thee  for  it,  my  beloved  Ladye, 
And  will  thank  thee  while  I  live." 

An  old  prayer  to  our  Lady  by  the  monk  Elmham  (in 
the  reign  of  Henry  V,  1413-1422)  contains  the  words  : 
"  Save  thy  people,  O  Lady,  and  deliver  thy  Dowry  from 
the  pestilence  of  death."  This  possibly  refers  to  the 
heresy  of  Sir  John  Oldcastle  (Lord  Cobham)  and  the 
Lollards.  That  Henry  V  consecrated  his  kingdom  to  our 
Lady  is  certain,  though  he  was  riot  the  first  to  do  this. 
See  Father  Bridgett,  Dowry  of  Mary. 

During  the  reign  of  James  I  (d.  1625),  a  paper,  now  in 
the  British  Museum,  was  discovered  giving  an  account 
of  a  picture  known  to  have  been  in  the  church  of  St.  Thomas' 
Hospital,  Rome,  and  described  as  a  very  ancient  picture. 
It  portrays  a  King  and  Queen  kneeling  and  presenting 
the  Island  of  Britain  to  Mary,  saying  :  "  Dos  tua,  Virgo 
pia,  haec  est,  quare  rege  Maria,"  i.e.  "  This  is  thy  Dowry, 
O  loving  Virgin,  wherefore  rule  it  "  (take  it  under  thy 
guidance).  The  King  is  supposed  to  be  Richard  II  (d. 
I399),  with  his  Queen,  Anne  of  Bohemia. 

1  I.e.,  out  of  the  state  of  sin  deserving  hell. 


BY   CATHOLIC  ENGLAND  73 

Note.  It  is  thought  to  have  been  on  occasion  of  the 
putting  down  of  the  Wat  Tyler  insurrection  under  Richard 

II  (1378)  that  England  was  first  publicly  consecrated  by 
the  King  to  Mary,  for  the  monarch  went  to  Westminster, 
and  there  placed  himself  and  his   Kingdom  under  her 
protection. 

Another  picture,  discovered  in  1800  behind  the  wains 
coting  in  that  part  of  the  House  of  Commons  which  was 
formerly  St.  Stephen's  Chapel,  represents  King  Edward 

III  (d.  1377)  with  his  Queen  Philippa  and  children  doing 
homage  to  our  Lady  and  Child.     (See  §  49.) 

2.  The  Ancient  Faith  of  England 

(a)  in    the    Immaculate    Conception.    Because    of 
her  sublime  dignity  as  Mother  of  God,  the  English  of 
Saxon  days  could  never  bring  themselves  to  entertain  the 
thought  that  she  was  ever  tainted  with  the  slightest  stain 
of  sin.     Thus  in  a  MS.  called  the  Book  of  Cerne,  now  in 
the  University  Library  at  Cambridge,  which  belonged  to 
Ethel  wold,   Bishop  of  Sherbourne  in  760,   we  read  the 
following   prayer :    "  Holy   Mother   of   God,    Virgin   ever 
blest,  glorious  and  noble,  chaste  and  inviolate  ;    O  Mary 
Immaculate,  chosen  and  beloved  of  God,  endowed  with 
singular  sanctity,  worthy  of  all  praise,  thou  who  art  the 
advocate  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world  :    Oh,  listen, 
listen  to  us,  O  holy  Mary.      Pray  for    us,  intercede    for 
us,  disdain  not  to  help  us.     For  we  are  confident  and 
know  for  certain  that  thou  canst  obtain  all  thou  wiliest 
from  thy  Son,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  God  Almighty,  the 
King  of  Ages,  who  liveth  with  the  Father  and  the  Holy 
Ghost  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen/' 

(b)  In  the  Divine  Motherhood.     At  the  Council  of 
Hatfield,  held  A.D.  680,  the  Anglo-Saxon  Church  embraced 
and  proclaimed  the  Decrees  of    the  Council    of  Lateran 
(A.D.  649),  one  of  which  runs  thus  :    "If  any  one  shall 
not  confess,  in  accordance  with  the  teaching  of  the  Holy 
Fathers,  that  the  holy  and  ever- Virgin  and  immaculate 
Mary  is  properly  and  truly  the  Mother  of  God — Who 


74  MARY  HONOURED 

before  all  ages  was  born  of  the  Father — let  him  be  ana 
thema."  Canon  Connelly  :  England  and  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
C.T.S. 

(c)  In  her  Perpetual  Virginity.    Equally  clear  and 
definite  were  they  on  the  doctrine  of  the  Perpetual  Vir 
ginity  of  Mary,  the  counterpart  and  necessary  consequence 
of  her  Divine  Maternity ;    for  in  the  Decree  just  quoted 
they  salute  her  as  "  the  holy  and  ever- Virgin  and  immacu 
late  Mary,  (who),  without  union  with  man,  but  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  conceived  God  Himself,  the  Word,  and  brought 
Him  forth  without  corruption,  retaining  indissolubly  her 
virginity,  even  after  the  birth."     Ibid. 

(d)  In  her  Assumption.     St.  Anselm,  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  preaching  in  the  XI    Cent,    on    a    feast    of 
the  Assumption,  says,  speaking  of  Mary  :    "No  longer  is 
She  solicitous  how  to  serve  Him  as  a  Child,  for  all  the 
hierarchies  of  the  Angels  serve  Him  as  their  Lord.     No 
longer  is  she  troubled   flying  with  Him  into  Egypt  from 
the  face  of  Herod ;    for  He  has  ascended  into  Heaven, 
and  Herod  has  gone  down  into  hell  before  His  face.     No 
longer  is  she  disturbed  on  account   of  the  many  things  the 
Jews  did  against  Him;    for  all  things  are  now  subject  to 
Him.     And  now  Mary  herself  is  exalted  above  the  choirs 
of  Angels  ;    now  all  her  desire  is  fulfilled  ;    she  sees  God 
face  to  face  as  He  is,  and  rejoices  with  her  Son  for  ever. 
This  is  the  best  part  which  shall  not  be  taken  from  her. 
May  we  be  partakers  of  it  by  her  merits  and  her  prayers, 
through  her  Son  Jesus  Christ,  Who  liveth  and  reigneth 
with  God  the  Father  in  the  unity  of  the  Holy  Ghost  for 
ever  and  ever.     Amen." 

St.  Aldhelm,  Bishop  of  Sherbourne,  in  some  verses 
written  about  A.D.  690,  speaks  of  the  festival  of  our  Lady's 
Assumption  kept  in  August,  as  commemorative  of  her 
Nativity,  i.e.  her  (heavenly)  birthday.  See  The  Month, 
August,  1917,  p.  132, 


BY   CATHOLIC   ENGLAND  75 

SECTION   XXIX 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  CATHOLIC  ENGLAND  (cont.) 
2.  Ancient  Devotions 

WHAT  our  forefathers  believed  with  regard  to  the 
Blessed    Virgin    may    be    summed   up  in    one 
sentence  :    "  Mary  is  the  Mother  of  God." 

1.  The  Marye  Mass.     Every  village  church,  however 
small,  had  its  altar  in  honour  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.     In 
the   Cathedrals   and  stately   Minsters,   behind  the   choir 
and  High  Altar  was  the  Lady  Chapel,  to  the  extreme 
east,  symbolizing  her  as  the  Morning  Star  that  heralded 
the  coming  day.     In  old  Catholic  days  a  special  Mass 
was  offered  to  God  every  day,  in  almost  every  church  and 
chapel  throughout  the  land,  in  honour  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin.     "  It  was  celebrated  at  early  dawn  with  the  utmost 
solemnity,  with  organ  and  choristers,  chanting  the  sweetest 
and  most  touching  music   of  those  times."     Dr.    Rock, 
Church  of  our  Fathers. 

This  Marye  Mass  will  be  again  referred  to  in  a  subse 
quent  section. 

2.  Office  of  our  Lady.    There  is  abundant   evidence 
to  show  that  in  old  Catholic  times  the  laity  as  well  as  the 
clergy  were  accustomed  to  recite  daily  the  Office  of  our 
Lady ;    and  it  is  clear,  too,  that  they  learnt  it  in  their 
childhood,  and  were  so  familiar  with  it  that  they  could 
say  it  by  heart,  and  even  recited  it  together  while  dressing 
in  the  morning.    Thus,  in  the  Book  of  Courtesay,  printed 
by  Caxton  about  1477,  "  Little  John  "  is  admonished — 

"  While  that  ye  be  abouten  honestly 
To  dress  yourself  and  do  on  your  array, 
With  your  fellow  well  and  tretably 
Our  Lady's  Matins  look  ye  that  ye  say." 

Similarly   the   statutes   of   Eton   College,    founded   by 
Henry  VI  in  1440,  prescribe  that  the  scholars,  as  soon  as 


76  MARY  HONOURED 

they  have  risen,  and  while  making  their  beds,  shall  say 
the  Matins  of  our  blessed  Lady. 

3.  The  Rosary  or  Mary  Psalter.    The  less  learned, 
unable  to  read,  had  provided  for  them  the  Mary  Psalter 
or   Rosary.     The   founders   of   colleges   and   other   pious 
institutions   frequently  imposed  the   obligation   of  prac 
tising   this   devotion   upon   those   who   should   hereafter 
partake  of  their  benefits.     Thus  Henry  VI  wished  that 
the  scholars  of  Eton  should  every  day  repeat  the  whole 
Psalter  of  Mary  (i.e.  the  fifteen  decades  of  the  Rosary)  ; 
and  William  Waynflete,   Bishop  of  Winchester,   who  in 
1456  built  and  munificently  endowed  St.  Mary  Magdalen 
College,   Oxford,   enjoined  that  the   President   and  each 
of  the  Fellows  of  the  said  College  should,  with  all  possible 
devotion,  on  their  bended  knees,  recite  "  fifty  times  over 
the  Angelical  Salutation,  together  with  the  Lord's  Prayer 
after  every  ten  rehearsals  of  the  Salutation  aforesaid." 

Writing  about  the  year  1490  to  the  Head  of  his  Republic, 
the  Venetian  ambassador  states  that  it  was  a  common 
practice  for  the  people  of  England  to  hear  Mass  every 
day,  and  say  the  Rosary  in  public  frequently.  All  the 
women  would  carry  with  them  beads,  and  all  who  could 
read  took  with  them  to  church  the  Office  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin.  It  was  also  the  custom  for  every  one  to  fast  on 
Saturdays  in  Mary's  honour ;  and,  at  the  battle  of  Crecy 
(1346),  the  men  went  into  battle  breakfastless  in  our 
Lady's  honour,  it  being  Saturday. 

4.  The  Angelus.    At    the    end    of    the    XIV    Cent. 
Thomas  Arundel,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  at  the  special 
request  of  King  Henry  IV,  enjoined  that  in  the  morning 
on  awakening,  as  well  as  at  nightfall,  the  bells  should  be 
tolled  to  invite  the  faithful  to  recite  one  Our  Father  and 
five  Hail  Marys  in  veneration  of  "  Our  Lady  Mary,  the 
Mother  of  God,  our  patroness  and  protector  in  all  adver 
sities  "  :  and  he  granted  forty  days'  indulgence  to  all  who 
practised  this  devotion. 

Dr.  Rock  in  The  Church  of  our  Fathers  writes  :  "  In 


BY   CATHOLIC   ENGLAND  77 

many  and  many  of  those  grey  church  towers  which  we 
so  often  see  peeping  over  the  trees  as  we  wander  by,  there 
yet  hangs  the  very  bell — the  '  Gabriel  bell/  so  our  fathers 
called  it — which  the  sexton  had  to  ring  at  morn  and  at 
evening  every  day  as  a  bidding  to  the  people — to  the  sick 
in  bed  and  to  the  healthy,  to  those  at  home  and  those 
abroad,  that  they  should  greet  our  Lady  with  their  five 
Hail  Marys  ;  and  all  about  its  rim  can  still  be  read  the 
quaint  verse  speaking  of  the  Archangel  and  St.  Mary." 
He  adds  :  "  The  mid-day  bell  was  never  rung  in  England  ; 
and  the  Angelus,  as  it  is  now  said  in  all  Catholic  countries, 
did  not  come  into  use  before  the  beginning  of  the  XVI 
Cent,  and  seems  to  have  commenced  in  France." 


SECTION   XXX 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  CATHOLIC  ENGLAND  (cont.) 
3.    Shrines 

MARY'S  shrines  in  England  were  renowned  for  their 
glory  far  beyond  the  sea :  the  beautiful  Lady 
chapels  in  the  Cathedrals  and  parish  churches,  blazing 
with  gold  and  colour,  the  Mary  Mass,  the  Mary  Guilds  in 
city  and  village,  all  proclaimed  that  the  Island  of  the 
Saints  was  ruled  by  the  Queen  of  Heaven,  and  belonged 
to  her  as  her  Dowry. 

i.  Our  Ladye  of  Glastonbury  in  Somersetshire  was 
the  most  ancient  and  venerable  sanctuary  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  in  England.  According  to  tradition  it  was  originally 
a  little  oratory  formed  of  wattled  twigs  and  branches  of 
trees,  said  to  have  been  erected  by  St.  Joseph  of  Arimathea. 
Two  centuries  later  it  was  rebuilt  in  stone  ;  and  in  the 
year  530,  St.  David  added  a  Ladye  Chapel.  In  708  Ina, 
King  of  the  West  Saxons,  reconstructed  the  Abbey  and 
church,  and  also  built  the  "  Silver  Chapel,"  as  it  was 
called  from  its  richness.  For  the  construction  and  adorn- 


7 8  MARY   HONOURED 

ment  of  this  chapel  Ina  gave  2,640  Ibs.  of  silver,  and  some 
600  Ibs.  of  gold ;  his  other  gifts  being  a  rich  chalice  and 
paten,  a  censer,  covers  for  the  Holy  Gospels,  besides  orna 
ments  for  the  altar  ;  likewise  175  Ibs.  of  silver  and  38 
Ibs.  of  gold  for  images  of  our  Lord,  our  blessed  Lady  and 
the  twelve  Apostles.  See  Waterton's  Pietas  Britannica, 
and  Canon  Connelly's  Pamphlet  England  and  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  C.T.S. 

During  the  reign  of  Henry  II  (1154-1189)  the  church 
was  burnt  to  the  ground,  and  he  resolved  to  replace  it 
by  a  structure  of  greater  splendour.  By  a  special  charter 
he  confirmed  all  the  privileges  granted  by  his  predecessors 
to  this  church,  which,  as  he  sets  forth  in  this  document, 
"  is  called  by  some  the  Mother  of  Saints,  and  by  others 
the  Tomb  of  Saints,  and  which,  built  by  the  very  Disciples 
of  our  Lord,  was  first  of  all  dedicated  by  our  Lord  Himself, 
according  to  venerable  ancient  authority/' 

Several  Kings  made  pilgrimages  to  Glastonbury,  and 
many  of  the  noblest  of  the  land  sought  to  be  buried  there, 
so  that  they  might  await  the  day  of  doom  under  the  pro 
tection  of  our  Lady.  Waterton,  II.  43.  Connelly,  Ibid. 

It  was  in  the  sanctuary  of  Glastonbury  that  Kindreda,  St. 
Dunstan's  mother,  was  foretold  the  future  greatness  and 
holiness  of  her  child,  who  became  Primate  of  England  and  a 
glorious  Saint.  Here,  too,  St.  Dunstan  spent  whole  nights  in 
prayer.  It  is  related  of  King  Edgar,  surnamed  the  Peace 
able,  that  he  here  laid  his  sceptre  on  our  Lady's  altar,  and 
solemnly  placed  his  Kingdom  under  her  protection. 

2.  Our  Lady  of  Coventry.  The  celebrated  image 
of  Our  Lady  of  Coventry  is  and  will  be  for  ever  associated 
with  the  name  of  that  perfect  model  of  an  Anglo-Saxon 
lady,  Godgifu  (Godiva),  wife  of  Leofric,  Earl  of  Mercia, 
described  as  "  tune  faeminarum  pulcherrima,  sic  corde 
sanctissima."  Here  she  and  her  pious  husband  founded 
a  magnificent  abbey  in  the  XI  Cent,  (before  the  Norman 
Conquest),  the  church  of  which  was  consecrated  in  1043. 
She  further  gave  to  this  church  of  our  Lady  all  her  treasures ; 


BY   CATHOLIC  ENGLAND  79 

and  sending  for  goldsmiths,  devoutly  distributed  all  the 
gold  and  silver  she  possessed  to  make  covers  for  the  sacred 
books,  images  of  the  Saints,  and  ornaments  for  the  altar. 
In  a  word,  for  the  love  of  God  and  the  service  of  the  Church 
she  literally  despoiled  herself  of  all  her  personal  property. 
Waterton,  II.  21.  On  her  death-bed  she  desired  that  a 
rich  chaplet  of  precious  gems,  valued  at  one  hundred  marks, 
on  which  she  used  to  repeat  her  prayers,  should  be  hung 
round  the  neck  of  Our  Lady  of  Coventry  whom  she  so 
dearly  loved.  She  was  buried  in  the  porch  of  the  church 
not  far  from  our  Lady's  statue. 

Of  Coventry  Church  an  ancient  historian  records  that 
"  never  before  had  so  splendid  a  church  been  raised  in 
England.  It  contained  every  ornament  and  decoration 
wrought  by  the  art  of  man  that  boundless  wealth,  spent 
with  lavish  and  pious  hands,  could  supply.  It  was  so 
enriched  with  gold  and  silver  that  the  very  walls  seemed 
too  confined  to  contain  the  treasures,  and  the  eyes  of  the 
beholders  were  dazzled,  as  though  what  they  saw  was  not 
a  reality,  but  something  supernatural."  Canon  Connelly, 
Ibid.  Of  this  splendid  edifice  not  a  stone  remains  ;  its 
immense  treasures  were  carried  off  to  enrich  Henry  VIIFs 
coffers. 

3.  Our  Lady  of  Walsingham.  The  story  of  this 
renowned  sanctuary  is  related  by  Canon  Connelly  as 
follows  :  The  most  celebrated  of  all  the  English  sanctuaries 
of  our  Lady  was  at  Walsingham,  a  market  town  in  the 
county  of  Norfolk,  rather  more  than  a  hundred  miles  from 
London.  Ancient  records  state  that  towards  the  end  of 
the  XI  Cent,  some  five  or  six  years  before  the  Norman  Con 
quest,  a  noble  lady  of  Walsingham  named  Richeldis  was  fav 
oured  by  the  Blessed  Virgin  in  a  vision  with  a  sight  of  the 
Holy  House  of  Nazareth,  and  told  to  build  one  like  it  at 
Walsingham  on  a  site  which  would  be  indicated  to  her. 
Tradition  relates  that  this  pious  lady  caused  the  materials 
to  be  prepared,  but  being  still  in  doubt  as  to  the  exact 
spot  on  which  the  chapel  was  to  be  built,  she  spent  the 


8o  MARY  HONOURED 

night  in  prayer,  and  meanwhile  "  our  Lady  herself  being 
the  chief  artificer/'  built  it  with  the  assistance  of  Angels, 
and  on  this  account  it  was  that  this  sanctuary  was  held 
in  such  extraordinary  veneration  by  our  forefathers. 
Such  is  the  legend.  This  chapel  of  Walsingham  is  said 
to  have  been  an  exact  counterpart  of  the  Holy  House  of 
Nazareth.  (See  §  63.) 

Erasmus,  the  great  scholar  of  Rotterdam,  contemporary 
and  friend  of  Blessed  Thomas  More,  visited  the  sanctuary 
in  1509  and  thus  describes  it  :  "  Within  the  building  (the 
church)  there  is  a  small  chapel  which  admits  by  a  narrow 
little  door  on  either  side  those  who  come  to  salute  our 
Lady  :  the  light  is  feeble,  in  fact  scarcely  any  except  from 
the  wax  candles."  One  unceasing  movement  of  pilgrims 
to  and  from  Walsingham  up  to  the  Dissolution  shows  how 
much  this  sanctuary  was  revered.1  Northcote's  Sanc 
tuaries  of  the  Madonna,  252  seq.  Kings  as  pilgrims  to 
Walsingham,  see  §  49. 


SECTION  XXXI 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  CATHOLIC  ENGLAND  (cont.) 
3.  Shrines    (cont.) 


4.  T^  VESHAM,  in  Worcestershire,  on  the  banks  of 
fj  the  Severn.  A  swineherd  named  Eoves  hap 
pened  on  a  certain  day  to  penetrate  into  a  thicket  in  a 
valley  near  the  river,  when  he  beheld  a  Lady  standing 
on  a  particular  spot  with  two  other  virgins,  one  on  either 
side,  all  three  of  surpassing  beauty  and  radiant  with  sun- 
like  splendour.  Terrified  and  trembling  he  returned  home, 
and  related  all  he  had  seen  to  the  Bishop  Egwin.2  The 

1  The  chapel  was  demolished  and  the  statue  burnt  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  VIII. 

2  The  third  Bishop  of  Worcester. 


BY   CATHOLIC   ENGLAND  81 

latter,  having  maturely  considered  the  matter,  after  prayer 
and  fasting,  took  with  him  three  companions  and  proceeded 
barefoot  to  the  valley.  On  reaching  the  thicket,  the 
Bishop  leaving  his  companions  went  in  alone,  and  pros 
trating  on  the  ground  remained  a  long  time  in  prayer. 
When  he  rose  he  beheld  the  three  Virgins  in  brilliant  light 
as  they  had  appeared  to  Eoves.  But  she  who  stood  in 
the  centre  far  outshone  her  companions  in  glory,  and  seemed 
to  him  whiter  than  the  lily,  more  brilliant  than  the  rose, 
while  all  around  was  diffused  a  heavenly  fragrance.  Our 
Lady,  for  it  was  she,  bade  him  erect  a  church  on  that 
spot  and  dedicate  it  to  her.  The  church  was  completed 
in  701  through  the  assistance  of  Off  a,  King  of  the  East 
Angles,  and  the  two  Mercian  Kings  Ethelred  and  Coenred. 
Eversham  with  its  miraculous  image  of  Mary  became  a 
favourite  place  of  pilgrimage.  Northcote,  Ibid.  238. 

5.  Tewkesbury,    near    Worcester,    had    a    celebrated 
sanctuary  of  our  Lady  founded  in  715  by  the  two  Mercian 
nobles  Oddo  and  Dodo.     The  church  possessed  a  large 
wooden  image  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  greatly  revered  by 
the  people,  which,  though  it  escaped  destruction  in  the 
time  of  the   Reformation,   was  sadly  desecrated  in  the 
reign  of  James  I,  being  hollowed  out  by  a  Puritan  and 
converted  into  a  trough  for  swine.     Terrible  chastisement 
overtook    the    unhappy    man    and    his    famity.       Ibid. 

238. 

6.  Lincoln.    We  find  Our  Lady  of  Lincoln  frequently 
mentioned  among  the  sanctuaries  which  were    regarded 
by  the  English  with  special  veneration  ;    and  the  inhabi 
tants  of  Lincoln  who  took  part  with  King  Stephen  in  the 
civil  war,  choosing  her  as  their  special  patroness,  attri 
buted  to  her  intercession  the  great  victory  they  obtained 
in  1147  over  the  Earl  of  Chester. 

In  the  cathedral  inventory  there  is  mention  of  the  "  great 
image  of  our  Lady  seated  in  a  chair,  silver  and  gilt,  having 
a  crown  on  her  head,  silver  and  gilt,  set  with  stones  and 
pearls  ;  and  her  Child  sitting  on  her  knee  with  a  crown  upon 

M.P.  G 


82  MARY  HONOURED 

His  head,  with  a  diadem  set  with  pearls  and  stones,  having 
a  ball  (an  orb)  with  a  cross  silver  and  gilt  in  His  left  hand." 
Ibid.  246. 

Whilst  Henry  VIII  before  his  fall  was  walking  in  a 
procession  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament  at  Lincoln,  the  sight 
of  the  jewels  and  plate  that  glittered  before  him  must 
have  excited  his  avarice.  Some  time  later  he  issued  orders 
that  all  the  superfluous  plate,  gold,  silver,  and  jewels 
should  be  removed  from  this  shrine  and  "  conveyed  to 
our  jewel  house  in  London." 

7.  Ipswich.    This  appears  to  have  been  a  very  popular 
though  less  ancient  place  of  pilgrimage.     The  image  stood 
in  a  chapel  commonly  called  "  Our  Lady  of  Grace,"  at 
the  corner  of  a  lane  still  known  as  "  Lady  Lane."     It 
was  much  frequented  in  Catholic  times,   but   especially 
under  the  Tudor  sovereign  Henry  VII.     We  find  it  named 
among  the  sanctuaries  to  which  Elizabeth  of  York,  the 
consort   of  Henry  VII,   made   her  yearly  offerings — the 
others  that  shared  her  benefactions  being  Our  Lady  of 
Windsor,  Our  Lady  of  Eton,  Our  Lady  of  Caversham,  Our 
Lady  of  Walsingham,   and  four  others.     It  was  to  the 
chapel  of  Our  Lady  of  Ipswich  that  Cardinal  Wolsey, 
himself  an  Ipswich  man,  ordered  a  yearly  procession  to 
be  made  on  the  feast  of  our  Lady's  Nativity  by  the  college 
which  he  founded  in  his  native  town.     There  exists  in 
the  Vatican  a  letter  from  the  Cardinal  to  Pope  Clement 
VII,  dated  April  16,  1526,  thanking  His  Holiness  for  the 
Indulgences   granted   to   this   sanctuary.     Of   Our   Lady 
of  Ipswich  Blessed  Thomas  More  writes  that  "  the  man 
must  seem  mad  who  should  mistrust  (doubt)  the  miracles 
worked    there."    The    miraculous    image    was    publicly 
burnt  at  the  Reformation. 

8.  Wilsdon  or  Willesden.    An  image  of  Mary  was 
greatly  venerated  in  St.  Mary's  Church,  Wilsdon,  a  parish 
on  the  western  boundary  of  Hampstead.     So  early  as  the 
year  1251  we  find  an  inventory  of  the  goods  and  ornaments 
belonging  to  Wilsdon  Church,  which  includes  a  scarlet 


BY   CATHOLIC   ENGLAND  83 

Banner  with  a  figure  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  worked  in  cloth 
>f  gold,  and  two  images  of  our  Lady. 

9.  Our  Lady  of  Caversham,  a  shrine  in  Buckingham- 
hire,   was  held  in  high  repute.     The  image  stood  in  a 
:hapel  attached  to  the  church.     King  John  in  1199  made 

a  grant  of  the  church  and  lands  to  the  Austin  Canons  of 
^utley.     Rich  offerings  to  Our  Lady  of  Caversham  were 
made  by  Isabel,  Countess  of  Warwick,  and  Gilbert  Mari- 
schale,  Earl  of  Pembroke. 

10.  Our  Lady  of  Abingdon.     In  675  Cyssa  founded 
lere  a  church  in  honour  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  a  monas- 
.ery   for   twelve   Benedictine   monks.     It   became   richly 

endowed,  for  the  Anglo-Saxons  loved  "  to  make  God  and 

our  Lady  their  heirs/'     The  charters  of  donations  were 

everently  laid  by  the  donors  on  the  altar.     St.   Edward 

he    Martyr  and  St.  Dunstan  encouraged  the  people  to 

make  pilgrimages  to  Our  Lady  of  Abingdon. 

Besides  the  above  there  were  many  other  famous  images 
and  shrines  of  the  Virgin  Mother  to  be  found  in  every 
Dart  of  the  country.  The  English  images  of  our  Lady 
were  renowned  for  their  beauty.  Travellers  from  the 

ontinent  mention  this  as  a  striking  feature,  and  one 
writer  of  ancient  times  says  of  the  image  of  Mary  in  the 
Abbey  church  at  Reading  that  "it  is  so  exceedingly 
elegant  that  I  have  never  beheld,  nor  shall  I  ever  see  one 
to  be  compared  to  it,  even  were  I  to  go  to  the  extreme 
ends  of  the  earth.  Nothing  more  beautiful  nor  more 
lovely  could  be  executed."  The  image  at  St.  Alban's 
was  known  as  "  Our  Lady  the  Beautiful  "  ;  and  critics 
acknowledge  that  one  of  the  very  best  miniature  paintings 
of-  the  XIII  Cent,  is  an  English  picture  of  our  Lady. 
The  images  (as  seen  above)  were  often  made  of  gold  or 

liver  gilt ;  and  when  of  stone  or  wood,  they  were  crowned 
with  diadems  of  gold.  Wealthy  ladies  bequeathed  for 
the  use  of  these  statues  their  jewels  and  costly  ornaments, 
while  noble  knights  hung  their  swords  about  the  shrine. 


84  MARY   HONOURED 


SECTION  XXXII 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  CATHOLIC  ENGLAND  (cont.) 
4.  Abbeys.      Colleges 

A  BBEYS.  In  the  Cistercian  Order,  to  whose  devoted- 
./~\  ness  England  was  indebted  for  the  magnificent 
abbeys  of  York,  Waverley,  Buildwas,  Tintern,  Fountains, 
Furness,  and  many  others,  it  was  an  invariable  rule  to 
dedicate  all  their  churches  and  monasteries  without  excep 
tion  to  the  Virgin  Mother  of  God.  Not  a  few  of  the  Abbeys 
in  England,  such  as  Kirkstall  and  Joreval  in  Yorkshire, 
and  Vale  Royal  in  Cheshire,  were  founded  and  endowed 
in  fulfilment  of  vows  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  in  grati 
tude  for  blessings  received  through  her  hands. 

Colleges.  Both  Oxford  and  Cambridge  had  their 
celebrated  statues  of  our  Lady.  It  was  before  the  Oxford 
one  that  St.  Edmund  of  Canterbury,  when  a  boy,  made 
his  vow  of  perpetual  chastity.  (See  §  15.) 

Eton  College  was  founded  by  King  Henry  VI  in  1440, 
under  the  title  of  "  The  College  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary 
of  Eton  beside  Windsor."  The  original  foundation  con 
sisted  of  a  Provost,  ten  priests,  four  clerks,  six  choristers, 
twenty-five  poor  grammar-scholars,  and  twenty-five  poor 
infirm  men.  Bishop  Wayneflete  (of  Winchester)  was  the 
first  Head-Master,  and  afterward  a  munificent  benefactor 
of  the  College.  As  stated  above,  the  statutes  of  the 
College  prescribe  that  the  scholars,  as  soon  as  they  have 
risen,  and  while  making  their  beds,  shall  say  the  Matins 
of  our  Lady,  which  they  had  to  know  by  heart.  Also 
they  were  required  to  say  every  day  the  Mary  Psalter, 
i.e.  the  Rosary,  §  29. 

Magdalen  College,  Oxford,  founded  by  Bishop  Patten 
of  Wayneflete  in  1458.  In  the  statutes  provision  is  made 
for  our  Lady's  Antiphon  to  be  sung  on  Saturdays,  "  Our 
pleasure  is  that  on  every  Saturday  throughout  the  year, 


BY   CATHOLIC   ENGLAND  85 

and  on  all  the  eves  of  the  feasts  of  the  Blessed  Virgin 
Marye,  after  Compline,  all  and  each  of  the  said  Fellows 
and  Scholars  and  Ministers  of  our  chapel,  do  devoutly 
perform  among  themselves  in  the  common  hall  by  note, 
an  Antiphon  of  the  said  Glorious  Virgin."  He  also  enjoined 
on  all  the  daily  recitation  of  the  Rosary.  Waterton,  34. 

King's  College,  Cambridge,  founded  by  Henry  VI 
in  1443.  Its  statutes  are  equally  precise  with  those  of 
Eton  in  regard  to  devotional  exercises  to  our  Lady. 

Corpus  Christ!  College,  Oxford,  dedicated  to  our 
Lord  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and  to  "  His  most  spot 
less  Mother."  A  similar  statute  to  that  of  Magdalen 
College  with  regard  to  the  singing  of  an  Antiphon  B.M.V. 
was  made  by  its  founder,  Bishop  Richard  Fox  of  Win 
chester,  A.D.  1516. 

New  College,  Oxford,  founded  in  1379  by  William  of 
Wykeham,  Bishop  of  Winchester,  was  dedicated  by  him 
to  our  Lady,  whose  statue  still  crowns  the  gateway. 

English  Saints  and  our  Lady.  St.  Thomas  of  Here 
ford,  St.  Richard  of  Chichester,  St.  Hugh  of  Lincoln 
(French),  St.  Anselm  of  Canterbury  (Piedmontese),  St. 
Wilfrid  of  Ripon,  St.  John  of  Beverley,  St.  Bede  of  Jarrow, 
St.  Thomas  of  Canterbury,  St.  Cuthbert  of  Durham,  St. 
Godric  of  Finchale  with  many  other  English  Saints  were 
conspicuous  for  their  tender  filial  piety  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin. 


SECTION   XXXIII 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  CATHOLIC  ENGLAND  (cont.) 
5.  Pilgrimages 

OUR  forefathers  were  great  pilgrims  and  devout  clients 
of  Mary.     They  never  forgot  that  England  was 
her  Dowry.     The  stones  of  hundreds  of  its  now  desolate 
churches  still  remain  as  witnesses  to  the  ancient  devotion. 


86  MARY  HONOURED 

To  some  of  her  English  shrines,  as  Walsingham,  Abingdon, 
Willesden,  there  was  an  unceasing  stream  of  pilgrims, 
each  with  his  staff  blessed  according  to  the  special  rite 
of  the  Old  Sarum  Missal.  In  the  Council  of  Calne,  A.D. 
978,  it  was  decreed  that  it  should  be  lawful  for  the  people 
to  make  pilgrimages  to  Our  Lady  of  Abingdon,  and  many 
English  royal  pilgrims  went  thither.  Henry  II,  on  recover 
ing  from  a  severe  illness,  went  on  pilgrimage,  as  he  had 
vowed,  to  Our  Lady  of  Rocamadour.  To  the  little  chapel 
of  our  Lady  at  Caversham  there  was  a  perpetual  conflux 
of  pilgrims.  At  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  Pilgrim  Street  still 
records  the  piety  of  the  townsfolk.  Cardinal  Wolsey 
ordered  a  yearly  pilgrimage  to  be  made  to  Our  Lady  of 
Grace  at  Ipswich.  The  devotion  of  some  of  England's 
Kings,  as  shown  by  their  pilgrimages  to  her  sanctuaries, 
is  mentioned  elsewhere.  (§  48.) 

Our  Lady  of  Ardenburg,  Great  Yarmouth,  was  a 
favourite  shrine  resorted  to  by  Catholic  sailors.  Barnes 
in  his  Life  of  Edward  III,  p.  180,  tells  us  that  of  the  260 
ships,  which  then  composed  the  English  fleet,  sixty  at 
least  were  from  Yarmouth,  and  manned  by  stalwart  East 
Anglians. 

Salisbury  was  also  a  noted  place  of  pilgrimage  during 
the  Ages  of  Faith ;  in  fact  Our  Lady  of  Salisbury  is  men 
tioned  in  the  "  Witt  en  Bouc  "  amongst  the  more  famous 
shrines  to  which  penitential  pilgrimages  were  made. 

At  Leeds  in  the  year  1376,  a  chapel  dedicated  to  St. 
Mary  the  Virgin  was  built  "  together  with  the  bridge." 
It  stood  at  the  north-eastern  end,  and  in  it,  as  in  most 
of  these  sanctuaries,  Masses  were  said  at  a  very  early 
hour  for  the  benefit  of  travellers.  Nesbitt,  Our  Lady  in 
the  Church,  pp.  12,  61. 


BY   FAITHFUL   IRELAND  87 

SECTION   XXXIV 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  FAITHFUL  IRELAND 

i.  QT.  PATRICK,  the  Apostle  of  Ireland,  always 
w^  spoke  of  our  Lord  as  the  "  Son  of  the  Virgin/' 
and  of  Mary,  as  "  Mary,  Mother  of  God."  His  disciples 
caught  up  his  spirit,  and,  when  he  had  passed  away,  they 
transmitted  to  others  that  glowing  love  for  Jesus  and 
Mary,  which  was  such  a  distinctive  feature  of  the  life 
and  teaching  of  the  Saint.  They  filled  the  Irish  mind 
with  admiration  of  the  beauty  of  the  Mother  and  the 
Son  ;  they  thrilled  the  Irish  heart  with  their  love  ;  and 
this  admiration  and  love  found  expression  in  the  Hymns 
and  Litanies  that  were  composed.  There  is  yet  in  exist 
ence  a  remarkable  Litany  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  which 
has  come  down  from  the  middle  of  the  VIII  Cent. 
It  is  replete  with  poetic  imagery,  and  so  fragrant  with 
genuine  piety  that,  when  translated  into  English,  it  was 
enriched  with  an  indulgence  of  300  days  by  Pope  Pius  IX. 

In  the  VIII,  IX,  and  X  Cents,  monasteries  and 
churches  studded  the  land,  and  very  many  of  these  were 
placed  under  the  protection  and  invocation  of  Mary. 
In  fact  "  Mary's  Church  or  Chapel  "  became  in  course  of 
time  a  familiar  name  throughout  the  land  and  was  used  to 
designate  localities.  It  still  survives  in  the  corrupted  form 
of  Kilmurry.  Note.  On  the  above  Litany  see  end  of  book. 

2.  The  Blessed  Virgin  in  Ireland  was  not  spoken  of  as 
"  Our  Lady,"  or  even  as  "  Our  Blessed  Lady,"  but  as 
"  Mary  Mother,"  "  Mary  the  blessed,  the  beloved,"  "  The 
darling  Virgin."  "  This  Virgin,  full  of  grace  and  blessed 
amongst  women,  was  always  before  the  mind  and  in  the 
heart  of  the  Irish  people.  Her  memory  sweetened  their 
many  trials,  her  image  beautified  their  humble  homes, 
herjcult  sanctified  their  daily  lives,  and  her  dear  name 
lent  its  beauty  and  its  fragrance  to  their  ordinary  saluta 
tions  and  greetings.  Even  to  this  day  in  many  parts 


88  MARY  HONOURED 

of  Ireland,  instead  of  the  usual  '  Good  morning/  '  Good 
evening/  people  greet  you  with  such  words  as  '  God  bless 
you/  '  God  and  Mary  bless  you/  '  Father  Augustine, 
O.S.F.C. 

3.  Early  in  the  XIII  Cent,   the   sons   of   St.    Dominic 
came  to  Ireland  and  preached  the  devotion  of  the  Rosary. 
They  were  helped  by  their  brother  Religious,  the  Augus- 
tinians  and  Franciscans,  and  also  by  the  secular  clergy, 
who  vied  with  each  other  in  propagating  this  beautiful 
devotion  to  Mary.     In  consequence  the  love  of  the  Rosary 
spread  rapidly  throughout  the  land,  and  so  entered  into 
the  spiritual  life  of  the  Irish  people,  that  two  centuries 
later  they  remained  loyal  to  Jesus  and  Mary,  despite  all 
the  tyranny  and  oppression  that   marked  the  so-called 
Reformation.     "  Their  persecutors  might  break  the  statues 
in  the  churches,  they  might  tear  the  pictures  in  the  houses, 
they  might  hack  the  images  in  the  squares  ;  but  they  could 
never  take  the  Rosary  of  Mary  from  Irish  hands,  nor  erase 
the  name  of  Mary  from  Irish  hearts."     Idem. 

4.  The  Irish  carried  their  reverence  for  the  holy  Name 
of  Mary  to  a  remarkable  degree.     Influenced  in  early 
ages  by  profound  feelings  of  humility  and  respect,  they 
never  assumed  the  names  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  or  of 
certain  Saints  for  their  children  at  Baptism,  reserving  them 
exclusively  for  those  holy  persons  who  had  borne  them  ; 
and  adopted  the  prefix  Mael  or  Maol,  so  common  in  Irish 
names,     which    signifies     "  servant."    Thus     "  Maelisa " 
means  "  Servant   of  Jesus  "  ;     "  Maelmuire,"  servant   of 
Mary;     ''  Maelphadraic/'    servant    of    Patrick.     "Mael 
muire  "  was  borne  both  by  men  and  women.     Waterton, 
20.     On  the  subject  of  the  "  Royal  Name  of  Mary  "  the 
Irish   Messenger   of  the   S.H.    (May,    1916)    presents  the 
following  reflections.     It  has  been  said  with  truth  that 
the  fidelity  of  the  Irish  race  to  the  Faith  which  St.  Patrick 
brought  them,  is  due  above  all  else  to  the  love  and  devotion 
they  have  always  borne  to  the  Mother  of  God.    They  were 
always  jealous  of  their  titles  and  of  the  names  they  gave 


BY   FAITHFUL   IRELAND  89 

to  their  kings  and  queens,  to  their  scholars  and  their 
warriors.  And  to  mark  their  love  and  reverence  for  Mary, 
their  refuge  and  comfortress  in  all  dangers  and  trials, 
they  gave  her  a  name  that  was  to  be  hers  alone  for  ever, 
the  sacred  name  of  Muire — and  no  Mary  of  the  Irish 
race,  no  matter  how  high  her  station  or  how  grand  her 
gifts,  has  ever  been  allowed  to  call  herself  by  that  honoured 
name,  set  specially  apart  for  the  Mother  of  Jesus. 

The  name  of  Mary  has  ever  been  a  talisman  among  the 
children  of  the  Gael.  There  is  nothing  more  inspiring  or 
more  glorious  in  the  history  of  any  land  than  the  victory 
of  Benburb,  when,  outnumbered  and  to  all  appearances 
defeated,  the  Irish  soldiers  rallied  at  the  inspired  battle- 
cry  given  to  them  by  Owen  Roe  O'Neill,  "  Sancta  Maria  !  " 
At  once  they  faced  their  foes  in  a  final  charge  and  sent 
them  flying  in  all  directions,  completely  routed  and  dis 
mayed.  And  when  Red  Hugh  O'Donnell  roused  his  men 
to  valiant  deeds  at  the  battle  of  the  Curlew  Mountains, 
it  was  of  "  Holy  Mary's  honour/'  defiled  by  the  "  tainted 
lips  "  of  the  heretical  invaders  that  he  spoke,  and  no  higher 
or  holier  cause  could  those  brave  and  simple  men  desire 
to  do  battle  for.  In  the  penal  days,  in  the  days  of  famine 
and  pestilence  and  eviction,  on  the  bleak  roadside,  on  the 
deck  of  the  emigrant  ship  or  amid  the  horrors  of  enforced 
exile,  it  was  Mary's  name  and  Mary's  aid,  implored  through 
the  holy  Rosary,  that  kept  Faith  and  Hope  and  Charity 
alive  in  many  a  sorrow-clouded  soul. 

5.  The  ancient  Irish  Litany  above  mentioned  was 
probably  composed  in  the  famous  monastery  of  Clonsart 
as  early  as  the  year  725,  and  used  by  St.  Broghan's  com 
munity  there,  contains  many  titles  that  are  strikingly 
beautiful.  In  it  the  Blessed  Virgin  is  appealed  to  as  "  O 
great  Mary, — O  greatest  of  Marys, — Blessed  and  most 
blessed, — Mother  of  eternal  glory, — Mother  of  the  heavenly 
and  earthly  Church, — Mother  of  love  and  indulgence, — 
Mother  of  the  golden  light, — Harbinger  of  peace, — Golden 
casket, — Temple  of  the  Divinity, — Beauty  of  virgins,— 


90  MARY   HONOURED 

Fountain  of  the  gardens, — Mother  of  orphans, — Refuge 
of  the  wretched, — Abode  of  the  Godhead, — Garden  en 
closed, — Fountain  sealed, — Perpetual  Virgin, — Temple  of 
the  living  God, — Throne  of  the  Eternal  King, — Sanctuary 
of  the  Holy  Spirit, — Virgin  of  the  Root  of  Jesse, — Cedar 
of  Mount  Lebanon, — Cypress  of  Mount  Sion, — Crimson 
Rose  in  the  land  of  Jacob, — Fruitful  like  the  olive, — Bloom 
ing  like  the  palm, — Light  of  Nazareth, — Glory  of  Jerusa 
lem, — Beauty  of  the  world, — Noblest  born  of  the  Christian 
people, — Queen  of  the  world, — Ladder  of  heaven."  From 
an  authorized  translation. 

6.  Shrines  of  our  Lady  in  Ireland. 

Our  Lady  of  Youghal.  This  image  was  found  in  a 
beam  of  timber  cast  ashore  at  Youghal  some  time  in  the 
first  half  of  the  XV  Cent.  It  was  venerated  in  the 
Dominican  House  at  Youghal  until  the  outbreak  of  the 
Elizabethan  persecution,  and  is  said  to  have  been  famous 
at  the  time  for  numerous  miracles.  It  is  now  in  St.  Mary's 
Church,  Cork.  A  copy  of  it  in  carved  stone  is  to  be  seen 
in  the  Parish  Church,  Youghal,  where  it  is  a  cherished 
object  of  popular  devotion. 

Our  Lady  of  Drogheda.  In  1345,  Richard  Fitz- 
william,  Mayor  of  Drogheda,  had  license  to  assign  four 
acres  of  land  for  increasing  and  maintaining  lights  before 
this  venerable  image  of  our  blessed  Lady.  Waterton, 
308. 

Our  Lady  of  Limerick.  A  greatly  venerated  and 
richly  adorned  statue,  which  was  despoiled  of  its  silver 
and  other  ornaments  in  the  thirtieth  year  of  King  Henry 
VIII.  Ibid.  The  statue  was  probably  destroyed. 

Our  Lady  of  Muckross.  When  the  English  were 
devastating  the  abbey,  and  had  torn  down  and  trampled 
on  the  figure  of  our  Lord  on  the  Rood,  some  of  the  friars 
carried  off  the  image  of  our  Lady  and  placed  it  at  the 
foot  of  a  dead  tree  which  had  lost  its  bark.  Lo  !  immedi 
ately  the  dead  tree  revived,  and  budded  forth  leaves  and 
shoots.  Ibid.  309. 


BY  FAITHFUL   IRELAND  91 

Our  Lady  of  Navan.  In  July,  1539,  the  image  of 
our  blessed  Lady,  so  long  held  in  veneration  here,  and  to 
which  people  from  all  parts  of  Ireland  came  on  pilgrimage, 
was  torn  from  her  altar  and  sacrilegiously  destroyed. 

Our  Lady  of  Trim.  This  was  the  most  celebrated 
sanctuary  of  our  Lady  in  Ireland.  Pilgrims  resorted  to 
it  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  the  Irish  and  Anglo-Irish 
vying  with  each  other  in  reverencing  and  enriching  it 
with  votive  offerings.  Ibid.  311.  Miracles  were  recorded 
here  in  1397,  1412,  1444,  1464.  It  was  burnt  by  Protes 
tants  in  1537. 

7.  Early  Irish  Poets  and  our  Lady.     From   the  V, 
VI,  VIII  Cent.  Irish    writers    have    composed    beautiful 
Latin  hymns  in  honour  of  the  Mother  of  God.    The  chief 
among    them    Sedulius  Caelius,  V    Cent.,    acquired    a 
widespread    fame    throughout    Christendom.     His   sweet 
address  to  the  Virgin  Mother  has  been  hallowed  by  uni 
versal  use  throughout  the  Church,  and  its  opening  lines — 
"  Salve  Sancta  Parens,  etc." — are  still  recited  in  the  Office 
and  votive  Mass  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.     The  following 
is  a  translation  of  a  portion  of  this  address  : 

"  Hail,  holy  Mother,  who  hast  given  birth  to  the  Almighty 
King,  who  rules  the  heavens  and  the  earth.  ...  In  thy 
blessed  womb  thou  didst  unite  the  joys  of  motherhood 
with  the  honour  of  virginity  :  none  has  hitherto  been  like 
to  thee,  nor  shall  hereafter  any  such  be  found  ;  thou  alone 
above  all  others  hast  been  beloved  by  Christ." 

Another  Sedulius,  also  an  Irishman  and  a  gifted  writer, 
lived  in  the  IX  Cent.,  and  has  left  beautiful  Latin  verses 
in  honour  of  God's  holy  Mother.  The  Irish  form  of  the 
name  is  Siadhal,  or  Shiel. 

8.  Ireland   and   our    Lady's    perpetual   Virginity. 
As  early  as  the  V  Cent,  we  find  Mary's  spotless  virginity, 
both  before,  in  and  after  the  birth  of  her  Divine  Son,  com 
memorated  in  a  profession  of  faith  which  a  native  of 
Ireland,  a  disciple  of  St.   Patrick   (Bachiarius  Macceus), 
presented  in  Rome  to  Pope  St.  Leo  the  Great  about  the 


92  MARY  HONOURED 

year  460.     See  Cardinal  Moran,  Essays  on  the  Early  Irish 
Church,  225  seq.,  234,  239. 


SECTION   XXXV 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  CATHOLIC  SCOTLAND  1 

i.  /^\UR  Lady  in  the  Highlands.  In  the  Highlands 
\_J  and  in  the  Western  Isles  there  is  a  Marian  litera 
ture,  mostly  oral,  of  which  the  world  knows  little  or  nothing. 
The  Mother  of  God  is  the  pre-eminent  Mary,  and  she  alone 
is,  by  both  Catholics  and  non-Catholics,  styled  "  Moire," 
while  all  other  Marys  are  called  "  Mair."  Nor  is  she 
simply  "  Mary/'  but  "  Mary  Mother  " — "  Moire  Mhathair." 
If  a  mother  hears  her  little  one  crying,  the  words  "  Dhia's 
de  Moire,  thu  m'eudail,  qu  de  h-ort  ?  "  "To  God  and 
Mary's  care,  my  darling,  what  ails  thee  ?  "  rise  spon 
taneously  to  her  lips.  The  expression  "  Moire  Mhathair  " 
is  as  often  in  the  mouth  of  the  Highland  Catholic  as  the 
familiar  "  Mon  Dieu  "  is  in  that  of  the  Frenchman,  and 
the  mild  expletive  "  Faith"  in  that  of  the  Irishman. 

In  the  Highlands  alone  there  are  no  fewer  than  twelve 
or  thirteen  parishes  dedicated  to  our  Lady.  Such  is  the 
parish  of  Kilmore  (Mary church)  in  Argyllshire.  In  the 
Island  of  Mull  there  is  another  parish  of  Kilmore,  and  in 
North  Uist  one  of  Kilmuir,  as  also  one  of  the  same  name 
in  the  Isle  of  Skye.  The  isles  of  Bute  and  Arran  have 
each  a  parish  of  Kilmorry,  and  so  on.  In  the  parish  of 
Alness  in  Ross  and  Cromarty  there  is  the  beautiful  lake 
of  Loch  Muire,  or  Mary  Lake.  It  takes  its  name  from 
an  old  chapel  dedicated  to  our  Lady,  situated  at  the 
extremity  of  the  loch  in  a  lovely  and  romantic  glen.  In 
several  places  there  are  springs  with  the  name  "  Lady's 
well."  The  village  of  Tobermory,  i.e.  "  Mary's  Well  " 
in  the  Island  of  Mull,  Argyllshire,  takes  its  name  from  a 
1  From  a  pamphlet  by  Rev.  A.  Campbell,  S.J.,  and  other  sources. 


IN    CATHOLIC   SCOTLAND  93 

well,  which  in  the  ages  of  faith  had  been  dedicated  to  our 
Lady.  Not  far  from  the  village  is  a  small  loch  known  as 
"  Mary's  lake,"  beautifully  situated  between  two  finely 
wooded  hills.  At  Ard-na-fuaran  in  Arisaig  the  church 
of  Kilmaria,  a  parish  church  before  the  Reformation,  still 
stands  in  ruins.  The  spot  has  been  exceptionally  favoured, 
for  our  Lady  here  has  never  lost  her  own.  There  still 
stands,  rearing  its  head  above  those  who  never  abandoned 
her,  the  fine  church  of  St.  Mary,  whence  was  appointed 
the  chief  pastor  of  the  whole  West  Highland  flock,  the 
late  Bishop  of  Argyll  and  the  Isles,  who  afterwards 
became  Archbishop  of  St.  Andrews  and  Edinburgh.  The 
grand  old  cathedral  church  of  lona  was  also  dedicated  to 
our  Lady. 

2.  Our  Lady  in  the  Lowlands.  Dedicated  to  our 
Lady  were  the  Abbey  of  Scone,  the  Priory  of  Portmoak 
in  Kinross-shire  (on  the  south  side  of  Loch  Leven),  the 
Priory  of  Monymusk  in  Aberdeenshire,  the  seal  of  the 
latter  house  having  a  figure  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  with 
the  Holy  Child  under  a  niche  ;  also  the  Abbey  of  Murlach 
in  Aberdeenshire,  founded  by  King  Malcolm  II  in  thanks 
giving  for  a  victory  over  the  Danes.  There  were  churches 
of  our  Lady  of  Loretto  in  Musselburgh  and  Perth,  and  of 
Our  Lady  of  Holyrood  in  Edinburgh,  the  latter  founded 
by  King  David  I.  There  was  the  Kirk  of  our  Lady  in 
Haddington ;  but  one  of  the  most  famous  was  Our  Lady 
of  Aberdeen,  the  statue  of  which  may  be  seen  to  this 
day  in  the  church  of  Finisterre  in  Brussels.  Rev.  M. 
Barrett,  O.S.B.,  in  his  work  Footprints  of  the  Ancient 
Scottish  Church,  246,  informs  us  that  various  images  of 
the  Mother  of  God  were  formerly  honoured  in  Aberdeen 
Cathedral.  The  chief  of  these  was  that  known  as  "  Our 
Lady  of  Pity,"  which  stood  in  the  nave  near  an  altar 
dedicated  to  her.  This  image  was  greatly  venerated  by 
clergy  and  people.  Alexander  Kyd,  precentor  of  the 
Cathedral,  gave  a  yearly  revenue  to  provide  two  candles 
to  burn  constantly  in  its  honour.  Canon  Clatt  presented 


94  MARY  HONOURED 

a  candle-holder  upon  which  the  faithful  might  burn  their 
tapers  before  it ;  and  Bishop  Elphinstone  provided  for 
it  a  large  candelabrum,  which  on  feast  days  was  filled 
with  lighted  candles.  On  great  occasions  the  statue  was 
clothed  in  a  rich  mantle,  set  with  beryls.  Votive  hearts 
of  silver  hung  near  it,  and  other  offerings  spoke  of  graces 
received  through  prayers  said  there.  A  smaller  image 
of  solid  silver  was  carried  in  procession  on  festivals  by 
order  of  Bishop  Elphinstone,  who  granted  an  indulgence 
to  all  who  should  take  part. 

At  a  later  period  an  ancient  wooden  statue,  which  once 
stood  in  the  chapel  of  the  Brig  of  Dee,  was  removed  to 
the  cathedral  by  Bishop  Gavin  Dunbar  (d.  1532).  After 
escaping  destruction,  several  times  attempted  without 
success  by  Protestants,  the  statue  was  finally  carried  to 
the  Continent  and  eventually  placed  in  the  church  of  the 
Augustinians  at  Brussels,  the  Infanta  Isabella  having 
arrayed  it  in  a  magnificent  robe  and  many  of  her  own 
jewels.  It  was  hidden  away  during  the  French  Revolu 
tion,  and  afterwards  placed  in  the  church  of  Finisterre, 
Brussels.  There  it  is  still  honoured  under  the  title  of 
"  Our  Lady  of  Good  Success." 

Full  information  on  honours  paid  to  the  Blessed  Virgin 
in  Scotland  will  be  found  in  Fr.  Barrett's  work.  Ibid. 

The  origin  of  the  custom  of  resting  from  work  on  a 
Saturday  was  to  allow  the  people  an  opportunity  of  going 
to  confession.  William  the  Lion,  King  of  Scotland,  in 
1202  ordered  rest  from  work  every  Saturday  from  midday, 
as  a  proof  of  love  for  the  Church  and  the  Blessed  Virgin. 
A  Scottish  writer  of  the  XIV  Cent.,  either  Fordun  or 
his  continuator  Bower,  says  :  "In  the  days  of  our  fathers 
the  Sabbath  (i.e.  Saturday)  was  held  in  great  veneration 
in  honour  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  principally  by  the  devo 
tion  of  women,  who  every  Saturday  with  great  piety 
restricted  themselves  to  one  meal,  and  that  merely  of 
bread  and  water." 

Of  the  other  Abbeys  and  Priories  dedicated  to  Mary  we 


IN  CATHOLIC   WALES  95 

may  mention  Melrose  (Cistercians),  Newbattle  (Cistercians), 
Jedburgh  (Austin  Friars),  Dryburgh  (Premonstratensians), 
Cambus  Kenneth  (Austin  Friars),  Kelso,  Paisley,  Inch- 
affray  or  the  Island  of  Masses,  the  Priories  of  St.  Mary's 
Isle,  of  Coldingham,  Fail,  and  others.  In  Perth  the  church 
of  St.  John  the  Baptist  had  forty  altars  all  endowed,  five 
of  them  being  dedicated  to  our  blessed  Lady. 

In  the  Lowlands  (as  in  the  Highlands)  we  find  wells 
dedicated  to  Mary,  as  Tibbermore  (Tobar-Mhoire,  i.e. 
Well  of  Mary),  Tobermory,  Motherwell,  and  others  ;  also 
her  name  is  preserved  up  and  down  the  country  in  many 
parishes,  such  as  Ladykirk,  Maryculter,  Marykirk,  Muir- 
kirk,  Marytown,  etc. 

In  the  armorial  bearings  of  several  towns,  such  as  Banff, 
Rutherglen,  Leith,  Selkirk,  our  Lady  is  represented  with 
the  Holy  Child  in  her  arms.  In  the  town  of  Old  Aberdeen 
the  "  Snow  Churchyard  "  remains  as  a  reminder  of  the 
dedication  of  the  Old  Church  to  "  Our  Lady  of  the  Snow."  * 
In  one  of  the  stalls  of  Dunblane  Cathedral,  the  letters 
I.H.S.  (Jesus)  are  carved  inside  an  ornamental  letter  M, 
to  show,  as  it  were,  that  Jesus,  our  Saviour,  is  come  to 
us  through  Mary. 

The  stamp  on  cover  and  title  page  of  this  volume 
represents  the  arms  of  the  ancient  borough  of  Selkirk. 


SECTION   XXXVI 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  CATHOLIC  WALES 

i.  f~\F   Churches   and   Chapels   dedicated  to   Mary 
\J     there  were  very  many  in  all  parts  of  the  Prin 
cipality,  the  sites  or  ruins  still  bearing  her  name,  as  Llan- 
fair   (Marychurch),  Llanfairfechan   (Church  of  Mary  the 
Virgin),  Llanfechan,  etc.     Of  places  of  pilgrimage  the 
most  remarkable  were  Llantwyd  Major,  near  Aberystwith, 
Llantwyd  Minor,  and  Kidwelly,  where  there  were  famous 
1  See  Pilgrim  Walks  in  Rome,  107. 


96  MARY  HONOURED 

shrines  of  our  Lady.  In  one  of  these  old  churches  there 
was  a  statue  of  the  Virgin  Mary  over  the  entrance  door, 
which  the  old  women  especially  used  to  reverence  with 
a  curtsey  when  passing  it,  even  until  quite  recent  times. 
To  do  away  with  this  custom  a  certain  incumbent  had  the 
statue  removed  to  the  vestry. 

2.  Welsh  Poets  before  the  Reformation.  All  the  Bards 
of  any  name  in  Wales  have  written  poems  in  praise  of 
our  Lady,  with  possibly  one  exception,  Gwilym  ap  Dafydd 
(XIV  Cent.).  Even  he  refers  to  the  famous  picture  of 
St.  Mary  Major  as  one  of  the  sights  of  Rome,  and  implies 
that  Welshmen  of  his  day  went  on  pilgrimage  to  Rome. 
Llewelyn  ap  Howel  ap  Jeuan  Gronow  visited  Rome  in 
1540,  and  there  saw  the  picture  just  mentioned.  In  the 
time  of  Glendwr  (i.e.  Owen  Glendower,  d.  1416),  the  great 
Welsh  patriot,  an  Eisteddfod  was  held,  at  which  the 
subject  proposed  for  the  great  prize  was  the  praise  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin.  He  is  said  to  have  presided  at  this  Bardic 
assembly. 

Not  a  few  of  these  mediaeval  Welsh  poems  are  models 
of  poetic  beauty.  One  of  the  modern  Welsh  bards,  Gwily, 
a  non-Catholic,  has  written  a  beautiful  poem  entitled 
"  Mair  ei  Earn  ef  "  (Mary  His  Mother).  The  bard  Gitto'r 
Glyn,  who  flourished  about  the  year  1450,  wrote  a  poem 
on  the  Rosary.  See  Catholic  Encyclopedia,  xv.  535,  foot 
of  column  2. 

On  Our  Lady  of  Abergavenny,  Cardigan,  Penrice,  St. 
David's,  see  Waterton,  282  seq. 


SECTION   XXXVII 

MARY  HONOURED  IN  NORTH  AMERICA  :    IN  THE  UNITED 

STATES 

i.   CATHEDRALS      and     Churches.    Three  Arch- 

Vi/     dioceses  and  twenty-seven  Dioceses  in  the  United 

States  are  placed  under  our  Lady's  special  protection, 


IN   NORTH   AMERICA  97 

nearly  all  the  Cathedrals  being  dedicated  under  the  title 
of  the  Immaculate  Conception. 

2.  Towns,  Localities,  called  after  our  Lady.     In  the 
different  States  there  are  fifteen  towns  with  the  name  of 
Mary  vale,  eleven  known  as  St.  Mary's,  four  bearing  the 
title  of  Mariana,  and  four  that  of  Marydell.     We  meet 
also  with  such  names  as  Mary,  Marye,  Marie,  Marytown, 
Maryvale,  St.  Marie,  Ste.  Marie,  Santa  Maria,  Notre  Dame, 
Sault  Ste  Marie,  Assumption,  etc.  ;  and  with  rivers  bearing 
such  names  as  St.  Mary's  River,  Mary's  River,  Santa  Maria 
River,  Marias  River,  Rio  Santa  Maria  ;    also  with  Lady 
Lake,  Lady  Island,  etc. 

The  State  of  Maryland,  one  of  the  original  thirteen, 
was  named  after  Henrietta  Maria,  the  Queen  Consort  of 
Charles  I,  in  the  charter  given  by  the  King  to  the  Catholic 
Lord  Baltimore.  Many  Catholics  have,  however,  come 
to  regard  the  name  as  at  least  an  indirect  tribute  to  our 
blessed  Lady's  protection  over  the  first  Catholic  colony 
in  the  United  States. 

3.  Father  James  Marquette,  S.J.   (d.  1635),  the  dis 
coverer  of  the  Mississippi,  whose  statue  adorns  the  Capitol 
in  Washington,  writes  as  follows  in  one  of  his  letters  :    "I 
placed  our  voyage  under  the  protection  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  Immaculate,  promising  her  that  if  she  granted  us 
the  favour  of  discovering  the  Great  River,  I  would  give 
it  the  name  of  Conception."  Campbell,  S.  J.,  Pioneer  Priests, 
vol.  hi.  170.     On  page  173  of  the  same  work  we  read  : 
"  Launching  out  on  the  Wisconsin  River,  Marquette  says, 
we  began  a  new  devotion  to  the  Blessed  Virgin." 

4.  A   Remarkable    Shrine,   which   attracts   Bishops, 
Priests,  and  thousands  of  the  faithful  from  all  parts  of 
the  land,  and  even  from  distant  countries,  is  that  of  Our 
Lady  of  Martyrs  in  Auriesville,  N.Y.,  on  the  west  bank 
of  the   Mohawk  River,   forty  miles  from  Albany.     This 
has  become  a  centre  of  enthusiastic  devotion  to  Mary. 
Here  it  was  that  Brother  Rene  Goupil,  S.J.,  and  Father 
Isaac  Jogues,  S.J.,  with  many  other  Christians  suffered 

M.P.  ii 


98  MARY  HONOURED 

a  terrible  martyrdom  for  the  Faith.  It  was  here  that 
Father  Bressiani,  S.J.,  was  tortured,  and  that  many  great 
missionaries  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  laboured  until  the  year 
1684,  when  the  Mission  was  destroyed.  Here,  too,  was 
born  the  saintly  Indian  maid,  Catherine  Tekaktwitha, 
the  "  Lily  of  the  Mohawks,"  whose  beatification  has  been 
petitioned  by  her  own  countrymen,  and  by  the  Third 
Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore,  when  they  requested  the 
causes  of  Rene  Goupil  and  Father  Jogues  to  be  taken  up 
by  the  Sacred  Congregation  of  Rites. 

5.  The  Sodality  of  our  Lady,  that  great  means    of 
arousing  and  fostering  in  the  souls  of  the  faithful,  especially 
of  the  young,  a  strong  devotion  to  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
flourishes  in  the  United  States  with  a  fervour  that  is  unsur 
passed  in  any  other  country  of  the  world.     Nearly  every 
church,    every    college,    every    convent,    has    its    branch 
Sodality  affiliated  to  the  Prima  Primaria  in  Rome,  and 
the  religious  exercises  and  various  good  works  are  taken 
up  with  an  enthusiasm  that  must  touch  the  heart  of  our 
Immaculate  Mother.     Hundreds  of  thousands  of  young 
persons  have  enrolled  themselves  as  her  clients,  and  pledged 
themselves  to  promote  her  honour  and  never  to  do  any 
thing  that  would  be  unworthy  of  one  consecrated  to  her. 
The  result  of  this  marvellous  association  is  seen  in  the 
earnestness  and  thoroughness  of  American  Catholics,  and 
in  the  preservation  of  the  young  from  the  poisonous  influ 
ences  of  an  irreligious  world. 

6.  Prelates.     Venerable   John   Nepomucene   Neu 
mann,   the   fourth   Bishop   of   Philadelphia,    began   the 
practice,  followed  in  many  places,  of  reciting  the  Litany 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  the  Rosary  before  High  Mass 
on  Sundays  and  Holy  days  of  obligation. 

Bishop  John  Carroll  was  consecrated  by  the  Right 
Rev.  Dr.  Charles  Walmesley  at  Lulworth  (Dorsetshire) 
on  August  15,  1790,  the  preacher  on  the  occasion  being 
the  celebrated  Jesuit,  Father  Charles  Plowden.  Eleven 
months  later  Bishop  Carroll  assembled  his  twenty-two 


IN   NORTH   AMERICA  99 

Priests  in  the  first  diocesan  synod  of  Baltimore.  Of  the 
statutes  adopted  at  that  synod,  the  nineteenth  reads  as 
follows  :  "  From  the  beginning  of  our  Episcopate  we  were 
most  desirous  of  choosing  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary  as  the 
principal  patroness  of  our  diocese,  that,  through  her  inter 
cession,  faith,  piety  towards  God,  and  purity  of  morals 
might  flourish/'  He  exhorts  all  his  clergy  to  be  zealous 
in  promoting  devotion  to  the  great  Mother  of  God. 

Dr.  John  England,  first  Bishop  of  Charleston,  was  a 
most  fervent  client  of  our  Lady,  and  on  his  death-bed 
(1842),  he  said  to  the  priests  who  were  kneeling  in  the 
room  :  "I  recommend  my  poor  diocese  to  your  patron 
saints,  and  above  all  to  her  to  whom  our  Divine  Lord 
entrusted  His  children,  in  the  person  of  the  beloved  dis 
ciple,  when  He  said,  '  Woman,  behold  thy  son ;  Son, 
behold  thy  Mother/  " 

Dr.  Edward  Fen  wick,  first  Bishop  of  Cinncinati,  Dr. 
Benedict  Joseph  Fenwick,  first  Bishop  of  Boston,  Dr. 
John  Dubois,  Bishop  of  New  York,  and  others,  were 
distinguished  for  their  extraordinary  devotion  to  Mary. 

7.  Love  of  Mary  in  the  United  States.  In  the  Council 
of  Baltimore,  1846,  attended  by  twenty-two  Bishops  with 
their  Theologians,  the  Blessed  Virgin  was  solemnly  chosen 
as  Patroness  of  the  United  States,  which  election  was 
confirmed  by  the  Sovereign  Pontiff. 

