NOAILLAT, MARTHÉ de. — Martha Devuns, apostle of devotion to Christ the King, was born at Crotoy (Somme) on 26 Nov. 1865 and died at Paray-le-Monial on 5 Feb. 1926.
Convinced, after no brief experiment, that she was not called to the religious life, she engaged in varied activity: five years of humble apostolate at Nevers; four years of educational apostolate at Auteuil, as head of the Bossuet courses; seven years of social apostolate as propagandist for the «Ligue patriotique des Français». Moving to Paray-le-Monial with Georges de N., director of the Hiéron (Museum of the Sacred Heart), she resumed with him the idea, already advanced by the Jesuit Fr P. Sanna Solaro but then abandoned, of obtaining a feast in honour of the Kingship of Christ. She therefore drew up a memorandum and collected signatures of bishops, aided by the propaganda of the «Apostleship of Prayer». The path was long, but finally M. de N. was able to attend the first Mass of the Feast of Christ the King, celebrated by Pius XI on 31 Dec. 1925. The following year she died.