Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 13 : §5.1-3

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)

§ 5. How the Holy Virgin helps her children during the judgement which takes place after their death

 1  Imagine for a moment two courageous Captains at the head of two armies almost equal in power and numbers, so closely engaged amidst the smoke from the cannons and the heat of the battle that nothing can separate them until the shadows of night fall upon them. Sometimes those who survive return to see who has won the day and then battle is renewed more fiercely than before until finally one side gains a victory which at one time might have seemed doubtful. 

This is what happens at the hour of death where occasionally the encounter is so furious that it is difficult to say which side will gain the upper hand. The dark night of death, however, means that both sides have to leave the battlefield and wait for the next morning, meaning the day of eternity, in order to discover which side has been awarded victory. From this you can see immediately, without my having to say anything, that the battle does not come to an end with death but that it is only interrupted and there must be one more round to settle the differences. This is what happens at the soul’s judgement when the battle comes to an end in the presence and on the authority of the King of Heaven. At this point, the struggle renews with more ferocity than before because one of the two combatants stands to lose everything forever. Accordingly, the Prince of evil, powerfully armed and brandishing every trick of deceit, pursues the poor soul right to the last gasp and makes a final effort to take him down. This is in fact the encounter which several great servants of God have feared with great apprehension as to its final outcome. Is it possible, for example, to think of anyone more innocent than the holy man Job who nevertheless provoked pity in the hearts of those who heard him sigh as he uttered the words: For what shall I do when God shall rise to judge and when he shall examine, what shall I answer him?[1] 

At this point I should like to urge the children of the Virgin to take heart from the words of God spoken through the Prophet Isaiah, assuring them that all will be well for the just[2].  

Footnotes

[1] Job xxxi. 14.

[2] Say to the just man that it is well, for he shall eat the fruit of his doings. Isaias (Isaiah) iii. 10.

 2   Yes, all will be well, since the Holy Virgin who took them under her protection from the beginning foresaw the final attack and poured forth all her graces to bring about success through final perseverance. Yes, all will be well, since she has equipped them with all the armour and weapons necessary to face down the enemy. Yes, all will be well, since there is no reason to suppose that she who hitherto has given them so many proofs of her love will abandon them in their final moment of need. Yes, all will be well, since the Mother of the sovereign Judge has all the details of their cases in her hands and she means to serve as their advocate. Yes, all will be well, since the Judge who is her Son and her Spouse will be able to refuse her nothing. Let the grand accuser now do his worst, let him produce his evidence, let him summon his witnesses, let him cite law and custom, let him deploy all his ruses – yet how can he hope to prevail against the Queen Mother and the Queen Regnant of Paradise? Let him thunder, let him rage and let him spew goblets of fire : the Mother of Mercy can vanquish him with a single word: for her word may not be gainsaid, her testimony is above suspicion, her prayers may not be refused, her credit is indisputable and her authority is unanswerable. Her words have the force of decrees, her prayers the power of love and Her wishes are invariably translated into action.

A young man called Andrew

 3   I should like to mention now something that is recorded in the life of St Anno[1], Archbishop of Cologne. This great servant of God had gone to Rome in the year 1070 where he received from His Holiness the arm of St Cæsarius the martyr. He carried the relic away with him like a most precious treasure and, once he had arrived back in Cologne, he gave orders for it to be born with great solemnity to the place that he had prepared for it. His personal contribution to this solemn occasion was to go up into the pulpit and preach about the Saint’s praiseworthy life and death.

Amongst other remarkable things, he said that there was once in the city of Rome a certain young man called Andrew. He was notably given over to the pursuit of pleasure and the only little spark of devotion that he still had left was towards St Cæsarius. He would frequently visit the Church where the Saint was buried, honouring him through prayer and lighting candles at his tomb. Andrew met with death quite suddenly so that he had very little time for recollection and repentance. Immediately after his death he was surrounded by demons who were already confident that he would become their prey for ever. Picture him being dragged before God’s tribunal amidst the disorderly screams of glee from the demons. His enemies then present a powerful case against him and he is scarcely able to respond to their charges. St Cæsarius, however, is unwilling to abandon Andrew and he kneels before the Mother of Mercy to implore her help. She is immediately won over by his prayers and goes to speak with her Son, accompanied by the Blessed Apostles, St Cæsarius and a group of Holy Martyrs. She speaks on behalf of the wretched sinner so movingly that he is permitted to come back to life and do penance for his sins. This is exactly what happened for he rose out of his coffin at midnight and gave everyone an account of what had happened to him.

