The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 6.1-4

Chapter 12 : The Eleventh Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

She has been and is still recognized and called blessed by all generations in the world

§ 6. She has been recognized and honoured by all the Orders, firstly by the Military orders 

 1   Up until this point we have seen the Mother of God like the Angel in the Apocalypse[1] standing upon the sea and upon the Earth, meaning there are no limits or boundaries to her domain here below other than the Sun and the Moon. Henceforth we are going to find her on the banners of all the Orders, both military and regular, leading us to understand that she takes a leading role in war as well as in peace, and that she is no less redoubtable at the head of armies as she is worthy of veneration in the sanctuaries of Churches. Here she appears fair as the moon, there she appears as terrible as an army set in array[2]. Here she warms the souls of her children and her servants, there she inspires with courage the hearts of her soldiers and fills with dread those of the enemy. Here she receives vows and prayers, there she is presented with the trophies of victory. Here we serve her with hands joined in prayer and with a humble heart, there we do battle on her behalf with our hands raised, wearing full armour. Here she protects us from invisible enemies, there she strengthens us against enemies we can see. Here she is like Jerusalem, there she resembles the war tents of Cedar and the pavilions of Solomon. Here she is surrounded by Choirs of Angels singing of peace, there the entire Heavenly Host surrounds her. No matter where she is, however, she gives sure proof of her power and her goodness to those who serve her in their hearts. 

I am going to present her under both of these aspects and I hope that you will find this helpful. You will see her first of all leading the Military Orders that have been formed to advance the glory of God and to spread His church around the world. Then immediately afterwards, you will see her guiding the regular Orders that God has called forth to spread and increase the service we offer. I feel obliged to say something about both these Orders since they have always benefited so greatly from the graces and favours of the Holy Virgin and because from the beginning they have shown remarkable zeal in promoting her name and honour everywhere.

Footnotes

[1] Apoc. x. 5.

[2] Cant. vi. 9.

The Order of Our Lady of the Star

 2   France has from the beginning shown a devotion to serving the most glorious Virgin and it is in France where we see the beginning of the military Orders dedicated to her service. The first I have been able to discover is the Order of Our Lady of the Star which was founded by King Robert in the year 1022[1]. This King had a deep devotion and was happy to place himself at the service of the Queen of heaven whom he was wont to refer to as the Star of his Kingdom. Two years after creating the peers of France, he instituted in her honour the Order which he called the Order of the Star on the feast of her Nativity in the afore-mentioned year. It was composed of thirty Knights, including the King of France who was in perpetuity the Chief and sovereign Grand Master. Each member wore a tunic or surcoat of crimson damask, a cloak of white damask with crimson lining and a mantlet. On the left-hand side of the tunic was a five-pointed star embroidered in gold thread. The great collar[2] was made of an interlinked gold chain incorporating three links of golden roses enamelled alternately in white and red. The Knights were bound to recite each day five decades of the Rosary, together with certain prayers that this Prince most pious had composed seeking Heaven’s blessings for himself and for his successors as Kings of France.

Footnotes

[1] Andr. Favin., Theatri Honoris, lib. IV.

[2] The ornamental chain which forms part of the insignia of orders of knighthood.

The Order of Knights of Our Lady of the Lily

 3   Following the example of this great and devout French King, Don García de Nájera, the King of Navarre, instituted the Order of Our Lady of the Lily in honour of the sacred Virgin[1], who is the Lily among thorns[2] and the Mother of the true Lily of the valleys[3]. This was in the year 1048 after he had been cured of a grave illness when a miraculous image of the most glorious Virgin had been found in the town of Nájera. She is represented as though blossoming from a beautiful white Lily and holding her Son in her arms. The King commissioned a Church to be built at the same spot where the image had been found and this is where most of the Kings of Navarre are buried. The Order was composed of thirty-eight Knights of the most ancient families of Navarre and Biscay. They wore on their breast a Lily embroidered in silver threads. On solemn occasions they wore a double chain of gold interlaced with an oval, showing a golden Lily enamelled in white blossoming from the soil and, under a crown, a golden letter M, which is the first letter of Mary. They were bound to say the Ave Maria every day a certain number of times.

Footnotes

[1] Andr. Favin., lib. III Hist. Navarræ.

[2] Cant. ii. 2.

[3] Cant. ii. 1.

The Order of the Knights of Malta

 4   The Order of St John of Jerusalem was later called the Order of the Knights of Rhodes, but when Rhodes fell it was renamed the Order of the Knights of Malta and it has retained this name. It might equally well be called the Order of Our Lady. Before the final conquest of the Holy Land (and especially the Holy City of Jerusalem) in the year 1100, the Christians of the Western Church, often called Latin Christians, had obtained from the Caliph in Egypt, who was then master of Palestine and Syria, permission under strict conditions to live near the Holy Sepulchre. They had built a Church and a Monastery there dedicated to the glorious Virgin, to whose protection and safekeeping they entrusted themselves. They called it Saint Mary of the Latins. 

At the time, their intention was simply to protect the holy places and to provide a charitable welcome to the pilgrims whose devotion brought them from all parts of Christendom. The numbers eventually became so great, however, that there was no longer sufficient accommodation for them. Accordingly, it was decided to build a hostel adjoining their first house and they called it after St John, in memory of St John the Baptist who had so often frequented that place when praying. In a little while the growth in visitors and alms became so great that Innocent III decided this would become a bastion of the Christian religion and so he conferred on them the title of a military Order. He instructed them to wear the livery of Our Lady which consisted of a white cross on their black cloaks. We also discover in the histories written of them that the most sacred MOTHER OF GOD, to whom they offered so much honour, helped and sustained them on countless occasions in their struggles against the enemy. 

