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Born
on 21st May 1839 in Nantes, France, into a noble Christian family, Hélène
Marie Philippine de Chappotin de Neuville, in religion Mary of the Passion,
showed from childhood eminent natural gifts and a deep faith.
In
April 1856, during a retreat, she first experienced a call from God to a life of
total consecration. The unforeseen death of her mother delayed its realisation.
In December 1860, with the consent of the Bishop of Nantes, she entered the Poor Clares whose ideal of the simplicity and poverty of Saint Francis attracted her.
On
23rd January 1861, while still a postulant, she had a profound experience of God
who invited her to offer herself as a victim for the Church and the Pope. This
experience marked her for life. A short time after, having become seriously ill,
she had to leave the monastery. When she was well again, her confessor directed
her towards the Society of Marie Reparatrice. She entered with them in 1864 and
on the following 15th August, in Toulouse, she received the religious habit with
the name of Mary of the Passion.
In
March 1865, while still a novice, she was sent to India, to the Apostolic
Vicariate of Madurai, confided to the Society of Jesus. The Reparatrice sisters
there had the task of formation of sisters of an autochthonous congregation as
well as being involved in other apostolic activities. It was there, that she
pronounced her temporary vows on 3rd May 1866.
Because
of her gifts and virtues, she was nominated local superior and then, in July
1867, she was named provincial superior of the three convents of the Reparatrice.
Under her guidance, the works of the apostolate developed, peace which had been
some-what disturbed by tensions which were already existing in the mission, was
re-established and fervour and regularity flourished again in the communities.
In
1874, a new house was founded in Ootacamund in the Vicariate of Coimbatore,
confided to the Paris Foreign Mission Society. However in Madurai the
dissensions became exacerbated to such an extent that, in 1876 some religious,
among them Mary of the Passion, were driven to leave the Society of Marie
Reparatrice, reuniting, at Ootacamund under the jurisdiction of the Vicar
Apostolic of Coimbatore, Monsignor Joseph Bardou MEP.
In
November 1876, Mary of the Passion went to Rome to regularize the situation of
the twenty separated sisters and, on 6th January 1877, obtained the
authorization from Pius IX to found a new Institute which was to be specifically
missionary and was to be called the Missionaries of Mary.
On
the suggestion of the Congregation of Propaganda Fide, Mary of the Passion
opened a novitiate in Saint-Brieuc in France, where very soon numerous vocations
came along. In April 1880, and in June 1882, the Servant of God went to Rome to
resolve the difficulties which were threatening to hinder the stability and
growth of the young Institute. This latter journey, on June 1882, marked an
important stage in her life: in fact she was authorized to open a house in Rome
and, through providential circumstances, she rediscovered the Franciscan
direction which God had indicated to her twenty-two years previously. On 4th
October 1882, in the Church of the Aracoeli, she was received into the Third
Order of Saint Francis and thus began her relationship with the Servant of God,
Fr. Bernardin de Portogruaro, Minister General, who with paternal solicitude
would support her in her trials.
In
March 1883, due to latent opposition, Mary of the Passion was deposed from her
office of Superior of the Institute. However, after an inquiry ordered by Leo
XIII, her innocence was fully acknowledged and at the Chapter of July 1884 she
was re-elected.
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