Travel project to Poitiers - final preparations...
This proposal was accepted with joy and promptness by Mr. Sauvage and by Miss Gosselin. Miss Lerebourg did not feel the courage to make the trip, she was replaced by Miss. Guéret, who having left the community of Pont-Audemer, was waiting in Lisieux for the result of Mr. Sauvage's efforts to ask to be admitted to his community. Another postulant named Mlle Mouchet also wanted to make the trip. When M. Sauvage saw his postulants strongly determined to make all the sacrifices required by Reverend Mother Pauline's proposal, he wrote to Mgr. de Rochemonteix had made it known, so adopted it that he replied by M. Michel:
“Mlles Gosselin can leave as soon as they want and you deem it appropriate, that's the safest thing to do. They will be able to gather much valuable knowledge from their stay in this house, and from the practice of the holy rules which should be honored there. »
Everything being thus arranged, M. Sauvage wrote to the Mother Prioress of Poitiers that he and his postulants accepted with joy and gratitude all the conditions she asked for, and that after Easter, the little procession led by himself would set out. to get near her. He begged this good Mother to kindly give him the consolation of dressing his dear daughters during his stay in Poitiers, and in their name he made a humble request to her.
It was on Easter Day that Mother Pauline made known to her community all that she and her superior had settled on the subject of the foundation, she read to him the letters of M. Sauvage in which was found the request for the taking of habit. All, except two, wholeheartedly approved of the conduct of the superiors and manifested the most earnest desire and the liveliest joy to know the worthy ecclesiastic whom they liked to compare to M. de Brétigny, and his dear daughters, whom they admired courage and generosity; they therefore happily subscribed to M. Sauvage's wishes. The Mother Prioress felt a great consolation in seeing her project adopted by her community, she hastened to let this Holy Priest know in her letter of March 27, 1837:
Sir, she said to him, I hasten to tell you how satisfied we are that you accept the proposal I made to you. If you can stay here long enough for us to make the clothes of your fervent postulants, we will gladly put them on before you leave. We think ten to twelve days will be enough. If, according to the presentation that I am making to you, you anticipate that the taking of the habit of your postulants can take place during your stay here, please prepare a sermon for the day of this ceremony as is customary. , and in the circumstances no one can preach them better than you. It would be good if one of them wrote to me to let me know their wishes and in this same letter the others could put a few lines expressing their feelings. Please tell them that they must write to me as if to a mother who will read them with interest and who from that moment looks on them as her daughters. What is your plan when you arrive here? do our good girls want, before cloistering themselves, to procure the pleasure of seeing our city? I want you not to write too late. I'm afraid your friend won't be here when you arrive. Mgr will then be visiting his diocese and it is always M. de Rochemonteix who accompanies him. Everything for the holy will of God and for his glory, we must seek and desire only that.
The proposal made by Mother Pauline could only flatter M. Sauvage, so he accepted it with pleasure; the delicacy of his feelings and the gratitude with which his heart was filled, found in this occasion a subject of outpouring which this holy priest was happy to seize. On the other hand, the ease he had in expressing himself made this task very pleasant for him, and could only satisfy his audience. We will see in reporting her sermon that the Mother Prioress had reason to congratulate herself on the request she had made of her.
M. Sauvage also answered the other questions of this good Mother and fixed their arrival at her house for the Friday of the second week after Easter, April 14, 1837. The postulants hastened to respond each in particular to the wishes of the Reverend Mother. These letters were read to the nuns so that they could judge for themselves how happy these young people were to be admitted to do their novitiate among them. There was little time left to put everything related to the foundation in order. It suffices, however, given the great poverty in which she was reduced, a poverty that we will make known when the Mothers and their daughters arrive in Lisieux. Before leaving, the little family had a debt of gratitude to pay to Auguste Marie. It was decided that she would make the pilgrimage to Our Lady of Grace in Honfleur. Similar to the poor widow of the gospel, she wanted to offer her denarius to the Queen of Heaven, she prepared flowers and a crown for her and, animated by a great spirit of faith, she proposed to ask the Queen of Carmel to bless the journey to Poitiers, and each postulant asked for the graces especially necessary to persevere in their vocation in order to be able thereby to make their holy enterprise succeed. It was on April 4, 1837 that M. Sauvage offered the holy sacrifice for this intention in the chapel of Notre Dame de Grâce. All her daughters had the happiness of making Holy Communion there. After a thanksgiving spent in the greatest fervor, the pilgrims returned to Lisieux. This happy day ended with the common recitation of the Te Deum. The confidence that Mr. Sauvage had always shown in Mrs. Saint Charles did not allow him to let her ignore the success he had obtained from the Carmelites of Poitiers, so he told her this happy news. "I will accompany you in spirit," she answered him, "I count on your extreme goodness to give me news of our dear daughters whenever you receive them." I will always be the same for them and for you, Sir, my soul will be full of the liveliest gratitude, accompanied by the respect that veneration inspires. »
On the way to Poitiers!
The moment of departure had finally arrived. One of Laffitte's carriages, which was returning from Cherbourg without passengers, made the occasion very favorable. M. Sauvage and his little community placed themselves in the interior, where they remained alone until they reached the capital. It was then eleven o'clock in the evening. They arrived in Paris the next day, April 12, 1837, around 5 p.m. Mr. Benjamin Gosselin, who had been notified, came to see his sisters; he lunched with them and renewed his acquaintance with M. Sauvage. It was he who had introduced this worthy ecclesiastic to Bishop Robin as soon as he was appointed Bishop of Bayeux. He clearly saw from the trip to Poitiers that the project which had then been presented to His Majesty was on the point of being executed. On the 13th, the travelers got into the car and placed themselves in the rotunda which, being too small to contain them, they were very badly there, but as in this small community the exercises were perfectly regulated there, it was only right that the mortification held there. the first row. They went down to Orléans only for dinner time and arrived in Tours at 4 o'clock in the morning, after having paid dearly for a rather frugal lunch, they strolled through the city and attended holy mass at the Metropolis; at 8 o'clock we headed for Châtellerault, the first town in Poitou.
Although the travelers were glad to reach the end of their journey, if the body had suffered less, the time would not have seemed long to them. Common prayers; the exhortations of the good superior, the recreations which he knew how to make so gay and so amiable, made this itinerant sojourn very pleasant. Nevertheless they were all very happy to see the tops of the steeples of the city of Poitiers. After crossing one of its boulevards, they entered its narrow and badly built streets; but if the streets of this ancient city have an ugly aspect, one can say that its inhabitants have a politeness and an affability which compensates the foreigners for what they have to suffer while traversing them. M. Sauvage and his postulants were able to convince themselves of the delicacy of the process of the Poitevins, by finding in the courtyard where the stagecoach stopped, a car sent by the Prioress of the Carmelites to transport them to the monastery.
The tourières also awaited the arrival of the travellers; they received them with such affability that they already thought they were in a country of acquaintance, but they were much happier when they spoke to the Reverend Mother. Her truly maternal heart welcomed her new daughters with indescribable happiness and from this first meeting the hearts of M. Sauvage and that of this worthy Mother knew how to understand each other so well that they had for each other the most complete confidence and the highest esteem. Coming down from the parlor, they entered the drawing room where Father Pouillier, chaplain of the community, was waiting for them. prepared the good Carmelites. The next day, M. Sauvage said community Mass, then he went with the postulants to make a pilgrimage to the Church of Ste Radegonde, to visit the tomb of this great saint. They also visited the Churches of St Pierre (the Cathedral), Notre Dame St Porchaire and St Hilaire, they saw in passing the chapels of the Visitation and the Ladies of Perpetual Adoration.
Discovering the Carmel of Poitiers
Finally that day, which was a Saturday eve of the feast of the Patronage of St Joseph, the door of Carmel opened and Mr. Sauvage had the consolation of presenting his dear daughters to the assembled community which was waiting with a kind of impatience. that they had crossed the threshold of the door to hold them in their arms. The Mother Prioress gave them the names that St Thérèse had given to the first four novices of her reform. The name of Saint Joseph having been given to the first novice by Saint Thérèse, the name of this great saint was preceded. Henceforth, we will no longer call the eldest of the Gosselin ladies other than Sister Thérèse of St Joseph, the young Marie de la Croix. Miss Mouchet, Sister Ursule des Saints and Miss Guéret Antoinette du Saint Esprit. The following Sunday Mr. Sauvage accompanied by Mr. Pouillier visited the monastery. On entering the heater, he was surprised to see the nuns covered in long veils and sitting on their heels. If this was the first impulse of his soul, the second was that of admiration in considering the former nuns whose weight of years and infirmities had not taken away their amiable gaiety.
As she walked through the house, a former nun named Sister Elisabeth, who was accompanying the Mother Prioress, pointed out to her the location of the convent the community had lived in from 1802 until 1818. The house was very small, she told her, but she was very regular. He was also pointed out to him where St. Hilaire's room was. This great Saint had lived in this house with his daughter, Ste Abre who died before St Hilaire. This house was changed into an abbey which, in memory of the man who had sanctified it by making it his home, bore the name of abbey of La Celle. After the revolution the Carmelites bought a very small part of it. But in 1816, having received Mlle d'Ulys as a postulant, they took possession of the entire abbey, which this young lady bought from them.
While visiting this beautiful monastery, M. Sauvage was inwardly distressed by thinking of the sacrifice that its foundation would impose on the nuns who, in exchange, would have only very poor accommodation. He had no idea that Sr Elisabeth, who gave him such interesting details about her convent, would work with him to establish regularity in that of Lisieux, embracing with joy the poverty she expected to find there. ; but as the sentiments of the nuns designated by God for the holy work to which he had devoted himself were not known to him, the beauty of the house made him leave very sad. While the community worked with great activity to prepare the clothes of the postulants.
Walks of the abbot in the surroundings, who was only Sauvage in name
M. Sauvage left for Loudun, where the Bishop was then with M. de Rochemonteix. It was a real pleasure for the two friends to see each other and to embrace each other. M. de Rochemonteix introduced M. Sauvage to the venerable Prelate, whose gentleness and kindness soon inspired him with tender confidence. Monseigneur de Bouillé and his vicar general gave him very sensible proof of the sincere interest they took in the success of his enterprise; on the invitation which was made to him Mr. Sauvage accompanied his Highness in the visit of several parishes of the countryside.
It was in one of these parishes that he made a small pilgrimage to a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. It was a modest oratory where the peasants came to fervently pray to the Queen of Heaven, he again recommended to her the work which was so dear to him, then after having received the blessing of Monsignor and bade farewell to his friend, M. Sauvage took the road to Loudun accompanied by the chaplain of the Hospice of this city who had received him cordially. Mr. Sauvage promptly went to Poitiers to prepare his sermon for the taking of the habit. This beautiful ceremony took place on April 26, 1837. The Mother Prioress had taken care to invite a large number of ecclesiastics. Although Father Samoyeau; one of the first grand vicars was present, it was nevertheless M. Sauvage who had the honor of performing the ceremony, he performed it with great dignity. His sermon, which he preached with unction, made the deepest impression on his large audience.
The air of holiness and kindness which shone on the face of the preacher, the touching tone of his voice had penetrated the hearts of his listeners with the deepest veneration for his person: he is a second St Francis de Sales said to himself -we. The most distinguished ecclesiastics were happy to make the acquaintance of this holy priest. Mr. Samoyeau, first vicar general, and Mr. Garnier, parish priest of the Cathedral, admired him several times at their table and if Mr. Sauvage had not taken the great business of the foundation so much to heart, he would have spent delightful moments with the clergy of Poitiers; but occupied solely with his holy enterprise, he gave only a few brief moments to these Gentlemen. Directing his dear daughters, taking the advice of the Reverend Mother Prioress, collecting important notes which obliged him to enter the monastery a second time, such were the occupations which filled the days he spent in Poitiers.