Love  for  this  blessed  Mother  is  as  deeply  rooted,  as 
ardently  cherished,  as  fervently  and  fruitfully  practised 
in  the  States  as  in  any  country  in  Europe.  Everywhere 
there  are  Sodalities  of  Mary,  Rosary  Societies,  Confra 
ternities  of  the  Immaculate  Heart,  etc.  Everywhere  both 
children  and  people  are  taught  to  love  and  honour  Mary 
as  a  Mother  :  everywhere  one  meets  with  churches  and 
cathedrals  dedicated  to  this  spotless  Virgin. 

The  Irish  exiles,  driven  by  persecution  to  seek  a  home 
in  America,  brought  with  them  the  ardent  love  of  "  Mary 
the  Virgin  "  which  they  had  cherished  in  the  old  land. 
American  Catholics  love  their  Rosary :  Generals  and 


106  MARY  HONOURED 

Admirals,  shipping  merchants  of  New  York,  prominent 
lawyers,  favourite  and  successful  physicians  are  known 
to  be  as  attached  as  the  poor  to  this  simplest,  most  child 
like,  and  sweetest  of  devotions  to  our  gentle  Lady  Mother. 
Macleod,  Devotion  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  in  North  America, 

455- 

The  month  of  May,  Mary's  month,  is  kept  with  a  fervour 
that  can  hardly  be  surpassed.  A  great  proportion  of  the 
Catholics  wear  the  scapular  ;  and  you  will  hardly  find 
any  one  without  the  medal  of  the  Immaculate  Conception 
or  some  badge  of  Mary.  From  countless  hearts  rise  every 
day  aspirations  of  love  to  this  spotless  Queen  ;  from 
countless  lips  the  sweet  prayer  of  St.  Bernard  the  "  Me- 
morare  "  is  whispered  to  the  best  and  tenderest  of  Mothers. 

Among  the  converted  Indians  Father  de  Smet,  S.  J.,  their 
apostle,  tells  us  that  the  beads  were  recited  in  every  family, 
these  good  children  of  the  forest  raising  their  voices  every 
evening  in  supplication  to  God  and  His  glorious  Mother. 
The  name  of  Mary,  which,  pronounced  in  the  Indian 
language,  has  a  sweet  and  endearing  sound,  delights  and 
charms  them.  The  hearts  of  these  good  Indians  melt 
with  devotion  when  they  sing  the  praises  of  her  whom 
they  call  and  know  to  be  their  loving  Mother.  From  a 
letter  written  in  1846. 


SECTION   XXXVIII 

MARY  HONOURED  IN  CANADA 

'  I  ^HE  first  French  settlers  in  Canada — Samuel  de  Champ- 
JL  lain  and  others — were  men  of  deep  religious  spirit, 
and  animated  by  a  tender  devotion  to  Mary.  Their  pur 
pose  in  sailing  to  America  was  to  work  for  the  salvation 
of  the  Indians.  "  The  salvation  of  a  single  soul,"  said 
Champlain,  "  is  worth  more  than  the  conquest  of  an 
empire." 


TN   CANADA  101 

Our  Lady's  name  was  given  by  them  to  the  first  dis 
covered  coasts — St.  Mary's  Bay,  St.  Mary's  Isle,  St.  Mary's 
River,  etc.  The  city  of  Montreal  built  by  them  was 
consecrated  to  her  as  Mary's  City,  "  Ville  Marie,"  a  title 
it  bore  till  about  1760.  A  sort  of  military  con 
fraternity  was  organized  in  the  city  for  protection  against 
the  Iroquois  Indians,  their  battle-cry  being  "  Ave  Puris- 
sima."  The  city  and  island  on  which  it  stands  were  con 
sidered  to  be  our  Lady's  property.  Monsieur  Olier  was 
greatly  interested  in  the  establishment  of  the  Sulpitians 
in  Ville  Marie,  and  wished  the  whole  territory  to  be  con 
secrated  to  Jesus,  Mary  and  Joseph.  Mary's  sweet  name 
was  given  to  river,  lake,  mountain-peak,  and  bay  through 
out  the  land,  and  her  praises  were  chanted  in  every  home. 
A  large  statue  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  still  overlooks  from 
a  lofty  summit  the  city  of  Montreal,  serving  as  a  perpetual 
reminder  to  Catholics  of  its  former  consecration  to  her. 
This  statue  stands  on  the  dome  of  the  church  of  "  Notre 
Dame  de  Bon  Secours,"  Our  Lady  of  Help,  having  been 
placed  there  in  1848  ;  but  the  shrine  within  the  church 
was  blessed  in  1773,  and  the  history  of  the  original  chapel 
with  its  wonder-working  statue  can  be  traced  back  to 
the  year  1642. 

At  Quebec — still  an  intensely  Catholic  city — pious 
foundations  in  honour  of  Mary  were  made  as  early  as 
1625.  In  that  year  the  Jesuits  arrived,  having  previously 
laboured  in  Nova  Scotia  and  Maine.  Their  first  house 
was  at  St.  Charles.  Soon  they  received  a  grant  of  land 
from  the  Due  de  Ventadour  known  as  "La  Seigneurie  de 
Notre  Dame  des  Anges,"  the  Property  of  Our  Lady  of 
the  Angels.  In  1633  some  fifteen  Jesuit  Fathers  were  at 
work  in  Canada.  Churches  of  the  Immaculate  Conception 
rose  in  the  Dominion  in  1666  and  1675.  In  1672  a  hospital 
and  chapel  in  Quebec  were  dedicated  to  the  Precious  Blood 
and  to  the  Mother  of  Mercy.  In  1690  was  built  the  hand 
some  church  of  Our  Lady  of  Mercy,  and  in  1693  the  Recol 
lect  Friars  raised  a  noble  church  in  the  city  "  to  the  glory 


102  MARY  HONOURED 

of  God,  and  the  honour  of  the  Virgin  Mother  of   God." 
At  the  present  time  the  enthusiasm  of  Canadian  Catho 
lics  in  their  devotion  to  Mary  resembles  that  of  the  United 
States. 

Devotion  of  St.  Anne,  our  Lady's  mother,  is  a  marked 
feature  of  Canadian  Catholicity.  This  devotion  the  early 
settlers  brought  from  France,  where  the  name  Anne  was 
given  at  baptism  to  men  as  well  as  to  women,  e.g.  Anne 
de  Montmorency.  St.  Anne  of  Beaupre  is  the  most  famous 
of  Canadian  places  of  pilgrimage,  to  which  devout  persons 
flock  from  every  corner  of  North  America.  Notre  Dame 
du  Rosaire  also  draws  thousands  of  suppliants  from  all 
the  surrounding  country.  It  stands  on  the  north  bank 
of  the  St.  Lawrence,  about  60  miles  from  Montreal.  Origi 
nally  the  site  of  a  Jesuit  mission  founded  in  1639  by  Fathers 
Albanel,  Druilletes  and  others,  it  became  a  centre  of 
special  devotion  to  Our  Lady  of  the  Rosary  in  1894. 
Countless  favours  are  reported  as  having  been  granted. 
Our  Lady  of  Liesse  in  the  Jesuit  church  of  the  Gesu,  Mon 
treal,  also  attracts  many  pilgrims.  Its  legendary  history 
is  worth  recording.  The  thread  of  the  story  reaches  back 
to  the  time  of  the  Second  Crusade,  when  three  brothers, 
Knights  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem,  being  unable  to  make 
a  statue  of  our  Lady  for  the  Caliph's  daughter  whom  they 
had  converted  to  Christianity,  were  presented  with  one 
by  our  Lady  herself.  This  statue  was  subsequently 
carried  to  Picardy  and  enshrined  in  a  beautiful  church. 
In  the  chaos  of  the  French  Revolution  (1789)  the  church 
was  burnt  and  the  statue  reduced  to  ashes,  but  the  ashes 
being  saved  were  enclosed  beneath  a  new  statue,  which 
was  one  of  the  treasures  of  the  Jesuit  Tertianship  at  the 
House  of  St.  Vincent  till  1877.  This  same  year  the  Jesuits 
moved  from  St.  Vincent  to  Paray-le-Monial,  and  when 
the  question  about  the  removal  of  the  statue  arose,  it  was 
decided  to  give  it  for  the  Missions  to  two  Canadian  Fathers 
returning  home  in  the  August  of  that  year.  It  was  even 
tually  placed  in  the  Gesti  church,  Montreal,  Graces  of 


7AT   FRANCE  103 

conversion  are  the  favours  most  commonly  granted  by 
Our  Lady  of  Liesse. 


SECTION   XXXIX 
MARY  HONOURED  IN  FRANCE 

RANGE,  the  Church's  eldest  daughter,  where  so  much 
JL  holiness  and  religious  fervour  are  found  side  by 
side  with  so  much  worldliness,  godlessness,  and  irreligion, 
was  known  ages  ago  as  "  Regnum  Mariae,"  Mary's  king 
dom,  being  consecrated  to  her  by  Louis  XIII,  when  her 
feast  of  the  Assumption  was  chosen  as  the  national  feast. 
Benedict  XIV  gave  his  sanction  to  the  said  title,  adding  the 
words  "  nunquam  peribit,"  i.e.  Mary's  queenly  power  in 
France  shall  never  fail. 

Other  nations  claim  to  belong  in  a  special  way  to  Mary — 
England  as  her  Dowry  ;  Spain  as  favoured  with  an  appari 
tion  of  her  in  her  life-time  ;  Italy  as  having  on  its  soil 
the  Holy  House  of  Nazareth,  translated  to  Loreto  from 
Dalmatia ;  Austria  with  the  victory  of  Vienna  won  by 
Sobicoki  through  Mary's  intercession ;  Poland  with 
repeated  victories  over  the  Turks  won  by  her  aid.  Yet 
France  has  a  glory  and  privilege  all  its  own,  being  favoured 
with  such  marvellous  apparitions  as  those  of  Lourdes, 
La  Salette,  Pontmain,  Paris,  and  being  the  land  where 
Mary's  miraculous  favours  are  dispensed  so  bountifully 
to  countless  pilgrims  gathering  from  every  quarter  of  the 
globe. 

Catholic  France  has  displayed  its  zeal  and  enthusiasm 
in  Mary's  praise  and  service  in  many  remarkable  ways  : 
(i)  Its  Saints  have  proclaimed  by  word  and  writing  the 
sublimity  of  her  dignity,  notably  St.  Bernard,  St.  Felix 
de  Valois,  St.  Francis  de  Sales,  Blessed  Grignon  de  Mont- 
fort.  St.  Dominic,  himself  a  Spaniard,  spread  the  Rosary 
devotion  in  France  :  (2)  Its  religious  in  countless  abbeys 
and  monasteries  have  sung  her  praises  for  centuries,  as 


104  MARY  HONOURED 

at  Cluny,  Citeaux,  Clairvaux,  Fontevrault,  Chaise  Dieu 
and  others :  (3)  Its  doctors  of  Theology  have  defended 
her  privileges,  as  Vincent  de  Beauvais,  Hugh  of  St.  Victor, 
Gerson,  William  Archbishop  of  Paris,  Petau  (Petavius, 
S.J.)  and  others  :  (4)  Its  University  of  Paris,  the  Sor- 
bonne,  exacted  from  all  its  Fellows  and  Professors  as  a 
condition  of  membership,  adhesion  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
Immaculate  Conception :  (5)  Its  Kings  have  enriched 
her  sanctuaries,  and  some  have  shown  openly  their  devo 
tion  to  the  Rosary,  as  St.  Louis,  Charles  VII,  Louis  XI, 
Louis  XIII,  the  latter  consecrating  his  Kingdom  to  Mary, 
as  stated  above  :  (6)  Its  warriors  have  been  proud  to 
call  themselves  her  soldiers,  v.g.  the  Crusaders,  who  invoked 
her  on  the  field  of  battle  ;  Du  Guesclin,  the  war-cry  of 
whose  troops  was  "  Notre-Dame  Guesclin "  ;  Blessed 
Joan  of  Arc  whose  banner  bore  the  names  of  Jesus  and 
Mary ;  the  Generals  Bugeaud,  Lamoriciere,  De  Sonis, 
and  we  may  add  Marshal  Foch,  and  Generals  Castelnau, 
Fayolle,  Gouraud,  all  model  Catholics,  and  fervent  clients 
of  Mary.  General  Pelissier  chose  her  feast,  September  8,  for 
his  victorious  assault  on  Sebastopol,  1855  :  (7)  Its  illus 
trious  Bishops  and  Priests  have  been  eloquent  in  her 
praise  as  Bossuet,  Fenelon,  Bourdaloue,  Lacordaire,  de 
Ravignan,  Coube  and  others  :  (8)  Its  sacred  writers  have 
left  us  an  immense  treasury  of  works  in  her  honour.  The 
"  Salve  Regina  "  is  said  to  have  been  composed  by  Adhemar 
de  Monteil,  Bishop  of  Puy  :  d.  1098 :  (9)  Its  architects 
have  reared  to  her  glory  cathedrals  that  are  imperishable 
monuments,  veritable  poems  in  stone,  v.g.  Chartres, 
Rheims,  Amiens,  Notre  Dame  de  Paris,  Fourvieres  :  (10) 
Its  millions  of  devout  Catholics  never  begin  nor  close  the 
day  without  seeking  her  blessing.  Her  name  is  given  at 
Baptism  to  multitudes  of  children,  both  boys  and  girls, 
to  boys  as  a  second  name  :  (n)  Its  sea-faring  population 
pay  unceasing  homage  at  her  shrines  of  La  Garde,  Mar 
seilles,  Boulogne,  and  in  other  ports  :  (12)  Its  notable 
pilgrimages  are  described  elsewhere. 


J.V    SPAIN  105 

The  love  of  Mary  is  planted  deep  down  in  the  heart  of 
Catholic  France,  and  no  combination  of  Voltairianism, 
Rationalism,  Materialism,  Anticlericalism  will  ever  pluck 
it  out.  "  Mary's  Kingdom  in  France  shall  never  fail." 
Benedict  XIV. 

France's  Places  of  Pilgrimage,  see  §  64. 


SECTION   XL 
MARY  HONOURED  IN  SPAIN 

SPAIN  rejoices  in  the  name  of  "  Mary's  privileged 
nation."  Its  devotion  to  her  is  said  to  date  from 
her  life-time,  for  she  is  thought  to  have  sent  St.  James 
the  Apostle  into  Spain,  to  have  accompanied  him  with 
her  prayers  and  sympathy,  and  to  have  followed  him  even 
in  person  by  a  wonderful  apparition  to  be  referred  to. 

1.  Mary  is  said  by  Spanish  writers  to  have  driven  Pagan 
ism  out  of  Spain.1    Tradition    has    it  that  even  in  her 
life-time  she  appeared  surrounded  by  angels  on  the  banks 
of  the  Ebro,  where  now  stands  the  sanctuary  of  Our  Lady 
of  the  Pillar  at   Saragossa.     She  came  to  confirm    the 
Apostle's  teaching  and  to  scatter  the  hellish  horde  of  pagan 
deities  that  infested  the  land.     The  early  martyrs  of  Spain, 
St.  Vincent  of  Valentia,  St.  Leocadia  of  Toledo,  the  child 
martyr  St.  Eulalia  and  many  others,  sustained  by  Mary's 
prayers  laid  down  their  lives  for  the  implanting  of  the 
faith  and  the   uprooting  of  paganism.     Prudentius,   the 
Latin  poet  who  sang  of  the  triumph  of  the  martyrs,  was 
a  Spaniard. 

2.  Mary  is  said  to  have  driven  Arianism  out  of  Spain 
through  her  devoted  servants   St.    Leander,   St.    Isidore, 
St.  Fulgentius,  St.  Braulio,  St.  Ildephonsus,  and  the  royal 
martyr  St.  Hermenegild.     His  death  won  the  conversion 
of  his  brother  Recaredus,  who  became  Spain's  first  Chris- 

1  Coube,  Claire  et  Bienfaits  de  la  Ste.  Vigrge. 


106  MARY  HONOURED 

tian  King.  At  the  third  Council  of  Toleda,  A.D.  589, 
Recaredus,  surrounded  by  sixty-four  Bishops  and  by  the 
nobles  of  the  land,  solemnly  abjured  Arianism  and  embraced 
the  Catholic  faith.1 

3.  Mary  drove  Mahomedanism  out  of  Spain.     In  the 
VIII  Cent,    when    Moslem    hordes    were    sweeping    like 
a  devastating  hurricane  over  the  land,  destroying  churches 
and  monasteries,  massacring  the  Christians  who  refused 
to  apostatize,  and  carrying  havoc  and  desolation  every 
where,  Pelayo  (Pelagius),  King  of  Oviedo  in  the  Province 
of  Asturias,  withdrew  with  a  handful  of  followers  to  our 
Lady's    Grotto    of    Covadonga    and   there    awaited   the 
approach   of   the    Moorish   general    Alxaman.     Suddenly 
sallying  forth  from  the  heights  above  the  cave  he  over 
whelmed  the  infidel  army,  hurling  down  rocks  and  stones 
from   above,    and  then   pursued   them   inflicting  terrific 
slaughter    on    the    fugitives.     Other    victories    followed, 
ascribed  to  our  Lady's  aid.    The  grotto  became  thence 
forth  a  place  of  pilgrimage.     The  struggle  with  the  Moors 
was  continued  in  the  XI  Cent,  and  again  by  our  Lady's 
help  Cid  Campeador   (Rodrigo  Diaz  de  Bavar)  achieved 
prodigies  of  valour  against  the  infidels,  capturing  Toledo 
in  1088.     He  is  said  by  some  writers  to  have  been  a  member 
of   an   association  or   confraternity  in   honour   of   Mary 
Immaculate.     Coube,  108. 

4.  Mary  has  kept  Protestantism  out  of  Spain.     The 
Spanish  theologians,   notably  Lainez,   Salmeron,   Suarez, 
de  Lugo,  all  of  them  Mary's  most  devoted  children,  were 
the  most  valiant  opponents  of  Lutheranism.     Protestant 
ism   has  never  succeeded  in  gaining  a  foothold  in  the 
country.     At  heart  Spain  is  thoroughly  Catholic,  and  on 
May  3, 1919,  the  young  King  Alphonsus  XIII,  in  presence 
of  the  Court,  the  Papal  Nuntio,  the  Cardinal  Primate, 
numerous  Bishops,  the  ministers  of  the  Crown,  and  count 
less  others,  by  a  solemn  act  consecrated  his  kingdom  to 

i  Coub<§,  Ibid, 


IN   SPAIN  107 

the  Sacred  Heart.  A  large  statue  of  the  Sacred  Heart 
erected  in  a  public  square  was  solemnly  blessed  on  the 
occasion  by  the  Cardinal  Primate. 

5.  Spain  has  her  Orders  of  Knighthood  pledged  to  hon 
our  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  to  defend  her  Immaculate  Con 
ception,  viz.  those  of  Calatrava,  Alcantara,  Montesa  and 
Santiago,  all  true  soldiers  of  Mary  bound  by  vow  to  defend 
her  privileges  and  honour. 

6.  But  the  country's  greatest  glory  is  the  championship 
of  the  doctrine  of  the   Immaculate  Conception,     (a) 
At  the  Council  of  Trent  Cardinal  Pacheco,  Bishop  of  Jaen, 
supported  by  the  Jesuit  theologians  Laynez  and  Salmeron, 
won  from  the  Council  the  declaration  that  in  its  decrees 
on  Original  Sin  it  was  not  its  intention  to  include  the 
blessed    and    spotless     Virgin  Mary,     (b)  Confraternities 
of  the  Immaculate  Conception  are  said  to  have  existed 
in  Spain  from  the  Middle  Ages.     One  is  mentioned  as 
existing  in  Burgos  in  the  XI  Cent,   of  which  Ferdinand 
Gonzales  and  Cid  Campeador  were  members.     Charles  V 
belonged  to  a  similar  confraternity  at  Toledo,  and  had 
Mary's  image   embroidered  on  his  standard.     Philip   II 
had  the  same  image  embossed  on  his  shield,     (c)  The 
Universities  of  Salamanca  and  Valladolid  exacted  from 
their  professors    and    members   an    oath   to    defend   the 
doctrine    of    Mary's    Immaculate    Conception,     (d)  The 
Spanish    artists    Murillo,    Velasquez,    Zurbaran,    Ribera 
have  made  our  Lady  Immaculate  the  subject  of    their 

!  grandest  efforts,  (e)  Popular  devotion  to  Mary  Immacu- 
j  late  is  shown  by  the  usual  form  of  salutation,  "  Ave  Maria 
Purisima,"  to  which  the  answer  is  given,  "  Sin  pecado 
concebida."  (/)  Our  Lady's  name  and  titles  often  appear 
in  the  baptismal  names  of  children,  as  Maria,  Concepcion, 
Soledad,  Immacolada,  Dolores,  (g)  Spanish  discoverers, 
led  by  Columbus,  a  Genoese,  have  given  our  Lady's 
name  or  sublime  privilege  to  places  in  America  where 
they  landed,  as  "  Conception  Isle."  While  at  Hispaniola 
(San  Domingo)  on  September  8,  1493,  Columbus — so  the 


io8  MARY  HONOURED 

historian  Herrera  tells  us — wishing  to  honour  this  glorious 
Queen  on  her  birthday,  ordered  his  vessels  to  be  dressed 
with  flags  and  salvos  of  artillery  to  be  fired. 

NOTE.     On  the  Cave  of  Covadonga  see   The   Tablet, 
Oct.  26,  1918,  p.  471. 

SECTION   XLI 
MARY  HONOURED  IN  ITALY 

OF  all  lands  outside  Palestine  Italy  may  be  considered 
the  most  favoured,  the  See  or  Chair  of  Peter  being 
established  in  its  capital,  which  is  thus  the  home  of  Christ's 
Vicar,  the  centre  of  unity,  the  fount  of  ecclesiastical  juris 
diction,  and  the  very  heart  of  the  Church.  Rome  is  also 
the  centre  of  devotion  to  our  Lady,  inasmuch  as  all 
Religious  Orders,  Congregations  and  Sodalities  of  Mary 
receive  their  canonical  institution,  privileges  and  indul 
gences  from  the  Holy  See. 

Italy's  devotion  to  Mary  is  shown  (i)  in  the  noble 
churches  raised  in  her  honour  in  Rome,  Florence,  Milan, 
Naples,  Turin,  Caravaggio,  and  other  cities.  Rome  has 
some  forty  churches  dedicated  to  her  :  (2)  in  the  extra 
ordinary  manifestations  of  popular  devotion  to  her  in 
Venice,  Siena,  Turin,  Ancona,  Bergamo,  and  other  cities  : 
(3)  in  the  Saints  who  have  signalized  themselves  by  spread 
ing  devotion  to  her,  notably  St.  Bonaventure,  St.  Ber- 
nardine  of  Siena,  St.  Philip  Benizi,  St.  Philip  Neri,  St. 
Alphonsus  de'  Liguori  and  others  :  (4)  in  the  works  of 
Theologians  upholding  her  privileges  and  dignity,  as  St. 
Thomas  of  Aquin,  St.  Bonaventure,  St.  Bernardine  :  (5) 
in  the  foundation  of  hospitals  in  her  honour,  v.g.  S.  Maria 
della  Consolazione  in  Rome,  and  countless  others  up  and 
down  Italy :  (7)  in  the  famous  places  of  pilgrimage 
described  in  §  63  :  (8)  in  the  extraordinary  devotion  of 
the  people,  concerning  which  see  Northcote's  Sanctuaries 
•of  the  Madonna,  107,  108  :  (9)  in  the  glorious  works 
of  art  left  us  by  Fra  Angelico,  Giotto,  Perugino,  Raphael, 


IN  ITALY  109 

Guido  Reni,  Filippino  Lippi,  Domenichino,  Sassoferrato, 
Botticelli,  Titian  and  others,  of  which  our  Lady  is  the 
subject. 

Mary's  love  for  Italy  is  seen  (i)  in  the  miraculous 
favours  accorded  as  a  reward  of  devotion  to  her  at  Loreto, 
Pompei,  Genezzano,  La  Quercia,  Campo  Cavallo,  and  many 
other  favoured  spots  :  (2)  in  the  miraculous  translation 
of  the  Holy  House  of  Nazareth  from  Dalmatia  to  Loreto. 
This  translation  and  the  authenticity  of  the  Holy  House 
at  Loreto  have  been  called  in  question :  but,  until  the 
Holy  See  decides  the  controversy,  we  may  safely  believe 
and  venerate  what  Popes  and  Saints  have  believed  and 
venerated  :  (3)  in  the  miraculous  translation  of  the  picture 
of  Our  Lady  of  Good  Counsel,  from  Scutari  to  Genezzano. 

Italian  devotion  to  Mary  is  further  shown  by  the  practice 
of  abstaining  from  wine  on  Saturdays,  a  practice  dating 
from  the  XI  Cent.  ;  by  the  adoption  of  orphan  children 
for  her  sake  ;  by  festive  rejoicings  in  honour  of  the  Ma 
donna  of  each  village  and  neighbourhood,  when  the  streets 
are  garlanded,  candles  are  lit  in  the  windows,  fireworks 
let  off,  and  a  general  holiday  held ;  by  countless  wayside 
chapels  in  every  part  of  the  country,  each  well  cared  for 
and  provided  with  flowers  and  candles  by  the  Catholics 
of  the  vicinity. 

Dr.  Northcote  speaks  of  the  poor  frequenting  the  churches 
and  praying  with  arms  outstretched  in  the  form  of  a  cross, 
as  they  kneel  in  silent  adoration  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament, 
or  in  deep  veneration  before  our  Lady's  image.  "  They 
come  and  pour  forth  their  whole  souls  before  some  picture 
or  image  of  the  Madonna,  entering  into  all  their  hopes 
and  fears,  doubts  and  anxieties,  every  detail  of  their 
domestic  circumstances,  quite  as  naturally  as  a  child 
confides  its  little  troubles  and  desires  to  its  mother,  or 
to  one  whose  sympathy  and  assistance  it  has  reason  to 
be  assured  of."  He  is  speaking  of  Naples,  but  the  same 
confiding  love,  if  not  quite  so  demonstrative,  may  be  seen 
in  every  part  of  Italy. 


no  MARY   HONOURED 

It  would  require  a  volume  apart  to  describe  the  wonderful 
churches  of  our  Lady  in  Rome,  with  all  their  saintly  and 
historical  associations — St.  Mary  Major,  St.  Mary  of  the 
Angels,  St.  Mary  of  Peace  and  some  thirty-seven  or  thirty- 
eight  others.  Then  there  are  the  many  Madonnas  or 
pictures  of  Mary  in  Rome,  one  venerated  by  St.  Ignatius 
of  Loyola  at  the  Gesu,  another  by  St.  Philip  Neri  at  the 
Vallicella;  a  third  by  St.  Benedict  at  S.  Benedetto  in 
Piscinula  ;  a  fourth  by  St.  Pius  V  at  S.  Maria  Maddalena, 
and  so  on.  Before  the  picture  of  St.  Mary  Major  the 
young  novice  St.  Stanislaus  Kostka  knelt  in  ecstasy,  and 
St.  Francis  Borgia  had  copies  of  it  painted,  one  of  which 
he  gave  to  Blessed  Ignatius  de  Azevedo,  who  died  a  martyr 
clasping  it  in  his  arms. 


)  SECTION   XLII 

MARY  HONOURED  IN  BELGIUM 

THIS  little  country,  so  sorely  tried  in  the  great  war  of 
1914-1918,  has  a  population  of  over  seven  millions, 
the  great  majority  of  whom  are  Catholics,  and,  among 
most  of  these,  religious  life  is  intense.  Religion  finds  so 
strong  a  support  in  the  loyalty  and  devotedness  of  the 
people,  that  a  Catholic  government  has  remained  in  power 
for  over  forty  years.  It  was  in  great  measure  because  of 
its  religion  that  it  was  so  savagely  treated  by  Prussian 
(i.e.  Lutheran)  officers  and  troops.  The  world  heard  with 
horror  of  noble  churches  desecrated  and  destroyed,  cities 
and  villages  burnt,  lands  richly  cultivated  laid  waste, 
houses  plundered,  priests  shot,  innocent  civilians  murdered, 
and  whole  masses  of  them  deported  into  slavery,  ruinous 
fines  exacted,  and  nameless  outrages  perpetrated.  After 
four  years  of  agony  Belgium  began  to  be  rescued  from  its 
fierce  oppressors  in  our  Lady's  month  of  the  Rosary,  the 
prayers  of  thousands  upon  thousands  of  Catholic  children 


IN   BELGIUM  in 

imploring  her  to  bless  and  help  Marshal  Foch  in  the  gigantic 
task  of  crushing  the  invading  army. 

1.  Belgian  popular  devotion  to  Mary  is  very  notice 
able   (a)  in  the  crowds  that  flock  to  her  sanctuaries  at 
Hal,  Montaigu,  Oostacker,  Bon  Secours  :   (b)  in  the  honour 
paid  to  her  statues,  often  miraculous,  in  every  town,  and 
nearly  every   village  :     (c)  in   the   wayside   chapels   and 
niches  each  with  its  statue  of  Mary,  which  are  to  be  seen 
everywhere  along  the  roads,  in  the  streets,  and  even  in 
the  fields  :   (d)  in  the  monumental  cathedrals  and  churches 
dedicated  to  her,  chief  among  them  being  Antwerp  and 
Tournai. 

2.  Belgian    Saints    and   our   Lady.    St.    Plat     (III 
Cent.),  apostle  of  Tournai,  is  said  to  have  built  the  first 
sanctuary  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  in  that  city.     St.  Maternus 
(IV  Cent.),  apostle  of  East  Belgium,  is  revered  as  the  foun 
der  of  Mary's  sanctuaries  at  Huy,  Dinant,  Leffe,  Hastiere, 
Namur,    Walcourt.     St.    Servais    (IV    Cent.),    bishop    of 
Tongres,  built  a  magnificent  church  to  Mary,  known  as 
"  Prima  Cisalpes."     St.  Eleutherius  (VI  Cent.),  bishop    of 
Tournai,  rebuilt  St.  Fiat's  church  in  that  city.     St.  Lan- 
delin  (VII  Cent.),  founder  of  the  Abbeys  of  Lobbes  and 
Aulnes   (now  in  ruins)   in   Hainault,   placed  them  under 
the  protection  of  Mary.     From  the  theological  school   of 
Lobbes  came  many  a  valiant  defender  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception.     St.  Gerard  (X  Cent.)  erected  at  Brogue  (now 
St.  Gerard  in  the  diocese  of  Namur)  an  abbey  in   Mary's 
honour.     St.     John    Berchmans     (XVII     Cent.),     Mary's 
favourite  child,  wrote  with  his  own  bloocl  a  vow  to  defend 
the  Immaculate  Conception. 

3.  Sovereigns    and    Princes.     Charlemagne    (d.  814), 
born,  it  is  said,  at  Jupille  or  Liege,  founded  the  Palatine 
School,  which  counted  ardent  defenders  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception.     Philip  the  Good,  duke  of  Burgundy  (d.  1467), 
founded  the  Order  of  the  Golden  Fleece  in  memory  of  the 
fleece  of  Gideon,  emblematical  of  Mary's  spotless  purity. 
Charles  the  Bold  (d.  1477),  son  °f  Philip,  always  had  the 


112  MARY   HONOURED 

Rosary  about  him,  and  recited  it  when  marching  to  battle. 
John  IV,  duke  of  Brabant  (d.  1427),  founded  Louvain 
University,  exacting  from  its  professors  an  oath  to  defend 
Mary's  Immaculate  Conception,  Charles  V  (d.  1558) 
recited  the  Rosary  daily.  On  his  abdication  he  strongly 
recommended  to  the  States  General  at  Brussels  to  spread 
devotion  to  Mary.  The  Archduke  and  Duchess,  Albert 
and  Isabella  (XVII  Cent.),  enriched  with  costly  gifts  nearly 
all  the  great  sanctuaries  of  Mary  in  Belgium,  notably 
Wavre,  Hanzwyck,  Montaigu,  Hal,  Antwerp,  Vilvorde. 
The  Counts  of  Flanders.  Every  year  for  a  considerable 
period  in  the  Middle  Ages,  the  citzens  of  Ghent,  headed 
by  the  Count  of  Flanders,  went  on  pilgrimage  to  our 
Lady's  shrine  in  the  cathedral  of  Tournai.  Philip  de 
Cray,  duke  of  Aerschot  (XVI  Cent.),  came  as  a  pilgrim  to 
Hal  in  1566,  there  to  proclaim  aloud  by  a  document  posted 
on  high  his  undying  hostility  to  the  sect  of  the  Gueux. 
He  also  caused  silver  medals  of  our  Lady  and  Child  to 
be  struck  and  distributed  to  the  gentlemen  of  his  suite, 
who  were  required  to  wear  them  attached  to  their  hats 
as  a  mark  of  Catholic  nobility. 

4.  Writers,  Artists,  Warriors.  Justus  Lipsius  (d. 
1606)  wrote  a  Latin  History  of  the  two  sanctuaries — Our 
Lady  of  Hal  and  Our  Lady  of  Montaigu,  offering  a  golden 
pen  as  an  ex-voto  on  her  altar.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Sodality  of  Mary  directed  by  the  Jesuit  Fathers  in  Louvain, 
and  at  his  death  he  told  Father  Lessius,  S.  J.,  his  confessor, 
that  the  greatest  consolation  he  felt  in  that  supreme  hour, 
was  that  he  had  belonged  to  the  Sodality.  Guido  Gefrelle, 
the  most  gifted  Flemish  poet  of  the  XIX  Cent.,  sang 
Mary's  praises  with  an  ardour  of  devotion  that  goes  right 
to  the  heart.  Godejroid  Kurth  (d.  1917),  the  great  Belgian 
historian,  cherished  a  simple,  childlike  devotion  for  God's 
holy  Mother  :  his  beads  were  ever  in  his  hands.  In  his 
travels  he  sought  out  Mary's  sanctuaries,  there  to  pour 
out  his  affection  at  her  altars.  Huysmans,  Joris,  the 
famous  novelist,  was  born  in  Paris  (1848)  of  a  family 


IN   BELGIUM  113 

of  Dutch  extraction.  He  is  mentioned  here  by  mis 
take.  From  the  time  of  his  conversion  he  conceived 
a  tender  devotion  to  Mary,  regarding  himself  as  her 
knight  and  the  champion  of  her  honour.  His  letters 
contain  many  beautiful  passages  referring  to  her,  and 
he  speaks  of  a  pilgrimage  made  to  Chartres  in  1894, 
where  his  heart  overflowed  with  devotion.  Peter  Paul 
Rubens,  Belgium's  greatest  artist,  was  a  pious  member  of 
our  Lady's  Sodality  in  Antwerp.  Van  Dyck  was  also  a 
member  of  the  same  Sodality,  and  bequeathed  to  it  one 
of  his  best  paintings.  The  Archduke  Leopold,  wishing  to 
purchase  it,  offered  to  cover  it  with  gold  crowns  as  pay 
ment.1  Tilly  de  T'Serclaes  (d.  1632),  one  of  the  heroes 
of  the  Thirty  Years'  War,  was  born  in  Brabant.  He  had 
our  Lady's  image  embroidered  on  his  standard,  and  offered 
to  her  shrine  at  Altotting  a  crucifix  of  lapis  lazuli  richly 
set  with  diamonds,  also  a  jewelled  gold-chain  presented 
to  him  by  the  Infanta  Isabella. 

5.  Belgium  and  the  Immaculate  Conception.  On 
December  8,  1659,  Belgium  being  then  under  Spanish 
rule,  King  Philip  IV,  and  with  him  the  clergy,  nobility 
and  gentry  of  Brussels,  enrolled  themselves  in  the  Domini 
can  church  as  champions  and  defenders  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception.  On  December  8,  1904,  the  fiftieth  anniver 
sary  of  the  proclamation  of  the  dogma,  Belgium  was  again 
consecrated  to  Mary.  Under  Alexander  Farnese,  duke 
of  Parma,  the  Belgian  army  was  placed  under  Mary's 
protection  about  the  year  1578.  On  Good  Friday,  1916, 
while  the  great  European  War  was  in  progress,  Belgium 
was  consecrated  to  Our  Lady  of  Dolours  by  Cardinal 
Mercier. 

MARY  HONOURED  IN  HOLLAND 

I.  Popular  Devotion.  The  deep  devotion  of  Dutch 
Catholics  towards  God's  holy  Mother — "  Our  dear  Lady  " 

1  Hans  Memling  (d.  1494)  and  the  two  Van  Eycks  (XV  Cent.), 
Flemish  painters,  should  also  be  mentioned. 

M.P.  I 


H4  MARY  HONOURED 

(Onze  lieve  Vrouw)  as  she  is  commonly  called — may  be 
judged — (a)  from  the  great  number  of  churches  dedicated 
to  her  :  (b)  from  the  common  (all  but  universal)  family 
practice  of  reciting  the  Rosary  together  each  evening  :  (c) 
from  the  enthusiasm  with  which  the  May  services  are 
attended :  (d)  from  the  large  number  of  flourishing 
Sodalities  of  Mary,  which  are  found  in  all  the  parishes  : 
(e)  from  the  pilgrimages  made  to  her  shrines. 

2.  Shrines  of  our  Lady.     Prior  to  the  Reformation 
numerous  and  much  frequented  shrines  (statues  and  holy 
pictures)  of  our  Lady  were  to  be  found  throughout  the  whole 
country.    The  Reformation,  alas  !   suppressed  almost  all 
pilgrimages  and  acts  of  public  veneration,  destroyed  a  great 
number  of  the  sacred  images,  and  desecrated  the  churches, 
often  transferring  them  to  Protestant  worship.     This  sup 
pression  was  chiefly  effected  in  the  Northern  provinces  ; 
but  in  Limburg  and  Brabant,  whore  the  Calvinists  were 
in  a  minority,  public  devotion  to  our  Lady  and  Catholic 
worship  generally,  survived,  and  the  shrines  were  spared. 
(a)    Our   Lady   of  Bois-le-Duc.    Throughout   Brabant 
this  miraculous  statue  in  the  cathedral  has  been  the  object 
of  a  continuous  popular  devotion.     Every  year  a  great 
procession  is  held  in  which  the  image  is  carried  round  the 
city,     (b)  Our  Lady,  Star  of  the  Sea,  at    Maastricht. 
This  is  the  most  popular  centre  of  devotion  to  Mary  in 
Limburg.     The  statue  is  revered  in  the  magnificent  XI 
century  church  of  Our  Lady.     At  all  hours  of  the  day 
numerous  worshippers  may  here  be  seen,  often  praying 
with  arms  extended.     On  solemn  occasions  the  image  is 
carried  in  procession  through  the  town,  and  the  streets 
in  Maastricht  followed  by  this  procession  form  what  is 
known  as  the  "  Bidweg  "  (the  prayer  road),  where  it  is 
not  unusual,  even  on  ordinary  days,  to  see  groups  of  people 
going  the  round  of  the  road  reciting  the  Rosary. 

3.  Other    Pilgrimages.     In    the    North,    where    the 
old  shrines  have  disappeared,  pilgrimages  are  frequently 
made  to  our  Lady's  sanctuaries  outside  Holland  :    v.g. 


IN  HOLLAND  115 

to  Kevelaer  in  Germany,  just  across  the  frontier ;  and 
to  Montaigu  in  Belgium.  It  is  the  custom  to  make  the 
pilgrimage  to  Kevelaer  on  foot,  a  ten  hours'  walk,  returning 
in  the  same  way  on  the  following  day. 

There  are  also  many  other  less  prominent,  but  greatly 
venerated  shrines,  v.g.  Our  Lady  of  Land  at  Roermond  ; 
Our  Lady  of  Nood  near  Heilo,  in  the  Protestant  part  of 
Holland  ;  Our  Lady  of  Handel  near  Gemert.  Early  in 
the  spring  pilgrimages  to  the  latter  shrine  (a  village  church) 
begin,  whole  parishes  coming  in  procession  from  the  neigh 
bouring  towns  and  villages,  with  banners  and  music,  the 
singing  of  hymns  and  the  recitation  of  the  Rosary.  The 
older  people,  women  and  men,  are  mostly  conveyed  in 
carts,  provided  with  chairs  for  the  occasion.  Along  the 
last  half  mile  of  the  road  to  Handel  are  erected  wayside 
chapels  with  Stations  of  the  Cross  ;  and  behind  the  church 
are  similar  chapels  with  the  mysteries  of  the  Rosary,  at 
each  of  which  groups  of  pilgrims  may  be  seen  praying 
vigorously.  The  miraculous  statue,  richly  decorated  with 
a  profusion  of  candles  and  flowers,  has  its  throng  of  wor 
shippers  all  day  long. 

4.  Dutch  Saints  and  Holy  Persons.  St.  Lidwina 
(d.  1433).  At  fifteen  she  fell  while  skating  on  the  ice, 
and  the  hurt  she  received  kept  her  in  the  bed  from  which 
she  never  rose,  except  in  ecstasy,  for  thirty  years.  Every 
limb  was  in  torture  and  the  pain  she  suffered  made  life  a 
continual  martyrdom.  Wonderful  stories  are  told  of  her 
devotion  to  our  blessed  Lady.  Blessed  Peter  Canisius, 
S.J.  (d.  1597),  was  already  as  a  child  a  devoted  client  of 
Mary,  and  in  her  honour  he  wrote  an  extensive  work. 
With  her  help  he  fought  the  battles  of  the  Church  against 
Lutheranism  in  Germany.  Venerable  Thomas  a  Kempis 
(d.  1471),  author  of  the  Imitation  of  Christ,  was  most 
devoted  to  our  Lady.  Gerard  Groot,  founder  of  a  pious 
Brotherhood,  translated  into  Dutch  the  Office  of  our  Lady 
for  the  use  of  the  common  folk.  Joost  von  den  Vondel 
(d.  1679),  the  poet,  a  contemporary  of  Milton,  owe?]  his 


H6  MARY  HONOURED 

conversion  from  Protestantism  largely  to  devotion  to  the 

Blessed  Virgin. 


SECTION   XLIII 
MARY  HONOURED  IN  POLAND 

POLAND,  like  Ireland,  is  a  country  very  dear  to  our 
Lady,  for  though  crushed,  oppressed,  dismembered, 
it  has  clung  tenaciously  to  the  Faith,  and  has  never  swerved 
in  its  loyalty  to  Jesus  and  Mary.  It  is  the  land  of  heroes, 
of  martyrs,  of  noble  defenders  of  Christianity  and  of 
civilization.  In  1621,  when  the  Poles  sent  to  Pope  Paul 
V  some  standards  captured  from  the  Turks  and  Tartars, 
and  asked  in  return  the  gift  of  certain  relics,  the  Pontiff 
replied  :  "  Why  do  you  ask  me  for  relics  ?  Gather  up 
a  little  of  your  own  soil.  There  is  not  a  particle  of  it 
which  is  not  the  relic  of  a  martyr." 

1.  Poland  is  the  native-land  of  St.  Casimir  and  St. 
Stanislaus  Kostka,  Mary's  cherished  children  ;    of  St. 
Hyacinth,   Mary's  devoted  client   and  apostle  ;     of   St. 
Josaphat     the   Martyr,    St.   Adalbert,    St.   Hedwige, 
and  other  glorious  Saints,  specially  dear  to  the  Queen  of 
heaven.     It  is  the  land  of  heroes  and  warriors  like  John 
Sobieski,  who  routed  the  Turks  and  Tartars  in  many 
a  memorable  battle  (Buczacz,  Chocim,  Lemberg,  Vienna)  ; 
Kordecki — a  monk — who  with  400  men,  sixty-eight  of 
whom  were  monks,  defended  Czenstockowa  against  8,000 
Swedes  in  1655  ;   Chodkiewicz,  who  in  1621  with  65,000 
soldiers  routed  300,000  Turks  near  Chocim ;    Tarnowski 
and  others,  all  fervently  devout  to  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

2.  Our   Lady's   protection   in   battle   was   experienced 
by  the   Polish  armies    (a)  against  the  Teutonic  knights 
near  Griinwald  in  1410.     King  Ladislas  Jagiello  had  put 
his  army  under  her  protection,  and  during  the  battle  she 
is  said  to  have  appeared  with  St.  Stanislaus,  Bishop  of 


IN  POLAND  117 

Cracow  and  martyr.  The  victory  was  complete :  (b) 
against  the  Turks  near  Chocim  in  1621,  when  Chodkiewicz 
defeated  a  formidable  Turkish  army,  ascribing  his  victory 
to  our  Lady's  protection  :  (c)  at  the  siege  of  Chestochowa 
in  1655.  See  Kordecki  above,  (d)  John  Sobieski,  King 
of  Poland,  and  the  defeat  of  the  Turks  at  Vienna  (1683), 
see  §  55. 

3.  Poland  abounds  in  sanctuaries  and  miraculous  pic 
tures  of  our  Lady  :  the  chief  being  Chestockowa  and 
Cracow,  renowned  places  of  pilgrimage.  (See  §  66.) 
Popular  devotion  is  seen  (a)  in  pilgrimages  to  the  numerous 
shrines  :  (b)  in  the  chanting  of  our  Lady's  office  (trans 
lated  and  arranged  by  Fat  her  Wujek,  S.J.)  at  home,  in  the 
churches,  and  on  the  battle-field  :  (c)  in  the  rigorous 
fasts  before  her  feasts,  and  the  crowds  approaching  the 
holy  Table  on  her  solemnities  :  (d)  in  the  wearing  openly 
by  soldiers  of  large  scapulars  with  a  figure  of  our  Lady 
to  serve  as  a  breast-plate  :  (e)  in  the  chanting  by  soldiers 
before  battle  of  the  hymn"  Boga  Rodzica,"  i.e.  Dei  Geni- 
trix — a  hymn  believed  to  have  been  composed  by  St. 
Adalbert  (d.  981)  and  the  oldest  specimen  of  Polish  litera 
ture.  (/)  The  month  of  May  and  October  services  are 
splendidly  attended.  Where  people  live  at  a  distance 
from  a  church,  they  assemble  near  wayside  chapels,  or 
in  their  homes,  there  to  recite  the  rosary  and  sing  hymns 
to  Mary,  (g)  The  upper  classes,  even  professors,  magis 
trates,  rich  merchants,  consider  it  an  honour  to  belong 
to  our  Lady's  Sodality. 

4.  Poland  and  the  Immaculate  Conception.  In 
1510  Polish  Archbishops  and  Bishops  assembled  in  Pro 
vincial  Council  decreed  that  the  feast  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception  should  be  kept  in  Poland.  In  the  University 
of  Cracow  professors  were  not  permitted  to  lecture  till 
they  had  taken  an  oath  to  defend  the  Immaculate  Concep 
tion.  About  the  year  1586,  the  Magistrates  (Town  Council) 
of  Lwow  (Lemberg)  sent  to  Pope  Sixtus  V  a  hundred 
arguments  proving  our  Lady's  Immaculate  Conception 


nS  MARY   HONOURED 

against  heretics  and  others  who  denied  it,  and  received 
from  the  Pope  his  coat  of  arms,  i.e.  three  mountains  with 
a  star,  which  together  with  the  lion  form  to  this  day  the 
armorial  bearings  of  the  city. 

SECTION   XLIV 
MARY  HONOURED  IN  GERMANY  AND  AUSTRIA 

"POPULAR  devotion  to  Mary  is  chiefly  noticeable 
L  in  the  South  of  Germany — in  that  part  of  the  Black 
Forest  region  where  Catholicism  predominates,  as  also 
in  Bavaria,  Wurtemburg,  and  the  Rhineland.  The  Black 
Forest  hides  within  its  depths  many  a  little  chapel  dedi 
cated  to  Mary,  of  which  the  story  in  many  cases  is  touch- 
ingly  impressive.  These  modest  sanctuaries  have  been 
raised  by  the  piety  of  poor  work-people,  only  too  glad  to 
devote  their  slender  savings  to  such  a  holy  purpose.  On 
Saturdays  groups  of  peasants  may  be  seen  wending  their 
way  to  one  or  other  of  these  Mary-chapels.  In  the  Middle 
Ages  the  various  Trades  Guilds — carvers,  masons,  gold 
smiths,  metal-workers,  cordwainers  and  others — took  our 
Lady  for  Patroness,  and  vied  with  each  other  in  enriching 
her  churches  and  altars. 

2.  Places  of  Pilgrimage.  Bavaria  is  known  as 
"  Mary's  own  Kingdom/'  and  contains  many  shrines 
with  statues  reputed  miraculous.  Allotting  is  perhaps 
the  oldest  shrine  in  Germany,  founded,  it  is  said,  by  Louis 
the  Pious  (d.  840),  son  of  Charlemagne.  Year  by  year 
it  attracts  thousands  upon  thousands  of  pilgrims.  The 
first  Elector,  Maximilian  I  (d.  1651),  head  of  the  League 
in  the  Thirty  Years'  War,  was  very  devout  to  Our  Lady 
of  Altotting.  His  father,  duke  William,  in  an  instruction 
drawn  up  for  the  education  of  his  sons,  recommended  that 
they  should  every  day  recite  the  Rosary  and  the  Litany 
of  Loreto.  On  his  tomb  at  Allotting  he  wished  the  follow 
ing  words  to  be  carved  :  "  Passing  stranger,  know  that 


IN  GERMANY  119 

in  life  and  in  death  Maximilian  was  devoted  to  Mary." 
Tilly  de  T'Serclaes  (d.  1632),  commander  of  the  League 
armies  also,  lies  buried  in  this  chapel  by  his  special  request. 
Kevelaer  on  the  Rhine  is  another  popular  place  of  pilgrim 
age.  A  gold  crown  was  sent  by  Leo  XIII  in  1892  to 
adorn  this  picture. 

3.  German  Artists  and  our  Lady.     In  the  XV  and 
XVI  Cent.    Albert   Diirer   of   Nuremberg    (d.    1528)    pro 
duced  a  series  of  artistic  representations  of  our  Lady's 
life.     The  Cologne  school  of  artists  has  left  several  master 
pieces,   rare   examples  of  simple  devotional  conceptions 
of  her  life.     The  Dtisseldorf  school  of  Catholic  painters 
stands  conspicuous  in  the  modern  artistic  world  for  its 
remarkable  inspiration   and  piety  in   paintings   of  Mary 
and   her   Divine   Child.     Carl   Miiller,    Ittenbach,    Deger, 
Steinle,   Sinkel,   Overbeck,   Fuhrich  are  the  chief  repre 
sentatives.     Their    productions    are    marked    by    great 
spiritual  beauty  of  conception  and  masterly  design.     Ach- 
termann,  the  great  sculptor  (d.  1889),  whose  masterpiece, 
"  the  Pieta,"  is  in  Minister  Cathedral,  was  noted  for  his 
devotion    to    the    Blessed    Virgin.     Joseph    Haydn,    the 
musician  (d.  1809),  is  reported  to  have  said  that  his  sweetest 
melodies  came  to  him  after  reciting  the  Rosary. 

4.  Early  German  Poems  on  our  Lady.    The  Melker 
Marienlied  (1125)  is  a  devout  interpretation  of  the  figures 
in  Holy  Writ  referring  to  Mary.      Each  strophe  ends  with 
the  invocation  "  Sancta  Maria."     The  Armsteiner  Marien 
lied  (XII  Cent.)  gathers  all  possible  similes  from  nature, 
applying  them  to  Mary.     The  Marienlob  (XII  Cent.)   is 
full  of  tender  admiration  of  God's  masterpiece.     Werner 
von  Tegernsee,  a  priest  (d.  1172),  wrote  an  epic  on  our  Lady, 
one  of  the  most  remarkable  literary  works  of  its  kind  in 
Germany. 

5.  German  Saints  and  our  Lady — Blessed  Herman 
Joseph,  a  Premonstratensian  (d.  1241).     Beautiful  legends 
are  recorded  of  his  childlike  devotion  to  Mary.     Blessed 
Albert  the  Great,  O.P.   (d.  1280),  St.  Thomas  of  Aquin's 


i2o  MARY  HONOURED 

master  in  philosophy,  attributed  all  his  theological  and 
scientific  knowledge  to  our  Lady.  St.  Henry  and  St. 
Cunegunda  (XI  Cent.)  consecrated  their  virginity  to  God 
in  honour  of  the  ever  Blessed  Virgin.  St.  Elizabeth,  Land 
gravine  of  Thuringia  (d.  1231),  was  favoured  with  several 
apparitions  of  the  Mother  of  God  ;  as  were  also  St.  Gertrude 
and  St.  Mechtild.  Blessed  Peter  Canisius,  S.J.  (d.  1597), 
Dutch  by  birth,  is  distinguished  as  the  apostle  of  Germany, 
and  the  foremost  opponent  of  the  Lutheran  Reformation 
in  the  country.  He  founded  the  colleges  of  Dillingen, 
Ingolstadt,  Prague  (where  Blessed  Edmund  Campion 
spent  some  time).  By  word  and  writing  he  spread  every 
where  devotion  to  Mary.  Blessed  Clement  Hofbauer, 
Redemptorist  (d.  1821),  was  our  Lady's  greatest  promoter 
in  Austria  and  Southern  Germany. 


AUSTRIA 

1.  The   raising    of    the    siege    of    Vienna    by    John 
Sobieski,  through  our  Lady's  protection,  and  the  routing 
of  the  Turks.     See  §  55.     Ferdinand  II  (d.  1657)  solemnly 
consecrated   the    empire    to    the    Immaculate    Virgin,    a 
memorial  of  the  event  being  a  majestic  column  crowned 
with  a  statue  of  our  Lady  in  Vienna.     Very  flourishing 
Sodalities  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  under  Jesuit  direction  are 
to  be  seen  in  Vienna  and  other  cities. 

2.  In  1901,   Linz  was  selected  for  a  Marian  Congress, 
followed  by  a  pilgrimage  of  all  the  members  to  Our  Lady 
of  Allotting. 

3.  Father  Baumgartner,  S.J.,  wrote  in  1892   a  series  of 
sonnets  on  the  titles  in  the  Litany  of  Loretto.     Some  of 
these  sonnets  are  said  to  be  masterpieces. 

4.  The  Benedictine  Fathers  at  Beuron  edited  a  new 
"  Marienleben,"    viz.    a    series    of    remarkably   beautiful 
pictures  illustrating  our  Lady's  life. 


IN  PORTUGAL  121 

SECTION   XLV 
MARY  HONOURED  IN  PORTUGAL 

PORTUGAL  from  its  birth  as  a  Kingdom  has  signalized 
itself  by  devotion  to  God's  holy  Mother,  i.  Kings. 
The  dominions  conquered  by  its  first  king,  Dom  Affonso 
Henriques  (d.  1185),  were  styled  "St.  Mary's  lands/'  and 
later,  "  The  Immaculate's  domain."  Its  capital,  Oporto, 
was  known  as  "  The  Virgin's  City."  Even  to  our  day 
the  whole  country  remains  studded  with  shrines  and 
monuments  in  her  honour.  John  I  (d.  1433),  after  a 
victorious  battle  against  the  Spaniards  in  1385,  founded 
in  Mary's  honour  the  glorious  abbey  of  Batalha,  which 
Cardinal  Justiniani  spoke  of  as  another  Solomon's  Temple. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  sumptuous  ecclesiastical  monuments 
in  Europe.  Manuel  I  (d.  1521),  in  gratitude  for  Vasco 
de  Gama's  discovery  of  the  Cape  maritime  route  to  India, 
built  the  splendid  church  of  Our  Lady  of  Belem,  a  few 
miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  Tagus. 

2.  The   University  of  Coimbra  in  1645,  with  King 
John  IV's  sanction,  passed  a  statute  that  no  academical 
degrees  would  be  conferred  on  any  candidate  who  refused 
to  take  an  oath  to  defend  Mary's  Immaculate  Conception. 

3.  Portuguese  Missioners,  Orators,  Poets.    Father 
Antonio  d'Andrade,  S.J.,  the  apostle  of  Tibet,  penetrated 
into  the  very  heart  of  that  country  (1624),  and  built  a 
church  to  Mary  right  in  the  centre  of  Buddhism.     Father 
Antonio  Vieira,  S.J.,  the  Bossuet  of  Portugal  (d.  1697), 
spoke  rapturously  of  Mary's  dignity  in  some  of  his  most 
powerful  addresses.     He  is  famed  as  an  orator,  theologian, 
poet,    and   historian.     Camoens    (d.    1580),   the  immortal 
author  of  the  "Luciades,"  chose  Mary  as  the  subject  of 
one  of  his  most  beautiful  sonnets. 

4.  Places  of  Pilgrimage.    Our  Lady  of  Nazareth  on 
the  sea- shore,  so  called  from  a  small  statue  of  Mary  brought 
from  Nazareth  by  a  monk,  who  rescued  it  from  the  out- 


122  MARY  HONOURED 

rages  of  the  Iconoclasts.  The  church  is  much  frequented, 
and  is  rich  in  ex-votos.  Our  Lady  of  Atalaya  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  Tagus,  facing  Lisbon,  is  a  shrine  very  dear 
to  the  people.  The  annual  pilgrimage  is  marked  by  extra 
ordinary  rejoicings.  Our  Lady  of  Oliveira,  the  church  of 
Guimaraes,  where  King  John  I  came  as  a  pilgrim  after 
the  brilliant  victory  which  set  the  crown  on  his  head. 

5.  The  Portuguese  Crown.  John  IV  (d.  1656), 
eight  days  after  the  recovery  of  Portugal's  independence, 
attended  a  great  solemnity  in  the  Chapel  Royal,  it  being 
the  feast  of  the  Immaculate  Conception.  There  in  front 
of  the  altar  he  presented  the  royal  crown  to  the  Queen 
of  Heaven,  and  thenceforth  for  249  years  no  King  or 
Queen  of  Portugal  ever  ventured  to  wear  it,  even  on  the 
coronation  day.  The  same  King  assigned  an  annual 
donation  of  fifty  gold  crowns  to  our  Lady's  sanctuary  of 
Villa  Vi£osa. 


SECTION   XLVI 
MARY  HONOURED  IN  GREECE 

'^pHROUGHOUT  Greece,  our  Lady,  after  our  Lord 
JL  and  the  Blessed  Trinity,  is  the  principal  object  of 
worship  :  she  is  invoked  on  every  occasion,  and  the  greatest 
devotion  is  shown  to  her.  There  are  several  special  shrines 
in  various  parts  of  the  country,  which  are  very  popular 
and  much  visited,  containing  celebrated  icons  (paintings) 
of  her,  for  the  Greek  Church,  as  all  other  branches  of  the 
Eastern  Church,  forbids  the  use  of  statues  or  images. 

Our  Lady  of  Tenos  (one  of  the  Cyclades  islands)  is 
one  of  the  most  popular  of  these  shrines  :  the  Church  of 
the  Annunciation  there  is  full  of  thank-offerings  to  her, 
consisting  of  gold  and  silver  plate  for  altar  use,  richly 
bound  Bibles  and  service  books,  missals  inlaid  with  jewels, 
vestments  of  richest  material,  adorned  with  the  most 


IN  MEXICO  123 

beautiful  Oriental  embroideries.  Besides  these  the  church 
is  hung  with  propitiatory  offerings  and  thank-offerings 
sent  by  the  peasants,  v.g.  silver  ex-votos,  which  have  been 
given  in  such  profusion  that  candelabra,  sufficient  to  light 
the  whole  church,  have  been  made  of  these  objects  after 
being  melted  down  for  the  purpose.  Sometimes  these 
ex-votos  represent  horses,  sometimes  boats,  at  other  times 
grapes,  corn-sheaves,  or  whatever  her  client  wishes  to 
place  under  her  protection.  Very  often  a  leg  or  arm,  or 
some  other  part  of  the  body,  is  modelled  in  wax,  for 
Our  Lady  of  Tenos  is  particularly  invoked  and  celebrated 
for  bodily  cures. 

Many  miracles  are  said  to  have  been  worked  by  Our 
Lady  of  Tenos. 

In  an  official  description  of  them  which  is  published, 
forty-four  are  mentioned  as  occurring  down  to  1898. 
Pilgrims  visit  this  shrine  by  thousands.  There  is  a  holy 
spring  there,  which  is  said,  like  Lourdes,  to  possess  miracu 
lous  qualities.  During  these  pilgrimages  the  "  icon  "  of 
our  Lady  is  carried  in  procession  through  kneeling  crowds 
of  believing,  suffering  pilgrims,  who  come  year  after  year 
in  the  hope  of  being  cured.  Irish  Eccl.  Record,  January, 
1918. 

MARY  HONOURED  IN  MEXICO  AND  SOUTH  AMERICA 

i.  Mexico.  This  much-tried  country,  so  sadly  tyran 
nized  over  by  Rulers  who  are  avowedly  irreligious  and 
anticlerical,  turns  to  our  Lady  in  its  distress.  "  O  Mary, 
turn  thy  merciful  eyes  on  this  unfortunate  land."  Devo 
tion  to  her  is  most  marked  :  (a)  There  is  no  town,  and 
hardly  a  village,  without  a  church  or  chapel  dedicated  to 
her  :  (b)  Its  great  sanctuaries  of  our  Lady  are  Guadelupe, 
in  the  city  of  Mexico  (see  §  65)  ;  Zapopan,  in  the  province 
of  Jalisco ;  dellos  Remedies  in  Durango  ;  Jacona  in 
Michoacan  ;  in  each  of  which  not  unfrequent  miraculous 
favours  reward  the  piety  of  the  faithful ;  (c)  numerous 


124  MARY  HONOURED 

Sodalities  and  confraternities  of  Mary  are  found  in  each 
diocese  :  (d)  popular  devotion,  as  far  as  the  impious 
Government  will  allow  it,  displays  itself  with  enthusiasm 
on  her  feasts  :  (e)  men  of  remarkable  holiness,  loving 
clients  of  Mary,  figure  in  the  history  of  the  country. 

That  such  good  people  should  be  oppressed  in  what  they 
cherish  most — their  religion — is  sad  beyond  words  :  but 
from  the  crucible  of  persecution  they  will  in  time  come 
forth  more  inflamed  than  ever  in  their  devotion  to  Jesus 
and  His  holy  Mother. 

2.  South  America.  The  fervour  of  devotion  to  Mary 
among  the  Brazilian,  and  South  American  Catholics 
generally,  compares  favourably  with  that  of  Spain  and 
Portugal,  (a)  Cathedrals  and  churches  dedicated  to  her 
are  to  be  found  in  every  province,  and  chapels  in  almost 
every  town  :  (b)  her  Congregations  or  Sodalities  count 
their  members  by  hundreds  of  thousands :  (c)  great 
pilgrimages  to  her  shrines  are  not  wanting,  as  in  Para, 
Brazil :  (d)  her  great  festivals  evoke  extraordinary  enthu 
siasm  :  (e)  apparitions  of  Mary  are  recorded,  as  at  Para 
and  Quito  (see  §  94)  :  (f)  Mary's  affectionate  solicitude 
is  seen  in  the  series  of  marvellous  manifestations  in  the 
Jesuit  college,  Quito,  Ecuador.  See  Ibid. 

Concepcion,  Chile,  has  a  pilgrimage  to  a  shrine  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin  that  is  perhaps  unique,  a  rock-drawn  figure 
of  the  Mother  of  God.  It  was  discovered  by  a  child  in 
the  XVIII  Cent.,  and  was  long  popular  among  the  Chilians. 
Our  Lady  of  Nazareth,  at  Para,  Brazil,  has  a  remarkable 
history.  Two  hunters,  resting  in  the  forest,  fell  asleep 
from  exhaustion .  One  of  them  dreamt  that  a  lady  appeared 
to  him  and  told  him  he  would  find  an  image  of  the  Virgin 
Mary  in  a  thicket  close  by.  On  awaking  he  made  a  search, 
and  a  beautiful  statue  was  discovered  near  the  trunk  of 
a  palm  tree.  It  was  carried  to  the  town  amid  great  rejoic 
ings  and  placed  in  the  Governor's  chapel :  but  the  next 
day  it  disappeared,  and  was  found  to  have  returned  to 
the  original  spot  in  the  forest.  This  happened  several 


IN  JAPAN  125 

times,  and  at  length  a  chapel  was  built  for  it  in  the  place 
of  its  choice.  Miraculous  favours  were  so  numerous  that  a. 
large  church  had  to  be  erected  to  accommodate  the  pilgrims, 
and,  in  course  of  time,  a  city,  Para,  grew  up  around  it. 
The  annual  feast  is  a  public  holiday,  prolonged  for  several 
days. 


SECTION   XLVII 
MARY  HONOURED  IN  JAPAN 

ON  the  feast  of  our  Lady's  Assumption,  August  15, 
1549,  St.  Francis  Xavier  landed  in  Japan  with 
Father  Cosmo  de  Torres  and  John  Fernandez.  The  Saint 
remained  in  the  island  till  near  the  close  of  1551.  Fathers 
Gomez,  Cabral,  Valignani  and  others  of  the  Society  who 
succeeded  him  brought  with  them  the  ardent  devotion 
to  the  Mother  of  God  which  is  one  of  the  prominent  char 
acteristics  of  the  Order  to  which  they  belonged. 

In  the  persecution  of  Daifusama,  A.D.  1598  to  1615,  the 
Christian  religion  was  proscribed,  the  missioners  were 
put  to  a  cruel  death  or  exiled,  and  every  effort  was  made 
to  stamp  out  the  faith  which  had  spread  through  the 
land  with  such  marvellous  results  and  been  sealed  by  many 
glorious  martyrdoms. 

From  the  year  1640  the  poor  persecuted  Christians 
exiled  to  distant  Provinces  were  left  without  priests, 
without  sacraments*  (except  Baptism  and  Matrimony, 
the  essential  rites  of  which  were  transmitted  from  father 
to  son),  without  instruction  except  such  as  they  remem 
bered  from  the  teaching  of  the  Fathers  and  which  was 
handed  down  by  tradition,  devotion  to  the  Virgin  Mother 
and  knowledge  of  the  Rosary  being  also  treasured  by  them  : 
yet  in  spite  of  those  long  years  of  isolation  and  persecution 
they  clung  to  the  faith  with  admirable  fortitude,  and  their 
discovery  by  the  French  missionaries  in  1865  is  one  of 
the  most  interesting  events  in  the  history  of  Christianity 


126  MARY  HONOURED 

in  the  East.  In  the  new  church  of  Nagasaki  on  March 
17  of  the  year  above  mentioned,  fifteen  Japanese  Chris 
tians  of  the  Province  of  Urakami,  descendants  of  the 
martyrs,  came  to  the  city  to  see  the  new  church  erected 
by  the  French  missionaries.  They  were  suspicious  at 
first,  fearing  the  new  missionaries  were  not  of  the  right 
sort,  but  they  were  led  to  recognize  them  as  true  successors 
of  their  ancient  Fathers  by  three  marks,  respect  for  the 
authority  of  the  Pope  of  Rome,  the  Rosary  and  veneration 
of  the  Virgin  Mother,  and  the  celibacy  of  the  clergy. 
They  told  Father  Petit  jean  that  there  were  a  great  many 
other  Christians  in  the  interior  of  the  country,  about 
50,000  in  all  being  known. 

At  present  Catholicity  is  progressing  and  devotion  to 
Mary  is  as  fervently  cherished  by  Christians  as  in  Europe. 
The  cathedral  of  Tokyo  is  dedicated  to  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
and  has  a  beautiful  figure  of  her  in  stained  glass  above  the 
high  altar.  Behind  the  church  is  a  grotto  of  Lourdes 
with  a  basin  supplied,  as  far  as  possible,  with  Lourdes 
water.  Every  parish  has  its  association  of  the  Rosary, 
and  in  many  parishes  there  are  special  devotions  every 
Saturday,  as  also  during  the  months  of  May  and  October. 
There  are  also  Sodalities  of  our  Lady  for  boys,  and  of 
Children  of  Mary  for  girls.  Almost  all  the  popular  hymns 
to  her  and  about  ten  books  of  devotion  treating  of  her 
dignity  and  glory  have  been  translated  into  Japanese. 
In  districts  where  the  light  of  the  Faith  has  never  been 
extinguished,  one  sees  rough  but  simple  farmers,  labourers, 
fishermen,  working  in  the  fields  or  on  the  shore,  with  our 
Lady's  scapular  or  medal  openly  displayed  on  their  bare 
breast.  Manifestations  of  our  Lady's  help  and  interest 
in  these  good  persons  are  not  wanting,  and  there  are 
reports  of  miraculous  favours  by  using  the  water  of  Lourdes. 
In  1917,  a  pagan,  far  gone  in  consumption,  was  thus  cured 
and  became  a  Christian. 


