Saint Mary the Sorrowful

Indeed, the perfidious tempter, seeing that he could obtain nothing by his words, had recourse to ruse. Having learned that the pious girl sometimes went to a respectable father of a family in the neighborhood, who received her eagerly because of her piety and so that through her prayers she might draw the blessings of heaven upon his children, he entered this house furtively one day while she was there, and took a silver cup which he skillfully placed in the small bag that Mary used. The innocent young girl, after having edified the family that received her, returned full of joy to her dwelling, carrying with her, along with the small provisions that the charity of her host had given her, the fatal cup that was to become the cause of her death. Soon, indeed, it was noticed that a silver vessel had disappeared, and useless searches were made everywhere to find it. Meanwhile, the infamous slanderer had gone near Mary's dwelling, accusing her of this theft and declaring to her that she could only escape the pursuit of justice by yielding to his passion. Stunned upon hearing such slander, the pious girl quickly recovered from her initial emotion and declared once again that she would rather die a thousand times than consent to what he proposed. And as the wretch threatened to bring her before the judges: "It would be very wrong of you," she replied with the assurance and calm of truth, "to deliver an innocent person to the danger of death, when I have the conscience that I have not committed this theft." Then this man, skillfully seizing the small bag that was within reach of his hand, withdrew the cup and, presenting it to Mary: "You are now convicted by an eyewitness," he cried, "obey then what I ask of you, I will shield you from justice and no harm will be done to you."

The young girl was as if beside herself; she could not believe her eyes or her ears. Casting herself immediately in thought into the arms of the God who knows the truth and who probes the heart and the loins, she repelled with energetic indignation the slanderer and tempter, who headed at once toward the house of the judge of the region. There he formulated his accusation against the Saint and presented, as evidence, the cup he had found in the bag. "Moreover," he added, "this woman is a sorceress who bewitches men; I myself have been so fascinated by her artifices and seductions that I can no longer drink, nor eat, nor find rest."

The judge, who like all the inhabitants of the region knew the great virtue of the pious Mary, did not wish to give credence to what he heard and appeared disposed to reject the accuser; but the wretch, seeing that his prey was about to escape him, again presented the cup he held in his hands and forced the magistrate to proceed against the alleged culprit with all the rigor of the laws of that time against thieves. While these things were happening, Mary had hastened to her parents to tell them all that had occurred. They consoled her eagerly and exhorted her to place her trust in God and in the most holy Virgin, her patroness and the consoler of afflicted souls. While they were striving to reassure her by telling her that her innocence would soon be recognized, the local judge, whom the slanderer had compelled to take this rigorous measure, was seen arriving at the door of the modest dwelling. The parents immediately set about justifying their daughter and showing how implausible, even absurd, the accusation brought against her was; but the judge declared that despite everything, to satisfy the law, he must proceed with her judgment. Some men-at-arms then approached the innocent victim, bound her with ropes, and prepared to lead her to the public prison. The father and mother were in unspeakable desolation and did not want to let their child be taken away. Mary, for her part, upon seeing her parents pushed back, could not help but shed abundant tears. All those who saw her in this state could not hold back their sobs either, and convinced of the pious girl's innocence, they gave her the name of the Sorrowful.

After spending some time in prison, where it was hoped that fear would wring a confession from her, the innocent accused was br ought befor Douloureuse Virgin and martyr of the 13th century, unjustly condemned for theft. e the judge, who questioned her about the cup. "It is true," Mary replied, "that this cup was found in my bag; but it was placed there by another person without my knowledge." Upon hearing these words, the slanderer rose and, addressing the judge, showed him how his victim had just confessed her crime while maliciously seeking to shift the responsibility onto another.