Footnotes

[1] Lib. I, c. 35 apud Surium.

.👑   👑   👑

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

Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 13 : §4.6-12

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)

§ 4. How the holy Virgin defends her children against the attacks of invisible enemies

 6   The Holy Fathers are all so certain about this that they say it is impossible for someone to perish who has the MOTHER OF GOD on his side. This is what she herself declared one day to St Bridget[1], when she said that: 

there is a double wall between her and her faithful servants who are still here on earth. They can only reach her after overcoming these barriers, but on her side she helps them in wondrous ways to do this. The first of these walls is the world which is for them like a prison in which they are surrounded by temptations to test their virtue. The second wall is death and they must needs pass through it as though storming through a breach so as to gain their liberty. 

She went on to add that: 

she gives them help in hundreds of different ways to deal with the first obstacle, shielding them from the slings and arrows of the enemy’s attacks. When it comes to the second obstacle, she comes to aid them in person, helping them upwards and surrounding them with protection as though providing them with a personal bodyguard. In this way she helps them pass fearlessly and unharmed through the serried ranks of their enemy.

Footnotes

[1] Lib. IV Revelat., c. 55.

 7   She explained the same idea to blessed Saint Gertrude, making use of a different image.

During Compline one day on the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin, this most devout Bride of the Saviour offered one hundred and fifty Ave Marias to her Spouse, imploring Him through the love He had for His beloved Mother to send her help at the hour of her death. At the same time, she noticed a pile of gold coins at the feet of Our Lord which equalled in number the words she had uttered in the course of her praying. She noticed that the Saviour was handing these coins to the glorious Virgin who, after placing them carefully next to her heart, explained to St Gertrude that she would match the number of coins with an equal number of graces and favours at the time of her death, to protect and sustain her when she was assailed by her invisible enemies.  

Let us now consider one or two examples of this special help she provides to her children.

Emmanuel Fernandez

 8   Emmanuel Fernandez[1] was a Jesuit priest who was one of those sent by the Holy See in 1566, following a request from the King of Portugal, along with Andrea of Oviedo another Jesuit who was titular Bishop of Hierapolis and Patriarch of Ethiopia. Their mission was to work for the conversion of this great kingdom. He was one of those who would die there in misery and poverty, in company with the same Patriarch, having left not only to the inhabitants of the country but to strangers as well, a thousand signs of his virtue when put to the test by every sort of trial and tribulation.

A Catholic came to visit him during his last illness and Fr Fernandez asked him when Christmas Day was.  

“Next Sunday,” replied the Catholic.  

“Well that is the day I am waiting for,” said the priest.  

This proved to be the day of his death but a short while before dying, he asked Fr Lopez (who was helping him during his last trial) to make the Sign of the Cross towards a corner of the room which he would point out to him. Then he turned and called out:

“Most Holy Lady! Most Holy Lady!”

After a period of time had elapsed, he turned to Fr Lopez and said: 

“Just a while ago, I saw the Virgin Mary, my dear Mother, and she was so beautiful and glorious that the mere sight of her filled me with joy and consolation.”

After these words, his soul left his body to follow the Queen of Heaven who had come to escort him to Heaven.

Footnotes

[1] Speculi B. Virg.

Pierre Favier

 9   According to the history of the Carthusians, we read of the death in 1313 of a monk of this Order called Pierre Favier who was very devoted to the MOTHER OF GOD. After he had received the Holy Sacraments, he was attacked by the old enemy and was almost overwhelmed by feelings of despair[1]. 

This evil spirit delights in making accusations against monks such as Pierre and all the rest of us at such times. He keeps careful watch on us and tries to make us stumble as death approaches with the aim of ensnaring us. He was holding a large tome in his hands in which were recorded the sins the poor monk had committed during his life. When she saw that he was at a particularly low point, Pierre’s gentle Mother appeared to him, holding her beloved Son in her arms and she spoke to him as follows:  

“Wherefore art thou so lacking in courage and confidence? Behold I bring thee a token of thy salvation and of the love I have for thee in thine hour of need. I declare to thee that through the merits of the Holy Infant I am holding in my arms, all thy sins have been remitted.”

No sooner had she spoken these words than the evil spirits who had been there disappeared in an instant and the heart of this servant of the holy Virgin became suffused with indescribable consolation. A short while later, those present began to sing that Litany which is customary when death approaches. When they came to the following words: Omnes sancti et sanctæ Dei, orate pro eo[2],  he was heard to say:

“All ye holy men and women, Saints of God: Pray for me.”

