Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 14 : Conclusion

Chapter 14 : Conclusion of this Work

Concluding 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)

To the MOTHER OF GOD 

 1   O peerless Virgin and Mother, honour of earth and Heaven, in seeking how to address thee at the conclusion of this work, I cannot find more pleasing words than those spoken by thy faithful servants. Permit me, therefore, thou who art the joy of our faith and our souls, the object of our love and our praises, to make my own the words of St Ildephonsus[1] who said:

All my wishes would come true if I could praise thee as thou deservest to be praised, love thee as much as it is possible to love thee and serve thee as completely as thou couldst desire in a creature such as I am.

But where am I going with this? What is it I am trying to say and where is the language of my love leading me? I need to correct myself here, however, since the blessed Virgin allows such language to the great Saints and it is more fitting for such words of love and praise to come from their mouths rather than from my own. I prefer therefore to say what thy great ancestor David once said after he had sung the praises of thy beloved Son and His eternal Kingdom[2]: The praises of David, the son of Jesse, are ended[3]. Whether by these words he wanted to say that he was ready to die after having brought his work to completion, or he was openly admitting that he had run out of words and ideas[4] so that he despaired of being able to do justice to the Majesty of his subject, it seems it is as though he saw this same feeling in the depths of my own heart. 

Even though I admit that speaking of thy Great Splendours has proved to be very challenging for me and I must often have sounded like someone stammering, I take great pride in having made the attempt; and there is nothing so consoling for me as to see the heights of thy glory are such that not only little pygmies like me but also the greatest giants and loftiest intellects in the universe cannot even approach the footstool of thy greatness. When I say that now I have finished this little work there is nothing keeping me alive other than thy commandment, which is for me the same as God’s, then thou must know I am saying only what I feel in my heart; for after completing this work, I can see the great difference between actually contemplating thee in Heavenly magnificence and my work here below which may have distorted things so they are scarcely recognisable. Since, however, thou art not unaware of why I began this undertaking, I feel able to speak to thee now in the words of thy beloved servant St Andrew of Candia[5]: 

I confess before Heaven and earth that what I have said of thy greatness is as nothing in comparison with the sublime reality; and that my little offering hath for its source thine own goodness, for this is what inspired me with the will and desire to render this small service to thee, supplying my mind with thoughts and ideas, and guiding my hand and my pen in the way I wrote what I did.

For my part, I declare that I am indebted to thee now in a completely new way which I wish to make known to all : that if perchance in what I have written there is something which pleaseth thee and which may serve to make thee loved and honoured, then to thee alone (after God) be the glory; and as for those whose hearts are moved thereby to cherish thee more and more, let theirs be the joy of singing thy praises in Heaven for ever and ever.

 

Footnotes

[1] De Virginitate Mariæ, c. 1.

[2] Ps. LXXI. 20.

[3] are ended is the Douay-Rheims translation of the Vulgate’s defecerunt and this is also the sense preferred in Fillion’s translation and commentary. Fr Poiré, uses a French verb suggesting the sense of to run out, be wanting.

[4] Ita Apollinaris in Paraphrasi.

[5] Homil. 2 de Dormitione S. Deiparæ.

 2   Finally, dear Prince of Heaven, most worthy Son of such a Mother and the glory of the Holy City : please grant this my last request since I have borrowed it from someone whose heart thou didst love so greatly, and do thou grant that I may speak now to thee with the words of thy great servant St Augustine[1]:

If what I have written of Thy Mother represents the truth, then it is to Thee above all others that I owe thanks since without Thee it would not have been possible to write in a way befitting the subject; and I humbly beseech Thee to accept the good intentions of my work and make it acceptable to those professing to love Thee. If, on the contrary, I have failed in my duties, then I crave Thy pardon as Thou art my Lord and my God, to whom be all honour and glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

FOR THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD

AND HIS MOST IMMACULATE MOTHER

Footnotes

[1] Serm. de Assumpt.

THE END

© Peter Bloor 2026 

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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.

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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 13 : § 2.6-10

Chapter 13 : Advancing in the service of the MOTHER OF GOD and magnifying her glory – twelfth 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 ways of magnifying the honour and service due to the MOTHER OF GOD 

 6   The Trumpeters and Buglers of this great host are the mighty Preachers who throughout history have inspired those hearing their call to offer their service to her cause. They fill the soldiers of the Virgin with courage and it is through their actions that they are able to enter the fray. I have already spoken earlier about St Bonaventure[1] and how he was not satisfied with always doing this personally each time he spoke in public but, as soon as he was appointed General of his Order, he expressly enjoined all the Friars Preachers to make frequent reference to the Holy Mother in their sermons and to remember that this was one of the principal ways of attracting people to her devotion. 