In the year 1480 the Turks, numbering some 40,000, made the final assault on the defences at Rhodes. The Christians had recourse to Heaven and displayed around the ramparts in view of the enemy the standards of Our Lord, of the Holy Virgin and of Saint John the Baptist, imploring them to come to their aid amidst great cries and groaning. That same moment, the heretics noticed a Lady of extraordinary beauty doing the rounds of the walls. She was carrying a lance in her right hand and a shield in her left. Accompanying her was another saint simply clad but possessed of a rare Majesty, none other than St John the Baptist. This caused such dread in their hearts that they were forced to retreat, even though the sins of the Christians, reaped their reward and God permitted this beautiful island to fall into the hands of the heretics.

The help received from her during the siege of Malta was no less than in the siege mentioned above. I shall content myself, however, with saying what I said a little earlier when during our tour of the world we passed by the Island of Malta. To sum up, it would be as easy to count the stars in the firmament as the help and favours which they received on Malta from the holy Virgin during their countless trials and tribulations.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam. 

© Peter Bloor 2024 

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 5.113-116

Chapter 12 : The Eleventh Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

She has been and is still recognized and called blessed by all generations in the world

§ 5. She was recognized  and honoured by all Nations everywhere in the world

Italy

OUR LADY OF MONTDEVI & OUR LADY OF OROPA

 113   In the region of Piedmont there is nothing more celebrated than Our Lady of Mondevi, whose name and miracles have spread far and wide. In the history written by Philippe-Marie Roffredy,  we read that the site started to attract visitors from all parts in the year 1595 because of the miracles reported to be taking place. Here is what happened.

The Citadel of Mondovi was falling into ruins and the governor ordered a builder to start work in his limekiln so as to begin the task of repairing the building. This man set to work in compliance with this request but he soon noticed that the wood he was using, though perfectly dry, was not catching fire and he started to become very impatient. This made his own daughter suggest to him that he should make a promise to Our Lady that he would build a pillar for her as thanksgiving if the wood would only catch fire. He had scarcely begun to formulate the promise in his head when the wood in the kiln caught fire and everything then proceeded as normal. Immediately afterwards, he kept his promise and he also painted on the southern side of the column that he had built a beautiful, holy image of Our Lady. The Mother of kindness immediately recognised what he had done by granting him a new blessing, and from that moment onwards everything went so smoothly for the builder that the bricks were produced to perfection but using two thirds less wood than would normally be the case. This shows how true it is that the Queen of Heaven shows herself as a good Mother not only in big things but in small things too.

About three leagues from Biella, which is a city beyond the river Poe belonging to the Duke of Savoy, located on a mountain called Oropa, there is a chapel of the glorious Virgin with a miraculous statue which attracts crowds of visitors.

The ancient tradition, confirmed in a Bull issued by Pope Clement VIII approving this chapel, is that St Eusebius, Bishop of Vercelli and Martyr[1], built it one thousand two hundred and fifty years previously. It was a place where he would seek calm and respite during the troubles caused by the Arians in Italy. He would go there each and every time he felt he needed recollection after his energies had been dissipated by the multitude of concerns that his responsibilities brought upon him. The statue is believed to be of cedar wood and is as tall as a person, The common view is that it is the handiwork of a truly talented artist. There have been many miracles reported here over a period of twelve hundred years, some of which were examined and formed part of an official compilation in 1621.

The people of Biella and the vicinity were kept safe when the plague ravaged the surrounding provinces at the beginning of this century. In gratitude, they built a truly fine Church in honour of the most sacred Virgin on the same spot, whilst retaining the the little chapel which St Eusebius had built. As devotion continued to grow, on the 3Oth of August 1620 they crowned the statue of the Virgin with a triple crown of gold, placing at  the same time an imperial diadem of the same material on the head of the infant Jesus who is held in the arms of His Mother. This was all done with such solemnity and with such public rejoicing that it would take more words to describe than space permits here. You can read about it in a book which appeared in the Italian language, printed in Turin 1601. All around the mountain there are various cells or stations where the mysteries of the life of the blessed Virgin are represented and where pilgrims to this holy site provide evidence of their devotion to the Queen of Heaven.

Footnotes

[1] c. 283-371.

Savoy

OUR LADY OF CHARMES, OUR LADY OF VIVONE, OUR LADY OF ROCHETTE & OUR LADY OF MYANS

 114   We shall end our world tour in Savoy where Our Lady is religiously venerated, concentrating on certain locations where she has been particularly generous in her graces and favours. In the town of Charmes there is a  miraculous image of the most sacred Virgin whose history and miracles have been carefully compiled by Jacques Bertrand, a Savoyard physician. Near Vivone there is a church of Our Lady and a Carmelite house which were founded around 1485 in the following circumstances.

There was a certain oxherd who wanted to drive his oxen across a particular field but was unable to do so no matter how he beat them or prodded them with his goad. A gentleman who happened to be passing by gave him a piece of wise advice : not to continue stubbornly trying to make them go forward, but to find out what it was that could be making them stop at that particular place. It turned out that this gentleman had been inspired by God, for the oxherd followed his advice and dug in the earth at the place where he had noticed the oxen would not cross. He found first of all a flagstone still looking as if it had been recently laid and when he lifted it up, he found underneath a beautiful image of the most glorious Virgin which had been placed in the Earth, without receiving any honour other than what the Angels from heaven offered her. Once the local inhabitants heard about this, they ran to the place and the image was carried in honour to the village Church, but the next morning, they found the image was back in the place where the oxen had refused to walk. When this happened a third time they realised that it was a clear sign the holy Virgin wanted to be venerated at that particular place. Accordingly, they built a beautiful church and a house for the Carmelite Fathers, into whose care the image was assigned. 

Here is another example which is very similar in its details to the the story I have just recounted and it concerns Our Lady of Rochette.