With these words he surrendered his blessed soul into his Mother’s embrace.

Footnotes

[1] Petrus Sutor, de Vita Carthus.

[2] All ye holy men and women, Saints of God: Pray for him. See Litaniae Sanctorum / Litany of the Saints at Preces-Latinae.

Pierre Caralt

 10   What happened to a Dominican friar called Pierre Caralt is not very different from what we have just been discussing.  

He had such a special devotion towards the MOTHER OF GOD that in this respect he was numbered amongst her greatest servants. Just as he had served her most faithfully, in the same way he was graced with experiencing in a significant way the effects of her graces and favours. Whilst the Friar was ill, Satan disguised himself as a Doctor of theology and paid him a visit, putting to him a question on the mystery of the most holy Trinity. Satan wove a web of arguments that caused him so much difficulty that he was on the point of falling into error. As he no longer knew what to reply, he cast his eyes on an image of the Virgin which was in the room, imploring the Queen of Heaven to help him out of the dire straits in which he found himself. He felt the eyes in the image of Our Lady turn towards him and her gaze was so penetrating that suddenly he felt that all the clouds of confusion Satan had put in his mind had all been blown away. He could now see how false the reasoning was that had previously seemed so persuasive to him and he replied to the enemy in such a powerful way that he could not bear the brightness of the light which was shining from the Friar’s soul and, being thrown thus into confusion, he departed.

Adulphe

 11   Here is one more example[1] I have chosen to illustrate the help provided by our holy Mother at the moment of death. 

Adulphe was a young nobleman who had left the principality of Alsace in order to embrace the poverty of Jesus Christ and to take up His Cross under the banner of St Francis. As he had finally arrived at the point where his death was imminent the Queen of Heaven, whom he had always loved most devotedly, came to see him accompanied by a host of countless Blessed Spirits. Seeing how he was gripped with fear by reason of this his final combat, she spoke to him no more than the following few words: 

“My dear Adulphe, why dost thou fear to die since thou art one of my own children? Come now to me and come with confidence; for my Son whom thou hast served most faithfully is to give thee the crown of glory.”

These sweet words so calmed his soul that henceforth there was no trace of sadness upon his countenance; on the contrary, his eyes wept tears of joyful consolation and his heart was on fire with gratitude. It was accordingly with great happiness that he exchanged his abode in this valley of tears for a new life replete with blessings.

Footnotes

[1] Ex Chron. S. Franc.

 12   Step forward boldly now, all ye beautiful souls, and fear not to take this step which causeth such terror to others. Place yourselves fearlessly in the embrace of your loving Mother who will receive you with welcome arms and will protect you from all your enemies. 

Dearest Mother and Virgin beyond compare : may all those who know thee bless and thank thee for the countless favours and graces thou hast granted to thy servants ; and may those who do not yet know thee learn from all this to love thee and to place all their trust in thee. 

.👑   👑   👑

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

Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 13 : §4.3-5

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)

§ 4. How the holy Virgin defends her children against the attacks of invisible enemies

 3   I think we can see how this picture may properly be understood as an accurate image of two very different sorts of death : namely, the death of the wicked and the death of the just. My aim here, however, is simply to point out certain features of each in order to show the difference there is between the children of the Virgin and others when it comes to the end of life. Imagine, if you will, two brothers with the same father and mother, both well brought up, both instructed in virtue, both fearing the Lord, both making use of the Sacraments – but with this difference: that one has been nourished with the milk of the MOTHER OF GOD and has therefore come to imbibe and partake of her gentle spirit, whereas the other has not had this benefit, although he has lived his life in a praiseworthy manner based on Christian principles. Now here they are, both approaching death. The one who lived an austere life based on the maxims of fear sudden turns pale, he starts to sweat and to tremble, he struggles with himself in a strange manner and he cries out in fear. None of those witnessing this can have any doubt that the old enemy is feeling pressed for time and is launching a furious attack against the dying man, whose face alone shows that his soul is engaged in a battle and that he is suffering from terrible temptations. Sometimes he makes a sign with his hand as though asking for help to chase away these hideous figures who are filling him with fear; at other times he seems to try and steel himself to make a response and deny the demons’ claims ; at times he looks as though he is no more; then afterwards, he crosses his arms and raises his eyes to heaven, as though showing by this that his only hope is in the mercy of his Saviour and in the blood that He shed for him.   

