Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 6 : § 2.4-6

Chapter 6 : Mercy – a fifth feature of the gratitude we owe 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)

§ 2. Various characteristics of Mercy

 4   With regard to this, I am now going to recount a memorable incident recorded by the learned Annalist[1] Cesare Baronio as having occurred in the year 1181. From this it will become apparent that just as the Holy Virgin esteems most highly those who are so open-hearted and generous as to offer anything they possibly can for love of her; in the same way, those people are very mistaken and perform a terrible disservice to her who, having been asked for something in her name, show themselves so discourteous as to refuse it.

Near Cahors in Quercy, there is a famous and ancient Church dedicated to Our Lady called Rocamadour, about which I spoke in Part I[2]. It came to pass that the Religious called on to serve the Queen of Angels at this location found themselves in need of money and had recourse to a rich man in the town from whom they borrowed a certain sum, depositing the curtains from the Church as security for the loan. When a solemn feast of the Holy Virgin was drawing near, they went back to the rich man and asked him, in honour of the same Virgin, to lend them the curtains they had left as a pledge but only for one day so that the Church could be fitly decorated for such a beautiful feast. This barbaric man (for such indeed he must be called) was puffed up with pride and consumed with malice. His response was that Our Lady could go without if she so pleased. The curtains, he said, were hanging on the bed of the woman who had delivered a beautiful son to him three days previously and that on such a fine occasion as this his status required him to provide an honourable welcome for visitors.

The Holy Virgin was angered by this headstrong response and did not fail to visit the rich man’s wife the following night to tell her how deeply offended she had been by her husband and that she knew how she would obtain satisfaction for the insult : the baby born to them would die within three days; and the father would pass from this life to the next five days after the baby, obdurate as a Turkish infidel. As for the woman herself, she was to go to Bethlehem where she would find three tombs; the middle one of which, being empty, would serve to receive her body; up to the hour of her death every Wednesday from three o'clock in the afternoon until the same time on the following Saturday, she would lose a great quantity of blood from her nose and her mouth; she would collapse and be taken for dead ; after the set time period had expired, she would touch her face with her two hands and she would regain her senses.  

This all took place exactly as the Holy Virgin had foretold and many other things happened to this woman which I shall not mention now because they are not relevant to our theme.

Footnotes

[1] Baronio (Baronius): Italian Oratorian, cardinal and historian of the Catholic Church. His best-known works are his Annales Ecclesiastici (“Ecclesiastical Annals”), which appeared in 12 folio volumes (1588–1607).

[2] Chap. 12.

 5   When I recall how St Peter Chrysologus[1] calls the glorious Virgin a welcoming refuge, I am quite sure that she derives a special satisfaction from the construction and foundation of hospitals and similar buildings intended to receive and cater for the needy. In this connection, I have to confess that I do not think I have ever encountered on the one hand greater charity and on the other greater devotion towards the Virgin than can be found in the city of Naples, where nearly all the places offering mercy and compassion have been built under the name of the Mother of Mercy.

You have only to set foot inside this great city, the capital of a fine kingdom, and whichever way you turn you will notice signs of piety both ancient and modern. You will see a great hospital called Our Lady of the People[2] which is popularly known as for Incurables where they look after a huge number of people sick with all sorts of illnesses, without counting the home for Fallen Women which normally has some two hundred and seventy inmates. The revenue received is 66,000 ducats, without counting alms given which frequently rise to more than 2000 ducats.

You will perhaps hear tell of Our Lady of Jesus of the Redemption of captives. Every three years, a Commissioner is sent from here to Mauritania carrying a ransom sufficient for one hundred captives, chosen from those who come from the Kingdom of Naples. You will be shown houses such as that of the Cappella del Monte di Pieta where poor people are able to obtain interest free loans; the Pio Monte della Misericordia, where they practise nearly all the works of charity for the physical and the spiritual welfare of those who are afflicted; Santa Maria della Natività, where they cater specially for the relief of those suffering from degrading conditions; Our Lady of Loreto where they look after up to two hundred little orphans; the Church of Santa Maria della Colonna where they rescue runaways and vagabonds; Our Lady of the Visitation, for paupers; Nostra Signora dell’Immacolata Concezione, the Basilica of Santa Chiara, the Church of Santa Maria di Costantinopoli and the Church of Santa Maria Solitaria where up to two hundred and fifty poor girls receive an education in virtue, with similar numbers in the other houses (according to need); Churches such as Santa Maria della Carità, Santa Maria del Soccorso, Santa Maria della Sanità and Santa Maria del Carmine, each of which provides food for female paupers.