This site is not very far from Geneva and it is surrounded by a field where, in that same year, a shepherd was leading his flock. He thought he heard a a voice crying from inside a bush. He determined to find out out what this could be and found that as he drew closer, the voice grew louder and cried out more. Finally, he noticed an image of the Virgin which was in the middle of a bush. He alerted all his neighbours and they eventually decide to carry the image away, but as before, they could not manage to move it away from the bush. This made them decide to build a Church on that spot and they entrusted it to the care of Carmelites, as had happened at Vivone. It so happened that later some people removed the image and took it into Dauphiné because of the miracles associated with it. The next morning, the image was found back in its original location.

 115   About a quarter of a league on the main road from Chambéry to Montmélian and a good league from each of these two towns, being half a league from the little village called Les Marches, there is a slight eminence on which stands a chapel of Our Lady. Its origins are lost in antiquity and it has an image of the Holy Virgin holding the Infant Jesus on her lap. This statue is called Our Lady of Myans and its construction seems to involve woven material and a moulded cast. The chapel is very popular with the those who live in the district and several miracles have been reported, some of which are included by Fr. Jacques Foderé, a member of the Franciscan Observantine Order, in a description he wrote of the convents in his Order that are in the St Bonaventure province, where Myans is situated. Here is one example that I cannot pass over in silence.

Around the year 1249, Pope Innocent IV travelled to Lyon in search of the help of St. Louis against the machinations of the Emperor Frederick II. He obtained from Count Thomas of Savoy, through the agency of a secretary and favourite of the Count, an agreement to close off the Alpine passes to the Emperor. In return for this, the secretary obtained from the Pope the rich priory of Saint Benedict which was in the town of Saint André in Savoy, now the site of the Château of Apremont, a quarter of a league from Myans. To make himself more comfortable there, the secretary acted very severely with the monks who were based there, forcing them to leave and find somewhere else to live. They set off intending to go back to the Abbey of Saint Lambert, the mother house of their priory.  Weeping and feeling very upset, they decided to pop into Our Lady of Myans as they were passing, in order to express their sorrow. The secretary, however, was in Saint André, where he was meeting with the town leaders. Suddenly the sky grew dark and demons aroused such dreadful thunder and such strange storms and earthquakes that the town of Saint André together with sixteen nearby villages were swallowed up, part of Mount Granier collapsing in an avalanche of rocks that swept upon them. What was remarkable, however, was that the disaster did not affect Myans and although the avalanche came close to the monks, none of them suffered any harm whatsoever. Amid the terrible cacophony they heard the devils at the rear of the storm shrieking to those at the front: “Keep going, keep going, go on!” The ones at the front shouted back that they couldn’t because the Black Lady would not let them. The disaster produced deep gouges which the locals nicknamed abysses, a name which has stuck with them to this day. They cover an area a good league in length and just as wide. For the space of some forty years, no one saw a single blade of grass or any plants growing there until the 8th of December (which is the feast of the Conception of the holy Virgin) in the year 1258, when the place was blessed by Laurent Alemani, Bishop of Grenoble. Since then, the land has supported vines orchards and anything that people have wanted to sow there.

I should like to think that my pen would bear favourable witness to future generations of the gratitude that the members of the noble Senate and the right honourable Congregation in the Jesuit college at Chambéry have offered to the most glorious Virgin these past months of the year 1632. They, along with several other provinces, have had to suffer three consecutive scourges sent by God : war, famine and the plague. They were in no doubt that this great Princess had stayed the hand of God’s just vengeance and accordingly they presented to her a silver heart with wings which was crowned with stars and crescents. Within it was a small book bound in silver with precious stones, containing the names of all the confreres written in letters of gold. This was borne in solemn procession to Our Lady of Myans. 

Worthy servants of the Virgin, who join in this way so happily the exercise of justice with that of devotion, may ye be so blessed with the holy graces of the Queen of hearts that ye will ever grow in the graces and favours of Heaven so as to attain the joy of contemplating her in Sion.

 116   It is now time to draw this long journey to close. My hope is that no one will have been offended if, through any forgetfulness or ignorance on my part, I have failed to mention any remarkable things which may be found in various cities and provinces concerning this devotion to the holy Virgin. I hope readers will understand that I have sincerely tried to concentrate on those things that my memory brought to mind and that it was never my plan to make a detailed compilation of all that can be said on this matter. My intention was simply to show, by the little I have been able to present, that Our Lady has been no less honoured across the vast extent of earth than she has been and will be throughout the long duration of the ages.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam. 

© Peter Bloor 2024 

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 5.110-112

Chapter 12 : The Eleventh Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

She has been and is still recognized and called blessed by all generations in the world

§ 5. She was recognized  and honoured by all Nations everywhere in the world

Italy

OUR LADY OF LORETO, OUR LADY OF THE MARTYRS, OUR LADY OF PATIRO, OUR LADY OF GENESTA, OUR LADY OF MILAN, OUR LADY OF PORTA LUISA, OUR LADY OF BASILLE & OUR LADY OF THE MOUNT

 110   We now come to the March[1] of Ancona and I pray, dear reader, that you will now purify your heart and mind because we are about to enter the holiest and noblest place we know of on earth. It is the little house from Nazareth, where the Holy Virgin was brought up, where the divine Word was known and where he lived for several years with His holy Mother and the blessed St Joseph, giving the world the example of his hidden life in which He knew hardship, to the astonishment of men and Angels. This little house, which today is known as the Chapel of Our Lady of Loreto, is surrounded by a beautiful and magnificent Church like the one which was built thanks to the more than royal generosity of the incomparable St Helena.