But what a great difference there is between simply reading about this and actually finding oneself in a struggle against a foe who is the most cunning that can be imagined, filled with poisonous hatred and seething with fury. 

 4   In contrast, we can look now at the devoted servant of the Virgin who is waiting with a patient and gentle heart for whatever Heaven has in store for him. We can see in his eyes the image of his soul and his face displays the interior peace he enjoys. After God Himself, he places his entire trust in his dear Mother whose help and protection he awaits at this critical hour. He understands that she is wondrously faithful and accordingly he is totally at peace, trusting in her promises. He commends all his concerns to her with a tranquil heart; he begs her to help him against any attacks by the demons; he relies upon her for his courage, his strength and his happiness; he calls upon her to be his guide who will lead him to the point where his eternal happiness begins; he has complete confidence that she will continue to take care of him and protect him with her maternal love right until the end.  These thoughts fill his heart with such confidence that he is able to have thousands of loving colloquies with his gentle Mother, who for her part maintains everything in equilibrium, not permitting her dear child to run any risks or place his virtue in danger. 

I am speaking here of the general rule and what happens in the majority of cases : for the Lord can of course issue ordinances according to His good pleasure; and just as He can permit for good reason the children of his beloved Mother to receive salutary admonishments, so too He may will others a most peaceful death.  

 5   In case anybody might imagine that what I have been putting forward so far (concerning the differences that are found in the way people depart from this world) has no more basis than my imagination, I think the time has come to consider my reasoning. Daily experience shows us that, with the exception of the Holy Sacraments, there are two main things which are important at the hour of death: namely good habits and the help that comes from Heaven. In first place, then, come the good habits we have acquired through the practice of virtuous actions. These may be compared to the keys of a well-tuned instrument so that when grace arrives in the soul it responds in the way for which it was designed. In the case, however, of a soul which has been damaged and made heavy by the evil of sin, a grace of extraordinary power is needed to arouse its faculties and bring them to the stage where they can put into practice once more those acts which have fallen into disuse.

I mentioned in the second place help we receive from heaven inasmuch as, when the spiritual faculties of a soul are dragged down by the weight of a decaying body, there is every need for the best friends that we have in heaven to come unto our aid. It is my firm conviction that in respect of both these things, namely good habits and heavenly help, the children of our sweet and gentle Mother have a most particular advantage. When it comes to good and holy habits, it is clear that these prove a powerful help for keeping their souls in a state of sweet recollection. When they have cultivated a habit of frequently calling upon her with a loving heart, placing themselves under her protection, seeking the consolation of her protective embrace, wanting only what she wants, entrusting themselves completely to her, wanting (after God Himself) to depend upon her in all things and in every way, then grace is able to play these notes without any difficulty, suffusing their souls with beautiful and harmonious melodies that bring joy to the Angels of Heaven. 

When it comes to help from on high for the needs of her children, the Mother of goodness is never found wanting. I am leaving to one side what she does immediately in terms of her principal help :

    • the tender feelings she infuses within their spirits;

    • the serenity she pours into their souls ; 

    • the trust she implants in their hearts; and

    • the sweet words she utters to them softly, inviting them to depart from the earth and take possession of the place she has prepared for them in heaven. 

I am speaking only of how she strengthens them so as to withstand the attacks of the prince of evil, of which St Bonaventure[1] writes, following the great St Augustine:  

Holy Michael the Archangel, Prince of the Heavenly Host, whom God has ordered to help souls withstand this final assault and to lead them up to Heaven, is always ready to receive the commands of the glorious Virgin to hasten to the defence of those for whom she has a special affection[2]. 

God knows with what great ardour St Michael serves her, and how valiantly he leads his troops to defend her children and vanquish the enemy’s hordes. In fact the whole of Heaven is devoted to love and serve her, as I have already made clear elsewhere[3]. There is no question that the Blessed Spirits flock in their thousands to help her, vying with each other to render her service in the person of those whom she specially cherishes. From this you may see that there is no happiness in the world like unto having the Queen of Heaven on our side.

Footnotes

[1] Speculi B. Virg.

[2] Michaël Dux et Princeps militiæ coelestis, tuis, Virgo, paret præceptis in defendendis in corpore, et suscipiendis de corpore, animabus fidelium specialiter tibi, Domina, et die ac nocte se com-mendantium.

[3] Chap. 4.

.👑   👑   👑

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

Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 13 : §4.1-2

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)

§ 4. How the holy Virgin defends her children against the attacks of invisible enemies

 1   If ever there were an image with two faces showing all the perfections and wonders of perspective, then it is the one which portrays the darkness of Egypt as set forth in chapter 20 of Exodus and presented with greater detail in chapters 17 and 18 of Wisdom. 