Her tender compassion for afflicted souls also made her devote many moments to consoling one of the nuns tormented by interior sorrows. This holy girl having learned that M. Sauvage had Monsignor's permission to confess, she took advantage of it and found at his feet a great relief from her sorrows. It is thus that this holy priest, continually forgetting himself, gave to this act of charity a time which he could have spent very pleasantly with his pious confreres. Mr. Pouillier, chaplain of the community eagerly seized all these free moments. M. Sauvage had given him his confidence. This worthy ecclesiastic was so edified by the feelings that animated him that he exclaimed: Oh what a beautiful soul! what admirable simplicity!
Knowing that Mr. Sauvage had the desire to visit the church of Migné become so famous by the appearance of a luminous cross which shone in the air on October 26, 1826 at the time of a planting of crosses for the closing of the jubilee. This solemn ceremony had attracted an immense crowd which had the consolation of witnessing this prodigy. Mr. Sauvage accompanied by Mr. Pouillier therefore had the consolation of visiting this church of Ste Croix de Migné. The venerable pastor of this parish Mr. Beaupré welcomed the two pilgrims with the greatest cordiality, he showed them the magnificent reliquary containing a fragment of the true cross that the Sovereign Pontiff Gregory XVI had sent to this church on the occasion of this miracle. , they also saw several other gifts made by some Bishops of France.
Return of the Abbé Sauvage to Lisieux
After this visit Mr. Sauvage only thought of returning to his country. He left a deposit in Poitiers which was very dear to him. He recommended it to the Mother Prioress and to Sister Geneviève mistress of novices who in this capacity was especially responsible for it. Everything being settled with the Reverend Mother and the novices Mr. Sauvage left Poitiers on Friday evening April 28, 1837; he went back through Loudun, Saumur and stopped at Angers where he had once been director of the seminary. There he had the advantage of knowing at the Bishop's (Montault Désilles) M. Drack, a famous Jewish convert and secretary of Propaganda in Rome. The latter, after having heard the story of Mr. Sauvage's plan to found a Carmelite convent, promised to send him the notice of a young Protestant convert who had become a daughter of Ste Thérèse. When he arrived in Rome, he kept his word. Passing through Le Mans, Mr. Sauvage went to visit the Carmelite convent, he had the consolation of speaking with the Mother Prioress (Beloved of Jesus) who learned with happiness of the happy success of his trip.
It was at Gacé that M. Sauvage wrote to the Bishop of Orléans to thank him and inform him of all that had happened in Poitiers. This venerable Prelate replied to him in the most cordial manner on May 5, 1837:
“The good Lord, Father, blesses the courage and perseverance of those who work for his glory. It is a good idea to build a house in your country in which pure but penitent hearts will meet one day. Follow, Sir, your laudable designs, I dare to assure you of their success. Our good Carmelites of Poitiers have been well inspired, and the means that their charitable prudence has inspired in them will respond much better to your thoughts and your holy desires, than to have granted you one or two nuns who would have remained alone for perhaps a good a long time. But if, in handing over to you the pious deposit which you entrusted to them, they only give you a good prioress, your family of Carmel will be fully formed. the house of Poitiers is very dear to me, it has in its bosom several people whose first steps I have taken on the right road. I communicate with them sometimes. I'm even still writing today, but I'm not talking about your business, I'll leave it to my good girls to tell me about it, and it will be a fine opportunity to engage them to perfection. Moreover, Madame la Prioress must have let you know how much this house is attached to me and I feel a great consolation. You have placed your plans in the hands of our Patron Saints, you have visited the temples erected in their honor. I would have liked you to have known the holy parish priest of Ste Radegonde, the best of my friends, as well as some other ecclesiastics of Poitiers, people of merit. But you have been a short time in this city where there is godliness. I beg your pardon for sending you a smudged letter, but I have so much to write in one day that I have not been able to begin my letter again. I write it to you with a trembling hand, at this moment the storm and the thunder are felt in my hand and in my old head. »
This venerable Prelate was then 88 years old; what he said in his letter about the feelings of the community of Poitiers towards him was very true, his letters were received there with unspeakable satisfaction. [Let us add as an additional link that Mgr de Beauregard had baptized in 1805 the Sister Geneviève who will become our foundress].
Appointment of the abbot as Superior: a Savage at the head of the Carmel of Lisieux
It was on the eve of the Ascension that M. Sauvage arrived in Lisieux. He hastened to inform the Bishop of Bayeux of the history of his trip to Poitiers. So Bishop, to establish a new link between his future Carmelites and their director, appointed him in advance by a letter of May 11, 1837, Superior of the Carmel of Lisieux. His Grandeur's paternal letter caused great joy to M. Sauvage and he sent a copy to the community of Poitiers. It was the shortest means of making known to the nuns the sentiments of the venerable prelate. It is with pleasure that we transcribe it here.
Sir and dear Abbot,
I cannot tell you how satisfied I was with the interesting details you gave me about your future Carmelites. Your admirable zeal to work at this holy work is too active and too pure for divine Providence not to crown it with complete success. It is with real pleasure that I appoint you in advance Superior of the community of Carmelites of Lisieux of which you have already been for so long the protector, the founder and the Father. When you write to your dear daughters, please tell them that my wishes accompany them, that I call upon them all the blessings of the Lord and that I ask them to be the interpreters of my gratitude to the community which welcomes them so of benevolence.
The community of Poitiers sincerely shared the joy felt by the novices when they learned that their holy director had been named their superior.
“It was necessary, wrote the Mother Prioress to M. Sauvage, it is, I have no doubt, in the interest of the foundation. Thank you, she added, for having taken the time to write to us immediately, despite the many occupations you must have found on your arrival: it has reassured your dear daughters, who did not fail to have a little worry about you. I have confined myself to telling them for the moment that your journey had been pleasant and that you had arrived in good health; as we have no recreation until Pentecost, it will not be until that day that I will make known to the whole community the details of which you have communicated to me. The first visit M. de Rochemonteix made to his new daughters went very well with his usual cheerfulness, he gave them very good advice. I can tell you that they assure me that they are happy. Their cheerfulness and their appetite make me believe that they are telling the truth. »
Progress of the Novices at Poitiers and Abbé Sauvage's Tribulations
The letters from the novices soon confirmed what the Mother Prioress assured them, their mistress also wrote a letter full of interest in the good work. "I believe," she said to M. Sauvage, "we both compete in the desire to see our young sisters zealous for their perfection, so it seems to me that the good Lord is so good that he will fulfill this desire and that one day our poor girls will be wives after his own heart. Mrs. St Charles did not fail to congratulate Mr. Sauvage on the happy success of his trip: "how our holy Mother would have loved you," she wrote to him, "if you had been of his time!" At last, after so much fatigue and labor, you reach the moment of seeing them crowned. God be a thousand and a thousand times blessed. I cannot express to you the joy I feel. »
Such a good beginning should indeed presage a happy ending, however crosses were to be expected before seeing this enterprise crowned with complete success. Besides, it is the hallmark of the works of God to be crossed. The history of the foundation of the Carmel of Lisieux would alone furnish the proof of this, if it were not found in all the circumstances where the glory of God is concerned. The holy priest whose life we write often repeated that one reaches heaven only by passing through a multitude of tribulations. We can well say that this painful path, he traveled it all his life. The encouraging progress that the affair of the foundation was taking seemed to make the inhabitants of Lisieux think that finally Mr. Sauvage's project was going to have the happiest results? quite the opposite happened: more than ever people blamed this project and this blame, we understand, fell on the pious founder. His sensitive heart was distressed by it without, however, lacking in resignation.
This is what Mother Pauline makes known to us in the letter in response to the one that M. Sauvage wrote to her on this subject. "That doesn't surprise me," she said, "but everything turns out to the benefit of those who, like you, know how to take well the trials that God sends." This good Mother was going to give him one which he was far from expecting. In proposing the foundation to the Carmelites of Poitiers, Mme Sauvage had presented the youngest of the Gosselin ladies to be received as a religious benefactress. His poor health does not allow him to follow the rule. Her sister, full of confidence that her strength would allow her to follow her, did not ask for any dispensation, the proposal was accepted without difficulty but the health of the eldest of these young ladies having deteriorated to the point of not giving the Mother Prioress the Hoping to see him make the rule, she thought it would be more advantageous for the two sisters to found a convent of the Visitation. Mother Pauline made this new proposal to M. Sauvage: "However," she added, "don't think, Monsieur, after everything I'm telling you that I don't want the foundation of the Carmelites of Lisieux to have place. I would be very sorry to divert you from it if such is the will of God, but also I believe I should share with you the reflections that he suggests to me. Come on, Sir, courage, I do not refuse to carry the cross with you, but let us act together for the sole glory of God and let us have no human consideration, let us forget ourselves. Your daughters have received their little ticket. We started the novena yesterday Saturday; God please hear us favorably. : I leave you in the divine Hearts of Jesus and Mary; it is in these holy asylums that true consolation is found.”
This novena of which Mother Pauline speaks had been preceded by the prayers of Prince Hohenlohe. His secretary wrote in these terms to the community of Poitiers: "The Prince will pray for the happy success of M. Sauvage's enterprise, for his novices, as well as for your holy community on June 5 and 13, 1837. Invoke St Thérèse and Saint Jean de la Croix, so that they may help to iron out any obstacle to the prompt execution of the plans of Mr. Sauvage into which you have entered. The prayers that this holy miracle-worker sent to the holy founders of Carmel were answered, for without consulting Mr. Sauvage and Sisters Thérèse and Marie of the Cross, they replied that despite their affection for St. Francis de Sales, they did not feel not called to found a convent of his order, but to establish one of Saint Thérèse; this unanimous response was for this Reverend Mother the obvious proof of God's will for this work, so she only thought of taking all the means that were in her power to accomplish it.
Looking for a house in Lisieux
The wills being again all in agreement, Mr. Sauvage thought of buying the house he had rented, but first he asked Mr. Renier, parish priest of Surville to work on the notes he had brought from Poitiers, to draw the New World house plan. According to these notes, this house was changed into a monastery, but to have all the rooms absolutely necessary, it was necessary to raise several floors. Mr. Sauvage having written to Mother Pauline, she replied that Ste Thérèse forbade her daughters to build high buildings. This very worthy ecclesiastic, not wanting to go against the intentions of this great saint, renounced this project of acquisition, but in order to more easily seize some favorable opportunity for the purchase of a house, he asked the two sisters for the most extent possible.
It was while sending it to him that the Mother Prioress wrote to him:
« As with the power of attorney our dear Sisters Thérèse and Marie de la Croix give you full power to act freely, it could happen that you make some acquisitions, I have an observation to make to you in this regard, it would be to do so under signature. private, reserving you to pass the act when our Sisters would be back in Lisieux, then you could if there are several professed, pass the act in the name of three or four; the property remaining with the last which would survive, by this means one would not have for a long time of inheritance rights to pay; this is the opinion of M. de Rochemonteix, my sisters Thérèse and Marie de la Croix are very fond of this method. I urge you not to start any building before the arrival of your daughters and to confine yourself to preparing accommodation for them in the house you have rented. Then you will be able to consult together for a new building and you will be more sure of establishing it suitably, because as Mr. Charton said one of our first visitors: it often happened that the buildings which one raised in l The absence of the nuns could not serve them not being suitable, which forced them to resell them to dispose of others. Let's pray, let's pray that God enlightens us and that his holy will be accomplished, you must judge how many solicitudes we have. »
According to these observations, Mr. Sauvage contented himself with having the garden cultivated, and even though a pious widow, of whom we shall soon speak, contributed by her care and her free work to the gardening and the sale of fruits and vegetables. Mr. Sauvage lost more than he gained, fortunately he received some alms from charitable people who were completely devoted to this good work, with this help he was able to pay the rent of the house, buy various objects for the sacristy and meet travel expenses. M. Sauvage, although distant, continued by letters to direct his daughters; his valuable advice was received from them with the liveliest gratitude.