At that time, and especially in certain localities, theft was severely punished, and it was not rare to see those guilty of it condemned to capital punishment. Too weak to resist the imperious demands of the young virgin's slanderer, or perhaps deceived by his skillfully disguised lies, the judge pronounced a death sentence against the young girl that was to be executed immediately. Mary heard it with calm and resignation, entrusting to God the task of revealing her innocence. The day was drawing to its close when she was led to the place of her execution. The small dwelling, where for some years she had served God with such happiness, was on the way. When they arrived there, she asked permission, before dying, to say a final prayer to the most holy Virgin. The judge consented, and Mary, her soul broken with sorrow, fell to her knees. She begged the sweet Queen of Heaven, she who is the refuge of all the afflicted, to come to her aid in her anguish, and at the same time asked for forgiveness for all those who might have contributed in any way to her death. She further asked that those who would come to this place to pay their respects to the most holy Virgin might be preserved from pains or wounds, from bruises and condemnations; and this in consideration of the sorrow, pain, and anxiety of her soul.

Finally she prayed for herself, so that after this fleeting life, she might deserve to be introduced, by the Queen of Virgins, into the glorious Paradise, with the double crown of virginity and martyrdom. Her prayer finished, Mary rose and walked quietly to the place of torment. There, the executioner bound her feet and hands, and then made a hole in the ground. During all these funeral preparations, the numerous spectators who surrounded the innocent victim shed tears in abundance. The executioner himself said, addressing the young girl: "Mary, intercede for me, I pray you, with God". — "I pray to God", she answered him, "that He may forgive you what you are about to do as well as all your sins. I also forgive with all my heart those who may have offended me by their words and actions, and I intend to ask for their grace from the merciful God".

However, the slanderer of Mary the Sorrowful was there in the midst of the crowd, observing with a dry eye all the preparations for the execution. When they were finished, the executioner seized the young girl and placed her in the hole he had dug. Having then covered her with earth, he took a quadrangular stake, placed its pointed end on her body, and then three men, armed with heavy hammers, drove it in with violence. A moment later, the torment of the innocent virgin was finished and that of her slanderer was about to begin. Indeed, this wretch, having returned to his home, sought sleep in vain; his soul, given over to remorse, was agitated by the most dreadful visions. Soon he even let out horrible cries and became so furious that it was necessary to bind his feet and hands to prevent him from taking his own life. For seven years, this great culprit remained in this state, which was for all a tangible proof of the vengeance of heaven. His parents and friends had already done everything in their power to bring him back to reason and trust in God, when one day they conceived the plan to take him to the church, near which Mary the Sorrowful had lived. When it was necessary to take the sick man down from the cart on which he had been brought, he flew into such a fury that his friends, despairing of being able to make him enter the church, rang the bell to call the inhabitants to their aid. They helped them lead their unfortunate relative before the altar of the holy Virgin, and all together addressed a fervent prayer to heaven there. Immediately the evil spirit that possessed this man abandoned him: he, feeling himself healed, fell to his knees himself and addressed his prayer to the holy Mother of God and to the blessed Mary the Sorrowful. At the same time, he publicly confessed the crime of which he had been guilty against the innocent recluse, and all those who were present adored the justice and mercy of God which had been manifested upon him in such a striking manner.

The almost contemporary author, who reports the life of the virgin of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, points to a large number of miraculous healings performed in his time, the details of which were known to everyone. These prodigious facts have been repeated very often since that time, especially in the chapel near which she had lived. It was for this reason that, at the request of twelve prelates, Pope Urban V granted in 1363 indulgences pape Urbain V Reforming pope of French origin, 200th pope of the Catholic Church. "in favor of the faithful who would visit the chapel of Saint Mary, commonly called the Sorrowful, in the parish of Woluwe, in the diocese of Cambrai, on different days of the year." This Bull was published the following year by Pierre André, Bishop of Cambrai; it was published again in 1611 by Mathias Hovius, Archbishop of Mechelen, the diocese to which the parish of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre has belonged since. The body of the blessed Martyr rests in this church, under the high altar: she was especially honored there on June 17, which is probably the day of her death. Some authors set it in the year 1290, others in 1294, under John II, Duke of Brabant.

We have borrowe d this biography from t Jean II, duc de Brabant Duke of Brabant during whose reign the saint is said to have died. he Lives of the Saints of Cambrai and Arras, by Abbé Destombes.