father, and this was granted. She had great love for her fellow creatures, was wonderfully kind to the sick and the poor, and gave good counsel to all who sought it.
Among the favours granted her by God was that of communicating during her illness, by the ministry of angels, in the sacrifice of priests who were celebrating mass in another place. This is testified by the Venerable Philip Bianchi, superior of the College of Portanova at Naples, who calls her, "that humble and fervent tertiary."
After her death people thronged to visit her; one woman came on crutches and went away walking actively.
Mary was pronounced "Venerable" in 1803 by Pius VII. Her miracles increased, and in 1843 she was beatified by Gregory XVI. In 1867 she was canonized by Pius IX.
R.M. Analecta. Stadler. Butler, "St Peter of Alcantara." Leon. Her Life was written by Laviosa and distributed with her picture on the occasion of her canonization.
B. Masalda, Aug. 7, is a misprint for Mafalda.
St. Masenza, Maxentia.
St. Masilla, May 6, M. at Milan with many others, in the reign of Maximian. AA.SS.
SS. Massa Candida, Aug. 24, three hundred martyrs, precipitated into quicklime, in Utica, in 258. AA.SS.
St. Massaria, Dec. 17, M. in Africa. Guérin.
St. Mastidia, Masthidia or Mâthie, May 7, V. Her body is known to have been publicly exposed for veneration in the cathedral of Troyes, in Champagne, in the 9th century; but how long before that time she lived is not known. She and St. Maura are among the chief patron saints of Troyes. AA.SS. Martin. Cahier and Châtelain say she is the same as Matthia (1).
St. Mastilla, June 2, one of 227 Roman martyrs commemorated together this day in the Martyrology of St Jerome, AA.SS.
St. Materiana is honoured with Marcellina as patron of the church of Tintagel. Miss Arnold Foster (Dedications) says nothing is known about Materiana, but considers that this Marcellina is the sister of St. Ambrose. Materiana is possibly the same as Madrun.
St. Materna (l) or Magrina. (See Pecinna.)
SS. Materna (2, 3), MM. of Lyons. (See Blandina.)
St. Mathana, Martha (12).
St. Mathia or Mathiase, Matthia (1).
St. Mathilda or Mathildis, Matilda.
St. Mathithia or Mathitia is mentioned in a litany used in England in the 7fch century. Mabillon. Migne. English Mart.
St. Matho, Matilda.
St. Matidia, Mattidia.
St. Matilda (1), March 14, 897-968 (Mahault, Mahtild, Mathildis, Maude, Mechthild, Methildis), Queen of Germany. Wife of Henry I. called the Fowler and the Town-builder (919-936). She was daughter of Count Theodoric, a mighty prince of Saxony, who with his wife Reinhilda lived in the castle of Enger, and here Matilda was born. Not many miles from Enger stood the Benedictine abbey of Herford. It was the oldest foundation in Saxony, and was then ruled by Matilda, mother of Theodoric. While yet in her infancy Matilda (1) was placed under the care of her grandmother to be educated at the monastery. Here she was taught all the useful arts that a good housewife of that day had to practise and to teach. She was diligently instructed in such parts of the Holy Scriptures as the nuns had in their library and in all the history they knew. She learned to read and write Latin and to say and sing prayers and hymns. She excelled in embroidery, and perhaps painted those exquisite miniatures and ornaments with which the transcribers illustrated their careful and beautiful copies of the sacred books. It seems that either the pupils in monasteries were much more seen by visitors than in later times, or that Matilda paid occasional visits to her father's house; for the fame of her beauty, ability and goodness spread throughout the whole land of the Saxons and reached the ears of Duke Otho the