The learned, devout and admirable writings of St Bernardine of Siena provide ample proof of how he loved to speak about the great qualities and splendours of the Queen of Angels, enkindling in the hearts of his listeners tender love and devotion. Alfonso Salmerón was one of the first ten Fathers of the Society of Jesus and he came to be well known for his writings. He never failed to follow this holy custom and when he was preaching during Lent, for example, he would speak of the Holy Virgin’s praiseworthy qualities and encourage his listeners to devote Saturdays to her. This is apart from his other sermons which he used to honour her and encourage his listeners to take her into their hearts. 

I feel that I need to acknowledge in particular the gentle memory of Fr Gonçalo da Silveira who had the honour of offering his life in defence of the Christian faith in the Kingdom of Monomotapa. His devotion towards the MOTHER OF GOD burned so fiercely in his heart that no sooner had he boarded the ship that was to take him on his mission then he asked the Captain for his authority to assemble the crew daily at a suitable time so that he might speak to them about the prerogatives of the Virgin, the true Star of the Sea, and of ways in which to honour her. With the approval of the Captain, he introduced the practice of singing the Litany of the Virgin – firstly each Saturday evening and then later every day – after assembling all those on board for this purpose.

Footnotes

[1] 1 Cap. 3, § 1.

 7   The Masters and Commanders of artillery are the Exegetes and Commentators on Scripture and other learned Writers who bring to bear the weaponry of Holy Scripture and who employ the authority of the Holy Fathers to cast down the enemies of God with all their pomp and works.

 8   The Engineers are all those who have been inspired by their devotion to the Empress of Heaven to introduce new ways of honouring her – to the great benefit of souls and for the exaltation of the the Holy Virgin’s name.

 9   For quite some time, however, I have been watching a Squadron of light cavalry commanded by blessed Philip Benizi, General Superior of the Order of Servites or Servants of the MOTHER OF GOD, who has joined forces with the main army. This is the same man whose vocation[1] and glorious death[2] I described in Part III.  Some time after the confirmation of his Order, he received from Heaven through a most special favour of the MOTHER OF GOD the Chaplet of the new Order, and one of the most glorious titles ever conferred upon any man : namely, Apostle of the Virgin, in a remote location called Montamieta, near Siena in Tuscany. He had gone there to prevent his election to the Pontificate (which had already been agreed by the Conclave of Cardinals). He had received assurances of this when he first went to visit the small group of servants of the Virgin who were gathered near the city of Florence. Upon receiving these communications from Heaven, he set off and visited Italy, France, Germany, Saxony, Poland and many other countries, bearing the news of his mission and inflaming the hearts of all his listeners with his message of love and devotion to the most sacred Virgin. It would be remiss of me not recall what happened to him on his return to Italy. 

At one point, he found himself with his companions in a remote and lonely place far from any human help. Those who were with him, feeling hungry and exhausted, threw themselves upon the mercy of God’s Providence. Philip, however, having gone off on his own to pray, suddenly noticed some shepherds coming towards them carrying white bread and other refreshments which they offered to the group, saying:  

“Take this, servants of the Virgin; this is to help you on your way.” 

With that, they disappeared and were never seen again. 

Footnotes

[1] Chap. 5, § 5.

[2] Chap. 13, § 3.

 10   Let everyone choose his rank and role in this great army of soldiers who are fighting to promote the glory of the MOTHER OF GOD. I have to say frankly that I would not have a very high opinion of anyone not wishing to sign up and I pray that the good servants of this Lady will do everything they can to produce an endless succession of people dedicated to her service. I pray too they will not be satisfied with just bringing one or two people into this devotion but will encourage newcomers to win over others, and then those too still more, so that in this way they can carry forward the devotion they have into the centuries to come. This will accomplish the wishes of the Holy King and Prophet David[1], who wanted these great things to be known to posterity, so that they should make the same known to their children: that another generation might know them; and so on from generation unto generation until the number of the elect might be accomplished through the intercession of the Mother of love. 