Heaven, seeing that this holy house was no longer being honoured as it was before because the Turks seized Judea, issued an order in 1291 for it to be transferred by Angels into the province of Esclavonia[2], keeping it just as it was. This province did not, however, sufficiently appreciate the treasure it had received and it stayed there for only three years and nine months before the Angels moved it to the March of Ancona where it stayed firstly for eight months in Recanati. From there it moved to a hill in the possession of two brothers who exploited the devotion for their own miserly motives, causing the Holy Virgin to leave them very quickly. This happened in 1295 when the house came into the possession of a saintly widow called Loretta from which it took the name name of Loreto and where it is still located to this day.

The history of the house has been written by Horace Turselin, of the Society of Jesus, and there you will a detailed account of what I have explained here in but a few words. The miracles performed are as remarkable as those you will find reported anywhere. The common belief in Italy is that when the holy chapel passed, trees bowed before it and stayed like that until they died of old age or were blown down by the wind. On the night the house was transported by the Angels, shepherds in the fields saw it passing over the sea surrounded by such extraordinary brightness that it seemed like daylight.

Footnotes

[1] A boundary or frontier of a country, district, or region. Also: a tract of land on or constituting a border, or a disputed tract of land separating one country or region from another.

[2] "Esclavonia" stands for Slavonia. Croatians were known in the West as Sclavons, Esclavon and Slavonian for over 1000 years.

 111   Our Lady of the Martyrs is a Church close to Molfetta in the district of Bari which is in the region of Apulia. It is crowded with pilgrims all year round.

Gabriel de Barry tells how the Saracens had planned a surprise attack on the town of Rossano in Calabria and had placed their ladders against the walls when they were repulsed by a Lady clad in purple and wielding a flaming torch. They were so terrified that they fled in haste, abandoning their ladders against the walls. 

Near the Rossano I just mentioned, there is a very famous Church called Our Lady of Patiro. Our Lady’s image is one of those which the Greeks call Hodegetria which we translate as “Indicator of the Way.” Albert Léandre refers to it in his description of Italy.

On the Genoese coast there is a little town called Genesta[1] where the memory has been kept alive of a virtuous old lady called Petruccia.

This woman was more richly endowed with faith and trust in God than with money and possessions. She had undertaken to rebuild the Hermits’ Monastery of Saint Augustine which was falling into ruins. All those who heard her talk about this made fun of her saying this undertaking had no existence other than in the empty imaginings of an old lady who was raving. She continued to insist, however that she did not wish to see death before the blessed Virgin and Saint Augustine had completed this work.  She did not let up in her courageous efforts and she remained firm in her determination. A year had not actually passed since the day she laid the first stone when a miraculous image of Our Lady appeared on one of the walls of the Church. This so encouraged the good Patricia and prompted so much love towards this building on the part of countless numbers of people who went to see the miracle which God had performed, that before very long both the church and the monastery were completed.

 

Footnotes

[1] Signin., in Chronico Ordinis. [Transl. I have been unable to trace Genesta. The story of Petruccia, an image of Our Lady and the miraculous completion of the church are in fact associated with Our Lady of Good Counsel which is in Genazzano.]

 112   If we now travel to Lombardy, we shall find in the noble city of Milan as many Churches as there are days in the year, and the majority are dedicated to the glorious MOTHER OF GOD. You would have to be quite ignorant of Italy not to have heard of the Duomo di Milano, dedicated and consecrated to Our Lady by Pope Martin V on his return from the Council of Constance and built by Gian Galeazzo, Duke of Milan in 1388. In the same city of Milan, near to the gate called Luisa, there was a little Oratory at the place where the blessed St Ambrose found the remains of Sts Nazarius and Celsius. Inside the Oratory[1] was a small pillar on which an image of Our Lady was fixed in a niche, behind an iron trellis.

One day as Peter du Port (one of the first priests in Milan) was saying Mass, people noticed two Angels near the pillar and saw how they genuflected and raised the veil which covered the image of the Holy Virgin. Her face at that moment looked so venerable and beautiful that all present were enraptured at the sight. Twenty-eight people were found willing to sign as witnesses to this miracle, as it had been decided to authenticate the miracle with proofs. There came forth from the niche, moreover, a certain fragrance that was so sweet and pleasant that it seemed to savour more of Paradise than of earth. This was in fact just the beginning of the miracles that the Holy Virgin had determined to perform in this place. These were so numerous that, with the alms received, it was possible in a short while to build a truly beautiful Church.

In the same region of Lombardy but on the other side of the Po river we are now on our way to visit Our Lady of Basille. The origin of this name is explained by Albert Léandre in his description of Italy.

The Holy Virgin appeared to a village girl while she was in the fields. She told the girl to take a spade and dig in the earth near the roots of a certain oak tree, explaining that she would find a beautiful crucifix and she was to kiss it; she was to get people to build a church on the spot and ensure the crucifix was set in a place of honour. The girl told her father and mother, persuading them to dig at the place indicated by Our Lady. After a little while, they unearthed the crucifix promised by the Virgin. The result of this was that soon a Church was built and the devotion of the those who came to visit it was accompanied by countless miracles. The Church was called Our Lady of Basille because the girl had kept on repeating in her local dialect from Bergamo what the Virgin had told her to do: Kiss it. 

Near Gallarate which is also in Lombardy there is a Monastery called Santa Maria del Monte which has seen and continues to see miracles as well. The pilgrims who flock there can attest to this fact.

Footnotes

[1] Felix Astolphus, in Historia universali imaginum B. Virg.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam. 

