Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 13 : §2.11-13

Chapter 13 : The Twelfth Star or Splendour of the Crown of Goodness of the MOTHER OF GOD

She safeguards her children at the hour of death and provides them with their passport to Heaven

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)

§ 2. How the Holy Virgin fortifies her children against their natural fear of death 

Blessed Marinus

 11   I shall be dealing later[1]  with the wonderful practice of consecrating oneself in perpetual service to the Holy Virgin. This idea had suggested itself to blessed Marinus, arising from his devotion to the Virgin. He was the brother of Cardinal Peter Damian and here is the account of his glorious decease which is reported by Peter Damian himself[2] and confirmed by the authority of several irreproachable witnesses.     

This outstanding servant of the Virgin was suffering from a hectic[3]  fever which was slowly bringing him closer to the moment of death. He was surrounded by his relatives and friends and, shortly before he died, he began firstly to smile and then he adopted a posture of one showing honour and respect. He turned towards those who were in his room and said to them: 

“Why have you not stood up and bowed to the MOTHER OF GOD, my Queen and my dear Mother?”

Then he spoke to the Blessed Virgin, saying : 

“Princess of earth and Heaven, wherefore dost thou stoop to honouring thy poor servant by visiting him with such kindness and majesty? But since thou hast been pleased to favour me with this visit, I beg thee most humbly not to leave before imparting thy holy blessing and promising me that the radiance of thy holy countenance which I have been blessed to see before my death will preserve me from eternal darkness.”

As he was speaking these words, the Archpriest Damian arrived. He was the dying man’s elder brother and had just finished saying Mass. He asked his brother how he was keeping but Marinus, instead of replying to his inquiry, complained to him about the lack of devotion shown by those around him who had not even bothered to stand up upon the arrival of the Empress of Heaven. He made particular mention of a certain wealthy merchant called Bonizo who remained seated all the time that she had honoured the room with her celestial presence. Bonizo said that his fever was making him have hallucinations. 

“Far from,” it replied Marinus. “You could not be more mistaken. Is it not well known that those who suffer from the illness of which I am dying do not become delirious? You’re just trying to cover your obduracy when you should rather try to be more tender-hearted. Let me repeat what I have said as best I can, since it is for your own good that I make known these wonders of Heaven : my dear Mother and the Queen of Angels deigned to bring joy to my heart by allowing me a glimpse of her divine countenance; and after giving me her blessing and inviting me to follow her, she has now departed.”    

With these few words, Marinus gave up the ghost, leaving those present overwhelmed with astonishment and joy. 

Footnotes

[1] Part IV, ch. 4.

[2] Opusc. 33, c. 4.

[3] hectic: applied to that kind of fever which accompanies consumption or other wasting diseases, and is attended with flushed cheeks and hot dry skin.

Israel, brother of St Bridget

 12   It would be remiss of me to pass over in silence the touching way in which Israel departed this world. He was a member of the Swedish royal family and brother of Blessed St Bridget.   

This great man had been chosen by the MOTHER OF GOD to be General of the army which the King of Sweden had assembled to fight against the Infidels. He received heavenly reinforcements through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin who promised Saint Bridget, his sister, that she would guide her brother and ensure that his name would be honoured in Heaven and on earth. All would be obliged to acknowledge how well he had led the campaigns and how faithfully he had served God. The Holy Virgin added that she would take great care of him and that she would lead him to herself by a path which he would never have imagined but which would be most suited to his salvation. She was no less faithful in the fulfilment than she was in the making of this promise.

He duly set off at the head of his army on their campaign against the Infidels, enemies of God and of His holy name. A few years later, he arrived in a German city called Riga and there he was taken ill. Through an inner revelation, he realised he would not recover and he went into a Church along with some of his companions. He prostrated himself humbly in front of a statue of the Blessed Virgin, famous by reason of various miracles that had been worked there. He was wearing an ornate ring which he removed and placed on the statue, saying:

“Thou art my sovereign Lady and my Protectress; thou hast in a thousand ways given me unmistakable tokens of thy love, of which I am content to have no other witness than thyself. For this reason, I surrender myself body and soul into the protective embrace of thy loving Providence and I implore thee in this my hour of need to take a special care of the lowliest but most loving of thy servants.”  

With that, he made his way back to his lodgings where he received the Holy Sacraments of the Church before departing this life with such extraordinary feelings of devotion that all those present were enlightened and inspired.  

At about the same time, the glorious Virgin appeared to St Bridget and gave her the news of her dear brother’s death. She told her that he had not been one of those who loved half-heartedly but that he had been completely devoted to her – in token of which she had accepted the ring he had offered. She went on to explain it it was in fact through a most special Providence that he had died outside his own country for she had arranged it in this way so that the tears and blandishments of family and friends would not prevent him from leaving the world with all the generosity befitting a Christian knight.  

St Dominic

 13   Who could ever dare to hope for some loving intervention by the Holy Virgin at the moment of dying if she had left Blessed Dominic, one of her most devoted servants, without causing him to feel the effects of her peerless goodness? The following account was written by St Antoninus[1].  

The Blessed Virgin was present at his death along with her beloved Son. The Prior of the Convent of Brescia was called Guala, (who for his merits was later made Bishop of the same city), and he was a man known for his spiritual and devout life. After prayers of the divine Office had concluded, he suddenly fell into a gentle slumber during which he saw an opening in the sky, and through this two ladders as white as snow were lowered. The Saviour of the world was holding one and the Blessed Virgin the other; the Prior saw Blessed Spirits without number ascending and descending the ladders. He also saw a Religious clad in the habit of St Dominic seated in a beautiful chair but he was unable to recognise him because his face was veiled. The Saviour and His holy Mother then drew the two ladders back up through the opening, along with the Religious whom he had seen seated between them. Later, it was discovered that the Prior had seen this vision at the same time that the Blessed Patriarch Dominic had departed this world for a better life.

Footnotes

[1] Part. III, tit. IV, XXIII, cap. 4, § 14.

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The Virgin of Tenderness. >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 2025