Mary Ward

In 1611, during her prayers, Mary Ward clearly perceived the divine instruction: "Take the same of the Society," understanding that she must model her foundation on the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola. They thus conceived an institute of apostolic women, without strict monastic enclosure, without a distinctive religious habit, and governed by a superior general reporting directly to the Pope rather than to local bishops. This revolutionary vision collided head-on with the decrees of the Council of Trent, which imposed strict enclosure on all religious women. Despite the lack of official papal approval, the institute developed rapidly. Mary Ward and her companions founded houses and schools across Europe: in Saint-Omer, Liège, Cologne, Trier, Rome, Perugia, Naples, Munich, Vienna, and Pressburg (Bratislava). To plead her cause, she made three grueling journeys to Rome on foot, crossing the Alps in the middle of winter. However, the opposition of the Roman Curia and the Inquisition grew. On January 13, 1631, Pope Urban VIII promulgated the suppression bull Pastoralis Romani Pontificis, which dissolved the institute. Accused of heresy and disobedience, Mary Ward was arrested on February 7, 1631, and imprisoned for more than two months in unsanitary conditions at the Poor Clares' convent of the Anger (Angerkloster) in Munich. During her captivity, she managed to communicate with her companions by writing secret letters in invisible ink (lemon juice). Released in April 1631, she went to Rome to defend herself before the Pope, who personally cleared her of all charges of heresy, although the suppression of her work was maintained. In 1639, she returned to England. Fleeing the troubles of the Civil War in London, she settled in 1642 in Heworth, near York. She died there on January 30, 1645, surrounded by her last faithful followers. Due to anti-Catholic laws, she was buried on February 1, 1645, in the cemetery of the Anglican church of St Thomas in Osbaldwick.

After the death of Mary Ward, her companions continued to live clandestinely according to her intuitions. In 1703, Pope Clement XI approved the "81 Rules" of the institute, but without the name of Mary Ward being associated with them. In 1749, Pope Benedict XIV authorized the office of Superior General, while formally forbidding the recognition of Mary Ward as foundress. The official rehabilitation was extremely late. It was not until 1909 that Pope Saint Pius X lifted this prohibition and finally authorized the religious sisters to officially recognize Mary Ward as their foundress. In 1951, Pope Pius XII paid her a vibrant public tribute, describing her as an "incomparable woman whom Catholic England gave to the Church in its darkest and bloodiest hours." Finally, in 1979, the Holy See officially approved the adoption of the Jesuit Constitutions for her institute.

The cause for the beatification of Mary Ward was officially introduced in Rome. On December 19, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI signed the decree recognizing the heroic nature of her virtues, conferring upon her the title of Venerable. Her cause is currently under investigation under the direction of the postulator, Sister Elizabeth Cotter CJ, awaiting the recognition of a miracle attributed to her intercession.

Mary Ward's spirituality is based on the adaptation of Ignatian spirituality for women: to seek and find God in all things, to act for the greater glory of God, and to be 'contemplatives in action.' She firmly believed in the dignity and the spiritual and intellectual capacity of women, stating in particular: 'There is no such difference between men and women, that women may not do great things' and 'Women in time to come will do much.' Her legacy is alive today through two religious branches that share her charism: 1. The Congregatio Jesu (CJ), which officially adopted this name in 2003/2004 to fully realize the wish of its founder. 2. The Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM), also known as the Loreto Sisters, founded in Ireland in 1821 by Teresa Ball. These two congregations, committed to education and apostolic action, manage a global network of nearly 200 schools in more than 40 countries today. Each year, 'Mary Ward Week' is celebrated from January 23 (the anniversary of her birth) to January 30 (the anniversary of her death).