The entire founders: a shock team!
But unfortunately ! his paternal heart must not have had the consolation of seeing all four of them arrive at the goal of their desires. One of them was to be deprived of the happiness of receiving the crown. It was Sister Ursule des Saints whom those in charge of her conduct did not consider fit for religious life, they wrote to M. Sauvage. This news caused him such pain that he did all he could to prevent the execution of the sentence against her; but God not wishing that this young lady should be a Carmelite, M. Sauvage took all the means that his extreme charity suggested to him to soften the bitterness of his sacrifice.
M. Sauvage, having written at the same time to the bishopric of Bayeux, mentioned without naming one of the novices, saying that it was adjourned indefinitely. M. Michel, who took the keenest interest in the two foundresses, hastened to reply: "I hope," he said, "it is not one of the Gosselin girls who has been adjourned indefinitely." From this point of view Mr. Sauvage had the consolation of seeing his first and very dear daughters courageously persevering in the holiness of their vocation. It was time for the good of the new establishment to make known to the superior responsible for leading it, the nuns who were to share in his labors and his concern. The Mother Prioress had already told her: “We will do our best to give you two nuns, it will be a lot for us and little for you who would need three or four. Finally, these two nuns were mentioned to M. Sauvage in a letter from Mother Pauline dated November 23. “I am going to introduce them to you, she said to him, they are our two sisters Élisabeth and Geneviève, you know the latter and my sister Élisabeth is the one who gave you the description of our little house, you were able to notice the how she spoke to you that she gets along a little at the building. »
These two nuns got along perfectly together having been several years in the same job. Sister Elisabeth was endowed with great ability and possessed eminently religious virtues. Reverend Mother Victoire, who received her at the very time of the revolution, had the most tender affection for her; she therefore endeavored to make her a worthy daughter of Saint Thérèse and she had the consolation of seeing Sister Elisabeth walking with great strides in the path of perfection, her virtues and her long experience made her very suitable for establishing regularity in a budding community. Sister Geneviève as mistress of novices had acquired knowledge of the characters and dispositions of novices, which made her useful to the foundation, so the choice of these nuns was a happy omen. For those who were designated, they only saw in the choice of their Superiors the expression of the will of God and they only thought about accomplishing it.
Housing again: logistical hesitations
This important business having been settled, Mother Pauline urged M. Sauvage to busy himself with preparing lodgings for his community. "So far," she said, "you haven't told me anything about accommodation arrangements. Tell us, please, tell us about your plans, because your little herd absolutely has to find accommodation when you arrive." It is absolutely necessary and then Carmelites do not find accommodation so easily as other people, it is necessary to hide them as much as possible from the sight of the seculars and to put a separation between them and the world as soon as possible. Mr. Sauvage replied that after careful consideration, he had decided to buy a house and a garden which had been recommended to him by a pious widow (Mrs. Le Boucher). He showed the advantages, especially in relation to the capital, which could only be demanded after the death of a person who had insured the buildings and their outbuildings with a life annuity of 600 francs.
He pointed out that Mrs. Leboucher offering part of her house to temporarily house the nuns, they could easily visit the new establishment because of the proximity and have everything necessary for the Carmelite habitation done there before their eyes.
This proposal ran into some difficulties: Mother Pauline and those who were to leave still insisted on choosing the site themselves; but M. Sauvage having informed them of the engagements he had entered into with the vendors, his two new daughters thought only of acquiescing to his wishes. “Monsieur,” wrote Sister Geneviève to him on this subject, “we hasten to reply to your last letter to get you out of your embarrassment. I assure you that we are perfectly at peace with the steps you are kind enough to take: if the deal is concluded, we will bless divine Providence. If, on the contrary, it breaks, we will be equally happy, our intention being to submit ourselves in everything to the will of God. In case the sellers do not go back on the word you gave them, we accept with gratitude the proposal that this respectable lady makes to us, we see an advantage in it by the short distance there is from her house to the OUR. I will tell you, Monsieur, for your consolation that my Sister Elisabeth's heart and mine are one and that these weak instruments which God wishes to use will procure his glory. »
Everything seemed to be over when a letter from the Mother Prioress came to inform M. Sauvage that after a council held on all the affairs of the foundation, they were still hesitating for fear that she would not contribute to the Glory of God. . Assuredly the motive was laudable and the good Mother in asking for a prompt answer, he did not keep her waiting, the motives for persevering in the execution of the project were founded on the one who holds all the hearts in his hand. It was this answer that caused M. de Rochemonteix to say, writing to his friend: "Your confidence is greater than all the obstacles and you will end by succeeding." have as a rule to accept as nuns only girls whose virtue is solid, strong, humble, obedient, it is better to have only two good ones than ten mediocre ones, especially for the order of the Carmelites. »
The profession of novices will take place in Lisieux: vows or no vows, what God wants...
Finally came another proposal which M. Sauvage and his dear daughters were far from expecting. It was made by Mother Pauline: "It's me, she wrote to this worthy Superior who will have the honor of speaking with you despite the fact that I had announced to you that my Sisters Élisabeth and Geneviève would write to you after you would have answered. You will have a letter from them after I have received the answer to the one I am sending you today. It is not difficult for me to forgive the pretended torment you think you are causing me. Nothing happens except by God's permission and the works that are undertaken for his sole glory always experience great difficulties, but far from being disconcerted and let down, we must seek the means to succeed and act prudently. This is what leads me to share with you the thoughts we have had and the determination we have made; this determination is to dismiss the small colony before the profession of the novices. For the good of the establishment, the delay would be too long, because to follow the custom of the Order, we must reconsider after the novitiate, the three months of postulancy that we have suppressed to give you the consolation to clothe them with the Holy Habit” M. de Rochemonteix wrote to the same effect on January 23, 1838.
Then Sister Geneviève added the following considerations: “The novices will have fewer worries, less obliged to be a little with the world, not having made their vows. Withdrawn in our solitude they will be able to prepare themselves in peace and solitude for the inestimable grace of their profession on which depends the happiness of their life, without fear that dissipation will cause them to lose the fruit of the graces that Divine Providence is known; what the ceremony of taking the veil will bring us. It is true that here we are charged with the vocation of novices, but let us hope, my God, that the Holy Spirit will enlighten us and that the protection of Mary conceived without sin who will be our titular patroness will cause us to do an action pleasing to God. This is the desire of our good Mother who has a very sincere attachment for our dear daughters, the wisdom and prudence with which this worthy Mother has led everything up to now is clear proof of this. It was she who taught our daughters the new course we were going to take and explained to them the reasons that I have just explained to you, with which they were satisfied. M. Sauvage thought it his duty to notify the Bishop of Bayeux that the novices should return before having their vows. The venerable prelate replied to him through Mr. Michel that he would have liked the novices to have made their profession in Poitiers, that he prayed, if there was still time, to make the observation of this to the Prioress and to Mr. of Rochemonteix. M. Michel added; “Bishop presumes that nothing has changed for the number and the choice of professed sisters who must accompany Mmes Gosselin and form with them, at the beginning, the chapter of the community of Lisieux. He also grants for the beginnings of the establishment and for the house of the good widow all the permissions you wish. I would be delighted to go to Lisieux for the arrival of your little colony; but I am very much afraid that my occupations or other obstacles will prevent me from doing so. Perhaps we could more certainly pray to Father Paysant. »
M. Sauvage shared the Bishop's desire: like him, he would have liked to see his religious daughters return, but things were too advanced and the three-month period after the year of novitiate too long to make any comment on this subject. This was the answer that M. Sauvage sent to His Grace. We then stuck to what the Superiors of Poitiers had settled. However, Mr. Sauvage, who knew the feelings of his daughters, knew well that they had a sacrifice to make by not making their profession in a community which was so dear to them; he therefore wrote them the following letter to console them.
My dear children in Our Lord,
M. le Supérieur, your reverend Mother Prioress and the worthy nuns who must direct you to Lisieux, constantly occupied with everything that can contribute to the great advantage of the foundation, have suggested to me the course of recalling you to the city of which you must one day make the ornament by the holiness of your life, to complete your novitiate there. I can only applaud this project for several reasons. These reasons being the same as those of Sister Geneviève, we do not repeat them, after having deduced them, this very Holy Superior added: Besides, I have reason to believe that Bishop will come when you pronounce your vows, his presence and the solemnity of the ceremony can only contribute to the advantage of the poor abode of Bethlehem.
What shall I say to you, my dear and poor children, when teaching you that you must leave the earthly paradise where you had the happiness of conversing with God and his angels, if not to resign yourselves and hasten to imitate the bee which goes from flower to flower to welcome the juice of which it must compose the honey, examine in the fervent nuns who surround you the virtues which you lack or which you possess only in a weak degree, and hasten to put them into practice, so as to that I can find in you what I have always desired: that is to say a solid, strong, humble and obedient virtue, fortunately the nuns who will be your mothers in Lisieux will be your models and will trace you in their conduct what I have just told you, take courage, the moment has arrived when more than ever you must not omit the slightest circumstance to advance on the path to perfection. I have just offered you to Our Lord and to his Blessed Mother, I had been obliged to leave my letter, I am ending it on the day of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. Be all to Jesus and I am all to you
Acceleration for departure
Mother Pauline, seeing that her proposal was fully accepted, only thought of accelerating the moment of departure. M. de Rochemonteix had just made known to the community the two nuns who were to be at the head of the new establishment, he named in the presence of the capitulants Sister Élisabeth Prioress and Sister Geneviève sub-prioress. As we only lend you, he told them, you will always be ours; these last words caused great joy to the whole community. Nevertheless, the charity that united all hearts made this separation so painful that both sides wanted to make the sacrifice as soon as possible. Mother Prioress therefore asked M. Sauvage that the departure take place in the month of March, but as it was the season of Lent, her maternal solicitude made her say to M. Sauvage: "If you could come before mid-Lent, my sister Saint Jean de la Croix not being then 21 years old, she would not be forced to fast. for my Sisters Thérèse and Marie de la Croix they are in a good position to be exempted from it. You will consider, sir, the time when you will be freer to come and pick up your little colony, we will agree on the way in which it will have to travel. In the month of January Mr. Sauvage had written a letter of cordiality to Mr. Pouillier chaplain of the Carmelites of Poitiers, this worthy ecclesiastic who had shown so much affection to Mr. Sauvage during his stay in this city sent him the following letter at beginning of February 1838:
Sir and worthy colleague,
What must you have thought of my long silence, after the kind letter you addressed to me? That politeness was not the distinctive feature of Poitevins; but the Normans are such good people that they always find in their charity excellent excuses for the miseries of their brothers. I confess my negligence, and I appeal to your good heart. I have always had, Sir and amiable colleague, the desire and the hope of writing to you in the last month, I wanted to thank you for your charming epistle, to offer you my wishes for your perfect happiness and the success of your holy enterprise, but the poor state of my health and my work have deprived me of this pleasure. Today I am putting an end to my occupations and my pains to write you a very short note, so please welcome it with the kindness that characterizes you... M. de Rochemonteix and the dear parish priest of the Cathedral are unaware that I write, receive from them the most affectionate things. I am sure to enter into their feelings. I owe you a very tender gratitude for the interest you take in my miserable health; above all deign to think of the great needs of my soul. I ask you in the name of our Divine Master, your daughters and mine will find what they are looking for and Jesus his glory. Isn't that the object of all your wishes?