Be so good as to stand firstly on the left hand side, and there you will see a night so black with impenetrable darkness that the mere sight of it is sufficient to horrify you. Those who are walking uncertainly through this Cimmerian night are the Egyptians who have been condemned to undergo three days and three nights of darkness. They are lost in awe and paralysed with fear. There is nothing that can bring them reassurance but on the contrary everything fills them with terror. Some seek refuge in caves to ward off their fears but they are pursued by a relentless wind which forces them out again. They are also tormented by spectres and the hideous faces of demons which pass before their eyes. 

Is it not something completely unheard of that when a fire is lit in their presence, it does not light up anything for them ; and that the pleasing light of the sun does not help them in any way because they derive no consolation from it whatsoever? All that they can make out are various underground fires that do not shed any light but seem to call forth heads with faces that are dreadful to behold, and weird shapes produced by necromancers. The worst of their troubles, however, is something that comes from within themselves. Their disordered imagination conjures up a thousand phantoms causing them great distress as they try to work out what is real and what is not. If they hear a soft breeze playing with the leaves on the trees, for example, they persuade themselves that it is a council of war threatening to send enemy troops pouring upon them. The mere sound of running water makes them think fearfully of war chariots or of a cavalry charge. They interpret the lowing of a cow as the rumbling of thunder followed by lightning. In short, they themselves produce fears which are far more difficult to bear than even the dark shadows which envelop them. 

Perhaps you will think that the sorcerers whom you see gathered to one side with magic wands in their hands, promising wonders that can move mountains and making out that they can charm away the fears and terrors of the darkness, will bring consolation to the soul and peace to the heart amidst the shared terrors. Far from it, because although on the one hand they have no fear of the dark shadows and the hideous figures that they see flying through the air with their spells, on the other hand none of their grimaces is able to defend them from the fears and panic which torment everyone else. Even a cat appearing in front of them, a dog barking, a serpent hissing or anything like that, fills them with fear. The air itself which they cannot escape and which they cannot see seems to be at war with them and fills them with dread. If from time to time these countless, distraught souls that you can see scattered here and there seem able to snatch a moment of fitful slumber, suddenly they find themselves shaken awake again by their own disordered imaginations. If some of them find their courage is failing in the midst of these terrors (as happens to quite a few), they must of necessity remain helpless ; if they think to fly a particular danger then they are immediately swallowed up by one still greater; and the result of all this is that they are forced to halt as though paralysed and are incapable of moving forward or retreating. You would say that they are like a group of galley-slaves held together by these dark shadows just as tightly as though by chains of iron. This should give you a true picture of the tragic and frightful night of darkness awaiting them at the centre of the earth. 

Here then you have one face of this image produced by the paint brush and masterful skill of the Holy Spirit.

 2   Let us now move to the right and consider the other face of this painting. It portrays a fine day in beautiful sunlight. It is easy to judge from the colour in their faces and the way they are dressed that the people we can see clearly are the Hebrews held in captivity by the Egyptians. From their demeanour and their comportment, however, we would never have imagined them to be prisoners because their actions show that they are at complete liberty and their words are so many blessings and thanks offered to God for all the graces and favours they have been receiving from his generosity, especially for so many wonders they have seen with their own eyes. No one would say that they could not take flight very easily if they wanted, or even steal from their hosts’ houses, for they would be to unable to run after them; but they are waiting for the hand of God to intervene and for those who are at the moment keeping them captive to force them out themselves. 

Apart from this, it cannot be denied that wondrous things are taking place and here is one example to illustrate the miracle of which I am speaking. A Hebrew and an Egyptian find themselves in the same room; despite the thick darkness covering Egypt, the Hebrew can see as clearly as on any other day but the Egyptian can scarcely see anything;  the Hebrew goes about his daily life as usual for the Egyptian is unable to do anything; the Hebrew finds nothing that causes any difficulty to him but the Egyptian is frightened and worried about everything; the Hebrew sings the praises of God but the Egyptian detests his life and curses his condition ; the Hebrew enjoys freedom in his slavery but the Egyptian is a slave despite his freedom.