I pray that they will remember that, just as in the case of sins the greatest are those which do not die with those who committed them but continue to have an existence after them, being passed on from father to son, family to family, city to city, and kingdom to kingdom; in the same way, when it comes to good works, there are none more pleasing to God than those which carry on multiplying themselves as though they were being continually reborn from themselves through a holy germ of immortality contained within them and through the extraordinary blessings of Heaven. 

How blessed that age which will see these desires accomplished! How blessed those to whom God and His Holy Mother will grant such a voice of virtue which will make itself heard even unto the last of the children of men! How holy are those the associations of men and women who will use all their strength and energy to proclaim to all the ages to come: 

LONG LIVE JESUS AND MARY! LONG LIVE JESUS AND MARY! 

Footnotes

[1] That they should make the same known to their children: that another generation might know them. The children that should be born and should rise up, and declare them to their children; Ps. LXXVII. 5-6.

[End of Chapter 13]

© Peter Bloor 2026 

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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.

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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 13 : § 2.1-5

Chapter 13 : Advancing in the service of the MOTHER OF GOD and magnifying her glory – twelfth 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 ways of magnifying the honour and service due to the MOTHER OF GOD 

 1   In Sacred Scripture[1] the Blessed Virgin is compared to an army in battle array; one glimpse of the brightness of her arms and her courage is enough to make the enemy flee in terror. On this basis, I would say that those who enrol to do battle in order to increase her service form an army which causes fear and dread in hell. Readers may perhaps be interested in picturing this force.

Footnotes

[1] Cant. vi. 3.

 2   On the Standard of this army is the figure of a Virgin argent clothed with the Sun on a field azure, with the following motto incorporating the words once spoken by a grateful people in favour of the valiant woman Judith[1]: That thy praise shall not depart out of the mouth of men. The General of the army is none other than Jesus, King of Glory and there has never been anyone comparable to Him when it comes to advancing the honour and service of His most holy Mother. On His command and for love of Him, all the others immediately took up arms. Under His command the Colonels of the regiments and commanders in various fields have in obedience to His orders organised recruits, formed Associations and raised companies of people determined to spare no effort in promoting the glory of the Princess of Heaven. Apart from the Founders of the Military and Regular Orders specially dedicated to honour her (which we covered at some length elsewhere[2]), included in their number are : Blessed St Anno, Archbishop of Cologne and founder of a devout Congregation which he instituted in the Virgin’s name; St Dominic who founded the Confraternity of the Rosary; blessed Simon Stock, founder of the Confraternity of the Scapular; and all the others whom I shall not mention here because we have already referred to them in the previous Chapter. I would, however, like to make particular mention of Jacques Rhem, a fellow Jesuit, who around thirty years ago founded a congregation in Germany known as the Sodality of the Annunciation whose members’ principal objective was make the Blessed Virgin the centre of their conversations and interactions. This is something which he himself practised better than anyone else, demonstrating such devotion and affection that it was plain to see that the words he spoke came from the love in his heart.

Footnotes

[1] Judith xiii. 25. Cf. the Knox translation of this verse: Such high renown he has given thee this day, that the praise of thee shall never die on men’s lips

[2] Part I, ch. 12.

 3   The vanguard of this army is composed of the Holy Doctors of the Church who, by reason of their remarkable powers together with their wonderful zeal, earned their selection by God to break through the ranks of ignorance and infidelity in order to give the world an understanding of the Queen of Heaven’s greatness. Amongst these may be mentioned St Gregory Thaumaturgus, St Andrew of Crete, St Methodius, St Germanus of Constantinople, St Ildephonsus, St Anselm, St Bernard, St Albert, St Bonaventure, Abbot Rupert, St Bernardine and many more whose names have been immortalised by the signal services they have rendered to this Lady.

 4   The Cavalry is composed of a great number of invincible warriors who, in defence of her privileges and her titles of honour, have crushed the efforts of the heretics and vanquished their forces. The most distinguished of their number is blessed St Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria and Papal Legate, marching at the head of two hundred prelates who worked wonders at the great Council of Ephesus in order to defend and preserve for the Holy Virgin her glorious title of MOTHER OF GOD. After these we see in ranks without number all those chosen and valiant warriors who at different times have generously offered their services in combat against Satan and his minions whom we saw earlier[1] filled with malice and fury scurrying forwards to wipe out, if they possibly could, the name and renown of Mary. Perhaps we should mention here those valiant champions of the Virgin Mother who, in Spain and elsewhere, formed holy Associations with the aim of defending the honour of the Immaculate Conception of the MOTHER OF GOD, especially those who were the invincible leaders of this undertaking and who underwent a thousand hardships to bring the undertaking to a conclusion. Amongst them may be found those who sealed with their own blood the promises they had made to God that they would defend this truth to the utmost of their power, forasmuch as the Church has issued no degree to the contrary. We might cite the example of a young Jesuit called John Berchmans, as may be confirmed by something he himself wrote which was found amongst his papers after his death.