We see from this letter that the kindness and amenity of character of M. Sauvage had won for him all the hearts of the ecclesiastics of Poitiers. We had pointed this out when speaking of his stay in this city which was soon to receive him. It was in the course of this month that Mr. Sauvage received a letter from the secretary of Prince Hohenlohe which told him: "The works of God are always filled with difficulties and experience contradictions according to the permission of God, often from the pious ; look at St Thérèse; Finally tandem bona causa triumphat the finger of God shows itself; perseverance gets the crown. His Highness the Prince of Hohenlohe will pray for your establishment of the Carmelites on February 22 and March 2, 1838. Oremus ut stemus and persistamus."About this novena Mrs. St Charles wrote to Mr. Sauvage: "I will unite myself to it, believe that I would rather forget myself than forget you, no more than the work to which you devoted yourself with so much devotion. This foundation absolutely resembles those made by Ste Thérèse, how many good widows has she had who have given up half of their house to her? Mrs. Leboucher's house the necessary arrangements to receive the members of his small community, he rented for this purpose a room and a cabinet which being contiguous, it was only necessary to pierce the partition to enjoy it.
At the same time, he believed he should no longer neglect the vocation of Mlle Adele Fromage, to draw the graces of God upon her, he advised her to make a retreat in the community of Délivrande with Mlle Lerebourg, her friend. Mr. Sauvage wrote to Mrs. the Superior (Mrs. Ste Marie) of this community to ask her to kindly receive his two proselytes. This request was grantede in the most obliging way. M. Sauvage took advantage of this circumstance to go himself to recommend to Marie his journey and that of the little colony; he therefore went to Délivrande at the end of the retreat of his future Carmelites. After having paid his tribute of homage to the good Notre Dame de la Délivrande whom he had invoked at the beginning of his enterprise, he begged her to obtain from her divine Son the happy conclusion. These young ladies returned very happy from their retirement, but this joy was disturbed by the accident which happened to Mlle Fromage. The streets of Caen were then covered with ice, this young lady fell and had a dislocated foot, on her arrival at the mother's house she had to be taken down with care; for several months she could only walk on crutches. The Blessed Virgin who wanted her for her daughter cured her radically, and the following year she entered the new community and took the name of Aimee of Jesus.
A holy prioress and a holy confessor
Before the departure of M. Sauvage for Poitiers, Mgr appointed him ordinary confessor of his little community and M. le parish priest of St Jacques extraordinary confessor, this worthy superior in announcing this news to his dear daughters asked that the act be sent to him. authentic of the obedience of the two Mothers designated for his new Carmel. This act of obedience, which he ardently desired in order to have the act of foundation drawn up in Bayeux, was sent to him by Mother Elisabeth prioress of the future convent. We will quote here this letter filled with the most beautiful feelings.
Sir and Respectable Father,
It is with consolation that I take up my pen to show you all the gratitude that necessarily excites in us all the interest that you take in the work that we are going to bring together over time to its perfection so I dare to 'to hope. I will not hide from you that I find myself afraid of the responsibility before God, and before the men whom we must edify. What virtues, what wisdom, what prudence this establishment demands of us so that it may be for the sole glory of God! This alone should fix our views and our intentions, I have no doubt, sir, that this is your sole aim, so I pity you for being so badly assisted; I warn you that you will have weak resources in me, who have only a small dose of frankness and good will to offer you. I devote myself without reserve to that of God, which has already been made known to me by those of my Superiors. I have nothing else to ask that he bless the intention they had in appointing me as cooperator of the holy work, so helped by your wise advice I trust that our good Master will have my sacrifice as an agreeable one, I mean the estrangement from our holy community and from such good and respectable Sisters. The world that I left for so many years in the middle of which I will find myself. It is enough, apart from everything, for him who is everything, that he be forever blessed; it is the most sincere desire of my heart, it is also that of our dear Sister Geneviève, we agree in all respects, according to this, I have the confidence, my Father, that everything will go well in our poor small convent in the ways of holiness and perfection, we all have the greatest desire for it. We want Mr. Michel to be in Lisieux for our arrival, this will do great good for the authorities as well as for the inhabitants. The article of your letter on the confessors was unanimously consented to. We therefore accept the extraordinary confessor, ordinarily we find ourselves very happy that you are willing to take on this charge and we thank the Lord for it. We will do everything in our power to give you as little trouble and hassle as possible. I thank you in particular for your immense charity, we will have a very poor household in Lisieux, we make it the subject of our recreations, we have fun with it and then that's all, have no cause for concern in this regard.
act of obedience
The act of obedience was thus designed, we give the exact copy:
Jean-Baptiste, by the mercy and grace of the Holy Apostolic See, Bishop of Poitiers. Given the request made to us by our very dear Sister in Jesus Christ, Pauline, Prioress of the Carmelite Ladies of Poitiers in our diocese, to give to Mesdames Geneviève Geoffroi in religion, Sister Élisabeth of Saint Louis and Claire Bertrand in religion Sister Geneviève de Sainte Thérèse, religious of her community, the obedience to leave their cloister and go to Lisieux, diocese of Bayeux, to found in this city a community of their Order. Considering that the reason for this request is commendable and that the community of Poitiers is flourishing enough to be able to contribute to the projected establishment in Lisieux, without compromising its existence. We hereby allow the said Sisters Elisabeth of Saint Louis and Geneviève of Saint Thérèse to leave their monastery to go as soon as possible to Lisieux and establish a community there, conforming religiously to the statutes, rules and customs received in their holy Order. , we also allow them to wear the secular habit, during the time of their journey only. Given at Poitiers, under our signature, our seal and the countersignature of the Secretary of the Bishopric, February 6, 1838.
Signed: + JB Bishop of Poitiers By order of the Bishop
Signed: Héline, priest secretary.
M. Sauvage hastened to send this act of obedience to Bayeux, in order to obtain as soon as possible from Monsignor the authentic act of the foundation of the Carmelite convent in Lisieux. The thing became all the more urgent as the Mother Prioress and sub-prioress of the foundation demanded this act in fear that some privileges would be granted in opposition to the customs followed until then. Sister Geneviève said: “Mother Elisabeth in her letter of February 8, shares my point of view in this respect, we want the good of the foundation; woe to us if we begin this holy work with a consent which would necessarily entail the ruin of regularity... We are the daughters of our ancient Mothers, we have the desire to walk in their footsteps and we owe only their love for regularity and fidelity to all our small observances, the restoration of Carmel in France. God blessed them and he will bless us too, if we are faithful to walk according to their advice, which all tends to the highest perfection. »
The two mothers had nothing to fear, it was far from the idea of the Bishop and the Superior he had chosen, to found in a way opposed to the regulations of Carmel. So Mr. Sauvage hastened to reassure them by telling them that Bishop would accept the Carmelites in his diocese in a manner consistent with the institute of Ste Thérèse. So Mother Elisabeth, retracing her steps, added: "Our Mother Pauline tells me that she finds my style a little severe, please don't be offended, and see only the intention that is there. love of my state. However, preparations for departure were being made in Poitiers, Sister Thérèse of St Joseph wrote to her Superior on the 13th of the same month: "I am going to tell you about the great change in our position, two days before the community, we learned and our sudden departure and the names of the Mothers who will have the generosity to come and found the poor Bethlehem of Lisieux; for Sister Geneviève you have known for a long time what I think of it. For the one whom God gives us for Mother, assuredly she will be a treasure for the foundation; she is a holy nun with admirable skill, I couldn't tell you all the talents she possesses; in my prayers I kept asking God for a Superior according to her heart and the most capable of working for her glory; I have no doubt that he answered me, so I thank him with all my heart. I would have liked to make my profession in Poitiers, but the good Lord did not allow it, blessed be his holy name. Our good Mother Pauline has always had an admirable zeal for the foundation, so you will see two famous boxes arrive... But don't go thinking that they contain great treasures, you would be making a strange mistake; all that is gone, I believe this morning. For the Mothers who come with us, I will not tell you anything about their zeal, the generosity with which they make their sacrifice is the finest praise that one can give of their devotion. You will learn with pleasure that the good Mother Elisabeth is putting a lot of order in her infirmary, many little boxes are set aside and filled for Lisieux because, she says, it really belongs to a good old woman like me and that we have what to work on; besides, the permissions of the Mother Prioress are as extensive as possible, and on her side she often comes to make her offering. »
D-day
These feelings of Sister Thérèse were shared by Sisters Marie de la Croix and Jean de la Croix, the latter had changed her name from Antoinette to that of Jean de la Croix. Finally, the day of departure from Poitiers was fixed for March 12. It was Sister Geneviève who notified M. Sauvage of this on February 20, 1838:
Father, she said to him, I must tell you about our trip, which has been definitively stopped for March 12. We will leave here at 4 o'clock in the evening, we will have lunch in Tours, dine in Orléans, where there we will have the honor of receiving the visit of the Bishop who will come (as he has promised) to give his blessing to this new Carmel which will be founded by two of his daughters. we will arrive in Paris at 6 o'clock in the morning and we will take the first stagecoach which, it is said, will leave at 8 o'clock in the morning to take us to Lisieux. As we want to do what will depend on us to attract by the observance of what is prescribed to us the blessings of Heaven on the work that we undertake; we've booked a seat for you in the coupe and the interior for us. Our good Mother, who has admirable foresight for everything that concerns us, asks you not to forget the sleeping bag that my Sister Saint Jean de la Croix made for you, it will be very useful for your trip. We pray to the Blessed Virgin every day so that she protects you and preserves you from accidents. On our side, Father, please put your daughters on the paten every day. This is what our Mother asks me to ask of you, asking you to accept her respects. Please pray a lot for the Mother of the large and small community, we will feel the separation from such a good Mother and from Sisters whom we love with all our heart, but we hope that the will of God and the desire to procure his glory will inspire us all to make the sacrifices that this good Master asks. I am finishing this letter to go to sleep, for it is a bit late; but I do not regret taking my sleep to converse with you for the last time, not intending to write to either of you between now and your arrival. While waiting for that day which does not seem distant to me, receive, etc.
This letter which announced to M. Sauvage that this long-desired trip was finally fixed irrevocably filled his heart with joy; he informed the Bishop of this news, M. Michel replied to M. Sauvage on February 26, 1838: “Monsieur instructs me to send you the episcopal ordinance and the two attached letters that you wish to take to Poitiers. According to the wish expressed by Madame the Prioress and the reasons she has explained to you, you can count on a Grand Vicar going to Lisieux to receive your dear colony of Poitiers in the name of Bishop. Please offer my humble homage to Mgr de Poitiers, my respectful civilities to your dear daughters in Jesus Christ and remind me of the precious memories of M. de Rochemonteix. I wish you all with all my heart the happiest journey. M. Sauvage thought that the nuns could lodge in the monasteries of their Order which would be on their route, but they answered him that the desire to arrive as quickly as possible at their destination and the fear which they had of giving torment to their Mothers to accommodate 6 people made them prefer not to stop except for what was absolutely necessary.
This thought and the response had preceded Sister Geneviève's letter, for we see in her itinerary that she does not mention any of their monasteries.
