DePaul University Via Sapientiae De Andrein Vincentian Journals and Publications 1959 Volume 29: 1958-59 Follow this and additional works at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/andrein Part of the History of Religions of Western Origin Commons Recommended Citation Volume 29: 1958-59. https://via.library.depaul.edu/andrein/27 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Vincentian Journals and Publications at Via Sapientiae. It has been accepted for inclusion in De Andrein by an authorized administrator of Via Sapientiae. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ae -pet" VOLUME 29 PERRYVILLE, MISSOURI OCTOBER, 1958 NUMBER 1 TWO FILIAL VICE-PROVINCES ESTABLISHED - -- -~--- '' On the feast day of our holy foun- der, St. Vincent de Paul, the Very Reverend John Zimmerman, C.M., as- sistant to the Superior General, in- formed us of the division of our Wes- tern Province into one Mother Province and two Filial Vice-Provinces. He also mentioned that the Very Reverend James W. Stakelum, C.M.V., would remain Provincial of the Midwest area, now known as the Mother Province. The Filial Vice-Provinces will each have a Vice-Provincial, Father Maurice J. Hymel for the South and Father James W. Richardson for the Far West. Father Hymel's headquarters will be in New Orleans where he is Pastor of St. Joseph's Church. Father Richardson will continue to reside in California. In a letter sent to the Community houses, Father Stakelum explained that the division of the Province has a twofold purpose. First of all, more at- tention can now be given to the con- freres and the affairs of each house because both of the Vice-P'rovincials will assume the duties of the Provin- cial in their own Vice-Province. In this way greater attention can be given to a more concentrated area. The second purpose is the hope that vocations will be increased. The obli- gation of gaining more Vincentians will be a personal one for the confreres since they will be more interested in their particular region. In the semi- narian's view, he will have a closer connection with his area, Midwest, South, or Far West. MOTHER FRANCINE AND FATHER ZIMMERMAN Of course it will be many years be- fore the Vice-Provinces become self- WORLD TOUR BRINGS, supporting, although they now have their own boundaries. The territory MOTHER GENERAL TO BARRENS east of the Continental Divide and About three hundred years ago, a traveler in France would have been including all the states north of the quite apt to run across St. Louise de Marillac, the foundress and first Mother southern boundaries of Missouri, Kan- General of the Daughters of Charity, hurrying around in her coach on her way sas, and Colorado constitutes the area to visit the houses of her Daughters which she had established all over France. of the Mother Province. The territory Today, the Most Honored Mother travels by airplane, train, and automobile, east of the Divide and below the not only all over France, but over the entire world to visit her Daughters. (southern boundaries of the three And so the present Mother General, Mother Francine Lepicard, on May states mentioned is the area of the 26th left Paris on a tour of visitation that would take her around the world. New Orleans Vice-Province. 'The ter- Before her arrival in the United States, she stopped in Italy, Persia, Japan, the ritory west of the Continental Divide Philippines, and Hawaii. After short stays in San Francisco and New Orleans, the Most Honored Mother flew to St. Louis on June 19th. is the area of the Los Angeles Vice- When the Mother's plane set down at the St. Louis airport, there were Province. In regard to the appoint- seventy of her Daughter's to greet her. No doubt the sight of seventy cornets ment of personnel, the Provincial will blowing in the breeze of the airfield must have been somewhat unusual to the transfer men from one house to an- other on-lookers, but one can well imagine what a welcome sight it must other who remain in his own Province. have been to the Tres Honoree Mere. Her stay in St. Louis was extended to The Vice-Provincials will also transfer the Daughters in five days during which she toured the ten houses staffed by men who remain in their own Pro- that area. Of special interest to us was Mother Francine's visit to the seminary at vinces. In the case of a man being the Barrens. On the second day of her St. Louis stop, June 20th, she and about transferred between Provinces, the (Continued on Page Two) (Continued on Page Two) Page Two The DeAndrein Pag Two The De ndren MOTHER PROVINCES GENERAL (Cont'd. from Page One) (Continued from Page One) eighty