© Peter Bloor 2024 

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 5.108-109

Chapter 12 : The Eleventh Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

She has been and is still recognized and called blessed by all generations in the world

§ 5. She was recognized  and honoured by all Nations everywhere in the world

Italy

OUR LADY OF THE GUARD & OUR LADY OF THE DOVE

 108   About half a league away from Bologna, we can see from a distance Our Lady of the Guard[1] which is one of the most famous centres of devotion to Our Lady in the whole of Italy[2]. It takes this name from the hill on which it is located and which is called the hill of the guard because in former times, during the wars between the people of Bologna and those of Modena, Parma and Reggio who had formed a league, watch was kept in a guard house on the hill to detect any attacks from a distance. On top of this hill there had stood from ancient times the Church of Saint Luke which was visited frequently by the people of Bologna. This church was to become more famous as a result of something that happened in the year 1433[3], as is reported by various historians.

In those days, Manuel Comnenus being Emperor of the east and Frederick Barbarossa in the west, there was in Greece a hermit highly reputed not only for his virtuous life but also for the graces that he received continually from God. This hermit went to Constantinople and entered the church of Hagia Sophia where he saw among several beautiful pictures an image of Our Lady, about three feet high. At the base the following words had been written: This image, which was painted by Saint Luke, must be carried to the church which is on the Hill of the Guard, and placed on the altar of the same church. When the hermit had read this inscription, he was greatly astonished, wondering what this place was that was called of the Guard, to which the image was destined to be carried. He consulted with the priests of Hagia Sophia but came away none the wiser. They told him only that they had learned from their predecessors that the image had always been held in great veneration in the church and this inscription was indeed ancient, but neither they nor their predecessors had ever been able to discover the location of this Hill of the Guard. After several other discussions, the hermit felt himself inspired by God and told them that if they were willing to entrust the image to him, he would travel to the end of the world to find out where this place might be.

Several writers have found it difficult to believe that the Greeks would have placed their trust in a man whom they did not know apart from (at the most) having heard of his reputation, and that they would have placed in his hands such a precious treasure. Nevertheless, history shows that is what they did and experience teaches us that there is nothing so easy for God to do than to bring about a change of heart in a moment and to make people do things which they later find astonishing when they look back. Sigonius, in his history of the Bishops of Bologna, adds that the hermit received a revelation by which he was warned to go straight to Italy and there he would of a certainty discover what he was seeking. Having received this instruction, he betook himself immediately to Rome, judging that it would be there rather than in any other place that they would be able to give him the information he sought. Now, God disposes all things for the fulfilment of his will, and it so happened that the hermit, on entering the church of Saint Peter, encountered a noble citizen of Bologna called Pascipo Vero from whom he soon learned where to find the Hill of the Guard and he obtained from him a promiseto take him straight to the church, which is on top of the hill. They set off on the journey and came to Bologna where Pascipo told the clergy and the Senate of Bologna of what had happened. The hermit was welcomed as though he were an Angel from heaven. The image was then carried with great solemnity to the place Heaven had destined for it, and from that moment onwards it began to be famous for all sorts of miracles.

The chronicler Bzovius has made a compilation of the principal writers whom I cited above. After a certain period of time, the Church which had been dedicated to Saint Luke changed its name and was known as Our Lady of the Guard.

In the year 1087 a young lady of Bologna of good reputation, called Angela, bade farewell to the world and withdrew herself to this hill, living in a rudimentary hut where she spent long hours in her pious devotions. Eventually, there being other young ladies who had the same desire as Angela, the Canons Regular of Our Lady of the Rhine in Bologna, to whom the Hill belonged, executed in their favour a conveyance of their title. As a result, they built a fine monastery on this spot. In the end, however, by virtue of the authority of the Bishops of Bologna, they withdrew into the city, retaining the privilege however of sending some of their number to take care of the church of Our Lady of the Guard and to apply themselves in particular to the devotions associated with the place. Those who who were sent there stayed no longer than a year, at the end of which they were recalled by the Prioress who sent others to take their place. In the beginning they lived as hermits but later they took the habit and the rule of Saint Dominic.

Footnotes

[1] Known today as Il Santuario di San Luca (o Santuario della Madonna della Guardia)

[2] Carolus Sigonius, de Episcopis Bononiensibus, in Vita B. Nicolai Albergati ; Bzovius, an. 1433, nº 379.

[3] Different sources provide differing chronologies. The reference to 1433 appears to recall the “miracle of the rain” which occurred on July 5th, 1433. Following a prolonged period of storm and rains, a procession with the miraculous icon was organized down from the Sanctuary and into the city of Bologna. The storm and rains stopped immediately, saving the crops and preventing a famine. Since that day, in gratitude to Our Lady, the icon is carried in a procession down into the city every year on the first Sunday of July. See Bologna on the Interfaith Mary site.

 109   On top of another hill near Bologna is Our Lady of the Dove. This beautiful chapel owes its name to the following incident[1].

There was a certain lady from Bologna called Ricciola Galluci who was married to a citizen called Ottaviano Platesio. She had made a vow to build a chapel to the Holy Virgin on this hill and men were tracing out the area where the foundations were to be dug when they noticed a dove circling around them which seemed to be marking a particular area with twigs that it was picking up here and there. This carried on for two days and it was so unusual that they suspected it meant something extraordinary. The news spread and people came from Bologna to see the dove. Eventually, Bishop Victor and his clergy made the trip and he had the pleasure of seeing with his own eyes the dove which continued to to fly around, unaffected by the crowd of people watching. The Bishop quickly concluded that the Holy Virgin had sent the dove to trace the outline of the chapel that Ricciola had intended to build. Accordingly, he advised her to build a circular chapel in the same spot the dove had indicated. This she agreed to do and such was her diligence that the chapel was completed and ready to be dedicated on the first day of the following September. The numerous miracles that followed were sufficient proof that the Holy Virgin had chosen this place to be honoured by her devotees.

Footnotes

[1] Sigonius, in Episcopis Bononiensibus, in Victore Leander, in Descriptione Italiæ.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam. 