Footnotes

[1] Part II, ch. 12.

 5   The foot soldiers of the Infantry are almost as numerous as the droplets of water in the Ocean and include all those who are enrolled in companies specially dedicated to the service of the Virgin or who, outside of such Associations, have tried and are trying by their holy speech and by other means to make her known and honoured to others. 

© Peter Bloor 2026 

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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.

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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 13 : § 1.1-3

Chapter 13 : Advancing in the service of the MOTHER OF GOD and magnifying her glory – twelfth 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)

The time has now come to conclude our discussion on how we are obliged to acknowledge the greatness of the MOTHER OF GOD. I cannot think of any better way of doing this than by considering how we can advance in her service and magnify her glory. In my opinion , this represents the crowning glory of all the other forms of thanksgiving we have covered. 

§ 1. How advancing in the service of the MOTHER OF GOD and magnifying her glory is a most pleasing form of gratitude to her and how we are obliged to do this

 1   The holy Prophet Job says[1] of God that in his hands he hideth the light, which is the symbol of glory, as being his dear possession. You should not imagine, however, this means He hides it from the most sacred Virgin, His beloved Daughter, so that she is prevented from enjoying it. How could He deny it to her, since she is herself called a fountain of light by St John Damascene[2] (following the devout Chrysippus[3], a Priest of Jerusalem) ; and since she is called the Mother of Light itself by Hesychius[4], a Priest of the same Church, following St Epiphanius?

“Most Holy Virgin,” writes the latter, “Mother of Eternal Light; I am speaking of that light which shineth on high upon the Angelic host, which enableth the Seraphim to be so clear-sighted, from whom the sun takes its brightness, banishing darkness from the world and with the beauty of its rays bringing joy to Heaven and earth!”  

How could He refuse to share this with her whom He himself rendered incomparably more lustrous than the stars at daybreak and brighter than the Sun at noon? How could He be so miserly with His glory when it came to her whom He created to be a platform for glory? How could He possibly withhold His favours from her who spared no effort to extend the frontiers of His kingdom and all of whose virtues were like so many censers giving off unceasingly the pleasing fragrance of God’s glory? Did He not give His word to glorify her who was such a worthy instrument of His glory and who had taken such great care in seeking out ways to glorify Him? And if He is obliged by reason of His express promise, can He go against the contract He agreed? It would be a crime to doubt the faithfulness of the Prince of Heaven. When we consider the honour rendered her everywhere and the glory she enjoys through the length and breadth of God’s domain, we can recognise no Author or Promoter other than God Himself. Who else could have moved people’s hearts so powerfully, inflamed and inspired their wills so ardently, binding and engaging their affections so effectively as to make a whole world render so much honour to a mere creature? It could only have been God, for He alone governs men’s hearts disposes their wills and holds the reins of their affections. Let us accordingly admit no contradiction when we say that it was Him who inspired the first movements and the first instincts within men’s souls, and who drew the peoples from East and West, from North and South, to come and present her with homage indescribably higher than that which is due to other creatures. Let us adore the designs that He had for her, and let us confess that this Lady cannot only be delighted by the care and diligence with which we promote her service, receiving what we offer her as a most pleasing form of gratitude for the blessings that come to us from her hand.

Footnotes

[1] In his hands he hideth the light, and commandeth it to come again. He sheweth his friend concerning it, that it is his possession: Job xxxvi. 32-33.

[2] Orat. 1 de Nativit. B. Virg.

[3] Orat. 2 de Sancta Maria.

[4] Serm. de Laudib. Virg.