IN  INDIA   AND   CHINA  127 

SECTION   XLVIII 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  CATHOLICS  IN  INDIA  AND  CHINA 

FATHER  NICHOLAS  PEREIRA,  O.M.I.,  of  Colombo, 
Ceylon,  speaking  of  the  Catholicity  of  that  far-off 
island,  relates  that  the  greatest  possible  devotion  to  Jesus' 
holy  Mother  is  there  cherished  by  the  Christians.  "  Out 
of  600  churches  there,  more  than  200  are  dedicated  to 
her.  There  are  everywhere  realistic  replicas  of  the  famous 
Lourdes  grotto,  which  are  visited  on  Saturdays  and  great 
feast-days  by  thousands  of  pilgrims,  who  form  themselves 
into  magnificent  processions.  It  is  a  very  touching  sight 
to  see  the  Archbishop,  about  100  Priests,  and  10,000 
Catholics  marching  in  procession  at  night,  all  bearing 
lighted  candles  and  singing  hymns  to  our  Lady."  Strange 
to  say,  even  the  Buddhists,  who  number  nearly  3,000,000 
out  of  a  total  population  of  4,000,000,  have  taken  to  dis 
tributing  festive  cards  for  their  New  Year's  Day,  which 
are  copied  from  our  own  Christmas  cards,  and  bear  the 
figures  of  the  Infant  Saviour  and  His  holy  Mother.  On 
these  cards  appears  the  inscription  "  God  bless  our  Lord 
Buddha/'  the  sect  thus  unwittingly  admitting  that  there 
exists  a  God  greater  than  their  Lord  Buddha. 

From  all  parts  of  India,  China,  Japan,  and  other 
distant  lands,  reports  are  sent  to  the  "  Catholic  Missions," 
and  "  Annals  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  "  of  extra 
ordinary  manifestations  of  devotion  to  our  Lord's  holy 
Mother,  similar  to  those  of  Ceylon. 

The  Chinese  Catholics  are  remarkable  for  their  tender 
devotion  to  Holy  Mary.  In  Borneo  the  Chinese  Christians 
always  assemble  in  the  church  on  Sundays  and  Feast- 
days  half  an  hour  before  the  principal  Mass  and  chant 
the  Rosary  together,  the  children  taking  the  first  part 
of  each  prayer,  and  the  adults  the  second.  The  effect 
is  most  impressive. 

Our  Lady  at  the  Hills,  some  twenty  miles  from  Shang- 


128  MARY  HONOURED 

hai,  is  a  shrine  greatly  venerated,  to  which  pilgrimages 
are  made,  especially  in  the  month  of  May.  Throughout 
the  month  a  continuous  line  of  devout  pilgrims  resort 
thither  to  honour  God's  holy  Mother.  The  opening 
ceremony  commences  on  April  30  with  the  firing  of  a 
cannon.  The  next  day  Masses  are  said  in  the  two  churches, 
which  are  situated  one  midway  up  the  hill,  the  other  on 
the  top.  The  path  leading  to  the  latter  zigzags  up  the 
steep  slope,  along  which  are  erected  the  fourteen  Stations 
of  the  Cross.  Thousands  flock  to  the  celebration,  and 
from  morning  until  night  there  is  a  continuous  procession 
of  pious  pilgrims  making  their  way  to  the  summit,  while 
performing  the  devotions  of  the  Way  of  the  Cross.  The 
natives  come  on  these  occasions  from  all  parts  of  the 
country,  and  it  is  not  uncommon  to  see  entire  families 
who  have  journeyed  several  hundred  miles.  It  might 
be  called  the  Chinese  Lourdes,  so  loved  is  it  by  the  simple 
people. 

One  of  the  picturesque  sights  is  the  hundreds  of  boats 
in  the  canal  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  and  stretching  for  more 
than  a  mile  along  the  canal  banks.  This  solid  mass 
remains  practically  unbroken  for  the  entire  month,  those 
who  leave  being  replaced  by  new  comers.  The  whole 
month  of  May  is  held  by  the  Chinese  in  reverence  and 
love,  and  one  of  the  surest  signs  of  the  lack  of  faith  in  an 
individual  is  a  waning  devotion  towards  the  Mother  of 
God. 


SECTION   XLIX 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  KINGS  OF  ENGLAND  AND  SCOTLAND 

INA,  King  of  the  West  Saxons,  rebuilt  Glastonbury 
church.     (See  §  30.)     His  silver  chapel.     Ibid. 
Henry  II  in  1189,  again  rebuilt  Glastonbury    church 
after  a  fire.     (See  §  30.) 
Henry  III  is  the  first  English  King  mentioned  as  a 


BY   KINGS  itg 

pilgrim  to  Our  Lady  of  Walsingham.     This  was  in  1242, 
the  twenty-sixth  year  of  his  reign.     Waterton,  173. 

Edward  I  came  twice  on  pilgrimage  to  Walsingham, 
in  1280,  1296.  Ibid. 

Edward  II  made  the  same  pilgrimage  in  1315.  Isa 
bella  of  France,  his  Queen  consort,  whilst  residing  at 
Castle  Rising  came  as  a  pilgrim  in  1332. 

Edward  III  followed  their  example  in  1361. 

A  picture  found  in  1800  under  the  wainscoting  of  that 
part  of  the  House  of  Commons  which  was  formerly  St. 
Stephen's  Chapel,1  represents  this  King  and  the  Queen 
kneeling  before  our  Lady  and  Child.  (See  §  28.) 

The  same  King  founded  the  Order  of  the  Garter  "  to 
the  honour  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  ;  and,  out  of  his  singular 
affection  for  her,  he  wished  her  to  be  honoured  by  his 
knights."  On  her  festivals,  during  the  Divine  Office, 
they  each  bore  on  the  right  shoulder  a  golden  figure  of 
the  Mother  of  God. 

Richard  II  (d.  1399),  son  of  the  Black  Prince,  is  shown 
to  have  been  a  devout  client  of  our  Lady.  During  the 
reign  of  James  I  a  paper,  now  in  the  British  Museum, 
was  discovered  giving  an  account  of  a  picture  known  to 
have  been  in  the  Chapel  of  St.  Thomas'  Hospital,  Rome  ; 
on  which  see  §  28,  also  Bridgett,  164.  Others  think 
the  King  there  represented  may  have  been  Edward  III, 
Richard's  grandfather. 

Henry  IV  (d.  1413)  and  the  Angelus.  (See  §  29.) 
In  his  reign  Archbishop  Arundel  spoke  of  England  as 
Our  Lady's  Dowry  in  a  pastoral  letter.  (See  §  28.) 

Henry  V  (d.  1422).  It  is  certain  that  he  consecrated 
his  kingdom  to  our  Lady,  though  he  was  not  the  first 
to  do  this.  Thomas  Elmham  (see  §  28),  a  monk  who 
wrote  in  the  King's  lifetime  an  account  of  his  exploits 
and  his  piety,  makes  use  of  the  words,  "  O  Virgin  sweet ! 
England  is  made  thy  dower  by  royal  Henry ;  keep  it 

1  This  chapel  was  founded  by  Edward  III  as  a  collegiate  one  for 
a  Dean  and  twelve  Canons. 

M.P.  K 


130  MARY  HONOURED 

by  thy  power."  (Anglia  dos  tua  fit,  Mater  pia,  Virgo 
Maria  Henrico  rege  :  tu  tua  jura  rege.)  See  Bridgett,  166. 
The  battle-cry  at  Agincourt,  Elmham  tells  us,  was  "  Our 
Lady  for  her  Dowry ;  St.  George  and  St.  Edward  to  our 
aid."  Ibid.  167. 

Henry  VI  (d.  1461).  His  foundation  of  Eton,  of  King's 
College,  Cambridge,  and  his  devotion  to  the  Rosary. 
(See  §  71,  also  §  29.)  He  went  on  pilgrimage  to  Wai- 
singham  in  1455. 

Henry  VII  (d.  1509)  repaired  to  Walsingham  in  1505, 
taking  with  him  the  young  prince,  afterwards  Henry  VIII. 
Margaret,  Countess  of  Richmond,  Henry  VII's  mother, 
was  a  person  of  remarkable  piety.  Every  morning  she 
rose  at  five,  said  the  Matins  of  our  Lady  with  one  of  her 
gentlewomen  and  then  heard  several  Masses,  often  pro 
longing  her  prayers  until  nearly  the  dinner  hour,  which 
was  10  a.m.  on  ordinary  days,  and  n  on  fasting  days. 

Henry  VIII  (d.  1547)  and  his  Queen,  Catherine  of 
Aragon,  were  together  the  last  of  the  royal  pilgrims  to 
Walsingham,  their  visit  being  in  1511.  From  Barsham 
Hall  the  King  walked  barefoot  to  the  shrine,  where  he 
offered  a  valuable  necklace  to  our  Lady.  After  the  victory 
of  Flodden  Field  in  1513,  Queen  Catherine  wrote  to  Henry, 
who  twenty  years  later  was  to  betray  her  so  basely  :  "  And 
with  this  I  make  an  end,  praying  God  to  send  you  home 
shortly,  for  without  this  no  joy  can  here  be  accomplished ; 
and  for  the  same  I  pray,  and  now  go  to  Our  Lad}r  of 
Walsingham  that  I  promised  so  long  ago  to  see." 

Note.  It  is  interesting  to  know  that  the  crown  formerly 
worn  by  English  Kings  bore  a  figure  of  our  Lady  amid 
rubies  and  diamonds. 

Scottish  Kings  :  Malcolm  II  (d.  1033)  founded  an 
abbey  at  Murlach  (Marylake  )  in  Aberdeenshire  in  1010, 
and  dedicated  it  to  our  Lady  and  St.  Maloch  in  thanks 
giving  for  a  victory  over  the  Danes.  At  a  later  period 
he  built  and  dedicated  another  monastery  to  our  Lady 
in  Brechm. 


BY   KINGS  131 

David  I  founded  the  Abbey  of  Holyrood  in  honour  of 
the  Holy  Cross  and  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary. 

David  Bruce  went  as  a  royal  pilgrim  to  Walsingham 
in  1364. 


SECTION   L 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  KINGS  OF  OTHER  NATIONS 

CLOVIS  I  in  501  built  Notre  Dame  d'Argenteuil 
near  Paris.  Here  part  of  our  Saviour's  seamless 
robe  was  preserved  :  it  had  been  found  in  a  marble  chest 
in  the  city  of  Saphat  in  593,  and  was  brought  to  Argenteuil 
in  1156. 

Childebert  in  522  built  Notre  Dame  de  Paris.  In 
1257  St.  Louis  erected  a  much  larger  and  nobler  church 
on  the  same  site. 

Charlemagne  in  804  built  the  magnificent  church  of 
our  Lady  at  Aix-la-Chapelle.  355  Archbishops,  Bishops 
and  Abbots  assisted  at  the  ceremony  of  consecration. 

Louis  the  Pious,  son  of  Charlemagne  (d.  840),  was 
very  devout  to  our  Lady,  and  always  carried  her  image 
about  with  him,  even  when  hunting.  He  had  been  anointed 
and  crowned  by  Pope  Adrian  I  in  Rome,  and  he  confirmed 
all  his  father's  gifts  to  the  Church. 

Robert,  surnamed  the  Wise,  son  of  Hugh  Capet, 
founded  in  1022  a  chapel  to  our  Lady  in  Paris,  on  the 
very  site  where  now  stands  La  Sainte  Chapelle. 

St.  Canute,  King  of  Denmark  (d.  1087),  built  several 
churches  which  he  dedicated  to  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

St.  Stephen  of  Hungary  (d.  1038)  dedicated  to  her 
the  Royal  basilica  of  Alba  Reale,  and  placed  his  crown 
at  our  Lady's  feet,  declaring  her  to  be  the  Sovereign  of 
his  kingdom. 

James,  King  of  Aragon,  in  1218  co-operated  in  the 


132  MARY   HONOURED 

institution  of  the  Order  of  Our  Lady  of  Ransom  (Trini 
tarians),  our  Lady  having  revealed  her  wish  to  him,  as 
also  to  St.  Peter  de  Nolasco. 

St.  Ferdinand  of  Castille  (d.  1252)  had  her  banner 
borne  before  his  soldiers  in  his  battles  with  the  Moors, 
whom  he  conquered  in  Andalusia. 

St.  Louis  IX  of  France  (d.  1270)  rebuilt  on  a  grand 
scale  Childebert's  church  of  Notre  Dame  in  Paris.  How 
ever  occupied  he  might  be  with  government  affairs,  what 
ever  his  troubles  and  sufferings,  he  never  failed  to  say 
our  Lady's  Office  every  day. 

Louis  XI  (d.  1475)  appointed  the  devotion  of  the  Angelus 
to  be  observed,  in  honour  of  the  Incarnation,  ordering 
"  all  Frenchmen,  knights,  men-at-arms,  servants  and 
others  to  recite  it  kneeling  in  order  to  obtain  the  blessing 
of  peace." 

Charles  VI  (d.  1492)  instituted  an  order  of  knighthood 
in  honour  of  our  Lady,  and  in  thanksgiving  for  his  miracu 
lous  escape  while  hunting. 

Francis  I  (d.  1547),  hearing  that  a  Huguenot  had 
mutilated  a  statue  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  came  barefoot 
with  his  courtiers  to  the  place  of  the  sacrilege,  and  sub 
stituted  a  magnificent  statue  for  the  defaced  one. 

John  Casimir  of  Poland  (d.  1592)  consecrated  his 
kingdom  to  Mary,  and  had  her  image  woven  on  its  banners. 

Philip  III  of  Spain  (d.  1621)  requested  Pope  Paul  V 
to  declare  our  Lady  Immaculate  in  her  conception. 

Philip  IV  (d.  1665)  urged  the  same  request  with  Pope 
Gregory  XV. 

Louis  XIII  of  France  (d.  1637),  by  a  solemn  act  chose 
our  Lady  as  the  protectress  of  his  family  and  kingdom, 
placing  his  crown  and  sceptre  on  her  altar  in  the  metro 
politan  cathedral.  He  ordered  an  annual  procession  to 
be  held  on  the  feast  of  the  Assumption  to  commemorate 
this  event. 

Louis  XIV  (d.  1650)  renewed  his  father's  act  of  homage, 
and  by  a  public  proclamation  dated  March  25,  declared 


BY  CITIES   AND    KINGDOMS  133 

that  he  owed  to  our  Lady's  help  the  victories  he  had  won 
in  Flanders. 

Ferdinand  III  of  Germany  (d.  1647)  consecrated  him 
self,  his  family  and  empire  to  the  Queen  of  heaven.  A 
large  column  supporting  a  statue  of  our  Lady,  represented 
as  crushing  the  serpent's  head,  stands  in  a  public  square 
of  Vienna  as  a  memorial  of  this  consecration. 

Duke  Rollo  of  Normandy  (d.  931),  on  occasion  of  his 
baptism,  asked  the  Archbishop  of  Rouen  which  were  the 
most  venerated  churches  in  his  province.  The  Prelate 
mentioned  Notre  Dame  de  Rouen,  N.D.  of  Bayeux,  the 
churches  of  Evreux,  of  Mont  St.  Michel,  of  St.  Peter  at 
Rouen,  and  of  Jumieges.  "  And  what  Saint  is  most 
revered  in  these  parts  ?  "  inquired  the  Duke.  "  St.  Denis, 
the  Apostle  of  France."  Accordingly,  before  dividing 
his  territory  among  his  leading  officers,  he  set  apart  por 
tions  for  God,  for  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  for  the  Saints 
named  by  the  Archbishop. 

Among  the  founders  of  churches  in  our  Lady's  honour 
should  be  mentioned  St.  Helena,  the  mother  of  Con 
st  antine  who  in  the  IV  Cent,  built  the  church  at  Bethle 
hem,  which  with  its  altars,  mosaic,  and  statues  remains 
to  the  present  day. 


SECTION  LI 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  CITIES  AND  KINGDOMS 

I.  (~^  ITIES  that  had  our  Lady's  image  in  their  armorial 
V_^     bearings  or  corporation  seals  : 

(a)  in  England — London,  Rye,  Newhaven. — Waterton, 
182. 

(b)  in    Scotland— Leith,    Banff,     Rutherglen,     Selkirk. 
Aberdeen  has  a  vase  of  lilies  in  honour  of  our  Lady. 

Montreal  in  Canada,  founded  by  M.  Maisonneuve  in 
1640,  was  originally  named  "  Ville  Marie,"  and  conse 
crated  to  Mary. 


i34  MARY  HONOURED 

The  City  of  London  in  1500  had  118  parish  churches  and 
thirty-six  non-parochial.  Of  these,  eighteen,  and  probably 
more,  were  dedicated  to  our  Lady,  for  Arnold's  Chronicle, 
the  authority  for  these  figures,  does  not  give  the  names 
of  all  the  churches  of  Regulars. 

A  few  streets  in  London  still  retain  our  Lady's  name, 
v.g.  St.  Mary  Axe,  Ave  Maria  Lane,  Mary-le-bone. 

A  Council  of  Exeter  held  in  1287  ordered  that  every 
parish  church  was  to  have  an  image  of  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
and  one  of  its  Patron  Saint. 

2.  Kingdoms  consecrated,  or  specially  devout  to  our 
Lady. 

(a)  England,  the  Dowry   of    Mary.       (See  §  28.)     Con 
secrated  to  her  by  its  Kings.     (See  §  49.) 

(b)  Ireland.     (See  §  34.) 

(c)  France  emblazoned  the  lilies  of  Mary  on  her  banners. 
St.  Bridget  of  Sweden,  in  one  of  her  Revelations  (lib.  iv. 
c.  10 ),  says  she  saw  St.  Denis,  the  Apostle  of  France, 
entreating  the  Queen  of  heaven  to  come  to  the  aid  of  that 
country,  then  suffering  cruelly  from  its  wars  with  England 
— France  for  which  she  had  done  so  much  in  the  past. 
Poire  I.  356.     Our  Lady  touched  by  his  prayer  interceded 
with  her  Divine  Son. 

Several  French  monarchs  have  consecrated  their  king 
dom  to  Mary.  (See  §§  39,  50.)  France  has  many  wonder 
ful  sanctuaries  of  our  Lady — Lourdes,  Rocamadour, 
Fourvieres,  La  Garde,  Chartres,  Puy,  Liesse,  La  Salette, 
Pontmain,  and  many  others.  Poire  I.  356  seq.  Some 
of  these  will  be  found  mentioned  under  §  39. 

(d)  Spain.    Devotion  to  Mary  is  a  marked  feature  in 
the  Spanish  character.     The  usual  salutation  on  entering 
a  house  is  "  Ave  Maria  purissima  "  :   to  which  the  answer 
is  given  "  Sine  labe  concepta."     Its  Kings  have  dedicated 
their  kingdom  with  its  cities,  corporations,  etc.,  to  Mary ; 
and  its  provinces  boasted  of  some  500  shrines  raised  in 
her  honour.     Among  the  famous  Spanish  sanctuaries  of 
the  Blessed  Virgin  are  Our  Lady  of  the  Pillar  (Saragossa), 


BY   CITIES   AND    KINGDOMS  135 

Montserrat,  Atocha  (Madrid),  Betharam,  and  others.     (See 

§40.) 

(e)  Portugal.  John  IV  (d.  1655)  consecrated  his  king 
dom  to  Mary  Immaculate,  and  placed  his  royal  crown  at 
her  feet.  Thenceforth  the  Kings  of  Portugal  never  wore 
that  crown.  He  also  decreed  in  1645  that  no  student 
should  be  admitted  to  a  University  degree  without  an 
oath  to  defend  the  doctrine  (not  yet  defined  by  the  Church) 
of  the  Immaculate  Conception.  The  city  in  Portugal  that 
glories  the  most  in  having  been  consecrated  to  Mary  is 
Oporto.  (See  §  45.) 

(/)  Italy,  says  Bozius  (lib.  ix.  de  Signis  Ecclesiae)  belongs 
to  our  Lady  by  right,  having  been  delivered  by  her  from 
the  tyranny  of  the  Goths,  the  impiety  of  the  Arians,  and 
the  ravages  of  the  Saracens.  Siena  is  in  an  especial  way 
our  Lady's  city,  and  on  its  coinage  it  formerly  bore  the 
inscription '  "  Siena,  ancient  city  of  the  Virgin."  Italy 
possesses  glorious  sanctuaries  of  Mary,  the  chief  being 
St.  Mary  Major  (Rome),  Loretto,  Pompei  (Naples),  Bologna, 
Perugia.  (See  §  63.)  Poire  I.  438  seq. 

(g)  Belgium,  so  sadly  afflicted  by  war,  possesses  many 
remarkable  shrines  of  Mary,  the  more  important  being 
Hal  (near  Brussels),  Montaigu  (near  Louvain),  Oostacker 
(near  Ghent),  and  others.  Poire  I.  409  seq. 

(h)  Poland,  Germany.     (See  §§  43,  44.) 

Note.  A  Venetian,  who  visited  England  in  1500,  says 
of  the  English  :  "  Above  all,  their  riches  are  displayed 
in  the  Church  treasures — for  there  is  not  a  parish  church 
in  the  kingdom  so  mean  as  not  to  possess  crucifixes,  candle 
sticks,  censers,  patens,  and  chalices  of  silver  ;  nor  is  there 
a  convent  of  mendicant  Friars  so  poor  as  not  to  have  these 
same  articles  in  silver,  besides  many  other  ornaments 
worthy  of  a  Cathedral  church  in  the  same  metal.  Your 
Magnificence  may,  therefore,  imagine  what  the  decorations 
of  those  enormously  rich  Benedictine,  Carthusian,  and 
Cistercian  monasteries  must  be."  He  relates  also  that  a 
large  golden  shrine  blazing  with  precious  stones  was  shown 


136 


MARY  HONOURED 


to  him  in  London  (probably  in  St.  Paul's  or  Westminster 
Abbey).  "  I  never  saw  anywhere  carving  so  delicate  or 
elegant  as  in  that  church.  In  London  alone  there  are 
twenty  golden  shrines  adorned  with  precious  gems  ;  in 
the  whole  kingdom  as  many  as  eighty  such."  He  adds 
that  he  never  expects  to  find  elsewhere  such  churches 
and  monasteries  as  he  saw  in  England.  Nearly  every 
county  in  England  has  some  rich  shrine  or  monument  to 
our  Lady. 


SECTION   LII 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  POETS  AND  ARTISTS 

i.   pOETS. 

L        (a)  Ancient  Hymns  and  Poems  in  her  honour. 
Ethiopic     Hymn    to    our 

Lady  . 

St.  Ephrem's  Hymns  to  her 
Sedulius  (V  Cent.)  . 
Prudentius  (d.  410)' 
Arator  (VI  Cent.)    . 
St.  Venantius  Fortunatus 

(d.  609) 
An  Irish  Saint  of  the  VI 

Cent.  .         . 

(b)  Liturgical  Hymns  and  Sequences  adopted  by 
the  Church  in  her  services. 

Stabat  Mater,  by  Blessed  Jacopone  of  Todi,1  a  disciple 
of  St.  Francis  (d.  1306).  Sir  Walter  Scott  admired  it 
greatly  and  was  fond  of  repeating  it.  He  is  said  to  have 
died  muttering  one  of  its  stanzas. 

Salve  Regina,  by  Herman  the  Cripple,  a  monk  of  Reiche- 
nau  (d.  1054).  St.  Bernard  added  the  words,  "  O  clemens, 

1  By  others  its  authorship  is  ascribed  to  St.  Gregory  the  Great 
(d.  604),  or  to  Innocent  III  (d.  1216). 


See  Livius,  462  seq. 

„  402  seq. 

„  422  seq. 

„  449  seq. 

..  454 

„  456 

..:  459 


BY   POETS   AXD   ARTISTS  137 

0  pia,  O  dulcis  Virgo  Maria  "  in  the  cathedral  of  Spires. 
The  words  are  said  to  have  burst  from  his  lips  in  a  moment 
of  enthusiastic  religious  fervour. 

Ave  Maris  Stella,  by  St.  Venantius  Fortunatus.  See 
above. 

0  Gloriosa  Virginum,  by  the  same. 

Alma  Redemptoris  Mater,  by  Herman  the  Cripple. 

Are  Regina  coelorum :  author  unknown:  X  Cent., 
some  say  much  earlier. 

Regina  coeli  laetare :    author  unknown. 

(c)  Non -Liturgical. 

Omni  die,  known  as  St.  Casimir's  Hymn  (see  above, 
§  1 8),  but  said  to  have  been  written  by  St.  Bernard. 

A  collection  of  beautiful  Mediaeval  Hymns  and  Se 
quences  on  our  Lady  by  Richard  of  St.  Victor,  Rabanus 
Maurus  and  others.  See  Dreves,  Analecta  Hymnica. 

2.  English  Hymnologists.    Crashaw,  Caswall,  New 
man,   Faber,  Aubrey  de  Vere,   Francis  Thompson,   and 
many  others  have  written  beautiful  hymns  to  Mary.     See 
Or  by  Shipley's  Carmina  Mariana,  Series  I  and  2.    Thomp 
son's  verses  are  in  Series  2,  p.  439.     "  Hail,  Queen  of 
Heaven  "  we  owe  to  Dr.  Lingard. 

3.  Artists.     Mary,  the  ideal  of  created  beauty,  and  the 
perfect  copy  of  the  Uncreated  Beauty,  is  both  the  inspirer 
and  the  favourite  subject  of  Catholic  art.     Only  a  few 
of  the  great  Masters,  who  have  enriched  the  world  with 
glorious   representations    of   this    Master-piece    of    God's 
creation,  are  here  given. 

Cimabue  (d.  1302).  His  Madonna  and  Holy  Child, 
enthroned  and  surrounded  by  Angels  (preserved  in  the 
church  of  Santa  Maria  Novella,  Florence),  marks  a  tran 
sition  from  the  stiff  Byzantine  school  of  art.  It  created 
wild  enthusiasm  in  Florence  on  its  appearance. 

Giotto  (d.  1336),  who  covered  the  churches  of  San 
Francesco,  Assisi,  and  of  Santa  Croce,  Florence,  with 
wonderful  frescoes,  has  also  painted  beautiful  altar-pieces 
of  our  Lady  and  Child  for  churches  in  Florence  and  Bologna. 


138  MARY  HONOURED 

Fra  Angelico  (d.  1455),  the  prince  of  religious  painters, 
has  left  us  many  paintings  of  our  Lady  and  Child.  His 
"  Coronation  of  Our  Lady/'  "  Madonna  della  Stella  " 
and  others,  are  the  works  of  an  inspired  mind.  They 
are  as  near  a  glimpse  of  heaven  as  the  artistic  world  has 
produced.  It  is  said  that  this  artist  would  only  paint 
the  figure  of  Mary  on  bended  knees. 

Botticelli  (d.  1510)  has  some  charming  paintings  of 
our  Lady  and  Child  with  attendant  angels,  the  figures, 
grouping  and  colouring  being  marvellously  beautiful. 

Filippo  Lippi  (d.  1469)  and  Filippino  Lippi  (d.  1504) 
have  produced  paintings  of  our  Lady  adoring  the  Holy 
Child  that  fix  the  attention  of  the  beholder,  as  though 
he  were  gazing  at  a  vision. 

Perugino  (Pietro  Vanucci,  d.  1524),  the  master  of 
Raphael,  has  given  us  several  splendid  paintings  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin. 

Raphael  (d.  1520,  aged  thirty-eight)  produced  more 
than  thirty  times  the  figure  of  our  Lady,  with  an  expression 
always  new  and  nearly  always  admirable.  His  Madonna 
di  San  Sisto,  Madonna  del  Gran  Duca,  Madonna  di  Foligno, 
Madonna  della  Sedia  and  others  are  unsurpassed  for  ideal 
beauty  and  life-like  expression. 

Titian  (d.  1576).  His  "  Assumption  "  in  Venice  is  a  work 
of  surpassing  power  and  design  and  richness  of  colouring. 

Murillo  (d.  1682),  the  painter  of  the  Immaculate  Con 
ception,  has  left  us  perhaps  the  grandest  and  most  perfect 
artistic  figure  of  our  Lady  from  a  religious  point  of  view. 
One  can  imagine  nothing  more  lovely  than  his  Madonna 
in  the  Louvre. 

Carlo  Dolci  (d.  1686)  and  Sassoferrato  (d.  1689) 
have  left  us  some  exquisite  pictures  of  our  Lady  and  Child. 
The  latter's  painting  of  "  Our  Lady  of  the  Rosary"  in 
Santa  Sabina's  Church,  Rome,  is  of  unsurpassed  beauty. 

Michelangelo  (d.  1564),  whose  frescoes  in  the  Sis- 
tine  Chapel  are  the  wonder  of  the  world,  was  eminent 
both  as  a  painter,  sculptor,  and  architect.  In  St.  Peter's, 


BY  MUSICIANS  139 

Rome,  may  be  seen  his  Pieta,  a  marble  group  representing 
the  Blessed  Virgin  with  the  body  of  the  dead  Saviour  on 
her  knees.  The  critics  of  the  time  objected  to  the  youthful 
appearance  of  the  Mother,  but  he  defended  it  on  the  ground 
that  it  afforded  an  additional  proof  of  her  pure  and  spot 
less  character.  "  You  forget,"  he  said  to  one  stupid 
critic,  "  that  our  Lady  was  an  Immaculate  Virgin  ;  sin 
never  having  had  dominion  over  her,  the  beauty  of  her 
youth  could  never  fade."  Michelangelo  has  inscribed  his 
name  on  the  girdle  of  the  Virgin  :  it  is  said  to  be  the  only 
work  on  which  he  ever  did  so. 

On  the  beauty  of  our  Lady  Petitalot  writes  (p.  414)  : 
St.  Denis  the  Areopagite,  a  convert  of  St.  Paul's  from 
Paganism,  speaking  of  the  impression  that  the  sight  of 
our  Lady  had  made  upon  him,  says  :  "I  have  seen  the 
marvellous  image  of  the  Divinity ;  I  have  contemplated 
with  my  eyes  that  creature  who  formed  the  God-Man 
Himself :  Propriis  oculis  intuitus  sum  deiformam  ;  that 
holy  Mother  superior  to  all  the  angelic  spirits."  He  adds 
that  if  'he  had  not  been  a  Christian,  he  would  have  fallen 
down  and  worshipped  her  as  a  goddess.  Ibid.  425. 

Spanish,  Belgian,  and  German  artists,  see  §§  40,  42,  44. 


SECTION   LIII 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  MUSICIANS.    MARY'S  CHORISTERS 

OF  the  great  musicians  of  the  XVII  and  XVIII  Cents. 
Bach,  Handel,  Beethoven,  Mendelssohn  were 
Protestants ;  yet  Mendelssohn  has  written  a  really 
fine  "  Ave  Maria,"  and  so  has  Beethoven.  Palest rina 
(d.  1594)  was  a  good  Catholic  and  a  devout  client  of  Mary, 
and  there  are  some  devout  composers,  contemporaries 
of  his.  Rossini,  Cherubini,  Verdi,  and  others  can 
hardly  be  held  up  as  devoted  to  our  Lady ;  also  their 
compositions,  even  for  sacred  purposes,  are  operatic  and 


140  MARY  HONOURED 

lacking  in  reverence.  Mozart,  a  prince  in  the  realm  of 
music,  is  said  by  some  to  have  recited  the  Rosary  fre 
quently  ;  by  others  his  piety  is  questioned,  and  it  is  stated 
that  he  was  a  Freemason  for  a  time  at  least.  Haydn, 
notwithstanding  what  Mendelssohn  calls  his  "  scandalously 
gay  "  Church  music,  was  a  pious  Catholic  and  devout  to 
our  Lady.  So  real  was  his  joy  in  the  Faith  that  he  declared 
he  could  write  even  a  Kyrie  in  tripping  time.  Indeed  he 
has  done  something  very  like  it.  Gounod  was  entered 
for  the  priesthood.  He  did  not  persevere,  but  was  always 
a  good  Catholic  and  devout  to  our  Lady.  His  "  Ave 
Maria  "  is  full  of  religious  feeling,  and  all  his  Church  music 
is  certainly  reverential.  Byrd  and  others  of  the  old 
English  school  composed  anthems  in  honour  of  our  Lady, 
and  to  judge  by  their  works,  they  seem  to  have  really 
loved  her. 

In  the  Middle  Ages,  when  faith  was  more  lively  and 
devotion  more  tender,  our  Lady  and  her  praises  were 
constantly  the  subject  of  poetry  and  song ;  it  was  of  her 
that  sang  the  troubadours  of  Provence,  the  singers  of 
Guyenne,  the  minstrels  of  Brittany,  the  bards  of  Wales 
and  Germany,  the  Spanish  romancers,  and  the  gondoliers 
of  the  Adriatic. 

The  Mary  Mass  in  England  and  elsewhere  had  its 
music  of  quite  a  special  character.  Long  before  har 
monized  singing  was  in  use  at  the  high  altar  service,  or 
in  any  other  portion  of  the  Church's  liturgy,  it  was  employed 
for  the  Lady  Mass.  And  as  this  particular  music  required 
a  select  body  of  singers,  our  Lady  frequently  had  her  own 
special  choir  of  priests  and  boys.  In  Benedictine  churches, 
and  possibly  in  others,  these  boy-choristers  were  known 
as  Our  Lady's  Pages. 

In  his  Histoire  de  Notre  Dame  de  Montsenat  Dom  Louis 
Montegut  gives  a  long  list  of  renowned  men  who  had 
once  acted  as  our  Lady's  choristers.  One  of  these  was 
the  famous  Don  John  of  Cardona,  the  Admiral  of  Sicily, 
who  succoured  Malta  when  it  was  besieged  by  the  Turks, 


BY   CHILDREN  141 

and  who  chose  for  his  standard  Our  Lady  of  Montserrat. 
He  used  to  say  that  he  valued  more  the  honour  of  having 
been  a  Page  of  our  Lady  than  of  having  been  born  at 
Aragon,  and  of  having  acted  as  the  defender  of  Malta  in 
his  character  of  Admiral  of  Sicily.  Whenever  he  wrote 
to  the  Abbot  he  would  beg  to  be  recommended  to  the 
prayers  of  his  little  brothers  who  served  at  our  Lady's 
altar.  He  lived  to  be  Viceroy  of  Navarre,  and,  at  his 
own  desire,  was  buried  under  the  shadow  of  the  great 
Abbey-church,  in  which  he  had  served  as  a  singing  boy. 
Great  pains  were  taken  with  these  children,  not  only 
to  teach  them  Latin,  mathematics,  and  music,  but  also 
to  train  them  in  the  observance  of  good  manners,  and  to 
bring  them  up  piously  and  devoutly.  Not  only  were 
they  taught  to  sing,  but  also  to  play  the  organ  and  other 
instruments  of  music,  for  on  Sundays  and  feasts,  as  well 
as  on  Saturdays  (our  Lady's  weekly  festival),  they  joined 
instrumental  music  to  their  singing.  More  than  one  old 
writer  makes  mention  of  the  exquisite  Mary-music  pro 
duced  by  these  pages.  '  You  might  have  thought,"  says 
one,  "  that  you  were  listening  to  a  choir  of  angels  descended 
from  the  sky,  such  entrancing  melody  did  they  make 
with  their  youthful  voices  and  various  instruments,  filling 
the  hearts  of  the  worshippers  with  a  most  sweet  and 
heavenly  devotion."  Stella  Maris,  1911,  p.  54. 


SECTION  LIV 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  CHILDREN 

OUR  blessed  Lord  loved  children  with  a  special  love, 
and  would  come  into  this  world  as  a  Child.     "  For 
a  Chid  is  born  to  us,  a  Son  is  given  to  us."     Isaias  ix.  6. 
In  His  public  life,  when  the  mothers  brought  their  little 
ones  to  obtain  His  blessing,  and  the  Apostles  sought  to 


142  MARY  HONOURED 

drive  them  away,  our  Lord  was  displeased  at  this.  He 
invited  the  children  to  Him,  and  taking  them  in  His  arms 
caressed  them.  Mark  x.  16. 

Our  Lady  shares  with  her  Divine  Son  this  deep  attach 
ment  to  children  :  they  are  indeed  her  children,  given  to 
her  as  such  by  Jesus  on  the  cross,  and  she  cherishes  for 
them  a  love  far  surpassing  that  of  all  other  mothers  for 
their  children.  She  has  on  several  occasions  manifested 
this  love  by  appearing  to  them,  v.g.  : 

(1)  to  Bernardette  Soubirous  at  Lourdes  in  1858; 

(2)  to  Maximin  and  Melaine  at  La  Salette  in  1846  ; 

(3)  to  the  children  at  Pontmain  in  1871  ; 

(4)  to  the  young  college  boys  at  Quito  in  1906.     (See 

§  94); 

(5)  to  the  scholars  in  Rome  taught  by  St.  Joseph  Cala- 
sanctius  :    besides  other  cases. 

And  she  in  turn  has  been  and  is  tenderly  loved  by  the 
young ;  v.g.  : 

(1)  St.  Stanislaus  Kostka,  her  greatly  favoured  child) 
fell  into  an  ecstasy  before  her  image  in  St.  Mary  Major, 
Rome,  exclaiming,  "  She  is  my  Mother  !    The  Mother  of 
God  is  my  Mother  !  " 

(2)  St.  Aloysius  at  the  age  of  nine  consecrated  to  her 
by  vow  the  lily  of  his  purity  in  the  church  of  SSma  Annun- 
ziata,  Florence. 

(3)  St.  John  Berchmans,  when  a  young  boy,  made 
,a  pilgrimage  every  Saturday  from  Diest  to  her  sanctuary 
at  Montaigu,  near  Louvain.     On  his  deathbed  he  told  his 
brother  Scholastic  Nicholas  Ratkai,  that  he  had  intended 
to  write  a  book  on  "  Our  Lady,"  and  he  asked  Nicholas  to 
do  it  for  him. 

(4)  St.  Edmund  of  Canterbury,  when  a  boy  at  Oxford, 
made  a  vow  of  perpetual  purity  to  her,  and  put  a  ring 
on  the  finger  of  her  statue  to  mark  his  consecration  of 
himself  to  her. 

(5)  Blessed  Herman  Joseph,  when  a  child,  used  to 
spend  all  his  playtime   before  her   image  in   the  church 


BY  CHILDREN  143 

at  Cologne,  and  was  favoured  with  visions  of  her  and  the 
Divine  Child. 

(6)  Blessed  Gabriel  dell'  Addolorata  seemed  beside 
himself  at  times  with  intense  love  for  the  Madonna.  Father 
Bernard,  Passionist,  his  confidant,  said  :  "  Gabriel's  heart 
became  like  a  furnace  of  love  for  the  Queen  of  heaven  "  : 
he  seemed  as  if  he  could  no  longer  speak,  think,  nor  act, 
without  having  her  present  before  his  mind. 

Many  other  instances  might  be  given. 

Among  her  Sodalists,  while  yet  young  scholars,  were 
the  Saints  Francis  de  Sales,  Leonard  of  Port  Maurice, 
John  Baptist  de  Rossi,  Camillus  de  Lellis,  Peter  Fourier, 
Blessed  Gaspar  de  Bufalo,  and  others.  Thousands  upon 
thousands  of  Children  of  Mary  have  consecrated  their 
young  hearts  to  her.  Year  by  year,  when  May  comes 
round,  also  on  all  her  festivals,  children  load  her  altar 
with  flowers,  adorn  it  with  lights,  and  gather  round  it 
in  prayer,  chanting  loving  hymns  which,  learnt  in  child 
hood,  are  never  forgotten  in  after-life.  In  far-off  lands, 
Ceylon,  Madura,  China,  Japan,  and  others,  children  love 
to  gather  round  her  image  exposed  in  imitation  Lourdes 
grottoes,  and  to  walk  in  procession  chanting  her  Litany 
and  hymns. 

Childhood  and  youth  are  the  spring-time  of  life  :  children 
are  the  flowers  of  the  human  race  freshly  planted  on  this 
earth  by  the  hand  of  God  :  they  resemble  the  angels, 
whom  artists  delight  to  represent  as  children  : T  angelic 
souls  seem  to  look  through  their  eyes  :  they  are  God's 
work  unspoilt  by  the  world,  objects  of  the  Sacred  Heart's 
tenderest  complacency.  Devotion  to  our  Lady,  as  experi 
ence  shows,  is  a  most  efficacious  means  of  preserving 
children  innocent,  guileless,  simple,  unworldly,  and  devoted 
to  their  religion.  Also  in  bodily  dangers  remarkable 
stories  are  told  of  Mary's  protection  of  her  children.  In 
the  disastrous  Messina  earthquake,  January,  1909,  several 


1  Angels  appeared  to  St.  Teresa,  St.  Frances  of  Rome,  and  others 
under  the  form  of  children. 


i44  MARY  HONOURED 

instances  of  miraculous  escapes  were  reported.  Father  Nal- 
bone,  S.J.,  Provincial  of  Sicily,  in  a  letter  to  the  Father 
General  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  writing  of  the  destruction 
of  Messina  College  says  :  "  One  boy  jumped  to  the  ground 
from  the  third  storey  without  sustaining  any  injury : 
others  let  themselves  down  by  sheets  from  the  balconies  : 
others  again  account  for  their  escape  by  miracle.  '  See, 
Father/  said  a  small  boy  to  me,  '  how  much  our  Lady  loves 
me.  I  had  the  Sodality  medal  hanging  by  a  string  near 
my  pillow.  At  the  shock  of  the  earthquake  the  cord 
broke  and  the  medal  fell  on  my  neck.  Seizing  it  I  cried 
out :  O  Mary,  Immaculate  Mother,  save  me  !  and  presently 
I  found  myself  in  the  college  courtyard  safe  and  sound. 
See  how  our  Lady  loves  me.'  '  Letters  and  Notices, 
April,  1909,  p.  76. 

In  July,  1918,  thousands  of  English  children  offered 
up  Novenas  of  Holy  Communions  for  Marshal  Foch's 
success  in  the  great  European  War;  and  this  greatest 
warrior  of  modern  times  wrote  to  thank  them,  ascribing 
the  defeat  of  the  enemy  to  the  Divine  aid  obtained  for 
him  by  their  prayers  and  those  of  others.  The  Marshal 
lets  it  be  publicly  known  that  he  is  a  thorough  Catholic 
and  proud  of  his  religion.  His  devotion  to  our  Lady  is 
well  known. 


SECTION  LV 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  COMMANDERS  OF  ARMIES  AND 
NAVIES 

I.  ^V  VICTORY  of  Lepanto,  October  7,  1571.  In  the 
V  days  of  Pope  St.  Pius  V,  the  Moslems  were  threat 
ening  all  Christendom :  they  were  masters  of  the  Medi 
terranean,  of  Hungary  and  Greece,  and  threatened  to  fall 
upon  Italy,  after  subduing  Malta  and  Cyprus.  In  spite 
of  jealousies  between  the  Powers,  the  Pope  succeeded 


BY  COMMANDERS  145 

in  uniting  Spain  and  Venice  under  the  standard  of  the 
Cross.  Don  Juan  of  Austria,  the  natural  son  of  the 
Emperor  Charles  V,  was  appointed  Commander-in-chief 
of  the  combined  fleet.  The  Pope,  like  another  Moses, 
lifted  his  hands  to  heaven  in  prayer,  while  the  defenders 
of  Christendom  were  carrying  out  their  great  designs. 
On  the  very  day  when  the  confraternities  of  the  Rosary 
were  offering  solemn  supplication  at  the  Pope's  desire, 
and  the  Blessed  Sacrament  was  publicly  exposed  for 
adoration,  Don  Juan  gained  a  glorious  victory  over  the 
Turks,  the  news  being  communicated  to  the  Pope  miracu 
lously  on  the  day  itself,  October  7,  and  at  the  very  hour, 
5  p.m.  The  Cross  thus  triumphed  over  the  Crescent, 
and  Moslem  invasion  of  Europe  was  checked.  Don  Juan's 
victory  was  attributed  to  our  Lady's  intercession,  and  the 
Pope  instituted  an  annual  feast  of  "  St.  Mary  of  Victory." 

2.  Victory   of   Belgrade,    1456.     After   four   months' 
siege  by  the  Turks  and  a  terrific  assault,  the  exhausted 
garrison  were  on  the  point  of  surrendering,  when  a  holy 
Franciscan,  St.  John  de  Capistran,  presented  himself  to 
the  soldiers,  crucifix  in  hand,  and  called  aloud  upon  God 
and  the  Blessed  Virgin  to  come  to  the  protection  of  their 
own.     This  roused  the  courage  of  the  Christian  soldiers, 
who  flung  themselves  upon  the  Turks  with  irresistible 
force,    massacred   several   thousands   of   them   who   had 
already  penetrated  into  the  city,  and  put  the  rest  to  flight. 
This  extraordinary  victory,  coming  at  the  very  moment 
when  all  seemed  hopeless  and  lost,  was  attributed  to  the 
intercession  of  Mary. 

3.  Victory  of  Vienna,  1683.     John  Sobieski  (i.e.  John 
III,  King  of  Poland),  hearing  that  Vienna  was  besieged 
by  the  Turks,  hurried  to  its  rescue  with  18,000  Poles,  and 
was  joined  on  the  way  by  many  German  troops.     He 
succeeded  in  raising  the  siege,  defeating  an  army  of  100,000 
Turks,  25,000  of  whom  were  slain.     The  heroic  commander, 

I    immediately  after  the  victory,  prostrated  himself  before 
I    our  Lady's  altar,  attributing  the  success  to  her  and  her 


M.P.  L 


146  MARY  HONOURED 

Divine  Son's  protection.  He  joined  in  the  Te  Deum  that 
was  sung,  with  eyes  fixed  on  the  ground,  and  with  the 
most  lively  expressions  of  humility,  gratitude  and  devotion. 
See  A.  Butler,  Lives  of  Saints,  September  8,  note. 

He  had  previously  inflicted  great  defeats  on  the  Turks 
at  Bucracz  in  Galicia,  in  1669,  and  at  Choczin  in  1673, 
capturing  the  green  standard  of  Hussein  Pasha,  the  Turkish 
commander,  and  slaying  more  than  20,000  of  his  soldiers. 
The  standard  was  sent  to  the  Pope,  and  is  still  to  be  seen 
in  the  Lateran  Basilica. 

4.  Other  Victories.  Segneri  (Devout  Client,  124) 
speaks  of  several  signal  victories  obtained  through  the 
manifest  protection  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  v.g.  by  Heraclius 
over  the  Persians,  by  Narses  over  the  Goths,  by  Zemisces 
over  the  Bulgarians,  and  others. 

The  battle-cry  of  Blessed  Joan  of  Arc  was  "  Jesus, 
Maria  !  "  these  sacred  names  being  woven  on  her  white 
banner.  Pelayo,  with  a  handful  of  brave  men,  found 
the  strength  that  was  to  deliver  Spain  in  the  grotto  of 
Covadonga,  which  had  been  consecrated  to  the  Mother 
of  God.  Roland  tempered  his  sword  by  a  vow  to  Our 
Lady  of  Rocamadour,  and  uttered  his  war-cry  in  the 
valley  of  Roncesvalles.  Paris  being  besieged  by  the 
Normans,  the  people  carried  processionally  the  image 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  which  gave  them  victory.  Those 
fierce  Normans  became  the  liege-men  of  the  great  Queen. 
Rollo,  their  chief,  after  his  baptism  in  our  Lady's  church 
at  Rouen,  rebuilt  this  magnificent  edifice,  richly  endowed 
that  of  our  Lady  at  Evreux,  and  was  always  faithful  to 
our  Lady  St.  Mary.  His  adventurous  successors  founded 
sanctuaries  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  in  many  lands.  From 
distant  Apulia,  where  500,000  Saracens  had  retreated 
before  a  small  body  of  Normans,  Tancred  and  Robert 
Guiscard  sent  to  the  Bishop  of  Coutances  treasures  for 
that  beautiful  cathedral  of  St.  Mary,  which  drew  from 
Vauban  the  cry  of  admiration  :  "  How  sublime  must  be 
the  faith,  which  could  raise  this  marvel  of  architecture 


BY   SOLDIERS  147 

in  the  air  !  "  The  promoters  of  the  Crusade,  Urban  II 
and  Peter  the  Hermit,  used  a  white  cross,  the  sign  of  the 
Son  and  the  colour  of  the  Mother,  and  instituted  certain 
devotions  in  honour  of  Mary,  among  others  the  recital  of 
the  Angelus  by  the  armies  at  mid-day  ;  and  history  attests 
that,  while  the  Crusaders  were  faithful  to  these  practices, 
victory  was  not  wanting  to  their  arms.  Petitalot,  407. 
At  the  battle  of  Agincourt  (1415),  the  English  colours  are 
said  to  have  borne  the  image  of  Mary,  and  the  battle- 
cry  was  "  Our  Lady  and  St.  George  !  " 


SECTION   LVI 
MARY  HONOURED  BY    WARRIORS  AND  SOLDIERS 

MARSHAL  FOCH  (Ferdinand),  the  greatest 
military  commander  of  his  day,  to  whom  is  due 
the  defeat  of  the  Germans  in  the  awful  European  War  of 
1914  to  1918,  is  a  model  Catholic  and  a  devout  client  of 
Mary.  The  struggle  against  the  enemy  seemed  hopeless  till 
he  took  supreme  command,  when  at  once  the  whole  aspect 
of  the  war  changed,  and  the  Germans  were  driven  out  of 
France  and  Belgium,  utterly  routed  and  defeated.  This 
gigantic  task  proved  the  Marshal  to  be  a  leader  of  con- 
sumate  ability.  He  attributed  his  success  mainly  to 
prayer.  Thousands  of  English  children  had  offered  Holy 
Communions  for  him,  and  dense  crowds  of  his  own  coun 
trymen  had  flocked  to  Our  Lady  of  Victories  in  Paris 
praying  for  his  success.1 

The  late  Major  William  Redmond  (killed  in  action, 
June,  1917),  in  his  work  Trench  Pictures  from  France, 
p.  106  seq.,  speaks  as  follows  of  the  devotion  of  the  Catholic 

1  It  is  remarkable  that  the  Catholic  officers,  Marshals  Foch,  Pe- 
tain,  Generals  Castlenau,  Gouraud  and  others,  who  before  the  war 
had  been  put  aside  with  no  prospect  of  promotion  by  the  irreligious 
French  Government,  proved  themselves  to  be  the  greatest  of 
France's  military  commanders. 


tig  MARY  HONOURED 

soldiers  :  "  At  a  certain  point  at  the  front  there  is  a  village 
where  the  troops  come  from  time  to  time  to  rest,  and  the 
church  there  is  crowded  each  evening  with  soldiers.  .  .  . 
It  is  a  strange  sight  in  this  church  at  night.  Entering  it, 
all  is  dark  save  for  the  few  flickering  candles  on  the  altar 
of  Our  Lady  of  Dolours  before  which  the  priest  kneels 
to  say  the  Rosary.  It  is  only  when  the  men  join  in, 
that  one  becomes  aware  that  the  church  is  really  full ; 
and  it  is  solemn  and  appealing — beyond  words  to  describe 
— when  up  from  the  darkness  rises  the  great  chorus  of 
hundreds  of  voices  in  prayer.  The  darkness  seems  to 
add  impressiveness  to  the  prayers,  whilst  from  the  outside 
are  heard  the  rumble  and  roar  of  the  guns  which,  not  so 
very  far  away,  are  dealing  out  death  and  agony  to  the 
comrades  of  the  men  who  are  praying.  .  .  . 

p.  109  :  "  The  day  and  night  before  a  battalion  goes 
to  the  trenches,  the  army  chaplains  are  busy  in  the  churches, 
for  the  men  throng  to  confession  ;  and  it  is  a  wonderful 
and  most  faith-inspiring  sight  to  see  them  in  hundreds 
approaching  the  altar  before  marching  off  to  danger, 
and  in  many  cases  to  death  itself. 

"  When  the  turn  in  the  trenches  is  over,  and  the  men 
resume  their  Rosary  in  the  darkened  church  in  the  even 
ings,  there  are  always  some  absent  ones  who  were  there 
the  week  before.  For  this  very  reason  perhaps — because 
of  the  comrades  who  will  never  kneel  by  their  side  again, 
the  men  pray  all  the  more  fervently,  and  with  ever  increas 
ing  earnestness  say, '  May  the  souls  of  the  Faithful  departed 
through  the  mercy  of  God  rest  in  peace  !  '  .  .  . 

p.  112  :  "  The  writer  has  seen  men  who  were  killed  in 
the  line.  Their  little  personal  belongings  are  carefully 
collected  by  comrades  and  safely  kept  to  be  sent  home ; 
but  the  Rosary,  when  found  in  the  pocket,  is  often, 
usually  indeed,  reverently  placed  round  the  dead  man's 
neck  before  he  is  wrapped  in  his  blanket  for  burial.  '  I 
put  his  beads  about  his  neck,  sir/  is  the  report  *of ten  given 
by  the  stretcher-bearer  to  the  chaplain  or  other  officer, 


Bl'   SOLDIERS  149 

as  a  man  is  given  to  the  grave.  How  many  Catholic 
soldiers  lie  in  their  lonely  graves  to-day  in  the  war-zone 
with  their  beads  about  their  necks  !  How  very,  very 
many  !  And  so,  indeed,  one  feels  sure,  would  they  wish 
to  be  buried." 

The  Tablet  of  November  23,  1918,  p.  574,  quotes  from 
an  American  paper  the  following  interesting  "  War  Item  "  : 
— "  Rosaries  carried  to  Battle.  The  men  (American 
soldiers)  of  Comp.  II  were  good  Catholics,  most  of  them. 
No  one  knows  where  they  got  the  idea,  or  who  first  sug 
gested  it,  but  had  you  been  watching  at  dawn  on  the 
morning  of  October  28  you  would  have  found  that,  when 
they  went  over  the  top,  each  one  of  them  wore  something 
that  was  no  part  of  issue  regulations  looped  around  the 
left  shoulder  strap  of  his  blouse.  It  was  a  Rosary." 

The  brave  Vendeans,  led  by  Charette  and  others 
(1790),  fighting  in  defence  of  their  homes  and  country, 
marched  to  battle  each  soldier  having  a  badge  of  the 
Sacred  Heart  on  his  breast  and  the  beads  round  his  neck. 

Andrew  Hofer  (d.  1810),  the  Tyro lese  patriot,  recited 
the  Rosary  with  his  brave  followers  as  they  marched 
through  the  mountain  passes  and  over  the  hills  of  their 
native  land. 

Marshal  Bugeaud,  Duke  of  Isly  (d.  1850),  after 
his  conversion  was  an  exemplary  Catholic,  and  openly 
recited  his  Rosary  in  sight  of  the  troops  in  Algeria,  as  they 
were  resting  round  the  bivouac  fires. 

Simon  de  Montfort  (d.  1218),  leader  of  the  crusade 
against  the  Albigensian  heretics,  having  learnt  from  St. 
Dominic  the  devotion  of  the  Rosary,  found  in  it  a  more 
powerful  weapon  than  the  sword  against  the  enemy. 

Anne  de  Mcntmorency  (d.  1567),  Marshal  and  Con 
stable  of  France,  is  said  to  have  recited  the  Rosary  while 
marching  against  the  Calvinists.  Coube,  25. 

General  Lamoriciere  (d.  1865),  leader  of  the  Ponti 
fical  troops  against  the  Piedmontese,  who  were  invading 
and  sacrilegiously  usurping  the  Patrimony  of  St.  Peter, 


1 5o  MARY  HONOURED 

was  a  fervent  Catholic  and  known  to  be  devout  to  our 
Lady. 


SECTION   LVII 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  DISCOVERERS 

ON  August  3,  1492,  Columbus  set  sail  on  his  perilous 
voyage  on  board  a  vessel,  which  he  had  had  con 
secrated  a  few  days  previously  to  our  Lady,  changing  its 
name  from  "  La  Gallega  "  to  "  Santa  Maria."  He  had 
need  of  our  Lady's  help,  for  trouble  followed  upon  trouble, 
still  the  vessel  held  on  its  course.  When,  however,  it 
became  known  that  the  compass  proved  to  be  no  longer 
true  to  its  star,  that  the  constellations  had  changed,  and 
that  a  meteor  had  been  seen  in  the  heavens,  the  men's 
hearts  sank  within  them,  and  they  clamoured  to  return. 
But  Columbus  was  unbending  and  undaunted  :  the  con 
stellations  might  change,  his  trust  was  not  in  them.  He 
confided  in  Mary,  Star  of  the  Sea,  whose  loving  guidance 
and  protection  never  change.  From  the  beginning  of  the 
voyage  ne  had  ordered  that  the  "  Ave  Maris  Stella  "  should 
be  sung  daily  to  seek  our  Lady's  protection.  One  of  his 
biographers  says  :  "  Every  evening  the  '  Ave  Maris  Stella  ' 
sanctified  those  watery  solitudes,  where  never  from  crea 
tion's  dawn  the  voice  of  man  had  sounded  until  then." 
The  Star  of  the  Sea  heard  their  prayers,  and  on  October 
12  land  was  sighted.  In  gratitude  to  Mary,  Columbus 
named  the  archipelago  east  of  Cuba  "  Our  Lady's  Sea," 
and  called  the  largest  island  "  Holy  Mary  of  the  Immacu 
late  Conception."  Saturdays  with  Mary,  24. 

Samuel  de  Champlain,  founder  of  Quebec,  governor 
of  Canada,  and  father  of  New  France  (d.  1635),  was  a 
most  fervent  Catholic  and  devoted  client  of  Mary,  whose 
name  he  gave  to  many  of  the  places  he  discovered.  (See 

§38.) 

Father  James  Marquette,  S.J.  (d.  1675),  the  discoverer 


BY   GUILDS  151 

of  the  sources  of  the  Missouri,  gave  to  the  river  the  name 
of  "  Immaculate."  His  monument  has  been  placed  in 
the  Capitol,  Washington.  (See  §  37.) 


SECTION   LVIII 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  TRADE  AND  OTHER  GUILDS 

ON  May  I,  1449,  the  goldsmiths  of  Paris  began  to  make 
an  annual  present  to  the  cathedral  of  Notre  Dame. 
In  England  Trade  Guilds  and  other  Guilds  in  great  number 
were  established  in  pre-Reformation  days,  no  fewer  than 
155  being  dedicated  to  our  Lady.  Their  object  was  two 
fold,  Piety  and  Charity. 

The  modern  Livery  Companies  of  London  (Drapers, 
Leather-sellers,  Skinners,  and  others)  were  founded  from 
religious  motives,  and  dedicated  to  the  Blessed  Virgin. 
One  of  the  many  works  of  charity  which  sprang  from  these 
institutions  was  Bedlam,  or  Bethlehem  Hospital,  estab 
lished  by  the  Drapers'  Company  in  the  reign  of  Edward 
III,  and  dedicated  to  "  the  honour  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  His  sweet  Mother,  Saint  Mary,  Our  Lady  of 
Bethlehem." 

Waterton  (p.  97)  says  "  that  909  Guilds  existed  in  Norfolk 
(i.e.  Norfolkshire)  alone,  and  of  these  177  were  Guilds  of 
our  Lady."  (a)  Some  Guilds  were  founded  solely  for 
religious  purposes,  such  as  the  Salve  Guild  in  the  church 
of  St.  Magnus,  near  London  Bridge,  the  members  of  which 
assembled  together  every  evening  to  sing  the  "  Salve 
Regina."  Stow  particularly  mentions  that  most  of  the 
churches  had  their  Salve  Guilds,  and  legacies  of  candles 
were  often  left  to  burn  before  the  image  of  Mary  whilst 
the  "  Salve  "  was  being  sung.  A  very  noted  chapel 
dedicated  to  St.  Thomas  of  Canterbury  stood  on  old  Lon 
don  Bridge,  and  attached  to  this  chapel  was  one  of  the 
most  famous  of  the  Salve  Guilds.  From  the  Tower  Records 


1 52  MARY  HONOURED 

we  learn  that  certain  pious  members  of  this  Guild,  together 
with  "  others  of  the  better  (class)  of  the  parish  of  St. 
Magnus  near  London  Bridge  (out)  of  their  great  devotion, 
and  to  the  honour  of  God  and  His  glorious  Mother,  our 
Lady  Mary  the  Virgin,  began  and  caused  to  be  made  a 
chantry,  (there)  to  sing  an  anthem  of  our  Lady  called 
Salve  Regina  every  evening.  And  thereupon  (they) 
ordained  five  burning  wax  lights  at  the  time  of  the  said 
anthem,  in  honour  of  the  five  principal  joys  of  our  Lady 
aforesaid,  and  for  exciting  the  people  to  devotion  at  such 
an  hour,  the  more  to  merit  to  their  souls."  Nesbitt, 
Our  Lady  in  the  Church,  14.  Wax  candles  were  then 
very  costly.  (See  p.  200,  note.) 

(6)  The  Guild  called  the  "  Little  Fraternity  of  our 
Lady  "  in  St.  Stephen's  church,  Coleman  Street,  had  for 
object  to  provide  candles  to  burn  before  our  Lady's  image. 
(c)  At  Bodmin  there  was  a  Guild  of  Our  Lady  of  Walsing- 
ham.  (d)  At  Carbrooke  Magna  the  Guild  of  our  Lady 
had  its  chapel  and  maintained  a  priest  to  serve  it.  (e) 
At  Caston  the  Guild  of  our  Lady  kept  a  light  constantly 
burning  before  her  image.  (/)  In  St.  Paul's,  London, 
the  Guild  of  the  Annunciation  had  its  special  altar,  (g) 
The  Drapers'  Company  maintained  its  Lady-light  in  St. 
Mary  Woolchurch.  (h)  Sir  Simon  Eyre,  a  famous  mer 
chant,  and  Mayor  of  London  in  1445,  made  a  rich  endow 
ment  to  our  Lady's  Guild  in  the  church  of  St.  Mary,  Wool- 
noth.  (i)  The  Guild  of  Our  Lady  of  Lynn  was  founded 
in  1329.  (/)  In  the  church  of  St.  Andrew,  Norwich,  there 
was  a  Guild  of  Our  Lady  of  Grace,  (k)  At  Oxford  the 
Guild  of  the  Cordwainers  built  a  Lady  Chapel  in  All  Hallows 
Church.  For  others,  see  Waterton,  Ibid. 

Sir  Richard  Whittington  and  the  Mercers'  Company. 
Sir  Richard,  known  to  us  in  our  boyhood  days  as  the 
poor  lad,  who  leaving  London  penniless,  "  turned  again," 
and  by  a  stroke  of  luck  amassed  a  great  fortune,  was 
thrice  Lord  Mayor  of  London,  and,  moreover,  a  devout 
Catholic  and  fervent  client  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  In 


BY   NON-CATHOLICS  153 

the  year  1419  he  founded  a  Home  (then  called  a  "  God's 
House  ")  for  thirteen  poor  men,  one  of  whom  was  to  be 
the  tutor  or  head.  In  the  MS.  Constitutions,  which  are 
in  the  archives  of  the  Mercers'  Company,  it  is  laid  down 
that  "  every  tutor  and  poor  folk,  every  day  when  first 
they  rise  from  their  beds,  kneeling  shall  say  a  '  Pater 
Noster  '  and  an  '  Ave  Maria,'  with  special  and  hearty 
recommendation — making  mention  of  the  aforesaid  Richard 
Whittington,  and  Alice  (his  wife),  to  God  and  our  blessed 
Lady,  Maiden  Mary."  They  were  also  to  say  the  Rosary 
for  the  same,  and  in  the  evening  the  "  De  Profundis  " 
with  other  prayers. 


SECTION  LIX 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  NON-CATHOLIC  WRITERS 

I.    T)ROSE  Writers. 

JL  Lecky  (Rationalism  in  Europe,  c.  iii.  234)  : 
"  The  world  is  governed  by  ideals,  and  seldom  or  never 
has  there  been  one  which  has  exercised  a  more  salutary 
influence  than  the  mediaeval  conception  of  the  Virgin." 
Again  (in  History  of  European  Morals,  vol.  ii.  389)  :  "  There 
is,  I  think,  little  doubt  that  the  Catholic  reverence  for  the 
Virgin  has  done  much  to  elevate  and  purify  the  ideal 
woman,  and  to  soften  the  manners  of  men." 

Ruskin  (Fors  Clavigera,  letter  41)  pays  the  following 
tribute  to  the  influence  of  the  devotion  to  the  Mother  of 
God  :  "Of  the  sentiments  which  in  all  ages  have  distin 
guished  the  gentleman  from  the  churl,  the  first  is  that  of 
reverence  for  womanhood,  which,  even  through  all  the 
cruelties  of  the  Middle  Ages,  developed  itself  with  increas 
ing  power  until  the  thirteenth  century,  and  became  con 
summated  in  the  imagination  of  the  Madonna,  which 
reigned  over  all  the  highest  arts  and  purest  thoughts  of 
that  age.  I  am  persuaded  that  the  worship  *  of  the 
1  Inferior  worship. 


154  MARY  HONOURED 

Madonna  has  been  one  of  the  noblest  and  most  vital 
graces,  and  has  never  been  otherwise  than  productive  of 
true  holiness  of  life  and  purity  of  character.  There 
has  probably  not  been  an  innocent  cottage  home  through 
out  the  length  and  breadth  of  Europe  during  the  whole 
period  of  vital  Christianity,  in  which  the  imagined  presence 
of  the  Madonna  has  not  given  sanctity  to  the  humblest 
duties,  and  comfort  to  the  sorest  trials  of  the  lives  of 
women  ;  and  every  brightest  and  loftiest  achievement 
of  the  arts  and  strength  of  manhood  has  been  the  fulfil 
ment  of  the  prophecy  of  the  Israelite  maiden,  '  He  that 
is  mighty  hath  magnified  me  and  holy  is  His  Name/  ' 

Nathaniel  Hawthorne  (The  Blithedale  Romance)  says  : 
"  1  have  always  envied  the  Catholics  in  that  sweet,  sacred 
Virgin  Mother  who  stands  between  them  and  the  Deity  ; 
intercepting  somewhat  of  His  awful  splendour,  but  per 
mitting  His  love  to  stream  upon  the  worshipper  more 
intelligibly  to  human  comprehension  through  the  medium 
of  a  woman's  tenderness." 

Charles  Kingsley.  "  Our  hearts  and  reasons  tell  us, 
and  have  told  all  Christians  in  all  ages,  that  the 
Blessed  Virgin  must  have  been  holier,  nobler,  fairer  in 
body  and  soul  than  all  women  upon  earth." 

Robert  Buchanan.  "  The  worship  of  the  Virgin  is 
to  my  mind — the  mind  of  an  unbeliever — full  of  holiness 
and  beauty.  We  owe  to  it  a  great  deal  that  is  ennobling 
in  life,  in  art,  in  literature.  I  myself  see  in  the  Virgin 
the  exquisite  incarnation  of  Divine  Motherhood,  well 
worthy  of  the  reverence  of  any  man,  whatever  his  theo 
logical  belief  may  be." 

II.  Non -Catholic  Poets. 

Wordsworth  has  the  following  lines  on  Mary's  sin- 
lessness  : 

"  Mother  !  whose  virgin  bosom  was  uncrossed 
With  the  least  shade  of  thought  to  sin  allied  ; 
Woman  !  above  all  women  glorified — 
Our  tainted  nature's  solitary  boast. 


BY   NON-CATHOLICS  155 

Purer  than  foam  on  central  ocean  tossed, 
Brighter  than  eastern  skies  at  daybreak  strewn 
With  fancied  roses,  than  the  unblemished  moon 
Before  her  wane  begins  on  heaven's  blue  coast, 
Thy  image  falls  to  earth.     Yet  some,  I  ween, 
Not  unforgiven,  the  suppliant  knee  might  bend 
As  to  a  visible  power,  in  which  did  blend 
All  that  was  wise  and  reconciled  in  thee 
Of  mother's  love  with  maiden  purity, 
Of  high  with  low,  celestial  with  terrene." 

