INSTITUTE HISTORY

EARLY HISTORY

 MARY OF THE PASSION
Foundress of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.

Helene de Chappotin was born in Nantes, Brittany, France, on May 21, 1839. She grew up happily in the old Chateau du Fort near Nantes with her own family and that of her ten cousins. The experience of the death of her cousin, followed by that of her two older sisters influenced her young life profoundly. All the time God was preparing her with great love and gentleness. She had a great thirst for what she called the absolute. In 1856 she had a spiritual experience which coloured her whole life - God revealed to her his love and his beauty. She became convinced that her way was to be the religious life.

 

A period of research and waiting followed, marked by the sudden death of her mother who could not resign herself to her daughter's vocation. This was a very painful time for Helene and her plans were put on hold. In 1860 she entered the Poor Clares in Nantes. Just a year later ill health forced her to leave. Four years later she entered with the Sisters of Marie Reparatrice, in Paris. Here she received the name of Mary of the Passion and was sent on mission to India. She remained in India for eleven years - the final stage of the long preparation which led her to found a Missionary Institute. In 1876 a series of painful and contradictory circumstances led her to leave the Congregation of Marie Reparatrice with some twenty other sisters. She returned to Rome and on  6,January  1877, Pope Pius IX authorised the foundation of the Missionaries of Mary.

Mary of the Passion died peacefully in San Remo, Italy, on 15, November  1904. She was beatified by the Church on 20th of  October 2002.

 

SAINTS AND MARTYRS
MARIA ASSUNTA PALLOTA

Maria Assunta Pallotta was born on the 20th August, 1878 at Force, Italy, and baptised the next day in the parish church. At the age of 11 or 12 Assunta was obliged to earn her living by helping workers employed in manual labour in the village. Later she became the assistant of the village tailor. She made her choice of vocation in 1897 and the following year she entered the Institute of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. She was sent on mission to China where she died in 1905 of typhus.

When Pope St Pius X heard of the extraordinary occurrences surrounding the death of Assunta, he said 'her cause must be introduced.' Ten years later the Decree for the introduction of the Cause was signed by His Holiness Pius XI and in 1932, that of the heroicity of the virtues of Sister Assunta. For the first time in history on such an occasion, the Pope's words were broadcast to the whole world. On 7, November 1954, Sister Assunta was declared Blessed by Pope Pius XII, as the bells of St. Peter's rang out across the Eternal City.

Her message to us:
'I ask the Lord for the grace
 to make known
to the world purity
of intention
which consists in doing everything
for the love of God,
even the most ordinary things.'
THE SEVEN MARTYRS
FRANCISCAN MISSIONARIES OF MARY, CHINA 1900.

In 1898, Monsignor Francisco Fagolla, coadadjutor bishop of Shanxi, China, visited Rome, looking for a community of religious missionaries. He met Mary of the Passion, who listened to his request and after a long period of reflection she accepted the challenge. She got many responses from her sisters and eventually a group of seven was chosen. These seven sisters, Marie Hermine, Amandine, Nathalie, Chiara, St Just, Adolphine and de la Paix, left from France, Belgium and Holland to serve their brothers and sisters in Shanxi. They gave their lives for their faith and for those in their care in 1900. Mary of the Passion, on hearing the news, called them 'My seven sorrows and my seven joys.' They were canonised on 1st October 2000.

 

DEVELOPMENT
TODAY There are 7,286 sisters of 82 nationalities living in 831 communities.