Act of foundation of a Carmel in Lisieux
We have just said that Bishop of Bayeux had sent the act of foundation we copy here this important act:
Louis François Robin, by the divine mercy and the grace of the Holy See, Apostolic, Bishop of Bayeux: Considering the declaration, dated August 15, 1836, by Mgr Dancel, our predecessor, Athalie Gosselin and Louise-Désirée Gosselin, his sister, of the city of Le Havre, both adults, residing for several years in that of Lisieux, in our diocese have committed themselves to the plan of devoting themselves to God in the Order of Carmelites and to found in the said city of Lisieux a monastery of this Order, to devote their income, of about fifteen hundred francs to the said foundation. Considering the report addressed to us on September 22, 1836 by M. l'Abbé Sauvage, first vicar of Saint Jacques de Lisieux on the project of establishing a community of Carmelites in this city. Having regard to the letters of obedience, dated the 6th of this month, granted by Mgr de Bouillé, Bishop of Poitiers, at the request of Sister Pauline, Superior of the Carmelite community of Poitiers and Mesdames Geneviève Geoffroi known in religion as Sister Élisabeth de Saint Louis and Claire Bertrand, known as Geneviève de Sainte Thérèse, nuns of her community to leave their cloister and come to found a community of their Order in Lisieux. Considering that on December 15, 1836, Bishop Dancel had approved the project submitted to him by Misses Gosselin. Considering that these two sisters sent by us to the convent of the Carmelites of Poitiers to experience their vocation there and to form themselves there for religious life have received the Holy Habit there, which they persevere in their pious design and prepare to make their profession. Considering that Father Sauvage has made sure in the city of Lisieux, of a house suitable for receiving the sisters of Poitiers, their novices and postulants to begin the work of the foundation there. Considering that it existed before the 1st revolution a community of Carmelites in the city of Caen and that we strongly desire, like our predecessor, that one be re-established in our diocese. Considering with the Holy Council of Trent that monasteries founded by piety and governed by wisdom contribute singularly to the glory of the Church of God and to the usefulness of the faithful than the Bishops without whose consent these monasteries cannot be established in their diocese are specially charged with supervising its direction, with ensuring that the rules and constitution which are proper to them are observed, and with ordering all that they believe contributes to the spiritual good of these communities. We rely on the wisdom of the ecclesiastic who was kind enough to take care of re-establishing this Order which for a long series of years has built up our diocese. Counting on the pious generosity of those who promise to take an interest in this work, as founders and benefactors; and full of confidence in the Providence of God, and after having evoked the Holy Spirit. We have ordered and do order the following:
Article one: We have approved and hereby approve the establishment of a monastery of Carmelites in the city of Lisieux, in our diocese, for the rules and constitutions of the Order to be observed there in all their extent; and accept with gratitude the sisters Élisabeth de Saint Louis and Geneviève de Sainte Thérèse whom the Bishop of Poitiers is willing to send for this purpose
Second article: We want that from the date of receipt of this our ordinance, measures be taken so that the nuns of the said monastery keep the enclosure exactly in accordance with the statutes of their order and that they can only leave it by virtue of an obedience delivered by us or our generous Vicars.
Third article: Let us allow for the consolation and sanctification of our daughters in Jesus Christ that the most holy Sacrament be preserved in the chapel or temporary oratory of the said monastery.
Fourth article: Let us name Mother Elisabeth of Saint Louis, Prioress and Father Pierre Nicolas Sauvage, first Vicar of Saint Jacques de Lisieux, Superior of the said community.
Article five: Father Sauvage, Superior of the monastery is responsible for the execution of this ordinance.
Given in Bayeux, under our signature, the seal of our arms and the countersignature of the secretary, of our Diocese on the twenty-sixth of February, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.
Signed + LF Bishop of Bayeux By Monsignor
Signed: Guérin
The incredible journey of the Abbé Sauvage to Poitiers
Mr. Sauvage not wanting to travel on Sunday, had fixed his trip to Poitiers for Thursday 1er March 1838, but an unforeseen circumstance forced him to leave the next day, he arrived in Alençon on Friday evening; there he no longer knew which side to take, there was no car for Tours, he decided to go to Beaugé where the quality of Normand earned him a passport because when he had answered the gendarmes who asked him, that he was from Normandy, they let him pass without demanding that he show him to them; which proves (says this holy priest) that at least in this country, the Normans enjoyed a good reputation. The car was in Loudun on Sunday morning.
M. Sauvage was examining and calculating the time to find out where he could say Holy Mass, he was told that he would arrive before noon at Migné. That was all he wanted, he flattered himself that he would be recognized by the venerable priest whom he had visited the previous year, accompanied by M. Pouillier, chaplain of the Carmelites of Poitiers. great was his surprise, the good priest had no recollection of it; In vain he recalled various circumstances, for example that he had seen the reliquary of the True Cross in the presbytery, he was answered coldly: I have seen many other people.
M. Sauvage showed his papers, but he had no permission from the Bishop of Poitiers to say Holy Mass and they did not seem disposed to have him say it. It was alleged that it was after noon. In short, the Carmelites of Lisieux were going to become the innocent cause that their Superior would break the Sunday law. The regrets began to come from having advanced so far and not having stopped on the way, to sanctify the day of the Lord.
When the Vicar of the Parish judged the traveler favorably on his exterior, the good priest decided to let him say mass. Another difficulty presented itself, when we arrived at the sacristy, M. Sauvage was in secular habit, we represented to him that in the diocese we did not say mass without a cassock, nor in ours either, he replied, but M. le Curé will be so kind as to lend me one? The hour was advancing greatly and the traveler was exhausted of strength, finally everything was granted. The venerable priest remained at the church during the time of the mass, he was so edified by the piety of M. Sauvage that when it was finished, he graciously came to invite him to dinner. This good gentleman did not need to be asked twice.
It was during the meal that he knew the real causes of the difficulties he had experienced. M. le curé had had an attack of paralysis since he had seen him, which had caused him to lose his memory. Moreover, the parish priest told Mr. Sauvage that an adventurer with more than ambiguous letters of priesthood had presented himself at the presbytery, which had made him very suspicious on the account of priests who were not with authorization from the Bishop of Poitiers. So this worthy Prelate to whom M. Sauvage told this anecdote, after being amused by it, praised the zeal of the good priest of his diocese. After this explanation, the parish priest of Migné and M. Sauvage parted very happy with each other. This worthy ecclesiastic arrived at the community the same day. Needless to say, it was a joy for him and his novices to see each other again. He hastened to hand over to the hands of the Reverend Mother Prioress Pauline the authentic act of the foundation of which he was the bearer, as well as the letter from the Bishop of Bayeux which was addressed to him.
Meeting with the Bishop of Poitiers: nuns' loan contract...
The next morning, M. Sauvage went to hand over his homework to Bishop de Bouillé, to whom he presented the letter from his Bishop. The venerable Prelate invited him to dinner on the same day; it was on this occasion that M. de Rochemonteix reminded his friend of the embarrassment he was going to create for himself in relation to the foundation, but all was over; it was success that was to judge whether the enterprise had been conceived wisely; Providence alone had the secret. There were only eight days left until departure. The deed of foundation was first read to the community, as they had been informed of the deed of obedience, they easily recognized that the deed of foundation was covered with all the formalities necessary to ensure its validity, the acts of the two Prelates were unrestricted and unconditional; it was not the same with the undersigned of M. Sauvage and the community represented by the Mother Prioress, the sub-prioress and the first depositary. M. de Rochemonteix declared positively in the name of the community that the nuns were loaned only for three years, it was then that M. Sauvage pointed out to him that since he was lending to the community of Lisieux, the two Mothers Elisabeth and Geneviève , it was necessary to prolong their stay beyond three years, otherwise it would ruin the work from the very beginning. M. de Rochemonteix himself felt that this time was much too short to consolidate the foundation; that was why he replied to M. Sauvage that prudence demanded that this period be fixed, but that it would be easy to prolong it. So the concordat was made which we are about to relate:
The year 1838, March 10, between the undersigned, Mr. Pierre Nicolas Sauvage, Vicar of Saint Jacques de Lisieux, diocese of Bayeux on the one hand, and Mesdames Marie Calixte Bonnefont, Madeleine Anastasie de Charteigner and Émilie Regnault, the first Prioress, the second sub-prioress and the third depositary at the Carmelite monastery of Poitiers, on the other hand, was made this treatise. The said Abbé Sauvage having wished to found a convent of Carmelites in the city of Lisieux with the authorization of the Bishop of Poitiers, having promised two of his nuns Geneviève Geoffroi, known in religion as Sister Élisabeth of Saint Louis and Claire Bertrand, known as Sister Geneviève de Saint Thérèse, the first to fill the office of Prioress, the second that of sub-prioress and mistress of novices at the future monastery of Lisieux, the contracting parties have agreed on the following: Article XNUMX: The two nuns designated to go and found the establishment will continue to belong to the monastery of Poitiers which only lends them for three years.
Article XNUMX: With the consent of the contracting parties, these two nuns will be authorized to prolong their stay at the monastery of Lisieux as long as necessary to consolidate it.
Article three: In the event that this establishment cannot be maintained, the movable effects mentioned in the appended inventory must be returned to the community of Poitiers if they exist in kind at the time of the dissolution of the said establishment. Section four. The two nuns mentioned above will be taken back to their house in Poitiers at the expense of the establishment in Lisieux. Made and sent in duplicate to Potiers on the day and year above.
Signed: PN Sauvage superior of the Carmelites of Lisieux
Sister Marie Calixte Pauline Bonnefont
Sister Anastasie Sub Prioress
Sister Emélie, Custodian
Exchange of spirits and other pieties...
In the talks that Mr. Sauvage had with Mother Elisabeth, he did not conceal from her that she and Sister Geneviève would have many privations to impose on themselves. give the positive assurance of the acquisition of the house he had bought in the name of the two Gosselin sisters by a simple compromise for the price of 15.300 francs, there were minors among the sellers and the final sale was to take place after Easter by adjudication in court. Nothing disconcerted the zeal of these two nuns, the glory of God was the sole motive of their conduct.
The novices had wanted to spare a moment of recreation for the community by asking their Superior to bring with him a few bottles of cider from Normandy; it was indeed a rare thing for the Poitevines to taste apple juice. To please them Mr. Sauvage took charge of this commission, the community took revenge for this little joke by filling the bottles with good wine to send it back to Lisieux with the little colony. Mr. Sauvage after having satisfied his devotion to the tomb of Saint Radegonde, where he had several objects of piety touched, wanted to return his duties to Bishop de Bouillé and take leave of his Grandeur by showing all his gratitude for what he had kindly wanted fulfill his wishes. The venerable Prelate admitted him again to his table the day before the departure from the little colony (it was the 2nd Sunday of Lent, March 11, 1838).
Giving him his blessing he instructed him to tell the Carmelites that he would go the next day to say mass in their community for the happy journey of his daughters. Indeed, the Bishop of Poitiers came on March 12, the day of departure, to offer the holy sacrifice in the Carmelite chapel. He then asked the nuns and the novices to come to the parlor, addressed a short speech to them, then gave them his blessing. They needed this new grace to break the ties that held them together with Mothers and Sisters whom they loved tenderly and who for their part felt keenly the blow that this separation was going to inflict on them, for even though all of them desired only the glory God, he was sad to see the aircraft leaving.
The hour was approaching. M. Sauvage went to the stagecoach office to pay the agreed price of 217 francs to Paris. The director, according to the desire of the Reverend Mother Pauline manifested by Madame de Ballatier, sister of the Mother Sub-Prioress of Poitiers, had written to the directors of the towns where the diligence was to stop, it was d to invite the butlers to provide the nuns with a private apartment where they would be served in lean. Already the poor furniture had left the cloister. Mother Elisabeth wanted the mattress on which she had rested for many years to accompany her to Lisieux.
Heartbreaking goodbyes
Mothers Elisabeth and Geneviève, whose occupations had prevented them from having dinner with the community, took their meals hastily and went to recreation, affliction was painted on all faces; after recreation the Mother Prioress made the nuns stay to wait for the presence of all the Sisters in order to say goodbye to each other during this time each kept a gloomy silence which was only interrupted by the sobs that the goodbyes caused. This touching scene lasted about ten minutes, after which each retired, promising each other the help of prayers. At three o'clock the Superior (M. de Rochemonteix) and the Chaplain, confessor and friend of the community (M. Pouillier) asked for their two daughters to bless them and tell them that they were going to wait for them at the courier to bid them their last farewells. It was indeed the last of M. Pouillier; he died three months later. While the two nuns were still in the parlor, the novices wanted to show them their gratitude and their submission by asking their permission to embrace them like their mothers, whose docile children they always wanted to be.