Among all these places offering Christian hospitality and piety, however, you will see nothing to compare with the Santissima Annunziata Maggiore, whether in terms of its buildings, its revenues or in the sheer amount of good works performed. The revenue received is a steady 88,000 ducats but the sum pledged almost doubles this figure – from which it is easy to conclude that charitable gifts make up the difference, especially those coming from the nobility (which would be impossible to believe if not confirmed by so many persons whose word cannot be doubted). Up to 10,000 ducats are provided for the maintenance of the Priests and the other ministers of the Church who participate in the divine service; up to 16,000 ducats are made available to cover expenses and food for four thousand wet nurses caring for babies who have been abandoned; expenses ordinarily reach almost 60,000 ducats and the rent payable annually 40,000 ducats. 

I shall not provide details of other cities because all I wanted to achieve above was to show readers the progress that can be made by the piety of a single city when charity and zeal for the honour of God are reflected in the means of the inhabitants; and to learn how through the actions and feelings of ordinary people the suffering and afflicted of whatever condition may all find themselves under the protection and special providence of the Mother of Mercy. Hence those who devote themselves to helping the needy are offering to their Holy Mother a form of service and gratitude which is most pleasing to her.

  

Footnotes

[1] Serm. 146.

[2] Ospedale Santa Maria del Popolo degli Incurabili. 

 6   There is nothing more magnificent to see nor more useful for the public than the Confraternity known as the Santa Casa da Misericórdia which was established under the auspices of the Mother of Mercy in the city of Lisbon in the year 1498 (under the reign of Manuel), by Eleanor, a lady of incomparable virtue. The idea of the Confraternity spread in next to no time through the principal towns and cities of Portugal leading to a notable increase in the glory of God and the common good of people both in body and soul. 

Each year on the feast of the Visitation, twelve Confreres are chosen from amongst the rest as being most suited for works of mercy and they are called Assessors. Six of them are taken from the flower of the nobility and the other six come from the third estate, (the common people). From these twelve, one of the most outstanding in nobility and virtue is elected to be the Head of the entire congregation. Next, two more are named, one coming from the nobility and the other from the third estate. They have particular responsibility for works of piety, such as visiting the sick, helping the poor and needy, of helping to carry the deceased to the grave or simply accompanying them with torches – and other works similar to these. Even Kings consider it an honour to be admitted to this Confraternity and to have the opportunity of presiding in their turn. For the others it is truly a wonder to behold how fervent and assiduous they show themselves in all their works of charity. The feeling of tender compassion is almost palpable and you will see the Confreres showing exceptional care for the poor and needy, allocating them amongst the houses of the city that are most suited for them, or among the convents that are the most convenient for them. If they find a virtuous woman whose sense of shame prevents her from begging, they so ordain things that she wants for mnothing, showing remarkable diligence in this work. As for poor prisoners, not only do the Confreres supply them with all they need in the way of food and clothing but they also find good lawyers to represent them and are most generous in covering their legal costs. We could never even begin to provide details of how many poor people they clothed each year, how many orphan girls were found husbands, how many captives were ransomed or how many deceased persons they buried.

All things considered, is it not a continual miracle that this Confraternity does this without having any income other than what is freely given by people making donations? Despite this, they always have the wherewithal to supply the needs of the poor : the one city of Lisbon alone spends more each year than 50 or 60,000 ducats. Are these works not in truth miracles of the Mother of Mercy and clear proof that performing such works of piety is a most agreeable service in the eyes of the Holy Mother?

[End of Chapter 6]

© Peter Bloor 2025 

👑   👑   👑

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.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.