Mother Most Admirable
Our Foundress recognized the greatness of Mary and held her in a special place in her life in accord with the will of the Church. She nurtured a special devotion and recommended this devotion to all the Sisters of the congregation that she founded.
When the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIII, granted a plenary indulgence for the Feast of Our Lady of Snows (August 5th) she wrote: “This Feast should be solemnly kept in the entire congregation and a promise made to Our Mother Most Admirable to have her honored by many under the title, Mother Most Admirable.” (July 13, 1884)
At the time of her journey in Rome, Mother Foundress visited the basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, wanting to see the icon of the Mother of God, from which the picture had been copied which we honor under the title Mother Most Admirable /Mater Admirabilis/ . Mother Franciska herself describes, filled with an inner emotion, the grace to be able to see this precious treasure from close range: “On the 20th we saw the picture of “Our Lady of Snows”. Msgr. Cataldi arranged it for us. Five locks and doors had to be opened before going through narrow corridors and up a high winding staircase; we arrived at the back of the picture. It is like ours.” (Circa. Rome, 1.30.1886)
“IT IS LIKE OURS”. This happy ascertainment of our spiritual Mother, the joy to have seen the picture of the Mother of God, which is identical with that she revered – or which is similar to that of our Mother Most Admirable, induces us to look for the footprints on the way, which finally leads to OURS.
It should be mentioned in the beginning that it concerns a very well known and revered icon. The fact that it is in this basilica in Rome is also important. If we follow the historical path of the basilica we can arrive to the origin of Christianity and consequently to the devotion of the Mother of God of that time. This goes back to the time of the Apostles. We know that the Council of Ephesus ceremoniously conferred the title of Mother of God to the Virgin Mary. “Theotokos” was used by the Christians already then. The icon of the Mother of God that is revered in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is one of those that are attributed to St. Luke.
She is called Mary of Snows. This part goes back to the legend of the miracle of the snow, which specified the location on which the church was to be built. According to this legend, the Mother of God appeared to a Roman Patrician by the name, Giovanni, whom she asked to have a church built in her honor on the spot she will miraculously show him. And see, on August 5th, in the middle of summer, the Esquilin Hill was covered with snow: it was the sign that the Virgin had promised. Pope Liberio (352 – 366) who also saw this, drew in the snow the contours of the church which would be the most famous one in honor of the Mother of God.
Regarding the picture in Santa Maria Magiore the researchers do not agree as to its origin. We point to a study of comparison of Prof. Cellini in which he discovered that a fragment of the painting in the interior court of the church SANTA MARIA ANTIQUA, built by Pope Silvester (314-335), has the same contours as the picture in Santa Maria Maggiore. At the restoration of this picture the Virgin appears sitting on a throne. The similarity of the pictures is unmistakable, thus one can accept a common pattern. The similarity is especially visible in two details, which surely derive from the original: the small cloth with fringes (mappula fimbratta), in the right hand of the Virgin, and the naturalness of holding the Child. This latter quality is according to Joseph Wilpert very rare in Roman art and is only seen in this picture in Santa Maria Maggiore and in the fragment in the church SANTA MARIA ANTIQUA.
We find the explanation for this unusual naturalness in the description of the original of the picture by Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical, “Redemptoris Mater”: . . . Mary is represented there as the throne of God, who holds the Lord and presents him to humankind (Theotokos)”.
The great reverence which the icon enjoyed in Santa Maria resulted in the fact that for many centuries no artist received permission to make a copy, until 1570. It is very interesting to follow the beginning of the numerous and incessant voyages of the dear Mother of God by means of her picture. In many of her travels she meets us. Yes, she was already there and waited for the Daughters of Divine Charity, who brought her picture along, who received her as a beloved companion and also “LOVED HER AS THEIR MOTHER, PATRONESS AND MISTRESS OF LOVE.” (Statutes of 1871)
Let us go to the fascinating history. In the year 1569 Father Inacio de Azevedo returned from his visitation voyage in Brasil. For his return trip he asked from his General Superior, St. Francis Borgia, a copy of the picture of the Mother of God, “MARY OF SNOWS,” as a patron for his mission. The reverence which Borgia himself had to this picture, induced him to submit a petition in this regard to the Pope, moreover through the rector of the church Santa Maria Maggiore, St. Charles Borromeo. The Pope, St. Pius V, granted what was almost impossible. Borgia was allowed to bring the revered picture to the chapel of the profession house and have it copied.