of her Daughters drove down to Perryville to visit the house of the Provincial will make such an appoint- Daughters here and to see the seminary. With them came the Very Reverend ment. John Zimmerman, C.M., American Assistant to the Vincentian Superior Gen- In planning the development and eral in France, the Very Reverend James Stakelum, C.M., Visitor of the Vin- operation of his Vice-Province, Father centians in the Western Province, and the Reverend George Dolan, C.M., the Richardson has Director of the Daughters of Charity of the Western Province. four consultors to help The Community was gathered in the auditorium to greet our guest, and him: Fathers William G. Ward, Wil- when she arrived here at 1:00 she was escorted immediately to the auditorium liam J. Kenneally, Vincent J. Walsh, where a program of welcome was begun. and James P. Graham. The econome The Falso, under the direction of Father Simon Kwakman, C.M., commenced of the Los Angeles Vice-Province is the program by singing Psalm 22 in four-part harmony. Following the psalm, Father Garrett V. Winne. In New Or- an address of welcome was given in French by Father Kwakman. He expressed leans Father Hymel also has four con- our happiness in having the privilege of welcoming the Mother General to our sultors: Fathers Eugene E. McCarthy, seminary, the birthplace of the Vincentians in America, and hoped that she James P. McOwen, Marion L. Gib- might find here the same primitive spirit of St. Vincent which she had left be- bons, and Lawrence hind in the Mother House in Paris. In closing, Father asked her to pray for J. Leonard. Father the success of the work of the Double Family in the United States, promising Robert H. Miget is the econome of that we would ask God to help her in her difficult task. the New Orleans Vice-Province. When the address had ended, a select group of students called Les The St. Louis Review, in speaking of 'Troubadours sang a short French ballad. Then the official address was delivered the division, gave some encouraging by Father Zimmerman. Finally, Most Honored Mother herself spoke to us. statistics on the growth of the Pro- Through her interpreter, Sister Mary Basil, her American secretary, Mother vince. These provide the reason for expressed her gratitude for the wonderful progam of welcome. She told us how the need of the two new Filial Vice- happy she was to have been given the oppotunity to visit St. Mary's of the Bar- Provinces. "In the last ten the spirit of St. Vincent years, ac- rens, and spoke of the gratification she felt at finding cording to the Catholic flourishing here. Directory, the As soon as Mother Francine began to speak, one's attention was arrested number of Vincentian seminaries in by her entire bearing. There was something about her, at first indefinable, the Western Province has increased which won you to her immediately. It was not necessarily what she was saying from seven to fifteen and the number but the way in which she was saying it. In spite of her seventy-one years one of community houses from seventeen felt the joy of youth bubbling from her person. Her countenance beamed happi- to thirty-five. Two new preparatory ness; her smile was part of her language. Punctuated by the smile were the seminaries have been established in flashes of humor here and there in her little speech, humor which didn't require the decade and the number of priests an interpreter. At the end of a flowing stream of French, she uttered the only has grown from 296 to This brought immediate laughter to the 352." In reading English expression of her talk--"O. K." these statistics we audience. She spoke very rapidly and then you remembered the brisk spring can not conclude in her step as she came in and suddenly you knew what it was that so charac- that the work is finished. While the terized her and drew you to her-her youthful spirit. number of houses has doubled, the When Mother had finished speaking, Les Troubadours closed the program number of priests has only increased with another French ballad. This concluded, Mother Francine, in the company by sixty men. This means that the of Father Stakelum, Father Zimmerman, and Father Dolan, made a thorough priests' work is about double what it tour of the seminary. Enthusiastically interested in everything, she tried her was ten years ago. So we should pray hand at bowling, was in obvious admiration of the library and gym, and, on for many more vocations, as well as being shown our swimming pool, even expressed a wish that her Daughters for the priests who are working another Daughter probably seconded the so might have something similar.