Mary of the Passion

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Third Order of St. Francis)
Beatified20 October 2002, Vatican City, by Pope John Paul II
Major shrineGeneralate of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary,
via Giusti,
Rome, Italy
Feast15 November

Hélène Marie Philippine de Chappotin de Neuville (

British India in 1877, currently one of the largest religious institutes in the Catholic Church
.

Early life

Helene-Marie-Philippine de Chappotin was born in 1839 in Nantes, then in the Department of Loire Inférieure, part of the region of Brittany.[1] The death of her two sisters and a beloved cousin affected her deeply and drove her to seek the meaning of life, guided by the strong beliefs of her mother. During a spiritual retreat in April 1856, she had a deep experience of God's love and a call to serve God, which was to guide her for the rest of her life.[2]

As a result of this experience, she determined to commit her life to religious service. However in 1859, when Helene was twenty years of age, her mother died suddenly and she took on the responsibilities of mistress of the household.

Franciscan simplicity and poverty drew her. On the following 23 January, while still a postulant
, she had a profound experience of God's inviting her to offer herself as a victim for the Church and for the pope. She soon fell ill, however, and had to leave the monastery.

Religious life

In the spring of 1864, when Chappotin had recovered her health, on the advice of her

enclosed religious order, dedicated to contemplation and the training of women in Ignatian spirituality through the experience of the Spiritual Exercises
.

On 15 August 1860, she received the

Society of Jesus. There, in addition to their own apostolate, they were to help establish a native congregation of Religious Sisters. It was there that Sister Mary of the Passion made her first religious vows in the congregation on 3 May 1866.[4]

Due to the many talents she had shown, she had gained the confidence of Mother Mary of Jesus, the foundress, and was immediately named the Superior of the community. When she made her final and permanent

Nilgiri mountains, located in the Vicariate Apostolic of Diocese of Coimbatore, established under the authority of the Paris Foreign Missions Society.[4]

The tensions which the communities in Madurai had previously exhibited, however, arose again in 1876. This time Mother Mary was unable to resolve them. The 33 Sisters of the Province were forced to choose between testifying against her and her advisory council or leaving the congregation.

Vicar Apostolic, resolved to continue their commitment in a new community. Mother Mary then traveled to Rome to secure the permission of the Holy See for this new foundation. On 6 January 1877, she obtained the approval of Pope Pius IX for the group, which was to have an entirely missionary orientation. They took the name of Missionaries of Mary, with Mother Mary of the Passion elected as their Superior.[2]

Mother Mary's vision was to maintain their commitment to a life in which the Sisters combined contemplative prayer with their service. One characteristic which the new congregation adopted, which distinguished it from their previous one, was the provision of medical care to the local people, especially for the women of India, who were strictly segregated from men in the traditional system of purdah. Mother Mary had seen the need for this and, as women themselves, the Sisters began to visit homes where they could enter the parts restricted to females.

At the suggestion of the Sacred Congregation of

Propaganda Fide, responsible for all activities of the Church in non-Catholic countries, Mother Mary opened a novitiate for the new congregation in Saint-Brieuc, in her native region of Brittany in France. The response was great and soon many young women entered the congregation for service overseas.[4]

Franciscan foundress

Mother Mary had to return to Rome in 1880 to resolve some legal difficulties for the congregation. She had to return yet again in June 1882, and this visit was to prove pivotal in the identity of the congregation. Firstly, she was given approval to open a house in Rome itself, which was a great honor. Secondly, she came into contact with the

Ara Coeli on the following 4 October, the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi.[2]

A period of trial began in March 1883, when allegations arose against Mother Mary. She was removed from office and ordered not to communicate with the Sisters in India. An inquiry was ordered by

Superior General of the Institute.[4]

The Institute continued to grow. On 12 August 1885 they received official recognition as a congregation by the Holy See, at which time they also adopted the Rule of the

Franciscan Third Order Regular. They then became the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. Their Constitutions received final approval in 1896.[4]

The Franciscan Missionaries began to be sent out to a number of countries, wherever there was need, even the remotest locations known. They undertook these assignments often facing great personal risk. In 1900, Mother Mary had the experience of losing the community of Sisters in Taiyuan, China, who were executed during the Boxer Rebellion. These 7 Franciscan Missionaries of Mary were canonized in A.D. 2000.[6]

Death and veneration

Mary of the Passion remained in office as Superior General of the Institute until her death. Worn out, she died after a brief illness in the town of Sanremo in 1904, at the age of 65. At that point, there were 2,000 Franciscan Missionaries of Mary serving in 86 communities on four continents. She was buried in the chapel of the General Motherhouse in Rome.[4]

In 1918, an inquiry into the life of Mother Mary was opened by the

Pott disease was judged as miraculous and due to her intercession. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II, on 20 October 2002, observed that year as World Mission Day in the Catholic Church.[2]

Legacy

Currently there are about 6,700 Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, citizens of 80 nations, serving in 76 countries around the globe.[8]

References

  1. ISBN 978-0060825126
    .
  2. ^ a b c d "Blessed Mary of the Passion" (PDF). Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  3. ^ Reidy, M.V., "Mother Mary of the Passion", The Irish Monthly, Vol. 60, No. 703, January 1932, Irish Jesuit Province
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Biography: Mary of the Passion (Hélène Marie Philippine de Chappotin de Neuville), 1839-1904". Holy See. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  5. ^ "Our History: Our Founding Story". Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, Province of Australia. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  6. ^ "The 7 Martyrs of China". Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  7. ^ Index ac status causarum beatificationis servorum dei et canonizationis beatorum (in Latin). Typis polyglottis vaticanis. January 1953. p. 149.
  8. ^ "Statistics". Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
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