ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN SEPTEMBER
Saints celebrated on the 19th of September
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Blessed Mary, commemorated on September 19 and September 25, the daughter of a Spanish nobleman named William de Cervello (Cervellione) and his wife Mary, was born in Barcelona in 1230, after the marriage had long been childless. From infancy, Mary showed an inclination toward piety, manifested in great love for God, prompt obedience to her parents, generosity toward the poor, and strict chastity. As a young woman coming of age, she could have made a respectable marriage twice, but she preferred perpetual virginity to the married state. Her father died in 1260. From then on, mother and daughter practiced even greater austerity for the sake of God. They lived near the religious house of the Order of Mercy (de Mercede) and devoted themselves to works of Christian charity. When her mother also died, on December 27, 1264, Blessed Mary took the habit of the aforementioned Order. She was soon elected Superior and confirmed by Father Bernard de Corbaria. Chroniclers of the Order praise her wise leadership, her austere way of life, her constant zeal in prayer, and above all her wonderful charity toward her neighbour - whence comes her other epithet, de Socos (meaning de succursu, or of succor/assistance). The extraordinary gifts bestowed upon her by God - the spirit of prophecy, infused knowledge, and frequent ecstasies - bear witness to her great progress on the path to perfection. Her intercession proved especially powerful both during her lifetime and after her death for seafarers, who often called upon her with success when in great danger. For this reason, she is depicted holding a ship in her hand. Incidentally, she was laid to rest in the burial ground reserved for the sisters of the Order. Veneration of her began upon her death (in 1290) and has continued uninterrupted ever since.
(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 4, Augsburg, 1875)
Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations
PRAYER:
May the intercession of the blessed Mary commend us to you, so that through his merits we may obtain that which we cannot accomplish by our own. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org

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