The private car which had come to fetch the nuns had entered the cloister; departure was eagerly pressed. However, the new Prioress and her companion went to the choir to read their obedience and offer themselves to Jesus Christ, in order to accomplish his will, begging him to bless the work they were about to undertake. After asking for the blessing of their divine Master and placing themselves under the protection of Mary conceived without sin, they kissed their beloved Mother Prioress one last time and got into the car. Even though the two nuns had received from their very worthy Bishop permission to wear secular clothes for the time of the trip, they preferred to keep the clothes of their Order, relying entirely on the custody and care of Divine Providence. ; the novices did the same, with the exception of Mlle Mouchet. This young lady, whom the good Lord did not call to Carmel, devoted herself with great zeal to the service of the nuns throughout the journey.
However, M. de Rochemonteix, M. Pouillier and Mme de Ballatier, of whom we have spoken above, and his venerable mother, were waiting for the little colony at the stagecoach office. These two ladies, when the carriage arrived, asked M. de Rochemonteix for permission to kiss the Mother Prioress who was their friend and to give her daughters this same sign of sincere attachment. The farewells finished, the little family got into the stagecoach, the whole interior was reserved for them. M. Sauvage took his place in the coupé. Reverend Mother Elisabeth again begged M. de Rochemonteix to bless her and her daughters, the paternal way in which he gave this blessing filled them all with the deepest tenderness. The two friends had embraced each other for the last time with the most tender affection.
The start of an amazing journey
It was thus that on March 12, 1838, around four o'clock in the evening, the Reverend Mother Prioress lost sight of the city of Poitiers where she had made such sacred commitments and that her companion. The Mother Sub-Prioress said goodbye to her country and her parents to go to a country they did not know and where they were not known, they were leaving a beautiful monastery, a holy community, a pleasant society of Sisters. God was leading them, both of them hoping to find what Jesus Christ had promised to souls who leave everything for him; they thought they were receiving a precious compensation for their sacrifices in the charity of their new Superior and in the union of the hearts of their new family. As for housing, they knew that their divine Spouse was born in a stable, they expected to share his poverty and his humiliations, they were not mistaken.
At the first relay, Mr. Sauvage went to the door to find out how the travelers were, as the nuns were then reciting the breviary, we said nothing to each other, but the look of the Superior seemed to say: that I am finally happy , they are mine ; he was, however, far from expecting that the arrival in Lisieux would be in any way sadder for him than the exit from Poitiers. By a particular providence the cold which was very biting the days preceding the departure had ceased, the weather was then very mild and the moonlight made this first night very pleasant: in its light the nuns were able to enjoy the sight of pretty countryside surrounding Tours. It was only the Mother Sub-Prioress and Sister Thérèse who enjoyed this charming spectacle, the good Mother and her other daughters slept soundly. It was four o'clock in the morning when the little procession arrived in the town of Tours; a private room was reserved for him at the hotel.
M. Sauvage went with the other travelers to take a little rest. When we got back into the car it was too early to meet curious people, an advantage they did not have when they arrived in Blois. We had been obliged during the journey to reverse the order of the meal, having a snack in the morning, and it was in the car that the travelers took this frugal meal. The novices who were not fasting, two because of poor health and the other because she was underage, had taken a little food in Tours, but the nuns who had dined little the day before and who had taken only a light collation in the evening felt strongly the torment of hunger. It was eleven o'clock when we entered the town of Blois; this hour was certainly not convenient for hiding from the sight of the people who surrounded the carriage. The mistress of the hotel came to receive the nuns with great civility and led them to a room all shiny with gilding, but to get there it was necessary to cross a drawing-room where several gentlemen were taking their meals; as they entered the whole company rose and saluted them very respectfully. During the whole time that the nuns occupied the adjoining room, this same society made so little noise that it seemed by its silence to favor that which the Carmelites set so much store by keeping. For his part, M. Sauvage hastened to take his collation in a small drawing-room, he was talking to the Bishop's hostess, whom she praised thus: "He is very old, if he I needed to save her life only to cut off my little finger, I would willingly suffer it. »
When the Bishop's secretary came on behalf of Mgr Sauzin to offer alms of one hundred francs for the foundation, the venerable Prelate feared that the hour of the diligence would not allow M. Sauvage to go to the Bishop's Palace; however, as there was still half an hour available, he wanted to take advantage of it to pay his respects to the Bishop and show him his gratitude. When he arrived in the Palace he found the holy Prelate on his knees reciting his office. The reception was most affable. After a few questions about Lisieux and the people of the Bishop's acquaintance, M. Sauvage begged him to kindly give him his blessing. The words used by the venerable Bishop were touching; it seemed that all his affection for the city where he had been Vicar General was renewed. “I bless you, he said, I bless your parish, I bless the whole town of Lisieux. The secretary accompanied M. Sauvage on his return to the car and brought the nuns the blessings of his worthy Bishop, expressing to them the pain that the Carmelites of Blois felt at being deprived of their visit. The moments were too short to procure this consolation on either side.
Orléans and its bishop with a heart of gold
The stagecoach was heading towards Orleans, the little family ardently wished to arrive in this city; they had to stop there for two hours, either to take a little rest and have a good dinner there, which could support the travelers as far as Paris. Everything was well regulated, but according to the old proverb, man proposes and God disposes. The overloaded stagecoach was dragged painfully by the horses on the road laden with pebbles. The travelers were even obliged to descend for a certain time to release the wheels stopped by the stones which they rolled in front of them, so the arrival in Orleans was delayed by an hour and a half, it was half past five when we entered the city.
Bishop de Beauregard had sent Miss Curzon, his niece, with her carriage to receive the little cortege as it got off the stagecoach and drive it to the Episcopal Palace. This good young lady had been waiting a long time; there was a crowd in the square, it was a rather curious spectacle for the multitude to see poor nuns taking their places in the pretty episcopal carriage.
The Carmelites might have felt a moment of satisfaction from the honor they received, if the interior of the carriage had not been too narrow for them and the Bishop's niece; one of the novices had to stand at the door, which had to be left open, so true is it that there are no roses without thorns. However, traveling salesmen who were with M. Sauvage in the coach's coupé began to murmur about the delay they foresaw and expressly advised him not to delay too long at the Bishop's Palace, where he arrived on foot, some time after the nuns.
The venerable Prelate had been confined to bed for several days by an inflammation of the chest, he had left it that day at one o'clock to receive his dear daughters; at the noise of the car he left his apartment to come meet them, his age of 89 and his illness had not taken away his beautiful face, the liveliest joy was depicted in all his features, ah! there they are, my dear daughters, he exclaimed, as soon as he saw them; here is my little red shawl. It seemed to him then that he saw the Mother Sub-Prioress at the age of 16, so although at the time she was 32, he did not call her anything but “little”. How happy I am, repeated this illustrious old man incessantly. Ah! it is now that I will say Nunc Dimittis, then with a truly paternal tenderness he blessed the Mothers and the daughters, then he led them into his room. M. Sauvage entered at this moment, his presence making the joy complete.
It seemed that this venerable Prelate had regained his strength to support his dear daughters for a few moments. The Mother Prioress whom he had made do, as he liked to say, her novitiate under a screen at the end of the revolution, seemed rejuvenated when she saw her old Father again. The Mother Sub-Prioress, whom he had always directed and guided, remembered with gratitude all that she owed to her wise and venerable Ananias; M. Sauvage who had known, as has been said elsewhere, all the goodness and all the virtue of Mgr de Beauregard even before he was Bishop, could not sufficiently recognize the eminent service he had rendered to the foundation in showing her the house of Poitiers to draw Mothers for her young postulants.
Finally, all the novices were delighted with admiration on seeing with what simplicity the venerable Bishop poured out the feelings of his soul in the midst of this little family. All contemplated the holy old man seated near his fire and could read on his face the joy with which his heart was filled on seeing around him the new Carmel; so they listened attentively to his words, which breathed the most tender piety and the liveliest faith. the appearance of a little bread to be food for his children, your Superior, he says with kindness, will tell you more about the deep humility of the immense charity of the divine Savior in this august sacrament; such was more or less his language with the small audience, the object of his benevolence. Then he reminded the two mothers of some circumstances in their lives which proved that time and separation had made him forget nothing.
Do you remember Bishop, says M. Sauvage, a young seminarian whom you received in your arms at the St Sulpice seminary countryside of Issy, in a moment of fainting? Very well answered the Prelate. It's me, said M. Sauvage gratefully. So true is it that in the course of life there are certain circumstances quite indifferent in themselves which later procure a moment of happiness; Mr. Sauvage, continuing his conversation, spoke of the poverty and deprivations which must have been the share of the little family of the Carmel; rejoice, says the holy Prelate to the daughters of Ste Thérèse if poverty reduces you to seeing snow falling on your beds. Soon, to make people admire the care of Providence for its poor, he slipped into the hand of the Mother Prioress a little box containing a thousand francs in gold. Then calling one of the novices, he had a packet of very beautiful pictures made for her. Your Mother, he told her, will distribute them to you. The little family was so happy that it was hard to see the minutes go by, but as the joys here below are only fleeting, after a visit of about twenty minutes, they had to bid farewell to the venerable Prelate. Before parting he gave his blessing to the little Carmel with an outpouring of heart, then he said to the Mother Sub-Prioress: “Write down everything that concerns your foundation and do not fail to include in it the joy that your visit gives me. I recommend that you keep me up to date with everything, but do not write to me so thinly, because be careful that I read without glasses. » [at 89 years old!] The task with which Mgr d'Orléans charged the Mother Sub-Prioress was fulfilled by his worthy superior, so it is because of this story of which he was the author and which he knew how to make so interesting, that we are largely borrowing the pages of his life which concern this establishment which was always so dear to his heart.
Coming out of the Episcopal Palace, the nuns remembered that their stomachs demanded their rights, they hastened to get back into the car to reach the hotel de la diligence. It was all well and good if the traveling salesmen were willing to give M. Sauvage and his nuns time to appease their great hunger; at first they turned a deaf ear to the first clamours, and they promptly entered the drawing-room, where they found a magnificent dinner; but as mortification must accompany the Carmelites everywhere, their eyes were satisfied, their stomachs very little; the clamours of the travelers redoubled and forced the driver of the diligence to come and honestly invite the nuns to rise from the table. M. Sauvage hastened to pay for the dinner, which they had, so to speak, only tasted; however, as good should benefit the Master, there was no scruple about taking away the dishes that could fit in the travel basket; it was a prudent means, says the good Superior, which the Normans never blame.
The good nuns, according to the story we had told them, expected a few disagreeable words when they got back into their carriage; they were pleasantly surprised to hear the travelers say: "Here are the ladies!" words which caused the people who were in the way to stand on two hurdles. M. Sauvage got off with hearing a few complaints and a few threats of denunciation against the manager of the stagecoach at Poitiers who, they said, had disposed of all the places to the disadvantage of the travelers who, coming from Bordeaux, should have the best. M. Sauvage was too good to think of contesting; soon peace was restored and as a sign of good union the quarrelsome offered him some biscuits which he tried, says this holy priest, to accept with grace. It is thus that on all occasions the goodness of his heart is always noticed.
This night, like the previous one, was most pleasant, several of the Sisters only noticed its charms through the sweetness of sleep, those who were not sleeping or who woke with a start assured us that we were in the suburbs of Paris, their conversation woke the good Mother and we were still ten leagues from the capital. Finally at 5 am the little family arrived in Paris, the birthplace of Mother Prioress Elisabeth. As they got off the diligence, Sisters Thérèse and Marie de la Croix received a visit from Miss Adélaïde Gosselin, their sister. The nuns went to the hotel designated for them. There they employed their first moments in the recitation of their breviary; in carrying out this holy exercise they felt a weakness which compelled their superior to order dinner for 9 o'clock. If there was ever a reason for dispensation from the Lenten fast, it was certainly on this occasion, this reason became even stronger when he learned that the diligence would not stop at Nantes for dinner as Mrs. .the Director of the Poitiers office, who as we have said had given his orders, on the whole route that the nuns had to travel.
