Saint Vincent De Paul / Correspondence, Conferences
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-170- ously so. M. des Jardins has gone to Narbonne and has taken Messieurs Lemerer and Tanguy,' who are Bretons, to Agde. I think M. Dehorgny has now left Richelieu for Brittany, where God, in His infinite goodness, continues to bless you and all your men, whom I cordially embrace. I will send Brother Butler's letters to Rome' the day after tomorrow. I am, in Our Lord.... 3002•• JEAN DEHORGNY TO SAINT VINCENT Riche/ieu. October 8, 1659 Monsieur, Our Sisters 0/ Charity are still sick Sometimes Sister Perrinel has periods oftime that lead us to believe she is on the mend, butthis does not last. Asfor Sister Charlotte, 2 sixyears ago at Christmas she was seriously ill; since then. her health has never been good. Perhaps a change ofair mightputthem both back on theirfeet. I think Mile LeGras would bedoing a great charityfor this place ifshe made an effort to send two other Sisters here because, ifshe sends only one, all her time will be taken up with nursing the two Sisters, and the patients will be left alone. No one visits the Sisters and they are not very weI/-liked. People say that they did not take proper care ofthe sick and 30illes Lemerer (cf. no. 2974a. n. 7); no information is available for M. Tanguy. 4Dimissorial letters for Peter Butler (Pierre Buthleer in Notices, vol. I, p. 482, and vol. V (Supplement], p. 102). Born in Drom, Cashel diocese (Ireland) in April 1632, he entered the Congregation ofthe Mission in Richelieu on August 22, 1654, and took his vows there on August 15, 1656 (cf. vol. VII, no. 2694). This same letter (no. 2694) and others speakofSaint Vincent's attempt in 1658-59 to obtain dimissorialletters for his ordination. The title for ordination in the Congregation ofthe Mission and the authority ofthe Superior General were at variance with the attempts ofPropaganda Fide to have all Irish seminarians ordained on the continent take an oath to return as missionaries to Ireland. Letter 3001. - Archives ofthe Mission, Paris, original autograph letter. 1Penine Bouhery. 2Charlotte Royer. -171- left it to the personnel ofthe house to make their beds. Now, sometimes the Ladies have come across a patient whose bed had not been made for a week. True, theirpoor health may have contributedto that. It is imperative that the ones who come know how to let blood and be very gracious with the patients because this is one ofthe most difficult places there is. I ask Our Lord to assist all a/us, andlam, in His love. Monsieur, your most humble and obedient servant. DEHORGNY, i.s.C.M Addressed: Monsieur Vincent 3003. - TO EDME JOLLY, SUPERIOR, IN ROME I October 11, 1659 Monsieur, The grace ofO[ur] L[ord] be with you forever! I strongly approve ofthe plan ofthat good Bishop who wants workers for the Indies. Would to God that we were worthy to help him! However, the few priests we have are being asked for on all sides. Letter 3003. - Collet. op. cit., vol. II. p. 67. leollet simply states that the letter is addressed to a Missionary in Italy. The contents indicate that it is Edme Jolly. -172- 3004.· TO EDMUND BARRY,' SUPERIOR, IN NOTRE-DAME-DE-LORM Paris, October II, 1659 Monsieur, The grace ofO[ur] L[ord] be with you forever! I am sending you the reply of the Doctors of the Sorbonne regarding the difficulty you raised about the Masses. I forgot to tell you that we cannot receive into the Company a person who wants to leave another well·regulated Community without a legitimate reason. So, it will be a good idea for you to encouragethe seminarianofthe OrderofChristianDoctrine,2 about whom you wrote me, to persevere in that holy religious Order to which God has called him. M. Dehorgny has gone to make the visitation ofour houses in Brittany; ifGod gives him sufficient health, I hope he will go to see you. I am, in O[ur] L[ord], Monsieur, your most humble servant. VINCENT DEPAUL, i.s.C.M. Addressed: Monsieur Barry Letter3004. - Archives ofthe Mission, Turin. original signed letter. JEdmund Barry, born in the Cloyne diocese (Ireland) on June 24, 1613, was ordained 8 priest in Cabot'S in 1639 and entered the Congregation ofthe Mission on July 21. 1641. He took his vows at Saint-Lazare a few days before his departure for Ireland in 1646, returning to France in 1652. after Limerick had been captured by Cromwell's army. He was then placed in RicheJieu (1652-53) and Montauban (1653-80). While in Montauban, he directed the seminary and was Superior there (1657-64,1675-80). Bany was also a Doctor ofTheology and was still alive on May 31. 