From this copy several others had been painted. Borgia presented two of them to his missionaries, Pater Inacio de Azevedo and Pater Rodolfo Aquaviva. Four went to the houses of the order: to the profession house in Rome, to the noviate in Brno (our Congregation is in this Czech city since 1870) and to Cracow (where there are Daughters of Divine Charity since 1886) and to the school in Ingolstadt (in Bavaria, the home of our Foundress). Five copies went to the nobility: to Queen Catarina of Portugal, to King Sebastian of Portugal, to Felipe II of Spain, to Dempress Maria, wife of Maximilian II, to Princess Joana of Madrid and to Elisabeth, wife of King Carlos IX of France. It is not surprising that these pictures, “like ours,” are diffused everywhere, as these first ones have been copied again. The picture came to Vienna through the Habsburgs. Mother Franciska surely revered the picture of the Mother of God in the Augustinian church, in Vienna, as she visited this church with her first sisters.
She came closer in order to become ever more our “Mother Most Admirable.” The Jesuits from Kalksburg had often been our retreat masters in Breitenfurt. From August 8 – 15, 1880 P. Edward Fischer gave the spiritual exercises and recommended to the sisters to revere the “Mater ter Admirabilis.” Mother Franciska participated at these exercises. Perhaps she was already familiar with this picture ever since Bavaria, and was very happy about this suggestion. Pater Fischer invited her to visit the chapel in Kalksburg and she prayed there in front of the picture of Mary. On January 22, 1881 two of our sisters visited Kalksburg and received from the Rector, Pater Widmann, three large pictures of “Mater ter Admirabilis.” Thus it came to us - - ours. It is a copy of the one which “is like ours!” And she remained by us. Later, Mother Franciska chose Mother Most Admirable for the Patron of our Congregation.
Excerpts taken from “An Attempt to Follow Her Footprints”
compiled by Sr. M. Therezia Hetzel, FDC
Our Foundress recognized the greatness of Mary and held her in a special place in her life in accord with the will of the Church. She nurtured a special devotion and recommended this devotion to all the Sisters of the congregation that she founded.
When the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIII, granted a plenary indulgence for the Feast of Our Lady of Snows (August 5th) she wrote: “This Feast should be solemnly kept in the entire congregation and a promise made to Our Mother Most Admirable to have her honored by many under the title, Mother Most Admirable.” (July 13, 1884)
At the time of her journey in Rome, Mother Foundress visited the basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, wanting to see the icon of the Mother of God, from which the picture had been copied which we honor under the title Mother Most Admirable /Mater Admirabilis/ . Mother Franciska herself describes, filled with an inner emotion, the grace to be able to see this precious treasure from close range: “On the 20th we saw the picture of “Our Lady of Snows”. Msgr. Cataldi arranged it for us. Five locks and doors had to be opened before going through narrow corridors and up a high winding staircase; we arrived at the back of the picture. It is like ours.” (Circa. Rome, 1.30.1886)
“IT IS LIKE OURS”. This happy ascertainment of our spiritual Mother, the joy to have seen the picture of the Mother of God, which is identical with that she revered – or which is similar to that of our Mother Most Admirable, induces us to look for the footprints on the way, which finally leads to OURS.
It should be mentioned in the beginning that it concerns a very well known and revered icon. The fact that it is in this basilica in Rome is also important. If we follow the historical path of the basilica we can arrive to the origin of Christianity and consequently to the devotion of the Mother of God of that time. This goes back to the time of the Apostles. We know that the Council of Ephesus ceremoniously conferred the title of Mother of God to the Virgin Mary. “Theotokos” was used by the Christians already then. The icon of the Mother of God that is revered in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is one of those that are attributed to St. Luke.
She is called Mary of Snows. This part goes back to the legend of the miracle of the snow, which specified the location on which the church was to be built. According to this legend, the Mother of God appeared to a Roman Patrician by the name, Giovanni, whom she asked to have a church built in her honor on the spot she will miraculously show him. And see, on August 5th, in the middle of summer, the Esquilin Hill was covered with snow: it was the sign that the Virgin had promised. Pope Liberio (352 – 366) who also saw this, drew in the snow the contours of the church which would be the most famous one in honor of the Mother of God.
