The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 12 : § 5.70-73

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

Denmark

 70   We shall start with Denmark where, amongst other special signs attesting the devotion this nation has had towards the MOTHER OF GOD, they will show us the shield of King Ptimislas with its engraved image of the most glorious Virgin, which strengthened his courage when attacking enemies. It is certainly the case, as discovered by the diligent studies of historians, that he was often granted victory thanks to the Holy Virgin in whom he placed his trust 

Muscovy

 71   Even though the majority of people in Muscovy are in schism, it is nevertheless true that they have a special devotion towards Our Lady[1]. The common people do not stop work for any feast day throughout the year, not even for the Easter solemnity, regarding this as something done only by the rich and by great Lords. They do, however, cease from manual labour on the Feast of the Annunciation, such is the love and veneration of this nation for the MOTHER OF GOD.

Footnotes

[1] Possevinus, Comment. rerum Moscovit.

Poland

OUR LADY OF CRACOW & OUR LADY OF CLERMONT

 72   It is beyond any doubt that throughout the whole of Poland the Holy Virgin is honoured in a wondrous manner and what is peculiar to this country is that their respect for the sacred name of Mary is so great that no woman is allowed that name, no matter her rank and station in the world. That aside, we shall find extraordinary signs of Polish devotion to her in the cities and towns of Posnan, Kalisz, Lublin, Jaroslaw, Sandomierz, Luko, Totum  and several other locations in the Kingdom. What happened to the blessed St Hyacinth of the Order of Preachers in the year 1241 is worth mentioning here:

This great servant of God and His blessed Mother was living in Kiovie [Kiev], the metropolitan city of Russia, when the Tartars were besieging it and began their assault. On the high Altar was a beautiful alabaster statue of the blessed Virgin and the Saint was in the habit of praying before the statue and opening his heart to the Virgin. He went there to say Mass as though for the last time, intending to take his leave of his Mother and Teacher, and to commend this house of God to her. He had scarcely finished mass, however, when she spoke to him as follows:

“My dear son Hyacinth, why art thou leaving me here, and why art thou rather not taking me away together with the Sacred Hosts of my Son? Why dost thou wish to leave me to the mercy of mine enemies?”

St Hyacinth replied:

“Madame, how could I carry statue which is so heavy?”

“Do thou take me, take me with confidence,” replied the statue, “and do not leave me here. Thou wilt see I shall become light in thine arms and make thee lighter rather than burdening thee. 

The Saint approached the Altar, weeping tears with a heavy heart, and he took the Blessed Sacrament with one hand and the statue of the Virgin with the other, resting it against his shoulder. He then made his way out, using a door where the Tartars had not yet arrived. In this manner he passed through Muscovy, crossed Lithuania and several other provinces, before arriving in Cracow which is the capital of Poland, where he deposited his precious burden in the Church of the Trinity. To bring this miracle to a conclusion, as soon as he had set down the statue, it regained its full, natural weight even though it had been light for the whole length of his journey. 

The people of Cracow accepted this double token of joy with a devotion full of wonder and have kept the statue of the blessed Virgin safe ever since, like a sacred source of safety sent to them from Heaven.

 73   In the year 1383, one of the images of the Virgin from the hand of St Luke was carried to a place named Clermont, eighteen leagues from Cracow. This is what happened[1].

The image of Our Lady is believed to be the one sent to the Empress Pulcheria and placed by her in the Church called Our Lady who Guides[2] which is near the city of Constantinople.  After some time had passed, it came into the hands of a Russian Duke called Leo who eventually left it to Ladislas, Duke of Opole, a man who bore arms for the King of Poland. Ladislas intended to take this image to Opole, where he had his Duchy, and as he came to the top of a mountain called Clermont, he suddenly found it impossible to move an inch further with the image. This was a sure sign to him that the Queen of Heaven had set her mind on that spot as a centre for devotion.

A beautiful Church was built in that place which has since seen several miracles. The Dominican Annalist, Bzovius, recorded up to twenty-five of the most remarkable in the year 1383.

Footnotes

[1] Auctor libelli de miraculis Marianis apud Bzovium, an. 1383.

[2] The French text has Notre-Dame de la Guide : Our Lady of the Guide(s) or Rein(s). Pulcheria is responsible for at least three churches in Constantinople that were dedicated to the Blessed Virgin – the Blachemae, the Chalkoprateia, and the Hodegetria. In Greek, Hodegetria translates to something like, “She who guides”. For more, see: Maria Angela Catholic Devotional. 

👑       👑       👑

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