 2   The perfect conformity she has to have with the will of God and the dazzling splendour in which she currently finds herself means this must be so. Since she clearly understands that God has resolved to show forth His glory and make His name resound throughout the universe, why would she be in opposition to this? Indeed why should she not be grateful to those who are employed by God in such an honourable undertaking? Why would she not accept their goodwill? Why would she not value their affection? Why would she not be pleased to accept their gratitude? Why would she not support their intentions? But especially in the state in which she now finds herself – in the secure strength of God’s truth, free from the assaults and surprises of vanity, where the honour rendered to her goes straight to God as to its source and end – can she not desire and seek all this without fear and without apprehension? For if the Sacred Scriptures attest that the Saints, once they come close to God, ask Him for vengeance, the pursuit of which is no less dangerous but actually much more so than that of glory; and if enjoying God’s presence so strengthens their minds to good purposes that they cannot fail in the entreaties they make against those who have treated them badly, why would we not believe that they will not be pleased by the honour we render them, and be grateful for the affection we show in making them known and honoured?

 3   Let us consider it a settled matter, then, that the MOTHER OF GOD has very special feelings for those working to advance in her service and increase her glory; and that, among all her children, these are the ones on whom she has bestowed the most exceptional favours and for whom she is preparing the greatest rewards. Let us now proceed to consider what her faithful servants have done in this regard, and what propriety requires of us.

© Peter Bloor 2026 

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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.

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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 12 : § 3.4-6

Chapter 12 : Association – eleventh 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)

§ 3. Congregations of the Holy Virgin established in houses of the Society of Jesus 

 4   This initiative, with Heaven’s help and special guidance from the MOTHER OF GOD, was so successful that in a short while the majority of Jesuit colleges wanted to share the blessings of such a Sodality. Finally, Pope Gregory XIII, outstanding in his support of every kind of good works, deigned to receive these associations under the protection of the Holy See. He gave them the seal of his Apostolic approval and enriched them with a great number of indulgences that he drew from the treasury of Holy Church. He founded the Association of the Roman College, under the title of the Sodality of the Annunciation, in the year 1584 on the 5th of December, the Eve of the Feast of St Nicholas – patron Saint of students. This was to be the mother house for all the others and he gave power to the Society of Jesus to erect similar Sodalities with the same title and additional faculties in all the Jesuit colleges, linking them to the one in Rome. Later, as the fruits of these Sodalities became known and admired everywhere, it was decided no longer to limit them to the Jesuit classroom but to open them up so that membership might be enjoyed by all. To this effect, Pope Sixtus V issued an express Bull on the 5th of January in the year 1586 which granted plenary power to share the treasures of the Sodalities with people other than students and to found Sodalities under the titles of other feasts of the MOTHER OF GOD, according as they saw fit. They were not to be restricted to colleges but could be made available in other Jesuit houses. Pope Clement VIII extended this to Jesuit residences on the 30th of August in the year 1602. By the grace of God, today we can see the fruits of Heaven’s blessings and the approval granted by the Holy See exemplified in the single city of Naples where some fifteen such associations have been established for people of different conditions and backgrounds, numbering more than two thousand members. 

 5   Philo, that most eloquent of Jewish writers, once described the early Christians in the Church of Alexandria as being like the Essenes. If I had to describe the beautiful works which characterise the Sodalities of the Holy Virgin, which are like the fruits of unknown lands, I would have the material for some great panegyrics. Because we see them every day, however, we take them for granted just as we do the Sun and other miracles of nature; and the fact that we are accustomed to them takes away our sense of wonderment. Some things are nonetheless admirable in themselves, and the communication of a good does not detract from its excellence but in a certain way renders it much greater. This being so, I can see that I would never be able to exhaust the benefits which come back to the Church of God from these associations. 

People are improved by them throughout their lives, since they serve to shape childhood, to harness the energies of youth, to perfect manhood, and to give old age a sweet and profitable sustenance. People of every condition find them useful : ecclesiastics learn to honour their ministry; the great of this world learn the meaning of true nobility in virtue; those who administer justice learn how to do so in a holy manner; those involved in commerce learn how to seek their true profit in heaven; artisans learn how to live in a peaceful and Christian way, each according to his trade. The cities where these associations are established benefit in all sorts of ways: the poor receive better care, hospitals and hostels are more charitably served, alms-giving is more effective, girls whose modesty is at risk receive greater protection, prisoners are given more help. No school for Virtue produces daily people more useful for the common good of God’s house. They provide public education in good government within private families, they are like academies teaching how to live a Christian life and they are like nurseries producing those who will choose the Religious life. Where else would it be possible to find a group with more sincere artisans, better members of the bourgeois class, more charitable physicians, more accomplished lawyers, more conscientious magistrates, more faithful counsellors, wiser presidents, more virtuous members of the Nobility, more vigilant Governors, more exemplary Ecclesiastics, more zealous Prelates, more religious Princes – indeed Monarchs more distinguished in every sort of Virtue? 