.👑   👑   👑

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

Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 13 : §3.11-15

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)

§ 3. How the Holy Virgin prepares her children for the surprise and uncertainty of death 

Blessed James of Bevagna. Blessed Elsa and Fr Andrew Noorth

 11   The favour granted to blessed James of Bevagna of the Order of Saint Dominic was in many ways comparable.  

Eight days before his death the Holy Virgin appeared to him[1], accompanied by St George and St Dominic, inviting him to share in the joy of her triumphant Assumption. He surrendered his soul on that very day and the glorious Virgin, along with the same two Saints, came to visit him and lead him up to Heaven.  

She granted the same grace to blessed Elsa, of whom I spoke earlier[2], and to Fr Andrew Noorth – who were both members of the Dominican Order.

Footnotes

[1] Michael Pius, de Viris illustribus S. Dominici.

[2] Chap. 7, § 6.

Alexander Orsini, Cardinal

 12   Not many years ago the whole of Italy and indeed the whole of the Church felt saddened at the death of the saintly Prince and Cardinal Alexander Orsini[1], known for his promotion of holiness and being himself like a mirror of every virtue. He was a key figure in the Congregation of the Jesuit College in Rome, being always foremost in spiritual exercises and especially in use of the discipline which he applied routinely until blood was drawn. Not content with that, he personally instituted a Congregation of the Virgin following in the example of the Roman one in Bracciano, where the official residence of the Dukes of Orsini is located. 

He found himself there on the eve of the Assumption in the year 1626 and, after delivering a rousing sermon of encouragement to the members of the Confraternity, he administered the discipline to the point of drawing blood, whereupon he fell ill. He received a summons from the most glorious Virgin to appear in Heaven on the octave of her triumphant Assumption, which is the 22nd of August. On that day he departed from this mortal world but left a sense of undying sadness amongst all his subjects and all good people that they had lost such a good master and such an outstanding model of virtue, whom they saw taken away from them when he was only thirty three years old. 

Footnotes

[1] Plura de eo Cornel. a Lap., in I ep. D. Joann., in fine.

 13   When considering this favour and its timing, I should like to draw attention (as I have done before) to the fact that the Mother of goodness seems to have taken pleasure in calling from this world some of her dearest servants when one of her feasts is being celebrated. We may presume that this is to enable them to share in the heavenly joy of such occasions. Here are some noteworthy examples:

    • on the feast of the Assumption, the following souls exchanged their mortal life in this valley of tears for an immortal and blessed life in heaven : St Helena[1], Mother of the Emperor Constantine; St Pulcheria[2], sister of the Emperor Theodosius the younger; St Radegund[3], Queen of France ; Henri VII[4], Emperor; John I[5], King of Portugal; St Stephen[6], King of Hungary; St Bernard[7], beloved son of the Virgin; St Hyacinth[8], Dominican friar; St Louis[9], Bishop of Toulouse and a Franciscan ; Blessed Philip Benizi, founder of the order of Servites of the Virgin[10]; Ribera[11], Stanislaus Kostka[12], and Jean Berkmans[13], all three of whom were Jesuits. 

    • on the solemnity of the Purification: St Ephrem[14], Deacon of the church in Edessa, Syria. 

    • on the feast of the ineffable mystery of the Annunciation: St Catherine[15], daughter of St Bridget.

    • amidst rejoicing on earth and in heaven, on the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin : St Nicolas[16], St Ambrose[17], St Leocadia[18].

    • on the day of the Visitation: St Bernardino Realino[19]; 

    • on the day of the Presentation[20]: François de la Tour; 

    • on the day of Our Lady of the Snow[21]: Sebastian Barradas 

and many others that escape my memory for the moment, whose wondrous devotion towards the Queen of Angels has richly adorned so many of the discussions in this work.  

Footnotes

[1] 18 August.

[2] 15 August.

[3] 13 August.

[4] 15 August.

[5] 15 August.

[6] 1 August.

[7] 20 August.

[8] 16 August.

[9] 19 August.

[10] 22 August.

[11] 21 August.

[12] 15 August.

[13] 14 August.

[14] 1 Febr.

[15] 21 March.

[16] 6 Decemb.

[17] 7 Decemb.

[18] 9 Decemb.

[19] 2 July.

[20] 2 February.

[21] 5 August.

 14   I have a few words now to say about the benefits enjoyed by those who enrol in Confraternities of the Blessed Virgin.

Some thirty-six years ago, a man from Aragon, who had a son enrolled with the children of Our Lady called Bartholomew Vergara, decided to take his son with him to the army of Philip II, King of Spain, to which he was attached by virtue of being His Majesty's surgeon. Whilst they were in Saragossa, the young man was struck down by an illness from which he would not recover. He was taken to Madrid where he suffered from a severe fluxion on the eve of the feast of St Michael. While dining with his father and four of his sisters, he declared that he would have much to accomplish that night. 