— Eccles.  Sonnets. 

Lord  Byron — the  poet  of  tumultuous  passions — wrote  of 
our  Lady  these  touching  lines  in  1820  : 

"  Ave  Maria  !  'tis  the  hour  of  prayer  : 
Ave  Maria  !  'tis  the  hour  of  love  : 
Ave  Maria  !  may  my  spirit  dare 
Look  up  to  thine  and  to  thy  Son's  above  ? 
Ave  Maria  !  oh,  that  face  so  fair, 
Those  downcast  eyes  beneath  the  Almighty  Dove." 

Longfellow  speaks  of  the  Virgin  Mother  as  captivating 
the  hearts  of  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men  : 

"  Virgin  and  Mother  of  our  dear  Redeemer  ! 
All  hearts  are  touched  and  softened  at  her  name  ; 
Alike  the  bandit  with  the  bloody  hand, 
The  priest,  the  prince,  the  scholar  and  the  peasant, 
The  man  of  deeds,  the  visionary  dreamer, 
Pay  homage  to  her  as  one  ever  present  ! 

"  And  if  our  faith  had  given  us  nothing  more 
Than  this  example  of  all  womanhood, 
So  mild,  so  merciful,  so  strong,  so  good, 
So  patient,  peaceful,  loyal,  loving,  pure — 
This  were  enough  to  prove  it  higher  and  truer 
Than  all  the  creeds  the  world  has  known  before." 

— The  Golden  Legend. 

Edgar  Allan  Poe  in  the  following  lines  speaks  to 
our  Lady  with  all  the  charm  and  simplicity  of  a  child  at 
prayer  : 


156  MARY  HONOURED 

"  At  morn,  at  noon,  at  twilight  dim, 
Maria,  thou  hast  heard  my  hymn  : 
In  joy  and  woe,  in  good  and  ill, 
Mother  of  God,  be  with  me  still. 
When  the  hours  flew  brightly  by, 
And  not  a  cloud  obscured  the  sky, 
My  soul,  lest  it  should  truant  be, 
Thy  grace  did  guide  to  thine  and  thee— • 
Now  when  the  storm  of  fate  o'ercast 
Darkly  my  present  and  my  past, 
Let  my  future  radiant  shine 
With  sweet  hopes  of  thee  and  thine." 

Shelley.     We  may  apply  the  following  passage  to  the 
Mother  of  the  Redeemer  : 

"  Seraph  of  Heaven  !  too  gentle  to  be  human, 
Veiling  beneath  that  radiant  form  of  Woman 
All  that  is  insupportable  in  thee 
Of  light,  and  lova,  and  immortality  ! 
Sweet  Benediction  in  the  eternal  Curse  ! 
Veiled  Glory  of  this  lampless  Universe  ! 
Thou  Moon  beyond  the  clouds  !     Thou  living  Form 
Among  the  Dead  !     Thou  Star  above  the  Storm  ! 
Thou  Wonder,  and  thou   Beauty,  and  thou  Terror  ! 
Thou  Harmony  of  Nature's  art  !      Thou  Mirror 
In  whom,  as  in  the  splendour  of  the  Sun, 
All  shapes  look  glorious  which  thou  gazest  on  !  " 

• — Epipsychidion. 


SECTION  LX 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  NON-CATHOLICS  (cont.) 

SIR     WALTER    SCOTT,  who  had  not  a  few  anti- 
Catholic  prejudices,    often    introduced   our  Lady's 
name   in  his  poems.1 

1  Lockhart  (Life  of  Sir  W .  Scott,  33)  quotes  the  following  words 
of  Sir  Walter:  "I  would,  if  called  upon,  die  a  martyr  for  the 
Christian  religion,  so  completely  is  (in  my  poor  opinion)  its  divine 
origin  proved  by  its  beneficial  effect  on  the  state  of  Society.  Were 
we  but  to  name  the  abolition  of  slavery  and  polygamy,  how  much 


BY  NON-CATHOLICS  157 

"  Ave  Maria  !     Maiden  mild — 
Listen  to  a  maiden's  prayer  ; 
Thou  canst  hear  though  from  the  wild, 
Thou  canst  save  amid  despair. 
Safe  may  we  sleep  beneath  thy  care, 
Though  banished,  outcast,  and  reviled — 

Ave  Maria  !  stainless  styled — 
Foul  demons  of  the  earth  and  air, 
From  this  their  wonted  haunt  exiled, 
Shall  flee  before  thy  presence  fair. 
We  bow  us  to  our  lot  of  care, 
Beneath  thy  guidance  reconciled — 
Hear  for  a  maid  a  maiden's  prayer  : 
And  for  a  father  hear  a  child." 

— Lady  of  the  Lake,  Canto  III. 

Robert  Southey,  in  his  beautiful  Tale  of  Paraguay, 
has  the  following  lines  : 

"  They  served  a  Maid  more  beautiful  than  tongue 
Could  tell  or  heart  conceive.     Of  human  race, 
All  heavenly  as  that  Virgin  was,  she  sprung  ; 
But,  for  her  beauty  and  celestial  grace, 
Being  one  in  whose  pure  elements  no  trace 
Had  e'er  inhered  of  sin,  or  mortal  stain, 
The  highest  heaven  was  now  her  dwelling-place  ; 
There  as  a  Queen  divine  she  held  her  reign, 
And  there  in  endless  joy  for  ever  would  remain. 
Her  feet  upon  the  crescent  moon  were  set ; 
And  moving  in  their  order  round  her  head, 
The  stars  compose  her  sparkling  coronet. 
There  at  her  breast  the  Virgin  Mother  fed 
A  Babe  Divine,  who  was  to  judge  the  dead — 
Such  power  the  Spirit  gave  this  awful  child. 
Severe  he  was,  and  in  his  anger  dread  ; 
Yet  always  at  his  Mother's  will  grew  mild, 
So  well  did  he  obey  that  Maiden  undefiled." 

Keble  in  The  Christian  Year  thus  addresses  our  Lady  : 

has  iii  those  two  words  been  granted  to  mankind  in  the  lessons  of 
Our  Saviour."     Jan.  10,  1828. 

He  was  fond  of  reading  and  reciting  the  hymns  of  the  Roman 
Liturgy,  and  his  last  prayer  was  his  favourite  hymn,  Stabat  Plater 
dolorosa. 


158  MARY  HONOURED 

"  Ave  Maria  !  blessed  Maid  ! 
Lily  of  Eden's  fragrant  shade, 
Who  can  express  the  love 
That  nurtur'd  thee  so  pure  and  sweet, 
Making  thy  heart  a  shelter  meet 
For  Jesus'  holy  Dove  ? 

Ave  Maria  !     Mother  blest, 

To  whom  caressing  and  caress'd, 

Clings  the  Eternal  Child  : 
Favour'd  beyond  Archangels'  dream, 
When  first  on  thee  with  tenderest  gleam 

Thy  new-born  Saviour  smil'd. 

"  Ave  Maria  !  thou  whose  name 
All  but  adoring  love  may  claim, 

Yet  may  we  reach  thy  shrine. ; 
For  He,  thy  Son  and  Saviour,  vows 
To  crown  all  lowly  lofty  brows 

With  love  and  joy  like  thine." 

— The  Annuntiation. 

Thomas  Osborne  Davis,  the  Irish  Patriot,  a  Protes 
tant,  is  the  author  of  this  pilgrim  hymn  : 

"  Fading,  still  fading,  the  last  beam  is  shining  ; 
Ave  Maria,  day  is  declining  ; 
Safety  and  innocence  fly  with  the  light, 
Temptation  and  danger  walk  forth  with  the  night  ; 
From  the  fall  of  the  shade  till  the  matin  shall  chime, 
Shield  us  from  danger  and  save  us  from  crime  : 
Ave,  Maria  ;  audi  nos. 

"  Ave,  Maria,  oh,  hear  when  we  call, 
Mother  of  Him  who  is  Saviour  to  all ; 
Feeble  and  failing,  we  trust  in  thy  might, 
In  doubting  and  darkness  thy  love  be  our  light  ; 
Let  us  sleep  on  thy  breast,  while  the  night-taper  burns  ; 
And  wake  in  thine  arms,  when  morning  returns  : 

Ave,  Maria  ;   audi  nos." 
(Written  about  1843.) 

Kipling  in  his   "  Hymn  before    Action/'   writes    the 
following  touching  words  : 


Oh,  Mary,  pierced  with  sorrow, 
Remember,  reach  and  save 


BY  NON-CATHOLICS  159 

The  soul  that  goes  to-morrow 
Before  the  God  that  gave  ! 
As  each  was  born  of  woman, 
For  each  in  utter  need, 
True  comrade  and  brave  foeman, 
Madonna  intercede  !  " 

The  following  beautiful  lines  are  taken  from  Coleridge's 
Sibylline  Leaves.  They  were  copied,  the  poet  tells  us, 
from  a  print  of  the  Virgin  in  a  Catholic  village  in  Germany. 

The  Virgin's  Cradle  Hymn. 

Dormi,  Jesu  !  Mater  ridet  Sleep,    sweet    Babe  !    my    cares 

Quse     tarn      dulcem      somnum  beguiling; 

.  Mother  sits  beside  Thee  smiling  ; 

Sleep,  my  darling,  tenderly  ! 
Dormi  Jesu !  blandule ;  If     Thou     sleep     not     Mother 

Si  non  dormis,  Mater  plorat,  mourneth, 

Inter  fila  cantans  orat,  Singing     as     Her     wheel     she 

Blande,  veni,  somnule.  turneth  ; 

Come,  soft  slumbers,  balmily. 

A  Protestant  Tribute  to  Mary. 

At  a  celebration  of  "  Mother's  Day,"  Sunday,  May  9, 
1915,  Rev.  W.  H.  Clagett,  a  Protestant  minister  of  St. 
Louis  and  former  President  of  the  University  of  Texas, 
paid  a  beautiful  tribute  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary, 
Mother  of  God. 

"  Mother,  for  whom  words  never  have  been,  never  can  be  coined, 
with  which  to  weave  the  wreath  of  glory  that  we  would  place  upon 
thy  brow — mother,  by  whom  God  became  man,  by  whom  the 
human  race  has  thus  been  linked  for  ever  to  the  throne  of  God — • 
mother,  the  light  of  whose  eyes  was  the  first  light  that  shone  upon 
the  Babe  of  Bethlehem — mother,  whose  face  was  the  first  face 
into  which  the  Infant  Jesus  ever  looked- — mother,  who,  alone  of 
all  God's  servants,  angels,  archangels,  seraphim  and  cherubim, 
cradled  Deity  in  thine  arms  and  laid  Him  on  thy  bosom  and  held 
Him  to  thy  breast — mother,  who  taught  the  feet  of  the  Infant 
Son  of  God  to  walk — mother,  the  first  word  that  the  lips  of  the 
Babe,  that  was  God  and  Man,  learned  to  lisp- — mother,  who  guided 
the  footsteps  of  the  Son  of  God  and  the  Son  of  man  through  a 


i6o  MARY   HONOURED 

spotless  youth  to  a  spotless  manhood — mother,  who  followed  the 
Son  of  God,  thy  Son,  bone  of  thy  bone  and  flesh  of  thy  flesh,  to 
the  cross  to  ignominious  death — mother,  the  first  of  all  the  earth 
to  give  to  the  Saviour  Jesus  loving  ministry  as  He  nestled  on  thy 
bosom — mother,  the  last  of  all  the  earth  in  the  thought  of  the 
Saviour,  Son  of  God  and  Son  of  Mary,  as  He  hung  upon  the  cross 
and  died — mother,  through  whom  heaven  itself  was  for  ever  changed, 
when  the  Son  of  Mary  and  Son  of  God  ascended  from  the  cross 
and  took  His  seat  for  ever  upon  the  throne  of  God — mother,  who 
to  this  sin-darkened  world  gave  the  Infant  Jesus,  God  and  Man, 
who  to  heaven  gave  the  Lamb  of  God,  Man  and  God,  who  is  the 
light  of  heaven — mother,  standing  not  beneath  the  shadow  of  the 
cross,  but  beneath  the  glory  of  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb, 
that  throne  now  resplendent  with  the  glory  with  which  thy  Son 
has  enshrouded  it,  one  and  all  we  rise  up  and  call  thee  blessed  and 
place  upon  thy  brow  our  richest  diadem.  We  crown  thee  queen 
of  our  hearts — we  give  thee  the  first  place  in  all  of  God's  creation." 

Homage  more  beautiful  could  not  come  from  the  lips 
of  a  devout  Catholic.  It  furnishes  another  proof  of  the 
universal  appeal  made  by  the  purity  and  sanctity  of  Mary 
and  by  the  sacredness  of  her  divine  maternity  to  the 
upright  and  the  clean  of  heart. 


SECTION  LXI 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  BUILDERS  OF  CHURCHES 

FOR  a  list  of  the  more  important  churches  dedicated  to 
our  Lady's  honour  in  every  land,  see  Father  Guppen- 
berg's  Atlas  Marianus.  A  few  only  are  mentioned  here. 

i.  In  Palestine  and  Eastern  Europe.  St.  Helena, 
mother  of  Constantine,  a  saint  whose  praises  have  been 
proclaimed  by  St.  Ambrose,  Eusebius,  Theodoret,  Nice- 
phorus,  and  others,  built  three  churches  dedicated  to  our 
Lady  in  Palestine — one  at  Bethlehem,  a  second  in  the 
valley  of  Jehosaphat  over  her  tomb,  and  a  third  where 
the  Angel  is  said  to  have  appeared  to  the  Shepherds. 
Crasset,  204. 

The  Emperor  Justinian  (d.  565)  built  a  splendid  church 


BY   CHURCH   BUILDERS  161 

to  the  Virgin  Mother  in  Jerusalem,  besides  others  else 
where. 

St.  Pulcheria,  sister  of  the  Emperor  Theodosius  the 
younger  (d.  453),  illustrious  for  her  sanctity  and  her  pro 
tection  of  the  Fathers  assembled  in  the  Councils  of  Ephesus 
and  Chalcedon,  raised  three  noble  sanctuaries  to  Mary. 
Rom.  Brev.  Supplem.,  July  7.  Her  panegyric  by  St. 
Cyril  of  Alexandria,  Ibid.,  lessons  7,  8,  9. 

Richness  of  these  early  churches.  Theodoret, 
Bishop  of  Cyprus,  who  wrote  in  the  V  Cent,  and  took 
part  in  the  Council  of  Ephesus  (431),  which  was  held  in 
a  large  and  magnificent  church  of  our  Lady,  speaks  of 
the  churches  of  his  day  as  dazzling  the  eyes  by  their  rich 
ness  and  splendour.  Suidas  (X  Cent.)  says  that  in  Con 
stantinople  there  were  many  altars  of  pure  gold  adorned 
with  precious  stones.  St.  Pulcheria  gave  an  altar  of  gold 
to  a  church  in  Constantinople,  which  Sozomenus  (1.  9,  c.  i) 
says  was  a  thing  of  surpassing  beauty. 

2.  In  Rome.  St.  Mary  in  Trastevere,  the  most  ancient 
church  of  our  Lady  in  the  Eternal  City,  was  built  by 
Pope  St.  Callixtus  I  about  A.D.  223.  (See  §  8.) 

St.  Mary  Major,  erected  by  the  Patrician  John  under 
Pope  St.  Liberius,  was  rebuilt  on  a  much  larger  plan  by 
Pope  Sixtus  III  in  432  to  440,  soon  after  the  Council  of 
Ephesus.  Pilgrim  Walks  in  Rome,  108. 

St.  Mary  of  the  Angels  was  adapted  by  Michelangelo 
from  the  baths  of  Diocletian.  Ibid.  126. 

St.  Mary  on  the  Capitol  ("  Ara  Coeli  ")  was  consecrated 
by  Pope  St.  Gregory  the  Great  in  591.  Ibid.  175. 

St.  Mary  of  the  Rotunda  (Sae  Mariae  ad  Martyres)  — 
the  ancient  Pantheon — was  opened  as  a  church  of  our 
Lady  by  Pope  St.  Boniface  IV  in  610.  Ibid.  342. 

St.  Mary  of  the  People  (del  Popolo)  was  erected  by  Pope 
Paschal  II  in  1099.  Ibid.  393. 

St.  Mary  in  Cosmedin  was  built  in  the  VI  Cent.    Ibid.  132. 

St.  Mary  of  Peace  (della  Pace)  has  Sixtus  IV  for  its 
founder  (1471-84).  Ibid.  359. 

M.P.  M 


1 62  MARY  HONOURED 

Old  St.  Mary's  (Sa.  Maria  Antiqua)  in  the  Forum,  below 
the  Palatine,  dates  from  the  VI  Cent.  Ibid.  186. 

3.  France  has  its  splendid  cathedrals  (veritable  "  poems 
in  stone  ")  of  Paris,  Amiens,  Chartres,  Rheims  (the  latter 
destroyed  in  the  war  of  1914-18),  Rouen,  Bayonne,  Avig 
non,  Grenoble,  Bayeux,  Strasburg,  all  dedicated  to  our 
Lady. 

4.  England   has  the  glorious  cathedrals  of  Salisbury 
and  Lincoln,  similarly  dedicated,  and  rivalling  the  best 
Gothic  churches  on  the  Continent. 

5.  Belgium  possesses  the  Cathedral  of  Our  Lady  of 
Antwerp,  with  its  wonderful  spire  :    also  many  other  rich 
sanctuaries  raised  in  her  honour. 

6.  In  Spain  the  Cathedrals  of  Seville  and  Burgos  ;    in 
Italy  those    of    Siena,  Venice,   Florence,   Pisa,   Naples  ; 
in  Germany  those  of  Spires  and  Friburg  in  Brisgau,  are 
all  placed  under  Mary's  patronage. 

These  architectural  monuments  are  in  many  cases 
crowded  with  works  of  art,  paintings,  sculptures,  bronzes, 
rich  shrines  and  reliquaries,  executed  by  great  masters 
in  the  respective  arts. 

From  the  XIII  Cent,  onward  the  Religious  Orders 
vied  with  one  another  in  multiplying  churches,  chapels, 
shrines,  etc.,  in  our  Lady's  honour,  and  scarce  a  province 
or  noted  town  lacked  a  sanctuary  to  the  Madonna,  linking 
to  that  sanctuary  some  legend,  which  marked  the  spot 
as  one  chosen  by  Mary  for  the  bestowal  of  her  special 
favours. 

In  the  life  of  St.  Hugh  of  Lincoln  the  work  of  cathe 
dral-building  is  thus  described  :  "To  undertake  and 
carry  on  the  construction  of  these  cathedrals,  it  was  needful 
to  combine  the  efforts  of  every  kind  of  talent  and  resource. 
Every  one  who  could  help  had  to  be  pressed  into  service. 
Rich  and  poor,  priests  and  monks,  workmen  and  artists, 
confraternities  and  other  associations,  united  their  forces. 
The  building  of  a  great  church  called  out  an  army  who 
marched  to  their  work  as  the  Crusaders  marched  to  battle. 


BY  LADY   CHAPELS  163 

In  the  middle  of  the  XII  Cent.,  for  instance,  the  spectacle 
might  be  seen  of  whole  bands  of  voluntary  workers  har 
nessing  themselves  to  carts  which  were  to  draw  the  neces 
sary  materials  for  building  the  church  of  Our  Lady  of 
Chartres.  This  example  was  followed  in  Normandy  by 
men  of  all  classes  of  the  people,  as  Hugh  of  Amiens,  Arch 
bishop  of  Rouen,  relates  in  a  letter  dated  1145  :  '  These 
voluntary  labourers,  he  says,  allow  no  one  to  share  their 
toil,  unless  he  has  first  confessed  his  sins  and  done  penance 
for  them,  (also)  unless  he  has  renounced  all  animosity 
and  desire  of  vengeance,  and  is  in  perfect  charity  with 
all  his  enemies.' ' 

Similarly  in  England  the  work  was  undertaken  and 
carried  out  in  a  thoroughly  religious  spirit,  the  radiant 
vision  of  Mary  smiling  upon  the  work  with  the  sweetest 
and  most  powerful  encouragement.  Under  the  spell  of 
that  beloved  name  there  was  no  difficulty  in  bringing 
together  men  of  good  will,  and  making  them  understand 
that  nothing  could  be  too  beautiful  to  give  expression 
to  the  immaculate  loveliness  of  the  Mother  of  God,  and 
so  to  honour  the  Infinite  Beauty  of  God  of  which  she  is 
the  reflection. 


SECTION   LXII 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  THE  ERECTION  OF  LADY  CHAPELS 

ENGLAND'S  shrines  of  our  Lady  were  renowned  for 
their  glory  far  beyond  the  seas,  and  the  beautiful 
Lady  Chapels  in  Cathedrals  and  parish  churches,  rich  in 
architectural  beauty,  and  often  blazing  with  gold  and 
colour,  proclaimed  that  the  Island  of  the  Saints  was  truly 
devoted  to  the  Queen  of  Heaven  and  belonged  to  her  as 
her  dowry. 

A  few  of  England's  more  famous  Lady  Chapels  are  here 
mentioned. 

i.  Our    Lady    of    Westminster    (now   Henry   VII's 


164  MARY  HONOURED 

Chapel).  It  seems  certain  that  when  Henry  VII  built 
this  magnificent  chapel  in  Westminster  Abbey,  he  did 
not  intend  it  to  be  called  by  his  name.  His  will  and 
intention  was  to  erect  a  splendid  shrine  in  honour  of  the 
Mother  of  God,  replacing  the  early  English  Lady  Chapel 
of  the  XIII  Cent.,  which  he  pulled  down.  It  is  said 
of  this  King  that  "  in  all  his  necessities  he  made  our  Lady 
his  continual  refuge."  No  wonder  then  that  he  should 
desire  to  build  in  her  honour  one  of  the  grandest  Lady 
Chapels  in  the  world.  It  was  also  his  wish  to  bury  there 
the  remains  of  his  uncle  Henry  VI  (d.  1461),  venerated 
by  the  people  as  a  saint  :  but  it  is  doubtful  if  the  transla 
tion  ever  took  place.  More  probably  the  body  remained 
in  the  south  aisle  of  St.  George's,  Windsor. 

It  would  be  hard  to  conceive  a  more  lovely  structure, 
a  richer  shrine  than  this.  Scarcely  any  portion  of  the 
interior  lacked  its  delicate  and  elaborate  carved  work. 
Angels  and  Archangels,  saints  and  martyrs,  apostles  and 
evangelists,  the  hierarchy  of  heaven  and  the  sainted  ones 
of  earth,  all  had  places  on  these  walls.  High  above,  the 
fan  tracery  of  the  stone  roof  seems  literally  to  hang  from 
the  sky,  so  delicate  and  light  is  the  workmanship.  The 
original  architect,  Sir  Reginald  Bray,  died  soon  after  the 
laying  of  the  foundation  stone,  and  the  work  seems  to 
have  been  continued,  and  certainly  supervised  by  Abbot 
Islip.  It  is  regrettable  that  it  has  long  since  lost  its  char 
acter  as  a  Lady  Chapel,  and  is  now  only  a  mausoleum. 

2.  Lady  Chapel,  St.  Alban's.  It  dates  from  the 
latter  part  of  the  XIII  Cent,  and  the  beginning  of  the 
XIV,  Abbot  Norton  being  probably  its  founder.  In  some 
respects  it  surpasses  in  elegance  Henry  VH's  chapel  at 
Westminster.  The  Decorated  style  had  then  reached  its 
full  development.  One  gazes  in  wonder  at  the  lovely 
statuettes  in  the  jambs  and  mullions  of  the  windows,  each 
with  its  delicately  carved  niche  ;  at  the  ornamental  detail 
of  the  large  windows ;  at  the  richly  traceried  arch ;  at 
the  splendid  range  of  niches,  and  beneath  them  a  gorgeous 


BY  LADY   CHAPELS  165 

range  of  sedilia.  It  will  hardly  be  believed  that  this 
architectural  gem  was  used  as  a  Grammar  School  from 
the  time  of  Edward  VI  until  1870. 

3.  Winchester  Lady  Chapel  was  begun  by  Bishop  de 
Lucy  in  1204.    The  east  wall  with  its  fine  Perpendicular 
window  was  erected  by  Prior  Hunton  ;    but  the  north 
and  south  walls  show  the  beautiful  work  of  de  Lucy,  his 
early  English  arcades  and  lancet  windows.     Much  of  the 
wall-space  is  now  concealed  by  some  richly  carved  wood 
panelling  added  by  Bishop  Fox  (1500-1528),  the  friend 
and  confidant  of  Henry  VII. 

Under  the  direction  of  Prior  Silkstede  in  1489  some 
remarkable  frescoes,  archaic  in  character,  but  extremely 
interesting  and  illustrating  miracles  of  our  Lady,  were 
executed  on  the  walls.  They  represent : 

(a)  the  miracle  of  an  image  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  : 

(b)  protection  and  honour  conferred  by  our  Lady  on 
an  ignorant  priest,  who  knew  and  could  sing  only  one 
Mass,  which  was  in  her  honour  : 

(c)  Prior  Silkstede  kneeling  before  the  Mother  of  God 
saying  "  Benedicta  tu  in  mulieribus  "  : 

(d)  a  Jewish  boy,  after  receiving  the  Holy  Eucharist, 
thrown  into  a  furnace  by  his  father,  but  delivered  from 
the  flames  by  the  Blessed  Virgin  : 

(e)  the  Picture  of  St.  Mary  Major  (Rome)  carried  in 
procession  by  Pope  St.  Gregory  the  Great  to  allay  a  fearful 
pestilence.     During  the  procession  the  destroying  angel 
is  seen  sheathing  his  sword : 

and  so  on.     See  Stella  Marts,  1911,  pp.  117,  118. 

4.  Gloucester  Lady  Chapel  was  begun  in  the  middle 
of  the  XV  Cent,  by  Abbot  Hanley.    The  architect  was 
a  monk  of  Gloucester,  Elias  the  Sacrist.     The  Perpendicular 
style  roof  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  grandest  ever  erected,  each 
boss  being  a  separate  work  of  art.     Nearly  all  of  them  are 
carved  to  represent  foliage,  and  are  as  clear  and  distinct 
in  design  as  they  were  in  the  XV  Cent.     It  was  one  of 
the  largest  Lady  Chapels  ever  built  in  England,  and  one 


1 66  MARY   HONOURED 

of  the  richest  in  decorative  detail.  It  shone  with  gold 
and  blue  and  vermilion.  The  reredos  must  have  been 
a  gorgeous  sight,  and  literally  a  blaze  of  colour,  judging 
by  the  traces  of  it  which  still  remain.  Ibid.  187. 

5.  Lady    Chapels    of    York,    Durham,    Salisbury, 
Hereford,  Worcester.    See  Ibid.,  1911. 

6.  Our  Lady  of  Pew,  Westminster.    This  was  an 
image  of  Our  Lady   of  Pity  (Pieta)  represented   seated, 
bearing  the  dead  body  of  her  Son  on  her  knees  ;   it  was 
a  great  object  of  devotion  and  attracted  numerous  pil 
grims.     It  stood  in  the  old  Lady  Chapel  of  Westminster, 
the  one  destroyed  by  Henry  VII,  to  be  replaced  by  the 
present  edifice  that  bears  his  name.    The  old  chapel  had 
the   indulgence   of   the   Scala   Sancta,   granted  by   Pope 
Alexander  VI  in  1490.     Henry  III  having  pulled  down 
the   (Westminster)  Abbey  Church  built  by  St.   Edward 
the  Confessor,  laid  the  first  stone  of  the  new  one  in  the 
fifth  year  of  his  reign,  1220.    The  erection  occupied  fifty 
years.    The  Queen  set  up  the  celebrated  silver  image  of 
the  Blessed  Virgin  in  the  feretory  of  St.  Edward  ;    and 
in  the  twenty-eighth  year  of  his  reign,  Henry  III  caused 
Edward  FitzOdo,   keeper  of  his  works  at  Westminster, 
to  place  upon  the  forehead  of  that  image  an  emerald  and 
a  ruby  taken  out  of  two  rings  which  the  Bishop  of  Chichester 
had  left  to  the  King  as  a  legacy.    Waterton,  222,  227. 


SECTION  LXIII 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  PILGRIMAGES  TO  HER  SHRINES 
I.  In  Italy 

i.  'npHE  Holy  House  of  Loreto.1    Father  W.  Guppen- 

JL       berg,  S.  J.  (Atlas  Marianus)  and  Father  Petitalot, 

S.J.  (The  Virgin  Mother,  431),  give  the  story  of  the  Holy 

1  The  question  of  the  authenticity   of  the  Holy  House  raised 
within  recent  years  remains  unsolved. 


BY  PILGRIMAGES  167 

House  as  follows  :  For  many  centuries  it  was  venerated 
at  Nazareth,  but  soon  after  the  Mahomedans  had  become 
masters  of  Judea  in  1291,  it  was  translated  to  Dalmatia. 
It -,was  still  at  Nazareth  in  St.  Louis'  time,  for  he  is  said 
to  have  visited  it  there  in  1252.  Some  woodmen  first 
discovered  the  little  building,  of  unknown  origin,  on  the 
coast  of  Dalmatia  in  1291.  It  stood  in  a  spot  where  pre 
viously  there  had  been  neither  house  nor  materials  to  build 
one.  On  approaching  it,  they  found  it  to  be  30  feet  long 
by  13  broad,  and  constructed  of  square  red  stones  totally 
unlike  those  used  in  that  country.  The  building  stood 
without  foundations  of  any  kind,  and  upon  unlevel  ground. 
The  only  room  was  rectangular  with  a  door  on  one  side 
(the  front  side)  :  on  the  right  of  the  door  was  a  narrow 
window,  and  facing  it  (at  the  other  end  of  the  room)  a 
stone  altar,  surmounted  by  a  cross  to  which  was  attached 
a  figure  of  our  Saviour  crucified  painted  on  linen.  Near 
the  door  was  a  small  cupboard  in  the  wall,  containing 
some  vessels  (two  cups).  Above  the  altar  was  a  niche 
containing  a  statue  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  Child,  carved 
of  cedar  wood,  and  apparently  very  ancient. 

The  Bishop  and  Governor  of  Dalmatia  inquired  closely 
into  the  matter.  Four  men  were  sent  to  Palestine,  who 
found  that  the  House  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  had  disappeared 
from  Nazareth,  and  that  the  foundations  were  still  there, 
the  measurements  corresponding  exactly  with  those  of 
the  walls  of  the  house  in  Dalmatia,  and  that  the  stones 
were  of  the  same  kind. 

Dalmatia,  however,  was  not  to  be  its  final  resting- 
place.  After  a  stay  of  three  and  a  half  years  it  disappeared, 
being  translated  across  the  Adriatic  to  a  laurel  plantation 
(Lauretum,  whence  the  name  Loreto)  in  the  States  of  the 
Church.  This  occurred  on  December  10,  1294.  Eight 
months  later,  the  plantation  being  infested  by  robbers 
who  came  to  plunder  the  pilgrims,  the  Holy  House  was 
again  translated  a  little  further  to  a  small  hill  belonging 
to  two  brothers,  most  unworthy  to  have  such  a  treasure 


1 68  MARY    HONOURED 

on  their  property,  for  they  quarrelled  over  the  offerings 
of  the  pilgrims.  So,  after  four  months'  stay,  the  fourth 
and  last  translation  took  place  :  this  time  it  alighted  in 
a  public  road,  on  the  spot  near  the  Adriatic,  where  it  has 
remained  for  over  six  centuries. 

The  Santa  Casa  is  enclosed  in  a  large  and  beautiful 
church  :  its  walls  are  preserved  exteriorly  by  a  casing 
of  marble  exquisitely  carved,  which  covers  but  does  not 
touch  the  walls.  For  the  convenience  of  the  numerous 
pilgrims,  Pope  Clement  VII  (d.  1534)  caused  two  doors 
to  be  opened,  one  on  each  side  of  the  building,  and  the 
original  door  in  front  to  be  walled  up.  The  walls  are 
14  inches  thick,  constructed  of  plain  red  stones,  cut  square 
like  bricks  :  no  foundations  sustain  the  building.  The 
furniture  consists  of  a  wooden  altar  on  which  St.  Peter 
is  believed  to  have  said  Mass  :  a  cupboard  protected  by 
a  wooden  framework  and  containing  two  cups  or  vessels, 
thought  to  have  belonged  to  the  Holy  Family.  Behind 
the  altar  a  door  leads  to  an  inner  apartment  with  a  chimney, 
and  near  the  chimney  a  small  recess  in  the  wall  contains 
a  third  cup  of  terra  cotta,  with  some  traces  of  gilding  on 
the  outside.  Pilgrims  are  allowed  to  kiss  this  and  place 
in  it  objects  they  wish  to  have  blessed.  Above  the  fire 
place  is  a  niche  with  the  ancient  statue  of  our  Lady  and 
Child. 

In  the  list  of  illustrious  pilgrims  to  this  sanctuary  we 
have  the  names  of  Popes,  Kings,  Emperors  and  Saints, 
among  the  latter  being  SS.  Ignatius  of  Loyola,  Francis 
Xavier,  Francis  Borgia,  Aloysius,  Stanislaus,  John  Berch- 
mans,  Francis  de  Sales,  Philip  Neri,  and  many  others. 
Forty-six  Popes  from  St.  Celestine  V  (1294),  in  whose 
reign  the  prodigy  of  the  translation  is  said  to  have  taken 
place,  to  Pius  IX,  have  honoured  the  sanctuary  of  Loreto 
either  by  their  visits,  or  by  magnificent  gifts  and  spiritual 
favours  (indulgences,  etc.). 

2.  St.  Mary  Major,  Rome.  Multitudes  of  English 
pilgrims,  both  in  Saxon  and  Norman  times,  have  come 


BY   PILGRIMAGES  169 

to  kneel  before  this  greatly  venerated  picture,  which  an 
ancient  tradition  attributes  to  St.  Luke.1  After  a  visit 
made  to  St.  Peter's,  their  thoughts  at  once  turned  to 
Mary's  glorious  basilica,  and  thither  they  hastened  kindled 
with  enthusiasm  to  lay  their  homage  at  Mary's  feet.  St. 
Gregory  the  Great,  St.  Francis  Borgia,  St.  Philip  Neri, 
St.  Charles  Borromeo,  and  many  others  had  a  great  affec 
tion  for  this  picture.  A  Welsh  pilgrim's  reference  to  it 
in  the  XIV  Cent.  (See  above,  §  36.)  In  590,  when 
a  terrible  plague  was  devastating  Rome,  this  venerable 
portrait  of  Mary  was  carried  in  procession  through  the 
streets  by  St.  Gregory  the  Great ;  and  tradition  avers 
that,  as  the  procession  drew  near  the  Vatican,  an  angel 
was  seen  on  the  summit  of  Hadrian's  mole  (Castel  S. 
Angelo)  sheathing  his  sword.  See  Pilgrim  Walks  in 
Rome,  52. 

3.  Our  Lady  of  Genezzano.  "  Mother  of  Good 
Counsel."  Genezzano  is  a  little  town  of  3,000  inhabitants 
about  five  miles  from  Palestrina.  Here  is  reverently 
preserved  a  celebrated  picture  of  our  Lady  and  Child, 
said  to  have  been  brought  by  Angels  from  Scutari  on  St. 
Mark's  day,  1467.  The  story  is  as  follows.  In  the  middle 
of  the  XV  Cent,  a  pious  widow,  named  Petruccia 
di  Jeneo,  had  undertaken  to  restore  a  ruined  church  of 
Our  Lady  of  Good  Counsel,  but  on  a  grander  scale  than 
her  means  would  allow.  When  the  walls  had  risen  but 
a  few  feet,  she  was  compelled  to  dismiss  the  workmen, 
and  gaze  sadly  on  a  monument  hopefully  begun,  but 
apparently  destined  never  to  be  completed.  About  this 
time  the  inhabitants  of  Scutari,  a  small  town  in  Albania, 
embraced  the  Eastern  schism  and  suffered  a  rapid  decline 
in  morals.  This  was  followed  by  an  invasion  of  the  Turks, 
who  took  Scutari  and  began  a  general  massacre.  During 
the  subsequent  flight,  two  of  the  fugitives,  one  a  shepherd, 
the  other  a  slave,  conceived  the  idea  of  turning  for  a 
moment  to  a  shrine  of  our  Lady,  once  reverenced  by  the 

1  It  is  thought  to  be  a  V  Cent,  copy  of  a  painting  by  St.  Luke. 


170  MARY  HONOURED 

people,  but  long  since  neglected,  there  to  ask  for  help, 
and  to  look  for  the  last  time  at  the  holy  picture.  As  they 
gazed,  the  picture  (a  fresco)  detached  itself  from  the  wall, 
passed  out  of  the  church  and  was  carried  by  invisible 
hands  towards  the  west.  They  followed  it  over  hill  and 
valley  and  plain,  till  it  vanished  from  their  sight. 

Meanwhile  the  inhabitants  of  Genezzano  were  cele 
brating  with  unusual  solemnity  the  feast  of  St.  Mark  in 
the  piazza  near  the  unfinished  church,  when  they  were 
astounded  by  the  sudden  appearance  in  the  sky  of  a  picture 
of  the  Madonna.  It  descended,  moved  into  the  church 
enclosure  and  alighted  on  the  unfinished  wall.  The  news 
of  the  miraculous  advent  of  the  picture  soon  spread  through 
the  country,  and  reached  the  ears  of  the  two  fugitives 
who  had  crossed  the  Adriatic  and  travelled  as  far  as  Rome. 
They  hastened  to  Genezzano.  One  glance  was  enough  ; 
their  beloved  Madonna  had  fled  from  schism  and  sin  to  a 
land  of  faith  and  love.  Pilgrims  flocked  to  the  town  and 
brought  with  them  abundant  alms,  so  that  in  a  short 
time  Petruccia  saw  her  church  to  our  Lady  completed. 
Many  miraculous  cures  were  wrought,  and  devotion  spread 
far  and  wide. 

Pope  Leo  XIII  had  a  special  devotion  to  this  shrine  of 
our  Lady.  In  1884  he  approved  of  a  special  Mass  and 
Office  for  the  Feast  of  Our  Lady  of  Good  Counsel,  which 
is  kept  on  the  26th  April,  as  the  day  of  the  apparition  is 
impeded  by  the  Feast  of  St.  Mark.  In  1893  he  approved 
of  a  special  scapular  of  Our  Lady  of  Good  Counsel,  with 
Indulgences.  On  April  22,  1903,  he  issued  a  decree  com 
manding  the  title  "  Mother  of  Good  Counsel  "  to  be  added 
to  the  other  titles  of  our  Lady  in  her  Litany. 

4.  Our  Lady  of  Campocavallo,  in  a  town  near  the 
Adriatic,  not  far  from  Loretto.  An  oleograph  of  Our  Lady 
of  Dolours,  hanging  in  a  poor  barn-like  church,  was  observed 
in  1892  to  shed  tears  :  the  eyes  too  were  seen  to  be  some 
times  raised  heavenward,  sometimes  lowered.  The  prodigy 
was  constantly  repeated  and  numerous  miraculous  cures 


BY   PILGRIMAGES  171 

were  recorded.  Campocavallo  has  now  become  a  great 
place  of  pilgrimage,  and  the  holy  picture  now  reposes 
within  a  magnificent  basilica  erected  by  the  bounty  of 
the  faithful. 

5.  Our  Lady  of  Pompei,  near  Naples.  Signer  Bar- 
tolo  Longo  purchased  in  1877  a  very  simple  painting  of 
Our  Lady  of  the  Rosary  for  a  charitable  institution  he 
had  established.  Almost  at  once  miraculous  cures  were 
obtained  and  have  continued  ever  since,  few  shrines  of 
our  Lady  in  Italy  attracting  more  pilgrims  than  this.  A 
stately  church  has  been  built,  and  extraordinary  manifes 
tations  of  faith  occur. 


SECTION   LXIV 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  PILGRIMAGES  IN  FRANCE 

I.    T     OURDES.     Four   years   after   the    proclamation 

J ^     of  the  dogma  of  the  Immaculate  Conception, 

our  Lady  appeared  on  February  n,  1858,  to  a  little  girl 
of  poor  parents,  named  Bernadette  Soubirous.  It  was 
at  the  Grotto  of  Massabielle,  near  the  little  town  of  Lourdes, 
at  the  foot  of  the  Pyrenees,  a  town  quite  unknown  at  the 
time,  but  now  of  world- wide  fame.  The  Queen  of  Heaven 
committed  to  that  little  girl  in  a  subsequent  apparition 
of  February  23  the  duty  of  announcing  to  the  Clergy  that 
a  church  should  be  built  on  that  spot,  and  that  people 
should  go  thither  in  procession.  On  February  25  Bernad 
ette  was  told  to  go  and  drink  at  the  fountain,  the  fountain 
which  till  then  did  not  exist,  as  the  whole  country  testifies, 
but  began  to  flow  as  the  girl  touched  the  ground,  and  has 
never  ceased  since.  Countless  pilgrims  have  since  drunk  of 
its  waters.  The  whole  world  bears  testimony  to  undoubted 
instantaneous  cures,  cures  manifestly  superhuman,  cures 
which,  according  to  the  avowal  of  an  infidel,  are  upsetting 
and  can't  be  explained  by  any  natural  cause.  These  con 
tinue  to  the  present  time,  not  rarely  or  occasionally,  but 


i;2  MARY  HONOURED 

continually  and  constantly.  Finally,  on  March  25,  1858, 
the  feast  of  the  Annunciation,  at  the  earnest  request  of 
the  pious  girl  who  asked  her  name,  the  august  Mother  of 
God,  joining  her  hands  and  raising  her  eyes  to  heaven, 
answered  :  "I  am  the  Immaculate  Conception  "  :  thus 
speaking  she  disappeared.  A  large  and  beautiful  church, 
which  has  cost  many  millions  of  francs,  now  stands  above 
the  rocks,  and  attracts  many  thousands  of  pilgrims  every 
year.  See  Bertrin,  Lourdes,  tr.  Gibbs,  London,  1908  : 
The  Month,  Oct.  1905,  359 ;  Febr.  1907,  124. 

2.  La  Salette,  in  Dauphiny,  diocese  of  Grenoble.    The 
Blessed  Virgin  is  said  to  have  appeared  to  two  young 
shepherds,  a  boy  named  Maximin  Giraud,  aged  eleven,  and 
a  girl,  Melanie  Calvat,  aged  fourteen,  on  September  19, 
1846,  about  3  p.m.  in  full  sunlight.     The  place  of  the 
apparition  was  on  a  mountain  5,918  feet  high,  and  about 
three  miles  distant  from  the  church.     The  children  were 
very  poor,  very  ignorant,  unacquainted  with  each  other 
till  that  day  or  the  day  before,  utterly  unable  of  themselves 
to  invent  the  story  they  told,  and  with  no  sign  of  collusion 
between  them.     To  each  our  Lady  is  said  to  have  imparted 
a  special  secret,  which  neither  ever  made  known  to  the 
other.     These  secrets  were  disclosed  to  Pope  Pius  IX  in 
1851.     Opinions  differ  as  to  the  reality  of  the  apparitions 
and  the  truth  of  the  children's  story,  though  the  Bishop 
of  Grenoble,  after  a  thorough  investigation,  believed  them 
both.     A  splendid  church  was  built,  to  which  countless 
pilgrims   flock   every   year.     See   Northcote,    Sanctuaries 
of  the  Madonna. 

3.  Notre  Dame  des  Victoires,  Paris.    This  sanctuary, 
now  perhaps  the  most  frequented  church  in  France,  dates 
only  from   the    XVII  Cent.     Louis   XIII,   having  taken 
Rochelle  and  put  an  end  to  the  wars  of  religion,  decided 
to  build  the  church  for  the  Augustinian  Friars.     Begun 
in  1629,  it  was  not  finished  and  consecrated  till  1740.     In 
1837,  Monsieur  1'Abbe  des  Genettes  here  established  the 
Archconfraternity  of  the  Immaculate  Heart  of  Mary  for 


BY   PILGRIMAGES  173 

the  conversion  of  sinners,  as  a  means  of  renewing  his 
parish  which  had  fallen  into  a  sad  state  of  ignorance  and 
prejudice  against  religion.  Marvellous  effects  followed. 
In  1876  the  Parisian  Associates  numbered  nearly  a  million. 
With  the  branch  confraternities  the  present  number  of 
Associates  throughout  the  world  exceeds  30,000,000. 
Every  year  over  3,000,000  persons  visit  this  sanctuary, 
and  about  9,000  Masses  are  said  at  its  altars.  During 
the  Paris  Commune  of  1871  this  venerable  sanctuary  was 
sacrilegiously  profaned.  Petitalot,  438,  440. 

4.  Notre  Dame  de  Rocamadour,  in  the  diocese  of 
Cahors,    Province    of    Quercy.     For    long    centuries    this 
famous  sanctuary  has  been  a  centre  of  attraction  to  pil 
grims  from  nearly  every  country  of  Europe,  among  them 
being    Kings, .  Bishops,    and    nobles.     A    curious    legend 
connects  its  foundation  with  Zacheus  of  the  Gospel,  who 
is  thought  to  have  built  the  original  oratory,  subsequently 
added  to  by  one  Amadour.     Others  believe  this  Amadour 
to  have  been  St.  Amator,  Bishop  of  Auxerre  :   but  this  is 
mere  conjecture.    The  origin  of  the  sanctuary  is  lost  in 
antiquity.     St.  Dominic  is  counted  among  its  pilgrims. 

5.  Notre  Dame  de  Chartres,  Department   of  Eure 
et  Loire.     This  is  in  many  respects  the  most  wonderful 
sanctuary  in  Europe,   as  it  boasts  of  an  uninterrupted 
tradition  from  the  time  of  the  Druids,  who  dedicated  there 
a  statue   Virgini  pariturae,  "  To  the  Virgin  who  should 
bear  a  child."    This  wooden  statue  is  said  to  have  been 
in  existence  in  1793,  but  to  have  been  destroyed  during 
the   Revolution.     The   present   statue  is  a  copy  of  the 
original  one.     Many  Kings  of  France  came  here  on  pil 
grimage,  among  them  St.  Louis,  who,  in  order  to  reach 
the   place,   travelled  seven   leagues   on   foot.     Charles   V 
of  France  went  there  twice,  part  of  the  way  barefoot. 

6.  Notre  Dame  de  Boulogne.    This  was  a  favourite 
place  of  pilgrimage  with  our  English  forefathers  :   indeed, 
from  the  year  1212,  there  was  a  constant  succession  of 
English  pilgrims  to  this  noted  sanctuary.    The  Earl  of 


1/4  MARY  HONOURED 

Shrewsbury  presented  to  the  statue  a  magnificent  robe 
of  cloth  of  gold  with  his  coat  of  arms  embroidered  upon 
it.  The  Earl  of  Warwick,  when  governor  of  Calais,  gave 
an  image  of  our  Lady  in  silver  gilt,  "  with  the  demon  under 
her  feet."  Godfrey  de  Bouillon  offered  to  Our  Lady  of 
Boulogne  the  crown  he  refused  to  wear  as  King  of  Jerusa 
lem.  Besides  several  French  monarchs,  Henry  III  of 
England  visited  this  shrine  in  1255,  the  Black  Prince  and 
John  of  Gaunt  in  1360,  and  later,  Charles  the  Bold  of 
Burgundy. 

7.  Notre  Dame  de  Fourvieres,  Lyons.    St.  Pothinus, 
a  disciple  of  St.  Polycarp,  was  the  first  Bishop  of  Lyons. 
He  is  said  to  have  brought  to  the  city  an  image  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin,  which  he  placed  in  a  grotto,  now  the  crypt 
of  the  church  of  St.  Nizier.    After  a  long  episcopate  he 
was  martyred  near  Fourvieres  in  177.     St.  Irenaeus,  his 
successor,  was  famed  for  his  devotion  to  the  Mother  of 
God.     The  earliest  chapel,  built  in  840  and  enlarged  in 
1168,  was  utterly  destroyed  by  the  Calvinists  in  the  XVI 
Cent.,  and,  though  rebuilt,  was  again  reduced  to  a  ruin 
during  the  Revolution  of  1793.    The  present  structure 
dates  from  the  beginning  of  the  XIX  Cent.,  being  con 
secrated  by  Pope  Pius  VII  in  person,  April  19,  1805,  on 
his  return  from  the  coronation  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon. 

8.  Notre  Dame  de  Puy,  built  on  the  scene  of  one  of 
the   earliest   of  the   Blessed  Virgin's  apparitions.     After 
the  Crusades  this  sanctuary  became  famous  throughout 
Christendom.     French    Kings,    princes,    nobles    in    great 
number  came  here  to  offer  their  homage  to  the  Queen  of 
Heaven.     St.  Louis  IX  presented  the  shrine  with  a  thorn 
from  the  Sacred  Crown.     The  pilgrimages  in  former  days 
must  have  been  veritable  pageants,  for  the  crowds,  even 
as  late  as  1853,  exceeded  300,000  in  number. 

9.  Notre  Dame  de  Liesse  in  Picardy  was,  before  the 
rise  of  Lourdes,  one  of  the  most  frequented  pilgrimages 
in  France.     Its  origin  is  dated  from  the  XII  Cent,  and 
is  said  to  be  connected  with  the  Christian  captives  during 


IN  SPA  NTS  ft  SHRINES  175 

the  crusades.     It  is  still  held  in  high  honour.     (See  Canada, 
§38.) 


SECTION   LXV 
MARY  HONOURED  IN  SPANISH  SHRINES 

i.  /~\UR  Lady  of  Montserrat.  Its  existence  can  be 
V_y  traced  to  the  X  Cent.,  but  it  was  not  till 
the  XIII  that  it  became  a  centre  of  much  devotion.  Here 
St.  Ignatius  of  Loyola  came  as  a  pilgrim  at  the  beginning 
of  his  conversion  to  a  perfect  life  in  1522.  Here  he 
made  his  "  vigil  in  arms  "  before  our  Lady's  altar,  and  hung 
up  his  sword,  vowing  henceforth  to  serve  only  Jesus  and 
His  holy  Mother.  The  present  church  was  consecrated 
in  1562. 

2.  Saragossa,  Our  Lady  of  the  Pillar,  in  Aragon, 
is  one  of  the  most  popular  of  our  Lady's  shrines  in  Spain, 
and  is  constantly  thronged  with  pilgrims.     Popular  tradi 
tion  traces  its  origin  to  the  Apostle  St.  James  the  Greater  : 
and  from  time  immemorial  it  has  been  celebrated  for 
miracles.     (See  §  40.)    It  is  the  most  popular  of  Spaidsh 
pilgrimages,  and  the  most  thronged  with  pilgrims. 

3.  Guadalupe,    Estramadura,    is    celebrated    for     its 
wonder-working  statue  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.     But  it  is 
far  outshone  by  another  shrine  of  the  same  name  in  Mexico, 
the  story  of  which  may  be  given  here.     A  poor  Indian 
was  favoured  more  than  once  with  a  vision  of  our  Lady 
bidding  him  tell  the  Bishop  of  Zumarraga  that  she  wished 
a  church  to  be  built  in  her  honour  on  a  certain  spot  which 
she   pointed  out.    The  Bishop  was  incredulous.     Again 
our  Lady  appeared  and  told  the  Indian  to  gather  some 
roses  from  the  rocks  as  a  sign  to  the  Bishop,  it  not  being 
the  season  for  roses.     He  did  so,  put  them  in  his  cloak, 
and  on  unfolding  the  cloak  before  the  Bishop  a  miraculous 
picture  of  the  Mother  of  God  was  found  painted  thereon. 
This  happened  in  the   XVI   Cent,   about   1531,   and  ever 


176  MARY  HONOURED 

since  the  church  built  to  receive  the  picture  has  been  a 
centre  of  unceasing  pilgrimages. 

4.  Toledo,  New  Castile,  enshrines  in  its  gorgeous  cathe 
dral  a  statue  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  in  a  chapel  richly  orna 
mented  with  jasper  and  containing  many  splendid  and 
unique  treasures.     This  centre  of  devotion  to  Mary  which 
attracts  annually  a  great  number  of  pilgrims,  is  associated 
with  the  tradition  of  an  apparition  to  St.  Ildephonsus. 

5.  Puche,  Valencia,  is  the  great  Spanish  sanctuary  dedi 
cated  to  Our  Lady  of  Mercy.     On  the  Order  of  Mercy, 
founded  by  Spanish  Saints,  see  §  67,  n.  9. 


SECTION   LXVI 
MARY  HONOURED  IN  BELGIAN,  Swiss  AND  POLISH  SHRINES 

i.  T  T  AL,  near  Brussels,  possesses  a  wooden  statue 
1  1  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  which  is  decorated  with 
a  golden  crown.  Its  history  has  been  written  by  Justus 
Lipsius,  the  title  to  his  work  being  Diva  Virgo  Hallensis. 
As  a  pilgrim-resort  it  has  been  famous  for  centuries,  and 
possesses  many  rich  gifts  presented  by  noble  pilgrims.  A 
silver  monstrance,  presented  by  Henry  VIII  in  his  younger 
days,  was  lent  for  use  during  the  Eucharistic  Congress  in 
London,  1908.  A  confraternity  was  attached  to  this 
church  and  in  the  register  of  its  members  may  be  seen 
the  names  of  Henry  VIII  and  Queen  Katherine  of  Aragon. 

2.  Montaigu,  a  few  miles  from  Louvain,  is  another 
well-known  shrine  of  our  Lady.     The  miraculous  image 
was  originally  found  in  a  tree,  and  still  stands  in  the  tree 
above  the  High  Altar.     Montaigu  was  a  favourite  pil 
grimage  of  St.  John  Berchmans  in  his  boyhood.     He  came 
every  Saturday  from  his  home  in  Diest,   a  distance    of 
about     seven     miles.     Extraordinary     manifestations    of 
faith  and  devotion  are  here  constantly  witnessed. 

3.  Oostacker,  near  Ghent,  is  a  grotto  built  in  imitation 
of  Lourdes  with  a  supply  of  Lourdes  water  in  a  pool  or 


BY  HER   FEASTS  177 

basin  below  the  grotto.  The  cures  recorded  are  remark 
able  and  undoubtedly  miraculous.  Its  inauguration  began 
with  a  body  of  2,000  pilgrims  on  July  29,  1875,  since  which 
time  there  has  been  a  continuous  stream  of  devout  visitors. 
Crowds  at  times  may  be  seen  coming  to  it  from  Ghent 
and  other  towns. 

4.  Einsiedeln  in  Switzerland  has  been  a  place  of  pil 
grimage  since  the  time  of  the  anti-Pope,  Leo  VIII,  in  964. 
The  object  here  venerated  is  a  miraculous  statue  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin  brought  by  St.  Meinrad  from  Zurich.     The 
Saint  was  murdered  in  861  by  robbers,  who  coveted  the 
rich  offerings  already  at  that  early  date  left  by  the  pil 
grims.     It  is  calculated  that  the  yearly  number  of  pilgrims 
exceeds  150,000.     Even  Protestants  from  the  surrounding 
cantons  are  known  to  have  joined  the  throng  of  worshippers. 

5.  Cracow  in  Poland  is  said  to  possess  a  miraculous 
statue  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  brought  to  it  by  St.  Hyacinth, 
to  which  in  times  past  pilgrimages  were  often  made. 

6.  Czenstochowa  is  the  most  famous  of  Polish  shrines 
dedicated  to  the  Mother  of  God,  where  a  picture  painted 
on  cypress  wood  and  attributed  to  St.  Luke  is  greatly 
venerated.    This  is  reputed  to  be  the  richest  sanctuary 
in  the  world. 

Note.  On  these  and  other  pilgrimages,  see  Catholic 
Encyclopedia,  vol.  xii.  p.  94,  and  Northcote's  Sanctuaries 
of  the  Madonna. 


SECTION   LXVII 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  THE  INSTITUTION  OF  FEASTS 
i.   T7EAST    of   the    Immaculate   Conception.     (See 

JT    §  77.) 

Luther  is  reported  to  have  said  that  of  all  the  Church's 
feasts,  the  two  he  abominated  the  most  were  Corpus 
Christi  and  the  Conception  of  the  Virgin.  No  wonder 

M.P.  N 


178  MARY  HONOURED 

he  hated  her  who  tramples  on  the  head  of  heresy.     Cr asset, 
Tract.  IV.  Q.  5,  p.  262. 

2.  Feast  of  Our  Lady's  Nativity.     It  is  said  to  have 
been  first  celebrated  soon  after  the  Council  of  Ephesus, 
431.     Baronius  tells  us  that  it  was  observed  by  both  the 
Eastern  and  Western  Churches  in  446.     We  have  sermons 
delivered  on  the   feast   by   St.    Proclus,   who   succeeded 
Nestorius  as  Patriarch  of  Constantinople  ;  by  St.  Germanus 
of  Constantinople,  and  by  St.  Andrew  of  Crete.     An  ancient 
liturgical  hymn  has  these  words  referring  to  SS.  Joachim 
and  Anna,  the  parents  of  Mary  :   "  O  Parentes, — quam 
gaudentes, — quam    beatos, — quam    laudatos, — vos    facit 
haec  Filia  !  "     Jamar.  82,  note  2.     In  688  Pope  St.  Sergius  I 
appointed   the    homilies   to  be   read,  and  the  Litany  to 
be  said  on  this  solemnity  ;    also  a  procession  to  be  made 
from  St.  Adrian's  Church  in  the  Forum  to  St.  Mary  Major. 
St.   Gregory  the  Great    (d.   604)   also  prescribed  special 
collects  and  preface  for  the  Mass,  prayers  for  the  procession, 
and  psalms  for  Matins  on  the  same  feast  :   also  a  Mass  for 
the  solemnity  is  thought  to  have  been  used  in  the  time  of 
Pope  St.  Leo  I  (d.  461).     Alban  Butler,  Lives  of  Saints, 
Sept.  8. 

3.  Feast  of  the  Holy  Name  of  Mary.    This  festival 
was  appointed  by  Pope  Innocent  XI  (d.  1689),  to  recom 
mend  to  God  through  our  Lady's  intercession  the  neces 
sities  of  His  Church,  also  to  return  Him  thanks  for  the 
relief  of  Vienna   (1683)  through  her  intercession.     Ibid. 
"  The  name  of  Mary,"  says  St.  Ambrose,  "is  as  ointment 
poured  out.     May  that  same  ointment  descend  into  the 
inmost  depths  and  recesses  of  our  souls,  whereby  holy 
Mary  was  redolent  not  of  the  odours  of  (earthly)  delights, 
but  of  the  breathings  of  divine  grace."    De  Instit.  Virg. 
c.  13. 

On  the  Name  of  Mary  see  §  80. 

4.  Feast  of  the  Presentation  of  the  Child  Mary  in 
the   Temple.     This    festival    is    mentioned   in   the    most 
ancient  Greek  Menologies  extant,  and  we  have  several 


BY  HER   FEASTS  179 

sermons  preached  on  it  by  St.  Germanus  of  Constantinople 
(d.  715),  by  St.  Tarasius  of  Constantinople  (d.  806)  and 
others.  Alban  Butler,  Nov.  21.  The  feast  passed 
from  the  Greeks  into  the  West,  and  was  kept  at  Avignon 
in  1372.  Pope  St.  Pius  V  had  given  permission  that 
this  festival  should  be  expunged  from  the  Breviary,  as  a 
modern  introduction,  but  its  antiquity  was  so  well  proved 
by  Father  Francis  de  Torres,  S.  J.  (d.  1584),  from  the  writings 
of  the  Fathers,  that  it  was  again  restored  by  Sixtus  V. 
It  seems  to  have  been  in  recompense  for  this  act  of  zeal 
that  Father  de  Torres  died  happily  on  this  very  feast. 

St.  Ephrem's  testimony  on  Mary's  presentation  in  the 
temple.  See  Livius,  424,  note,  also  452,  note.  St.  Proclus 
and  St.  Theodatus  on  the  graces  of  Mary.  Ibid.  221. 

5.  Feast   of   the   Annunciation.    St.    Augustine   says 
the  Annunciation  took  place  on  March  25.    Lib.   4  de 
Trin.  c.  5.     Both  Eastern  and  Western  Churches  celebrate 
it  on  that  day,  and  have  done  so  ever  since  the  V  Cent. 
The  festival  is  mentioned  by  Pope  Gelasius  I  in  492.     The 
Council  of  Toledo,  held  in  656,  calls  this  solemnity  pre 
eminently   the   festival   of   the   Mother   of   God.     Alban 
Butler,  March  25,  note.     Livius,  389,  9.     See  St.  Gregory 
Thaumaturgus  on  the  mystery.     Livius,  123  ;  St.  Peter 
Chrysologus,  Ibid.  137  ;   St.  Ephrem,  Ibid.  435,  6  ;   Early 
Liturgies,  "  Hail,  full  of  grace,"  Ibid.  228. 

On  this  feast  in  1522  St.  Ignatius  of  Loyola  at  Mont- 
serrat  hung  up  his  sword  near  our  Lady's  altar,  and  after 
a  night's  vigil,  swore  to  serve  henceforth  only  Christ  and 
His  holy  Mother. 

It  was  on  this  same  feast  in  1578  that  St.  Aloysius  at 
Florence,  then  a  child  of  nine  years,  made  a  vow  of  per 
petual  chastity  at  our  Lady's  altar  in  the  Church  of  SSma. 
Annunziata. 

6.  Feast  of  the  Visitation.    The  earliest  evidence  of 
the  existence  of  this  feast  is  its  adoption  by  the  Franciscan 
Chapter  in  1263  upon  the  advice  of  St.  Bonaventure.     It 
v/as  extended  to  the  entire  Church  by  Urban  VI  in  1389, 


i&o  MARY  HONOURED 

with  the  hope  that  Christ  and  His  Mother  would  visit 
the  Church  and  put  an  end  to  the  Great  Schism,  which 
rent  the  seamless  garment  of  Christ.  The  first  rhythmical 
Office  (abolished  later  by  St.  Pius  V)  was  drawn  up  by  an 
Englishman,  Adam  Cardinal  East  on,  Benedictine  and 
Bishop  of  Lincoln.  Bridgett,  Our  Lady's  Dowry,  235. 
The  feast  was  confirmed  by  the  Council  of  Basle  in  1441. 
Cath.  Encyclop.  xv.  p.  481.  For  beautiful  passages  from 
Origen,  SS.  Jerome,  Ambrose,  Ephrem,  on  the  Visitation 
and  the  Magnificat,  see  Livius,  142-9,  156,  415,  417. 

7.  Feast  of  the  Purification.    A  pilgrim  to  Jerusalem 
in  the  IV  Cent.,  Egeria   or  Sylvia   of   Bordeaux,   speaks 
of  the  celebration  of  this  feast  in  the  Holy  City  on  February 
14.     From  Jerusalem  it  spread  to  the  entire  Church,  but 
was  kept  on  February  2.     Pope  Sergius  I  (d.  702)  intro 
duced  for  the  whole  Church  a  procession  to  be  held  on 
this  day,  though  there  is  mention  of  such  a  procession  with 
lighted  tapers  in  the  time  of  Pope  Gelasius  I    (d.  496). 
St.  Ildephonsus,  St.  Eligius,  St.  Sophronius,  St.  Cyril  of 
Alexandria  and  others  have  sermons  on  this  festival.     St. 
Bernard's  words  on  the  Procession.     See  Alban  Butler, 
Febr.    2.      St.    Leontius    of    Cyprus    on    the    mystery. 
See    Livius,   161,2,3.      St.   Methodius'  beautiful  words. 
Ibid.  153,  4,  5. 

8.  Feast  of  the  Assumption.    This  feast  is  mentioned 
as  having  been  celebrated  with  great  solemnity  before 
the  VI  Cent,  both   in   the    Latin    and    Greek   Churches. 
Alban  Butler,  Aug.  15,  note.     The  Emperor  Constantine 
Porphyrogenitus   describes   the   solemn   procession   made 
by  the  court  and  clergy  at  Constantinople  on  the  great 
festival  of  the  Repose  of  the  Virgin  Mary.     The  Emperor 
himself  often  passed  the  vigil  watching  all  the  night  in 
the  great  church  of  our  Lady  at  Blachernae  on  the  coast, 
some  miles  below  Constantinople,  whither    he    went    in 
great  state  attended  by  his  court,  either  by  land  or  in  a 
yacht.     Ibid.     The    Early   Fathers    and   writers    on   the 
Assumption.     See  Livius,  341  seq.,  also  St.  John  Damas- 


BY   HER  FEASTS  181 

cene  (Ibid.  356),  St.  Gregory  of  Tours  (Ibid.  360),  the 
Sacramentaries  (Ibid.  362).  See  also  Livius'  Mary  in 
the  Epistles,  no.  Miracles  by  our  Lady  as  recorded  by 
Early  Fathers.  See  Alban  Butler,  Aug.  15.  St.  John 
Damascene's  sermon  on  the  Assumption.  See  Rom.  Brev., 
Aug.  15,  lessons  4,  5,  6,  also  Aug.  18,  lessons  4,  5,  6.  St. 
Bernard's  sermon,  Ibid.,  Aug.  19,  lessons  4,  5,  6.  Aug. 
22,  lessons  4,  5,  6.  Note.  Our  Lady  probably  died  in 
Jerusalem.  Alban  Butler,  Aug.  15,  note. 

On  this  feast  in  1534  a  remarkable  event  occurred  in 
the  little  church  of  Our  Lady  of  Montmartre,  Paris  :  St. 
Ignatius  of  Loyola  and  his  first  nine  companions,  one  of 
whom  was  St.  Francis  Xavier,  took  their  first  vows  at 
the  Mass  celebrated  by  Blessed  Peter  Faber.  In  1583 
St.  Aloysius,  aged  fifteen,  then  a  page  of  the  Infante  of 
Spain,  while  praying  in  the  church  of  Our  Lady  of  Good 
Counsel,  Madrid,  heard  a  voice  bidding  him  enter  the 
Society  of  Jesus. 

At  Rome  in  1568  occurred  the  happy  death  of  St.  Stanis 
laus  Kostka,  on  this  our  Lady's  feast. 

9.  Feast  of  Our  Lady  of  Mercy  ("  de  Mercede,"  i.e. 
of  Ransom),  September  24.     The  Order  of  Our  Lady  of 
Ransom, was  founded  by  St.  Peter  Nolasco,  St.  Raymond 
de  Pennafort,  and  King  James  of  Aragon,  with  the  object 
of  freeing  Christian  captives  from  the  Turks.     The  feast 
was  approved  first  of  all  for  the  Order  itself,  and  later 
on  extended  to  the  whole  Church  by  Innocent  XII   (d. 
1700). 

10.  Feast  of  Our  Lady  of  Mount  Carmel,  July  16. 
It  was  approved  for  the  Carmelites  by  Sixtus  V  in  1587. 
Paul  V  inserted  new  lessons  in  the   Office,   which  was 
revised  by  Cardinal  Bellarmine.     Benedict  XIII  extended 
the  feast  to  the  whole  Church.     It  commemorates  the 
tradition  that  from  the  first  days  of  Christianity  groups 
of  hermits  fixed  their  abode  on  Mount  Carmel,  and  that 
the  Blessed  Virgin  visited  them  there.     Some  historians 
of  the  Carmelite  Order  trace  its  origin  to  these  solitaries, 


1 82  MARY   HONOURED 

11.  Feast  of   Our  Lady  of  the  Rosary,  October  7. 
The  naval  victory  of  Lepanto  over  the  Turks  was  won 
by  Don  Juan  of  Austria,  October  7,  1571,  while  the  mem 
bers  of  the  Confraternity  of  the  Rosary  in  Rome  were 
making  supplication  for  the  success  of  the  Christian  arms, 
and  St.  Pius  V,  then  Pope,  ordered  an  annual  commemora 
tion  to  be  made  of  "  St.  Mary  of  Victory."     Gregory  XIII 
(d.  1585)  instituted  the  feast  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Rosary 
for  all  churches  possessing  a  chapel  or  altar  dedicated 
to  the  Blessed  Virgin  under  that  title.     Clement  X   (d. 
1676)  extended  the  feast  to  all  the  dominions  of  the  Spanish 
King.     Clement  XI  (d.  1721),  after  another  great  victory 
over  the  Turks  had  been  obtained  by  the  Emperor  Charles 
VI,  and  Corfu  had  been  freed  from  Turkish  besiegers  in 
the  same  year,  made  the  feast  of  universal  observance. 