A convoy of Carmelites in Paris
We said above that the convent of the Carmelites of the rue d'Enfer in Paris, had been in the origin of the project of the foundation, on the point of taking charge of this good work. This community had always had the most intimate relations with the community of Poitiers. The Mother Prioress had the greatest desire to make the acquaintance of these worthy Mothers; it was also a source of great joy for her daughters to talk for a moment with the Carmelites who had preserved so well the precious heritage of the first Mothers who came to France, of whom they are the eldest daughters.
This is why, in concert with M. Sauvage, we took advantage of the few hours which remained free to go to the convent of St Jacques. We took two cabs to get there as quickly as possible. The colony was welcomed, as expected, with the greatest pleasure by the Reverend Mothers Prioress, Sub-Prioress and Marie-Thérèse. M. Sauvage would have said Holy Mass there if the lack of time had not prevented him. Mr. Sauvage had the consolation of venerating the mantle of Saint Thérèse jointly with his daughters, he had already had this happiness before becoming a priest; but then the cloak was not enclosed under a reliquary. The Reverend Mothers of Paris ardently desired to bring their Sisters into the community; it was still a deprivation on both sides, the moments were too short, we were therefore forced to end this pleasant visit promptly.
We got back into the carriages to get back to the hotel as soon as possible, in order to have hastily the meal which had been prepared for them. The Carmelites did not complain about his sumptuousness: he was quite frugal and he was well paid. When the frugal meal was over, the driver of the cab arrived: "Monsieur," he said to Monsieur Sauvage, "you settled with me, but when you asked me for change, you did not give me your five-franc piece" and in poor he was exhibiting coins. The charity of this holy priest made him say while relating this fact: distractions are of all times and of all places, assuredly it could well be one; he therefore very graciously gave the requested document, then the procession went to the square of Notre Dame des Victoires.
It was a rather curious thing to see five Carmelites there, two with their large black veils and the three novices with their small white veils, mixed with this large crowd which is in this square at ten o'clock when the cars leave, however nobody says anything to them, one can even affirm that respect accompanied them everywhere; it is that God, who sent them, was always watching over them. The diligence was not long in arriving at Mantes, there, as we have said, a dinner, according to the recommendation of the director of the Poitiers office, was prepared for the nuns, which certainly could not suit those who were fasting; the case was embarrassing, if the stagecoach had stopped, as usual, it would have been necessary to pay for the dinner at the risk of taking it with you; but luckily for a year the resting distances had changed, and the driver of the stagecoach was not allowed to stop at Nantes that day.
It was, as we see, a providential circumstance, we heard the murmuring of the butler who made a few complaints, if the complaints had been more formal, assuredly that Mr. Sauvage would have satisfied them but as he saw that it was a day fair, he rightly thought that the maitre d' was easily deferring his dinner, so we ignored it and since then we have never heard of it. By reading so far the report of M. Sauvage's journey, the reader has been able to enjoy seeing him and his dear daughters everywhere received with so much respect: the sky itself seemed to favor the progress of travelers, by making them enjoy of mild, calm and serene weather. Arriving in Lisieux should, according to what the worthy Superior said, have the same advantages. Thus, as in all other towns, a very suitable car would be waiting for the little colony to take it to its temporary dwelling. But God, who wanted his wives to come to Normandy to imitate his poverty and participate in his humiliations, by a combination of circumstances that he alone knew, completely changed Mr. Sauvage's plans, and it is this reversal that we wanted. speak when we said that, for him, the arrival in Lisieux was sadder than the departure from Poitiers. The Lord began to make his will felt as soon as we set foot on the province of Normandy; the weather then changed suddenly it became dark and rainy. At eight o'clock in the evening the nuns went down to Évreux where little attention was paid to them in the hotel where they took a very light snack, fatigue had also diminished their natural cheerfulness.
Arrival in Lisieux eventful
Those who spent their third night without sleeping thought they noticed that the sites they were traveling were not as beautiful as those they had seen before, finally this last night had no charm for them, on the contrary it seemed to them very longer than the two preceding ones, it was however only four o'clock when the small colony always protected by Providence arrived without any accident in its new homeland, these words: "We are in Lisieux" rejoiced and consoled all hastened to look for the carriage which was to transport the nuns to their domicile when they got out of the stagecoach.
Mrs. Le Boucher, the widow, who offered it, and Ms. Lerebourg, who had helped to prepare it, presented themselves, they asked for the car and all that was seen was a large cart covered with a canvas tied on circles. The Superior was disconcerted and humiliated, he had arranged that the Father of Sr St Jean de la Croix would come to meet the nuns with a car, and it was a cart.... An indisposition which had occurred to the proposed driver had caused this change, and no one had thought of replacing it, it had no doubt been decided that Carmelites who had to make a profession of poverty would find themselves fairly well off a cart whose jolting gave a sort of elasticity to the weary limbs of the traveling ladies. However, it was necessary to make a good heart against luck and we began to laugh, with the exception of the good Mother and Mr. where we were going and the good Mother, seated on a chair, was afraid of falling to the right or to the left on the pavement, because she did not notice that the famous cart had supports on both sides, the wind which raised the canvas gave her a glimpse of the earth and it was difficult to persuade her that unless there was an upheaval she would not be knocked down on the pavement. It was impossible to load the parcels onto the big car basket and now Mlle Lerebourg was condemned to keep them until the cart could come back for them. This poor young lady was shaking with all her might. M. Sauvage knew that she had nothing to fear because he particularly knew the people at the hotel where the stagecoach had stopped, but that was not enough to reassure her in the midst of the darkness that surrounded her. enveloped on all sides.
However, the procession arrived at the house of Mme le Boucher, on March 15, 1838. Mlle Lerebourg had instructed this good Lady not to say anything to those to whom she offered hospitality because the Carmelites were silent at this hour. -there ; it was true, but if in this circumstance this good young lady had taken the spirit and not the letter, she would not have given such instructions, she would have thought on the contrary that these poor foreigners needed all the affability of their charitable hostess to make them forget both their fatigue and the isolation in which their new position placed them.
If M. Sauvage has just said that he was laughing his head off in the cart, it was quite another thing in this lady's big apartment where everyone was gathered keeping a gloomy silence. If Mademoiselle Lerebourg had not had the keys to the nuns' quarters, the good Superior would immediately have given his new daughters something to amuse himself by visiting their poor dwelling with them; but as it was necessary to wait until she was back and ignorant of the cause of Madame le Boucher's silence which gave this lady an extremely cold air; Unable therefore to analyze where he got such a reception, M. Sauvage did not feel the courage to remain longer in such a false position, he decided to withdraw.
A temporary monastery: monastery or stable?
The little family was by the fire, considering the fish that had been hung in the fireplace a new thing, they did not know that this dish, flavored by the smoke, would be served for their dinner. Miss Lerebourg having finally arrived, the Mother Prioress begged her to take her to the room intended for novices, wanting her dear daughters to take a little rest. The lock of this apartment was so bad that this young lady had at least a quarter of an hour to turn the key in all directions before being able to open it. Introduced into these apartments, the nuns actually saw what they had meditated on in their prayers at the stable in Bethlehem: indeed, nothing could be poorer than the two old garrets which were to serve as dormitories for the novices, the clay ceiling was so flimsy that in passing through the false attic he fell on their wretched pallets. Old curtains of all colors that had been rented from a thrift store surrounded them.
To go from one room to another there was no door. The first room visited by the small colony was the oratory where the Blessed Sacrament rested. The parish priest of Saint Jacques had come the day before his arrival to bless it and offer the Holy Sacrifice there. It was the greatest consolation that could be given to those who had left everything out of love for this divine Saviour; so it was at her feet that the two Mothers sought their rest. The thought that their sweet Jesus had come the first to dwell in their poor abode, made them embrace with joy all the inconveniences which were attached thereto. The Blessed Sacrament rested in a copper ciborium lined with a second silver-vermilion cup; for a long time we took advantage of the permission granted on this subject by the Abbé Michel on October 19, 1837.
Father Sauvage's piety had made him take every precaution to render devout the little chapel where the holy sacrifice was to be celebrated during the time that the nuns remained in their monastery. The inventory of the chapel was easy to do. Three chasubles: one green in wool, which had belonged to a former parish priest, the other red and white with silk braid, the third in purple velvet of fairly good taste, two or three albs, a few surplices, a small number of friendships and belts. The various objects had been donated or purchased at the sale of the furniture of former priests, a copper monstrance with a gilded silver lens which the Ladies Hospitallers had given away, a chalice whose foot was also in silvered copper with a cup in gilded silver inside, a very old censer donated by Mr. Jumel, parish priest of Saint Désir de Lisieux, poor wooden candlesticks that came from the Saint Jacques Church, the tabernacle had once belonged to the old Saint Hyppolite church in end of the meadows which the parish priest of Saint Désir had also given, the painting which made the counter-table was beautiful, it represented Our Lord in the midst of the doctors, it had been given by the parish priest of Saint Jacques. Such were the objects of worship.
It took little time to walk through the new monastery. The choir was separated from the chapel by a very narrow corridor which led to an apartment of eighteen square feet with three separations, the first was the kitchen, the second the refectory which also served as a recreation room, and the third the cell. of the Mother Sub-prioress; the latter needed to leave her cell carefully so as not to knock over the frying pan or the bowls. The Mother Prioress occupied a small cabinet which opened into this same apartment. The chapel was very poor, very small but decent, these so-called regular places were on the first floor. A grilled door which was in the passage formed the parlor, which was very inconvenient; the nuns having no other way out to go to the meager garrets where the novices slept. What was also annoying was that the people who came for the service of the house were with those who were in the parlor, since the grilled door also served as a tower. It is conceivable that such a place exempted the nuns from the cloister: it was nevertheless good to make people of the world see the care taken by the Carmelites to hide from their gaze. The courtyard and the garden were in public view, which caused the little community to go out very rarely.
Opposite, the house of the widow Leboucher, garden side.
The furnishings corresponded to the accommodation, a chimney breast placed in a corner served as a pantry, a box served as a sideboard and the pavement was there for the service of the kitchen, a pierced bellows and green wood must have exercised the patience of the cook. The refectory was so narrow that the nuns could hardly sit at the table, as they had few dishes, the first ones who had eaten their soup gave their bowls to be washed so that the portions could be served. Six weeks before departure, the bulkheads were removed, which put them further out to sea; but on the other hand the mistress of novices who by this arrangement found herself not having a private cell was obliged to go to the attic to speak to the novices. It may be said in passing that they bore these various privations very cheerfully. The reader can be convinced by the description we have just given that when M. Sauvage said to Reverend Mother Pauline and to the Mothers who were destined for Lisieux: "the temporary accommodation that I am offering you will be very poor", he was speaking according to the strict truth. So the good Mother of Poitiers wrote to her on May 5 of the same year: “We will learn with great satisfaction that our sisters have come out of their narrow and inconvenient little room. »
Each time they write to us they have fun and we ourselves cannot help laughing by sharing their deprivation of heart and affection, this also happens to you, according to what they tell us, in spite of all your solicitude as a charitable Father and an attentive Superior. »
The act of foundation: a prophetic discourse
Father Falize, Vicar General of the Diocese and Archdiocese of Lisieux was the ecclesiastic chosen by the Bishop to receive the nuns on his behalf and install the community in the temporary house. This worthy priest had accepted with joy this function which he fulfills with as much zeal as charity for the little flock, he had come expressly from Bayeux, and had established his residence at the Seminary, he went to the new monastery to say the community mass, which he preceded by the chant of the Veni Creator. The Superior could not go there, the fatigue of the journey obliged him to take some rest.
