Le“AFIN D’ÊTRE FORUM EN PLEINE POSSESSION DE SES MOYENS” VOLUME 38, #2 PRINTEMPS/SPRING 2016 Websites: Le Forum: http://umaine.edu/francoamerican/le-forum/ Oral History: Francoamericanarchives.org Library: francolib.francoamerican.org Occasional Papers: http://umaine.edu/francoamerican/occasional-papers/ Maine’s French Communities: http://www.francomaine.org/English/Pres/Pres_intro.html francoamericanarchives.org other pertinent websites to check out - Les Français d’Amérique / French In America Calendar Photos and Texts from 1985 to 2002 http://www.johnfishersr.net/french_in_america_calendar.html Franco-American Women’s Institute: $6.00 US http://www.fawi.net Le Forum Sommaire/Contents Lettres/Letters..............................3 Joshua Barrière....................45-47 Le Centre Franco-Américain Université du Maine L’État du NH Orono, Maine 04469-5719 .....................3, 38-41 Coin des jeunes.....................42-44 [email protected] Téléphone: 207-581-FROG (3764) L’État du ME..........................4-13 Télécopieur: 207-581-1455 REMINDER!!! Volume 38 Numéro 2 L’État du CT.........................14-23 Printemps/Spring 2016 Publishing Board Please check your mail- Don Levesque Books/Livres..........................24-26 ing labels for expiration date Paul Laflamme Virginia Sand Roy to your subscription. The Lin LaRochelle James Myall...........................27-28 Louella Rolfe year/month, for example, Diane Tinkham 11/09 means your subscrip- David Vermette......29, 30 & 37-38 Rédactrice/Gérante/Managing Editor tion has expired in Sept. Lisa Desjardins Michaud Anne Lucey............................30-36 2011. Le Forum is made Mise en page/Layout Lisa Desjardins Michaud possible by subscriptions and Poetry/Poésie..............................48 Composition/Typesetting your generosity! I thank you Lisa Desjardins Michaud for your continued support! Genealogy...................................49 Aide Technique Lisa Desjardins Michaud Endowment Tirage/Circulation/4,500 One way to support Le FORUM while at the same time reserving life income is Imprimé chez/Printed by the establishment of a charitable gift annuity with the Franco-American Centre Centre Franco-Américain, Orono, Maine Le FORUM Fund at the University of Maine Foundation. Call 1-800-982-8503. Publié 4 fois l’an par le Centre Franco-Américain. Le Forum est distribué surtout aux Franco-Américains des États-Unis. Les énoncés, opinions et points de vue Abonnement au Le FORUM Subscription formulés dans Le Forum sont ceux des auteurs et ne représentent pas nécessairement les points de vue de Si vous ne l’êtes pas abonnez-vous –– s.v.p. l’éditeur ou de la rédactrice, ou du Collège des arts et –– Subscribe if you have not des sciences libéraux à l’Université du Maine. Le Forum is published 4 times a year by the Franco-American Center. Le Forum is distributed in Nom/Name: particular to Franco-Americans in the United States. Statements, opinions and points of view expressed are not necessarily those of the editor, the publishers or the Adresse/Address: ; College of Liberal Arts & Sciences of the University of Maine. Métier/Occupation: Tous les textes soumis doivent parvenir à —For- ward all submitted texts to: Lisa D. Michaud, Rédac- trice-en-chef/Editor-in-chief, Le Forum, University of Ce qui vous intéresse le plus dans Le FORUM section which interests you the Maine, Orono, Maine 04469-5719, U.S., au plus tard most: quatre semaines précédant le mois de publication—at least four weeks prior to the month of publication. Je voudrais contribuer un article au Le FORUM au sujet de: Les lettres de nos lecteurs sont les bienvenues— Letters to the Editor are welcomed. I would like to contribute an article to Le FORUM about: La reproduction des articles est autorisée sans préavis sauf indication contraire—Our original articles may be reproduced without notice unless otherwise Tarif d’abonnement par la poste pour 4 numéros indicated. L’équipe de rédaction souhaite que Le Forum soit Subscription rates by mail for 4 issues: un mode d’expression pour vous tous les Franco-Amér- États-Unis/United States –– Individus: $20 icains et ceux qui s’intéressent à nous. The staff hopes Ailleurs/Elsewhere –– Individus: $25 that Le Forum can be a vehicle of expression for you Organisation/Organizations –– Bibliothèque/Library: $40 Franco-Americans and those who are interested in us. Le Forum et son staff—Universitaires, gens de la Le FORUM communauté, les étudiants -- FAROG, Centre Franco-Américain, Orono, ME 04469-5719 2 SPRING/PRINTEMPS 2016 late seminary staff had been written into the ensuing days. He was jailed at the prison a small notebook, which notebook was of Fontainebleau, which served as temporary Lettres/ discovered on the person of a Resistance housing for Gestapo prisoners awaiting exe- agent at the time of his arrest by the Gesta- cution or deportation to a Nazi death camp. Letters po. I indicated that this Resistance agent’s On 17 August 1944, Yves Masiée and 13 name was Yves Masiée. This was an error. other Resistance agents being held at Fon- While Yves Masiée, whose resistance