Members of Religious Orders, through being totally sequestered from the world, embrace a holy way of life which of necessity tends towards the highest perfection that can be achieved here on earth. Apart from these, where would we look to find people who have a more pious approach to the Holy Sacraments, who pray in a more pure and holy manner, who examine their conscience with greater diligence, who practise mortification with the least ostentation and who in every other way practise the Christian life with greater diligence? What other associations make it so easy for people to combine their devotion with the management and care of their daily business, to seize opportunities for doing good, to provide help for those times when they fall, to find more examples encouraging them to live virtuously, or support when they are sick or help at the time of death? Where else is it easier for people to work for their salvation, where is there a better source of indulgences available to help people make reparation for their past sins, or where are there people more gentle in their social interactions? Where does the Mother of love cast her gaze more favourably? Where does she shower her heavenly graces and favoursmore abundantly? Where does she find greater and more pleasing expressions of gratitude? Where is she held in higher esteem than amongst those who are continually hearing or reading about her great splendours? Where are the people who will have more trust in her than her dear children who consider her alone, after God, as their refuge and their hope? Where is she loved more tenderly than in these associations where she is known best and where she grants more of her favours? I would make exactly the same points about the other ways that faithful show their gratitude which I have covered in some detail in this work.

 6   Speaking personally, I cannot hide the gratitude I feel with all my heart for having received the favour of the Mother of gentleness, and for having spent several years offering little services to her through these holy and praiseworthy practices. It seems to me that my conscience obliges me to make known everywhere how I have seen in various places such beautiful and excellent marks of virtue and how I have regularly encountered people in the most elevated spiritual state whenever I have had dealings with these beautiful associations devoted to our Holy Mother. Along with those who long ago were captivated by seeing the wonders performed by Moses[1], I feel obliged :

    • to swear that this is the finger of God and He has intervened with His right hand;

    • to say with Moses[2] that here is a land specially favoured by the most beneficent gaze of His sovereign Majesty;

    • to say with the Royal Prophet that this is the vine and the chosen possession of his Holy Mother, a vine which has stretched forth its branches and leaves from one sea unto another, and over all the extent of the earth[3]; 

    • to confess with Jacob[4] that this is indeed the House of God and the gate of Heaven;

    • to proclaim with the same[5] that these are the camps of the great God of armies; and

    • to cry out with the man who was wicked[6] but who was nevertheless led by the spirit of God : How beautiful are thy tabernacles, O Jacob, and thy tents, O Israel!

I have in my mind’s eye an image of the Holy City which the beloved Disciple[7] once saw and where he contemplated so many Kings and citizens flocking from all parts to this blessed place, each with a train of glory and royal magnificence. That which I perceive here below causes my spirit to soar to the heights and I am in no doubt as to how beautiful the celestial Sion will be, containing such a multitude of beauties! 

God of Heaven (I sometimes say to myself), what riches will come from such a great accumulation of riches? What greatness will be born from so many examples of individual greatness – not to mention the beauty, the riches and the greatness of the Prince of glory – which would be capable of eclipsing and obscuring all those of the world if His goodness did not take infinite delight in giving them splendour rather than diminishing their brightness? 

Footnotes

[1] Exod. viii. 19.

[2] Deut. xi. 

[3] Ps. LXXIX. 9-12.

[4] Gen. xxviii. 17.

[5] Ps. XXXII 2.

[6] Num. xxiv. 5.

[7] Apoc, xxi-xxii.

[End of Chapter 12]

© Peter Bloor 2026 

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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.

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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 12 : § 2.10-13 > § 3.1-3

Chapter 12 : Association – eleventh 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 Associations founded in honour of the MOTHER OF GOD

Various other Associations

 10   I would have had an unending task had I set out through all the cities in Europe and elsewhere to find and record the various Associations established to honour the name of the MOTHER OF GOD and encourage devotion and service to her. Examples would have included :

 

    • the Confraternity of Gonfalone which St Bonaventure founded in the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome[1] in the year 1273; 

    • the Company of the Whites of Justice, founded about one hundred years ago to offer help and assistance to those with physical or spiritual needs, especially those who have been condemned to death; from this company emerged the Order of Clerics Regular in 1584, which was later approved by Pope Sixtus V;

    • the Confraternity of Our Lady of Loreto and several other places chosen by the Holy Virgin where she is honoured;

    • the Confraternity of Our Lady of the Pillar in Spain, and

    • countless other places which devotion towards the Holy Virgin has established throughout Christendom. 