Everybody finally retired for the night and the young man, after initially falling asleep, awoke with a violent fit of coughing which caused his father to wake up. He hurried to the bedside of his son and asked him how he was feeling. 

“Like a person who is going to die,” replied Bartholomew. “Dear father, I beg you not to be distressed since I have learned this from the MOTHER OF GOD herself who has said that this will happen soon – but not before I have made use of the weapons available to a Christian approaching his end; and in this regard, I ask you to lend me your assistance.”

The father did did not know quite what to make of this and replied that it could be sorted out in the morning.

“In the morning?” ask the sick young man. “There will be no tomorrow for me.”

With that he insisted that his Confessor should be summoned, Fr Gaspar Petrosa.  This was quickly done but before he arrived, Bartholomew suffered from three slight heart attacks in his father’s presence. Eventually he recovered, regained his composure, made his confession and then asked for the last Rites. At this point something strange happened. All the servants had become emotionally distraught but a lady who lived nearby had arrived and went to fetch the priest who turned up shortly afterwards. Then a young man whom no one recognised carefully prepared the altar, lit the candles and made ready everything that would be needed for the administration of the last Rites. When the sick man had received the sacred Viaticum, his father took his pulse and said there seemed to be no need to hurry about receiving Extreme Unction; but Bartholomew was so insistent that the priest felt obliged to comply with his request. Feeling himself now fortified, he took hold of a statue of Our Lady which he was wont to caress and, holding it in his hands, he addressed numerous beautiful colloquies to his beloved Mother; until finally, as the sickness took hold of him, he lost his power of speech and in less than an hour his life came to an end. 

 15   How do these examples strike you, dear reader? Are they not wonderful signs of the peerless love shown by this dear Mother?  But what do you find more striking in these her favours : the sweetness of dying such a death or the honour of receiving this grace through her intercession? Oh! How these blessed children of hers proceed to sing in happiness along with David[1]: I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: We shall go into the house of the Lord and of our Father. Perhaps it is too much to desire such an end. For my part, I can tell you that my passionate desire is to received into the bosom of the Mother of fair love, no matter what way she chooses to bring about this end result.

Footnotes

[1] Psal. CXXI. 1.

[Translator’s note: Readers may be interested to learn that Fr François Poiré, author of this work, died on the 25th of November 1637. This is within the Octave of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary (21st November). In the Byzantine Rite, it is called “The Entrance of the Our All-Holy Lady, the Mother of God, into the Temple.” It is ranked as one of the Twelve Great Feasts, most of which are kept with both a Forefeast and Afterfeast, broadly the equivalent of a Vigil and Octave in the traditional Roman Rite. For more, see: Liturgical Notes on the Presentation of the Virgin Mary & The Liturgical Year (Guéranger) at p 307]

.👑   👑   👑

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

Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 13 : §3.7-10

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)

§ 3. How the Holy Virgin prepares her children for the surprise and uncertainty of death 

Elizabeth Picenardi and Peter of Alcántara

 7   Elizabeth Picenardi was a most devout member of the Order of Servites or Servants of the Holy Virgin and she departed from this life on the 19th of February 1468 in the city of Mantua. It was written[1] of her that:   

She was on such familiar terms with the glorious Virgin that she was frequently heard having discussions with her during her prayer. The belief that the Holy Virgin would not refuse anything that Elizabeth asked her became so widespread amongst the inhabitants of Mantua that she came to be called the Referendary[2] of the Holy Virgin. All those suffering from some bodily or spiritual problems would have recourse to her as though visiting a refuge for the afflicted. Before she departed this life, she was visited by the Holy Virgin who told her to make ready for her end which was approaching and that soon she would see her in Heaven. 

She bestowed the same favour upon her good and faithful servant Peter of Alcántara, a friar in the Discalced Franciscans[3]. Blessed St Theresa of Jesus Speaks most highly of him at various points in her autobiography.

The holy Mother assured him that he would be numbered amongst the saved and it was in a rapture of happiness that he started to sing Psalm CXXI, beginning with the words Lætatus sum in his quæ dicta sunt mihi[4], and continuing right to the end.

Footnotes

[1] Chronicon Ordinis.

[2] Referendary : Any of various officials in the papal, imperial, patriarchal, and some royal courts, charged with the duty of examining and reporting on petitions, requests and similar matters; the title given to such an official. From post-classical Latin referendarius: court dignitary who receives petitions.

