-70- 2929.· TO EDME JOLLY, SUPERIOR, IN ROME Paris, August 1. 1659 Monsieur, The grace ofO[ur) L[ord) be with you forever! I received your letter ofJuly 7, which I sent immediately to the Duchesse d'Aiguillon because ofwhat you tell me about her chapel in Loreto, but she has not yet returned it to me. That is why I am not giving you any precise answer, since I cannot remember all of its contents. You mention the dispute concerning the Carmelites; I please Letter 2929. - Archives ofthe Mission. Paris, original signed letter. IThe Canne1ite nuns ofFrance had three Superiors: Jacques Charton, Martin Grandin. and Charles de Gamaches. Everything was peaceful until 1655. when the Superiors arrogated to themselves the right to make the canonical visitation of the monasteries of the Order. When Nicolo eli Basno. Nuncio atthe time, was informed oftheir intention, he opposed it. After some hesitation. they decided to go ahead anyway. InApril 1659. Grandin began the visitation ofthe Incarnation Monastery in Paris. while Gamaches went to Pontoise and Saint-Denis with the same intent. Mother Madeleine de Jesus and Mother Agnes appealed to the Sovereign Pontiff IIlld througb an apostolic notary informed the Superiors oftheir action. The visitations were suspended and the Superiors promised to accept with docility the decision oCtile Holy See. The affair, brought to the attention ofthe Congregation ofRegulars, did not drag on for very long. On July 16a decree declared that only Apostolic Vishon had the right to make the visitation of the Cannclite monasteries. On October 2 the Sovereign Pontiffconfrrmed the decree ofJuly 16. and Abbe de BCrulie. nephew ofCantinal de Benalle, was appointed Apostolic Visitor, as was Louis de Chandenier, Abbe de Toumus. Forty monasteries submitted; eighteen refused to accept the Brief, under the pretext that they had not been consulted. The three Superiors upheld the opposition andtried toenlistthe help ofSaint Vincent, who constantly recommended obedience to the Pope. The Saint died before harmony was restored. On January 13, 1661, Alexander VII had to intervene again. After the death ofCharton, his two colJeasues, Gamaches and Grandin, appointed a third Superior during the absence ofCelio Piccolomini, Nuncio at the time. In spite ofthe confinnlltion given by one ofthe Vicars-General ofthe diocese, Alexander VII annulled the appointment on April I I. 1661, and named as Superior Rene Alm6ras, Superior General of the Priests of the Mission. Since Gamaches and Grandin continued their visitations, the Sovereign Pontiff deposed them on September 30; he also deprived Rene Alm6ras of his authority and decided that each house should choose a Superior every three years. (Cf. I.-B.A. Boucher, Hutoire tk Jo BierrJunueuse Marie tk I'Incarnation [new ed., 2 vols., Paris: Lecoffre, 1854]. vol. n, pp. 460ft, which is based on the manuscript history ofthe fowldations ofthe Carmelites ofFrance by Mother Natalie and Sister Marie..-Therese [Butoin nuutuScrite tk Jo Fonda/ion des Carmelites en France, 42 vols.]. This document is conserved in the archives of the Conner monasteJy on rue de Grenelle in Paris.) -71- continue to teU the priest who spoke to you about it that I have not given you any orders regarding that business. I received the copy ofthe Briefyou obtained,' and I read it with joy and gratitude, seeing the graces God has granted us through you. I thank you very humbly for aU the trouble you took, and I ask Our Lord to draw more and more glory from your leadership and your works. I have nothing more to say to you just now, except that I am, in the love ofO[ur] L[ord], Monsieur, your most humble servant. VINCENT DEPAUL, Ls.C.M. Addressed: Monsieur JoUy, Superior ofthe Priests ofthe Mis­ sion ofRome, in Rome 2930.•TO JEAN PARRE, IN SAINT-QUENTIN Paris, August 2, 1659 Dear Brother, The grace ofO[ur] L[ord] be with you forever! I have not yet received your letter from the last regular mail. I am hoping to find in it the answer to the request I made you to let me know whether the Bishop ofNoyon' has sent a treasurer to his [Notre-Dame-]de-la-Paix chapel. Having previously written to ask me to find him a good one for it, he has made no further mention ofit, which leads me to believe that he no longer needs one. Both the Ladies and I are greatly consoled by the blessings God 2The BriefA.lias nos, ofwhich Edme Jolly had managed to procure acopy before its dispatch (cf. vol. XIII. no. 120). Letter 2930. - Archives ofthe Mission. Paris, original signed letter. tHeM de Baradat (1626-60). cr. no. 2923 for Saint Vincent's previous letter to Jean ParTe. -72- is bestowing on your