JOHANN BAPTIST JORDAN known in religious life as FRANCIS MARY OF THE CROSS JORDAN The Founder and the Confirmation of his Work 1887 - 1898 DSS XV Part 1 & 2 A Biographical Study by Fr. Timotheus Robert Edwein, SDS 1984 English Edition, 2008 Fr. Francis Mary of the Cross TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents i Author’s Preface vi Editor’s Preface vii Short Chronology (1887 - 1898) viii Travel Calendars for Jordan and Mother Mary (1893 - 1898) x List of Abbreviations xii 1. The Seed is Growing 1 1.1 Bucher 32 1.2 Lüthen’s report 32 1.3 General studies 34 1.4 De Waal 37 1.5 Motherhouse chapel 39 1.6 Von Wüllenweber 41 1.7 Koch 43 1.8 Barbarastift (I) 44 1.9 Begging trip of 1887 47 1.10 Petition 49 1.11 Hopfenmüller (I) 50 1.12 CTS promotional brochure 52 1.13 Barbarastift (II) 55 1.14 Barbarastift misunderstandings 58 1.15 The Neuwerk plans 60 1.16 Barbarastift (III) 62 1.17 Cultivating benefactors (I) 65 1.18 Profession formula 67 1.19 The Third Order 69 1.20 The Academy 69 1.21 Sale of the Barbarastift 70 1.22 Ferannte 74 -i- 1.23 Cultivating benefactors (II) 80 1.24 Keeping hope alive 81 1.25 Invitation to Rome 82 1.26 Tivoli 84 1.27 Rule of 1888 86 1.28 First five novices 88 1.29 Mother Mary’s appointment 91 1.30 Barbarastift, the final disposition 92 1.31 Von Wüllenweber’s will 98 1.32 Lease agreement 104 1.33 Defections and dimissorials 105 1.34 Myllendonk 108 1.35 Summer holidays 1889 111 1.36 Early prayers 112 2. Out to all the World 115 2.1 Assam (I) 159 2.2 Foundation Day 1889 161 2.3 Apostolic zeal 162 2.4 First missioning ceremony 163 2.5 Assam beginnings 165 2.6 Jordan’s petition 168 2.7 Hopfenmüller’s death 168 2.8 Choral Office 170 2.9 Internal organization 171 2.10 The Sisters 172 2.11 Rule of 1891 174 2.12 Obedience 175 2.13 Lüthen’s obedience 178 2.14 Declaration 179 2.15 Paolo Manna 180 2.16 Vienna (I) 185 2.17 Münzloher assumes control 186 2.18 Testimonial letters 187 2.19 Liège 189 -ii- 2.20 Rule of 1892 189 2.21 Assam (II) 193 2.22 Titulus 194 2.23 Dismissals and departures 196 2.24 Three troublesome priests 199 2.25 Request for Breve di Lode 207 2.26 Mission in the USA 210 2.27 Vienna (II) 212 2.28 Mother Mary on Tivoli 213 2.29 Founder’s namesday 1892 214 2.30 Roman deliberations on the Votum 215 2.31 Brochure of 1893 217 2.32 Votum denied 219 2.33 “Society of the Divine Savior” 220 2.34 Mission work 225 2.35 Another Votum 230 2.36 Bregenz-Lochau 231 2.37 Vienna (III) 234 2.38 Mission in South America 235 2.39 Religious discipline 240 2.40 Studies 241 2.41 Foundation Day 1893 242 2.42 Status of foundations, 1894 245 2.43 Teacher training in Tivoli 246 2.44 Progress in Asaam 247 2.45 The Commission’s justification 249 2.46 Lupiti’s Votum 251 2.47 Commission’s response to Lupiti’s Votum 252 2.48 Visitors to the Motherhouse 257 2.49 Typhus in Tivoli 257 2.50 Permission for Vienna 264 2.51 Lochau 265 2.52 Frieburg 269 2.53 Sisters in Rome 270 2.54 Future apostolic possibilities 275 -iii- 3. Under Scrutiny from Ecclesiastical Authorities 277 3.1 Intreccialagli 322 3.2 The Apostolic Visitation 323 3.3 Intreccialagli’s recommendations 339 3.4 New novice master 340 3.5 Meddi (I) 341 3.6 Noto 342 3.7 Luthen’s health 343 3.8 Purchase of Palazzo Morone 344 3.9 Pastoral formation 345 3.10 Via Lungara 345 3.11 Assam 350 3.12 New Year’s letter 1895 351 3.13 The superior in Tivoli 352 3.14 San Lorenzo in Piscibus 353 3.15 Common prayer 355 3.16 Meddi’s recommendations 355 3.17 Palazzo Morone 356 3.18 Villa Lavaggi 359 3.19 Anonymous letter of complaint 359 3.20 Meddi (II) 364 3.21 Typhus in Tivoli 364 3.22 Drognens 366 3.23 The Sisters’ motherhouse 367 3.24 Meseritsch 370 3.25 Niggl 371 3.26 Information 377 3.27 St. Nazianz 381 3.28 Sisters’ developments 383 3.29 Dispensations from vows 384 3.30 Tivoli visitation 387 3.31 Main points 388 -iv- 4. Sick and Pressured but Always Moving Forward 391 4.1 Meseritsch (I) 426 4.2 Winter travel 1896 426 4.3 Pachomius Eisele (I) 428 4.4 Spiridion Schmitz’s departure 432 4.5 Jordan’s health 434 4.6 Sisters’ placements 437 4.7 Campos 438 4.8 New novice master 438 4.9 Lochau 439 4.10 Roving general consultor 440 4.11 Meseritsch (II) 441 4.12 The General Procurator 442 4.13 Mother Mary seeks allies 445 4.14 Noto 446 4.15 Earthquake in Assam 