The Queen of Angels shows how great and admirable she is both in the great diversity and the sheer numbers of her servants in these Associations who all receive a welcome under her royal mantle.

Footnotes

[1] Bzovius.

The Associations founded by St Charles Borromeo

 11   I must not pass over in silence the outstanding devotion of St Charles Borromeo who founded several congregations and every one bore the name and the arms of the MOTHER OF GOD.

The Association founded to pray the Litany of Our Lady

 12   I must also include the Association of those who, with no other conditions or rules of admission, unite their hearts and minds to recite daily the Litany of the Holy Virgin for one another. The principal intention is to obtain through the intercession of the Mother of love the grace of dying well. Because of the very great benefits offered and the minimal duties, this Association has so many members throughout Christendom that they are as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is by the sea shore.

The Association of the Little Crown of Our Lady

 13   The Association of the Little Crown of the Holy Virgin has spread so widely through Christendom that today the number of those who have undertaken to recite it daily is almost infinite. I have already spoken in another context[1] of the fruits which this devotion brings and outlined the way to recite the prayer. All that is left to say here is that no great ceremony is needed to enrol in the Association. All people need to do is to pray at the outset a Pater and an Ave Maria three times for the intention of all those men and women who are trying to promote this devotion, by way of affirming the desire they have to cooperate with them in the service of the Holy Virgin, for the general good and for the good of each member, and to recite the Little Crown each day with three intentions in mind. 

The first is to thank the divine goodness for all the graces and favours conferred upon the glorious Virgin and through her mediation to the whole world. The second is to obtain through the same Virgin’s favour the extirpation of heresies and other vices ravaging God’s Church. The third is to pray for a happy life followed by a good death for all those men and women who are associated with this devotion. If there are any who are fearful of making this commitment then they need to be reassured. Those people to whom God first inspired this pious practise never had any intention of placing constraints upon anyone but only of making it clearly understood to all those who decide to join the Association that each day they recite the Little Crown they will have a share in the indulgences which have been granted in favour of this devotion and in the prayers that other members are offering on that same day. If they forget to say the prayers, or willingly abandon the practice, then these benefits will not be available to them. Who would be such an enemy to himself as to refuse a treasure which is so freely available?

Footnotes

[1] Chap. 9, § 7.

§ 3. Congregations of the Holy Virgin established in houses of the Society of Jesus 

 1   Having undertaken to speak of the greatness of the MOTHER OF GOD with particular reference to those who serve in her Associations, I hope I may be now permitted a short discussion of those who have enrolled in the Congregations of the Virgin established all over the world in the houses of the Society of Jesus. This will serve as a reminder of the beginnings and progress of the holy exercises they practise which have borne such notable fruit and it will also give some information about them to those who are curious.

The origin of the Congregations of the Holy Virgin

 2   If Queen Esther was rightly compared to a little fountain[1] – but brighter than the Sun and spreading her rays and waters on all sides – then why should I not say the same of this Association which, having grown from very small beginnings, has nevertheless spread all over the world and has by its brightness attracted the gaze and won over the hearts of an infinite number of people? If the cradle of Moses was worth little despite enclosing such a rich treasure, then that of the Congregation was worth even less since the only thing that was famous about the place where it first saw the light of day was its name as capital of the known world.

Footnotes

[1] The little fountain which grew into a river, and was turned into a light, and into the sun, and abounded into many waters, is Esther, whom the king married, and made queen. Esther x. 6.

 3   John Leunis was a young lecturer teaching the final class of Grammar in the Jesuit College of Rome. He first formed the Sodality in 1563[1], looking after it during its infancy for about one year. He had gathered a handful of young students who every day after the others had left gathered together in one of the classrooms where they had carefully prepared an altar. They recited a number of short prayers together and this was followed by readings from a spiritual work. On feast days they allowed a little more time for their morning assembly and then in the afternoon they met again to say Vespers together. This group of students caught the attention of others like little shoots of virtue, so to speak, and stimulated the interest of more advanced students to follow their example. The upshot was that the following year seventy of the best qualified students were chosen to become members at the foundation of a new association under the guidance of the MOTHER OF GOD and named the Sodality of the Annunciation. Next came the adoption of certain rules concerning the Holy Sacraments, the practice of good works, the time and ordering of assemblies, the creation of a number of officers to govern the Sodality under the direction of the Jesuit Fathers, along with similar statutes which are for the most part those which have been retained and preserved. 