Regarding the picture in Santa Maria Magiore the researchers do not agree as to its origin. We point to a study of comparison of Prof. Cellini in which he discovered that a fragment of the painting in the interior court of the church SANTA MARIA ANTIQUA, built by Pope Silvester (314-335), has the same contours as the picture in Santa Maria Maggiore. At the restoration of this picture the Virgin appears sitting on a throne. The similarity of the pictures is unmistakable, thus one can accept a common pattern. The similarity is especially visible in two details, which surely derive from the original: the small cloth with fringes (mappula fimbratta), in the right hand of the Virgin, and the naturalness of holding the Child. This latter quality is according to Joseph Wilpert very rare in Roman art and is only seen in this picture in Santa Maria Maggiore and in the fragment in the church SANTA MARIA ANTIQUA.
We find the explanation for this unusual naturalness in the description of the original of the picture by Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical, “Redemptoris Mater”: . . . Mary is represented there as the throne of God, who holds the Lord and presents him to humankind (Theotokos)”.
The great reverence which the icon enjoyed in Santa Maria resulted in the fact that for many centuries no artist received permission to make a copy, until 1570. It is very interesting to follow the beginning of the numerous and incessant voyages of the dear Mother of God by means of her picture. In many of her travels she meets us. Yes, she was already there and waited for the Daughters of Divine Charity, who brought her picture along, who received her as a beloved companion and also “LOVED HER AS THEIR MOTHER, PATRONESS AND MISTRESS OF LOVE.” (Statutes of 1871)
Let us go to the fascinating history. In the year 1569 Father Inacio de Azevedo returned from his visitation voyage in Brasil. For his return trip he asked from his General Superior, St. Francis Borgia, a copy of the picture of the Mother of God, “MARY OF SNOWS,” as a patron for his mission. The reverence which Borgia himself had to this picture, induced him to submit a petition in this regard to the Pope, moreover through the rector of the church Santa Maria Maggiore, St. Charles Borromeo. The Pope, St. Pius V, granted what was almost impossible. Borgia was allowed to bring the revered picture to the chapel of the profession house and have it copied.
From this copy several others had been painted. Borgia presented two of them to his missionaries, Pater Inacio de Azevedo and Pater Rodolfo Aquaviva. Four went to the houses of the order: to the profession house in Rome, to the noviate in Brno (our Congregation is in this Czech city since 1870) and to Cracow (where there are Daughters of Divine Charity since 1886) and to the school in Ingolstadt (in Bavaria, the home of our Foundress). Five copies went to the nobility: to Queen Catarina of Portugal, to King Sebastian of Portugal, to Felipe II of Spain, to Dempress Maria, wife of Maximilian II, to Princess Joana of Madrid and to Elisabeth, wife of King Carlos IX of France. It is not surprising that these pictures, “like ours,” are diffused everywhere, as these first ones have been copied again. The picture came to Vienna through the Habsburgs. Mother Franciska surely revered the picture of the Mother of God in the Augustinian church, in Vienna, as she visited this church with her first sisters.
She came closer in order to become ever more our “Mother Most Admirable.” The Jesuits from Kalksburg had often been our retreat masters in Breitenfurt. From August 8 – 15, 1880 P. Edward Fischer gave the spiritual exercises and recommended to the sisters to revere the “Mater ter Admirabilis.” Mother Franciska participated at these exercises. Perhaps she was already familiar with this picture ever since Bavaria, and was very happy about this suggestion. Pater Fischer invited her to visit the chapel in Kalksburg and she prayed there in front of the picture of Mary. On January 22, 1881 two of our sisters visited Kalksburg and received from the Rector, Pater Widmann, three large pictures of “Mater ter Admirabilis.” Thus it came to us - - ours. It is a copy of the one which “is like ours!” And she remained by us. Later, Mother Franciska chose Mother Most Admirable for the Patron of our Congregation.
Excerpts taken from “An Attempt to Follow Her Footprints”
compiled by Sr. M. Therezia Hetzel, FDC
St. Therese Church
St. Therese Academy