12.  Feast  of  Our  Lady's  Seven  Dolours.     (See  "  The 
Seven  Servite  Saints,"  §  16.) 

There  are  also  feasts  of  Our  Lady's  Apparition  at 
Lourdes,  of  the  Dedication  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Snow,  of 
the  Most  Pure  Heart  of  Mary,  and  others. 


SECTION   LXVIII 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  THE  INSTITUTION  OF  SODALITIES  AND 
CONFRATERNITIES 

i.  'r~TrHE  Sodality  or  Congregation,*'known  as  Prima 
JL  Primaria,  i.e.  the  very  first  and  head  of  all 
the  Sodalities  aggregated  to  it,  was  started  in  the  Roman 
College,  A.D.  1563,  by  a  young  Belgian  Jesuit  named  John 
Leunis  (Leonius),  who  used  to  gather  together  the  younger 
scholars  on  Sundays  and  Feast  days  for  special  devotions 
in  honour  of  our  Lady.  The  Sodality  rapidly  developed 
and  spread  throughout  all  the  colleges  of  the  Society  in 
every  part  of  the  world.  In  1584  it  received  the  solemn 
approval  of  Pope  Gregory  XIII,  who  by  a  special  Brief 


BY   SODALITIES   AND   CONFRATERNITIES        183 

enriched  it  with  Indulgences.  Subsequent  Popes,  chiefly 
Sixtus  V,  Clement  VIII,  Gregory  XV,  Benedict  XIV,  Leo 
XII,  Pius  IX  and  Leo  XIII,  have  marked  their  apprecia 
tion  of  the  work  done  in  and  by  the  Sodality  by  adding 
to  its  privileges  and  indulgences. 

(a)  Saints,  who  were  members  of  the  Sodality  :    St. 
John  Berchmans,  St.  Francis  de  Sales,  St.  Peter  Fourier, 
St.  Leonard  of  Port  Maurice,  St.  John  Bapt.  de  Rossi, 
St.   Camillus   de  Lellis,   St.    Fidelis   of   Sigmaringen,   St. 
Alphonsus  Liguori,  St.  Francis  Jerome,  St.  John  Francis 
Regis,  St.  Peter  Claver,  Blessed  Andrew  Bobola,  Blessed 
John   Eudes    and   others.     Elder   Mullan,    The   Sodality, 

4,  5- 

(b)  Popes  and  Cardinals  who  were  Sodalists  :   Urban 
VIII,  Alexander  VII,  Clement  IX,  Clement  X,  Innocent 
XI,  Innocent  XII,  Leo  XIII,  and  some  eighty  Cardinals. 

(c)  Other    remarkable    persons    who    belonged   to    the 
Sodality  are  mentioned  in  the  next  section. 

Leo  XIII  spoke  of  the  Sodality  as  an  "  excellent  school 
of  Christian  piety,  and  the  surest  protection  of  youthful 
innocence." 

St.  Alphonsus  Liguori  is  reported  to  have  said  :  "  When 
any  one  asks  me  what  he  ought  to  do  to  be  saved,  I  tell 
him  to  join  the  Sodality  of  our  Lady  :  there  is  no  better 
advice,  no  safer  or  surer  means.  The  Sodality  is  a  means 
of  salvation  that  comprises  all  other  means." 

2.  Children  of  Mary.     "  Enfants  de  Marie,"  this  is 
a  branch  of  the  Sodality  Prima  Primaria  for  girls  and 
women.    At  first  the  Sodality  was  restricted  to  boys  and 
men. 

3.  A  distinct  Association  of  the  Children  of  Mary, 
for  girls  only,  was  erected  in  1864  in  the  church  of  St. 
Agnes  outside  the  walls,  Rome.     In  1866  it  received  its 
privileges    and    indulgences.     Since    1870    the    power    of 
aggregation  has  belonged  to  the  Abbot  General  of  the 
Reformed  Augustinian  Canons  of  the  Lateran. 

4.  The  Archconfraternity  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual 


1 84  MARY  HONOURED 

Succour  belongs  to  the  Redemptorists,  whose  General 
has  power  to  incorporate  branch  confraternities.  On  the 
picture  of  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Succour,  see  Pilgrim 
Walks  in  Rome,  118. 

5.  The   "  Archconfraternity  of  the    Most  Holy    and 
Immaculate  Heart  of  Mary  for  the  conversion  of  sinners  " 
was  founded  in  Paris,  A.D.  1836,  by  the  parish  priest  of 
Our  Lady  of  Victories,  with  astounding  results  for  good 
in  every  country.     See  §  64,  under  Notre  Dame  des  Vic- 
toires. 

6.  Confraternity  of  Our  Lady  of  Compassion  for  the 
return  of  England  to  the  Faith  :    founded  by  Leo  XIII 
in  1897. 

7.  Confraternity  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Sacred  Heart, 
established  at  Issoudun,  France,  in  1864,  by  Missioners 
of  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus.     Its  centre  is  the  church 
of  Our  Lady  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  Piazza  Navona,  Rome. 

8.  There  are  also  Confraternities  of  the  Brown,  Blue, 
and  Black  Scapulars,  about  which  see  §  73. 


SECTION  LXIX 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  REMARKABLE  SODALISTS  OF  THE 
PRIM  A  PRIM  ARIA 

THE  head  of  the  Sodality  is  the  Father  General  of  the 
Society  of  Jesus.  Its  history  unfolds  before  our 
eyes  a  brilliant  array  of  members,  remarkable  for  talent, 
dignity  and  deeds  of  heroism.  Seldom  have  such  illus 
trious  names  been  united  together  as  in  this  Guard  of 
Honour  to  Mary. 

1.  Saints,  Popes  and  Cardinals,  see  above. 

2.  Prelates,  Illustrious  Priests,  and  others.     Fene- 
lon,  Bishop  of  Cambrai ;    Monsieur  Olier,  founder  of  St. 
Sulpice ;  the  Nuncios  Apostolic  at  Vienna,  Prague,  Cologne ; 


BY   REMARKABLE   SOD  A  LISTS  185 

very  many  Bishops  of  Italy  and  Austria ;   and  a  long  line 
of  priests  remarkable  for  holiness  and  zeal. 

3.  Kings,  Emperors,  Princes.     John  IV  of  Portugal 
established  in  his  palace  a  Sodality  for  the  royal  pages, 
the  sons  of  the  first  Grandees  of  his  kingdom  :   the  Dukes 
and  Princes  of  Bavaria  with  their  families  ;   several  Doges 
of  Venice  and  Genoa  ;    Francis  II,  Duke  of  Lorraine  ; 
Emmanuel,   Duke  of  Savoy  ;    Henry  of  Bourbon  ;    the 
royal  Princes  of  France,  Louis  and  Armand ;    Sigismund 
III  and  Ladislaus  IV,  Kings  of  Poland  ;  the  three  German 
Emperors,  Ferdinand  II,  Ferdinand  III,  and   Leopold  I. 

4.  Great  Soldiers.    Tilly,  Turenne,  Prince  Eugene  of 
Savoy,  lions  in  the    battlefield  ;    Don  Juan  of   Austria, 
the  Victor  of  Lepanto. 

5.  Poets,  Orators  and  Artists.    Tasso,  Justus  Lip- 
sius,  Lopez  di  Vega,  Calderon,  Corneille,  Peter  Paul  Rubens, 
Anton  Van  Dyck,   Bossuet  and  Bourdaloue,   and  many 
others.     See  Opitz,  S.J.,  The  Sodality  of  Our  Lady.    Elder 
Mullan,  The  Sodality. 

6.  Heroic  Sodalists.     In  Palermo,  in  the  year  1610, 
a  Sodalist  refused  to  lend  himself  to  a  certain  transaction 
of  which  his  conscience  did  not  approve.     When  he  was 
threatened  with  death,  he  replied  :   "  Take  away  my  life  ! 
but  the  flower  of  purity  must  remain  with  me.    I  am  resolved 
to  preserve  it  :  whether  I  bear  it  red  or  white  lies  in  your 
hands." 

An  Indian  maiden,  a  Sodalist  of  Monteren  in  Chili, 
cried  out  in  a  moment  of  temptation  :  "  How  could  I 
offend  the  Divine  Son,  to  whose  holy  Mother  I  consecrated 
myself  as  a  child."  Opitz,  Ibid.  75,  where  will  be  found 
many  other  examples. 

7.  Praise  of  the   Sodality  by  Pope   Benedict   XIV. 
In  the  famous  Golden  Bull    (Bulla  Aurea,  A.D.   1748), 
which  reads  like  one  long  hymn  of  praise  of  the  Sodality, 
the  Pope  says  :   "  It  is  incredible  what  advantages  persons 
of  all  ranks  can  derive  from  this  pious  and  praiseworthy 
institution.     Some  have  obtained  through  it   the  grace 


T86  MARY  HONOURED 

of  persevering  all  their  life  through  in  the  innocence  and 
piety  of  their  early  youth.  Others,  who  had  fallen  into 
the  snares  of  the  evil  one,  have  been  'brought  back  from 
the  way  of  perdition  to  that  of  virtue,  through  the  help 
of  Her  to  whose  service  they  had  once  dedicated  themselves 
in  the  Sodality ;  and  have  afterwards  led  a  well-ordered 
and  pious  life.  Others,  again,  have  felt  themselves  raised 
to  higher  degrees  of  the  love  of  God  through  the  devotion 
instilled  into  them  for  the  mother  of  God,  and  with  noble 
and  brave  hearts,  have  turned  their  back  on  the  perishable 
goods  and  pleasures  of  this  world,  bound  themselves  by 
vow  to  the  Cross  of  Christ,  and  consecrated  themselves 
to  the  care  of  their  own  perfection  and  the  salvation  of 
others,"  etc.  The  Pontiff  concludes  with  these  words  : 
"  We  consider  it  a  duty  of  our  pastoral  charge  and  of  our 
apostolic  liberality  to  favour  and  advance  a  work  which 
is  so  solid  and  pious,  and  so  powerfully  makes  for  progress 
in  virtue  and  the  salvation  of  souls.  It  is  for  this  reason 
that  we  have  approved,  enlarged,  and  extended  all  the 
privileges  granted  to  it  by  our  predecessors." 

Popes  Pius  IX  and  Leo  XIII  have  also  bestowed  great 
praise  on  the  Sodality. 

Pope  Pius  X,  speaking  of  the  Sodality  and  its  branches, 
said  :  "  They  are  for  me  a. source  of  sweetness  in  the  midst 
of  bitterness.  I  count  on  the  Sodalities  of  our  Lady  to 
obtain  for  the  Catholic  Church  of  the  future  all  that  is 
good  and  all  that  is  strong.  They  must  bring  the  spirit 
of  prayer  into  all  Catholic  societies." 


SECTION   LXX 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  ILLUSTRIOUS  SCHOLARS 

i.    T)LESSED  Albertus  Magnus,  of  the  Dominican 

D     Order  (d.  1280),  was  most  fervently  devout  to 

the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  attributed  all  his  learning  to  her. 

So  extraordinary  was  his  genius,  and  so  extensive  his 


BY   ILLUSTRIOUS   SCHOLARS  187 

knowledge,  that  he  was  known  as  Doctor  Umversalis.  He 
was  proficient  in  every  branch  of  learning  cultivated  in 
his  day,  and  surpassed  all  his  contemporaries  (except 
Roger  Bacon,  d.  1294)  in  the  knowledge  of  nature.  St. 
Thomas  of  Aquin  studied  philosophy  under  him  in  Paris. 
He  seems  to  have  received  some  warning  that  as  he  had 
received  his  gift  of  learning  from  our  Lady,  it  would  be 
taken  away  for  his  humiliation  a  little  before  his  death. 
In  1278  he  suffered  a  lapse  of  memory  ;  his  strong  mind 
became  clouded,  and  he  sank  under  the  weight  of  years 
and  manifold  labours. 

2.  Father  Francis  Suarez,  S.J.     "  Doctor  Eximius," 
thought  to  be  the  greatest  of  modern  theologians  (d.  1564). 
He  was  Professor  at  Seville,  Valladolid,  Alcala,  Salamanca, 
Coimbra,  Rome,  and  wrote  twenty-four  volumes  in  folio 
on   Philosophy  and  Theology.     When  a  novice  he  was 
found  to  be  so  dull  that  he  requested  to  be  admitted  as  a 
lay-Brother.     Father  Guttierez  bade  him  ask  our  Lady's 
help,  and  he  became  a  prodigy  of  talent. 

3.  Cardinal  Francis  Toletus,  S.J.  (d.  1596),  was  another 
paragon  of  theological  learning,  and  one  of  the  leading 
men  of  his  day.     Every  Saturday  of  the  year  and  in  all 
weathers  he  went  on  foot  from  the  Vatican  to  St.  Mary 
Major  to  say  Mass  at  our  Lady's  altar  ;    and  every  year 
he  prepared  for  the  feast  of  the  Immaculate  Conception 
by  an  eight  days'  fast.     Pope  Gregory  XIII  is  reported 
to  have  said  of  him,  on  raising  him  to  the  Cardinalate  : 
"  We  affirm  that,  of  all  men  now  living,  Toleto  is  the  most 
learned  ;    but  we  must  add  that  he  is  even  more  distin 
guished  for  his  integrity  and  virtue  than  for  his  learning." 

4.  Justus    Lipsius    (d.    1606),    one   of   the   foremost 
scholars  of  his  day,  wrote  treatises  on  the  veneration  and 
miracles  of  Our  Lady  of  Hal   (near  Brussels),  and  Our 
Lady  of  Montaigu  (near  Louvain).    The  golden  pen  with 
which  he  wrote  his  works,  he  gave  as  an  ex-voto  to  the 
shrine  of  Our  Lady  of  Hal,  acknowledging  that  whatever 
talent  he  had,  came  to  him  from  her. 


1 88  MARY   HONOURED 

5.  St.  Edmund  of  Canterbury  (d.  1240)  had  always 
a  picture  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  before  him,  when  at  his 
studies.     The  same  is  told  of  other  great  Saints. 

6.  The  other  great  Jesuit  Theologians  (besides  Suarez 
and  Toleto)  who  cultivated  a  most  tender  devotion  to 
Mary,   were   Cardinal   Bellarmine   (d.   1621),   Lessius 
(d.  1623),  de  Ripalda  (d.  1648),  Cardinal  de  Lugo  (d. 
1660),  Molina  (d.  1600),  Gregory  a  Valentia  (d.  1603), 
Petavius  (d.  1652),  and  others. 

7.  Blessed  Peter  Canisius  (d.  1589)  wrote  an  admirable 
work  in  praise  of  our  Lady,  which  was  welcomed  with 
enthusiasm  by  Catholics.     He  was  the  mainspring  of  the 
Catholic  cause  in  Germany,  and  a  formidable  defender  of 
the  Faith  against  heretics.     Though  honoured  by  Popes, 
Emperors,    Princes,    Prelates,    he   remained   humble   and 
simple  as  a  child. 


SECTION   LXXI 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  DEVOTIONAL  EXERCISES  : 
The  Rosary 

i.  'T'^HE  Rosary.  We  are  told  that  the  Christians  of 
JL  the  early  ages  were  accustomed  to  lay  garlands 
of  flowers  at  the  foot  of  their  altars  and  holy  images  : 
and  in  doing  so  they  gave  expression  to  a  touching  truth, 
viz.  the  obligation  we  are  under  of  referring  the  gifts  of 
God  to  their  source,  of  honouring  God  in  His  works,  and 
especially  in  His  grandest  work  of  all,  the  victory  of  His 
Saints. 

In  accordance  with  this  pious  custom  St.  Gregory 
Nazianzen  (d.  389)  composed  garlands  of  spiritual  flowers, 
so  that  the  prayers  of  the  faithful  might  ascend  to  heaven 
like  the  breath  of  flowers. 

St.  Bridget  of  Ireland  (VI  Cent.),  being  desirous  of 
facilitating  this  practice  and  making  it  more  general, 


BY  DEVOTIONAL   EXERCISES  189 

is  said  to  have  composed  chaplets  of  the  two  prayers 
used  by  Catholics,  the  "  Our  Father  "  and  the  "  Hail 
Mary."  And  in  this  she  was  following  the  example  of 
the  anchorites  of  the  first  ages  of  the  Church,  who,  when 
they  were  prevented  from  reciting  the  great  Psalter  of 
150  Psalms,  supplied  the  omission  by  offering  the  Lord's 
Prayer  to  God  a  certain  number  of  times,  making  use  of 
small  stones  to  count  the  number  of  Paters  said. 

Also  St.  Albert,  Bishop  of  Liege  (d.  1192),  and  Peter 
the  Hermit  (d.  1115),  who  lived  long  before  St.  Dominic, 
propagated  the  popular  practice  of  reciting  the  Pater  and 
Ave,  as  a  means  whereby  the  faithful  were  enabled  to  unite 
themselves  with  the  Canonical  Hours,  or  Divine  Office,  of 
the  Church. 

But  it  was  reserved  to  St.  Dominic  to  popularize  the 
"  Psalter  of  Mary,"  i.e.  the  Rosary  as  we  now  have  it. 
It  was  first  known  as  "  The  Chaplet  "  or  little  crown,  but 
soon  received  the  name  of  Rosary,  or  crown  of  spiritual 
roses.  That  St.  Dominic  was  led  by  a  divine  impulse  to 
spread  this  devotion  is  evidenced  by  the  marvellous  effects 
it  produced,  the  countless  conversions  it  wrought,  the 
mighty  revolutions  for  good  it  effected  in  the  world.  The 
Church  was  afflicted  in  his  day  by  an  impure  sect  of  heretics 
called  Albigenses,  who  went  about  foul-mouthed  and  loud- 
tongued  spreading  their  evil  doctrines  everywhere  with 
a  pride  and  even  ferocity  that  bore  down  all  opposition. 
Saints  and  doctors  of  theology  had  striven  against  them 
in  vain,  the  avalanche,  carrying  with  it  destruction  to 
thousands  of  souls,  came  crushing  its  way  into  the  fair 
domain  of  the  Church.  Even  St.  Dominic,  great  Saint 
as  he  was,  mighty  in  word  and  deed,  was  powerless  to 
resist  the  advancing  evil :  he  laboured  and  suffered,  but 
seemingly  in  vain.  At  length  he  was  inspired  to  preach 
everywhere  the  devotion  of  the  Rosary,  and  the  effect 
was  marvellous  ;  souls  returned  in  vast  numbers  to  the 
Church,  and  whole  provinces  were  saved.  Thus  the  very 
birth  of  the  devotion  was  signalized  by  Victory,  victory 


i go  MARY  HONOURED 

over  the  powers  of  hell  and  the  hordes  of  heresy,  and  this 
character  of  victory  it  has  ever  preserved. 

Since  the  Saint  preached  it  to  the  people  more  than  six 
centuries  ago,  as  a  protection  against  the  inroads  of  heresy, 
the  Rosary  has  fastened  itself  on  the  lives  and  affections 
of  Catholics  in  every  land.  And  when,  as  in  the  days 
of  Lepanto  (see  §  55),  the  fate  of  Christendom  seemed 
to  be  trembling  in  the  balance,  it  was  the  Rosary — the 
cry  of  the  confraternities  in  Rome  to  Mary  for  help — 
that  won  victory  for  the  Christians,  and  inflicted  a  crushing 
blow  on  the  Turks. 

The  Rosary  in  Catholic  England.  That  it  was  a 
favourite  devotion  with  our  Catholic  forefathers  is  evi 
denced  (i)  by  ancient  brasses  still  to  be  seen  on  monu 
ments,  where  the  figures  of  men  and  women  are  seen  with 
Rosaries  hanging  from  their  girdles  :  (2)  by  the  records 
of  wills  that  tell  us  how,  among  the  precious  heirlooms 
handed  down  in  the  families  of  our  ancient  nobility  and 
others  of  note,  a  jewelled  or  gold-mounted  Rosary  is  met 
with  from  time  to  time  as  one  of  the  testator's  special 
treasures. 

The  names  given  to  the  Rosary  by  our  ancestors  were 
a  "  pair  of  beads,"  or  a  "  pair  of  Paternosters,"  or  "  Ave 
Beads."  It  was  not  until  the  XVI  Cent,  that  the  word 
"  Rosary  "  came  into  use.  Sometimes  a  string  of  beads 
consisted  of  only  one  decade,  and  was  so  small  that  it 
could  be  attached  to  a  ring,  and  was  used  over  and  over 
again  for  the  five  decades.  It  may  be  seen  thus  repre 
sented  on  some  effigies  still  preserved. 

The  beads  were  often  made  of  very  costly  materials, 
and  were  considered  a  not  unsuitable  gift  for  a  King. 
One  of  chalcedony  garnished  with  gold  was  given  to  Henry 
VI  as  a  new  year's  gift  in  1437.  There  is  not  unfrequent 
mention  of  Rosaries  of  gold  and  coral  being  left  as  legacies 
in  wills,  some  of  great  value.  One  of  these,  left  in  1361 
by  Humphrey  de  Bohun,  Earl  of  Hereford,  to  his  nephew 
must  have  been  of  great  interest.  It  is  described  as  a 


BY  DEVOTIONAL   EXERCISES  191 

nonche  of  gold,  surrounded  with  large  pearls,  and  adorned 
with  a  ruby,  three  diamonds,  fifty  gold  beads,  and  a  cross 
of  gold  in  which  was  set  a  relic  of  the  true  cross.  Henry 
VI  (see  §  32)  had  a  great  devotion  to  the  Rosary  and 
belief  in  its  power.  He  ordered  his  scholars  at  Eton  to 
say  before  High  Mass  five  decades  of  the  Rosary  for  the 
remission  of  sins  committed  by  the  five  senses. 

Saints,  Prelates,  Kings  and  the  Rosary.  St.  Francis 
de  Sales  had  bound  himself  by  vow  to  recite  the  Rosary 
every  day.  St.  Francis  Xavier  in  his  apostolic  journeys 
wore  it  round  his  neck.  On  the  devotion  of  St.  Alphonsus 
Rodriguez  and  St.  John  Berchmans  to  the  Rosary,  see 
§  21.  Bossuet  and  Louis  XIV  recited  it  daily,  as  did 
also  Queen  Blanche  of  Castile,  who  through  this  devotion 
obtained  the  birth  of  her  son,  St.  Louis.  Henry  IV  of 
France  said  it  every  Saturday  and  Sunday.  St.  John 
Baptist  de  la  Salle,  founder  of  the  Brothers  of  the  Christian 
Doctrine,  was  seen  with  it  constantly  in  his  hand.  Garcia 
Moreno,  the  martyr-President  of  Ecuador,  said  the  Rosary 
every  day.  Some  of  the  great  musical  composers,  v.g. 
Haydn,  Mozart,  Gounod  and  others,  made  a  practice  of 
reciting  the  Rosary. 

The  Rosary  in  Ireland.  (See  §  34.)  In  Penal 
times,  when  there  was  no  Mass,  the  Faith  was  kept  alive 
in  Ireland  by  the  Rosary,  the  family  Rosary  being  recited 
each  evening  in  nearly  every  Catholic  home.  In  the  Co. 
Kildare  grown-up  men  made  it  a  matter  of  conscience 
never  to  be  absent  from  the  Family  Rosary.  In  the 
Maynooth  decrees,  No.  196,  it  is  laid  down  that  the  Parish 
Priest  should,  if  possible,  fix  an  hour  at  which  the  Rosary 
should  be  recited  in  each  house  in  presence  of  the  whole 
family.  Soldiers  and  the  Rosary,  see  §  56. 


-    192  MARY    HONOURED 

SECTION  LXXII 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  THE  ANGELUS  DEVOTION 

ON  the  Angelus  as  it  was  recited  in  England  at  the 
end  of  the  XIV  Cent.,  see  §  29,  also  Waterton, 
143  seq.  Alban  Butler  (Lives  of  the  Saints,  March  25,  note) 
informs  us  that  Pope  Urban  II  in  the  Council  of  Clermont, 
A.D.  1095,  ordered  the  bell  to  be  rung  every  day  for  the 
triple  Angelical  Salutation,  called  "  Angelus  Domini,"  in 
order  to  honour  our  Lady  and  praise  the  Divine  Goodness 
for  the  ineffable  mystery  of  the  Incarnation.1  Which  devout 
practice  several  Popes  have  encouraged  with  Indulgences, 
viz.  John  XXII  (d.  at  Avignon,  1334),  Callixtus  III,  Paul 
III,  Alexander  VII  and  Clement  X.  Benedict  XIII 
increased  the  indulgences  for  those  who  at  the  sound  of 
the  Angelus  bell  should  recite  the  prayers  kneeling.  In 
some  Protestant  churches  in  England,  as  at  King's  Lynn, 
the  church  bell  is  still  tolled  at  6  a.m.  and  6  p.m.,  as  a 
signal  to  labourers  and  artisans,  evidently  a  remnant  of 
old  Catholic  usage. 

St.  Charles  Borromeo  had  such  love  for  "  the  Angelus," 
that  on  hearing  the  bell  he  fell  down  on  his  knees,  wherever 
he  might  be,  even  in  the  muddy  road.  The  same  is  told 
of  other  Saints.  St.  Stanislaus  Kostka  usually  said  his 
three  Aves  turned  in  the  direction  of  St.  Mary  Major, 
Rome. 

Millet's  "  Angelus,"  a  remarkable  painting,  sold  to  an 
American  for  an  immense  sum,  represents  two  peasant 
labourers  in  a  field  stopping  in  their  work  to  recite  the 
Angelical  Salutation  at  the  sound  of  the  village  church- 
bell.  Many  religious,  when  reciting  the  Angelus,  have 
the  practice  of  renewing  their  religious  vows. 

The  Angelus  and  the  Victory  of  Belgrade.     (See  §  55.) 

The  "  Hail  Mary."  St.  Catherine  of  Siena,  St.  Leonard 
of  Port  Maurice,  St.  Alphonsus  Rodriguez,  St.  Alphonsus 
1  Also  to  obtain  our  Lady's  blessing  on  the  Crusade. 


BY   THE   DEVOTION   OF    THE  SCAPULAR  193 

Liguori  and  others  used  to  salute  our  Lady  with  the  Hail 
Mary,  whenever  they  heard  the  clock  strike.  St.  Bernard 
of  Clairvaux  recited  it  every  time  he  saw  a  picture  or  statue 
of  our  Lady.  The  story  is  told  that  once,  when  in  the 
cloister  of  Afflighem  near  Alost  in  Flanders,  he  failed  to 
notice  a  statue  of  Mary  that  stood  in  a  niche  in  the  wall, 
suddenly  he  heard  a  sweet  voice  calling  after  him,  "  Ber- 
narde,  salve  Bernarde  !  "  :  whereupon  he  fell  on  his  knees 
exclaiming  :  "  O  gentle,  O  loving,  O  sweet  Virgin  Mary." 


SECTION   LXXIII 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  THE  DEVOTION  OF  THE  SCAPULAR 

i.  '"T^HE  Brown  Scapular,  that  of  Our  Lady  of  Mount 
_L  Carmel,  consists  of  two  pieces  of  brown  cloth, 
connected  with  strings  and  worn  over  the  shoulders. 
The  story  of  its  origin  is  as  follows.  The  Blessed  Virgin 
appeared  in  England  to  St.  Simon  Stock,  General  of  the 
Carmelites,  at  a  time  when  the  Order  was  in  great  trouble. 
She  presented  to  him  a  scapular  (such  as  many  Religious 
Orders  now  wear),  in  order  that  by  it  "  the  holy  Carmelite 
Order  might  be  known  and  protected  from  the  evils  which 
assailed  it  "  :  and  she  added,  "  This  is  the  privilege  granted 
to  you  and  to  all  Carmelites  ;  no  one  dying  with  this 
scapular  on,  will  suffer  everlasting  burning."1  It  was  to 
be  a  pledge  of  salvation,  a  security  in  dangers,  a  sign  of 
holiest  affection  between  our  Lady  and  her  children.  The 
privilege  of  wearing  the  scapular  was  extended  by  Popes  to 
other  Religious  and  even  to  persons  in  the  world.  Among 
the  illustrious  members  of  the  Confraternity  may  be 
mentioned  Edward  III  of  England,  with  his  Queen  and 
children  ;  Henry  Duke  of  Lancaster,  St.  Louis  IX  of 
France,  Louis  XIII,  Louis  XIV,  Louis  XV  ;  also  Henry 
Earl  of  Northumberland  and  others.  See  Waterton,  176. 
Crasset. 

1  See  note  at  the  end  of  this  section. 
M.P.  O 


194  MARY  HONOURED 

The  Sabbatine  Indulgence.  The  Blessed  Virgin  is 
said  to  have  further  promised  that  if  any  Carmelite,  or 
any  one  associated  with  the  Order  by  wearing  the  scapular, 
went  to  Purgatory,  she  would  release  them  from  that  state 
of  suffering  on  the  Saturday  following  their  death.  Special 
conditions  are  required  to  gain  this  Indulgence,  viz.  obser 
vance  of  chastity,  either  conjugal  or  in  the  single  state  ; 
daily  recital  of  our  Lady's  Office  ;  abstinence  from  flesh- 
meat  on  Wednesdays  and  Saturdays.  Priests  having 
power  to  invest  with  the  scapular  have  also  power  to 
commute  the  two  last  conditions.  Some  controversy  has 
arisen  within  recent  years  concerning  this  Sabbatine 
Indulgence.  See  The  Month,  1886,  Nov.,  305. 

2.  The  Blue  Scapular  of  the  Immaculate  Conception 
was  greatly  propagated  by  Venerable  Ursula  Benincasa, 
a  Theatine  nun,  whose  virtues  were  admired  by  St.  Philip 
Neri.     This  scapular  belongs  to  the  Theatine  Order,  and 
has  attached  to  it  extraordinary  indulgences,  viz.  every 
time   those  who  wear  it  recite  six  Paters,  Aves  and  Glorias 
in  honour  of  the  Most  Holy  Trinity  and  of  Mary  conceived 
without  sin,   they  gain  all  the  indulgences  granted  for 
visits  to  the  seven  Basilicas  of  Rome,  to  the  church  of 
the  Portiuncula,   and  to  the  Holy  Places    of  Palestine. 
Neither  confession  nor  communion  is  required  to  gain  this 
rich  indulgence.     Pius  IX,  1856. 

3.  There  are  also  the  Black  Scapular  of  the  Servites, 
the  White  Scapular  of  the  Trinitarians,  the  Red  Scapu 
lar  of  the  Passionists,  each  with  special  indulgences  and 
favours  attached  to  it. 

N.B.  Our  Lady's  promise  of  a  holy  death  to  all  who 
die  wearing  the  Brown  Scapular  depends  on  its  having 
been  worn  piously  and  chastely.  To  lead  a  sinful  life 
expecting  to  be  saved  by  the  scapular  is  presumption  of 
God's  mercy.  Still,  miraculous  conversions  even  at  the 
last  hour  are  often  obtained  by  means  of  the  Scapular. 


BY   DEVOTIONAL   EXERCISES  195 

SECTION   LXXIV 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  DEVOTIONAL  EXERCISES  : 
The  Miraculous  Medal 

IN  1830  the  Immaculate  Mother  of  God  appeared  three 
times  to  a  novice  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity  in  Paris 
named  Catherine  Laboure.  The  facts  may  be  briefly 
stated  as  follows.  Sister  Catherine  was  favoured  with  a 
first  apparition  on  July  18,  the  particulars  of  which  are 
here  omitted  for  brevity's  sake.  The  second  and  most 
important  apparition  occurred  on  November  27  of  the 
same  year,  the  Saturday  preceding  the  first  Sunday  of 
Advent.  The  young  novice  was  making  her  meditation 
in  the  chapel  about  5.30  p.m.,  when  she  heard  in  the  sanc 
tuary  something  like  the  rustling  of  a  silk  dress.  Looking 
up  she  saw  the  Blessed  Virgin  with  a  countenance  of 
indescribable  beauty,  her  feet  resting  on  a  globe,  her  hands 
raised  as  high  as  the  waist  holding  another  small  globe, 
a  figure  of  the  universe.  Suddenly  her  hands  seemed 
filled  with  rings  and  precious  stones,  emitting  rays  of 
light  that  shone  brilliantly  on  every  side.  Then  the 
Blessed  Virgin  spoke  to  her  with  an  interior  voice  saying  : 
"This  globe  represents  the  entire  world,  more  particularly 
France,  and  each  individual  soul.  The  rays  of  light  are 
a  symbol  of  the  graces  I  bestow  on  those  who  ask  for 
them." 

Then  around  the  spotless  Virgin  there  began  to  form 
itself  a  kind  of  oval  frame  upon  which  were  written  in 
golden  letters  the  words,  "  O  Mary,  conceived  without 
sin,  pray  for  us  who  have  recourse  to  thee."  Then  a 
voice  was  heard  saying  :  "  Have  a  medal  struck  after 
this  model.  Those  who  wear  it  will  receive  great  blessings. 
Abundant  graces  will  be  given  to  those  who  have  confi 
dence."  Then  the  oval  frame  seemed  to  turn  round,  and 
there  appeared  on  the  reverse  the  letter  M  surmounted 


i96  MARY  HONOURED 

by  a  cross,  and  below  the  letter  were  figures  of  the  sacred 
Hearts  of  Jesus  and  Mary,  the  former  encircled  by  a  crown 
of  thorns,  the  latter  pierced  with  a  dagger. 

Sister  Laboure  saw  the  same  vision  a  second  time  in 
December,  and  received  the  same  order  to  have  a  medal 
struck  like  the  model  she  had  seen.  It  was  only  in  1832 
that  she  could  prevail  upon  her  Director,  M.  Aladel,  to 
have  this  order  executed.  Her  name  was  never  men 
tioned  in  connection  with  the  medal  until  after  her  death, 
December  31,  1876. 

In  the  IV  Lesson  of  the  Office  of  the  new  feast,  estab 
lished  soon  after  her  death,  we  read  :  "  Events  soon  showed 
the  divine  origin  of  the  commission  entrusted  to  Sister 
Laboure.  Scarcely  was  the  new  medal  made  known, 
when  many  asked  to  wear  it  as  a  token  of  devotion  to  the 
Mother  of  God.  France  first  signalized  herself  in  the 
matter  :  then,  the  Bishops  approving  the  practice,  the 
whole  world  witnessed  a  daily  increase  of  devotion,  respect, 
and  confidence  towards  the  holy  Virgin,  who  deigned, 
through  the  medal,  to  work  miracles  for  the  alleviation 
of  bodily  ailments,  as  well  as  for  the  destruction  of  the 
vices  of  the  soul." 

The  V  Lesson  is  as  follows  :  "  Among  all  these  facts 
worthy  of  note,  we  must  refer  to  that  which  happened 
to  Alphonsus  Ratisbonne  on  January  20,  1842,  and  which 
was  confirmed  by  the  solemn  judgment  of  ecclesiastical 
authority.  Born  at  Strassburg  of  Jewish  parents,  Alphon 
sus,  on  his  way  to  the  East,  stopped  for  a  time  at  Rome. 
There  he  became  acquainted  with  a  man  of  noble  birth,1 
who  had  been  himself  converted  from  heresy  to  the  Catholic 
religion.  Pitying  the  condition  of  his  unfortunate  friend, 
he  endeavoured  to  bring  him  to  the  true  religion.  But 
his  words  were  of  no  avail :  all  he  could  obtain  was  that 
the  Jew  should  wear  on  his  neck  the  holy  medal  of  the 
Mother  of  God.  In  the  meantime  prayers  were  offered 

1  The  Viscount  Theodore  de  Bussiere. 


BY  DEVOTIONAL   EXERCISES  197 

for  him  to  the  Immaculate  Virgin.     Mary  did  not  allow 
them  to  wait  long  for  her  assistance. 

"  Alphonsus  chanced  to  enter  the  church  of  St.  Andrew 
delle  Fratte  (Rome).  It  was  about  noonday.  Suddenly 
it  seemed  to  him  that  the  church  became  dark,  except 
one  chapel,  that  of  St.  Michael,  where  a  brilliant  light  was 
shining.  Awestruck  he  looked  in  the  direction  of  the 
chapel,  and  suddenly  the  Blessed  Virgin  appeared  to  him 
with  a  countenance  full  of  sweetness,  and  in  form  such 
as  she  is  represented  on  the  holy  Medal.  This  celestial 
vision  suddenly  changed  Alphonsus'  heart.  He  shed 
abundant  tears,  and  acknowledged  the  errors  of  Judaism. 
The  Catholic  religion,  for  which  he  had  felt  only  horror 
hitherto,  now  seemed  to  him  to  be  the  true  religion.  He 
embraced  it  wholeheartedly.  After  being  instructed  in 
the  doctrines  of  the  Faith,  some  days  later  he  was  purified 
in  the  holy  waters  of  baptism  to  the  great  joy  of  the  whole 
Roman  people." 


SECTION  LXXV 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  OTHER  SPECIAL  DEVOTIONS 


i.  ^pHE  Little  Office  of  the  Immaculate  Concep- 
J.  tion,  "  Salve  mundi  Domina,"  etc.  Its  author 
is  unknown.  St.  Alphonsus  Rodriguez,  S.J.,  recited  this 
Little  Office  daily  for  the  last  forty  years  of  his  life,  and 
occupied  his  spare  moments,  while  acting  as  door-keeper 
of  the  College  of  Palma  in  Majorca,  in  transcribing  copies 
of  it  for  distribution  among  the  students  who  frequented 
the  college.  This  he  did  in  obedience  to  injunctions 
received  from  our  blessed  Lady  herself.  The  history  of 
this  Office  is  given  by  Waterton,  134  seq.  Young  clerics, 
and  others,  who,  on  account  of  their  tender  age,  do  not 
recite  the  Offlcium  Parvum  B.M.V.,  are  recommended  by 
the  Holy  See  to  say  instead  the  "  Little  Office  of  the 


198  MARY  HONOURED 

Immaculate  Conception  "  as  a  means  of  preserving  chastity 
unblemished.     Waterton,  139. 

2.  Saturday  dedicated  to  Mary.    As  every  week  has 
its  Lord's  day,  i.e.  Sunday,  so  the  piety  of  the  faithful 
has  long  since  x  made  Saturday  Mary's  day.     "  A  beautiful 
custom,"  writes  St.   Peter  Damian,  Cardinal  Bishop  of 
Ostia,   about   the  middle  of  the  XI  Cent.,  "  has  grown 
up  in  some  churches  of  celebrating  Mass  in  Mary's  honour 
on  every  Saturday,   unless  some  feast  or  Lenten  feria 
prevent    it."     St.    Bernardine    of    Siena,    St.    Alphonsus 
Liguori,  St.  Diego,  St.  Nicholas  of  Tolentino,  St.  Leonard 
of  Port  Maurice,  St.  Elizabeth  of  Portugal,  St.  Juliana 
Falconieri,  and  many  other  Saints  were  in  the  habit  of 
fasting  every  Saturday.     St.  Louis  of  France  served  the 
poor  at  table  with  his  own  hands  every  Saturday.    Sebas 
tian,  King  of  Portugal,  used  to  hear  two  Masses  on  Saturday 
in  Mary's  honour.     Monsieur   Olier's  intention  at  Mass 
every  Saturday  was  to  thank  God  for  Mary's  Divine  Mater 
nity.     St.   Rose  of  Lima  used  to  bring  flowers  to  our 
Lady's  altar  every  Saturday. 

In  England,  Alcuin  (Alcwine,  d.  804),  in  the  distribution 
of  the  various  offices  which  he  drew  up  for  each  day  of 
the  week,  assigns  Saturday  to  our  blessed  Lady.  This 
he  did  for  the  Abbey  of  St.  Vedastus,  about  the  year  796. 
St.  Godric,  the  hermit  of  Finchale  (d.  1170),  made  it  a 
custom  every  Saturday  to  give  an  alms  in  our  Lady's 
honour.  In  Scotland  the  pious  King  William,  friend  of 
Innocent  III,  to  prove  his  love  for  the  Church  and  our 
Lady,  ordered  in  1202  cessation  from  work  from  midday 
on  Saturday,  the  object  being  to  allow  the  people  time 
to  go  to  confession.  At  Magdalen  College,  Oxford,  the 
singing  of  our  Lady's  anthem  on  Saturday  was  one  of 
the  devotions  prescribed  by  the  founder.  See  Waterton, 

143. 

3.  Month  of  May.    The  pious  custom  of  addressing 
public  prayers  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  of  decking  her  altar 

1  Before  the  XI  Cent. 


BY  DEVOTIONAL   EXERCISES  199 

with  flowers  and  singing  hymns  in  her  honour,  etc.,  seems 
to  have  arisen  about  the  middle  of  the  XVI  Cent.  St. 
Philip  Neri,  founder  of  the  Oratory  (d.  1595),  is  thought 
to  have  been  the  first  to  conceive  the  idea  of  dedicating 
the  most  beautiful  month  of  the  year  to  Mary.  In  1748 
Father  Latomia,  S.J.,  spread  the  devotion  in  Rome  by 
publishing  a  little  book  entitled  May,  Mary's  Month. 
Father  Muzzarelli,  S.J.,  contributed  more  than  any  one  to 
propagate  the  pious  custom  by  his  book  on  the  month  of 
May,  published  in  1801.  Pope  Pius  VII  in  1815  granted 
special  indulgences  for  the  May  devotions,  whether  public 
or  private,  viz.  300  days  for  each  day  of  the  month,  and 
a  Plenary  Indulgence  on  the  usual  conditions  once  in  the 
month.  In  colleges  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  a  picture  or 
statue  of  our  Lady  occupies  a  position  of  honour  in  every 
classroom  and  playroom  ;  and  during  the  month  of  May 
loving  hearts  and  ready  hands  busy  themselves  in  affec 
tionate  rivalry  adorning  this  little  shrine. 

4.  Flowers  are  placed  on  Mary's  altar  as  symbolical 
of  her  virtues,  the  lily  of  purity,  the  rose  of  charity,  the 
violet  of  humility,  and  so  on  :  also  as  an  outward  expres 
sion  of  the  love  we  bear  her,  and  of  the  spiritual  flowers 
we  wish  to  offer  her. 

In  an  Irish  Litany  of  the  VIII  Cent.  Mary  is  invoked 
as  the  Enclosed  Garden,  the  Branch  of  the  Root  of  Jesse, 
the  Cedar  of  Lebanon,  the  Cypress  of  Mount  Sion,  the 
crimson  Rose  of  Jacob,  and  as  blooming  like  the  Olive  tree. 

Alcuin  of  England  (VIII  Cent.)  addresses  her  as  the 
Flower  of  the  Field,  the  Lily  of  the  world,  the  Garden 
enclosed.  In  the  Sarum  Primer  she  is  saluted  as  the  Rose 
without  thorns,  the  Lily  of  chastity,  the  Violet  of*  humility. 

Many  plants  bear  our  Lady's  name,  as  Marygold,  Lady- 
smock,  Lady's  seal  (Black  Bryony),  Virgin's  bower,  Lady's 
hair  (Maidenhair  fern),  Lady's  slippers  (Cypripedium), 
Lady's  eyes  (the  blue  Forget-me-not),  and  so  on. 

On  the  custom  of  decorating  altars  with  flowers  and 
garlands  in  the  VI  Cent.,  see  Waterton,  198.  On 


200  MARY  HONOURED 

the  custom  as  prevailing  in  England,  Ibid.  198.  Welby 
Pugin  denounces  artificial  flowers,  when  nature  supplies 
so  bountifully  her  beautiful  gifts  to  be  presented  to  God, 
and  God's  spotless  Mother. 

5.  Votive  Candles.1  Waterton,  83,  tells  us  that  it 
was  a  very  old  and  universal  custom  to  burn  candles 
before  images  of  our  Lady ;  and,  as  illustrating  the  prac 
tice,  he  gives  the  story  of  the  Abbot  John,  related  in  the 
VII  (Ecumenical  Council  (the  second  of  Nicaea,  A.D.  787). 
This  pious  custom  was  most  common  in  England.  In 
the  year  1225,  William,  Earl  of  Salisbury,  when  nearly 
lost  at  sea,  is  said  to  have  had  a  vision  of  our  Lady  pro 
tecting  him  because  of  his  having  assigned  a  sum  of  money 
for  a  wax  candle  to  be  burnt  every  day  before  her  altar. 
Numerous  bequests  and  endowments  were  made  to  pro 
vide  lamps  and  candles  to  burn  before  Mary's  image  : 
even  lands  were  bequeathed  for  this  purpose  and  known 
as  "lamp-lands,"  u  light-lands."  In  many  churches 
Lady-lights  were  supported  by  guilds.  Waterton,  85. 
Henry  VIII,  in  his  better  days,  used  to  provide  candles, 
called  the  "  King's  candles,"  for  Our  Lady  of  Doncaster 
and  of  Walsingham ;  and  the  Earl  of  Northumberland 
maintained  candles  in  the  same  sanctuaries  all  the  year 
round.  Candles  were  costly  in  those  days  :  see  footnote. 


SECTION  LXXVI 

MARY  GREATLY  HONOURED  IN  HER  IMMACULATE 
CONCEPTION 

MEANING  of  the  Immaculate  Conception.     It  means 
that  in  the  very  first  instant  of  her  soul's  creation, 
she  was  by  a  special  privilege,  in  consideration  of  the 

1  Beeswax  was  a  very  costly  article  in  the  Middle  Ages,  as  its 
supply  was  very  limited.  A  large  candle  cost  as  much  in  those 
days  as  a  fat  sheep. 


IN  HER  IMMACULATE  CONCEPTION  201 

merits  of  her  Divine  Son,  preserved  from  the  stain  of 
original  sin. 

Proofs  of  this  article  of  our  belief,  of  which  a  sum 
mary  only  is  given  here,  may  be  sought  in  Theological 
treatises. 

A.  Testimony  of  Holy  Scripture,  as  explained  by  the 
Fathers  of  the  Church.1 

(1)  Genesis  iii.  16.     "I  will  put  enmities  between  thee 
and  the  Woman,  and  between  thy  seed  and  her  seed  : 
she  shall  crush  thy  head."     Here  God  curses  the  serpent, 
and  at  the  same  time  promises  a  Redeemer,  and  with  the 
Redeemer  His  holy  Mother.     The  seed  of  the  serpent  are 
the  devils,  sin  and  sinners  ;    his  head  means  his  power 
which  shall  be  crushed,  i.e.  vanquished. 

From  this  passage  we  see  that  the  enmity  which  exists 
between  the  Woman  with  her  Son  and  the  serpent  with  its 
brood  is  absolute,  complete,  perpetual,  without  restriction  ; 
an  enmity  by  which  this  Woman  is  set  against  the  infernal 
serpent,  the  author  of  the  first  sin  ;  an  enmity  which 
places  Mary  with  her  Son  apart  as  the  perpetual  opponents 
of  sin  and  Satan,  as  having  nothing  in  common  with  the 
devil,  as  persons  against  whom  the  devil  has  no  claim. 
But  if  Mary  had  ever  been  even  for  a  moment  in  Satan's 
power  by  being  conceived  in  sin,  if  the  trail  of  the  serpent 
had  ever  been  upon  her  soul,  the  enmity  between  her 
and  Satan  would  not  have  been  perpetual  like  that  of  her 
Divine  Son,  who  was  altogether  free  from  sin  ;  nor  would 
she  have  gained  a  complete  victory  over  the  serpent. 
Besides,  the  devil  could  have  claimed  her  as  once  having 
belonged  to  his  brood,  as  once  having  been  a  child  of 
wrath,  deprived  of  sanctifying  grace.  See  §  78,  Pius  IX's 
words  on  this  text. 

(2)  St.  Luke  i.  28-42.     Mary  is  saluted  by  the  Archangel 
as  "  full  of  grace,"  therefore  perfectly  innocent  and  pleas- 

1  There  is  no  apodeictic  and  certain  proof  from  Scripture  of  the 
Immaculate  Conception.  All  theologians  of  repute  put  the  argu 
ment  in  some  such  form  as  above. 


202  MARY  HONOURED 

ing  to  God,  never  deprived  of  divine  grace  for  a  moment : 
also  as  "  blessed  among  women/'  therefore  equal  to  Eve, 
to  say  the  least,  who  was  created  sinless  and  in  the  state 
of  grace. 

(3)  Canticle  of  Canticles,  ii.  2  and  iv.  7-12.  "  Thou 
art  all  fair,  my  beloved.  Thou  art  all  fair,  and  there  is 
no  stain  in  thee."  "  My  beloved  is  like  a  lily  amidst 
thorns."  But  original  sin  is  a  dark  stain  that  disfigures 
the  soul,  and  makes  it  hateful  in  the  sight  of  God. 

B.  Testimony  of  the  Early  Fathers. 

St.  Denis  of  Alexandria  (d.  265)  calls  Mary  "  the  only 
daughter  of  life,  the  tabernacle  most  holy,  not  made  by 
hands  of  man,  preserved  incorrupt,  and  blessed  from  the 
head  to  the  feet." 

Origen  (d.  253)  not  only  says  that  Mary  was  never 
tainted  by  the  breath  of  the  venomous  serpent,  but  he 
infers  the  same  conclusion  from  the  angelical  salutation 
"  Hail,  full  of  grace,"  which,  he  says,  can  apply  to  Mary 
alone.  Again,  in  his  Homilies  he  says  :  '  The  Blessed 
Virgin  Mary  was  neither  deceived  by  the  suggestion  of 
the  devil,  nor  sullied  by  his  pestilential  breath." 

St.  Epiphanius  (d.  403)  :  "  The  immaculate  sheep 
that  brought  forth  Christ  the  Lamb  of  God,  was  superior 
to  everything,  God  excepted ;  she  was  more  beautiful 
in  her  nature  than  the  Cherubim,  the  Seraphim,  and  the 
whole  host  of  Angels."  "  Mary  by  grace  was  free  from 
all  stain  of  sin." 

St.  Amphilochius  (d.  344)  says  that  "  He  who  created 
the  first  virgin  Eve  in  the  state  of  innocence,  also  created 
the  second,  Mary,  exempt  from  opprobrium  and  from  all 
sin." 

St.  Cyril  of  Alexandria  (d.  444).     (See  §  n.) 

St.  Sophronius,  Patriarch  of  Constantinople  (d.  680), 
in  a  letter  approved  by  the  Third  Council  of  Constantinople, 
states  most  clearly  that  Mary  was  exempt  from  all  blemish. 

St.  Gregory  of  Nyssa  (d.  403)  speaks  of  Mary's  "  purity 
without  shadow." 


IN  HER   IMMACULATE   CONCEPTION  203 

St.  James  of  Batnae  (d.  522)  says  :  "  If  any  stain 
or  defect  had  been  in  her  soul,  the  Lord  would  have  sought 
out  another  Mother  for  Himself,  one  perfectly  free  from 
all  sin." 

The  Liturgy  of  St.  James  the  Apostle  calls  Mary  spot 
less  and  immaculate,  "  all  blameless,  more  to  be  honoured 
than  the  Cherubim,  incomparably  more  glorious  than  the 
Seraphim." 

The  Liturgy  of  St.  John  Chrysostom,  much  anterior  to 
the  Saint  whose  name  it  bears,  says  "Mary  was  altogether 
sinless." 

Father  Harper,  S.J.,  in  his  work  Peace  through  the  Truth, 
vol.  I.  pp.  101  to  117,  after  giving  multitudes  of  passages 
from  the  Eastern  and  Western  Fathers  of  the  Church, 
sums  up  the  question  as  follows  :  "  Who  can  be  so  blinded 
with  prejudice  as  not  to  perceive  in  these  questions,  bor 
rowed  from  successive  centuries,  an  Apostolic  tradition, 
which  is  as  far  removed  from  the  least  heterodox  concep 
tion  of  Mary  professed  by  Protestants  as  heaven  is  from 
earth  ?  Voices  reach  us  from  Syria,  from  different  parts 
of  Africa,  from  Mesopotamia,  from  Phoenicia,  from  Milan 
and  Constantinople,  from  Jerusalem,  from  the  shores  of 
the  Tiber,  from  Mount  Sinai,  from  Rome,  from  Lyons, 
which,  one  and  all,  conspire  in  ascribing  to  Mary  an 
immaculate  purity  of  soul,  mind  and  body,  a  solitary  pre 
eminence  in  God's  creation  of  grace." 

C.  Testimony  of  Reason.  Reasonableness  of  the 
doctrine. 

(1)  Mary  is  the    Mother  of    God  :    therefore  she  must 
have  been  immaculate  in  her  conception.    The  infinite 
greatness  and  dignity  of  the  Son  require  that  the  Mother 
should  not  be  less  privileged  than  His  servants.     But 
the  Angels,  His  servants,  were  created  in  sanctifying  grace, 
as  also  was  Eve  :  therefore  much  more  is  this  true  of  Mary. 

(2)  The  infinite  purity  of  her  Son  requires  that  the 
tabernacle,  where  He  was  to  take  flesh,  should  be  abso 
lutely  pure  and  unblemished.    St.  Bernardine  of  Siena 


204  MARY  HONOURED 

(d.  1444)  writes  :  "  We  must  not  believe  that  the  Son 
of  God  would  have  cared  to  be  born  of  the  Virgin  and  to 
assume  flesh  from  her,  had  she  been  stained  by  the  slightest 
shade  of  original  sin." 


SECTION  LXXVII 

MARY  HONOURED  IN  HER  IMMACULATE  CONCEPTION  (cont.) 
Celebration  of  the  Feast.     The  Controversy 


EORGE,  Bishop  of  Nicomedia,  in  the  reign  of  Hera- 
V_T  clius  (VII  Cent.)  calls  the  Conception  of  our  Lady 
a  feast  of  ancient  date.  See  Alban  Butler,  Dec.  8,  note  at 
the  end.  In  the  West,  Naples  is  thought  by  some  to 
have  been  the  first  to  borrow  this  solemnity  from  the 
Greek  Church.  Ibid.  St.  Ildephonsus  (d.  667)  is  said 
to  have  introduced  it  into  Spain,  and  St.  Anselm  (d.  1109) 
into  England,  the  latter  about  the  year  1070.  But  there 
is  proof  that  it  was  celebrated  in  England  at  an  earlier 
date,  viz.  1034  or  1057.  (See  §  28,  n.  2.) 

It  is  related  in  the  Chronicon  Belgicum  that,  in  a  council 
held  at  Mayence  in  1049  in  presence  of  Pope  St.  Leo  IX 
and  the  Emperor  Henry  I,  the  feast  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception  was  established  (in  Central  Europe).  In  the 
year  noo  it  was  celebrated  at  St.  Laurence's  Church, 
Liege,  and  in  1142  in  the  whole  diocese  of  Liege. 

In  1215,  Rheims,  at  the  request  of  the  Legates  of  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff,  solemnized  the  feast  on  September  8 
with  unusual  pomp,  its  example  being  followed  by  many 
other  towns. 

In  the  XIV  Cent,  it  was  celebrated  in  Rome,  at  least 
by  the  Carmelites. 

In  1378  the  Synod  of  Saragossa  insisted  on  its  cele 
bration. 

In  1394  Jonn  I»  King  of  Aragon,  published  a  decree 
re-establishing  this  feast  in  all  the  provinces  conquered 


JN  HER  IMMACULATE   CONCEPTION  205 

from  the  Moors,  and  with  a  great  display  of  theological 
arguments,  forbidding  any  one  in  his  kingdom  to  deny 
this  privilege  of  Mary. 

In  1483  Pope  Sixtus  IV  commanded  September  8  to 
be  kept  as  a  holiday. 

The  Controversy. 

St.  Bernard  (d.  1153),  our  Lady's  most  devout  client, 
and  an  eloquent  advocate  of  her  privileges,  reproved  the 
Canons  of  Lyons  because  of  their  own  authority,  and 
without  consulting  the  Holy  See,  they  celebrated  a  feast 
of  the  Immaculate  Conception.  Epist.  174.  He  con 
cludes  his  letter  thus  :  "  What  I  have  said,  let  it  be  said 
without  prejudice  of  a  wiser  man  than  me.  All  this  and 
other  similar  questions  I  mostly  reserve  to  the  authority 
of  the  Roman  Church,  ready  to  abide  by  her  judgment, 
if  I  happen  to  differ  from  it." 

Suarez,  referring  to  St.  Bernard's  objection  just  stated, 
remarks:  "If  he  were  alive  now  (XVI  Cent.)  and  saw 
the  aspect  of  the  present  Church,  and  the  authority  of 
the  Holy  See  highly  favouring  this  opinion,  undoubtedly 
he  would  reverently  embrace  it." 

The  mind  of  St.  Thomas  of  Aquin  on  the  Immaculate 
Conception  is  not  clear.  In  his  early  works,  v.g.  i  Sent. 
D.  44,  q.  i,  a.  3,  he  writes  :  "  The  Blessed  Virgin  was 
exempt  from  original  and  actual  sin  "  :  and  in  Psalm 
xiv.  :  "In  Christ  and  in  the  Virgin  Mary  there  was  no 
sin  whatever."  But  in  his  Summa  Theologica,  written  in 
the  last  years  of  his  life,  he  took  the  other  view  (3  q. 
27,  a.  2),  viz.  :  that  she  was  conceived  in  sin,  but  immedi 
ately  purified  from  it. 

In  the  XIII  Cent,  the  question  was  agitated  among 
schoolmen  whether  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary  had  been 
conceived  without  original  sin,  or  not  ?  A  number  of 
them,  led  by  the  authority  of  Peter  Lombard,  Master  of 
the  Sentences,  adopted  the  view  contrary  to  the  privi 
lege  of  Mary.  The  Friars  Preachers  (Order  of  St. 


206  MARY  HONOURED 

Dominic),  following  St.  Thomas  (1274)  and  Albert  the 
Great  (1280)  his  master,  constantly  supported  this 
opinion. 

But  the  cause  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  triumphed 
when  John  Duns  Scotus  (1308),  a  Franciscan,  in  a  solemn 
disputation  which  took  place  before  the  theological  faculty 
of  Paris  by  order  of  the  Pope  and  in  presence  of  his  Legate 
(1307),  proved  with  arguments  that  seemed  unanswerable 
that  the  Blessed  Virgin  was  exempt  from  original  sin. 
(See  §  26.) 

After  the  Controversy. 

In  1387  the  Sorbonne  condemned  a  proposition  of  the 
Dominican  John  de  Monteson,  affirming  that  the  Blessed 
Virgin  had  been  conceived  in  sin  :  and  the  Bishop  of 
Paris  confirmed  the  censure '. 

In  1439  the  Council  of  Basle  declared  our  Lady  immacu 
late  in  her  conception.  (See  §  n.) 

In  1457  the  Council  of  Avignon  confirmed  this  decree. 
(See  §  n.) 

In  1476  Sixtus  IV  published  a  Constitution,  in  which 
he  granted  indulgences  to  those  who  should  hear  Mass 
on  the  feast  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  and  recite 
the  Office  approved  by  him  for  the  feast. 

In  1481  Sixtus  IV,  by  a  new  Constitution,  forbade  any 
one  to  condemn  either  opinion  as  heretical. 

In  1497  John  Verus,  theologian  of  Paris,  having  preached 
that  the  Blessed  Virgin  had  not  been  preserved,  but  purified, 
from  original  sin,  the  faculty  of  Theology  compelled  him 
publicly  to  withdraw  his  assertion,  and  ruled  that  same 
year  that,  in  order  to  prevent  further  discussions  of  this 
kind,  it  would  in  future  confer  the  degree  of  Doctor  only 
on  those  who  admitted  the  doctrine  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception,  and  solemnly  pledged  themselves  to  defend 
it.  At  the  same  time  the  Faculty  qualified  the  contrary 
opinion  as  "  false,  impious,  and  erroneous."  This  qualifi 
cation,  however,  was  withdrawn  later  on  at  the  request 


IN  HER  IMMACULATE   CONCEPTION  207 

of  the  Jesuit  Father  Maldonatus,  as  forestalling  the  judg 
ment  of  the  Holy  See. 

In  1546  the  Council  of  Trent  (sess.  5,  can.  5,  on  Original 
Sin)  declared  that  "  it  was  not  the  intention  of  the  Sacred 
Synod  to  include  in  the  decree  dealing  with  the  question 
of  Original  Sin  the  Blessed  and  Immaculate  Virgin  Mary, 
Mother  of  God ;  but  that  the  Constitutions  of  Sixtus  IV 
of  pious  memory  should  be  observed,  under  the  penalties 
specified  therein,  which  were  thereby  renewed." 

In  1567  St.  Pius  V/condemned  the  73rd  proposition  of 
Baius,  which  asserted  that  "  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary  had 
died  on  account  of  the  sin  she  had  contracted  from  Adam." 
The  condemnation  was  renewed  in  1579  by  Gregory  XIII, 
and  in  1641  by  Urban  VIII. 

In  1570  St.  Pius  V  by  a  special  Constitution  forbade 
under  severe  censures  the  public  discussion  of  the  question 
of  the  Immaculate  Conception  in  presence  of  the  ordinary 
faithful,  and  allowed  such  disputes  to  be  held  only  in  the 
presence  of  competent  theologians.  The  same  Pontiff 
inserted  the  Office  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  in  the 
Roman  Liturgy,  and  fixed  the  feast  for  December  8. 

At  a  later  period  Philip  III  of  Spain  (d.  1621)  requested 
Pope  Paul  V  to  decide  the  question.  The  Pope  refused, 
and  in  1616  merely  confirmed  the  Constitutions  of  his 
predecessors,  Sixtus  IV  and  St.  Pius  V,  publishing  new 
penalties  against  all  who  should  violate  his  orders.  The 
same  Pope,  by  a  new  Constitution  of  1617,  forbade  it  to 
be  asserted,  or  even  contended  (questioned)  in  sermons, 
lectures,  and  theses,  that  the  Blessed  Virgin  had  been 
conceived  in  sin. 

Soon  afterwards  Philip  IV  of  Spain  (d.  1665)  applied 
to  Pope  Gregory  XV  to  have  the  question  settled  by  a 
Papal  decree.  The  latter  refused,  but  in  1622  prescribed 
(i)  that  whoever  in  public  discussions  (before  competent 
theologians)  contended  that  the  Virgin  Mary  was  conceived 
in  sin,  must  not  attack  the  contrary  opinion,  but  keep 
silence  in  its  regard  :  (2)  No  one  is  to  be  allowed  to  defend 


208  MARY  HONOURED 

the  opinion  opposed  to  the  Immaculate  Conception  without 
special  permission  from  the  Holy  See.  This  permission 
was  granted  only  to  the  Dominicans,  who  might  discuss 
the  question  privately  among  themselves,  without  incurring 
the  Papal  censures. 

Pope  Clement  IX  (d.  1669)  allowed  the  feast  of  the 
Immaculate  Conception  to  be  celebrated  with  an  Octave ; 
and  Clement  XI  (d.  1721)  in  1708  made  it  a  feast  of  obli 
gation  for  the  whole  Church. 

With  the  exception  of  St.  Bernard  and  St.  Thomas  of 
Aquin,  whose  utterances  on  the  subject  are  open  to  dis 
cussion,  we  do  not  know  of  any  Saint  who  has  expressed 
an  opinion  contrary  to  our  Lady's  great  privilege. 

All  Religious  Orders,  except  one,  were  decidedly 
for  the  privilege  ;  and  even  among  the  latter,  many 
eminent  theologians  defended  it  in  their  writings.  The 
great  Schools  of  Theology,  except  that  of  the  Thom- 
ists,  taught  and  defended  it.  In  the  schools  of  the  Sor- 
bonne,  Salamanca,  Alcala,  Coimbra,  Mayence,  Naples, 
Louvain,  and  others,  each  graduate  had  to  bind  him 
self  by  oath  to  defend  Mary's  Immaculate  Conception. 
The  Franciscans,  headed  by  Duns  Scotus,  defended  it 
as  a  family  inheritance.  The  Society  of  Jesus  and  the 
Immaculate  Conception.  (See  §  27.) 


SECTION   LXXVIII 

MARY  HONOURED  IN  HER  IMMACULATE  CONCEPTION  (cont.) 
Bull  of  Pope  Pius  IX,  1854 

IN  the  Bull  Ineffabilis  Deus,  declaring  the  dogma  of  the 
Immaculate  Conception  to  be  an  article  of  faith, 
Pope  Pius  IX  says  :  "  The  Fathers  and  the  Writers  of 
the  Church,  taught  by  celestial  revelation,  had  nothing 
more  at  heart  in  their  writings  to  explain  the  Sacred 
Scriptures,  to  defend  the  dogmas  (of  faith),  and  to  teach 


IN  HER   IMMACULATE   CONCEPTION  209 

the  faithful,  than  to  publish  and  celebrate  in  many  admir 
able  ways  the  high  sanctity  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  her  dignity, 
her  exemption  from  all  stain  of  sin,  and  her  glorious  vic 
tory  over  the  terrible  enemy  of  mankind.  Wherefore, 
when  relating  the  words  by  which  God,  at  the  very  begin 
ning  of  the  world,  announced  the  remedy  He  had  prepared 
in  His  mercy  to  regenerate  men,  and  thereby  confound 
the  boldness  of  the  deceitful  serpent,  and  wonderfully 
revive  the  hope  of  our  race  saying,  '  I  will  put  enmities 
between  thee  and  the  woman,  between  thy  seed  and  her 
seed,'  they  taught  that  by  this  divine  oracle  the  merciful 
Redeemer  of  the  human  race,  that  is,  the  only  Son  of  God, 
Jesus  Christ,  had  been  clearly  and  openly  pointed  out ; 
His  blessed  Mother  the  Virgin  Mary  had  also  been  desig 
nated,  and  at  the  same  time  the  enmity  of  both  against 
the  devil  had  been  expressed.  Therefore,  even  as  Christ, 
the  Mediator  between  God  and  men,  having  taken  human 
nature,  blotting  out  the  decree  of  condemnation  passed 
against  us,  victoriously  nailed  it  to  the  Cross,  so  the  Holy 
Virgin,  united  with  Him  by  a  strait  and  indissoluble  bond, 
together  with  Him  and  through  Him  exercising  eternal 
enmity  against  the  venomous  serpent,  and  fully  triumphing 
over  it,  crushed  its  head  with  her  immaculate  foot."  Brev. 
Rom.  die  7  infra  Oct.,  Immac.  Concept,  lect.  5. 

The  Proclamation.  In  the  concluding  part  of  the 
Bull,  the  Pope,  standing  in  front  of  his  throne,  pronounced 
with  a  voice  full  of  faith  and  authority  the  longed-for 
definition  :  "  After  having  offered  without  interruption 
to  God  the  Father  through  His  Son  our  humble  prayers 
accompanied  with  fasts,  and  the  public  prayers  of  the 
Church,  in  order  that  He  would  vouchsafe  to  direct  and 
confirm  our  thoughts  by  the  virtue  of  the  Holy  Ghost : 
after  having  implored  the  help  of  the  whole  celestial  Court, 
invoked  by  our  sighs  the  Spirit  of  consolation,  and  acting 
under  His  inspiration, — for  the  honour  of  the  holy  and 
indivisible  Trinity,  the  honour  and  glory  of  the  Virgin 
Mother  of  God,  for  the  exaltation  of  the  Catholic  faith 

M.P.  p 


2io  MARY  HONOURED 

and  the  increase  of  the  Christian  religion, — by  the  authority 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  o£  the  Apostles  St.  Peter 
and  St.  Paul,  and  by  Our  own,  (We  declare,  pronounce, 
and  define  that  the  doctrine  which  holds  that  the  Most 
Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  in  prevision  (consideration)  of  the 
merits  of  Jesus  Christ,  Saviour  of  the  world,  was  by  a 
singular  grace  and  privilege  of  Almighty  God  preserved 
and  exempted  from  all  stain  pf  original  sin  in  the  very 
first  instant  of  her  conceptiony  is  a  doctrine  revealed  by 
God,  and  is  therefore  to  be  firmly  and  constantly  believed 
by  all  the  faithful.j  Wherefore,  if  any  one  presume  to 
think  in  his  heart  otherwise  than  has  been  defined  by  Us, 
which  God  forbid,  let  such  one  know  and  be  sure  that 
he  is  condemned  by  his  own  judgment,  that  he  has  made 
shipwreck  of  his  faith,  and  has  fallen  away  from  the  unity 
of  the  Church."  Brev.  Rom.,  Oct.,  Immac.  Concept., 
lect.  6. 


