This year’s Feast of Our Lady of Seven Dolors is special because in 2025, we in the Holy Cross Family celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the Entrance into Eternal Life for Mother Mary of the Seven Dolors (1 March 1818 – 29 January 1900). Born Léocadie Gascoin, she was the woman chosen by Divine Providence and Blessed Basile Moreau to be the first Superior General of the Marianites of Holy Cross. We Marianites know her with affection as “Mother Mary”, and she left us treasured words about Our Lady of Sorrows.

A few quotes from the “Sayings of Mother Mary for Each Day of the Month” offer a window into the relationship between Mother Mary and our Blessed Mother:

• “Think of Mary, Mother of Sorrows; you know how much she loves you. Place yourself, through her, in the loving heart of Jesus.”
• “We have been called to honor the sufferings of Mary in particular…the cross is our heritage.”
• “The cross must be carried whether we like it or not. It is much heavier for cowardly souls than for those who are fervent and generous.”

These words reveal not only a practical, resilient, faith-filled French woman, but also one whose love for Mary was deep and personal. That devotion began early: at age four, Léocadie lost her earthly “Maman” and surely turned to the Blessed Mother for comfort. Later in 1845, at the death of her spiritual mentor, Mother Mary of St. Dositheus, Léocadie leaned on her namesake, Mary of Seven Dolors, for courage during the turbulent beginnings of Holy Cross.

Read more about the Marianites of Holy Cross

Nearly two decades later, writing to Sister Mary of St. John the Baptist (10 January 1860), Mother Mary reflected: “The greatest mark that God can give us of His love…is to cause us to suffer and to carry our cross. This is the seal with which He marks His elect. This Divine Master keeps to Himself the choice of these crosses and these sufferings. Hence, He demands of us great submission to His Divine Will. He wants us to accept our sufferings, sacrifices, and trials, no matter what they may be, with resignation and abandonment, in such a way that we may be able to exclaim: My God, may Thy Will be done and not mine…. Never, never, I say, let yourselves be discouraged and never lose heart because of sadness. May the sight of the Crucifix arouse your courage when it is on the point of failing.”

For me, the Pietà most poignantly captures Mary’s sorrow. During my ministry with AIDS patients before any effective treatment existed, I found in Mary’s enormously welcoming lap a space of welcome and consolation—for my patients, my coworkers, and myself. Side by side with Mary, I began to learn how to become that same compassionate presence for others.

Let Our Lady of the Seven Dolors offer you a place of welcome and compassion. Sit with an image of the Pietà or other favorite picture of Mary of Sorrows. Gaze at it as if it were for the first time. Notice all the colors, contours, and details. Ponder and reflect:

• What does this image reveal about Mary’s presence with me or with us today?
• What present-day sorrows do I want to place in the arms of Mary?
• What does “standing at the foot of the cross” with Mary look like for me at this time?
• How does Mary support and enable me to stand with her at the foot of the cross of today?

Sr. Sue Pablovich, M.S.C., is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, and entered the Marianites of Holy Cross in 1965. Her ministries have included: nursing, spiritual direction, pastoral care, and Congregational service. She offers on-going spiritual direction, the 19th Annotation Retreat, and presentations on certain aspects of the Exercises of St. Ignatius. She currently serves as a part-time Congregational Assistant.