© Peter Bloor 2024 

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 5.106-107

Chapter 12 : The Eleventh Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

She has been and is still recognized and called blessed by all generations in the world

§ 5. She was recognized  and honoured by all Nations everywhere in the world

Italy

OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS, OUR LADY OF TEARS & OUR LADY OF THE PEOPLE

 106   In the Duchy of Spoleto, there is a very famous Church some six hundred paces from Assisi  which is called Our Lady of the Angels. It is also known as the Portiuncula and is the first Church associated with the Order of the Seraphic St Francis.

In this great Church is a small chapel, enclosed like the one in Loreto. It was the third that this great servant of God restored at the very beginning of his conversion, following a secret motion of the divine spirit which guided him and urged him to prepare a lodging place for his growing family, without knowing yet what he was doing. The number of those being drawn by God to imitate St Francis’ way of life was increasing daily and he felt duty-bound to find a place for them. The site belonged to the Benedictine Fathers and once he had spoken to them they kindly acceded to his request and allocated the chapel to him without more ado. A small house and plot of land adjoining the chapel were included in the arrangement. They told him that if it pleased God to bless the Congregation and for it to grow in the future, any house built there would belong in perpetuity to the head of the Order. St Francis was most happy to accept this condition and right up to the end of his life he remained grateful to the Benedictine Fathers for their help. He would often say later that in this land of the dying he wished only to have this little Chapel as his portion, which some say is the reason it was called Portiuncula or little portion. Others say that this name predates the arrival of St Francis by a long time and refers to the little plot of land adjoining the Chapel and meant to serve for the upkeep of the Chaplain.

There was a very devout priest of Assisi called Peter Mazencole who was unable to conceal his delight at seeing this place where he lived fall into such worthy hands. The first time he learned of the conveyance the Benedictine Fathers had executed in favour of St Francis, he embraced him warmly and rejoiced with him at the gift he had received. He told Francis how wondrously holy the site was and explained how it was one of the places in the world dearest to the glorious Virgin. He also brought along the man who looked after the plot of land and he added to what his master had said, explaining that on numerous occasions he had seen bright lights shining through the windows of the Chapel and had heard sweet, Angelic harmonies. This is why it had become known as Our Lady of the Angels.  

Saint Francis could scarcely contain his joy at hearing of so many wonders. He resolved immediately to spend the night before the altar of the Queen of Angels, commending his tender charges to her care. Whilst he was deeply engrossed in his prayers, the chapel was suddenly filled with a heavenly brightness. The Saviour of the world along with his holy Mother appeared on the altar, surrounded by thousands of blessed spirits. The humble servant of the Son and of the Mother prostrated himself on the ground with equal feelings of confusion and joy at having received such an extraordinary favour. He asked of both what reason they had for granting him such an extraordinary blessing. In answer to his question, the Saviour replied that they had come to assign this place to him, for it was singularly pleasing to them.

It is impossible to describe the love that Saint Francis had for this little spot from that moment onwards. According to Saint Bonaventure, it was here that Francis began in humility, here that he persevered in a holy manner, and here that he received hundreds of favours and graces from heaven. It was here that he convoked the first general Chapter of his order, attended by five thousand Religious, according to the testimony of Saint Bonaventure. This required all the inhabitants of Assisi to go to work in the surrounding fields, building little huts or cabins made from battens of wood, branches from broom plants and reeds so that the visitors had somewhere to sleep. This is why throughout Italy whenever they refer to this Chapter, they call it the Chapter of Reeds. It was here that Francis cut off the hair of the blessed St Clare, the first of the Order that came to be known as the Poor Clares. Finally, it was here that he happily commended his spirit to God. While he was dying, he commended the place so insistently to his Friars that he could not have said more. He ordered that it should in perpetuity be directly subject to the power of the General of the Order who would personally select the Religious to be employed there in service of the Holy Virgin. His wish was that :

    • these should be chosen from the holiest and best qualified of the Friars;

    • no vain or idle words were ever to be spoken there, but those who were admitted were to utter only praises of God and the Holy Virgin, working to their utmost in service of their Majesties;

    • they should be ever mindful they were to lead the lives of Angels and servants of the Queen of Angels; and

    • if perchance they found themselves put out by one of the doors, they should come back in by another, never consenting to leave the place. 

Three years before his death,, he had obtained from Our Lord a plenary Indulgence for all those who would visit this chapel on the Feast of St Peter-in-Chains. This Indulgence was confirmed shortly afterwards by Pope Honorius III and later by several of his successors. God wished to show in various ways the esteem in which he held this place and the love He had for his humble and fervent servant.

In the same valley of Spoleto, near a town called Trivio[1], there is a Church called Our Lady of Tears. The name comes from something that happened in the year 1494. An image of the Holy Virgin which was painted on the wall of a little chapel here began to shed tears and continued to do so for a long time, as if to warn of the misfortunes which were to overtake Italy. There was no-one in the district who did not witness this miraculous phenomenon and many people came even from Rome to see it. This resulting increase in alms-giving made it possible to build a large and strikingly beautiful Church. 

Footnotes

[1] Gabriel Pennotus, Canonicus Regularis, lib. I Hist. sui Ordinis, c. 34.

 107   Let us travel a short distance to Venetian territory and there in a remote marshy area is a village known as Plebe di Setti where the following incident took place.