SECTION  LXXIX 
ENGLAND  AND  THE  IMMACULATE  CONCEPTION 

FATHER  H.  THURSTON,  writing  in  The  Month, 
December,  1904,  p.  563,  quotes  from  the  "  Christ  "  of 
the  Anglo-Saxon  poet  Cynewulf,  who  wrote  in  the  second 
half  of  the  eighth  century,  a  long  passage  extolling  the 
Mother  of  God  with  the  highest  praise,  and  calling  her 
"  immaculate  "  (unwemme,  i.e.  spotless). 

The  prayer  book  of  Ethelwald,  a  Mercian  Bishop  of 
the  first  half  of  the  IX  Cent.,  contains  the  following 
loving  appeal  to  our  blessed  Lady  :  "  Holy  Mother  of 
God,  Virgin  ever  blest,  glorious  and  noble,  chaste  and 
inviolate.  O  Mary  Immaculate,  chosen  and  beloved  of 
God,  endowed  with  singular  sanctity,  worthy  of  all  praise, 
thou  who  art  intercessor  for  the  peril  of  the  whole  world, — 0 
listen,  listen,  listen  to  us,  holy  Mary.  Pray  for  us,  inter 
cede  for  us,  disdain  not  to  help  us  :  for  we  are  confident 


IN  HER   IMMACULATE   CONCEPTION  211 

and  know  for  certain  that  thou  canst  obtain  all  thou  wiliest 
from  thy  Son,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  God  Almighty,  the 
King  of  Ages,  who  liveth  with  the  Father  and  the  Holy 
Ghost  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen."  The  Month,  Ibid. 
566. 

Dom  Columba  Edmunds,  O.S.B.,  writes  in  the  Ave 
Maria,  December,  1901,  as  follows  :  "  Leaving  out  of 
consideration  the  legend  which  connects  the  institution 
of  the  feast  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  with  the  preser 
vation  from  shipwreck  of  Abbot  Helsin  1  (Elsi,  see  The 
Month,  Dec.,  1904,  569),  it  would  seem  that  the 
festival,  so  far  as  the  Latin  Church  is  concerned,  first 
originated  about  the  beginning  of  the  XI  Cent.  Accord 
ing  to  the  most  recent  research  connected  with  this  subject, 
the  honour  of  its  first  celebration  belongs  to  the  Bene 
dictine  Monks  of  Winchester,  disciples  of  the  Saxon  St. 
Ethel  wold.  In  a  manuscript  calendar,  still  extant,  said 
to  have  been  written  in  the  monastery  of  Newminster 
at  Winchester,  between  the  years  1034  and  1057,  there  is 
inscribed  in  the  original  hand  at  the  8th  of  December 
'  Conceptio  Sanctae  Dei  Genetricis  Mariae.'  Another 
calendar  of  the  Cathedral  Priory  at  Winchester,  belonging 
to  about  the  year  1030,  has  the  same  entry." 

On  Abbot  Anselm  of  Bury' s  treatise  in  defence  of  the 
Immaculate  Conception  (by  some  writers  assigned  to 
St.  Anselm)  see  The  Month,  June,  1904,  562,  566.  Abbot 
Anselm  was  nephew  of  the  Saint,  and  ruled  the  Abbey  of 
Bury  St.  Edmunds  from  1119  to  1148. 

In  a  metrical  calendar,  which  is  thought  to  belong  to 
the  time  of  Alfred  the  Great,  we  meet  the  first  traces  of 
a  commemoration  of  our  Lady's  Conception,  not  under 
December  8  or  9,  but  opposite  the  second  day  of  May. 
Ibid.  452. 

The  English  monk  Eadmer,  disciple  of  St.  Anselm, 
wrote  his  treatise  De  Conceptione  Beatae  Mariae  to  vindicate 
the  Conception  feast  from  the  attacks  made  upon  it.  He 

1  The  Legend  of  Abbot  Elsi.     See  The  Month,  1904,  July,  i  seq. 


Itl  MARY  HONOURED 

clearly  states  that  our  Lady  was  exempt  from  the  general 
law  of  sinfulness  affecting  all  the  descendants  of  Eve. 
Ibid.  570,  571,  and  563,  note. 

St.  Anselm,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  (d.  1109),  is 
famous  for  his  devotion  to  our  blessed  Lady.  He  is  said 
to  have  been  the  first  to  establish  publicly  the  feast  of  the 
Immaculate  Conception  in  the  West,  the  earlier  instances 
of  its  celebration,  given  above,  being  confined  to  monastic 
establishments  and  churches. 


SECTION  LXXX 
MARY  HONOURED  IN  HER  NATIVITY 

i.  r  I  AHE  Nativity  of  Mary.  Two  holy  persons, 
Ji  Joachim  and  Anna,  lived  in  the  little  town  of 
Nazareth  in  Lower  Galilee.  Joachim  was  of  the  tribe  of 
Juda  and  of  the  race  of  King  David  through  Nathan  ; 
and  his  wife  Anna,  according  to  St.  Augustine,  was  of 
the  priestly  tribe  of  Aaron.  Both  were  just  before  God 
and  walked  in  the  path  of  His  commandments  with  a 
perfect  heart.  But  they  were  denied  the  consolation  of 
children,  which  made  them  sad,  for  in  Israel  sterility  was 
a  reproach.  Yet,  resigned,  they  passed  their  days  in 
labour,  prayer,  and  almsdeeds.  God  had  not  forgotten 
them.  In  the  course  of  time,  by  a  great  miracle,  He 
gave  them  a  daughter  more  perfect,  more  holy,  more 
pleasing  in  His  sight  than  all  the  elect  put  together. 

This  occurred  on  September  8,  some  fourteen  (?)  years 
before  the  common  era.  What  a  day  of  joy  that  was  !  "  Thy 
nativity,"  the  Church  sings  in  Our  Lady's  Office,  "  brought 
joy  and  gladness  to  the  whole  world,"  (i)  joy  to  the  Blessed 
Trinity,  for  she  is  to  be  the  co-operatrix  of  the  Incarnation  ; 
(2)  joy  to  the  Angels,  for  she  is  to  be  their  Queen;  (3) 
joy  to  the  Saints  in  Limbo,  for  she  is  to  be  the  Mother  of 


IN  HER   NATIVITY  213 

their  Deliverer ;    (4)  joy  to  all  mankind,  for   Redemption 
is  nigh. 

Mary's  advent  into  this  sin-stained,  sorrow-laden  world 
of  ours  marks  the  opening  of  a  new  and  glorious  epoch, 
— the  reversing  of  the  original  curse,  the  transforming 
it  into  a  blessing.  It  was  like  the  break  of  a  glorious 
sunrise  on  a  night  of  horror ;  it  was  like  the  stealing  of 
the  empire  of  light  on  the  realm  of  darkness ;  it  was  like 
the  opening  of  the  portals  of  heaven  to  send  down  the 
most  lovely  creature  this  world  ever  saw  ;  it  was  like  the 
blossoming  of  the  fairest  flower  of  the  human  race  whose 
fragrance  was  to  perfume  the  whole  earth. 

An  anonymous  spiritual  writer  reminds  us  that  the 
cradle  of  the  Queen  of  Angels  was  neither  ornamented 
with  gold,  nor  covered  with  silken  counterpanes,  or  em 
broidered  curtains,  but  was  simply  covered  with  coarse 
linen,  for  her  parents,  though  royally  descended,  were 
poor.  But  over  that  cradle  Angels  and  Archangels  must 
have  bent  with  reverence,  ravished  by  her  beauty ;  and 
on  that  tiny  babe  the  Blessed  Trinity  looked  with  infinite 
delight,  for  never  was  creature  so  lovely  :  even  the  brightest 
Archangel  in  all  his  dazzling  splendour  was  not  so  beautiful 
in  God's  eyes.  She  was  pure  as  the  crystal  waters  of 
Paradise,  reflecting  the  image  of  the  Godhead. 

The  following  hymn,  ascribed  by  Father  Ballerini  to  St. 
Ambrose,  was  sung  at  Mass  in  early  times  on  our  Lady's 
feasts  :  "Hail,  O  whitest  of  lilies. — Lily  of  the  Eternal 
Father  ! — Hail,  Mother  of  the  Redeemer. — Hail,  Spouse 
of  the  Holy  Spirit. — Conceived  without  stain. — Hail, 
elect  of  the  Trinity. — Hail,  Conqueror  of  the  infernal 
viper, — alone  free  from  his  sting. — Hail,  elect  of  the  Trinity, 
-conceived  without  stain."  Fr.  Harper,  Peace  through  the 
Truth,  ist  series,  357. 

2.  The  Name  of  Mary.  The  name  given  to  this  child 
of  predilection  was  Miriam  or  Mary,  which  in  Syriac  means 
"  Lady,"  "  Sovereign  Mistress,"  and  in  Hebrew  "  Star 
of  the  sea  (?)  "  ;  for  Mary  is  sovereign  Lady  and  Queen, 


2i4  MARY  HONOURED 

exalted  above  the  choirs  of  angels  :  she  is  also  a  bright 
Star  to  those  who  sail  on  the  stormy  sea  of  this  world ; 
a  bright  star  on  both  sea  and  land,  heralding  the  glorious 
sunrise.  On  the  Name  of  Mary,  see  Alban  Butler,  Sept.  8, 
after  St.  Disen. 

St.  Anthony  of  Padua  says  :  "  Mary's  name  is  sweeter 
than  the  honeycomb  to  the  lips,  sweeter  than  melodious 
music  to  the  ear,  sweeter  than  purest  joy  to  the  heart." 
St.  Bonaventure  always  bowed  his  head  at  the  name  of 
Mary.  St.  Bernard's  beautiful  words  on  the  Name  of 
Mary,  "  Star  of  the  Sea."  See  Brev.  Rom.,  Sunday 
within  Oct.  of  her  Nativity,  lessons  4,  5,  6.  On  the  Name 
of  Mary,  see  §  97. 

3.  Privileges  of  the  Child  Mary.  That  blessed  Child 
had  an  understanding  filled  with  the  purest  light ;  an 
upright  will  perfectly  conformed  to  that  of  God ;  a  more 
perfect  liberty  than  that  of  the  Angels  and  of  Adam  in 
the  state  of  innocence.  Her  soul  was  never  darkened 
by  ignorance,  nor  troubled  by  concupiscence,  nor  dis 
turbed  by  the  tumult  of  evil  passions.  God  dwelt  in  her 
soul  as  in  a  heavenly  tabernacle.  Her  body  was  spot 
lessly  pure,  perfectly  holy.  She  was  enriched  with  sancti 
fying  grace  in  an  eminent  degree,  with  actual  graces  of  the 
highest  kind;elevating,;ennobling  all  her  thoughts,  affections 
and  actions.  She  was  confirmed  in  grace,  full  of  horror 
of  sin,  even  the  most  trivial ;  gifted  with  a  more  than 
seraphic  attraction  to  God,  being  continually  united  with 
Him.  In  everything  she  had  the  most  sublime  intention 
of  pleasing  God,  and  at  once  began  to  acquire  merit  in 
a  degree  beyond  the  power  of  the  highest  Angels.  The 
majestic  glory  of  the  Seraphim,  compared  with  the  dazzling 
beauty  of  her  soul,  is  but  as  the  flickering  light  of  a  star 
compared  with  the  noon-day  sun. 

Suarez  on  the  Privileges  of  Mary.     (See  §  102.) 


IN  HER  DIVINE   MATERNITY  215 

SECTION   LXXXI 
MARY  HONOURED  IN  HER  DIVINE  MATERNITY 

THE  dignity  of  Mother  of  God  is  the  highest  to  which 
any  mere  creature  is  capable  of  being  raised.  What 
closer  union  could  any  creature  have  with  the  Creator  of 
all  things  ?  What  title  could  be  more  noble,  what  privi 
lege  more  wonderful  ?  He  Who  was  born  of  the  Father 
from  all  eternity,  the  only-begotten  and  consubstantial 
Son,  Maker  and  Lord  of  all  things,  is  born  in  time  and 
receives  a  being  in  His  nature  of  man  from  Mary. x  "  Listen 
and  attend,  O  man,"  cries  out  St.  Anselm,  "  and  be  trans 
ported  in  an  ecstasy  of  astonishment  contemplating  this 
prodigy.  The  infinite  God  had  one  only-begotten  co- 
eternal  Son  ;  yet  He  would  not  suffer  Him  to  remain 
only  His  own,  but  would  also  have  Him  to  be  made  the 
only  Son  of  Mary."  Monol.  St.  Peter  Damian  exclaims  : 
"  Let  every  creature  be  silent  and  remain  in  holy  fear, 
scarcely  daring  to  cast  his  eyes  on  that  dignity  so  immense." 
Petitalot,  197.  St.  Bernardine  of  Siena  says  God  alone 
can  measure  the  height  and  extent  of  that  dignity.  St. 
Bernard  writes  :  "  It  is  impossible  for  God  to  make  a 
creature  more  excellent."  St.  Anselm  observes  :  "  That 
thought  alone  that  Mary  is  Mother  of  God  surpasses  all 
excellence,  ah1  imaginary  glory  after  that  of  God."  St. 
Bonaventure  adds  :  "To  be  Mother  of  God  is  the  greatest 
grace  that  can  be  conferred  on  a  simple  creature.  It  is 
a  grace  so  great  that  God  cannot  confer  a  greater.  God 
could  (if  He  wished)  make  a  grander  world,  a  brighter 
heaven,  but  a  greater  Mother  than  Mary  He  cannot  make," 
such  is  her  dignity. 

The  Angelic  Doctor  St.  Thomas  tells  us  that  God,  having 
almighty  power,   could  create  worlds  more  great,   suns 
more  brilliant,  stars  more  numerous,  creatures  more  intelli 
gent  and  more  perfect  than  He  has  made.     But,  he  adds 
*  Alban  Butler,  Sept.  8. 


2i 6  MARY  HONOURED 

we  must  always  make  three  exceptions,  the  Humanity 
of  Jesus  Christ,  Celestial  Beatitude  (the  Beatific  Vision), 
and  the  Blessed  Virgin.  These  three — the  Humanity  of 
Jesus  Christ  by  reason  of  its  union  with  the  Divinity ; 
Beatitude,  because  it  is  the  enjoyment  of  God  Himself ; 
and  the  glorious  Virgin  in  her  quality  of  Mother  of  God, 
because  there  proceeds  from  that  immediate  relationship 
with  God  a  certain  infinite  dignity  (these  three  are  God's 
absolutely  perfect  works),  than  which  it  is  impossible  to 
conceive  in  the  same  order  anything  more  perfect,  for 
nothing  can  exist  more  perfect  than  God.  Pt.  i,  q.  25, 
a.  6. 

Pius  IX  in  the  Bull  "  Ineffabilis  Deus  "  represents  the 
Mother  of  God  as  "an  ineffable  miracle  of  the  Almighty, 
and  even  the  crown  of  all  miracles,  because  that  glorious 
creature  approaches  as  near  to  God  as  created  nature 
can  do,  and  is  exalted  above  all  human  and  angelic  praise." 
Again  :  "  God  chose  for  His  only  Son  a  Mother,  of  whom 
in  the  fulness  of  time  He  should  be  born,  a  Mother  whom 
He  Himself  prepared,  and  in  whom  He  was  so  well  pleased 
that  He  preferred  her  to  every  other  creature.  In  virtue 
of  this  choice  He  endowed  her  richly  with  heavenly  favours, 
to  an  extent  far  excelling  those  bestowed  on  the  Saints 
and  Angels  :  He  preserved  her  from  all  sin,  and  bestowed 
on  her  a  holiness  He  alone  can  understand.  And  indeed 
it  was  necessary  that  she  should  be  for  ever  adorned  with 
the  splendour  of  the  most  perfect  grace,  this  Virgin,  to 
whom  God  the  Father  chose  to  give  His  own  Son  in  such 
a  manner  that  the  same  Divine  Person  should  in  His 
twofold  nature  be  at  the  same  time  the  Son  of  God,  and 
the  Son  of  Mary." 

Denis  the  Carthusian  exclaims  :  "  0  Mary,  most  ad 
mirable  of  created  beings,  thou  art  in  truth  associated  with 
the  paternity  of  the  Eternal  Father,  having  for  thy  Son, 
the  same  Son  whom  He  has  ;  thou  art  the  most  excellent 
Mother  "of  His  only  Son";  thou  art  the  most  singular 
tabernacle  of  the  adorable^Paraclete  ;  the  Blessed  Trinity 


IN  HER  DIVINE  MATERNITY  217 

has  admitted  thee  to  share  their  empire  and  glory.  The 
divine  artist  has  formed  thee  so  great,  so  worthy  of  love, 
so  perfect,  adorned  thee  with  so  many  other  privileges 
above  those  of  the  elect,  because  it  was  fitting  that  such 
a  Mother,  such  a  Spouse,  such  a  Queen,  should  be  greater, 
richer,  and  fairer  than  all  the  handmaids  and  all  the  ser 
vants  of  God."  Laus  vitae  solit.  art.  29. 

If  it  is  a  joy  to  possess  God  as  He  reveals  Himself  to 
His  elect ;  if  it  is  a  bliss  to  know  Him  as  do  the  angelic 
spirits,  whom  He  ravishes  with  a  torrent  of  untold  delight ; 
what  must  have  been  Mary's  joy  on  becoming  the  Mother 
of  God.  She  found,  in  a  way  no  words  can  express,  her 
Beloved  whom  she  sought ;  she  could  never  be  separated 
from  Him  ;  she  was  nearer  to  Him  than  any  creature 
could  ever  be, — and  the  mountain-tops  of  heroic  sanctity 
were  nothing  to  her  elevation.  She  was  folded  in  the 
complacency  of  the  adorable  Trinity,  the  daughter  of  the 
Father,  the  Mother  of  the  Son,  the  Spouse  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Her  breast  was  converted  into  a  most  pure  shrine 
or  temple  of  the  Godhead,  with  Jesus  dwelling  on  its  altar. 

This  great  dignity  of  Mary  was  vindicated  in  the  Coun 
cil  of  Ephesus  against  Nestorius.  (See  §  n.) 

Note.  Many  Protestants,  unaware  of  the  true  doctrine 
of  the  Incarnation,  call  the  Blessed  Virgin  the  Mother  of 
Jesus,  and  not  the  Mother  of  God,  as  though  our  Saviour 
existed  in  a  twofold  personality — human  and  divine.  The 
Catholic  doctrine  is  that  the  Second  Person  of  the  Blessed 
Trinity,  in  His  Divine  nature  eternally  begotten  of  the 
Father,  took  to  Himself  from  His  Virgin  Mother  a  human 
nature  of  the  same  substance  as  hers  ;  and  therefore  the 
Mother  of  that  Divine  Person,  Jesus  Christ,  the  God-man, 
is  in  very  truth  the  Mother  of  God.  As  our  mothers  are 
not  called  the  mothers  of  our  bodies,  but  simply  our 
mothers,  because  the  soul,  which  is  directly  created  by 
God  is  united  with  the  body  in  one  personality,  so  the 
Blessed  Virgin  is  not  called  simply  the  Mother  of  Jesus, 
i.e.  of  His  human  nature  alone,  but  the  Mother  of  God, 


2i 8  MARY  HONOURED 

because  the  Divine  Nature  of  the  Word,  which  is  eternally 
begotten  of  the  Father,  is  united  with  the  human  nature 
in  one  personality.  In  a  word,  she  is  Mother  not  merely 
of  the  (human)  nature,  but  of  the  Person,  and  that 
Person  is  God  the  Son. 


SECTION   LXXXII 
MARY  HONOURED  IN  HER  PERPETUAL  VIRGINITY 

THE  early  Church  held  most  firmly  to  the  perpetual 
Virginity  of  our  Lady,  as  we  learn  from  the  con 
demnation  of  Helvidius,  Jovinian,  and  other  heretics  in 
the  IV  Cent,  by  the  Synods  of  Rome  (A.D.  381)  and 
Capua  (A.D.  392).  The  Council  of  Lateran  in  A.D.  649 
finally  voiced  the  infallible  witness  of  the  Catholic  Church, 
so  that  Catholics  are  not  left  to  mere  conjecture  or  private 
opinion.  Indeed,  Luther,  Calvin,  Zwingle  and  Beza 
among  the  Reformers,  besides  many  Protestant  writers 
to-day,  deny  as  emphatically  as  any  Catholic  that  Jesus' 
holy  Mother  ever  ceased  to  be  a  Virgin. 

SS.  Jerome,  Epiphanius,  Ambrose  and  others  took  up 
the  defence  of  Mary's  perpetual  virginity  against  Ebion, 
Cerinthus,  Helvidius,  proving  that  she  was  a  Virgin  before, 
in,  and  after  His  birth,  a  Virgin  in  soul,  a  Virgin  in  body, 
a  Virgin  in  mind  and  in  every  thought  and  feeling.  For 
St.  Jerome's  arguments  briefly  stated,  see  Alban  Butler, 
September  8.  St.  Epiphanius  asks  the  question  :  "  Who 
in  any  generation  ever  dared  to  utter  the  name  of  Mary 
without  adding  at  once  the  title  of  Virgin  ?  How  then 
do  they  (Helvidius,  Jovinian)  dare  to  attack  that  spotless 
Virgin,  who  merited  to  be  the  dwelling  of  the  Son  (of  God), 
• — she  who  was  chosen  for  this  out  of  the  tens  of  thousands 
in  Israel,  that  she  might  be  made  a  worthy  vessel  and 
dwelling-place  for  a  unique  prodigy  of  child-birth  ?  " 
Livius,  129,  see  §  8.  St.  Ephrem  grows  rapturous  in  speak- 


EVER  A    VIRGIN  219 

ing  of  our  Lady's  spotless  innocence  and  virginity.  "  Most 
holy  Lady  Mother  of  God,  alone  most  pure  in  soul  and 
body ;  alone  exceeding  all  perfection  of  purity,  both 
chastity  and  virginity ;  alone  made  in  thy  entirety  the 
home  of  all  the  graces  of  the  most  holy  Spirit ;  and  hence 
excelling  beyond  all  compare  even  the  angelic  Virtues  in 
purity  and  sanctity  of  soul  and  body,  cast  thine  eyes  upon 
me."  "  My  Lady  most  holy,  Mother  of  God,  and  full  of 
grace,  most  blessed  and  most  pleasing  to  God,  vessel  of 
the  Divinity  of  thy  only  Son.  All-pure,  all-immaculate, 
all-stainless,  all-undefiled,  all-blameless,  all-worthy  of 
praise,  all-incorrupt,  all-most  blessed,  all-inviolate.  Virgin 
in  soul,  in  body,  and  in  spirit — incomprehensible  miracle 
— spotless  robe  of  Him  who  clothes  Himself  with  light 
as  with  a  garment — holy  root  of  Jesse — City  of  God, 
beautiful  by  nature,  and  inaccessible  to  all  blemish, — Flower 
unfading, — Purple  woven  by  God, alone  most  immaculate." 
Livius,  213. 

Mary's  Perpetual  Virginity  has  been  denned  as  an  Article 
of  Faith  by  the  Lateran  Council  under  St.  Martini  (649),* 
and  was  proclaimed  by  Popes  St.  Leo  I  (d.  461),  Adeo- 
datus  (d.  676).  See  Denziger,  143,  204,  256,  282.  St. 
Jerome  writing  against  Helvidius  says  he  can  quote  the 
whole  of  antiquity  (in  defence  of  Mary's  perpetual  vir 
ginity),  "  Ignatius,  Polycarp,  Irenaeus,  Justin,  and  all 
other  holy  and  apostolic  men."  St.  Bede,  the  Venerable, 
says  :  "  Mary  was  the  first  of  women  to  offer  (to  vow)  her 
virginity  to  God."  St.  Epiphanius  held  that  it  was 
heresy  to  doubt  Mary's  perpetual  virginity ;  St.  Basil 
considered  the  denial  of  it  equivalent  to  blasphemy ;  St. 
Ambrose  spoke  of  the  injury  done  to  Christ  by  calling 
in  question  the  virginity  of  His  Mother.  Reason  itself 
tells  us  that  to  call  it  in  question  is  a  sort  of  blasphemy 
against  the  Eternal  Father,  who  has  made  her  His  daughter ; 
an  injury  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  has  chosen  her  to  be 

1  Not  a  General  Council.    Denz.  §  204. 


220  MARY  HONOURED 

His  Spouse  ;   and  an  insult  to  Christ  who  has  elected  her 
to  be  His  Virgin  Mother. 

Ireland  and  Mary's  perpetual  virginity.  (See  §  34.) 
Note.  The  Scriptures  speak  in  several  places  of  the 
"  brethren  of  the  Lord."  Matt.  xii.  46-50  ;  Matt.  xiii. 
55,  56  ;  Mark  iii.  31-35  ;  vi.  3  ;  Luke  viii.  19-21  ;  John 
ii.  12  ;  vii.  3-10  ;  Acts  i.  14.  But  the  word  brother 
is  used  in  the  Hebrew  and  in  all  languages  in  a  general 
sense,  and  therefore  by  no  means  necessarily  implies 
children  of  the  same  parent.  In  the  Old  Testament  it 
applied  to  any  relation,  v.g.  nephew  (Gen.  xiv.  16 ;  xiii.  8  ; 
xii.  5),  uncle  (Gen.  xxix.  15),  husband  (Cant.  iv.  9), 
one  of  the  same  tribe  (2  Kings  xix.  12),  of  the  same  people 
(Exod.  ii.  21 ),  an  ally  (Amos  i.  9),  any  friend  (2  Kings 
i.  26),  one  of  the  same  office  (3  Kings  ix.  13). 


SECTION   LXXXIII 
MARY  HONOURED  IN  HER  GLORIOUS  ASSUMPTION 

r  I  AHAT  our  Lady  was  assumed  body  and  soul  into 
JL  heaven  is  not  an  article  of  faith  ;  but  it  is  so  uni 
versally  accepted  by  the  Christian  Church  that  it  cannot 
be  denied  without  rashness  and  scandal.  There  is  reason 
to  believe  that  the  Vatican  Council,  had  it  continued  its 
sittings,  would  have  defined  the  doctrine.  Much  evidence 
was  collected  for  this  purpose,  both  historical  and  theo 
logical.  The  historical  evidence  is  not  very  strong,  but 
the  consensus  of  the  whole  Church  is  a  convincing  argu 
ment. 

Holy  Scripture  is  silent  as  to  the  close  of  Mary's  beautiful 
life,  but  St.  John  Damascene  (VIII  Cent.)  tells  us  the 
story  as  it  was  handed  down  among  the  faithful  in  his 
day,  and  the  Church  has  inserted  his  account  in  the  Rom. 
Breviary  (Aug.  18,  lessons  4,  5,  6)  as  proper  to  edify  and 
excite  the  devotion  of  her  children,  but  without  pronounc 
ing  on  its  accuracy  or  certainty.  "  We  learn,"  he 


IN  HER  ASSUMPTION  221 

says,  "  from  an  ancient  tradition  that  at  the  time  of  the 
glorious  sleep  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  all  the  Apostles  scat 
tered  abroad  for  the  salvation  of  the  nations,  were  trans 
ported  to  Jerusalem.1  As  they  were  assembled  together, 
an  angelic  vision  appeared  to  them,  they  heard  the  psalmody 
of  the  heavenly  powers,  and  then  with  a  Divine  glory, 
Mary  gave  up  her  blessed  soul  into  the  hands  of  God. 
Her  body,  which  by  an  ineffable  mystery  had  received 
God,  was  transported  with  the  joyful  hymns  of  Angels 
and  Apostles,  and  deposited  in  a  sepulchre  at  Gethsemane  ; 
and  there  for  three  whole  days  the  angelic  melodies  did 
not  cease.  After  three  days  the  song  of  the  Angels  came 
to  an  end  ;  Thomas,  the  only  Apostle  then  absent,  arrived, 
and  desired  to  see  and  venerate  the  body  in  which  God 
had  dwelt.  The  Apostles  opened  the  tomb,  but  did  not 
find  the  sacred  deposit.  Seeing  only  the  linen  which  had 
enveloped  the  body  of  Mary,  and  from  which  a  sweet 
odour  arose,  they  closed  the  sepulchre.  Astonished  at 
the  miracle,  they  could  have  but  one  thought — that  He 
Who  had  been  pleased  to  become  Incarnate  in  the  chaste 
womb  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  to  be  born  of  her,  being 
the  Word  of  God,  and  the  Lord  of  glory,  and  having  already 
preserved  the  virginity  of  His  Mother,  had  also  willed  to 
preserve  from  corruption  her  Immaculate  body  after 
death,  and  to  translate  it  to  heaven  before  the  general 
and  universal  resurrection." 

St.  John  Damascene  continues  :  "  There  were  with 
the  Apostles  the  blessed  Timothy,  first  Bishop  of  the 
Ephesians,  and  Denis  the  Areopagite,  as  he  himself  attests 
in  his  letter  addressed  to  Timothy  on  the  subject  of  the 
blessed  Hierotheus,  also  present,  and  in  which  he  says  : 
Near  the  pontiffs,  inspired  of  God,  along  with  us  as  you 
know,  and  many  others  of  our  holy  brethren  assembled 
to  contemplate  the  body  which  gave  birth  to  Life,  there 

1  On  the  question  whether  our  Lady  died  at  Jerusalem  or  Ephesus, 
see  Alban  Butler,  August  15,  note.  The  story  of  the  visit  of 
the  twelve  Apostles  to  the  tomb  of  our  Lady  is  doubtful,  and  of 
little  authenticity. 


222  MARY  HONOURED 

was  James,  the  brother  of  the  Lord,  and  Peter,  the  supreme 
and  ancient  chief  of  divine  teachers  ;  and  at  the  sight  of  the 
sacred  body  it  pleased  all,  each  according  to  his  power, 
to  celebrate  with  hymns  the  infinite  goodness  of  the  Divine 
Power." 

The  same  Saint  in  his  sermon  on  The  Sleep  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  speaks  as  follows,  his  words  being  inserted  in  the 
Divine  Office  for  August  15.     "  To-day  that  sacred  and 
animated  ark  of  the  living  God,  who  conceived  the  Creator 
in  her   womb,  rests  in   that  Temple  which  is  not  made 
with  hands  :    David  her  ancestor  rejoices,  and  with  him 
the  Archangels  celebrate  her,  the  Virtues  glorify  her,  the 
Principalities  are  glad,  the  Powers  rejoice,  the  Dominations 
are   ravished,    the   Thrones   solemnize   her   festival,    the 
Cherubim  praise  her,   and     the  Seraphim  proclaim  her 
glory.     To-day   heaven   received   the   living   paradise   of 
the  new  Adam,  that  Eden  where  our  curse  was  taken 
away,  where  was  planted  the  tree  of  life,  and  where  our 
nakedness  was  covered.     This  day  the  Immaculate  Virgin, 
free  from  all  earthly  affections,  and  trained  to  thoughts 
of  heaven,  no  longer  walks  upon  earth,  but  giving  life  to 
heaven,  she  is  placed  in  the  celestial  mansions.     She  who 
hath  given  life  to  the  world  cannot  taste  death.     She  hath 
obeyed  the  law  of  Him  Whom  she  conceived ;    daughter 
of  the  old  Adam,  she  hath  submitted  to  the  ancient  con 
demnation   (i.e.  death),  like  her  Son  Who  is  life  itself, 
yet  would  not  avoid  it :   and  as  Mother  of  the  living  God, 
she  is  worthily  assumed  to  Him."     He  continues  :   "  How 
could  she  become  the  prey  of  death  ?     How  could  the 
tomb    retain    her  ?     How    could    corruption    touch    that 
body,  which  has  given  life  to  God  ?     For  if  Christ,  Who 
is  the  life  and  the  truth,  hath  said,  '  Ubi  ego  sum  illic 
erit  et  minister  meus/  would  not  His  Mother,  by  better 
right,  be  with  Him  ?  " 

St.  Gregory  of  Tours  (d.  596),  voicing  the  popular 
tradition  among  the  Christians  in  Gaul  of  the  VI  Cent., 
writes  :  "  When  at  length  the  Blessed  Virgin  had  fulfilled 


IN  HER  ASSUMPTION 


223 


the  course  of  this  present  life,  and  was  now  to  be  called 
out  of  the  world,  all  the  Apostles  were  gathered  together 
from  the  several  regions  to  her  house.  And  as  they  learnt 
that  she  was  to  be  taken  from  the  world,  together  they 
watched  with  her.  When,  behold  the  Lord  Jesus  arrived 
with  His  Angels,  and,  receiving  her  soul,  committed  it 
to  the  Archangel  Michael,  and  thereupon  withdrew.  Then 
at  day-break  the  Apostles  lifted  her  body  with  the  couch, 
laid  it  in  the  sepulchre,  and  watched  by  it,  awaiting  the 
coming  of  the  Lord.  And,  lo,  the  Lord  stood  by  them 
again,  and  commanded  her  holy  body  to  be  taken  up  and 
borne  on  a  cloud  to  Paradise ;  where  now  united  to  the 
soul,  and  rejoicing  in  company  with  the  elect,  it  enjoys 
the  good  things  of  eternity  which  shall  never  come  to  an 
end."  De  Mirac.  lib.  i,  c.  4.  Patr.  Lat.  torn.  71,  708. 

The  same  Saint  speaks  of  a  marvellous  occurrence 
witnessed  by  him  on  the  eve  of  the  Assumption-feast : 
"  When  the  feast  (of  the  Assumption)  was  now  nigh  at 
hand  I  went  thither  (to  the  Oratory  at  Marsac  in  Avernum) 
to  keep  the  vigil.  And  as  in  the  dark  of  night  I  approached 
the  Oratory,  I  saw,  whilst  still  some  distance  off,  a  bright 
ness  so  intense  shining  through  the  windows,  that  one 
would  have  thought  a  very  great  number  of  lamps  and 
candles  were  burning  there.  Supposing  then  that  some 
devout  persons  had  already  got  in  before  us  to  celebrate 
the  vigil,  I  go  up  to  the  door.  I  knock  but  find  there  is 
no  one  there.  Trying  the  door,  I  discover  that  it  is  locked, 
and  that  all  is  silent.  What  is  to  be  done  ?  We  send 
for  the  custodian  then  in  charge  of  locking  the  door,  to 
bring  the  key  and  unlock  it.  Whilst  he  is  on  his  way, 
we  light  a  candle  outside,  when,  lo,  the  door  opens  of  itself. 
On  going  in,  the  brightness  which  we  had  been  wondering 
at  from  outside,  as  our  candle  makes  its  appearance, 
vanishes — I  believe,  because  of  the  darkness  of  my  sins. 
We  were  in  fact  able  to  see  nothing  else,  save  the  power 
and  virtue  of  the  glorious  Virgin,  from  whom  that  bright 
ness  had  arisen."  Ibid.  c.  9,  713. 


224  MARY  HONOURED 

St.  Venantius  Fortunatus*  testimony  to  our  Lady's 
Assumption — he  was  Bishop  of  Poitiers  in  the  VI  Cent. 
See  Livius,  361.  The  Mass  for  the  festival  in  the  Gre 
gorian  Sacramentary — VI  Cent.  See  Ibid.  363.  St. 
Augustine's  testimony.  Ibid.  349.  St.  Jerome  speaks 
of  our  Lady's  sepulchre,  but  of  her  Assumption  he  says 
there  is  no  certainty.  St.  Willibald's  pilgrimage  to  the 
Holy  Land  :  (about  754) — his  visits  to  the  church  and 
tomb  of  Holy  Mary.  See  Ibid.  377. 

St.  Anselm,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  (XI  Cent.), 
preaching  on  the  feast  of  the  Assumption  contrasts  our 
Lady's  sufferings  and  anxieties  in  life  with  her  present  joy 
and  glory.  "No  longer,"  he  says,  "is  she  solicitous  how 
to  serve  Him  as  a  Child,  for  all  the  hierarchies  now  serve 
Him  as  their  Lord.  No  longer  is  she  troubled  flying  with 
Him  into  Egypt  from  the  face  of  Herod ;  for  He  has 
ascended  into  Heaven,  and  Herod  has  gone  down  into 
hell  before  his  face.  No  longer  is  she  disturbed  on  account 
of  the  many  things  the  Jews  did  against  Him  ;  for  all 
things  now  are  subject  to  Him.  And  now  Mary  herself 
is  exalted  above  the  choirs  of  Angels ;  now  all  her  desire 
is  fulfilled,  she  sees  God  face  to  face,  as  He  is,  and  rejoices 
with  her  Son  for  ever." 


SECTION   LXXXIV 

MARY  HONOURED  IN  HER  TITLE  OF  MOTHER  OF  MERCY 

r  I  ^HE  Church  salutes  Mary  constantly  as  Mother  of 
JL  Mercy :  "  Salve  Regina,  Mater  misericordiae." 
Mercy,  St.  Augustine  tells  us,  is  the  compassion  we  feel 
for  the  misery  of  others,  a  compassion  that  leads  us  to 
assist  them  in  proportion  to  our  ability.  De  Civ.  Dei. 
1.  9,  c.  5.  This  compassion  has  its  birth  in  charity,  for 
the  love  we  feel  for  any  one  who  is  unfortunate  makes 
us  look  upon  the  ills  he  suffers  as  our  own.  If  then  Mary 


,45   MOTHER   OF  MERCY 


225 


is  all  love  for  us,  she  must  be  moved  by  our  distress  and 
be  merciful  to  us.  After  our  Blessed  Saviour  Himself, 
no  one  loves  and  compassionates  us  so  much  as  His  holy 
Mother  Mary. 

St.  Anselm  addressing  our  Lady  says  :  "  Thou  who 
didst  become  Mother  of  God  with  a  view  to  mercy,  show 
pity  to  my  misery  by  interceding  for  me."  And  the  holy 
Doctor  adds  :  "  What  mediator  can  I  invoke  with  greater 
fervour  under  the  terror  that  haunts  me  than  her,  whose 
womb  contained  reconciliation  for  the  whole  world  ?  The 
Son  of  the  Father  of  mercy  came  down  from  heaven  to 
seek  the  lost  sinner,  and  wilt  thou,  His  dear  Mother,  wilt 
thou,  the  mighty  Mother  of  God,  reject  an  unhappy  soul 
who  prays  to  thee  ?  "  Orat.  51  ad-  B.V.  St.  Bernard, 
extolling  our  Lady's  clemency,  exclaims  :  "  Let  those 
keep  silence  about  thy  mercy,  Blessed  Virgin,  who  can 
remember  invoking  thee  in  their  need  without  receiving 
help.  We,  thy  poor  servants,  praise  thy  other  virtues, 
but  still  mercy  more  strongly  attracts  those  who  are  in 
trouble,  appeals  more  strongly  to  their  love,  is  more  often 
remembered,  more  willingly  invoked  ;  for  it  is  mercy 
which  obtains  for  the  world  reparation  and  eternal  salva 
tion.  Thy  mercy  has  given  renewed  life  to  those  in  misery, 
and  it  will  aid  those  who  seek  it  to  the  last  day."  De 
Assumpt.  B.V.  serm.  4.  The  same  Saint  in  another  place 
says  :  "  Who  is  there  on  whom  the  sun  does  not  shine  ? 
Who  is  there  on  whom  Mary's  mercy  does  not  shed  its 
light  ?  "  Richard  of  St.  Victor  (d.  1173)  writes  :  "As 
a  loving  mother  hides  her  boy  under  her  mantle  when  his 
father  wishes  to  chastise  him,  so  the  Blessed  Virgin  pro 
tects  those  who  fly  to  her,  fearing  the  justice  of  Christ." 
The  devout  Blosius  (d.  1566)  affirms  that  "  sooner  will 
heaven  and  earth  pass  away,  than  Mary  deprive  of  her 
help  one  who  invokes  her." 

Let  us  listen  again  to  St.  Bernard  :  "  You  were  afraid 
to  draw  near  to  the  Father ;  terrified  at  the  mere  sound 
of  His  voice,  you  tried  to  hide  yourselves ;  God  gave  you 

M.P. 


226  MARY  HONOURED 

a  Mediator,  and  what  cannot  a  Son  obtain  from  such  a 
Father  ?  This  Son  then  will  be  favourably  heard  for 
the  Father  loves  His  Son.  Are  you  also  afraid  to  appeal 
to  Jesus  ?  He  is  your  Brother,  He  took  your  flesh  upon 
Him,  He  suffered  all  your  trials,  except  that  of  sin,  for 
the  sake  of  being  merciful  to  you,  and  it  is  Mary  who  gave 
Him  to  you  as  your  Brother.  But  perchance  you  dread 
the  Divine  Majesty  in  Him,  because  when  He  became 
man  He  yet  did  not  cease  to  be  God  ?  Do  you  wish  for 
an  advocate  with  Him  ?  Then  have  recourse  to  Mary, 
for  in  her  you  will  find  human  nature  free  from  every  stain. 
She  will  also  be  heard  because  of  the  consideration  of  which 
she  is  worthy.  The  Son  will  hear  His  Mother,  and  the 
Father  will  hear  His  Son.  Here,  my  children,  behold  the 
sinner's  ladder !  Here  is  my  strong  confidence,  here  the 
reason  of  my  hope.  What,  can  the  Son  repulse  His  Mother, 
or  Himself  meet  with  refusal !  Undoubtedly  not ;  Mary 
will  always  find  grace  with  Jesus,  and  we  only  need  grace, 
and  by  grace  alone  are  we  saved.  Let  us  seek  grace  by 
Mary  !  she  finds  what  she  seeks  and  cannot  be  frustrated 
in  her  desires."  This  passage  the  Church  has  included 
in  her  Liturgy.  See  Offic.  B.V.  de  Bono  Consilio,  April  26. 
Rom.  Brev.  vSupplem.  See  also  another  beautiful  passage 
from  the  same  Saint,  Offic.  B.V.  Auxil.  Christianorum, 
May  24.  Ibid.  Note.  This  feast  of  Our  Lady  of  Good 
Counsel  is  no  longer  observed,  except  locally. 

In  her  Litany  our  Lady  is  invoked  as  Health  of  the  Sick, 
Refuge  of  sinners,  Consoler  of  the  afflicted,  Help  of  Chris 
tians. 

Mary,  health  of  the  sick.  What  thousands  upon 
thousands  of  sick  persons  have  been  miraculously  cured 
of  various  ailments  by  her  at  Lourdes  and  elsewhere  ! 
See  the  votive  offerings  at  her  numerous  shrines.  The 
history  of  these  miraculous  cures  would  fill  a  library.  If 
the  Angel  Raphael  cured  the  blindness  of  Tobias  ;  if  the 
bones  of  Eliseus  gave  life  to  a  dead  body ;  if  the  Apostles 
had  power  to  cure  diseases ;  if  the  very  shadow  of  St. 


HER   IMMACULATE  HEART  227 

Peter  cured  many  who  were  sick  ;  what  must  be  the  power 
of  Mary  to  relieve  and  dispel  human  suffering !  The  pool 
of  Bethsaida  was  moved  by  the  Angel  only  at  intervals  : 
but  the  loving  Heart  of  Mary  is  in  a  continual  movement  of 
holy  compassion.  And  if  her  pity  for  our  bodily  ailments 
is  so  great,  with  what  tenderness  of  affection  will  she 
welcome  and  assist  those  who  fly  to  her  for  help  in  interior 
troubles,  trials,  temptations,  anguish  of  soul,  and  spiritual 
distress  of  every  kind. 


SECTION   LXXXV 

MARY  HONOURED   BY  DEVOTION   TO   HER   IMMACULATE 

HEART 

THE  great  apostle  of  the  devotion  to  our  Lady's 
Immaculate  Heart  is  Blessed  John  Eudes  (d. 
1680),  Founder  of  the  Eudists  and  of  the  Good  Shepherd 
nuns — who  still  preaches  it  through  his  great  work  Le 
Cceur  Admirable  de  la  ires  Sainte  Mere  de  Dieu.  He  here 
speaks  as  with  words  of  fire,  and  no  one  can  read  the  work 
seriously  without  feeling  inflamed. 

If  we  seek  for  reasons  why  the  Heart  of  our  Blessed 
Mother  is  so  greatly  honoured  and  revered  by  Catholics, 
the  answer  is  : 

i.  Because,  after  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus,  it  is  the 
purest  and  holiest  heart  that  ever  was. 

(a)  It  is  a  shrine  or  temple  of  holiness,  whose  threshold 
was  never  once  crossed  by  the  demon  of  sin  ;   whose  sanc 
tuary  was  never  once  contaminated  by  the  least  touch  of 
evil ;    whose  altar  was  the  chosen  resting  place  of  the 
Spirit  of  God. 

(b)  It  is  a  shrine  or  temple  of  peace,  for  it  is  the  heart  of 
the  Mother  of  the  Prince  of  Peace  ;    a  heart  never  for  a 
moment  disturbed  by  evil  passions  or  by  the  noisy  clamour 
of  evil  propensities  ;    a  heart  whose  gifts  to  mankind  are 
those  of  mercy,  reconciliation  and  peace. 


228  MARY  HONOURED 

(c)  It  is  a  shrine  adorned  with  all  the  skill  of  the  Divine 
Artificer,  who  has  lavished  upon  it  the  riches  of  His  treasure- 
house — riches  of  sanctifying  grace,  each  of  which  far  tran 
scends  in  value  all  the  riches  of  the  material  universe. 
"  Ave,  gratia  plena  !  "  Hail,  full  of  grace  ! 

2,  Because  it  is  a  counterpart  of  the  Heart  of  Jesus. 

(a)  His  is  a  loving  Heart,  that  love  being  symbolized 
by  the  flames.     So  Mary's  is  a  loving  heart,  the  most 
affectionate  of  hearts  after  that  of  Jesus.     She  loves  us 
as  a  mother  loves  her  children  ;  her  eyes  are  ever  watchful 
over  us ;    her  ears  are  ever  attentive  to  our  cries  ;    her 
hands  are  ever  extended  over  us  to  help  us  and  impart 
heavenly  blessed  gifts  to  us ;    above  all,  her  heart  is  full 
of  the  tenderest  solicitude  for  us. 

(b)  Jesus'  Heart  was  a  suffering  Heart  symbolized  by 
the  thorns  that  circle  it  round,  the  cross  planted  in  its 
summit,  and  the  gash  opened  in  its  side.     So  Mary's  was 
a  suffering  heart.     Its  martyrdom  began  with  holy  Sim 
eon's  prophecy  in  the  temple,  and  was  consummated  on 
Calvary.     If   Jesus'   hands   and   feet   were   pierced  with 
nails,  the  sound  of  each  blow  of  the  hammer  inflicted  a 
corresponding  wound  on  the  heart  of  His  Mother.     If 
His  head  was  crowned  with  thorns,   another  crown  of 
thorns  encircled  the  heart  of  His  Mother.     If  His  side 
was  opened  with  a  lance,   a  sword  of  anguish  likewise 
pierced  the  heart  of  His  Mother.     If  His  lips  were  tortured 
with  gall  and  vinegar  squeezed  against  them,  a  very  sea 
of  bitterness  was  poured  into  the  heart  of  His  Mother. 
"  Magna  est  velut  mare  contritio  tua." 

(c)  Jesus'  Heart  was  a  pure  Heart,  symbolized  by  the 
light  that  Blessed  Margaret  Mary  saw  issuing  from  it 
and  streaming  round  it.     So  Mary's  was  a  pure  heart, 
pure  as  the  light,  purer  than  the  snow,  free  from  the  stain 
of  original  sin,  from  the  least  blemish  of  actual  sin,  from 
the  least  evil  tendency  of  our  fallen  nature :    a  heart  full 
of  light  and  beauty  reflecting  to  the  full  the  radiance  of 
the  Sacred  Heart  of  her  Divine  Son. 


HER   IMMACULATE   HEART  229 

(d)  Jesus'  was  a  generous  Heart,  symbolized  by  His 
open  breast,  and  the  wound  in  His  side  whence  issued 
the  last  drops  of  His  Heart's  blood  shed  for  us,  and  by  which 
an  access  was  opened  to  us  to  the  treasures  of  that  Divine 
Heart.     So  Mary's  is  a  generous  heart,  expansive  in  love, 
abounding  in  mercy  :    all  mankind  may  find  a  place  there 
as  her  children,  if  they  only  choose  to  listen  to  her  loving 
invitation,  "  Venite  ad  me  omnes." 

(e)  Jesus'    Heart    suffered    and   bled   for   sinners.     So 
Mary's  heart  is  a  refuge,  a  blessed  asylum  opened  for 
sinners.     She  is  the  Mother  of  Mercy,   who  never  was 
known,  as  St.  Bernard  assures  us,  to  turn  away  any  one 
who  came  in  sincerity  to  seek  her  aid. 

The  Heart  of  Mary,  says  Blessed  John  Eudes,  is  a 
very  heaven  of  glory,  more  wonderful  than  the  empyrean 
heaven ;  it  is,  through  her  Divine  Son,  a  source  of  life  to 
all  the  faithful,  "  Vitam  datam  per  Virginem,  Vita,  dul- 
cedo,  et  spes  nostra  "  ;  it  is  the  holiest  and  most  acceptable 
victim  of  divine  love  ;  it  is  a  sun  more  brilliant  than  the 
material  sun,  enlightening  the  minds  and  inflaming  the 
hearts  of  all  the  children  of  light ;  it  is  a  fountain  of  living 
water,  a  stream  of  mercy  and  blessing,  "  Fons  innumerorum 
bonorum  "  ;  it  is  a  loving  haven  of  safety,  in  which  we 
may  find  shelter  when  buffeted  by  the  storms  of  trials 
and  temptations.  If  St.  John  Chrysostom  felt  such  affec 
tion  for  the  heart  of  St.  Paul ;  if  we  feel  such  deep  rever 
ence  for  the  hearts  of  St.  Teresa,  St.  John  Berchmans, 
Blessed  Baldinucci  and  others  still  preserved  incorrupt, 
how  great,  how  burning  ought  to  be  our  devotion  to  the 
Immaculate  Heart  of  the  Mother  of  God  ! 


230  MARY  HONOURED 


SECTION  LXXXVI 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  THE  CONSECRATION  TO  HER  OF 
ENGLAND  IN  1893 

IN  May,  1893,  England  was  solemnly  consecrated  by 
Cardinal  Archbishop  Vaughan  and  the  whole  Hier 
archy  of  English  Bishops  to  the  Mother  of  God  and  to 
the   Prince   of   the  Apostles.     Some  extracts    from  his 
Eminence's  pastoral  letter  are  here  given. 

1.  Our    Lady's    Dowry.     "  The    Holy    Father    (Leo 
XIII),  in  his  reply  (to  an  address  presented  by  English 
pilgrims  on  February  27,  1893),  has  used  and  thus  con 
secrated  an  expression  which  is  familiar  to  us  here,  but 
which  has  probably  never  before  been  heard  from  the 
mouth  of  a  Pope.     He  has  called  this  country  '  Our  Lady's 
Dowry.'    That  is  to  say  he  has  mentioned  with  approval 
that,  in  the  ages  of  faith,  this  land  was  commonly  so  named. 
It  is  to  an  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  of  the  XIV  Cent. 
— Archbishop    Arundel — that   we   are   indebted   for   a 
formal  testimony  to  a  fact  which  of  itself  is  enough  to 
prove  how  Most  Holy  Mary  was  loved  in  England  in  days 
gone  by.     He  writes  thus  to  the  Bishops  of  the  Province 
of  Canterbury  in  the  year  1399  :    '  The  contemplation  of 
the  great  Mystery  of  the  Incarnation,  in  which  the  Eternal 
Word  chose  the  holy  and  Immaculate  Virgin,  that  from 
her  womb  He  should  clothe  Himself  with  flesh,  has  drawn 
all  Christian  nations  to  venerate  her  from  whom  came 
the  first  beginnings  of  our  Redemption.'     '  But  we  in 
England/  he  continues,  '  being  the  servants  of  her  special 
inheritance,  and  her  own  Dowry,  as  we  are  commonly 
called,  ought  to  surpass  others  in  the  fervour  of  our  praise 
and  devotion.'    These  words  form  part  of  a  Constitution 
which  is  remarkable  for  many  reasons." 

2.  The  Angelus  Bell.     "  It  is  the  (same)  decree  which 
established  the  morning  and  evening  '  Angelus/  as  it  was 
used  in  mediaeval  England.    Already  it  had  been  the 


ENGLAND'S   CONSECRATION  231 

custom  in  England  to  toll  the  bell  in  the  evening  hour 
and  to  recite  five  '  Hail  Marys  '  with  the  '  Our  Father.' 
It  was  at  the  request  of  King  Henry  IV  that  the  English 
Primate  ordered  that  in  all  cathedral,  collegiate,  monastic, 
and  parish  churches,  the  bell  should  be  rung  in  the  early 
morning  also,  and  the  same  prayers  be  said.  The  sound 
of  that  Angelus  Bell  seems  to  bring  back  to  our  memories 
the  never-ceasing  cultus  or  '  worship  '  of  the  Blessed  Mother 
of  our  Redeemer  which  so  strongly  marked  every  age  of 
Catholic  history  in  this  country.  The  bells  of  every  church 
from  Canterbury  to  Lindisfarne,  and  from  Mary's  great 
shrine  at  Walsingham  in  the  east  to  remote  St.  David's 
in  the  extreme  west,  rung  out  at  dawn  and  again  at  sunset, 
day  by  day,  as  the  years  went  by.  But  not  more  regular 
or  more  constant  was  their  sweet  sound  over  all  the  land 
than  was  the  lifting  up  of  the  heart  of  rich  and  poor,  high 
and  low,  in  morning  salutation  and  in  evening  supplication 
to  the  holy  Mother  of  God." 

3.  Monuments  to  Mary.     "  Since  the  landing  of  St. 
Augustine  and  his  monks  every  great  name,  Saxon  or 
Norman,  which  had  adorned  the  annals  of  the  Church, 
had  left  a  monument  to  Mary,  either  in  solid  stone  or  in 
immortal  speech.    The  great  Doctors  of  the  English,  like 
Bede,  Alcuin,  and  Anselm,  had  written  of  her  with  the 
enthusiasm  of  sons ;    the  great  preachers,    such   as  St. 
Aldhelm  and  St.  Aelred,  had  given  the  flower  of  their 
rapturous  meditations  on  her  prerogatives ;    the  men  of 
action  and  builders  of  churches,  like  St.  Bennet  of  Wear- 
mouth  and  St.  Wilfrid,  had  set  her  name  on  the  temples 
they  erected  to  Almighty  God  and  placed  her  image  in 
their  sanctuaries ;    the   splendid    mediaeval   Bishops,   as 
St.  Hugh  of  Lincoln,  St.  Edmund  of  Canterbury,  and  St. 
Richard  of  Chichester,  had  built  glorious  Ladye-chapels 
to  their  great  cathedrals,  and  added  gem  after  gem  not 
only  to  her  shrines  but  to  the  ever-growing  trophy  of  the 
public  and  private  devotions  of  the  English  people." 

4.  St.   Thomas    of  Canterbury  and  Devotion    to 


232  MARY  HONOURED 

Mary.  "  It  cannot  be  doubted  that  the  name  of  St. 
Thomas  of  Canterbury  carried  with  it  more  power  over 
the  hearts  of  the  English  than  the  name  of  any  other 
saint  of  this  island.  It  was  commonly  believed — and  it 
seems  to  be  uncontradicted — that  the  beloved  martyr 
and  champion  of  the  unity  of  the  Church  was  not  only 
one  of  Mary's  devoutest  clients,  but  had  written  sweet 
and  pious  verses  in  her  honour.  It  was  probably  in  his 
retirement  at  Pontigny — where  his  soul  grew  nearer  to 
God,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  took  possession  of  all  his  powers 
and  aspirations — that  he  wrote  those  two  hymns  which 
have  been  handed  down  to  us.  Two  sequences,  one 
beginning  Imperatrix  gloriosa,  and  the  other  Hodierna 
lux  diei,  are  found  in  numerous  missals  of  the  Middle  Ages 
all  over  Europe  ;  and  had  not  our  English  liturgical  books 
been  almost  utterly  destroyed  by  the  Reformers,  we  should 
have  known  how  popular  they  were  in  England.  About 
the  middle  of  the  XII  Cent.,  ere  yet  St.  Thomas 
had  shed  his  blood  at  Canterbury,  St.  Aelred,  who  is  called 
the  English  St.  Bernard,  was  proclaiming  the  praises  of 
the  Mother  of  Christ  in  his  Cistercian  church  in  Yorkshire." 

5.  Speaking  Facts.  The  Ladye-Mass.     "  There  are 
those  who  speak  as  if  such  devotion  were  a  modern  develop 
ment    or    the    outcome  of  a  national  temperament  very 
different  from  that  of  the  English.     Let  a  few  facts  speak  for 
themselves.     In  England,  during  the  ages  of  faith,  there 
was  the  Votive  Mass  of  our  Lady  every  day  in  cathedrals 
and  greater  churches.     At  the  early  dawn  the  bell  sounded 
its  summons  to  the  '  Ladye-Mass/  and  the  people  hastened 
to  the  magnificent  Ladye-chapels  of  cathedrals  like  St. 
Paul's,  or  Lincoln,  or  York,  or  to  the  Ladye-altar  of  their 
own  parish  church.     This  Mass  did  not  take  the  place  of 
the  Mass  and  Office  of  the  day.     It  was  the  willing  tribute 
of  a  devout  people  to  the  Mother  of  Jesus." 

6.  The  Ladye-Chapel.     "  Day   by   day   the   services 
went  on  in  the  choir,  at  the  high  altar,  and  in  the  vast 
naves  of  the  glorious  churches  of  the  land.    But  the  Ladye- 


ENGLAND'S   CONSECRATION  233 

chapel  was  the  scene  of  Mary's  special  honour.  Her  altar 
was  there,  her  image  was  there,  of  precious  marble,  even 
of  gold  or  silver,  or  perhaps  of  common  wood,  now  dark 
and  venerable  with  the  lapse  of  years.  The  ministers 
who  officiated  were  set  apart  for  this  special  duty  ;  some 
times  a  single  priest,  who  was  '  Our  Ladye's  Priest ' ; 
sometimes  a  college  of  four,  or  six,  or  of  eight,  for  whom 
the  piety  of  benefactors  had  provided  in  order  that  they 
might  stand  at  our  Lady's  shrine.  The  Ladye-chapel  had 
its  own  precious  vestments  and  its  own  golden  chalice ; 
wax  candles  offered  by  Mary's  clients,  living  and  dead, 
burned  during  the  Mass  and  before  her  image  ;  the  missals, 
the  graduals,  the  psalters  were  Mary's  own,  and  the  lamp 
that  shone  there  night  and  day  was  in  the  custody  of  one 
who  was  appointed  to  guard  and  keep  the  chapel.  Let 
it  be  remembered  that  there  was  not  one  church  in  all 
England  to  which  this  description  did  not  in  some  degree 
apply  during  the  XIII,  XIV  and  XV  Cents." 

7.  Political  and  Social  Life.  Order  of  the  Garter. 
Eton  College.  Famous  Sanctuaries.  "  And  what 
was  true  of  the  daily  liturgical  life  of  the  country,  was 
true  also  of  its  political  and  social  life  in  the  widest  sense. 
We  are  told  that  the  Order  of  the  Garter  was  founded  by 
Edward  III  to  the  '  honour  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,'  and 
that  '  out  of  his  singular  affection  for  her  he  had  wished 
her  to  be  honoured  by  his  knights  ' ;  and  on  our  Lady's 
festivals  the  knights,  during  the  Divine  Office,  bore  on 
their  right  shoulders  golden  figures  of  the  Mother  of  God. 
When  King  Henry  VI  founded  his  great  College  of  Eton, 
he  dedicated  it  to  the  '  Name  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.'  There 
was  no  part  of  the  country  where  there  was  not  a  famous 
Sanctuary  of  the  Madonna,  to  which  royal  and  noble  per 
sonages  with  crowds  of  pilgrims  continually  thronged. 
Amongst  these  the  most  popular  was  Our  Lady  of  Wal- 
singham,  in  Norfolk  ;  but  scarcely  less  so  were  the  Church 
of  All  Hallows,  near  the  Tower  of  London,  on  account 
of  its  miraculous  statue,  Our  Lady  of  the  Pue  at  West- 


234  MARY  HONOURED 

minster,  Our  Lady  of  Doncaster,  Our  Lady  of  Ipswich, 
and  far  away  to  the  west,  among  the  hills  of  Glamorgan, 
Our  Lady  of  Penrice,  marked  stilr  by  a  '  holy  well.'  With 
these  sacred  shrines  the  life  and  history  of  the  country 
were  bound  up.  Thither  went  Kings  to  beg  a  blessing 
on  their  arms  from  the  God  of  battles,  and  to  return  thanks 
for  victory  and  peace.  Piously  and  humbly,  often  with 
bare  feet — like  Henry  VIII  himself  in  the  days  before  he 
fell  from  the  faith — princes,  prelates,  statesmen,  and 
great  soldiers,  representing  the  religious  emotion  of  a 
Catholic  nation,  sought  out  in  the  hour  of  national  crisis 
the  hallowed  spot  where  the  power  of  Christ's  Mother 
seemed  to  dwell — where  pious  generations  had  lifted  up 
her  monuments,  where  the  knees  of  suppliants  had  worn 
away  the  stone,  and  where  trophies  of  piety  and  gratitude 
covered  the  wall  of  the  sanctuary.  We  cannot  bring 
back  those  days  of  faith.  But  we  can  arouse  our  own 
faith,  and  at  the  bidding  of  the  Holy  Father,  renew  and 
enlarge  our  love  and  our  service  of  the  Queen  of  Virgins, 
in  public  and  private,  in  great  things  and  in  small,  con 
secrating  to  her  our  lives  and  our  actions,  and,  as  far  as 
lies  in  our  power,  putting  her  once  more  in  her  place  as 
the  country's  sovereign  protector." 


SECTION   LXXXVII 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  DEVOTION  TO  HER  SEVEN  DOLOURS 

ON  the  Feast  of  the  Assumption,  1233,  seven  Floren 
tine  nobles  met  together,  as  their  custom  was, 
to  recite  the  Office  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  While  they 
were  thus  engaged  she  herself  appeared  before  them,  and 
bade  them  forsake  the  world  for  a  more  perfect  life.  In 
a  second  apparition,  1239,  she  recommended  them  to 
spread  devotion  to  her  Seven  Dolours,  and  presented  to 
them  the  black  habit  which  the  Servites  wear  in  honour 


7AT   HER   DOLOURS  235 

of  the  Passion  of  her  Son.  Throughout  Europe  these 
zealous  Servants  of  Mary  preached  everywhere  devotion 
to  the  Passion  of  Jesus  and  to  the  Sorrows  of  His  holy 
Mother. 

Mary's  martyrdom,  observes  Father  Petitalot,  324,  began 
with  the  first  knowledge  which  the  prophecies  gave  her 
of  the  sufferings  which  the  Messias  would  have  to  endure. 
It  increased  when  she  was  chosen  to  be  the  Mother  of  that 
Messias,  destined  to  die  a  cruel  death  for  the  sins  of  the 
world.  It  became  more  intense  when  she  heard  the  words 
of  holy  Simeon,  and  saw  the  flowing  of  the  first  drops  of 
our  Saviour's  Blood.  It  continued  during  the  thirty-three 
years  of  our  Lord's  life.  It  attained  its  greatest  intensity 
during  the  hours  of  the  Passion.  Even  after  the  Resurrec 
tion  and  Ascension  it  did  not  entirely  cease  :  Mary  suffered 
as  long  as  she  lived,  for  she  could  not  forget  any  of  her 
sorrows,  but,  on  the  contrary,  recalled  every  day  the 
painful  remembrance  by  visiting  (it  is  believed)  the  places 
where  she  beheld  the  sufferings  of  her  adorable  Child. 

As  salt  is  found  in  all  the  waters  of  the  ocean,  so  suffering 
spread  itself  throughout  the  entire  life  of  Mary,  and  this 
is  why  many  have  said  that  the  name  of  Mary  is  equivalent 
to  Mare  amarum.  St.  Bridget  of  Sweden,  while  praying 
in  the  Church  of  St.  Mary  Major,  Rome,  had  a  vision  in 
which  the  Blessed  Virgin  appeared  to  her,  having  by  her 
side  holy  Simeon,  and  an  Angel  bearing  a  long  sword 
reddened  with  blood.  This  sword,  says  St.  Alphonsus, 
recounting  the  circumstance,  typified  the  long  and  bitter 
grief  which  never  ceased  to  pierce  the  heart  of  Mary. 

The  Seven  Dolours  of  Mary  commemorated  by  the 
faithful  in  the  Rosary  of  the  Dolours  are  (i)  the  Prophecy 
of  Simeon  ;  (2)  the  Flight  into  Egypt ;  (3)  the  loss  of 
the  Holy  Child  in  Jerusalem  ;  (4)  the  meeting  Jesus  on 
His  way  to  Calvary ;  (5)  His  death  on  the  Cross  ;  (6) 
the  opening  of  His  side  with  a  spear  ;  (7)  the  entombment 
of  Jesus.  The  aforesaid  Rosary,  a  favourite  devotion  of 
pious  Catholics,  has  proved  a  source  of  abundant  graces 


236  MARY    HONOURED 

and  blessings.  St.  Ignatius  of  Loyola  was  very  devout 
to  Our  Lady  of  Dolours,  and  wore  on  his  breast  for  very 
many  years  a  picture  representing  her  at  the  foot  of  the 
cross  with  her  heart  transfixed  with  a  sword.  To  her  he 
addressed  his  constant  prayers.  When  Father  Anthony 
Araoz,  his  nephew,  was  about  to  leave  Rome  for  Spain, 
the  Saint  gave  him  this  picture  saying  :  "  Since  the  day 
of  my  conversion,  when  I  exchanged  my  secular  dress 
for  the  garb  of  a  penitent,  never  has  this  picture  left  me. 
I  have  had  it  always  on  my  heart  with  my  crucifix,  and 
I  have  received  from  it  wonderful  help.  Take  it  there 
fore  :  let  it  be  to  you  the  pledge  of  a  perpetual  assistance 
from  our  Lady,  and  the  treasure  of  your  heart."  This 
picture  is  preserved  at  Sarragoza  in  Spain,  and  is  known 
as  "  St.  Mary  of  the  Heart." 

The  Stabat  Mater  composed  by  Blessed  Jacopone  di 
Todi  (d.  1306)  is  the  most  beautiful  sequence  ever  written 
on  our  Lady's  sorrows,  and  has  been  included  in  the 
Liturgy  of  the  Church.  Sir  Walter  Scott  admired  it  so 
greatly  that  he  is  reported  to  have  said  he  would  give 
all  his  works  to  have  written  such  an  exquisite  soul-stirring 
composition  as  that. 


SECTION   LXXXVIII 
OUR  LADY  HONOURED  BY  ORDINARY  DUTIES 

ST.  JOHN  DAMASCENE  exhorts  us  to  remember 
Mary  in  all  our  actions.     "  Let  us  make  our  memory 
the    tabernacle    of    the   Virgin."     St.    Bonaventure    also 
bids  us  "at  every  moment  think  of  Mary."     "  Who  can 
live,"  exclaims  St.   Bernard,   "  without  loving  Mary  ?  " 
and  if  we  love  her  we  shall  think  of  her  continually.     See 
Pere  Blot's  Jour  de  Marie,  from  which  this  and  the  follow 
ing  section  are  borrowed. 
On  rising  in  the  morning,  kneel  and  ask  our  Lady's 


BY  ORDINARY  DUTIES  237 

blessing,  as  M.  Olier,  founder  of  the  Congregation  of  St. 
Sulpice,  used  to  do  :  then  kiss  respectfully  her  image  or 
medal.  Afterwards,  place  into  her  blessed  hands  all  the 
actions  you  will  perform  during  the  day,  to  be  presented 
by  her  to  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus.  Blessed  Henry 
Suso,  of  the  Order  of  St.  Dominic  (d.  1221),  says  of  him 
self  :  "  Every  morning  as  soon  as  I  awake,  my  soul  turns 
towards  thee,  O  Mary.  It  is  sure  that  all  that  is  pre 
sented  to  God  through  thy  most  pure  hands,  of  however 
little  value  in  itself,  will  be  favourably  received  in  con 
sideration  of  thy  sublime  dignity." 

