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Cervellon. One dav she heard a sermon preached by
Blessed Bernard de Ck>rbarie. the superior of the
Brotherhood of Our Lady of Ransom at Barcelona,
and was so deeply affected by his pleading for the
Christian slaves and captives in the hands of the
Turks that she resolved to do all in her power for their
alleviation. In 1265 she joined a little community of
Sious women who lived near the monastery of the [ercedarians and spent their lives in prayer and good works under the direction of Blessed Bernard de Cor- barie. They obtained permission to constitute a Third Order of Our Lady of Ransom {de Mercede) and to wear the habit of the Brotherhood of Our Lad^r of Ransom. In addition to the usual vows of tertiaries, they promised to pray for the Christian slaves. Mary was unanimously elected the first superior. On ac- count of her great charitv towards the needy she be- gan to be called Maria de oocoe (Mary of Help) a name under which she is still venerated in Catalonia. Her cult, which began immediately after her death, was approved by Innocent XII in 1692. She is invoked especially against shipwreck and is generally repre- sented with a ship in her hand. Her feast is cele- brated on 25 September.
Acta SS.t September, VII, 152-171; Dunbar, Didionary of Saintly Women, II (London, 1906). 66-7; Ulate, Vita Catha- launuB Virginia Maricf de Cervellon (Madrid, 1712); Ayala, Vida de a. Maria del Socoa de la orden de N. S. de laa Mercedea (Salamnnca, 1696); Corbrra, Vida y hechoa maravilloaaa de d. Maria de Cerveilon, clamado Maria Socoa (Barcelona, 1639}; a Life written by her oontemporaxy John de Laes is printed in Acta SS.t loc. cit.
Michael Ott.
Maxy de Sales Ohappuis (Marie-Th^rebe Chap- PUis), VENERABLE, of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, b. at Soyhidres, a village of the Bernese Jura (then French territory), 16 June, 1793; d. at Troyes, 6 October, 1875. Her parents were excellent Chnstians: her father had seen service in the regular Guard (the Cent-Sriisses corps) of the King of France. Her mother, n^e Catherine Fleury, was the sister of the Cur€ of Soyhidres. Out of eleven children bom of this union, six entered religion. From infancy Marie- Th6r6se was remarkable for her piety. She made her First Communion in 1802 and at the age of twelve years entered as an intern pupil in the Visitation Convent at Fribourg, where she* remained three years. In June, 1811, she returned to the convent as a postulant, but left it again in three months. Three years later she came back, took the religious habit on 3 June, 1815, and made her profession on 9 June, 1816. A year after taking her vows she was sent to Metz, but reasons of health compelled her to return to Fribourg. In 1826 she became superior of the monastery at Troyes, and in 1833 spent six months in the second monastery in Paris, where she was afterwards to be superior (1838-44). The greater part of her life was spent at Troyes, where she was elected superior eleven times, and where she celebrated in 1866 the golden anniver- sary of her religious profession. Iler last illness attacked her in September, 1875.
Mother Maiy de Sales is celebrated chiefly for her zeal in spreading a certain kind of spirituahty which she called "The Way" (La Vote). Her principal biographer. Father Brisson, who had been for thirty years confessor to the Visitandines of Troyes, and was her director, writes that by this expression — La Vote — " she understood a state of soul which consisted in depending upon the actual will of God, relishing what- ever was His good pleasure, and imitating the life of the Saviour externally" (Vie de la V^n^r^ Mdre, Marie-de-Sales Chappuis, Paris, 1886, p. 591). The English edition of her life (London, 1900), in translat- ing this sentence, overlooks the word actueUe (actual): "What did the good Mother mean by this Word, 'The Way '? She meant a state of soul which consists in an entire dependence on the Will of God, by an interior consent to n]] that is according to His good pleasure.
and an exterior imitation of our Saviour" (i>. 261).
It adds: "Chosen by God to propagate and spread
abroad this Way, the good Mother consecrated her
whole life to it" (p. 262). To spread this Way, she,
with Father Brisson, founded the Oblates of St.