450 4.16 Sick confreres 450 4.17 Mother Mary’s home visit 451 4.18 Baroness von Hoffmann 452 4.19 Informers 453 4.20 Sisters’ motherhouse 455 4.21 Looking for sisters’ apostolates 456 4.22 Intreccialagli 457 4.23 Sisters 458 4.24 Hungary 458 4.25 Financial needs 459 4.26 Visitation report 460 4.27 Three dispensed priests 461 4.28 Pachomius Eisele (II) 462 4.29 Apostolic houses of formation 467 -v- AUTHOR’S PREFACE DSS XV continues the historico-critical studies intended as the necessary preliminary work for a solid biography of the Servant of God, Francis Mary of the Cross Jordan. The study presented here covers the period 1887 to the summer of 1898. It does not conclude with the end of a specific period in the life and work of the Servant of God, but rather with his 50th year of life. What was said in the Preface to DSS XIV remains valid also for DSS XV. Therefore, it shall not be repeated. But let it be stressed once more that the results of the historical investigations presented here are the author's sole responsibility. This is particularly true with regard to those persons who played important roles in the life of the Servant of God. They are viewed in relation to their impact on Fr. Francis of the Cross, and are not intended to convey a full picture of their personalities. However, where their paths crossed, the attitudes of these Servants of God were investi- gated no less critically than Jordan’s own. Approaching him this way shows that a person is not simply holy, but becomes holy; and that in such "holiness" there is always the shadow of human imperfection. What is presented here has neither been aimed at nor "ordered." I relied on the existing documents. At the same time it is unquestionable that the cogency of historical documents always remains humanly limited. But they deserve trust and belief whether the language they use is sober or impulsive. This matter of fact was not passed over in silence in the critical evaluation of the various documents. Further, one will see that a complete history of the Society has not been attempted here. Special events like foundations of houses or the takeover of missions have of course been regarded insofar as they played a role in Jordan’s life. However, the proper history of SDS personalities, houses and provinces remained excluded. In an appendix has been added a selection of addresses and extracts of Jordan’s weekly capitulum culpae held in the Roman community. They reflect with persuading insistence -vi- certain basic values of Salvatorian spirituality, or as expressed at that time, the "Spirit of the Founder." [Omitted in this edition; cf., DSS XXIII.] Corrections handed in and supplements to DSS XIV have not been added (contrary to DSS XIII), because they bring only secondary corrections. Special thanks to the Generalate of the Salvatorian Sisters who lent the archivistic co-operation of an assistant to the SDS postulator, Fr. Melchior Bzowski, SDS. Fr. Timotheus (Robert) Edwein, SDS. Rome, September 8, 1984, 66th anniversary of the death of the Servant of God. EDITOR’S PREFACE This volume employs the same style as the previous volume. More specifically, all of the brief material that appears in the excursus section of the German text has here been placed in footnotes to the regular text section. Now only the longer excurses appear in the section entitled “A Closer Look.” Each has been assigned a three-part identification number (e.g., 2.15/30). The first number indicates the chapter; the second its location in the order of excurses; the third number in small font indicates its original footnote number in the German text. Finally, since the material found in the German edition taken from the chapter talks of the Founder is now completely available both in German and in English (cf., DSS XXIII), it has been omitted here. Daniel Pekarske, SDS Morogoro, 2005 -vii- SHORT CHRONOLOGY (1887 - 1898) 1887 September 14 Fr. Otto Lorenz Hopfenmüller joins CTS. 1888 December 8 Foundation of the Sisters of the CTS. 1889 January 10 First "Language Feast" January 25 Sale of the Barbarastift. March 25 Religious profession of Sr. Mary of the Apostles. December 13 Assume Apostolic Prefecture Assam, Bhuz, Manipur. 1890 July 2 Inaugurate community in Tivoli, SDS-W.