At  Study,  offer  up  your  work  to  Mary  and  beg  of  her 
light  and  help.  Blessed  Albert  the  Great,  master  of  St. 
Thomas  of  Aquin,  Father  Francis  Suarez,  S.J.,  one  of  the 
greatest  of  theologians,  and  many  other  learned  men, 
whose  names  have  become  famous,  seemed  at  first  desti 
tute  of  natural  talent ;  but  their  devotion  to  Mary  made 
up  for  any  intellectual  shortcomings,  and  they  rose  to  be 
the  glory  and  admiration  of  their  century.  St.  Edmund 
of  Canterbury,  while  at  study,  always  had  an  image  of 
Mary  before  him,  and  from  time  to  time  turned  to  her  to 
ask  for  light.  Such  was  also  the  practice  of  St.  Leonard 
of  Port  Maurice  and  of  Father  Francis  Suarez,  S.J. 

Daily  Occupations.  Begin  them  by  kneeling  to  ask 
our  Lady's  blessing  with  St.  Francis  de  Sales.  This  Saint 
never  undertook  any  business  without  first  imploring  her 
aid  on  his  knees.  Such  also  the  pious  custom  of  St.  Alphon- 
sus  Liguori,  Monsieur  Olier  and  many  others. 

Manual  Work,  the  work  of  Martha.  Unite  it  with  the 
simple  duties  of  Mary  at  Nazareth,  and  ennoble  it  by  a 
pure  intention.  St.  Bonaventure  says  somewhere  that 
our  Lady  merited  more  by  her  simplest  action,  such  as 
sewing  or  winding  the  flax  from  the  distaff,  than  the 
Saints  by  their  greatest  works  of  zeal,  because  of  the 
sublimity  of  her  intention. 

At  table  you  may  feel  prompted,  especially  on  Saturdays, 
to  make  in  our  Lady's  honour  some  little  sacrifice,  imitating 


238  MARY   HONOURED 

in  this  the  example  of  St.  Vincent  Ferrer.  If  anything 
be  wanting  or  less  palatable,  never  murmur  or  complain. 
The  Blessed  Cure  d'Ars  used  to  say :  "  Saints  never 
complain." 

On  a  Walk.  Before  you  leave  your  room  or  re-enter 
it  you  should  ask  our  Lady  to  bless  you.  Lanspergius, 
the  great  Carthusian  writer,  recommended  his  religious 
to  kneel  and  salute  Mary  each  time  they  returned  to  their 
cell.  This  was  the  habit  of  Father  Alvarez  de  Paz,  S.J., 
and  of  St.  Alphonsus  Liguori. 

Going  about  the  house.  Whenever  you  pass  an  image 
or  picture  of  our  Lady  say  with  St.  Bernard  "  Ave  Maria." 
Under  his  beautiful  fresco  of  the  Annunciation  in  St. 
Marco's  convent,  Florence,  Blessed  Fra  Angelico  inscribed 
the  words  :  "  Virginis  intactae  cum  veneris  ante  nguram, 
praetereundo  cave  ne  sileatur  Ave  "  :  i.e.  Whenever  you 
pass  before  a  picture  of  the  spotless  Virgin,  be  careful 
not  to  forget  to  say  Ave." 

Entertainments.  Offer  your  hours  of  relaxation  to  Mary, 
and,  if  you  can,  introduce  some  thought  about  her  in 
your  conversation.  This  was  the  habit  of  St.  John  Berch- 
mans.  St.  Jane  Frances  de  Chantal  used  to  invite  her 
community  to  sing  hymns  to  our  Lady  at  recreation  on 
her  feast  days.  You  at  least  can  sing  to  her  in  your  heart 
while  others  talk.  St.  Berchmans  used  to  collect  pious 
anecdotes  about  our  Lady  to  serve  as  subjects  of  religious 
conversation.  St.  Aloysius  playing  at  ball  used  to  offer 
up  the  game  to  her,  and  the  stake  for  which  he  and  his 
fellow  scholastics  played  was  a  certain  number  of  Hail 
Marys. 

Retiring  to  rest.  St.  Stanislaus  before  retiring  to  rest 
always  turned  towards  St.  Mary  Major,  Rome,  and  kneel 
ing  said  three  Hail  Marys  to  ask  our  Lady's  blessing. 
The  Roman  novices  S.J.  still  observe  this  practice.  The 
Hail  Marys  might  be  offered  to  obtain  the  grace  of  a  holy 
death.  This  was  what  our  Lady  recommended  to  St. 
Mechtilde.  You  should  also  ask  this  Mother  of  Mercy 


BY  SPIRITUAL   EXERCISES  239 

to  pray  for  those  who  will  die  during  the  night,  and  especi 
ally  those  who  are  deprived  of  spiritual  help. 


SECTION   LXXXIX 
OUR  LADY  HONOURED  BY  SPIRITUAL  EXERCISES 

ED1TATION.  Every  good  Catholic  should  try  to 
find  a  little  time  (at  least  ten  minutes  or  one-quarter 
hour)  every  day  for  mental  prayer,  using  some  book  of 
meditations  with  short  but  suggestive  points  like  those 
of  Father  Richard  Clarke,  S.J.  Begin  the  meditation  by 
asking  our  Lady  to  teach  you  how  to  pray  and  to  suggest 
to  you  holy  thoughts.  This  was  the  devout  practice  of 
St.  Elzear,  earl  of  Arian  in  Provence.  Blessed  John  Eudes, 
who  founded  the  nuns  of  Our  Lady  of  Charity,  and  the 
Good  Shepherd  nuns,  wrote  many  admirable  spiritual 
books,  and  acknowledged  that  he  was  indebted  to  Mary 
for  the  attraction  he  felt  from  his  tender  youth  for  mental 
prayer,  as  well  as  for  the  reading  of  pious  books.  Vener 
able  Father  Gon£alvo  Silveira,  a  Portuguese  Jesuit  put  to 
death  in  Monomotapa  out  of  hatred  of  the  Faith,  used 
every  Saturday  to  meditate  on  the  life  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

Holy  Mass.  St.  Charles  Borromeo  always  had  recourse 
to  our  Lady  before  celebrating  Mass,  and  recommended 
the  same  practice  to  all  Priests.  You  should  do  the  same 
before  assisting  at  Mass.  At  the  Consecration  ask  our 
Lord  for  some  special  grace  through  the  love  He  bears 
for  His  holy  Mother.  Try  to  give  all  the  pleasure  you 
can  to  Jesus  and  Mary  by  hearing  Mass  very  devoutly. 

Holy  Communion.  On  the  eve  of  your  Communion 
imitate  St.  Francis  Borgia  by  asking  our  Lady  to  prepare 
in  your  heart  a  worthy  dwelling-place  for  her  Divine  Son. 
In  receiving  Holy  Communion  imagine  it  is  our  Lady  who 
is  placing  the  Divine  Child  in  your  arms,  as  she  did  to  St. 
Stanislaus.  Let  part  of  your  thanksgiving  be  our  Lady's 
Magnificat.  Let  one  of  your  intentions  in  hearing  Mass 


24o  MARY  HONOURED 

and  going  to  Holy  Communion  be  to  thank  God  for  the 
sublime  graces  conferred  upon  Mary,  particularly  those 
of  her  Immaculate  Conception,  her  divine  Maternity,  her 
spotless  Virginity,  and  her  glorious  Assumption. 

Visits  to  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  Imagine  you  are  enter 
ing  the  little  home  of  Nazareth  to  pay  a  visit  to  Jesus  and 
His  blessed  Mother.  Salute  them  both  reverently,  and 
again  thank  our  Lord  for  the  wonderful  graces  and  privi 
leges  bestowed  upon  her.  St.  Alphonsus  Liguori  wished 
that  none  should  visit  the  Blessed  Sacrament  without  at  the 
same  time  visiting  her.  See  his  Visits  to  the  Blessed  Sacra 
ment.  St.  John  Berchmans  used  to  feel  great  delight 
when  visiting  our  Lord  in  churches  dedicated  to  Mary. 
St.  Stanislaus,  after  adoring  the  Blessed  Sacrament  in 
St.  Mary  Major,  Rome,  went  to  kneel  before  our  Lady's 
miraculous  picture  and  there  fell  into  an  ecstasy,  exclaim 
ing,  "  The  Mother  of  God  is  my  Mother  !  " 


SECTION   XC 
OUR  LADY  HONOURED  BY  SPECIAL  ACTS  OF  HOMAGE 

THE    Rosary   and    Angelus   have   been   mentioned 
above. 

The  Little  Office  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  also 
referred  to  above  :  §  75.  Many  find  time  to  say  this 
every  day.  The  late  Mr.  Edmund  Waterton,  author  of 
Pietas  Britannica,  and  son  of  the  great  Naturalist,  carried 
the  little  book  of  our  Lady's  Office  with  him  wherever  he 
went,  and  told  the  present  writer  that  he  had  never  for 
a  single  day  omitted  to  say  that  Office  since  he  was  a 
boy  at  Stonyhurst.  St.  Louis,  King  of  France,  St.  Elzear, 
St.  Aloysius  Gonzaga,  St.  Charles  Borromeo,  Ven.  Cardinal 
Bellarmine,  St.  Francesca  of  Rome,  St.  Catherine  and  her 
mother  St.  Bridget  of  Sweden,  St.  Mary  Magdalen  de 
Pazzi,  and  many  other  Saints  and  saintly  persons  used 
to  recite  every  day  the  Office  of  our  Lady  as  it  is  in  the 


BY   ACTS   OF  HOMAGE  241 

Roman  Breviary.  But  this  may  be  impossible  for  you, 
so  try  to  say  the  Little  Office  oj  the  Immaculate  Conception 
in  order  to  obtain  of  our  Lady  the  grace  of  spotless  purity. 

Consecration  to  Mary.  Father  Nicholas  Zucchi,  S.  J.,  a 
zealous  missionary,  recommended  his  penitents  to  recite 
the  little  prayer  "  My  Queen  and  my  Mother,"  etc.,  as  a 
sure  means  of  conquering  evil  temptations  and  preserving 
the  soul  in  innocence  and  spotless  purity.  By  means  of 
this  prayer  he  wrought  prodigious  conversions.  St.  John 
Berchmans  used  to  recite  daily  the  Sodality  Act  of  Conse 
cration,  and  St.  Aloysius  wrote  for  his  own  use  a  special 
act  of  dedication  of  himself  to  his  beloved  Mother.  St. 
Bernardine  of  Siena  dedicated  himself  every  morning  to 
the  service  of  Mary ;  and  St.  Jane  Frances  de  Chantal, 
before  becoming  a  nun,  considered  her  house  as  a  convent 
of  which  the  Virgin  Mary  was  the  Abbess. 

Whenever  the  clock  strikes.  Many  pious  persons  have 
the  touching  practice  of  saluting  their  loving  Mother  on 
hearing  the  clock  strike.  This  was  familiar  to  St.  Catherine 
of  Siena,  St.  Leonard  of  Port  Maurice,  St.  Alphonsus 
Rodriguez,  St.  Alphonsus  Liguori  and  many  others.  The 
latter  Saint  on  hearing  the  clock  strike  would  break  off 
his  conversation  to  recite  the  Hail  Mary,  and  he  used  to 
say  that  one  Ave  Maria  was  worth  more  than  the  whole 
world.  If  your  occupations  or  circumstances  do  not  allow 
you  to  say  the  Hail  Mary,  you  might  with  Venerable  Father 
Vincent  Caraffa,  General  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  say  "Praised 
be  God  !  Praised  be  holy  Mary  !  "  St.  Francis  Xavier's 
ejaculation  on  hearing  the  stroke  of  the  clock  was  "  Mother 
of  God,  remember  me  "  ;  and  St.  Philip  Neri's,  "  Virgin 
Mary,  pray  for  us  to  Jesus."  The  Spaniards,  at  least  in 
some  parts,  whenever  they  meet  or  enter  a  house  greet 
each  other  with  the  words  "  Ave  Maria  purissima  !  " 
to  which  the  answer  is  returned  "  Sine  labe  concepta." 

The  Picture  of  Mary.  Every  Catholic  house  should 
have  a  picture  of  the  Sacred  Heart  and  one  of  our  Lady 
in  some  conspicuous  place.  In  Italian  homes  a  lamp  is 

M.P.  R 


242  MARY   HONOURED 

kept  burning  before  our  Lady's  picture,  especially  on 
Saturdays.  Many  Catholics  have  in  the  house  a  little 
altar  with  the  image  of  our  Lady,  where  the  members 
assemble  to  say  the  Rosary.  Many  Saints  delighted  to 
gather  flowers  and  crown  our  Lady's  image  or  decorate 
her  altar  with  them.  Such  was  the  practice  of  St.  Joseph 
of  Cupertino  and  St.  Clare  of  Assisi.  But  better  than 
natural  flowers  are  pious  prayers  and  little  acts  of  self- 
denial  in  our  Lady's  honour. 

Acts  of  Self-denial.  If  we  are  painstaking  in  God's 
service,  we  shall  gain  many  victories  over  ourselves  every 
day,  and  offer  these  like  spiritual  flowers  on  our  Lady's 
altar.  Such  victories,  as  in  conquering  sloth,  resisting 
sleep,  checking  one's  appetite,  never  complaining  of  food 
or  anything,  etc.,  may  appear  small  and  insignificant, 
yet  they  become  precious  when  united  with  a  supernatural 
motive  and  offered  to  our  Lord  and  His  blessed  Mother. 
Opportunities  of  conquering  oneself  in  little  things  are 
never  wanting  :  v.g.  you  might  recite  a  few  more  prayers  ; 
or  pray  with  your  arms  extended  in  the  form  of  a  cross ; 
or  kiss  the  ground  ;  or  kneel  for  a  short  time  without 
any  support ;  or  sit  less  in  the  cosy  armchair  ;  or  read 
less  of  the  newspaper  ;  or  keep  silence  and  custody  of 
the  eyes  more  carefully ;  or  go  out  of  your  way  to  do  a 
kindness  ;  or  take  a  little  less  of  the  more  appetizing 
dishes  at  table  ;  or  never  eat  or  drink  between  meals ; 
or  read  more  Saints'  lives  and  less  light  literature,  etc., 
etc.  Such  little  victories  are  most  pleasing  to  our  Mother 
and  are  recorded  by  angels  in  heaven.  Some  further 
acts  of  self-denial,  see  §  93. 

Saturday  in  our  Lady's  Honour.  Try  to  hear  Mass  on 
that  day,  and  if  possible  go  to  Holy  Communion,  your 
intention  being  to  return  thanks  to  God  for  the  sublime 
privileges  conferred  on  His  holy  Mother.  Try  also  to 
gain  some  victories  over  yourself  on  Saturday.  Very 
many  Saints  were  in  the  habit  of  fasting  every  Saturday. 
If  you  can't  imitate  them  in  this,  at  least  deprive  yourself 


BY   TRUST  IN  HER  243 

of  some  little  thing,  or  give  an  alms  to  the  poor.  St. 
Louis  of  France  served  the  poor  with  his  own  hands  on 
every  Saturday ;  so  also  at  times  did  St.  Margaret  of 
Scotland.  If  you  have  time  you  might  hear  a  second  Mass 
on  Saturday,  and  imitate  many  holy  persons  who  pray 
that  their  death  may  fall  on  that  day  of  the  week.  On 
the  subject  of  meditation  on  Saturdays  we  have  spoken 
above. 

It  is  said  that  at  Crecy  (1346)  the  English  troops  went 
into  battle  breakfastless,  it  being  Saturday. 


SECTION   XCI 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  LOVING  TRUST  IN  HER  AS  A  MOTHER 

OUR  Divine  Lord's  last  bequest  to  us  as  He  hung 
upon  the  cross  was  to  give  us  His  holy  Mother  to 
be  our  Mother.  "  Woman  "  x  (He  thus  addresses  her  as 
the  Woman  of  prophecy,  the  Woman  above  all  women, 
the  perfect  Woman,  the  co-operatrix  in  the  Redemption 
of  the  world),  "  Woman,  behold  thy  son.  After  that 
He  saith  to  the  disciple,  Behold  thy  Mother.  And  from 
that  hour  the  disciple  took  her  to  his  own."  In  St.  John, 
the  beloved  disciple,  all  the  children  of  the  Catholic  Church 
were  represented.  This  has  been  the  constant  belief  and 
teaching  of  the  Church.  Thus  by  His  words  our  Lord 
has  made  His  own  Mother  to  be  our  Mother  in  the  super 
natural  order,  or  life  of  grace.  The  soul  has  a  higher  life, 
a  supernatural  one,  but  as  real  as  the  natural  life  of  the 
body.  As  without  our  mothers  our  bodies  could  not 
have  had  life,  so  without  Mary  there  can  be  no  life  in  our 
souls,2  and  consequently  she  is  our  true  Mother. 

1  Like  ytvai  (voc.  of  71^77)  in  Greek,  the  Aramaic  word  our  Lord 
used  for  "  woman  "  signifies  also  Lady. 

2  All  grace  is  of  course  from  God,  as  all  life  is  from  God  ;    but, 
as  St.  Bernard  observes,  God  wills  that  His  graces  should  come 
to  us  through  Mary. 


244  MARY  HONOURED 

How  lovingly  our  blessed  Lady  exercises  the  office  of 
Mother.  She  has  her  eyes  constantly  directed  upon  us 
her  children  ("  Turn  those  merciful  eyes  of  thine  towards 
us  "),  and  all  the  dazzling  forms  of  angels,  who  pass  before 
her  throne,  do  not  cause  her  to  turn  her  eyes  and  thoughts 
away  from  us.  She  has  her  ears  constantly  attentive  to 
our  cries,  and  all  the  ravishing  music  of  heaven  does  not 
prevent  her  from  hearing  even  the  feeblest  appeal  for 
help  from  one  of  her  exiled  children.  She  has  her  hands 
constantly  extended  over  us,  those  hands  through  which, 
St.  Bernard  says,  God  wills  that  all  His  gifts  to  us  should 
pass.  Her  heart  is  full  of  maternal  affection  for  us,  and 
her  beautiful  mind  is  ever  busy  with  plans  how  to  get 
us  safe  through  the  perils  of  life  to  our  bright  home  in 
heaven. 

The  Fathers  of  the  Church  frequently  speak  of  Mary's 
Maternal  intercession  even  in  favour  of  enormous  sinners. 
St.  Anselm  speaking  in  humility  of  himself  says :  "I 
was  conceived  in  sin  and  born  a  sinner.  Baptized  and 
purified  I  again  became  a  sinner  ;  not  such  as  I  was  at 
first  (by  original  sin),  but  more  defiled  and  unclean  (by 
actual  sin).  This  is  why  I  seek  an  advocate  so  powerful 
that  after  Thy  Son  (O  loving  Mother)  there  is  none  more 
powerful  and  august  in  the  whole  of  creation.  The  (catho 
lic)  world  has  its  apostles,  patriarchs,  prophets,  martyrs, 
confessors  and  virgins,  excellent  protectors,  whose  help 
I  implore.  But  thou,  my  Queen,  art  better  and  greater 
than  all  these  intercessors ;  for  thou  art  their  mistress 
and  the  Sovereign  Lady  of  all  the  Saints,  and  even  of  all 
the  Angels,  of  the  kings  and  princes  of  this  world,  of  the 
rich  and  the  poor,  of  masters  and  slaves,  of  the  great  and 
the  humble  ;  that  which  they  can  all  do  with  thee,  thou 
alone  canst  do  without  them.  And  thou  canst  do  so 
because  thou  art  Mother  of  our  Lord,  the  Spouse  of  God 
(the  Holy  Ghost),  the  Queen  of  heaven  and  earth.  It 
is  therefore  thee  that  I  seek,  to  thee  that  I  have  recourse, 
and  whom  I  supplicate  to  help  me  in  all  things.  If  thou 


BY   IMITATION  245 

art  silent,  none  will  pray  for  me,  none  will  help  me ;  if 
thou  prayest,  all  will  pray  and  all  will  help.  For  we 
know  undoubtedly,  O  God,  that  Mary  enjoys  such  credit 
with  Thee,  that  her  wishes  can  never  fail  to  be  accom 
plished.  Our  salvation  is,  therefore,  in  her  loving  hands." 
Oratio  xlvi.  ad  Virg.  Mariam. 

SECTION  XCII 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  IMITATION  OF  HER  VIRTUES 

A  TRUE  devotion  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  has  always 
been  looked  upon  as  an  assured  sign  of  salvation. 
"  Servus  Mariae  nunquam  peribit."  A  true  servant  of 
Mary  will  never  be  lost,  says  St.  Anselm.  But  true  devo 
tion  consists  not  merely  in  reciting  certain  prayers  to  her 
(the  Rosary,  Angelus,  etc.),  or  in  wearing  her  scapulars, 
but  in  trying  to  imitate  her  virtues  as  far  as  we  can  with 
God's  grace.  She  is  our  Mother,  and  we  her  children 
should  in  some  way  try  to  resemble  her.  Now  (i)  Mary 
was  holy  and  unspotted,  untouched  by  the  least  sin  ;  so 
we,  her  children,  if  we  are  to  bear  that  title  worthily, 
must  have  a  horror  of  sin,  not  only  of  mortal  sin  but  also 
of  deliberate  venial  sin.  Mortal  sin  would  make  us 
cease  to  be  her  children,  for  we  become  thereby  the 
deadly  enemies  of  her  Divine  Son.  Venial  sin  makes 
us  displeasing  to  her  and  Him ;  and  though  it  does 
not  break  off  relationship  with  them  altogether,  it 
produces  a  cooling  of  affection,  and  checks  to  some 
extent  the  loving  benevolence  they  wish  to  show  us. 
(2)  Mary  on  earth  was  poor  and  detached  from  the 
things  of  this  world,  its  riches,  pleasures,  favour,  esteem, 
etc.  So  we,  her  children,  must  rid  ourselves  of  all  inor 
dinate  attachment  to  creatures,  v.g.  to  money  and  the 
things  that  money  can  purchase,  and  try  to  be  poor  of 
spirit,  undisturbed  by  the  coldness  or  even  hatred  and 
persecution  of  the  world.  (3)  Mary's  life  was  one  of 
suffering  and  martyrdom ;  so  we  must  bear  our  crosses 


246  MARY  HONOURED 

patiently  and  resignedly,  knowing  that  it  is  by  the  cross 
we  are  to  win  our  crown.  Crosses  are  sure  to  come,  whether 
(a)  from  bodily  ailments,  or  (b)  from  mental  anxieties 
and  trials,  or  (c)  from  family  troubles,  or  (d)  from  reverses 
of  fortune,  and  failure  in  our  work,  or  (e)  from  the  unkind- 
ness  and  ingratitude  of  others.  These  crosses,  if  accepted 
in  the  right  spirit,  are  precious  :  they  count  for  our 
eternal  reward,  and  they  make  us  true  disciples  of  Jesus, 
and  companions  of  our  Lady  at  the  foot  of  the  Cross. 

(4)  Mary's  great  characteristic  virtues  were  her  humility 
and  purity.     "  He  hath  regarded  the  humility  of  His  hand 
maid."     St.  Bernard  says  she  pleased  God  by  her  purity, 
which  was  far  greater  than  that  of  the  angels,  but  she  drew 
God  down  into  her  breast  by  her  humility.     Purity  and 
humility  (so  contrary  to  the  horrid  characteristics  of  the 
world,  concupiscence  of  the  flesh,  and  pride  of  life)  must 
be  also  our  cherished  virtues,  jealously  protected  by  prayer 
and  self-denial  against  the  blighting  influence  of  the  world, 
if  we  wish  our  Lady  to  acknowledge  us  as  her  children. 

(5)  Mary's  immaculate  heart  is  full  of  charity,  so  we  her 
children   must   be   full   of   tender   consideration   for   one 
another,  and  full  of  patient  forbearance  of  one  another 
in  our  shortcomings  and  defects. 

Mary  is  styled  the  "  Mirror  of  Justice,"  reflecting  the 
radiance  of  God's  infinite  holiness ;    so  each  of  Mary's . 
children  should  be  like  a  little  mirror  reflecting  the  purity, 
innocence,  humility  and  charity  of  our  spotless  Mother. 


SECTION  XCIII 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  IMITATING  THE  Pious  PRACTICES  OF 
THE  SAINTS  AND  OTHER  SAINTLY  PERSONS 

WE  may  imitate  the  Saints  in  one  or  more  of  the 
following  ways  : 

(i)  St.  John,  the  beloved  disciple,  by  taking  her  to  be 
our  Mother  and  doing  all  we  can  to  please  her. 


IWITH   THE   SAINTS  247 

(2)  St.   Bernard   by  saluting   her   images   or   pictures 
whenever  we  pass  them. 

(3)  St.  Edmund  of  Canterbury  by  having  her  image  or 
picture  (or  at  least  the  thought  of  her)  before  us  at  our 
work  or  study. 

(4)  St.  Francis  de  Sales  by  kneeling  to  ask  her  blessing 
before  any  undertaking. 

(5)  St.   Ignatius  of  Loyola  by  wearing  her  image  or 
picture  near  our  heart. 

(6)  St.  Simon  Stock  by  devoutly  wearing  her  scapular. 

(7)  St.  Dominic  by  devout  recitation  of  the  Rosary. 
(70)  St.  Francis  of  Assisi  by  unbounded  confidence   in 

her. 

(8)  St.  Francis  Xavier  by  beginning  our  actions  with 
an  invocation  to  her. 

(9)  St.  Aloysius  by  consecrating  the  flower  of  our  inno 
cence  to  her. 

(10)  St.  Stanislaus  by  enthusiastic  love  for  her  as  our 
Mother,  and  the  devotion  of  the  three  Hail  Marys. 

(n)  St.   John  Berchmans  by  introducing  her  praises 
with  anecdotes  of  her  in  our  conversation. 

(12)  St.  Alphonsus  Rodriguez    by    constantly    turning 
our  mind  and  heart  to  her. 

(13)  St.  Philip  Neri  by  reciting  rosaries  of  ejaculatory 
prayers  to  her. 

(14)  Father  Francis  Suarez  by  consecrating  our  studies 
to  her  and  consulting  her  in  every  difficulty. 

(15)  Father  Balthasar  Alvarez  by  carrying  her  picture  on 
our  breast  as  a  shield  against  temptation. 

(16)  Father  Martin    Guttierez  by  sheltering  under  her 
mantle  when  the  tempter  is  near. 

(17)  St.  Alphonsus  Liguori  by  bringing  others  to  love 
and  praise  her. 

(18)  St.  Bernardine  of  Siena  by  acts  of  self-denial  in 
her  honour. 

(19)  St.  Louis  of  France  by  great  kindness  to  the  poor 
for  her  sake. 


248  MARY  HONOURED 

(20)  Blessed   John   Eudes   by   great   devotion   to   her 
immaculate  Heart. 

(21)  Blessed  Peter  Canisius  by  writing  something  about 
her,  or  at  least  instructing  others  to  love  her. 

(22)  Blessed  Margaret  Mary  by  kissing  the  ground  and 
reciting  the  Ave  Maria. 

(23)  Blessed   Peter   Faber   by   beginning   each   prayer 
(each  canonical  hour)  by  pronouncing  several  times  the 
sacred  names  of  Jesus  and  Mary,  to  rouse  our  fervour  and 
awaken  attention. 

(24)  St.  Francis  Borgia  by  distributing  pictures  of  her 
to  children  and  others. 

(25)  St.  Teresa  by  regarding  our  Lady  as  Superioress 
of  the  house  where  we  live.     She  placed  the  keys  of  the 
convent  in  the  hands  of  a  statue  of  Mary,  which  she  had 
set  up  in  the  Prioress's  stall. 

(26)  St.  Joseph  of  Cupertino,  St.  Clare  and  others  by 
bringing  flowers  to  our  Lady's  altar. 

(27)  St.  Stanislaus  (again)  by  finding  delight  in  reading 
books  about  her. 

(28)  The  Seven  Servite  Saints  by  devoutly  reciting  the 
Stabat  Mater. 

(29)  St.   Jane  Frances  de  Chantal  by  singing  on  her 
feasts  the  "  Salve  Regina,"  or  "  Ave  Maris  stella." 

(30)  St.  Bonaventure  by  meditating  on  her  life,  especi 
ally  on  Saturdays. 

(31)  Monsieur  Olier  by  never  leaving  the  house  without 
asking  our  Lady's  blessing. 

(32)  Father  Zucchi,  S.J.,  by  reciting  morning  and  night 
the  prayer  "  My  Queen  and  my  Mother  "  and  spreading 
this  devotion. 

Some  further  acts  of  self-denial  in  honour  of  our  Lady. 
(See  p.  242.) 

(1)  To  fast,  or  at  least  deprive  ourselves  of  something, 
on  Saturdays  and  eves  of  her  feasts. 

(2)  To  rise  punctually  at  a  fixed  hour. 


MIRACULOUS   PICTURES  249 

(3)  To  be  silent  when  others  say  sharp  things  to  us  or 
about  us. 

(4)  To  yield  at  once  when  any  one  contradicts  or  chal 
lenges  a  statement  of  ours. 

(5)  To  say  nothing  in  one's  own  praise. 

(6)  To  bear  discomforts  as   of  heat,   cold,   rain,   fog, 
insects,  etc. 

(7)  Never  to  eat  or  drink  between  meals. 

(8)  To  suffer  patiently  the  rudeness  or  inconsiderateness 
of  others. 

(9)  Not  to  assume  a  lazy,  too  indulgent  posture  in  one's 
room. 

(10)  To  welcome  troublesome  visitors. 

(n)  Not  to  waste  valuable  time  over  newspapers,  or 
light  and  fugitive  literature. 

(12)  To  guard  one's  tongue  by  silence  :    also  to  guard 
one's  eyes. 

(13)  To  go  on  foot  when  inclined  to  take  a  bus,  taxi, 
or  cab. 

(14)  Never  to  complain  or  grumble  whatever  happens. 

(15)  To    avoid    useless    visits,    useless    gossip,    useless 
letters. 

(16)  To  give  extra  time  to  spiritual  reading. 

(17)  To  take  the  lowest  place  without  affectation. 

(18)  To  go  to  bed  early  at  a  fixed  hour. 

(19)  To  give  to  the  poor  money  intended  for  enjoyment. 

(20)  To  yield  to  the  will  and  inclination  of  others. 


SECTION   XCIV 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  DEVOTION  TO  HER  MIRACULOUS 
PICTURES 

ONLY  a  few  special  pictures  are  here  mentioned  : 
i.  Our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Succour.     See  Pilgrim 
Walks  in  Rome,  118. 
2.  Our  Lady  of  Genezzano.     (See  §  63.) 


i 


250  MARY  HONOURED 

3.  Our  Lady  of  the  Wayside.     Madonna  della  Strada. 
See  Pilgrim  Walks  in  Rome,  337. 

4.  Our  Lady  of  Quito. 

On  April  30,  1906,  the  boys,  to  the  number  of  thirty- 
six,  who  formed  the  boarding-school  of  the  Jesuit  Fathers 
at  Quito,  had  just  finished  supper  and  Father  Alberdi  was 
preparing  to  conduct  them  to  the  study  hall,  when  the 
Father  Prefect  gave  them  recreation  in  the  playground.  To 
the  elder  pupils  he  spoke  of  the  earthquake  at  San  Fran 
cisco,  whilst  the  others  played  or  talked  as  usual.  Four 
of  the  smallest,  who  on  the  previous  day  had  made  their 
first  Communion,  remained  in  the  refectory  and  were 
conversing  on  pious  subjects,  when  suddenly  the  youngest, 
Jaime  Chavez,  lifted  his  eyes,  and  as  if  urged  by  an  interior 
movement,  fixed  them  on  a  picture  of  Our  Lady  of  Seven 
Dolours  hanging  on  one  of  the  walls  of  the  refectory  at 
a  distance  of  about  three  yards.  O  wonder  !  He  saw 
the  Blessed  Virgin  slowly  open  and  shut  her  eyes.  With 
out  seeking  to  explain  what  he  saw  he  made  it  known  to 
his  companions,  who,  frightened,  called  the  professors  and 
pupils.  All,  especially  Father  Roesch,  Prefect  of  Studies, 
pretended  that  it  was  a  delusion  and  refused  to  believe 
it.  They  drew  near  to  the  picture,  however,  and  were 
witnesses  themselves  of  the  prodigy,  which  lasted  about 
a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Without  awaiting  the  end  the  Father 
Prefect  conducted  the  boys  to  the  Chapel  to  recite  the 
Rosary. 

This  picture  is  an  oleograph  representing  Mary,  her 
heart  pierced  with  seven  swords.  It  is  of  medium  size, 
very  devotional  and  expressive,  especially  because  of  the 
look  of  sadness  in  our  Lady's  face.  The  miracle  was 
repeated  afterwards  more  than  twenty  times.  The  second 
time  it  was  again  in  favour  of  the  boys.  At  8  p.m. 
the  pupils  were  again  reciting  the  Rosary  and  night  prayers 
in  the  Chapel  where  the  holy  picture  had  been  removed. 
When  they  came  to  the  litany,  they  called  out  altogether, 
"  See,  she  is  moving  her  eyes/'  and  at  the  same  instant 


MIRACULOUS   PICTURES  251 

the  bells  began  to  ring  without  any  one  having  touched 
them.  Such  an  extraordinary  event,  of  which  so  many 
persons,  young  scholars,  Fathers,  Brothers,  servants  of 
the  college,  were  witnesses,  had  to  be,  and  was  the  object 
of  a  serious  examination  on  the  part  of  the  ecclesiastical 
authorities. 

The  canonical  process  was  carried  out  with  the  greatest 
prudence.  To  the  great  consolation  of  the  faithful,  six 
weeks  after  the  event  the  Vicar  Capitular  of  Quito  ordered 
the  miraculous  picture  to  be  carried  in  procession  from 
the  college  refectory  to  the  church  of  the  Jesuit  Fathers, 
where  a  solemn  triduum  was  to  be  celebrated.  The  pro* 
cession  was  magnificent ;  all  the  religious  communities 
of  the  town,  the  different  associations  and  confraternities, 
colleges  and  schools,  nearly  all  the  nobility  of  the  capital 
and  more  than  30,000  people  took  part  in  it.  Such  a 
general  and  spontaneous  manifestation  of  faith  had  not 
been  seen  in  Quito  for  a  long  time.  Senor  Alfaro,  Presi 
dent  of  the  Republic,  sent  the  military  band  to  join  in  it, 
and  several  detachments  of  soldiers.  The  triduum  drew 
such  a  concourse  of  the  faithful  that  the  Church,  though 
large,  was  too  small  to  contain  them. 

In  the  church  the  prodigy  was  repeated  several  times 
in  presence  of  the  crowd  gathered  together  to  see  the 
miracle.  Many  remarkable  conversions  took  place.  A 
little  time  after  the  triduum  a  novena  was  made  to  implore 
Mary's  aid  in  favour  of  Ecuador.  During  three  consecutive 
days  our  Lady  renewed  the  prodigy,  and  thousands  of 
people  were  able  to  observe  it  at  their  ease,  for  on  one 
occasion  the  extraordinary  event  lasted  throughout  a 
whole  morning.  On  July  6  the  Bishop  of  Ibarra,  Don 
Frederick  Gonzales  Guarez,  recently  named  Archbishop 
of  Quito,  came  to  take  possession  of  his  new  See.  The 
wonder  then  was  thrice  repeated.  The  last  time  was  at 
3  p.m.  when  the  new  Archbishop  was  making  his  entrance 
into  the  town.  Whilst  the  choir  was  singing  "  Eia  ergo, 
Advocata  nostra,  illos  tuos  misericordes  oculos  ad  nos 


252  MARY   HONOURED 

converte  "  (Turn  then,  most  gracious  Advocate,  thine  eyes 
of  mercy  towards  us),  the  Blessed  Virgin  slowly  moved 
her  eyes.  Suddenly  the  frame  and  background  of  the 
picture  disappeared,  and  the  figure  stood  out  as  if  in  relief. 
The  complexion  of  the  face  was  that  of  a  living  person. 
She  several  times  opened  and  shut  her  eyes.  Twice  she 
raised  them  heavenward.  At  times  the  eyelids  closed 
as  though  she  was  making  an  effort  to  repress  the  tears. 
Then  she  became  pale,  her  face  waxlike  as  of  a  person 
about  to  expire.  The  people  dismayed  broke  out  into 
cries  and  sobs  imploring  pardon  and  mercy,  when  gradually 
the  countenance  resumed  its  serenity  and  natural  colour. 

Three  little  children,  having  one  day  entered  the  private 
chapel  of  the  college,  where  the  holy  picture  had  been 
placed,  found  her  weeping.  The  last  time  that  this  prodigy 
took  place,  towards  the  end  of  July,  our  Lady  did  not 
manifest  any  signs  of  suffering :  she  turned  her  eyes 
towards  the  tabernacle.  It  is  said  that  at  times  she  looked 
from  side  to  side  as  if  seeking  some  one  among  the  assembled 
crowd. 

There  was  an  impression  at  the  time  that  some  impending 
calamity  was  portended  by  this  miraculous  manifestation  ; 
and  subsequently  some  have  connected  it  with  the  great 
European  war  that  broke  out  in  1914.  Several  remarkable 
miraculous  cures  have  since  taken  place,  on  copies  of  the 
picture  being  applied  to  sick  persons,  and  on  October  12, 
1907,  Pope  Pius  X  granted  by  his  own  hand  an  indulgence  of 
100  days  to  all  the  faithful  who  should  recite  three  Hail 
Marys  before  the  holy  picture  or  a  copy  of  it. 


BY   CONVERSION   OF  SINNERS 


SECTION   XCV 

OUR  LADY  HONOURED  BY  WORKING  FOR  THE  CONVERSION 
OF  SINNERS 

REFUGE  of  Sinners  and  Advocate  of  the  Fallen 
^ ••  are  titles  we  give  to  this  Mother  of  mercy,  and 

they  are  titles  that  appeal  to  us  for  we  have  great  need 
of  pardon.  It  is  from  God  indeed,  through  the  merits 
of  Jesus  Christ,  that  we  hope  for  mercy.  But  we  know 
that  God  is  angry  ;  that  Jesus  Christ  is  full  of  zeal  against 
sin,  that  He  wishes  to  destroy  and  punish  it ;  that  since 
His  Resurrection  He  has  been  made  Judge,  because  He 
Himself  had  been  judged  by  men,  and  that  the  Father  has 
committed  to  Him  the  care  of  His  vengeance.  It  is  true 
that  Jesus  Christ  also  fills  the  office  of  Advocate  pleading 
with  the  Father  for  us ;  but  this  does  not  take  away  His 
office  of  Judge  :  so  we  have  need,  before  appearing  in 
His  presence,  of  another  powerful  intercessor.  Judgment 
tempered  with  mercy  has  been  given  to  the  King's  Son  : 
mercy  pure  and  simple  has  been  entrusted  to  His  Mother. 
Mary  having  no  part  in  executing  God's  justice  is  our 
second  hope  :  the  sinful  count  upon  her  for  a  reconcilia 
tion  with  their  Judge,  who  fortunately  has  become  their 
Brother  by  means  of  Mary  their  common  Mother.  Peti- 
talot,  369. 

St.  Bernard's  beautiful  words  on  our  Lady's  mercy, 
see  §  84. 

There  is  nothing  we  can  do  that  gives  such  pleasure  to 
Jesus  and  His  holy  Mother  as  to  work  for  the  conversion 
of  souls.  If  there  is  joy  before  the  Angels  of  God  upon 
one  sinner  doing  penance,  greater  joy  there  is  to  the  Queen 
of  the  Angels,  and  greatest  joy  of  all  to  her  Divine  Son.  St. 
James  says,  "  He  that  causeth  a  sinner  to  be  converted 
from  the  error  of  his  ways  shall  save  his  own  soul  and  shall 
cover  a  multitude  of  sins."  Jas.  v.  19.  We  may  work 
for  the  conversion  of  souls  (i)  by  the  Apostles/tip  of  the 


254  MARY  HONOURED 

Word,  if  we  have  opportunity  of  instructing  others ;  (2) 
by  the  Apostleship  of  Prayer,  which  is  more  efficacious 
than  argument ;  (3)  by  the  Apostleship  of  suffering, 
offering  our  pains  and  acts  of  self-denial  for  the  conversion 
of  souls  ;  (4)  by  the  Apostleship  of  holy  example.  "  So 
let  your  light  shine  before  men  that  they  may  see  your 
good  works  and  glorify  your  Father  who  is  in  heaven." 
Matt.  v.  16.  "  And  teach  them  too,  as  love  knows  how, 
by  kindly  words  and  virtuous  life."  Hymn  "  Faith 
of  Our  Fathers." 

On  the  "  Archconfraternity  of  the  Immaculate  Heart 
of  Mary  for  the  conversion  of  sinners,"  see  "  Our  Lady 
of  Victories,  Paris."  §  64  j  also  Petitalot,  436. 

In  his  Glories  of  Mary  St.  Alphonsus  Liguori  has 
collected  many  remarkable  instances  of  conversions  of 
sinners  through  the  intercession  of  this  Mother  of  Mercy. 


SECTION  XCVI 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  HELPING  THE  HOLY  SOULS 

MARY  is  not  only  Queen  of  Heaven  and  earth,  i.e.  of 
the  Church  triumphant  and  Church  militant,  but 
her  sway  also  extends  over  the  Church  suffering  in  Pur 
gatory.  The  Souls  in  Purgatory  are  Holy  Souls ;  they 
died  in  the  grace  of  God  ;  they  are  portion  of  the  Elect 
of  God ;  their  names  are  inscribed  in  the  Book  of  Life ; 
they  are  destined  to  enjoy  the  Vision  of  God,  and  to  be 
associated  with  the  angels  and  saints  of  God ;  they  are 
signed  with  the  sign  of  salvation  ;  their  crowns  and  robes 
of  glory  are  waiting  for  them  in  heaven  ;  they  are  inex 
pressibly  dear  to  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus  and  to  the 
Immaculate  Heart  of  Mary.  Moreover  they  are  our 
brethren,  having  the  same  Divine  Father,  the  same  Brother 
Jesus  Christ,  the  same  loving  Mother  Mary.  So  charity 
to  them  is  a  special  duty,  and  by  it  we  give  joy  to  the 
heart  of  our  blessed  Mother.  They  cannot  help  them- 


BY  HELPING   THE  HOLY  SOULS  255 

selves,  but  we  can  help  them  (i)  by  our  prayers  and  com 
munions  ;  (2)  especially  by  Holy  Mass ;  (3)  by  gaining 
indulgences  for  them  ;  (4)  by  almsgiving  and  acts  of  self- 
denial.  These  prayers  and  good  works  we  can  put  into 
our  Lady's  hands  to  be  applied  to  the  souls  she  wishes 
us  most  to  help.  If  we  are  to  believe  the  revelations  of 
certain  holy  persons,  our  Lady  has  been  seen  more  than 
once  comforting  the  souls  in  Purgatory,  and  bringing  to 
them  the  "  light  and  refreshment  "  obtained  by  the  prayers 
of  the  faithful. 

Hardly  any  work  of  charity  or  mercy  is  so  pleasing  to 
our  Lady  as  that  which  is  exercised  towards  these  her 
suffering  children.  By  devotion  to  them  we  are  performing 
the  several  works  of  mercy  :  (i)  we  axe  feeding  the  hungry 
and  giving  drink  to  the  thirsty.  After  this  life  the  soul 
hungers  and  thirsts  after  the  possession  of  God  with  a 
vehemence  of  which  we  can  form  no  conception  :  and  we 
satisfy  that  hunger  by  hastening  their  admission  to  the 
banquet  of  the  Elect  :  (2)  we  clothe  the  naked  by  procuring 
for  them  more  speedily  the  robes  of  glory  that  await  them  : 
(3)  we  harbour  the  harbourless,  i.e.  shelter  the  homeless, 
by  opening  for  them  the  gates  of  their  blessed  home  in 
heaven  :  (4)  we  visit  the  sick,  for  the  privation  of  the 
Vision  of  God  is  to  them  a  sickness  far  more  painful  than 
the  fire  or  the  darkness  of  their  prison  :  (5)  we  visit  the 
imprisoned,  and  like  the  Angel  that  descended  into  the 
furnace  of  Babylon  to  protect  the  three  Hebrew  children, 
we  beat  back  the  flames  and  cause  the  centre  of  the  furnace 
to  be  for  a  time  like  the  blowing  of  a  soft  wind — Refrig- 
erium. 

Such  charity  on  our  part  touches  deeply  our  Mother's 
heart,  and  she  will  certainly  see  that  mercy  is  shown  to 
us  in  proportion  as  we  have  shown  it  to  others. 


256  MARY  HONOURED 

SECTION   XCVII 

MARY  HONOURED  AT  PONTMAIN  AND  PELLEVOISIN 

Recent  Apparitions 

IN  the  XIX  Cent.  France  was  honoured  by  five 
apparitions  of  our  Lady,  viz.  i.  to  Sister  Catherine 
Laboure  in  Paris,  1830  (see  §  74)  ;  2.  to  Maximin  and 
Melanie  at  La  Salette  in  1846  (see  §  64) ;  3.  to  Berna- 
dette  at  Lourdes  in  1858  (see  §  64)  ;  4.  to  Eugene  and 
Joseph  Barbedette  at  Pontmain  in  1871  ;  5.  to  Estelle 
Faguette  at  Pellevoisin  in  1876. 

The  first  and  third  of  these  have  been  recognized  as 
authentic  by  the  supreme  authority  of  the  Holy  See  : 
the  second,  fourth  and  fifth,  though  approved  as  to  their 
reality  by  French  Bishops,  await  the  final  judgment  of 
the  Church.  La  Salette  having  been  the  scene  of  pheno 
menal  cures,  the  Bishop  of  Grenoble  founded  there  an 
association  of  prayer,  under  the  title  of  "  Notre  Dame 
Auxiliatrice  de  la  Salette."  He  also  issued  a  pastoral 
letter  in  1851  expressing  his  approval  of  belief  in  the 
apparition.  For  the  story  of  this  apparition  and  the 
controversy  as  to  its  reality,  see  The  Blessed  Virgin  in 
the  Nineteenth  Century,  by  Bernard  St.  John,  Part  III, 
111-205.  See  also  "  The  children  questioned  by  the  Blessed 
Cure  d'Ars."  Ibid.  149  seq.  Their  letters  to  Pope  Pius 
IX,  156.  Papal  Indult,  161.  Bishop  Ginoulhiac  on  the 
truth  of  the  apparition,  167. 

Pontmain  in  Mayenne,  1871.  A  full  account  of  this 
apparition  will  be  found  in  the  work  just  referred  to,  page 
337  seq.  Besides  Eugene  and  Joseph  Barbedette,  two 
little  girls,  Francoise  Richer  and  Jeanne  Marie  Lebosse, 
were  also  privileged  to  see  the  figure  of  our  Lady  resplendent 
in  the  sky.  The  event  was  inquired  into  by  several  Ecclesi 
astical  Commissions  appointed  by  the  Bishop  of  Laval 
(P-  373  )>  an(i  on  February  2,  1872,  a  pastoral  letter  was 
issued  by  his  Lordship  stating  his  belief  in  the  reality 


THE  MAGNIFICAT  257 

of  the  apparition,  and  at  the  same  time  his  intention  to 
submit  the  matter  in  all  humility  and  obedience  to  the 
judgment  of  the  Holy  and  Apostolic  See.  The  year  1873 
saw  upwards  of  100,000  pilgrims  and  visitors  to  Pont  main. 
In  1875  a  stately  church  of  Our  Lady  of  Pontmain  was 
built  and  opened,  commemorative  of  the  great  event. 

Pellevoisin,  in  the  department  of  the  Indre,  1876. 
In  this  case  our  Lady  is  said  to  have  appeared  fifteen 
times  to  Estelle  Faguette,  a  sick  person,  aged  thirty-two, 
and  to  have  revealed  to  her  in  one  of  them  the  devotion 
of  the  Scapular  of  the  Sacred  Heart.  This  devotion  has 
received  the  approval  of  Popes  Pius  IX  and  Leo  XIII. 
Estelle  was  considered  to  be  dying  of  consumption,  and 
the  doctor  had  pronounced  her  case  hopeless  :  but  though 
paralyzed  and  given  only  a  few  hours  to  live,  she  was 
miraculously  cured  (p.  423).  An  ecclesiastical  commission 
was  appointed  to  examine  into  the  truth  of  the  apparitions, 
and  the  case  was  then  referred  to  the  Holy  See.  Though 
the  latter  reserves  its  decision  in  all  three  cases — La  S alette, 
Pontmain,  Pellevoisin — Leo  XIII  has  attached  an  indul 
gence  of  200  days  to  a  prayer  to  Our  Lady  of  Pellevoisin, 
which  prayer  is  based  on  some  of  the  leading  facts  of  the 
Apparitions  (p.  445).  Several  miraculous  cures  followed, 
for  the  particulars  of  which  see  the  work  by  Bernard  St. 
John  quoted  above,  p.  446  seq.  On  Pope  Leo  XIII 
receiving  Estelle  in  audience,  see  p.  471.  Crowds  of 
pilgrims  now  go  to  Pellevoisin  both  to  honour  our  Lady 
and  to  be  invested  with  the  scapular  of  the  Sacred  Heart 
revealed  by  her. 

SECTION   XCVIII 

MARY   HONOURED    BY   ALL   GENERATIONS   CALLING   HER 
BLESSED 

LUKE    i.    48.     "For,    behold,    from    henceforth    all 
generations  shall  call  me  blessed."    The  following 
thoughts  are  taken   from  a   discourse  in  the  Universe. 
M.P.  s 


258  MARY  HONOURED 

The  Magnificat  has  been  truly  called  the  hymn  of  the 
Incarnation  ;  and  its  glowing  words  were  spoken  in  cir 
cumstances  the  like  of  which  had  never  before,  and  can 
never  again  surround  any  human  being.  To  the  illu 
minated  soul  of  Mary,  the  Angel's  words  at  the  Annuncia 
tion — "  Blessed  art  thou  among  women  " — are  prophetic  ; 
and  as  recompense  of  her  unfailing  faith,  the  present  and 
future  stand  out  in  accurate  detail  and  with  crystal  clear 
ness  before  her  divinely- taught  intellect.  The  Incarnation 
from  a  merciful  promise  has  become  a  real  fact ;  the 
Kingdom  of  Christ  reigns  over  the  earth ;  and  as  she  sees 
her  name,  with  love  and  reverence,  handed  down  through 
the  rolling  centuries,  her  soul  bursts  forth,  like  some  sun- 
sprayed  fountain  jet,  into  the  prophetic  utterance  :  "All 
generations  shall  call  me  blessed."  No  nation  but  has 
rung  with  its  echo ;  no  people  but  have  cherished  and 
passed  the  message  onward.  It  stands  rooted  and  imper 
ishable  in  the  language  and  literature  of  a  hundred  tongues ; 
the  canvas  and  fresco  of  the  painter  reap  immortality 
from  its  rich  inspiration  ;  in  many  a  statue  and  altar  the 
cold  granite  and  marble  glow  into  life  and  radiant  beauty 
under  the  sculptor's  chisel ;  the  historian's  hard,  stern 
chronicles  soften  into  the  quivering  transcript  of  living 
emotions,  as  his  pen  unfolds  the  story  of  Mary's  greatness 
and  Mary's  love.  Like  a  trumpet  blast,  this  song  of  nearly 
2,000  years  ago  has  reverberated  through  all  the  cycles 
of  time  the  world  over,  and  to-day,  as  of  old,  the  warder 
standing  on  the  impregnable  watch-tower  of  the  Catholic 
Church  proclaims  anew  to  the  Christian  peoples  the  inviol 
able  sinlessness  of  the  Virgin  Mother  of  God. 


BY   INVOKING   HER  AID  259 


SECTION   XCIX 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  INVOCATION  OF  HER  NAME,  AND  BY 
APPEAL  TO  HER  IN  TIME  OF  WAR 

ON  the  name  of  Mary  see  §  13,  80.  "  Glorious  and 
admirable  is  thy  Name,  O  Mary,"  exclaims  St. 
Bonaventure,  "  those  who  pronounce  it  need  not  fear  all 
the  powers  of  hell,  for  the  devils  on  hearing  that  name 
instantly  fly,  and  leave  the  soul  in  peace."  St.  Bernard, 
speaking  of  the  invocation  of  this  holy  name,  says  :  "  O 
Mary,  thou  canst  not  be  named  without  inflaming  the 
heart  of  him  who  does  so,  with  love  of  thee."  Blessed 
Henry  Suso  was  often  heard  to  exclaim  :  "  O  Mary,  what 
must  thou  thyself  be,  since  the  very  name  is  so  amiable 
and  gracious." 

Pope  Benedict  XV,  in  his  Christmas  Allocution,  Decem 
ber,  1915,  after  speaking  of  the  earnestness  with  which 
all  the  members  of  the  Church  should  pray  for  a  cessation 
of  the  terrible  war  that  was  turning  Europe  into  a  scene 
of  horror  and  desolation,  added  :  "  Our  sight  of  Christ 
(the  Prince  of  Peace)  born  for  us  is  made  complete  by  our 
sight  of  Mary,  in  whom  the  faith  of  believers,  and  the 
love  of  sons  recognize  not  only  the  Queen  of  Peace,  but 
the  Mediatrix  between  rebellious  man  and  the  merciful 
God.  She  is  the  aurora  pads  rutilans  across  the  darkness 
of  this  world.  She  fails  not  in  her  plea  to  her  Son,  albeit 
nondum  venerit  hora  ejm.  And  she  who  has  not  failed 
to  plead  for  suffering  mankind  in  the  hour  of  peril  will 
surely  hasten  to  meet  our  supplications,  Mother  of  so 
many  orphans,  Advocate  for  us  all  in  this  our  tremendous 
ruin. 

"  Therefore  with  this  great  purpose,  npt  less  than  with 
the  intention  of  guiding  Christian  thought  and  Christian 
faith  to  the  prevailing  ministry  of  the  Mother  of  God, 
We,  echoing  the  sigh  of  many  of  Our  children  far  and  near, 
permit  that  to  the  Litany  of  Loretto  be  added  the  invo- 


2&>  MARY  HONOURED 

cation  '  Queen  of  Peace/  Will  Mary,  who  is  Queen  not 
of  wars  and  slaughter,  but  of  the  kingdom  of  peace, 
disappoint  the  trust  and  the  prayers  of  her  faithful  chil 
dren  ?  Will  she,  in  the  most  blessed  night  when,  fulfilling 
prophecies  and  promises  of  happy  and  golden  days,  she 
gave  us  the  Celestial  Babe  who  is  the  author  of  all  peace, 
not  smile  upon  the  prayers  of  children  called  by  the  Epis 
copate  and  by  Ourself  to  the  holy  Eucharistic  table  to 
honour  this  most  beloved  festival  ?  When  man  has 
hardened  his  own  heart,  and  his  hates  have  overrun  the 
earth  ;  when  fire  and  sword  are  raging,  and  when  the 
world  rings  with  the  sound  of  weeping  and  the  noise  of 
arms  ;  when  human  reason  is  found  at  fault,  and  all 
civilized  rights  are  scattered  like  thistledown,  faith  and 
history  alike  point  us  to  the  one  succour,  to  the  omnipo 
tence  of  prayer,  to  the  Mediatrix,  to  Mary.  In  all  security 
and  trust  we  cry  Regina  pads,  or  a  pro  nobis."  The  Tablet, 
January  i,  1916. 


SECTION   C 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  PRAISE  OF  HER  HUMILITY 

OUR  Lady's  humility  in  the  Incarnation  was  heroic  : 
it  drew  down  upon  her  the  eyes  of  God  and  led 
Him  to  choose  her  to  be  His  Mother.  "  Quia  respexit 
humilitatem  ancillae  suae."  Though  saluted  by  the 
Angel  as  full  of  grace,  as  blessed  among  women,  as  about 
to  be  the  Mother  of  the  Messias,  the  everlasting  King, 
as  about  to  conceive  the  Son  of  God  miraculously,  she 
replies  that  she  is  but  the  ancilla  Domini,  a  little  servant 
of  the  Lord.  For  one  who  is  poor  in  material,  intellectual 
or  spiritual  resources,  humility  is  a  necessity  and  occasions 
no  surprise  :  but  that  one  richly  endowed  with  every  best 
gift  should  esteem  herself  as  nothing,  is  heroic  humility. 
St.  Bernard  says  of  her  :  "  She  pleased  God  by  her  vir- 


HER   SPOTLESS   PURITY  261 

ginity,  but  by  humility  she  hath  conceived."  The  same 
Saint  adds :  "  That  a  converted  sinner  should  humble 
himself,  is  but  an  act  of  justice  which  he  renders  to  him 
self  ;  but  that  Mary,  as  pure  as  the  star  which  precedes 
the  day,  and  elevated  even  above  the  angels,  should  only 
think  of  her  dignity  in  order  to  humble  herself  the  more, 
is  a  prodigy  of  humility." 

Mary's  whole  life  was  but  one  continued  practice  of 
humility,  having  ever  in  mind  that  the  Son  of  the  Eternal 
Father,  by  becoming  man  in  her  womb,  had  reduced  Him 
self  to  the  lowest  state  of  abjection.  Exinanivit  semetip- 
sum.  Phil.  ii.  7.  She  remembered  all  the  self-annihila 
tion  of  this  God-Saviour,  all  the  ignominious  treatment 
which  He  suffered,  all  His  lowliness  and  self-effacement 
for  thirty  years  ;  and  His  example  so  perfected  her  humility, 
that  she  deserved  to  be  raised  above  all  the  choirs  of 
angels.  Knowing,  too,  that  humility  is  the  first  step  on 
the  ladder  of  virtues,  and  that  none  give  greater  pleasure 
to  God,  she  used  all  her  efforts  to  humble,  abase  and 
annihilate  herself — as  her  Divine  Son  had  done — so  to 
please  and  glorify  her  Creator.  "  Respexit  humilitatem 
ancillae  suae," 


SECTION   CI 

MARY  HONOURED  BY  REVERENCE  FOR  HER  SPOTLESS 
PURITY 

THE  Church  applies  to  our  Lady  the  words  of  the 
Canticle  of  Canticles,  "  Hortus  conclusus  soror 
mea  "  (My  sister  is  as  a  garden  enclosed),  a  garden  typified 
by  the  terrestrial  paradise.  The  Garden  of  Eden  was 
enclosed,  with  Cherubims  set  to  guard  it  ;  it  was  enriched 
with  every  charm  of  natural  growth  and  natural  scenery  ; 
blessed  with  a  soft  temperate  climate  ;  abounding  in  trees 
laden  with  fruit  all  the  year  round.  So  our  Lady's  virgin 
soul  was  protected  by  seraphic  spirits,  clothed  with  the 


262  MARY  HONOURED 

beauty  of  sanctifying  grace,  adorned  with  the  flowers  of 
every  virtue,  the  lily  of  purity,  the  rose  of  charity,  the 
violet  of  humility,  the  spikenard  of  patience :  it  was 
redolent  too  with  the  fragrance  of  holy  prayer,  and  lit 
with  the  radiant  glory  of  the  Deity  within  her.  Mary's 
soul  was  a  paradise  enjoying  perpetual  tranquillity  and 
serenity,  swept  by  no  winds  of  temptation,  no  stormy 
gusts  of  passion  ;  darkened  by  no  clouds  of  ignorance, 
no  mists  of  thoughtlessness  ;  suffering  neither  from  the 
heat  of  concupiscence  nor  the  frost  of  tepidity.  Her  soul 
was  a  paradise  never  once  desecrated  by  the  slimy  trail 
of  the  serpent.  She  was  all  pure  and  spotless,  whiter 
than  the  snow,  purer  than  the  light,  brighter  than  the 
highest  Archangel.  St.  Anselm  says  of  her  :  "It  was 
only  fitting  that  the  Virgin,  to  whose  care  God  the  Father 
was  pleased  to  confide  His  only  Son,  should  shine  with 
a  dazzling  purity,  surpassing  all  but  that  of  God  Himself." 
St.  Ambrose  writes  that  when  Mary  was  on  earth  her 
presence  alone  inspired  all  who  looked  at  her  with  a  love 
of  holy  purity.  St.  Thomas  of  Aquin,  quoted  by  St. 
Alphonsus  Liguori,  says  that  even  the  images  of  this 
chaste,  spotless  Virgin  extinguish  the  flames  of  sensual 
desires  in  those  who  look  at  them  with  devotion.  Blessed 
John  d'Avila  spoke  of  many  suffering  from  impure  tempta 
tions  who  were  preserved  chaste  and  spotless  by  devotion  to 
the  Blessed  Virgin.  Father  Nicholas  Zucchi,  of  the  Society, 
spread  everywhere  the  little  prayer  "  My  Queen  and  my 
Mother,"  as  a  most  efficacious  remedy  against  these 
temptations. 

It  is  said  that  from  her  very  infancy  Mary  felt  inspired 
to  consecrate  to  God  her  whole  being  by  a  vow  of  perpetual 
virginity,'1  knowing  that  the  more  perfectly  she  possessed 
this  virtue,  the  more  she  would  resemble  Him  who  is 
purity  by  essence.  When  the  angel  announced  to  her 
that  she  was  to  be  the  mother  of  the  Most  High,  she  with 
held  her  acquiescence  until  she  was  assured  that  the  divine 

1  See  the  words  of  St.  Bede,  §  82. 


i 


HER   PRIVILEGES  263 

maternity  would  not  prejudice  her  vow.  On  this  our 
Lady's  vow  see  Father  Gallifet,  S.J.,  Devotion  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  p.  145.  Father  Petitalot,  S.J.,  The  Virgin  Mother, 
p.  139.  The  early  Fathers  of  the  Church,  St.  Jerome, 
St.  Epiphanius,  Origen  and  others,  greatly  extol  the  spot 
less  purity  and  virginity  of  Mary. 


SECTION   CII 
MARY  HONOURED  BY  PROCLAIMING  HER  PRIVILEGES 

FATHER   SUAREZ,  S.J.   (torn,  ii.,  3  p.,  d.  18,  §  4) 
enumerates  her  privileges  as  follows  : 

1.  Sanctity   (sanctifying  grace),   the  greatest   ever  ac 
corded  to  any  pure  creature,  communicated  to  her  from 
the  first  moment  of  her  conception  : 

2.  Suppression  of  concupiscence,  that  distressing  legacy 
of  sin,  showing  its  presence  in  us  by  hateful  passions  that 
so  easily  catch  fire  at  the  least  spark  of  temptation  : 

3.  Confirmation  in  grace,  so  as  never  to  forfeit  it  by 
grievous  sin,  and  never  to  suffer  the  least  diminution  of 
it  by  venial  sin  : 

4.  Continual  progress  in  grace  by  heroic  acts  of  virtue, 
especially  charity,  whereby  it  was  increased  to  a  degree 
beyond  that  of  saints  and  angels. 

5.  The  use  of  reason  from  the  first  moment  of  existence, 
so  that  she  began  at  once  to  accumulate  vast  treasures 
of  merit. 

6.  Divine  Maternity  combined  with  spotless  Virginity, 
by  a  stupendous  miracle  of  the  Holy  Ghost  :   "  Ecce  Virgo 
concipiet  et  pariet  filium." 

7.  Virginal,     miraculous    delivery,     without    incurring 
the  sentence  denounced  against  Eve,   "  In  sorrow  shalt 
thou  bring  forth  children." 

8.  Her  being  a  fathomless  sea  of  grace,  surpassing  the 
perfections  of  all  the  Saints  together. 

9.  The  state  of  incorruption  after  death.     Psalm  xv.  10, 


264  MARY  HONOURED 

"Thou  wilt  not  allow  Thy  holy  one  to  see  corruption." 

10.  Her    glorious    Assumption    into    heaven,    and    her 
coronation   as    Queen   of   heaven   by   the   ever   adorable 
Trinity. 

11.  Her  power  as  intercessor  with  God.     She  is  the 
King's  mother,  so  one  prayer  from  her  is  of  more  avail 
than  the  united  prayers  of  all  the  Saints,  who  are  the 
King's  servants. 

It  is  the  teaching  of  Fathers  and  Theologians  (v.g.  of 
Suarez)  that  "  God  loves  the  Blessed  Virgin  by  herself 
more  than  all  the  other  Saints  together."  Prov.  xxxi. 
29,  "  Many  daughters  have  gathered  together  riches  : 
thou  hast  surpassed  them  all."  St.  Bonaventure  explain 
ing  this  text,  says  :  "  She  has  surpassed  all  the  daughters 
(Saints)  in  nature,  in  grace,  in  glory.  She  has  surpassed 
all  the  souls  of  men,  all  the  intelligences  of  Angels."  St. 
Augustine  says  Go4  made  her  "  Digna  digni,"  (worthy 
of  His  worthiness).  St.  Gregory  the  Great  compares  her 
dignity  and  corresponding  sanctity  to  a  lofty  mountain, 
whose  summit  towers  above  all  others.  St.  Sophronius 
on  our  Lady's  dignity,  see  above,  §  4. 


SECTION  CIII 
MARY'S  HONOUR  DEFENDED  AGAINST  NON-CATHOLICS 

"  ILfARIOLATRY  "  is  a  term  frequently  applied  by 
Ivl  Protestants  to  the  honour  shown  by  Catholics 
to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  implies  that  we  worship  her 
with  Latvia  as  though  she  were  divine.  Such  worship  is 
directly  contrary  to  Catholic  teaching,  and  would  be 
considered  by  Catholics  as  blasphemous  and  idolatrous. 
Catholics  love  and  honour  Mary  as  the  Immaculate  Mother 
of  God  and  the  greatest  of  His  Saints,  with  a  special  honour 
known  as  Hyperdulia  (i.e.  a  homage  greater  than  is  paid 
to  the  Saints  who  are  the  servants  of  God)  :  but  they  know 
that  she  is  only  a  creature,  and  that  therefore  to  adore 


REPLY  TO  NON-CATHOLICS  265 

her  would  be  a  grievous  sin  of  idolatry.  "  We  adore  no 
Saints,"  wrote  St.  Epiphanius  in  the  IV  Cent.  ...  "  Let 
Mary  then  be  honoured,  but  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy 
Ghost  alone  be  adored.1'  Adv.  Collyrid.  I.  xxix. 

1.  Protestants  ask  :    "  Why  does  the  Catholic  Church 
show  such  devotion  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  ?  is  it  not  unscrip- 
tural  ?  "     Reply.     We    honour    her   because    she    is    the 
Immaculate  Mother  of  God,  and  so  entitled  to  a  higher 
honour  than  is  paid  to  the  Saints.     We  honour  her  who 
was  respectfully  saluted  by  an  Angel ;  her  through  whose 
agency  the  Incarnate  Lord  first  exhibited  His  power  in 
the  case  of  St.  John  the  Baptist  and  his  mother  St.  Eliza 
beth  ;   her  whom  the  Angel  and  St.  Elizabeth  greeted  as 
"  Blessed  among  women  "  ;    her  at  whose  request  Christ 
worked  his  first  miracle   (at  Cana)  :    her  to  whom  the 
Creator    of    the    Universe    was    obedient  ;     consequently 
such  honour  is  not  unscriptural. 

Moreover  devotion  to  Mary  necessarily  follows  from  a 
genuine  belief  in  the  Incarnation  :  "  Mary  is  the  Mother 
of  God.  She  is  not  merely  the  Mother  of  our  Lord's  man 
hood,  of  His  body  ;  but  she  is  to  be  considered  the  Mother 
of  the  Word  Himself,  the  Word  Incarnate."  Newman, 
Discourses  to  Mixed  Congregations,  xviii.  Such  being  her 
dignity  and  office,  far  higher  than  that  of  any  other  creature, 
we  must  needs  conclude  that  her  gifts  of  grace  and  glory 
are  above  those  of  all  angels  and  saints,  and  accordingly 
that  the  honour  to  which  she  is  entitled  is  similarly  beyond 
theirs.  Such  is  and  ever  has  been  the  mind  of  the  Church. 
"  Rightful  is  it  to  honour  thee,  0  Theotokos,  ever  to  be 
blessed,  free  from  all  stain  ;  Mother  of  God,  more  full  of 
honour  than  the  Cherubim,  more  glorious  than  the  Sera 
phim  ;  who  without  loss  of  thy  virginity  didst  bring  forth 
the  Word."  Liturgy  of  St.  Chrysostom. 