Footnotes

[1] Historia Societ. Jesu, ad illum annum 1563.

© Peter Bloor 2026 

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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.

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.

Part IV : How to give thanks to the Mother of God : Chapter 12 : § 2.6-9

Chapter 12 : Association – eleventh 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 Associations founded in honour of the MOTHER OF GOD

The Confraternity of the Leathern Belt and of Our Lady of Consolation

 6   The Order of the Hermits of St Augustine also provides us with proof of the Holy Virgin’s favour in this regard because of its connection with the Confraternity of the Leathern Belt, so called because of the black leathern belt worn by its members in honour of the MOTHER OF GOD, St Augustine and St Monica. This devotion began under Eugene IV in the year 1446 when he canonised blessed St Nicholas of Tolentino. Many people were moved by the great miracles and outstanding holiness of this great servant of God and, wishing to wear the leathern belt which he had worn and honoured with his virtues, a number of them formed an Association. The Reverend Father Gerardo de Arimini, who was at the time General of the Hermits of St Augustine, instituted and approved this Association with the authority of the Holy See, granting the members of the Confraternity a share in all the good works and blessings of his Order, present and to come, wheresoever in the world they might be. In the year 1575, Pope Gregory XIII amalgamated the Confraternity with that of our Lady of Consolation in Bologna and decreed in a Brief that the two henceforth should become one, granting the same privileges to both without differentiation or distinction, as may be seen in the Bull of union. The Confraternity of Our Lady of Consolation had been founded in Bologna in the year 1495 in the Church of St James (which belonged to the Augustinian Fathers). It was the fruit of the zeal shown by Blessed Father Martin de Vercelli who, on the occasion of a series of sermons he was preaching in that Church for Lent, ordered a painting of Our Lady of Consolation to be hung over the main entrance. This encouraged a great number of citizens of Bologna to enrol in this Confraternity which he had founded in honour of God and of the most glorious Virgin. The Confraternity of the Leathern Belt has been confirmed by a great number of Popes and blessed with many beautiful indulgences, as anyone can see by studying the book which was printed in Paris in the year 1529. 

The Confraternity of Peace

 7   I have already written about the Confraternity of Peace in Part III[1]. It was founded in the city of Puy-en-Velay in the year 1183 on the occasion of a dispute between the King of Aragon and Count Raymond of St Gilles which was resolved in a marvellous way by this Confraternity.

Footnotes

[1] Chap. 6, § 4. 

The Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception

 8   In the year 1506[1] the Great Cardinal Ximenes, Archbishop of Toledo, founded the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception of the most Sacred Virgin. Its principal aim was to provide help and relief for the poor people of the city, whether in a civic way or in helping individuals. Every night from All Saints until the month of April, two members from the Confraternity would walk with torches around the streets of the City looking for any homeless persons. They would escort anyone they found to the hostel that the Cardinal had built for this purpose, ordering that it should be equipped and furnished with all things necessary for its mission.

Footnotes

[1] Gomezius, in ejus Vita.

The Confraternity of the Annunciation

 9    The learned and pious Dominican, Cardinal Torquemada, died in the year 1468. A few years before his death, he chose a Church in Rome belonging to his Order called Our Lady of Minerva to found the famous Confraternity of the Annunciation, placing it under the protection of the most glorious Virgin. He endowed it with significant funds to help poor young women whose chastity could be at risk by reason of their poverty. Each year on the feast of the Annunciation the Pope, in company with his Cardinals, made his way to Our Lady of Minerva and, after solemn Mass sung by a Cardinal, the Holy Father personally gave a dowry to each of two hundred young women who had been specially chosen. He gave a purse of one hundred gold écus to those who had determined to consecrate themselves to the service of God and eighty to those who wanted to marry. Pope Urban VII[1], who died in the year 1590, left all his goods to this holy Confraternity, to the great satisfaction and edification of all the people in Rome.

Footnotes

[1] Cicconius, in ejus Vita.

© Peter Bloor 2026 

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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.

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.