works; they and I, along with our community, are praying that Our Lord will fill you more and more with the workings ofHis Spirit and will preserve you. Please do your part by the care you take in this. I am, in His love, dear Brother, your most affectionate brother and servant. VINCENT DEPAUL, Ls.C.M. Addressed: Brother JeanParre, ofthe Mission, in Saint-Quentin 2931. - TO JACQUES THOLARD, IN TROYES Paris, August 6, 1659 Monsieur, The grace ofO[ur] L[ord] be with you forever! I thank God for the submission He gives you to His good pleasure, as I see from your letter ofJuly 31 and have experienced so often. Ihave not yet received an answer from the Bishop ofAgde, Abbot ofVezelay.' As soon as I do, I will let you know whether or not you should go now or at some future time. Perhaps what I told him' about our custom ofsuspending missions during this period oftime will oblige him to postpone his missions until later; we shall see. Ifhe wants to have you there, I ask M. Dupuich' to give you Letter 2931. - Archives ofthe Mission, Paris, original signed letter. lLouis Fouquet lCf. no. 2922. 3Fran~is Dupuich was bom in Arras on July 3, 1616. After his ordination to the priesthood in September 1640. he entered the Congregation ofthe Mission in Paris on April 19. 1641, and took his vows in Troycs in November 1643, in the presenceofM. Dehorgny. He was Superior in several houses: Troyes. Marseilles. Warsaw, Metz, Saint-eharles. and twice in Richelieu. In 1679 he was sent to Poland on a very delicate mission, of which he acquitted himself with competence and success. Dupuich had the title ofVisitor in both Champagne and Poland; on January 2. 1683, he was asked to substitute for Thomas Berthe as Assistant General. when the latter was detained outside Paris. Dupuich was still alive in 1697. -73- M. Fromen!" as acompanion, for we cannot send you anyone from this house. You are right, Monsieur, to act simply with regard to confes­ sions, and it will be a good idea for you to continue to hear those who want to come to you, without having to go to the confessional for all sorts ofpeople,' unless it is to relieve the others when there is a large number to be heard. You might first inform that good Prelate that you will not be able to devote yourself to this work. Your good sister is at the Nom-de-Jesus' with M. Gorlidot's' aunt About three months ago, your niece brought her here because ofher infirmity. Since that time I have tried to get her into a house in Paris intended for such persons, but I could make no headway, "AntoineFroment. born: in Oeuf-en-Ternois (Pas-de-CaIais), entered the Congregation ofthe Mission atthe ParisSemilUU)' onOCtober 28. 1653. attwenty.six years ofage. He took his vows there on November 25, 1655. and renewed them on January 25,1656. 5For a long time Jacques Tholard had been assailed by scmples while hearing confessions (cr. va1.ll. nos. 424, 477. 495). 6'fhe Nom-de-Jesus [Name ofJesw:] hospice. Its foundation wasmade by an anonymous rich merohant ofParis. whoone day brought 100,000 livres to Saint Vincent for a good work ofthe latter's choice. Afterdiscussing his plan with the benefactor, the Saint decided to spend 11,000 livres for the purchase ofthe house called Nom-de-Jesus. which belonged to Saint-Lazare. and 20,000 livre! for enlarging the living space. should it btcome too small. He also constituted an inCOlTle of60,000 Iivres, to which 20.000 were added from Saint-Lazare. which later retrieved them; he allocated 5400 livres for chapeifumishings, and 3600 IIvres for room and board for forty poor persons fOr one year. All this was on condition that the Superior General ofthe Priests ofthe Mission, together with the laymen from paris whom he would employ, would have the spiritual and temporal direction of the hospital. and in this position would be authorized to receive and dismiss the poor. The contract was accepted on October 29. 1653. approved by the Vic:ars-General on March 15. 1654 (the Archbishop ofParis. Cardinal de Retz, was in exile in Rome). and ratified in the Parlement by letters patent in November. (Cf. Arch. Nat., M 53.) The work was already in operation in March 1653. Saint Vincent selected twenty male and twenty female artisans who, because ofold age or infinnity. could no longer earn their living; to occupy their time. they were provided with looms and tools. Men and wornen were housed in separate wings; although they came together in the same chapel for Mass. they were not permitted to see or speale. to one another. The Daughters ofCharity served them; a Priest of the Mission, in confonnity with the tenns ofthe contract, acted as chaplain.