2.  How  can  Catholics  prove  that  Mary  remained  ever 
a  Virgin  after  the  birth  of  Christ  ?     What  about   the 
"  Brethren  of  our  Lord  "  mentioned  in  the  Gospel  ? 

Reply.     An  answer  has  already  been  given  to  the  latter 


266  MARY  HONOURED 

question.  (See  p.  220  note.)  Although  Holy  Scripture  speaks 
only  of  our  Lady  being  a  pure  Virgin  in  the  conception 
and  birth  of  Christ,  yet  that  she  remained  ever  a  Virgin 
we  know  (i)  from  the  teaching  of  the  early  church,  v.g. 
of  Pope  St.  Martin  I  in  the  third  canon  of  the  Council  of 
Lateran  held  in  649  (see  Denziger,  Enchiridion,  No.  256)  ; 
of  Pope  St.  Siricius  (d.  398)  (Denziger,  Ibid.  No.  91)  ;  of 
Pope  Adeodatus  and  others  ;  (2)  from  the  writings  of 
St.  Jerome  (against  Helvidius  1),  of  St.  Epiphanius,  Origen 
and  others.  These  early  Fathers  speak  of  the  contrary 
opinion  as  blasphemous,  sacrilegious,  impious,  irreligious. 
Hurter,  Theologiae  Dogmat.  Compend.  II,  No.  658.  "  Be 
lieve  the  Scriptures,"  exclaims  St.  Jerome,  "  therein  we 
read  that  Mary  was  a  Virgin  ;  therein  we  do  not  read 
that  she  ceased  to  be  a  Virgin."  On  the  contrary  the 
whole  of  that  beautiful  intercourse  between  the  Archangel 
Gabriel  and  the  Blessed  Virgin  at  Nazareth  leads  to  the 
inevitable  conclusion  that  Mary  had  vowed  her  virginity 
to  God.  She  asked  the  Angel  "  How  shall  this  be  done 
because  I  know  not  man."  And  St.  Augustine  says 
"  She  would  certainly  never  have  uttered  these  words, 
had  she  not  vowed  her  virginity  to  God."  "Mary  was 
the  first  of  women,"  says  St.  Bede  the  Venerable,  "to 
offer  her  virginity  to  God."  (See  p.  219.) 

3.  But  is  not  our  Lord  called  in  Scripture  Mary's  "  first 
born  Son,"  implying  that  she  had  afterwards  other  chil 
dren  ?  Reply.  The  expression  "  First-born  "  (primo- 
genitus)  had  a  special  significance,  because  such  a  child 
had  to  be  offered  in  the  temple  and  a  ransom  paid  if  it 
was  to  be  freed  from  the  temple  service  :  it  by  no  means 
implies  other  children,  for  the  law  regarding  the  first 
born  (Exod.  xxxiv.  19,  20)  was  binding  at  once,  whether 
there  were  other  children  or  not. 

1  Helvidius,  Jovinian  and  other  heretics  of  the  IV  Cent,  were 
condemned  by  the  Synod  of  Rome,  A.D.  381,  and  of  Capua,  A.D.  392. 


BY  PRAYERS  OF  SAINTS  267 


SECTION  CIV 

SOME  PRAYERS  OF  THE  SAINTS  AND  OTHER  HOLY  PERSONS 
TO  OUR  LADY 

i.  QT.  BERNARD.  ''Remember,  O  most  loving 
O  Virgin  Mary,  that  never  was  it  known  that  any 
one  who  fled  to  thy  protection,  implored  thy  help  and 
sought  thy  mediation  was  left  unaided.  Inspired  with 
this  confidence,  I  fly  to  thee,  O  Virgin  of  virgins,  my 
Mother.  To  thee  I  come,  before  thee  I  stand,  a  sorrowful 
sinner.  Despise  not  my  petitions,  O  Mother  of  the  Word 
Incarnate,  but  mercifully  hear  and  grant  my  prayer. 
Amen." 

2.  The  Same.     "  O  Mother  of  Mercy,  by  thee  may 
we  have  access  to  thy  Son,  and  by  thee  may  He  receive 
us,  who  was  given  to  us  by  thee.     O  Lady,  our  Mediatrix, 
our  Advocate,  commend  us  to  thy  Son  ;  obtain,  O  Blessed 
Lady,  by  the  grace  which  thou  didst  merit,  and  by  His 
mercy  whom  thou  didst  bear,   that  He  who,  by  thee, 
vouchsafed  to  become   partaker    of    our   infirmities    and 
misery,  may  by  thy  intercession,  make  us  sharers  in  His 
goodness  and  glory." 

3.  St.  Aloysius.    "  To  thee,  O  Holy  Mary,  my  Sovereign 
Lady,  to  thy   blessed   trust   and   special   charge,  and  to 
the  bosom  of  thy  mercy  I  commend  this  day  and  every 
day  and  at  the  hour  of  my  death,  myself,  my  soul  and  my 
body ;  to  thee  I  commit  all  my  hope  and  all  my  consola 
tion,  my  distresses  and  my  miseries,  my  life  and  the  end 
thereof  ;    that  through  thy  most  holy  intercession  and 
through  thy  merits,  all  my  works  may  be  directed  and 
disposed  according  to  thy  will  and  the  will  of  thy  Son. 
Amen." 

4.  St.  John  Berchmans.    The  Sodality  Act  of  Con 
secration  :    his  daily  prayer. 

"  Holy  Mary,  Virgin  Mother  of  God,  I,  N.  N.,  choose  thee 
this  day  for  my  Mother,  my  Queen  and  my  Advocate  ; 


268  MARY  HONOURED 

and  I  firmly  resolve  and  purpose  never  to  depart  either 
by  word  or  action  from  the  duty  I  owe  to  thee,  nor  to 
suffer  those  committed  to  my  charge  to  say  or  do  any 
thing  against  thy  honour.  Receive  me,  therefore,  as  thy 
servant  for  ever  :  assist  me  in  all  the  actions  of  my  whole 
life,  and  forsake  me  not  at  the  hour  of  my  death.  Amen." 

5.  Father  Zucchi,  S.J.     "  My  Queen  and  my  Mother, 
to  thee  I  offer  myself  without  any  reserve,  and  to  give 
thee  a  mark  of  my  devotion,  I  consecrate  to  thee  this 
day  my  eyes,  my  ears,  my  mouth,  my  heart,  and  my  whole 
being.     Since  therefore  I  belong  to  thee,  O  my  good  Mother, 
watch  over  me  and  protect  me  as  thy  property  and  thy 
possession." 

(In  temptation  say)  "  My  Queen  and  my  Mother,  re 
member  that  I  belong  to  thee,  preserve  and  defend  me  as 
thy  property  and  thy  possession." 

6.  St.  Anselm.     "  O  glorious  Virgin,  Lady  of  the  world, 
Queen  of  Angels,  holy  and  ever  Virgin  Mary,  help"  the 
faint-hearted,  and  grant  to  us  all  a  deep  and  continual 
remembrance  of  thy  name.     Let  that  name  be  ever  with 
us  in  perils,  in  trials,  in  the  beginning  of  our  joys.     If 
we  obtain  this  we  shall  never  fear  to  perish,  for  thy  grace 
and  protection  will  be  ever  with  us." 

"  Help  us,  O  most  compassionate  Lady,  and  consider 
not  the  multitude  of  our  sins.  If  thou  hadst  become  Mother 
of  God  only  for  thine  own  advantage,  we  might  say  that 
it  mattered  little  to  thee  whether  we  were  lost  or  saved  : 
but  God  clothed  Himself  with  Thy  flesh  for  our  salvation. 
What  will  thy  great  power  avail  us,  if  thou  dost  not  make 
us  partakers  of  thy  glory  and  happiness.  We  recommend 
ourselves  to  thee  ;  let  not  our  souls  be  lost,  but  make 
us  eternally  love  and  serve  thy  beloved  Son  Jesus  Christ." 

The  Same.  "  Blessed  Mary,  intercede  for  me, 
so  that  having  lived  holily,  I  may  end  my  life  happily, 
confessing  my  sins,  in  the  true  faith,  calling  upon  Jesus, 
receiving  the  Body  and  Blood  of  my  God.  Pray  for  me, 
holy  Mother  of  God,  that  I  may  enter  into  that  eternal 


£Y  PRAYBRS  OF  SAINTS  269 

kingdom,  where  thou,  Queen  of  Angels,  Queen  of  men, 
dost  triumph  in  glory.     Amen." 

7.  Consecration  of  Studies.     "  Under  thy  protection, 
dearest  Mother,  and  the  invocation  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception  I  desire  to  pursue  my  studies  ;    and  I  declare 
that  I  study  chiefly  for  this  purpose  that  I  may  be  better 
able  to  spread  God's  glory  and  thy  honour.     I  beseech 
thee,  therefore,  most  loving  Mother,  Seat  of  Wisdom,  to 
assist  me  in  my  endeavours,  and  I,  on  my  part,  promise, 
whatever  success  shall  attend  my  labours,  to  attribute 
it  all,  as  is  but  just,  to  thy  intercession  with  God." 

8.  St.  Athanasius.     "  Give  ear  to  our  prayers,  O  most 
holy  Virgin,  and  be  mindful  of  us.     Dispense  unto  us  the 
gifts  of  thy  riches  and  the  abundance  of  the  graces  with 
which  thou  art  filled.     All  nations  call  thee  blessed  ;    all 
the  hierarchy  of  heaven  blesses  thee ;  and  we  who  are  of 
the  terrestrial  hierarchy  also  address  thee  saying  :    Hail, 
O  full  of  grace,  our  Lord  is  with  thee  :   pray  for  us,  O  holy 
Mother  of  God,  our  Lady  and  our  Queen." 

9.  St.  Ildephonsus.     "  We  come  to  thee,  O  Mother 
of  God,  and  implore  thee  to  obtain  for  us  the  pardon  of 
our  sins,  that  we  may  be  cleansed  from  the  stains  of  our 
whole  life.     We  beseech  thee  to  obtain  for  us  the  grace 
to  unite  ourselves  in  affection  with  thy  Son  and  with 
thyself,  with  thy  Son  as  our  God,  and  with  thee  as  the 
Mother  of  our  God." 

10.  St.    Gertrude.     "  Hail,    pure    white    Lily   of    the 
bright   and   ever  peaceful  Trinity.     Hail,   brilliant   Rose 
of   heavenly  delight    (fragrance),  of  whom  the  King  of 
heaven  deigned  to  be  born,  and  with  whose  milk  He  deigned 
to  be  fed  :    uphold  and  succour  me,  a  miserable  sinner, 
now  and  at  the  hour  of  my  death." 

n.  St.  Thomas  of  Aquin.  "O  Virgin,  full  of  all 
goodness,  Mother  of  Mercy,  I  recommend  to  thee  my 
body  and  my  soul,  my  thoughts,  my  actions,  my  life  and 
my  death.  Obtain  for  me  the  grace  of  loving  thy  Son, 
my  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  with  a  true  and  perfect  love ; 
and,  after  Him,  of  loving  thee  with  my  whole  heart." 


270  MARY  HONOURED 


Appendix  I 

THE   COUNCIL   OF   EPHESUS,    431.     OUR   LADY'S 
TITLE  THEOTOKOS   (MOTHER  OF  GOD) 

NESTORIUS  was  at  the  time  Archbishop  of  Constanti 
nople.  One  of  his  priests  had,  in  a  sermon,  declared  that 
the  title  of  Mother  of  God  ought  not  to  be  given  to  our 
Lady.  Such  an  assertion  roused  the  instinctive  feelings 
of  the  people  to  whom  the  title  was  familiar  and  the  Arch 
bishop  was  appealed  to.  He  decided  in  favour  of  the 
priest  ;  but  as  this  alienated  from  him  the  confidence  of 
the  people,  he  tried  to  conciliate  them  by  inviting  a  holy 
and  learned  Bishop,  St.  Proclus,  to  preach  upon  the  sub 
ject  in  his  Cathedral,  but  this  Saint  most  decidedly  vin 
dicated  the  title  of  Mother  of  God  and  showed  that  those 
who  refused  it,  in  reality  declared  Christ  not  to  be  the 
Word  of  God  and  thus  separated  themselves  from  God. 
The  sermon  was  received  with  the  greatest  enthusiasm  ; 
but  Nestorius,  at  the  conclusion,  in  a  few  words,  contra 
dicted  the  open  declaration  of  St.  Proclus,  and  again 
denied  that  it  could  be  said  that  the  Divine  Word  was 
born  of  Mary  or  that  He  died  upon  the  Cross. 

The  people  rose  in  a  body  and  fled  from  the  church, 
for  the  faithful  of  Constantinople  were  noted  for  their 
love  of  and  devotion  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  their 
city  had  been  specially  placed  under  her  patronage.  But 
not  they  alone  defended  the  claim  of  Mary  to  this  title. 
Tradition  had  always  given  it  to  her  ;  and  it  was  one  of 
the  taunts  of  Julian  the  Apostate,  a  hundred  years  before, 
to  the  Christians  :  "  You  Christians  are  always  calling 
Mary,  Mother  of  God." 

The  question  was  raised  and  it  was  reduced  to  this: 
Was  Christ,  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  the  same  (Person) 
as  the  Word  born  of  God  ?  Were  there  two  Persons,  or 
was  there  but  one  ?  Thus  the  Maternity  of  Mary  involved 
the  whole  question  of  the  Incarnation. 


BY  COUNCIL  OF  EPHESUS  271 

The  zeal  of  St.  Cyril,  Patriarch  of  Alexandria,  was 
aroused  in  favour  of  the  honour  of  Mary,  and  he  condemned 
the  blasphemous  teaching  of  Nestorius.  The  case  was 
laid  before  St.  Celestine,  the  Pope,  and  in  a  Council  held 
in  Rome  he  condemned  the  heresy,  ex-communicated 
and  deposed  Nestorius  unless  he  retracted  his  error.  This 
Nestorius  refused  to  do.  The  Pope  then  summoned  a 
General  Council  to  meet  at  Ephesus  and  appointed  St. 
Cyril  to  preside  in  his  name. 

Father  Dalgairns  of  the  Oratory  gives  the  following 
graphic  account  of  the  solemn  Definition  of  this  glorious 
title  of  our  Lady  :  "  Place  yourselves  in  imagination  in 
a  vast  city  of  the  East  in  the  V  Cent.  Ephesus, 
the  capital  of  Asia  Minor,  is  all  in  commotion  ;  for  a  Council 
is  to  be  held  there,  and  Bishops  are  flocking  in  from  all 
parts  of  the  world.  There  is  anxiety  painted  on  every 
face,  so  you  may  easily  see  that  the  question  is  one  of 
general  interest.  Most  injudiciously  have  the  heretics 
chosen  to  take  the  matter  out  of  the  terms  of  theology 
and  to  ask,  not  whether  our  Lord  had  a  double  personality, 
but  whether  Mary  was  the  Mother  of  God  ;  more  inju 
diciously  still  have  they  allowed  the  Council  to  be  held 
at  Ephesus,  the  old  See  of  Mary's  child,  the  beloved  dis 
ciple  St.  John.  But  perhaps  they  did  not  know  the  love 
of  the  people  for  her,  of  whose  sojourn  there,  real  or  sup 
posed,  many  traditions  lingered  still  ;  nay,  perhaps  the 
Ephesians  were  not  conscious  themselves  how  much  they 
loved  her.  But  now  the  fact  is  plain  ;  ask  the  very  chil 
dren  in  the  streets  what  is  the  matter  ;  they  will  tell  you 
that  wicked  men  are  coming  to  make  out  that  their  Mother 
Mary  was  not  also  Mother  of  God. 

"  And  so  during  a  livelong  day  of  June  they  crowd  around 
the  gates  of  the  old  Cathedral  Church  of  St.  Mary,  and 
watch  with  anxious  faces  each  Bishop  as  he  goes  in.  Well 
might  they  be  anxious,  for  it  is  well  known  that  Nestorius 
had  won  the  Court  over  to  his  side.  It  was  only  the  other 
day  that  he  entered  the  town  with  banners  displayed 
and  trumpets  sounding,  surrounded  by  the  glittering  files 
of  the  Emperor's  body-guard,  with  Count  Candidianus, 
their  General,  and  his  own  partisan,  at  their  head.  Besides 
which,  it  is  known  for  certain  that  at  least  eighty-four 


272  MARY  HONOURED 

Bishops  are  ready  to  vote  with  him  ;  and  who  knows 
how  many  more  ?  He  is  himself  the  Patriarch  of  Con 
stantinople,  the  rival  of  Rome,  the  imperial  city  of  the 
East,  and  then  John  of  Antioch  is  hourly  expected  with 
his  quota  of  votes,  and  he,  the  Patriarch  of  the  next  See 
in  influence  to  that  of  Nestorius,  is,  if  not  an  heretic,  at 
least,  of  that  wretched  party  which,  in  ecclesiastical  dis 
putes,  ever  hovers  between  the  two  camps  of  the  devil 
and  of  God. 

"The  day  wears  on,  and  still  nothing  issues  from  the 
church  ;  it  proves  at  least  that  there  is  a  difference  of 
opinion,  and  as  the  shades  of  evening  close  around  them, 
the  weary  watchers  grow  more  anxious  still.-  At  length 
the  great  gates  of  the  basilica  are  thrown  open,  and  oh ! 
what  a  cry  of  joy  bursts  from  the  assembled  crowd,  as  it 
is  announced  to  them  that  Mary  has  been  proclaimed  to 
be  what  every  one  with  a  Catholic  heart  knew  that  she 
was  before — the  Mother  of  God.  The  Ephesians  them 
selves  were  not  conscious  till  then  how  intense  was  the 
love  of  Mary,  which  was  buried  deep  in  their  heart  of  hearts. 
Men,  women  and  children,  the  noble  and  the  low-born, 
the  stately  matron  and  the  modest  maiden,  all  crowd 
round  the  Bishops  with  acclamations.  They  will  not 
leave  them  ;  they  accompany  them  to  their  homes  with 
a  long  procession  of  lighted  torches  ;  they  burn  incense 
before  them,  after  the  Eastern  fashion,  to  do  them  honour. 

' '  There  was  but  little  sleep  in  Ephesus  that  night ;  for 
very  joy  they  remained  awake  ;  the  whole  town  was  one 
blaze  of  light,  for  each  window  was  illuminated.  For 
many  days  after,  the  most  celebrated  prelates  of  Christen 
dom  preached  of  Mary's  praises  in  her  own  Cathedral, 
and  the  people  especially  flocked  to  hear  St.  Cyril  of 
Alexandria  deliver  in  his  majestic  Greek  a  sermon  such 
as  you  might  hear  now  in  Rome  on  some  high  festal  day/' 


AT  PONT  MA  IN  273 

Appendix   II 

THE  APPARITION  OF  THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN  AT 
PONTMAIN  l 

THE  year  1871  was  for  France  a  period  of  great  misery 
and  disaster,  for  she  was  engaged  in  a  death  struggle  with 
the  Prussian  Army  which  had  invaded  her  richest  and 
most  fruitful  provinces.  Defeat  after  defeat  had  thinned 
the  ranks  of  her  soldiers,  and  either  left  them  dying  on 
the  battle-field,  or  languishing  in  captivity.  No  human 
power  could  hurl  back  the  tide  of  the  foreign  invasion. 
Paris  had  opened  its  gates  to  the  conqueror,  who  was 
now  devastating  the  fair  plains  of  Chartres,  and  had 
already  arrived  at  Laval,  where  an  armistice  was  signed 
on  January  30,  1871.  This  was  the  preliminary  to  the 
signing  of  peace  between  the  two  nations. 

It  was  about  this  time,  or  rather  a  few  days  previous, 
that  the  great  apparition  of  Pontmain  took  place.  To 
one  who  reads  events  by  the  light  of  faith,  it  was  a  remark 
able  interposition  of  Divine  Providence  in  favour  of  France, 
and  a  sign  of  the  loving  protection  Mary  has  ever  shown 
to  that  nation  so  devoted  to  her.  On  the  confines  of 
Normandy,  about  six  kilometres  south  of  Laudivy  in 
Mayenne,  is  situated  the  small  village  of  Pontmain.  In 
the  centre,  facing  the  church,  stood  a  house  of  modern 
appearance  though  bearing  the  date  of  1598.  It  was  the 
residence  of  a  family  called  Barbedette.  Five  in  all,  it 
comprised  Cesar,  the  father,  Victoire  Quentin,  the  mother, 
and  three  boys.  Auguste,  the  eldest  of  these,  had  joined 
the  army  in  the  previous  September  ;  the  second,  named 
Eugene,  was  about  twelve  years  old  ;  and  Joseph,  the 
youngest,  was  ten.  Near  the  house  was  a  loft  with  a 
broad  thatched  roof  and  a  large  green  door.  On  January 
17  the  father  proceeded  as  usual  at  six  o'clock  to  awake 
the  sleeping  children. 

After  a  short  prayer  to  God,  Eugene  and  Joseph  set  to 
work  to  make  up  bundles  of  furze,  the  common  fodder  for 

1From  the  English  Messenger  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  May,  1916. 

M.P.  T 


274  MARY  HONOURED 

horses  in  that  part  of  the  country.  Before  breakfast  they 
said  the  Rosary  together  for  their  brother,  and  then 
adjourned  to  the  church.  While  waiting  for  the  arrival 
of  the  priest  they  finished  their  morning  prayers  and 
made  the  Stations  of  the  Cross,  which  they  had  been  in 
the  habit  of  doing  since  the  beginning  of  the  war. 

After  hearing  Mass  and  taking  part  in  the  public  prayers 
offered  up  for  the  soldiers,  they  went  to  school.  School 
over  about  five  in  the  evening,  Eugene  and  Joseph  returned 
to  the  loft  with  their  father,  and  by  the  light  of  a  tallow 
candle  began  cutting  up  wood.  A  quarter  of  an  hour 
had  passed  when  a  woman,  opening  the  door,  entered 
bearing  good  news  of  the  arrival  of  their  brother,  who 
had  profited  by  the  opportunity  of  his  regiment  being 
in  the  neighbourhood,  to  slip  off  unseen  to  his  home. 
Interrupting  their  work  they  entered  into  conversation 
with  the  woman.  Presently  Eugene,  rising  up,  went 
outside.  "  I  was  going/'  said  he  later  on,  "  to  examine 
the  weather."  For  some  days  previous  he  had  noticed 
the  Aurora  Borealis  in  the  sky,  and  he  felt  curious  to 
know  whether  it  was  visible  that  evening. 

On  gazing  at  the  stars  he  perceived  that  they  were  more 
brilliant  than  usual,  when  all  of  a  sudden  he  started  back 
— over  the  house  opposite  the  loft  his  eyes  beheld  a  beauti 
ful  Lady  smiling  on  him.  This  sight  so  overpowered  him 
that  he  stood  in  silence  gazing  upon  it.  The  form  appeared 
to  be  that  of  a  young  woman  of  eighteen  or  twenty  years, 
clothed  in  a  dark  blue  dress,  bespangled  with  golden  stars, 
and  five  regular  brilliant  points.  From  the  neck  the 
garment,  with  wide  sleeves,  fell  in  folds  to  the  feet,  which 
were  covered  by  blue  shoes  fastened  with  gilt  buckles. 
A  black  veil  covered  her  head  and  ears  and  part  of  her 
forehead,  and  fell  over  her  shoulders.  Over  this  veil 
encircling  the  brow  was  a  crown  of  gold  glittering  like 
a  diadem.  Her  hands  were  small,  lowered  towards  the 
earth  but  without  emitting  rays.  Her  face,  slightly  oval, 
and  pale  delicate  features  betokened  the  freshness  of 
youth,  and  wore  a  sweet  smile. 

The  vision  had  lasted  a  quarter  of  an  hour  when  tLe 
woman,  Jane  Detais,  came  out.  When  questioned  by 
the  child  whether  she  saw  the  figure,  she  replied  in  the 


AT   PONT  MA  IN  275 

negative.  Then  turning  to  his  brother,  Eugene  said : 
"  Do  you  not  see  anything  ?  " 

"  Oh  yes  !    Eugene,  I  see  a  beautiful  lady." 

"  How  is  she  dressed  ?  " 

Joseph  described  the  blue  dress,  golden  stars,  buckled 
shoes  and  crown.  Meanwhile  the  father,  listening  to  this 
conversation  with  his  eyes  intently  fixed  on  the  sky,  said  : 
"  My  poor  little  fellows,  you  see  nothing,  for  if  you  saw 
anything,  we  also  should  see  it.  ...  Let  us  return  to 
our  work,  for  supper  will  soon  be  ready."  The  children 
complied  with  the  command  much  against  their  will. 

Shortly  afterwards  the  father,  feeling  rather  uneasy, 
said  to  his  son  :  "  Run  out,  Eugene,  and  see  if  the  vision 
is  still  there."  Eugene  eagerly  obeyed,  and  joyfully 
exclaimed  :  "Oh  yes  !  just  as  it  was."  .  r-*-  * 

"  Go  and  tell  your  mother  to  look  out,  and  see  if  she 
can  notice  anything."  -•  • 

The  mother  had  scarcely  reached  the  door  when  Joseph, 
clapping  his  hands,  cried  out  :  "Oh  how  beautiful,  how 
beautiful  it  is  !  "  His  mother,  seizing  him  by  the  arm, 
said  :  "  Hold  your  tongue,  boy,  hold  your  tongue  ;  see, 
the  people  are  looking  at  us." 

In  vain  did  Victoire  strain  her  eyes  to  catch  a  glimpse 
of  the  mysterious  object,  nothing  was  visible  to  her. 

Feeling  however  impressed  by  the  sincerity  of  the  chil 
dren,  she  said  :  "  Perhaps  it  is  the  Blessed  Virgin  who 
appears  to  you,  if  so,  let  us  say  five  Our  Fathers  and  Hail 
Marys  in  her  honour." 

Accordingly,  shutting  the  door  of  the  loft,  they  began 
their  prayers.  Shortly  afterwards,  on  looking  out,  the 
same  figure  appeared  to  the  eyes  of  the  children.  To 
convince  herself  of  the  truth  of  this  strange  appearance, 
the  mother  put  on  her  spectacles  and  gazed  intently  on 
the  spot  pointed  out,  but  to  no  purpose.  At  this  the 
beautiful  Lady  smiled.  "  Be  off  to  your  work,  you  little 
story-tellers,"  said  the  mother,  "  for  surely  there  is  nothing 
to  be  seen." 

Their  work  finished,  they  sat  down  to  supper,  which 
was  of  short  duration,  and  went  out  again  to  look  at  the 
beautiful  Lady. 

As   the   apparition   still   remained   in   the   same   place, 


276  MARY   HONOURED 

Eugene  expressed  a  desire  to  look  upon  it  as  long  as  it 
should  last. 

Puzzled  at  so  unusual  an  occurrence,  Victoire  asked 
the  height  of  the  Lady.  "  She  is  as  tall  as  Sister  Vitaline,"" 
was  the  reply.  This  Sister  was  one  of  the  nuns  who  taught 
in  the  school.  On  hearing  the  name  of  Vitaline,  the 
mother  thought  it  would  be  well  to  bring  her  to  the  spot. 
So  she  went  in  search  of  the  nun,  whom  she  found  reciting 
her  Office  in  the  school-room.  "  I  beg  your  pardon. 
Sister,"  said  the  mother,  "  will  you  come  with  me,  for 
my  children  declare  they  see  some  one  who  is  not  visible 
to  me  !  " 

In  company  with  the  mother  the  nun  went  to  the  loft, 
from  which  Eugene  pointed  out  the  exact  position  of  the 
vision. 

"  I  see  absolutely  nothing,"  she  replied. 

The  children  insisted  :  "  What,  Sister,  you  see  nothing, 
look  at  those  three  stars  which  form  a  tripod." 

"  Oh  yes  !  " 

"  Well  then,  the  Lady's  head  is  just  in  the  middle." 

All  present  saw  the  stars,  one  was  just  above  our  Lady's 
head  and  the  two  others  as  high  as  her  elbows.  To  all 
they  seemed  to  shine  more  brilliantly  than  the  others. 
Unable  to  see  more,  Sister  Vitaline  returned  to  the  school, 
where  she  found  two  little  girls  sitting  by  the  fireside, 
Frances  Richer,  twelve  years  old,  Jan^Mary  Lebosse, 
and  a  third  child. 

"  Come,  my  little  girls,"  she  said  to  them,  "come  and 
see  something  Victoire  wishes  to  show  you."  "  What  are 
we  going  to  see  ?  "  they  asked.  "  The  children  will  tell 
you,"  answered  Victoire,  "for  I  have  seen  nothing." 

Having  reached  the  loft,  Frances  and  Jane  Mary  ex 
claimed  :  "  Oh  !  the  beautiful  Lady  with  the  blue  dress  !  " 

Whilst  the  four  children  kept  looking  at  the  Apparition, 
the  Sister  went  off  to  acquaint  the  people  of  the  village, 
and  the  parish  priest.  At  the  news  the  old  man  stood 
speechless,  whilst  his  housekeeper  prepared  the  lantern. 
Having  recovered  himself,  he  in  company  with  the  Sister 
proceeded  to  the  loft,  where  he  found  the  children  still 
intent  on  the  spectacle.  "  Oh,  there  is  something  more," 
they  cried  out.  The  addition  was  in  the  shape  of  a  small 


AT  PONT  MAIN  277 

red  cross,  two  or  three  inches  long,  hanging  over  the  breast 
of  the  beautiful  Lady,  and  a  circle,  or  oval,  four  or  five 
inches  wide,  of  a  deep  blue  colour.  This  oval  enveloped 
the  apparition,  leaving  the  three  triangular  stars  outside. 
In  the  interior  were  four  lighted  candles,  two  at  the  bottom 
and  two  at  the  top. 

"  Let  us  say  the  Rosary,"  said  the  priest. 

Accordingly  they  all  knelt  down.  Meanwhile  the  figure 
continued  to  increase  until  at  the  end  of  the  Rosary  it 
seemed  twice  the  size.  The  Magnificat  having  been 
intoned,  the  children  cried  out  :  '  There  is  something 
else  !  "  A  long  band  of  white  linen  was  stretched  in 
rectangular  form  beneath  the  feet  of  the  figure,  and  on 
it  these  words  were  written  :  "  Pray,  my  children,  pray  !  " 

The  good  priest  again  begged  them  to  pray  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin  to  make  known  her  will.  In  compliance  with  this 
request  the  Litany  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  was  sung  ;  at 
the  last  invocation  there  appeared  the  words  :  "  Pray, 
my  children,  pray.  God  will  hear  your  prayers  in  a  short 
time.  My  Son  will  let  Himself  be  touched." 

The  children's  faces  now  wore  an  expression  of  deep 
sadness.  "  Something  else  is  being  formed,"  they  cried 
out.  In  the  hands  of  the  Lady  was, a  red  cross  about 
two  inches  long  ;  on  it  appeared  a  figure  of  Christ,  on 
which  drops  of  blood  were  seen.  The  head  was  a  little 
inclined  to  the  left,  but  showed  no  sign  of  life.  Above  it, 
attached  to  the  wood  of  the  Cross,  was  a  white  cross-bar 
with  this  inscription  on  it  :  "  Jesus  Christ."  When  the 
hymn  was  begun  one  of  the  stars  situated  at  the  feet  of 
the  Queen  of  Heaven  re-entered  the  oval-space,  passing 
by  the  candles  lit  them,  and  then  returned  to  the  star 
placed  above  the  triangle.  During  the  hymn  the  Mother 
of  God  kept  her  eyes  constantly  lowered  and  fixed  on  the 
crucifix,  while  her  lips  seemed  to  move  in  prayer.  On 
the  hymn  "  Hail  Star  of  the  Sea  "  being  sung,  the  blood- 
like  crucifix  disappeared,  and  the  Blessed  Virgin  lowered 
her  hands  to  their  first  position.  At  the  same  time  two 
little  white  crucifixes,  about  six  or  eight  inches  long,  were 
seen  on  the  shoulders  of  our  Lady,  whose  head  was,  as 
it  were,  placed  between  the  crosses.  A  smile  mingled 
with  sadness  played  on  her  countenance.  The  night 


278  MARY   HONOURED 

prayers  having  been  said,  the  Apparition  disappeared 
about  nine  o'clock.  That  same  evening  General  Schmidt 
encamped  his  troops  in  a  place  called  Jouanne,  and  the 
next  day  beat  a  retreat.  "  Surely  there  must  be  a  Madonna 
here,"  exclaimed  a  German  officer,  astonished  at  the 
sudden  retreat.  He  had  spoken  truly.  The  Blessed 
Virgin,  more  powerful  than  an  army  in  battle  array,  had 
once  more  shown  her  love  for  France. 

The  news  of  the  apparition  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  at 
Pontmain  soon  spread  throughout  the  diocese,  and  through 
the  whole  of  France — pilgrims  flocked  in  crowds,  and 
numberless  graces  were  received.  Mgr.  Wicart,  Bishop 
of  Laval,  maintaining  at  first  a  prudent  reserve,  caused 
a  preliminary  inquiry  to  be  made  into  the  extraordinary 
occurrence,  and  ordered  an  official  report  to  be  published, 
on  which  this  narrative  has  been  founded. 

In  the  month  of  March  the  first  canonical  inquiry  was 
held,  and  in  the  December  following  a  long  and  rigorous 
examination  was  made.  On  February  2,  1872,  the  Bishop 
announced  in  a  pastoral  letter  that  the  Apparition  of  the 
Immaculate  Mother  of  God  made  to  Eugene  and  Joseph 
Barbedette,  Frances  Richer  and  Jane  Mary  Lebosse,  on 
January  17  in  the  village  of  Pontmain,  was  true  and 
genuine.  In  accordance  with  this  solemn  declaration 
the  Holy  See  authorized  the  establishment  of  the  Arch- 
confraternity  of  Our  Lady  of  Hope,  of  Pontmain,  and 
permitted  the  diocese  of  Laval  to  make  a  commemoration 
of  the  Apparition  on  January  17  in  the  office  of  the  Immacu 
late  Conception. 

In  proclaiming  the  truth  of  the  Apparition,  the  pious 
Bishop  enjoined  the  erection  of  a  church  in  honour  of  Mary, 
on  the  very  spot  she  had  deigned  to  favour  with  her  pres 
ence.  His  appeal  for  funds  was  generously  responded  to, 
and  a  magnificent  Gothic  Basilica,  elaborately  decorated, 
flanked  by  two  splendid  towers,  with  a  peal  of  bells  pro 
claiming  far  and  wide  the  glories  of  Mary  was  erected. 

A  magazine  published  every  month  makes  known  the 
power  and  goodness  of  this  holy  protectress.  Pilgrimages 
are  constantly  made  to  implore  the  intercession  of  her, 
who  is  invoked  under  the  title  of  the  Virgin  of  the  Stars, 
or  the  Virgin  of  Hope,  and  of  the  Bleeding  Crucifix. 


AT   PONT  MA  IN  279 

Father  Guerin,  the  two  sisters,  Cesar^Barbedette  and 
Auguste  Friteau,  have  all  passed  into  another  world. 
Little  Auguste,  a  sickly  child,  died  a  few  months  after 
the  apparition.  Eugene  Barbedette  is  now  Vicar  in  the 
Diocese  of  Laval ;  Joseph  has  entered  the  Order  of  the 
Oblates  of  Mary  ;  Jane  Mary  Lebosse  is  a  nun  in  the 
order  of  the  Holy  Family  at  Bordeaux  ;  Frances  Richer 
helps  the  nuns  in  taking  care  of  the  little  children  in  their 
schools.  All  retain  a  tender  remembrance  of  the  heavenly 
Vision. 


Appendix  III 

BLESSED  MADELEINE  SOPHIE  BARAT,  Foundress  of  the 
Society  of  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus,  cherished  throughout 
life  a  strong  and  tender  love  of  our  blessed  Lady,  which  found 
expression  at  the  outset  in  the  consecration  of  the  Society  to 
the  "  Immaculate  Heart  of  Mary."  At  a  later  date,  in  1839, 
when  trials  came  upon  the  Institute,  the  holy  Foundress 
again  sought  Mary's  protection,  and  again  placed  her 
religious  family  under  the  care  of  that  loving  Mother, 
with  the  happiest  results. 

To  the  members  of  her  Society  the  devotion  of  their 
Foundress  to  our  Lady  is  well  known.  Next  in  honour 
to  the  Feast  of  the  Sacred  Heart  comes  that  of  the  Immacu 
late  Heart  of  Mary  ;  the  Office  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  is 
one  of  the  daily  joys  of  the  Nuns  ;  and  the  love  and  affec 
tion  of  Blessed  Madeleine  Sophie  has  been  crowned  in 
recent  years  by  the  setting  apart  of  the  First  Saturday  of 
each  month  as  a  day  of  special  honour  to  the  Immaculate 
Heart  of  Mary ;  this  practice  the  Church  has  ratified  by 
granting  to  all  convents  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  the  privilege 
of  exposition  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament  on  that  day  and 
the  recitation  of  the  office  of  the  Immaculate  Heart. 

Blessed  Mother  Barat's  devotion  would  however  have 


280  ADDENDUM 

been  Incomplete  had  it  not  reached  a  chosen  part  of  her 
family — the  children.  Every  child  knows  the  love  of  our 
Lady,  which,  with  devotion  to  the  Sacred  Heart,  is  the 
atmosphere  of  school  life.  This  devotion  is  expressed  in 
the  honour  paid  to  their  Queen  and  Mother  under  the 
title  of  "  Mater  Admirabilis."  Our  Lady  as  a  young  girl 
in  the  Temple,  seems  to  live  before  them  in  that  miraculous 
picture.  She  is  their  model — in  prayer,  in  study,  in  the 
duty  of  each  moment.  In  the  one  hundred  and  forty  con 
vents  of  the  Sacred  Heart  all  over  the  world  may  be  seen 
the  same  tender  confidence  in  Mater  Admirabilis,  the  same 
loving  imitation  of  her  virtues,  the  same  loyal  homage 
paid  to  her  in  every  country  by  the  Children  of  the  Sacred 
Heart. 

Addendum 

Subscribers,  whose  generosity  has  helped  to  make 
possible  the  publication  of  this  work  in  times  of  special 
difficulty  : — 

Mrs.  Matilde  Harwath,  R.I.P.,  £20  ;  Anonymous  Donor, 
£20  ;  Mother  Patricia,  Roehampton,  £6  ;  Rev.  Fr.  Welsby, 
S.J.,  Preston,  £5  ;  Miss  E.  Burrows,  £5  ;  Miss  H.  Kiely, 
£5  ;  A.  Campbell  Allen,  Esq.,  £5  ;  Rev.  D.  Zema,  S.J.,  £3  ; 
Rev.  F.  Parry,  S.  J.,  Liverpool,  2  guineas  ;  Mrs.  Trappes 
Lomax,  2  guineas  ;  Mrs.  H.  Kiely,  2  guineas  ;  Mrs.  B. 
Vaughan,  2  guineas. 

Subscribers  of  one  guinea  each  :  Rev.  Fr.  Bodkin,  S.J., 
Beaumont  ;  Rev.  Fr.  Collingwood,  S.J.,  Mount  St.  Mary's  ; 
Rev.  Fr.  MacMahon,  S.J.,  Glasgow  ;  Rev.  Fr.  Moss,  S.J., 
Blackpool ;  Rev.  Fr.  Nicholson,  S.  J.,  Stamford  Hill ;  Rev. 
Fr.  McCluskey,  S.J.,  Edinburgh  ;  Rev.  Fr.  O'Connor,  S.J., 
Stonyhurst ;  Rev.  Fr.  O'Brien,  Liverpool ;  Rev.  Mother 
Thunder,  Roehampton,  S.H.  Convent ;  Mother  E.  Mona- 
han  and  Mother  Hamilton,  S.H.  Convent ;  Miss  E.  Boynton ; 
Miss  Dupuis  ;  Major  Gait  on  ;  Mrs.  Hamon  ;  Mother 
Imelda,  Dublin  ;  Mrs.  Marie  Scott  McGrath  ;  Miss  K.  Nelson. 


INDEX 


Abbeys,  English,  84 
Aberdeen,  our   Lady  of,  93 
Abingdon,  our  Lady  of,  83 
Adam  and  Eve,  1 1 
Aedelvald,  Ethelwald  210 
Afflighem,  193 
Agincourt,  130,  147 
Aix-la-Chapelle,  131 
Albans,  St.,  83,  164 
Albert,  St.,  189 
Albertus  Magnus,  186 
Albigenses,  36 
Aldhelm,  St.,  74 
All  Generations,  257 
Alma  Redemptoris,  137 
Aloysius,  St.,  49 
Alphonsus  Ligouri,  St.,  58 
Alphonsus  Rodr.,  St.,  53,  68 
Allotting,  118 
Ambrose,  St.,  24,  213 
America,  North,  96 
America,  South,  124 
Ancient  Faith,  England's,  73 
Ancient  Liturgies,  29 
Andrew  Avellino,  St.,  54 
Andrew  Corsini,  St.,  43 
Angelico,    Bl.  Fra,  138 
Angels  and  our  Lady,  8 
Angelus,  61,   76,    147,    192,   230 
Anne  of  Beaupre,  St.,  102 
Annunciation  feast,  179 
Anselm,  St.,    31,    65,    74,    212, 

224,  225,  244 
Anselm,  Junior,  65,  211 
Apostles  and  first  Disciples,  16, 

17 

Apostleship,  four  kinds,  253,  254 
Apparition       to      St.      Gregory 

Thaumaturgus,  21 
Apparitions,  Recent,    170,  273, 

256 

Archconf raternities,  1 84 
Armorial  bearings,  95 
Army  commanders,  144 


Artists,  137 

Arundel,  Archbishop,  71,  76,  230 

Assumption,  74,   180,  220 

Assumption  feast,  74 

Athanasius,  St.,  22 

Augustine,  St.,  25 

Augustinians,  67 

Austria,  120 

Ave  Maris  Stella,  137 

Ave  Regina  Coelorum,   137 

Avignon,  Council,  28 

Baltimore,  Council,  99 

Barat,  Blessed  Sophie,  279 

Basle,  Council,  28 

Basil,  St.,  22 

Basil  of  Seleucia,  St.,  24 

Beauty  of  our  Lady,  139 

Beauty  of  English  images,  83 

Bedlam  Hospital,  151 

Belgium  and  our  Lady,  110 

Belgrade  Victory,    145 

Benburb  battle,  89 

Benedict  XIV,  185 

Benedictines,  64 

Bernard,  St.,  9,  32,  65,  225 

Bernard,    St.,  and    Immaculate 

Conception,  205.  208 
Bernadette   Soubirous,    171 
Bernardine,  St.,  46 
Bernardine  Realino,  BL,  57 
Blessed  by  all  generations,  257 
Bonaventure,  St.,  41,  215 
Boniface  IV.  St.,  61 
Book  of  Cerne,  73 
Book  of  Courtesay,  75 
Botticelli,  Artist,  138 
Boulogne,  our  Lady  of,  173 
Bray,  Sir  Reg.,  164 
Brethren  of  our  Lord,  220,  265 
Bridget  of  Sweden,  St.,  44 
Brigid  of  Ireland,  St.,    188 
Bruno,  St.,  65 
Builders  of  Churches,  160 


281 


282 


INDEX 


Building  of  Cathedrals,   162 
Bull  of  Immaculate  Conception, 

209 
Bulla  Aurea,  185 

Cajetan,  St.,  52 

Callixtus,  St., "60 

Cambridge,  King's  Coll.,  85,  130 

Campo  Cavallo,  170 

Canada  and  our  Lady,  100 

Candlemas  day,  180 

Candles,  Votive,  200 

Canisius,  Bl.  P.,  188 

Canute,  131 

Cardinals,  English,  63 

Carlo  Dolci,  138 

Carmel,  our  Lady  of,  181 

Carmelites,  67 

Carroll,  Bishop,  98 

Carthusians,  65 

Casimir,  St.,  46 

Catacombs,  18 

Catherine   of  Aragon,    130 

Catherine  of  Siena.  St.,  44 

Cath.    England  (See     England) 

Caversham,  our  Lady  of,  83 

Ceylon,  127 

Champlain,  Samuel.  150 

Chaplet,  Lady  Godiva's,   78 

Charlemagne,  131 

Charles  Borromeo,   St.,   50 

Charles  VI,  132 

Chartres,  our  Lady  of,  173 

Childebert,  King,  131 

Children  and  our  Lady,  141 

Children  of  Mary,  183 

China  and  our  Lady,  127 

Cimabue,  Artist,   137 

Cistercians,  65 

Cities  and  our  Lady,  133 

Clock  striking,  241 

Clovis,  King,  131 

Coimbra  University,  121 

Colleges,  English,  84 

Columbus,  150 

Commanders  of  Armies,  144 

Communion,  Holy,  239 

Confidence  in  Mary,  243 

Consecration  of  England,  230 

Consecration  to  Mary,  241 

Conversion  of  Sinners,  253 

Corpus  Christi  College,  85 


Councils,  27 

Council  of  Avignon,  28 

Council  of  Basle,  28 
of  Baltimore,  99 
of  Calne,  86 
of  Ephesus,  27,  270 
of  Exeter,  134 
of  Hatfield,  73 
of  Later  an,  73 
of  Nicaea,  28 
of  Trent,  28 

Councils  and  Immaculate  Con 
ception,  206,  207 

Covadonga  Cave,  106,  108 

Coventry,  our  Lady  of,  78 

Cracow,  177 

Crecy,  Battle  of,  76,  243 

Crispin  of  Viterbo,  St.,  59 

Crown,  English  Royal,  130  note- 
Crown  of  Portugal,  122 

Crusades,  147 

Cynewulf,  210 

Cyril  of  Alexandria,  St.,  18,23,27 

Cyril  of  Jerusalem,  St.,  23 

Czenstockowa,  177 

Dalmatia  and  Holy  House,  166 
Damascene,  St.  John,  220,  24 
David  Bruce,  131 
David  I,  131 

Death  of  our  Lady,  221,  222 
Decrees  of  Councils,  27 
Defending  her  honour,  264 
Deipara  (Theotokos),  28 
Denis  the  Areop.,  St.,  17,   139, 
Denis  Carthusian,  216 
Denis  of  Paris,  St.,  18 
Discoverers,  150 
Divine  Motherhood,  73,  215 
Dolours  of  our  Lady,  234 
Dominic,  St.,  36,  189 
Dominicans,  66 
Don  Juan  of  Austria,  145 
Dowry  of  Mary,  71,  72,  230 
Drapers  Company,  151 
Drogheda,  our  Lady  of,   90 
Duns  Scotus,  66,  206 
Dunstan,  St.,  78,  83 

Eadmer,  Monk,  211 
Early  Christians,  18 
Early  Fathers,  21 


INDEX 


283 


Edgar,  King,  78 

Edmund  of  Canterbury,  St.,  37, 

84 

Edward,  St.,  Martyr,  83 
Edward  I,  129 
Edward  II,  129 
Edward  III,  73,  129 
Egwin,  Bishop,  80 
Einsiedeln,  177 
Elizabeth  of  York,  82 
Elmham,  monk,  72,   129,   130 
England,  Abbeys,  84 

Ancient  Devotions,  75 

Ancient  Faith,  73 

Catholic,  71 

Consecration  of,  72,  230 

Dowry  of  Mary,  71,  72 

and    Immaculate    Concep 
tion,  73 

Kings  of,  128 

Pilgrimages,  85 

and  Rosary,  76 

Shrines,  77,  80,  233 

Statues,  83 

England,  Dr.,  Bishop,  99 
English  children,  144,  147 
English  Saints,  85 
Eoves,  Swineherd,  80 
Ephesus,  Council  of,  27,  270 
Ephrem,  St.,  3,   9,  22,  30 
Epiphanius,  St.,  3,  22 
Erasmus,  80 
Ethelwold,  Bishop,  73 
Ethiopic  hymn,  29 
Eton  College,  75,  84,  233 
Eudes,  Bl.  John,  56,  229 
Evesham,  our  Lady  of,  80 
Exeter,  Council  of,  134 

Fathers  of  Eastern  Church,  21 

Fathers  of  Western  Church,  24 

Fathers  and  Immaculate  Con 
ception,  202 

Feast  of  Immaculate  Concep 
tion,  204 

Feasts  of  our  Lady,  177 

Felix  of  Valois,  St.,  9 

Fenwick,  Bishop,  99 

Ferdinand  of  Castile,  St.,   132 

Ferdinand  III,  133 

Figures  of  Mary,  13,  14 

Filippino  Lippi.  138 


Filippo  Lippi,  138 

First  of  creatures,  i 

First  Disciples  and  our  Lady,  1 7 

Flowers,  199 

Foch,  Marshal,  147 

Foreshadowed  in  Old  Law,  13 

Foretold  to  Patriarchs,    n 

Fourvieres,  174 

Fox  of  Winchester,  Bishop,  85, 

165 

Fra  Angelico,  138 
France  and  our  Lady,  103 
Francis  of  Assisi,  St.,  8,  37 
Francis  Borgia,  St.,  49 
Francis  Jerome,  St.,  57 
Francis  de  Sales,  St.,  52 
Francis  Xavier,  St.,  48 
Francis  I,  132 
Franciscans,  66 
French  Cathedrals  of  our  Lady, 

1  104 
French  Kings,  104 

Pilgrimages,  171 

Saints,  103 

Soldiers,  104 

University,  104 

Warriors,  104 

Gabriel  Addol.,  Bl.,  67 
Gabriel  Bell,  The,  77 
Garden  enclosed,  261 
Garter,  Order  of,  129,  233 
Gelasius,  St.,  60 
Genezzano,  109,  169 
German  Pilgrimages,  1 1 8 

Artists,  1 1 9 

Germany  and  our  Lady,  1 1 8 
Gertrude,  St.,  43 
Giotto,  Artist,  137 
Glastonbury,  77 
Glendower,  Owen,  96 
Gloucester  chapel,  165 
God  the  Father  and  our  Lady,  i 
God  the  Son  and  our  Lady,  4 
God  the  Holy  Ghost  and  our 

Lady,  6 

Godiva,  Lady,  78 
Golden  Bull,  185 
Grace,  Above  Angels  in,    2,  9 
Grace,  Full  of,  10 
Great  Yarmouth,  86 
Greece  and  our  Lady,   122 


INDEX 


Gregory  the  Great,  St.,  61 
Gregory  of  Nazianzen,  St.,  188 
Gregory  of  Nyssa,  St.,  21 
Gregory  Thaumat.,  St.,  21 
Gregory  of  Tours,  St.,  26,    222 
Gregory  IX,  6 1 
Gregory  XHI,  62 
Gregory  XV,  62 
Grignon  de  Montfort,  Bl.,  59 
Guadahrpe,  123,  175 
Guilds,  Trade,  151 
Salve,  151 

Hail,  Mary,  192 

Hal,  our  Lady  of,  176 

Hatfield,  Council,  73 

Health  of  the  Sick,  226 

Heart  of  Mary,  Archconfr.,  184, 
172 

Heart  of  Mary,  Immac.,  227 

Hedwige,  St.,  38 

Helena,  St.,  133,  160 

Help  of  Christians,  Feast,  62 

Henry  Suso,  BL,  45 

Henry  II,  78,  128 

Henry  HI,  128 

Henry  IV,  76,  129 

Henry  V,  129 

Henry  VI  and  Eton  College,  75, 
76,  84,  130 

Henry  VI  and  King's  College 
(Cambridge),  85,  130 

Henry  VII,  82,  130 

Henry  VII 's  Chapel,  Westmin 
ster,  163,  164 

Henry  VIII,  79,  82,  130 

Henry  IV  of  France,  191 

Herman  Contractus,  137 

Herman  Joseph,  BL,  39 

Highlands  of  Scotland,  92 

Hilary,  St.,  60 

Holland  and  our  Lady,  113 

Holy  House  of  Loretto,  109,  166 

Holy  House,  Pilgrims  to,  168 

Holyrood,  our  Lady  of,  131 

Holy  Souls,  254 

Honour  defended,  264 

Hugh  of  Lincoln,  St.,    35,    162 

Humility,  Mary's,  260 

Hyacinth,  St.,  39 

Hymnologists,  137 

Hyperdulia,  41,  264 


Ignatius  of  Loyola,  St.,  47,  236 

Ildephonsus,  St.,  26 

Images,  Beautiful,  in    England, 

83 

Imitation  of  Mary,  245 
Immaculate  Conception,  3,   200 

Proofs  of  doctrine,  200 

Proofs  from  Fathers,  202 

Feast  of.  64,  177,  204 

Controversy,  205 

SS.  Bernard  and  Thomas, 
205,  208 

after  the  Controversy,  206 

Pius  IX's  Bull,  i,  208 

Proclamation,  209 

and  England,  73,  210 

Gregory  XV,  62 

and  Universities  of  Paris, 
104,  Spain,  107,  Louvain, 
etc.,  113 

and  Coimbra,  121 

and  Poland,  117 
Immaculate   Heart,   227 
Ina,  King,  128 
Ina's  Silver  Chapel,  77 
India  and  our  Lady,  127 
Indians,  North  American,   100 
lona,  93 

Ipswich,  our  Lady  of,  82 
Irenaeus,  St.,  24 
Ireland  and  our  Lady,  87 

and  the  Rosary,  88 
Irish  Litany,  87,  89 

Shrines,  90 

Soldiers,  148 

Poets,  Early,  91 
Isaias,  i i 

Isabel  of  Warwick,  83 
Italy  and  our  Lady,  108,  109 
Italian  devotion,  108 

Saints,  108      , 

Artists,  1 08 

Jacopone,  BL,  136 
James.  St.,  Apostle,  17 
James  of  Batnae,  St.,  24 
James,  King  of  Aragon,    131 
Jane  F.  de  Chantal,  St.,  55 

apan  and  our  Lady,  125 

eremias,  12 

erome,  St.,  25 

esuits,  and  our  Lady,  68 


INDEX 


285 


esuit  Theologians,  188 
ban  of  Arc,  Bl.,  146' 
ohn  (Juan)  of  Austria,  Don,  145 
ohn  Berchmans,  St.,  53 
ohn  Capistran,  St.,  145 
ohn  Chrysostom,  St..  9 
ohn  Damascene,  St.,  24,  220 
ohn  Eudes,  Bl.,  56 
ohn  Evangelist,  St.,  16,  243 
ohn  F.   Regis,  St.,   55 
ohn,  King,  83 
ohn  Sobieski,  120,  145 
Joseph  of  Arimathea,  St.,  77 
Juan  of  Austria,  Don,  145 
Justinian,    Emperor,    160 
Justus  Lipsius,  187 
Kingdoms  and  our  Lady,  134 
King's  College,  Cambridge,  85, 

130 

Kings  of  England,  128 
Kings  of  France,  131 
Kings  of  Scotland,  130 
Knights  of  Garter,  129,  233 
Knights,  Orders  of,  68 
Knights  of  Malta,  68 

Laboure,  Sister  C.,  195 
Lady  Chapels,  163,  232 
Lady's  Choristers,  140 
Ladye  Mass,  140  '232, 
Lady's  well,  92 
Lady's  Flowers,  199 
La  Salette,  172 
Lateran  Council,  73 
Laynez,  Fr.,  69 
Leeds,  Bridge  Chapel.  86 
Leo  IV,  6 1 
Leo  XIII,  62 
Leofric,  Earl,  78 
Leonard  of  Port  M.,  St.,  58 
Lepanto  Victory,  62,  144 
Leunis,  John  (Sodality),  182 
Liberius,  Pope,  St.,  60 
Liesse,  our  Lady  of,  102,    174 
Limerick,  Our  Lady  of,  90 
Lincoln,  Our  Lady  of,  36,  81 
Litany,  Anc.  Irish,  87,  89 
Little  Office,  197,  240 
Liturgies,  Ancient.  29 
Liturgical  hymns,  136 
Liturgy,  Alex.,  29 
Liturgy  of  St.  James,  29 


Livery  Companies,  151 

London  Bridge  Chapel,  151 

London  churches,  134 

Loreto,  Holy  House,    109,    i66> 

Louis,  St.,  42,  132 

Louis  the  Pious,  131 

Louis  XI  and  Angelus,  132 

Louis  XIII,  132 

Louis  XIV,  132 

Lourdes,  171 

Louvain  University,  1 1 3 

Lowlands   of   Scotland.    93 

Luke,  St.,  17 

Magdalen  College,   Oxford,  84. 
Magnificat,  257 
Malcolm  II,  130 
Margaret  of  Richmond,   130 
Maria  della  Strada,  48,   70 
Maria  in  Trastevere,  20,  60 
Mariolatry,  264 
Maronite  Ritual,  29 
Marquette,  J.,  S.J.,  97,  150 
Martyrs,  Our  Lady  of,  97 
Mary's  Assumption,  220 

Choristers,  140 

Dowry,  71,  72 

Lake,  93 

Mass,  75,  140,  232 

Martyrdom,  235 

Name,  178,  213 

Name  (Ireland),  88 

Name  (Scotland),  92 

Name  (Indians),  100 

Nativity,  178 

Office,  75 

Psalter,  76 
Mary  and  England,  71  seq. 

ever  Virgin,  74,  218 

Immaculate,  200    seq. 

Major,  St.,  60,  168 

Major,  Picture,  96 

St.  of  Trastevere,  20,  60 
Mary  our  Mother,  244 
Mary  of  Agreda,  10 
Mary  Madg.  Pazzi,  St.,  54 
Maryland,  97 
Mass,  239 

Mater  Admirabilis,  280 
Maternity,  Divine,  73,  215 
May,  month  of,  100,  198 
Meditation,  239 


286  INDEX 


Mercers'  Company,  153 
Mercy,  Our  Lady  of,  181 

Mother  of,  44,  224 
Messina  Earthquake,  144 
Methodius,  St.,  12 
Mexico,  123 
Michel  Angelo,  138 
Military  Orders,  68 
Miraculous  Medal,  195 
Montaigu,  Our  Lady  of,  176 
Month  of  May,  100,   198 
Montreal,  101 
Montserrat,  175 
Monuments  to  Mary,  231 
More,  Bl.  Thomas,  82 
Mother  of  God,  217,  270 
Mother  of  Mercy,  224,  44 
Muckross,  Our  Lady  of,  90 
Murillo,  138 
Musicians,  139 

Name  of  Mary,  213 

etc.,  Ireland,  88 

Scotland,  92 

and  Indians,  100 
Nativity  of  our  Lady,  212 
Naval  Commanders,  144 
Navan,  our  Lady  of,  91 
Neumann,  98 
New  College,  Oxford,  85 
Newman,  Cardinal,  63 
Nice,  Council  of,  28 
Non-Catholics  on  our  Lady,  153, 

156 

Normans,  146 
N.D.  des  Victoires,  172 

Oddo  and  Dodo  (Saxons),  81 

Off  a,  King,  81 

Office  of  our  Lady,  75 

Office,  The  little,  197,  240 

Oostacker,  Belg.,  176 

Orders,  Religious,  64 

Ordinary  duties,  236 

Origen,  21 

Our  Lady's  Pages,  140 

Our  Lady  of  the  Snow,  60,  95 

Owen  O'Neill,  89 

Oxford,  Magdalen  College,  84 

Corpus  Christi,  85 

New  College,  85 

and    St.    Edmund,  37,    84 

Pages  of  our  Lady,  140 


Palestrina,  139 

Passionists,  67 

Patriarchs  and  Prophets,  1 1 

Patrick,  St.,  87 

Paul  II,  6 1 

Pelagius  (Pelayo),  106 

Pellevoisin,  257 

Perpetual  Succour,  184 

Perpetual  Virginity,  74,  218 

and  Ireland,  91 
Perugino,  138 
Peter  Chrysol.,  St.,  25 
Peter  Claver,  St.,  56 
Peter  Dainian,  St.,  26 
Peter  the  Hermit,  147 
Pew,  our  Lady  of,  166 
Philip  Benizi,  St.,  42 
Philip  Neri,  St.,  51 
Pictures,  Miraculous,  249 
Pilgrim  Street,  86 
Pilgrimages  in  England,  77 

in  Belgium,  176 

in  France,  171 

in  Italy,  166 

in  Spain,  175 

in  Switzerland,  177 
Pillar,  our  Lady  of,  1 75 
Pius  V,  St.,  62 
Pius  VII,  62 
Pius  IX,  62 
Pius  X,  62 

Poets  and  our  Lady,  136 
Poets,  Non-Catholic,  154,  156 
Poland  and  our  Lady,  116 

and    Immaculate    Concep 
tion,  117 
Pompei,  171 
Pontmain,  256,  273 
Popes,  60 

Portugal  and  our  Lady,  121 
Portuguese  Crown,  122 
Pothinus,  St.,  18 
Practices  of  Saints,  246 
Prayers  of  Saints,  267 
Premonstratensians,  66 
Presentation  feast,  61,  178 
Prima  Primaria,  1 82 
Privileges  of  our  Lady,     7,  263 

of  Child  Mary,  214 
Proclus,  St.,  24,  270 
Protestants  and  our  Lady,  153, 
156,  159 


INDEX 


287 


Protentianus,  St.,  18 
Psalter  of  Mary,  76 
Puche3  our  Lady  of,  176 
Pulcheria,  St.,  161 
Purgatory,  Souls  in,  254 
Purification  feast,  60,  180 
Purity,  Mary's,  261 
Puy,  Our  Lady  of,  174 

Quebec,  101 
Queen  of  Peace,  259 
Queen  of  Prophets.  19,  20 
Quito  Apparition,  250 

Ransom,  our  Lady  of,  181 

Raphael,  138 

Ratisbonne,  Abbe,  196 

Reading  statue,  83 

Redemptorists,  67 

Refuge  of  sinners,  253 

Regina  coeli,  137 

Religious  Orders,  64 

Richard  II,  72.  129 

Richard  Whittington,  152 

Riches  of  English    shrines,    135 

Richness  of  early  churches,  161 

Robert  the  Wise,  131 

Robert  Guiscard,  146 

Rocamadour,  173 

Roland,  146 

Rollo,  Duke,  133 

Rome,  Churches  of,  161 

Rosary,  76,  188 

and  soldiers,  148,  149 

Rosary  feast,  182 

Rosary    in    Catholic    England, 

76,  190 
and  Eton,  76 

and  Magdalen  College,  Ox 
ford,  76 

and  St.  Dominic,  189 
in  Ireland,  191 
and  Irish  soldiers,  148 
and  Lady  Godiva,  78 
in  United  States,  99 

Royal  Psalmist,  12 

Sabbatine,  Indulg.,  194 
Saints  of  XII  Cent.,  31,  34 
Saints  of  subsequent  centuries, 

36 
Saints  of  England,  85 


St.  Alban's  Lady  Chapel,  83 
Salette,  La,  172 
Salisbury   pilgrimage,  86 
Salve  Guilds,  151 
Salve  Regina,  34,  136 
Sanctuaries    of    our     Lady    in 

England,  80 
Santa  Casa,  168 
Saragossa,  175 
Sassoferrato,  138 
Saturday  and  our  Lady,  198,  242 
Saturday,    rest   p.m.,    94 

fast,  76 

Scapular  Brown,  193 
Blue,  194 
Black,  194 
of  Sacred  Heart,  257 
Scottish  Kings,  130 
Scotland  and  our  Lady,  92 
Scott,  Sir  Walter,  156 
Scotus,  John  Duns,  66,  206 
Scutari,  169 
Sedulius,  Irish  poet,  91 
Self-Denial,  242,  248 
Selkirk  Arms,  95 
Sergius  I,  St.,  178 
Servant  of  Mary,  31 
Servites,  67 
Servite  Saints,  42,  234 
Seven  Dolours,  234 
Shrines  in  England,  80 
Silkstede,  Prior,  165 
Silver  Chapel,  Ina's,  77 
Simon  Stock,  St.,  41 
Sinners  and  our  Lady,  244,  253 
Sixtus  III,  60 
Sixtus  IV,  6i/ 
Slaves  of  Mary,  59 
Snow  churchyard,  Aberdeen,  95 
Sobieski,  John,  120,  145 
Society  of  Jesus,  68 
Society  of  Jesus  and  Immaculate 

Conception,  69 
Sodalists,  143,   184 

Heroic,  185 
Sodality,  The,  98,  182,  184 

Saints  and  Popes,  183 

St.  Alph.  on,  183 

Prelates,  184 

Poets,  Orators,  185 

Kings,  Nobles,  185 

Praise  of,  185 


288 


INDEX 


Soldiers  and  our  Lady,  147,  148 

Solomon,  12 

Sophronius,  St.,  9,  n 

Sorbonne  and  Immaculate  Con 
ception,  104 

Souls  in  Purgatory,  254 

Spain  and  our  Lady,  105 

Spain     and     Immaculate    Con 
ception,  107 
Cathedrals,  107 

Spanish  Knights,  107 

Spiritual  exercises,  239 

Stabat  Mater,  136,  236 

Stanislaus,  St.,  50 

Star  of  the  Sea.  33 

Stephen  of  Hungary,  St.,  131 

Studies,  237 

Suarez,  Fr.,  187,  263 

Syriac  hymn,  30 

Tancred,  146 

Tarasius,  St.,  12 

Teresa,  St.,  51 

Tewkesbury,  our  Lady  of,  81 

Theotokos,  270 

Thomas  of  Aquin,  St.,  40 

St.  Thomas  and  Immaculate 

Conception,  66 
Thomas  of  Canterbury,  St.,  34, 

231 

Titian,  artist,  138 
Toledo,  176 
Toleto,  Cardinal,  187 
Trade  Guilds,  151 
Trastevere,  20,  60 
Trent,  Council  of,  28 
Trim,   our  Lady  of,  91 
Trust  in  Mary,  243 
Types  of  Mary,  13,  1 4 

United  States  and  our  Lady,  96 

and  Rosary,  99 
Universities,  English,  84 
University  of  Louvain,  1 1 3 

of  Paris,  104 

of  Poland,  117 

of  Portugal,  121 

of  Spain,  107 


Urban  II,  61 

Vaughan,  Cardinal,  63 
Venantius  Fort.,  St.,  137,  224 
Vendeans,  149 

Venetian  on  English  shrines,  135 
Victories,  N.D.  des,  172 
Victory  of  Belgrade,  145 
of  Lepanto,  144 
of  Vienna,  145 
Ville  Marie  (Montreal),  101 
Vincent  Ferrer,  St.,  45 
Vincent  de  Paul,  St.,  56 
Virginity,  Perpet.,  74,  218 
Vision  of  St.    Gregory  Thaum., 

21 

Visitation  feast,  179 
Visits    to    Blessed     Sacrament, 

240 

Votive  Candles,  200 
Vow  of  Perpetual  Virginity,  262, 

219 
(SS.  Aug.  and  Bede,  266) 

Wales  and  our  Lady,  95 
Walsingham,  our  Lady  ol,  79 
War,  Appeal  in,  259 
Wat  Tyler,  73 
Waynflete,  Bishop,  76,  84 
Wax  candles  costly,  200  note, 
Wells,  Lady,  92 
Welsh  Poets,  96 
Westminster,  Our  Lady  of,  163., 

1 66 

Whittington,  Sir  Richard,  152 
Willesden,  our  Lady  of,  82 
William  the  Lion,  K.,  94 
Winchester,  Lady  chapel,  165 

frescoes,  165 

and    Immaculate    Concep 
tion,  64,  65,  211 
Wiseman,  Cardinal,  63 
Wolsey,  Cardinal,  82 
Wykeham,  Bishop,  85 

Yarmouth,  our  Lady  of,  86 
Youghal,  our  Lady  of,  90 

Zucchi,  Fr.  N.,  262,  268 


Chandlery 


BQT 
1061 


Mary's  praise  on  every  tongue   .C42-