Francis de Sales. — "It was in order to extend this
Way that she made choice of others like herself, whom
she might inspire with zeal, and point out the means
for attaining the desired end. She solenmly asserted
that they would participate in the grace which she had
herself received trom God, by which they would under-
stand how to deal with souls, and how to lead them to
a love of this resemblance to their Saviour. This, she
said, would be the characteristic work of their apostle-
ship" (ibid.). She and her disciples proclaimed the
marvellous efficacity of "The Way". — "She added
that this Divine action would not tie confined merely
to a certain number of privileged souls, but that it
would be brought within the reach of the most aban-
doned. Nor would it be confined to souls who dweU
under the light and influence of the Gospel, but would
reach those who are the farthest from it, and penetrate
even to the uttermost parts of the world (p. 263).
"'Wishing to save the world over again,' says one of
the leading oblates, Father RoUin, in giving the ideas
of the Good Mother, ' Our Lord had to use means imtil
then unknown' . . ." (Brisson, op. cit., p. 661). The
English "Life" (p. 275) attenuates this passage: "In
His insatiable desire to save the world. He willed to
employ a means hitherto unknown; a means by which
all the glory would redound unto Himself alone, since,
being merely His agents, man would claun no part
therem ..."
For some years past there have been controversies as to the doctrinal value of Venerable Mary de Sales' "Way"; it will be enough to indicate, in the biblio- graphy at the end of this article, some of the various writings which have treated the subject. It seems, indeed, that many of her disciples have exaggerated the purport of the approbation accorded to her writ- ings (2 June, 1892) . Tnat approbation is not absolutely definitive, in that it implies many restrictions, and that, even when joined with beatification, it does not forbia the exercise of a respectful criticism. Benedict XIV says (De Serv. Beattf., II, Prato, 1839, p. 312): "This much, it seems, should be added by way of corollary: It can never be said that the doctrine of a servant of God has been approved by the*Holy See, but, at the most, that it has not been eondenmed. There has been controversy also as to the marvellous deeds at- tributed to Venerable Mary de Sales. This much is certain: that an ecclesiastical commission appointed by the Bishop of Troyes has declared, after canonical investigation, that the facts alleged in the ' Abr^g^ de la vie ', can be explained naturally or in other cases are not sufficiently established" (Rev. des Sciences Eccl^., Sept., 1901, pp. 260-65). Nevertheless, ex- amination of these miracles results in evidence of the personal sanctity of Mother Mary de Sales. The cause of her beatification was introduced at Rome, 27 July, 1897. The Sacred Congregation of Rites will decide as to the doctrine of "The Way", or, at least, as to the miracles, virtues, and perfection of the Venerable Mary de Sales.
Ahrigi de la vie el dea vertua de notra tr^a-honorie et vhiirie Mh^ Marie de Salea Chappuia (Paris, s. d.); Brisson, Vie de la vinirie mere Marie de Salea Chappuia (Paris, 1891); Life of the Venerable Mother Mary de Salea Chappuia (London, 1900); Annalea aal^aiennca (Paris), passim; Poaitio auper introductione cauacB beatificationia aervcB Dei Maria Franciaca Saleaia Chap- puia (Rome, 1897); Poaitio auper fama in genera (Rome. 1903).
SpnoTUAL Teachino. — Penefea de la ven. Mhre Marie de Salea (Paris, 1897); FRXGNitnE, La Voie: sermon preached at Fri- bourg, 19 November, 1897 (Paris, 1898); Watwgant, Une rumvMe Scola de apirUualiii in Etudaa religieuaea (Paris, Jtme. 1899); FRAGNxfcRE. Riponae au Rd. Watrigara eijuatifioation de la vote de chariU de la vHtSrie Mbre Marie de Salea Chappuia (Fribourg, 1900); Watrioant, Lea deux mHhodea de apirituaUti (Lille, 1900); Haoen, Die ehw. Mutter Marie von Salea Chap- puia in Sendfjote dea goUlichen Herzena Jeau (Cincinnati, 1900); MHhodea de apiritualit^ in Ami du clerge (6 February, 1902);
