FRANCESCANE MISSIONARIE DI MARIA, ISTITUTO delle. — It was founded by Elena de Chappotin de Neuville, born in Nantes on 21 May 1839. Having come to Rome in 1877, she laid the foundations of the new Institute and took in religion the name of Mother Maria della Passione.
In 1882 the Institute was adopted by the Order of Friars Minor. On 12 September 1885 it obtained the decree of praise, and on the 30th of the same month the Minister General of the Friars Minor confirmed its adoption by his Order. On 17 July 1890 the Institute was definitively approved, and on 11 May 1896 its constitutions were also definitively approved. After the publication of the CIC, the constitutions were approved by decree of the S. Congregation of Propaganda Fide dated 8 July 1922. By a letter of the same date, the constitutions for the indigenous oblate sisters, who make vows and assist the Franciscan sisters in their various works, were also approved.
Because of its essentially missionary purpose, it depends on Propaganda and consists of two classes of sisters who combine the contemplative life with the active life. On 31 December 1949 it had 392 houses spread throughout the five parts of the world and 8,600 sisters belonging to 64 nationalities and engaged in the most varied works of education and charity. The seven sisters martyred on 9 July 1900 at Tai-yuan-fu (China) were beatified on 24 November 1946, and the cause of beatification of the foundress and of Sister Maria Assunta Pallotta is in progress.