In the year 1486[1], two brothers had come to an amicable arrangement over sharing the inheritance left to them by their late father. They were not able to agree, however, about an image of the most glorious Virgin because each of them wanted to have it and neither wished to give it to the other. Their disagreement eventually led to a fight and they were ready to slit each other’s throats when one of their little children, who was not yet one year old, stopped them and told them to lay down their arms in the name of God and of the glorious Virgin. God was commanding them through his little mouth to cease quarrelling. The Virgin whose image was the source of their dispute ordered them to place the image in a little chapel which was near there, where she wished to be served and honoured from that moment onwards. This miracle immediately calmed their spirits and the hatred that they had been feeling was transformed into respect and astonishment. They could only speak now of putting into effect as soon as possible the commandment they had received from the most sacred MOTHER OF GOD. Once the image had been carried to the little chapel, it was a wonder to behold the crowds of people that began to arrive and the miracles that were performed there. After a short while, there was so many visitors and the alms that they gave were so generous that it became possible to build a beautiful church on the site of the little chapel which had been there previously.

Footnotes

[1] Felix Astolphus, lib. X Miraculorum Deiparæ.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam. 

© Peter Bloor 2024 

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 5.104-105

Chapter 12 : The Eleventh Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

She has been and is still recognized and called blessed by all generations in the world

§ 5. She was recognized  and honoured by all Nations everywhere in the world

Italy

OUR LADY OF THE VAULT, OUR LADY OF THE ROSE & OUR LADY OF THE ROCK

 104   In Florence, apart from the beautiful Church of the Annunziata[1] which I shall discuss later, there are numerous beautiful Churches and places of devotion dedicated to the Virgin. The whole city of Siena is specially dedicated to her and so it is no wonder that she has very beautiful Churches there and that she should feature over the gates of the city – in short, that we should find traces of her ladyship[2] everywhere. Several leagues from Nole, near a municipality called St Anastasia, there is a chapel of the Holy Virgin called Our Lady of the Vault. On the left hand side of this chapel is a wall with an image of the Holy Virgin holding her Son in her arms.

It had long been a centre of Marian devotion but this greatly increased after a certain man became angry that he had lost a game of billiards and threw the billiard ball at the image, hitting her left cheek and causing blood to flow. It left a wound on the cheek which became a red scar. The man was hanged from the scaffold with his billiard ball and cue. 

In Orvieto we find the beautiful Church built by Pope Nicholas IV in honour of the Virgin and  dedicated to Our Lady on the 13th November 1290. Then on to Lucca where we shall go and pay our respects to a centre of Marian devotion called Our Lady of the Rose which was formally outside the city walls but is now located inside them. We shall find there the reason for its foundation which dates back to the year 1269. The chapel wall used to form part of the old city wall and on it could be seen a painted image of Our Lady supporting little Jesus with her left arm and holding three roses in her right hand.

A young shepherd often used to lead his sheep to graze in the ditch surrounding the city. Whenever he brought them near the wall of the Chapel he was always amazed to see how none of his sheep would go near a large patch of earth which was covered in greenery. In fact, all of them would run away when they came near it as though they were being chased away by someone or something. This strange behaviour made him curious to find out what could be the cause. It was in the month of January when it is not usual to find roses growing in the fields; but as he drew near to to the patch, he found growing amongst the thorns a rose which was just as fresh and brightly coloured as any you would pick in the springtime. He took it back to his father and, lest anything be wanting in the joy they both felt, the son started to speak as he presented the rose to him, even though up until that moment he had dumb since birth. The father was utterly astonished and went to speak with the Bishop of Lucca, telling him everything that had happened. The Bishop asked to see the boy and to learn from his own lips the truth of what had happened. Not satisfied with that, he asked to be taken to the place where the rose had been picked and while he was carefully considering what could have been the cause of such a remarkable miracle, he found that the spot was exactly the one on which the eyes of Our Lady in the image were focused. The news of this event spread very quickly and drew crowds of people who came gaze in wonder at this miraculous image. The glorious Virgin freely bestowed her favours and graces on many of those who came to visit her in this way.

Footnotes

[1] Annunziata: Annunciate, as in the glorious Virgin Annunciate.

[2] Her rank, status, and authority as Lady of the city.

 105   That story of the shepherd recalls an incident which involved two shepherdesses in the region of Fiesole in the same province of Tuscany, and which led to the construction of the beautiful and holy Church known as Our Lady of the Rock.

 

In the countryside of Fiesole there are certain rocks where two young sisters would regularly lead their sheep to graze and when the sun was at its hottest they would seek shelter from it by going into an opening in one of these rocks. For as long as anybody could remember there was an ancient image of Our Lady inside. The young girls would kneel down before the image and offer their prayers to the most glorious Virgin. The piety and the innocence of these two simple shepherdesses were so pleasing to the Queen of Heaven that on the feast day of the Visitation, as they were about to enter into the little cabin, she appeared over them with her beloved Son, surrounded by a resplendent cloud. The girls trembled with fear as soon as they saw her, but the holy Virgin reassured them, indicating she had something to say to their father and that she wanted a church to be built in her honour on this very spot where she had appeared to them. The father of the two girls came to the little cavern and the holy Virgin appeared to him in the same way as we have just described, telling him in a few words what he needed to tell the others concerning the church she wanted to be built. The old man diligently carried out this request and summoned all the villagers from the vicinity to a meeting at the place where the holy Virgin had already appeared twice. She graciously appeared for a third time to this crowd of people, in the same place and in the same way as before. This took place on the 22nd of August in the year 1490. She told them that she was asking to be served and honoured in this location, her intention being that a church should be built there. Immediately the people devoutly set about complying with the request of the holy Virgin.

Those who had undertaken to construct the building, however, judged that the church would be more accessible for the inhabitants of this district if it were to be constructed at the foot of the hill and that is what they proceeded to do. Then came another miracle. What they built up during the day was found to have been dismantled when they returned the next day. From this they understood well enough that it was the holy Virgin’s will that they should build the church in the exact place that she herself had indicated and where she had actually appeared. They changed their plans accordingly and in less than no time the church was completed. So many miracles were reported that this became one of the most frequented sites in the whole of Tuscany. 