tainebleau were trucked into the Arbonne agent code name was Corret, a decorated forest and shot. Their bodies were discov- Correction Lieutenant Colonel in the French Army ered after liberation, in December 1944. Dear Le Forum, and decorated hero of WWI & WWII, was I am deeply indebted to the Masiée involved in the procurement of arms for la family for kindly bringing this error to I write to correct an error in an ar- Résistance, he was not the resistance worker my attention. I regret any pain this error ticle I wrote entitled Mon Oncle Luc. Le on whose person the Oblate Priests’ names has caused the Masiée family these many Forum published the article in 2007, Vol. were discovered. The notebook containing decades later, and am very pleased, with 33, 2 & 3. In this article I made reference the names was likely found on the person their thoughtful help, as well as with to the inadvertent unmasking of several of another Resistance agent, whose code the kind guidance of Le Forum’s editor, Oblate of Mary Immaculate (OMI) priests name was Renard, and whose actual name Lisa Michaud, to bring my error to light. and brothers at the Oblate seminary at I do not know. It is further evident that Yves La Brosse Montceaux, France, who were Masiée was not actually arrested by the Laurent “Larry” Autotte involved in the procurement of arms into Gestapo until after the murderous events at [email protected] France to arm Resistance agents. In this the Seminary of La Brosse Montceaux on 24 17 March 2016 article I indicated that the names of 5 Ob- July 1944, perhaps later that evening or in (See revised article below) New Hampshire played an important role. sister, Bernadette, my mother, was the 16th. Uncle Luc It is a story of treachery, heroism and mar- In 1927, when my grandmother by Laurent Autotte tyrdom which, having visited the grounds asked which of her sons would be the first Manchester, NH of the former seminary of La Brosse-Mont- priest in her family, Luc announced that it ceaux, having touched the crosses which would be him, and that he wished to be- The following story is about my uncle, mark where each of the five Oblate martyrs come a missionary priest with the Oblates Father Luc Miville, OMI, (Oblate of Mary fell, and of course having known mon of Mary Immaculate, in the footsteps of Immaculate) my mother’s brother. I based the oncle Luc, continues to move me deeply. his cousin, Father Léon Ouellette, OMI, story in small part on personal recollections Luc Miville (aka: Luke) was born in who was ordained an Oblate missionary of my conversations with mon oncle Luc and August 1908, the son of Joseph François in 1927 and who was serving missions my mom, Bernadette. These recollections Miville and Marie Louise Bernier. He in Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Yukon have been supplemented by the abundant Territory of western Canada, his likely detail available via the Internet in the form of role model. Sadly, my grandmother would published mémoires of French Oblate priests not live to see her son ordained a priest. who lived through the same painful events While Luc’s seminary studies would as did mon oncle Luc. These mémoires not normally have occurred within the New En- only provided me with heretofore unknown gland province of the Oblate fathers, at age details, but perhaps more importantly, the 18, Luc had not completed any high school served to corroborate my recollections course work. The Oblate community offered of conversations with mon oncle Luc. him an opportunity to complete his high In particular, I point to the details of school education at seminary. However, as the events which transpired at the French the New England province of Oblates did not Oblate house of studies at La Brosse-Mont- offer high school level training at that time, ceaux, France, where the Oblates had a he would need to complete his high school surprise and murderous encounter with the course work with the Oblates in their U.S. Gestapo near the end of WWII, 24 July southwestern province based in San Antonio, 1944. These details, gleaned from French Texas after which he would be free to return Oblate priests’ independent recollections, to the New England province to complete occurring over several decades, but which his studies for the priesthood. In September are wonderfully identical in detail, have 1927, family, friends and cello lessons left served me as a singularly rich source of behind, Luc Miville was off to San Antonio. detail enabling me to bring this story to light. Père Luc Miville After completing his high school It is, I believe, a story of a very little studies in San Antonio in 1930, Luc was known and important moment in the French was the 12th of 16 siblings born in the advised by his superiors that he was free to Résistance, with France in the final throes family home at 250 Thornton Street, in leave the Southwestern province to return of the German occupation during WWII, in the Whittemore Flats section of the west to the New England province to finish his which a Franco-American from Manchester, side of Manchester, New Hampshire.