[3] Who died on the 18th October, 1562.

[4] Lib. IV, c. 17.

Fr Piotr Skarga and Fr Jerome Carvalho

 8   What happened to the Jesuit priest Fr Piotr Skarga is worth recalling here. 

This was a man filled with zeal and virtue who served as preacher in ordinary to two Kings of Poland, Stephen and Sigismund. During the twenty-four years that he was at Court, he advanced the honour and service of God and His most Holy Mother in hundreds of ways. When he attained the age of seventy-seven, he finally sought permission from the King and his superiors to go and finish his days in the college at Kraków where something would happen which was no less remarkable than it was unique. A short while before his death, he made a candle of white wax and sent it to Our Lady of Częstochowa, of great renown throughout Poland, so that it might be lit in front of the image of the blessed Virgin. It was seen to go out at the very moment that Fr Skarga’s life came to an end, prompting people to think this apparent coincidence was in fact the result of some unknown understanding between the Holy Virgin and him.  

The case of another Jesuit priest, Fr Jerome Carvallo, is no less a source of wonderment.

In his life, his devotion and mortification were so closely conjoined that just as he never spent less than six hours in prayer every day, so too he always wore a triple hair shirt which covered him from his neck to his knees, to which he added at least three scourgings he administered to himself every day. One day, when he seemed to be as hale and hearty as he had ever been, he declared confidently that he would die a few days later. Those who heard him speak in this way had no difficulty in believing his prediction, despite there being no human signs of any illness, because they could not bring themselves to doubt the word of someone whom they acknowledged was a great servant of God. The way events unfolded soon removed any doubts they might have had. What astonished them much more was that after his death a sheet of paper was found on which the following words were written in his own hand, dated 1589: I have only fifteen more years left to live. Beneath this, he had written five years later: I shall die in ten years’ time. This proved to be the case, for he died in the year 16O4 aged sixty. There was no one amongst all those who knew of his exceptional devotion towards the MOTHER OF GOD who did not feel certain that he had received this foreknowledge from the Blessed Virgin, his loving Mother.     

Fr Martín Gutiérrez

 9   We shall now consider another person whose knowledge and virtue were so far above the average that they added lustre to the Society of Jesus throughout the whole of Spain : Fr Martín Gutiérrez, whose soul was seen by St Theresa at the moment it left earth and soared heavenwards in triumph bearing the martyr’s crown.

He had received many graces and favours from the MOTHER OF GOD but amongst these was one that he received while he was passing through Languedoc on his way to Rome in the year 1573 when she revealed to him that he was to die in eight days’ time. His death was all the more glorious because he received it at the hands of heretics out of hatred for the Catholic religion. After his death, something highly memorable occurred which I cannot pass over in silence : a lady dressed according to the French fashion came to see Fr Suarez (his travelling companion) and asked him if any of his brethren had recently died. When she was told that this was indeed the case she asked him for permission to see the remains of the deceased and then pulled out a beautiful white linen cloth that she had brought with her, using it to swathe the body her own hands. After giving a blessing, she then took her leave, refusing to accept the money which Fr Suarez offered to her for the cloth and he was never able to discover who this lady was. The Mother of goodness knows if this was indeed herself who came to render this final service to her devoted servant or whether it was some mortal creature in whom she inspired the thought. 

St Arnold

 10   St Arnold was a Bishop of Soissons[1] who descended from the Dukes of Louvain and the Counts of Namur. His happy departure from this world is worthy of eternal memory.

One Saturday, on the eve of the Assumption, he called his family together and told them to make ready everything that would be needed for his funeral. He told them that he was to die at nightfall and explain this as follows:

“I’m sure you can all remember the earthquake which terrified people yesterday on three separate occasions. With the first tremor, I was visited by the Blessed Apostle St Paul who brought me the good news that my sins had been forgiven and that this had opened up Heaven for me. After the second tremor, the glorious Archangel St Michael promised me that he would come at the head of a group of Blessed spirits to accompany my soul to Heaven. Finally, the Mother of mercy granted me the favour of coming in person to invite me to share in the triumph of her Assumption tomorrow.”

At three o'clock, he received the last Rites and as the day was drawing to a close he lay flat on the ground resting on ashes and hair-cloth, whence in no time at all his blessed soul departed from his body and soared up towards Heaven.

Footnotes

[1] Lisander, Episc. Suess., in ejus Vita, c. 4 et 5 ; Surius, 15 Aug.

.👑   👑   👑

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