Near Viterbo, there is a fine monastery dedicated to Saint Dominic which originated in the following manner. 

A respectable townsmen of Viterbo called Baptiste Clavier owned a vineyard near the town which he had entrusted to the care and protection of the glorious Virgin. With this in mind, he had hung an image of the Virgin painted on brick from a great oak tree growing in the centre of the vineyard. The image stayed there for the space of forty years until 1467 when the holy Virgin appeared to several devout persons and asked them to open up a road enabling people to come and visit her image which was in Clavier’s vineyard, and to build an altar. She told them that she had chosen that spot to be a source of graces and blessings from Heaven. The news of this spread quickly and the bishop of Viterbo was informed. With his consent they built firstly a small chapel and then later, a beautiful and impressive church, together with a monastery which was given into the care of the order of Saint Dominic. The holy Virgin showed that she was no less faithful in keeping her promises than she was generous in fulfilling them.

 

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam. 

© Peter Bloor 2024 

The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 5.101-103

Chapter 12 : The Eleventh Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

She has been and is still recognized and called blessed by all generations in the world

§ 5. She was recognized  and honoured by all Nations everywhere in the world

Italy

OUR LADY OF THE HILLS, OUR LADY OF PEACE, OUR LADY OF THE SQUARE, OUR LADY OF CONSOLATION, OUR LADY OF THE CONCEPTION

 101   The Church called Santa Maria dei Monti (Our Lady of the Hills) derives its name from its location between the Esquiline and Viminal Hills. The miraculous image which is kept there was found in a fern in the year 1580 at the same spot where the Church was later built after a series of miracles dating from day it was discovered. The Church called Our Lady of Peace can lay claim to just as many miracles. On the site where it is presently located, there used to be a Church dedicated to St Andrew. Outside the Church an image of Our Lady was attached to one of the walls[1].

Around 1483, some wasters were playing at dice near this image. One of them flew into a rage when he lost his money and he threw the dice against the face of the image, shouting curses and insults. Not satisfied with that, he drew his dagger out in fury and slashed the image on the chest, the neck, the cheek and the chin. Blood could be seen pouring from all these wounds. No sooner had news of this miracle spread than people came rushing to the scene. The news of the miracle re-awakened devotion and many came here to offer their petitions and promise their services. The Holy Virgin was pleased to show everyone how she wanted to receive veneration at this particular place. In a little while so many wonders had been reported that the Church came to be known as Our Lady of Miracles. 

Later, a time came when the whole of Italy found itself under attack and the city of Rome was being besieged by the Duke of Calabria. Pope Paul IV was then at the helm of the Church and he went to the church to offer his prayers, promising God that if He would be pleased in His goodness, through the intercession of the most sacred Virgin, to restore peace to Italy and deliver Rome from danger, he would build on that site a Church in honour of the Holy Virgin. The request and the promise were no sooner uttered than they were heard in Heaven and followed by the result the Pope had requested.

This caused the Pope to set about building immediately here in the parish of St Andrew a church dedicated to Our Lady and he gave to the new church the sweet and pleasing name: Our Lady of Peace. He was unable to bring the project to completion because death overtook him. It was therefore left to his successor, Pope Innocent VIII, to complete the work and order it in the way which now see it.

Footnotes

[1] Gabriel Pennotus, in Historia Canonicorum Regularium.

 102   The church called Our Lady of the Square also has a miraculous origin. 

In the year 1250 an accident happened in the house of Cardinal Capoce who owned an image of Our Lady painted on brick. This fell accidentally into the well of a stable which overlooked the square. No one knew what happened but they soon found out for during the night the water started to build up and it carried the image right up to the level of the parapet-wall of the well. The water then overflowed and flooded the whole stable. The horses started to get wet and began to kick up a fuss. This woke up the grooms who, when they witnessed this miraculous event, went to inform the Cardinal. He came and reverently took possession of the image, placing it in his private chapel. Later however, Pope Innocent IV ordered a chapel to be built in honour of the holy Virgin on the same spot where the miracle had occurred. The Cardinal happily complied and gave the chapel the name of Our Lady of the Square, because the building looked out over a public square.

The Chapel eventually came into the hands of the Servite fathers and they made a beautiful Church which incorporated the well into which the image had fallen. People drink of this water today as a cure for all manner of illnesses.

 103   The church of Our Lady of Consolation which is located at the foot of the Capitoline Hill also has an image which started to be associated with numerous miracles, starting in the year 1471 and continuing to provide relief and help ever since for those afflicted in the body or soul. This is the origin of its beautiful name: Our Lady of Consolation. The church is one of the loveliest and most frequented in all Rome. 

I cannot pass over in silence something quite remarkable which speaks greatly to the honour of the Holy Virgin and is associated with the church of Saint Martin. Nearly 300 years ago this church, including its high altar, was dedicated to the immaculate Conception of the most glorious Virgin. Several years ago, whilst the high altar was being moved, some authentic evidence of this was found in the form of an ancient parchment on which were written the following words:

In the year 1340, the second indiction[1], it being Tuesday the 8th of December in the time of Boniface IX, the sixth year of his Pontificate, this altar was dedicated with the church in honour of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

This one city, which is effectively the capital of the world and serves as an arsenal of holiness for the soldiers of Christ, would supply us with enough material to fill entire volumes if we had but time enough to spare. We must however continue our journey and proceed into Tuscany.

Footnotes

[1] indiction: Possibly a reference to the fiscal period of fifteen years, instituted by the Emperor Constantine in A.D. 313, and reckoned from the 1st of September 312, which became a usual means of dating ordinary events and transactions, and continued in use as such down through the Middle Ages.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam. 

© Peter Bloor 2024