Friedrich Bernard Christian Maassen
United Sees of Macerata and Tolentino
Vicariate Apostolic of Mackenzie
Marie-Edmé-Patrice-Maurice de MacMahon
Joseph-Anna-Marie de Moyria de Mailla
François-Pierre-Gonthier Maine de Biran
Françoise, Marquise de Maintenon
Joseph-Marie, Comte de Maistre
Marcellinus of Civezza, O.F.M.
Margaret of the Blessed Sacrament
Prefecture Apostolic of Mariana Islands
Congregation of the Missionaries of Mariannhill
Sts. Maris, Martha, Audifax, and Abachum
Lucius Perpetuus Aurelianus Marius Maximus
Vicariate Apostolic of Marquesas Islands
Moral and Canonical Aspect of Marriage
Diocese of Marseilles (Massilia)
Vicariate Apostolic of the Marshall Islands
Diocese of Marsico Nuovo and Potenza
Luigi Ferdinando, Count de Marsigli
Missionaries of the Company of Mary
Servants of Mary (Order of Servites)
Society of Mary (Marist Fathers)
St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds of Jesus
Richard Angelus a S. Francisco Mason
Devises and Bequests for Masses (United States)
Feast of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus
Caius Julius Verus Maximinus Thrax
Prefecture Apostolic of Mayotte, Nossi-Bé, and Comoro
Charles Joseph Eugene de Mazenod
Abbey and Congregation of Melk
Vicariate Apostolic of Méndez and Gualaquiza
Francisco Sarmiento de Mendoza
Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy
Sisters of Mercy of St. Borromeo
Frédéric-François-Xavier Ghislain de Mérode
Delegation Apostolic of Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, and Armenia
Metal-Work in the Service of the Church
Prince Klemens Lothar Wenzel von Metternich
Francis, Joseph, and Paul Mezger
Military Orders of St. Michael
Giovanni Francesco Pico della Mirandola
Congregation of the Sisters of Misericorde
Prefecture Apostolic of Misocco and Calanca
Congregation of Priests of the Mission
Congregation of Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo
Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales of Annecy
Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle
Mission Indians (of California)
Catholic Indian Missions of Canada
Catholic Indian Missions of the United States
François-Napoléon-Marie Moigno
Diocese of Molfetta, Terlizzi, and Giovinazzo
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin Molière
Principality and Diocese of Monaco
Canonical Erection of a Monastery
Monophysites and Monophysitism
Monothelitism and Monothelites
Montagnais Indians (Chippewayans)
Charles-Forbes-René, Comte de Montalembert
Marquis de Louis-Joseph Montcalm-Gozon
Diocese of Monterey and Los Angeles
Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu
Anne, First Duke of Montmorency
Alexis-François Artaud de Montor
Antoine-Jean-Baptiste-Robert Auget, Baron de Montyon
Dioceses of Mostar and Markana-Trebinje
Feast of the Most Pure Heart of Mary
Toribio de Benavente Motolinia
Congregations of Mount Calvary
Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Karl Ernst, Freiherr von Moy de Sons
Johann Chrysostomus Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
St. Clair Augustine Mulholland
Baron Eligius Franz Joseph von Münch-Bellinghausen
Archdiocese of Munich-Freising
(SANCTI PETRI ET ARCIS GALLICAÆ)
Diocese; Martinique is one of the French Lesser Antilles, 380 sq. miles in area; It was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493, and colonized by the French about 1625; it was in the hands of the English from 1762-1783, and was again occupied by them in 1792, 1802, 1809, 1815 and again became French territory in 1818. The name Martinique comes from the Carib word Madinima. On Good Friday, 1640, Pè Bouton and Hempteau, Jesuits set out for Martinique, where they founded the celebrated Jesuit mission. Pè Ceubergeon and Gueimu, Jesuits were slain there in 1654 by the revolting Caribs. The "Mémoire concernant la Mission des Pè de la Compagnie de Jé dans les iles franç de l'Amerique" addressed in 1707 by Pè Combaid to Pè Tambourini, General of the Jesuits, and published in 1907 by Pè Rochemonteix, contains moving details concerning the catechetical instructions of the Negro slaves by the Jesuits. In 1753 Pè de Lavalette was named superior general and Prefect Apostolic of the Mission of Martinique; his business transactions were later the cause of very violent attacks on the Society. Pè Rochemonteix has proved that Pè Lavalette acted thus without the knowledge even of his fellow missionaries of Martinique or his superiors in Paris and Rome; that when at length in 1759 and 1760, the missionaries accused him of taking part in forbidden traffic they had no written proof, and that the superiors were not certain until 1762, after the investigation of Pè de la Marche, when Pè de Lavalette was deposed, silenced and sent back to Europe. When in 1848 the Second Republic suppressed slavery in the colonies the prefect Apostolic, Castelli, in a public address, hailed the new epoch as "an era of light and evangelical regeneration".
The diocese of Martinique is suffragan of the Archdiocese of Bordeaux, was created 27 Sept. 1850, and by a law of 20 July, and by a decree of 18 December, 1850. At first the see was fixed at Fort de France, was transferred to St. Pierre on 12 Sept., and the bishop took the title of Bishop of St. Pierre and Fort de France. Bishop Le Herpeur (1851-1858), organized the pilgrimage of Notre Dame de la Dé . Bishop Fava (1872-1879, founded in 1872, a religious weekly bulletin, which later became the daily "Le Bien Public". Martinique was cruelly tried 8 May, 1902, by the eruption of Mt. Pelée, which had long been considered an extinct volcano. This eruption completely destroyed the town of St. Pierre. The island suffered also from the cyclone of 8 Aug 1902, and the earthquake of 1906. After the catastrophe of 1902, the episcopal residence was again transferred to Fort de France. The diocese of Martinique contains 170,000 inhabitants and 46 priests. There are in the diocese Fathers of the Holy Ghost, Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny and of St. Paul of Chartres, hospital and teaching sisters. The Congregation of Notre Dame de la Dé had its origin in the diocese. The present bishop, Mgr de Cormont, was born at Paris, France, 29 March, 1847. Chosen as bishop 14 December, 1899, in succession to Msgr. Carmené, who resigned.
AUBE, La Martinique (Paris 1882); ROCHEMONTEIX, Antoine Lavalettea à la Martinique (Paris 1907); HESS, La Catastrophe de la Martinique Notes d'un reporter(Paris 1902); LACROIX, La Montagne Pelée et ses eruptions (Paris 1904); L'episcopal franç aux xix siècle (Paris 1907), 339-344.
GEORGES GOYAU