1680, as two legal documents show, but he died later that year. 2J:n 1592 Cesar de Bus and Jean-Baptiste Romillion founded in Isle (Vaucluse)the Institute ofthe Priests ofChristian Doctrine for the instruction ofthe poor, the ignorant, and the people ofthe nuaI areas. Pope Clement VIII approved it in t 597. The Institute became polarized over the question ohows, and its growth was stifled because ofits trials. -173- 3005.· TO GABRIEL DELESPINEY, SUPERIOR, IN MARSEILLES October 17. 1659 I hope that all ofyou will soon be able to give a mission. Do not be afraid of announcing Christian truths to the people with the simplicity ofthe Gospel and ofthe first workers ofthe Church. We have heard you preach and know that you are going about it the right way in order to touch hearts. The reputation ofthe Company must be in Jesus Christ, and the way to maintain it there is to conform oneselfto Him, and not to great preachers. You will soon have learned enough ofthe languagel to hear confessions. Be very careful to learn first the words people ordinarily use to confess the most common sins, so that you will be able to understand and question the most ignorant among the people. 3006. • TO EDME JOLLY, SUPERIOR, IN ROME Oclober 17. 1659 People are right to congratulate you about your house, not so much for the reasons you tell me, as for the instruments God used in getting it for you. I mean two holy Cardinals I who, having in viewthe honor and service ofGod, wantedtoplaceyouinaposition to procure the above in every way the poor Company can and should do. Two more like them would be needed to help us to thank them for all the favors they have conferred on us and for the charming way inwhich they take pleasure inassisting us, especially Cardinal Durazzo. This seems to behis only interest and, since God alone is the object ofhis actions, he can never be worthily thanked except by Him. Letter 3005. ~ Archives ofthe Mission, Paris, Marseilles manuscript lSaint Vincent is referring to Prov~the dialect ofsoutheastern France (Provence). Letter 3006. Reg. 2, p. 248. lNicolo di Bagno and Stefano Dutazzo. -174- 3007•• TO DOMINIQUE LHillLLIER, IN CRECY Pari~ October 23, 1659 Monsieur, The grace ofO[ur] L[oni] be with you forever! Brother Claude' is now returning. Thank you for having sent him here for such a good reason as that ofbringing us one ofour sick Brothers. M. Maillard will give him 135 Iivres, namely, 125 for the quarterly pension and 10 for his own little needs. I am glad you received the 50 "ens ofyour annual subsidy and that you hope to receive at the end ofthe year the wherewithal to establish the family and its works. I am all the more pleased that it was Madame de Lorthon' who told you so. As for the foundation ofthe late Procurator ofthe King, I will write to you about that some other time; please remind me to do so. We have not yet decided to accept it. Let me know on what the income of10 ecus is assigned and ifit is well secured. I am, in O[ur] L[ord], Monsieur, your most humble servant. VINCENT DEPAUL, Ls.C.M. Addressed: Monsieur Lhuillier, Priest ofthe Mission, in Crecy Letter 3007. - Property ofthe Daughters ofCharity of 12 rue de LimboW'g, Ghent (Belgium), original signed letter. lClaude Gesscaume, coadjutor Brother, born in Villers-sous--Saint-Leu (Oise) in 1615, entered Saint-Lazare on December 6, 1643. lWife ofPiene de Lorthon, the King's secretary and founder oCthe Missionaries' house in C<icy. -175- 3008. - TO JACQUES PESNELLE, SUPERIOR, IN GENOA [In 1659 or 1660J' Long live justice! We have to believe that there is justice in the loss ofyour lawsuit. The same God who gave you the property has deprived you ofit; 2 may His Holy Name be blessed! Property is evil when it is where God does not wish it to be. The more we are like Our Lord, stripped of everything,' the more we will share in His Spirit. The more we seek, like Him, the Kingdom ofGod His Father' and to establish it in ourselves and in others, the more will the necessities oflife be given us. Live in this trust and do not anticipate the sterile years ofwhich youspeak. Ifthey occur, it will not be through any fault of yours, but by the order of Providence, whose ways are always adorable.s Let us then be guided by our Father, who is in heaven,' and strive to have only one will with Him on earth. 3009. - TO EDME JOLLY, SUPERIOR, IN ROME October 24, 1659 We will not be upset about not getting a church, since it is thought inadvisable for us to have one. Thank God, we want only Utter 3008.