In the evening Father Falize accompanied by Mr. Sauvage returned to the community to give the blessing of the Blessed Sacrament, after which he sang the Te Deum, then he addressed to the little Carmel gathered in the choir a very touching exhortation, which could be called prophetic, he took for text a passage from the prophets where the community was represented as a light cloud which appeared in the distance and grew larger as it approached, a figure of the progressive growth of the little family which soon achieved, as we shall see, but not without hardships and pains. After the ceremony of installation, the Archdeacon drew up a report which he had several ecclesiastics sign. We report it here:
We, Canon of the Cathedral Church of Bayeux, Vicar General of the Diocese, Archdeacon of Lisieux, acting in the name and by special commission of Mgr Louis François Robin Bishop of Bayeux, after having had the episcopal ordinance dated February 26, 1838 which approves the establishment of a Carmelite monastery in Lisieux, proposed and prepared by the Abbot Pierre Nicolas Sauvage, first vicar of the parish of Saint Jacques and the letters of obedience dated February 6, 1838 granted by Bishop de Bouillé Bishop of Poitiers at the request of Sister Pauline Superior of the Carmelite community of Poitiers to Mesdames Goeffroi, known in religion as Sister Elisabeth of Saint Louis and Claire Bertrand, known as Sister Geneviève of Saint Thérèse, nuns of her community to leave their cloister and come to found in Lisieux a monastery of their Order. Have declared the said monastery founded and established this very day, 15th of March of the year 1838 in the presence of MM Sauvage vicar of Saint Jacques and Victor Hébert second vicar of the said parish, of the sisters Élisabeth, Geneviève and of the novices Thérèse of Saint Joseph , Marie de la Croix and Jean de la Croix, all five arriving from Poitiers. We have also declared Sister Élisabeth de Saint Louis prioress, as the aforementioned ordinance of the Bishop calls her, and Sister Geneviève de Sainte Thérèse, sub-prioress and mistress of novices, as the Mother Prioress calls her. In witness whereof we have all signed this March 15, 1838.
Signed: S. Falize vicar general, PN Sauvage, superior of the Carmelites of Lisieux and V. Hébert vic. of Saint James. In addition, we declared MPN Sauvage first vicar of Saint Jacques, Superior of the said community and conferred on him ordinary powers, in addition he will be temporarily chaplain and confessor of these Ladies and Mr. Jacques Sauvage, parish priest of Saint Jacques extraordinary confessor, also temporary. Let us hereby give and confer on Mother Prioress Sister Elisabeth the power to touch the sacred vessels and relics, and even to delegate this power to one of the Sisters and novices; finally, let us dispense with the rigorous enclosure so that they can go out into the house and outbuilding for serious reasons and with the permission of the Superior.
Poor but happy beginnings
It was in this same circumstance that all the blessings of the Blessed Sacrament were authorized and that the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Conception were given as holders to the new monastery. If humanly speaking this day had started badly the end was very consoling, also the Superior of this new community, those who composed it and the charitable hostess who received it, were all in joy and full of gratitude towards God and his very Holy Mother. That same day the Mother Prioress received a postulant of the white veil; She was a 22-year-old young person named Olympe Montier, she was from Saint Georges du Viévre, she was a cook for Mme de Saint Wulfran. Her worthy pastor, M. Mulot, had asked M. Sauvage, his friend, to place her in the community of Providence in Lisieux. Hardly had she entered it than she saw clearly that it was not in this Order that God wanted her; she spoke about it to M. Sauvage, who promised to introduce her to his community. Having let him know the day of the nuns' arrival, she went the day before to Lisieux and was received with the greatest cordiality by Madame le Boucher. The Mother Prioress gave her the name of Radegonde of the Heart of Jesus. Four days later, the feast of Saint Joseph, Miss Lerebourg was also admitted to be part of the little community; she took the name of Saint Joseph of Jesus. On the 25th of the same month, Mrs. Saint Charles, whose zeal was always ardent for the foundation, wrote in these terms to Mr. Sauvage.
“If you knew how happy I am that the good Lord has crowned all your solicitude with the success of this great enterprise, I pray that your reward will be quadrupled in the abode of glory. Ah! pray on your side that I will not be separated from you, nor from those generous souls who make so many sacrifices. For the rest of this great work, the good Lord will come to your aid. »
By the same letter his Mother Prioress (Félicité) wrote to M. Sauvage:
Tuesday 20 of the current while doing my spiritual reading, our good Father Saint Joseph told me to share our provision of Lent with our good and fervent Mothers; I already feel a special affection for them. I am totally devoted to them, my poor heart suffers all the more from not helping them because I have the experience of a foundation, I admire their courage for such an enterprise and beg our Divine Master to crown such a holy work and you, Sir, may he reward you for your immense work; please, I beg you to have the kindness to send our worthy Mothers this little widow's donation since I see myself reduced to being unable to do more.
The little Carmel of Lisieux received with the deepest gratitude this gift which was given in such a cordial manner. The community, although small in number, did not fail to ask for assiduous care from its very worthy Superior who was to fulfill both the functions of Chaplain and who was also in charge of his temporal affairs. He was happy to find in Father Gaultier, chaplain of the college, a devoted friend to assist him. This charitable and disinterested priest agreed to take on the task of saying community mass on working days. As for Sundays and feasts, the Superior was obliged to fulfill this function, either by himself or by other priests.
As the chapel was small, only a few people from the neighborhood could be received there. This little monastery breathed an air of devotion which rejoiced the soul; everything there was calm and peaceful; it was a small family hidden in God from the eyes of men, many times the people who lived on the reverse side of the hill took pleasure in seeing it gathered around the Mother Prioress in the former outbuildings of Madame le Boucher's garden. This good Lady was happy to accompany her on the walks she only took on Sundays, she was very proud to own this poor little herd. His respectable pastor, having learned of his poverty, came to pray in the Carmelite chapel and delicately placed his offering on the altar. M. Sauvage rejoiced in seeing the respect with which the inhabitants of the neighborhood surrounded his dear daughters, his heart nevertheless ached to see them so closely housed.
It was therefore a great consolation for him when on May 14, 1838, he saw them in possession of the Dumoulin house, the deed was passed in the name of the Demoiselles Gosselin and Mme Bertrand, sub prioress of the monastery for the price of 15. 300 fr. This very worthy Superior also felt a very sensible satisfaction when he read the answer that the Bishop of Bayeux addressed to the Mother Prioress of the Carmelites:
I have received with real pleasure the first news that you are good enough to give me of your interesting establishment. How many thanksgivings do we owe you, and what merits do you not acquire before the good God for the courage with which you tore yourself away from an exemplary and solidly established community, and the generosity which brought you in Lisieux where you have everything to create !!! I applaud the confidence that animates you. Your efforts are too noble not to be seconded by Divine Providence whose blessings will be due to your sacrifices. Please assure all the members of your little community that I have taken the keenest interest in him, and accept for you the sincere sentiments with which I am. My Reverend Mother. - Your most humble and obedient servant
LF Bishop of Bayeux.
If this letter caused joy to Mr. Sauvage and his dear daughters, all were worried about the silence that the venerable Bishop of Orléans kept on the three letters that had been addressed to him since the arrival of the small colony in Normandy. . Finally, on May 28, M. Sauvage received the following letter.
Mr. Superior,
Do not be surprised or displeased by my silence, the day after your visit I entered my bed of pain, which I still left for a few days to receive seven people from my family, then I fell back, overwhelmed by a dangerous complication of several diseases. But God did not want me, except the patience of three months in bed and it is from my bed that I write to you with an unsteady hand. I had received a long letter from Geneviève, I haven't been able to read it yet, she sleeps with twenty others. The Superior has written to me, I will answer her a few lines. At last you are going to have a house; this is a great point, may they sanctify themselves in silence. I thank you for your charity for my former daughters and I ask you to continue it, I hope that Divine Providence will help you. Excuse my hand, Sir, still a little feverish, I commend myself to your good prayers and I ask you to believe in my very respectful feelings: all yours.
JB Bishop of Orleans.
From his bed of pain, this venerable benefactor of the little Carmel of Lisieux thought of sending him an iron for the altar loaves and two cookie cutters to cut them; it was to give this community a means of subsistence, so its worthy superior hastened to inform the ecclesiastics that the Carmelites sold bread at Mass.
Work carried out by Providence... and a skilful prioress!
The house he had just purchased was not far from the temporary residence of the nuns, the street leading to it was very deserted, and as there was a door to the garden which opened onto this street, no more than five minutes to get to the new property, which is why the Reverend Mother Elisabeth hastened to visit it to examine the work to be undertaken in order to make this secular house as regular a monastery as possible.
She therefore left the house of Madame le Boucher and accompanied by the Superior, the Mother Sub-Prioress and Sister Thérèse; they went to the future monastery. The first care of this good Mother on arriving was to place the image of Saint Thérèse in one of the rooms of the house. She wanted by this act of religion to make take possession with the holy foundress of the monastery which was going to be raised under her auspices. The Reverend Mother fully justified the idea that the Superiors had formed of her ability for temporal affairs and for arranging the house according to the holy customs of the Carmel. She regulated everything in concert with a brave and honest man whom M. Sauvage had chosen as his architect; his name was M. Chouquet. While they were occupied with all this work, it occurred to M. Sauvage to erect a altar in the corridor of the house to receive the procession of the octave of the Blessed Sacrament. Thus Our Lord deigned to enter the new monastery first and to sanctify it by the presence of his adorable body.
There was in this circumstance a trait of Providence in favor of a young person who is today a Carmelite nun: Miss Désirée Roques, known as Sister Adélaïde of Providence, she thought she heard inwardly a voice which said to her, it is here that you will be a nun; it was while considering a picture of Saint Thérèse that adorned the altar that she had this salutary thought. Since the Chapel was blessed, the procession goes there every year. There was only one boarded room in the house, the regularity and the humidity demanded that they all be boarded up, the chimneys were knocked down, for some time it was a real dungeon. it's a miracle that we got away with it; the community being without funds, it destroyed and rebuilt on those of Providence.
The work that was being done in the house of the Carmelites little by little made the new community known; the authorities of the city were not alarmed by its establishment; only the people of the world, having learned that they were not engaged in any occupation in favor of society, wondered what use would they be? To this question a member of the municipal council answered: they will pray for those who do not pray. Ah! a young Christian said another time to M. Sauvage: If you had taken care to establish nuns to care for the sick, you would have had everyone for yourselves, but for the Carmelites, you will not find help. – I have no vocation, he replied, for the work you are proposing to me, nor is it the aim of the two young people who want to devote themselves and their fortune to the foundation of an asylum for all the girls who are called to live in a perfect retirement.
Inauguration of the new Carmel, finally!
The Bishop of Bayeux had announced that he was going to Lisieux around August 20, 1838 and would visit his new monastery, this was a reason to press the workers even more, because it would have been impossible to receive his Grandeur in the humble reduced which served as a retreat for the poor Carmelites. Monseigneur fixed his visit for August 24th. It was a day of happy omen, since it is the anniversary of the first convent that Saint Teresa founded in Spain when she established her reform. M. Sauvage would have liked the installation of the nuns to be public and solemn, [desiring to delay it until] November 26, 1838. Monsignor did not think he had to comply with the wishes of this holy priest. So the little chapel was decorated, the nuns came from their temporary house at the time indicated, it was around seven o'clock in the morning. The masons had locked themselves in the chapel and when His Majesty entered, one of them presented him on his knees with a bouquet which the Bishop kindly accepted and which he deigned to take with him. The crowd was considerable, it was to contain it that Mr. Sauvage had called the two Swiss from Saint Pierre and Saint Jacques in full uniform, nevertheless several people entered the corridor and the sacristy. The nuns were cloistered in the choir. We will report here the act of installation.
The year of the Incarnation 1838 August 24, feast of Saint Barthélemy, anniversary of the reform of Saint Thérèse, Monsignor Louis François Robin Bishop of Bayeux went at seven o'clock in the morning to the new monastery to receive in person and settling there the community of Carmelites who had temporarily lived in the house of Madame le Boucher on the Chaussée Beuvelliers. The venerable Prelate, after having blessed the chapel under the invocation of Mary conceived without sin, complimented the nuns with a paternal and touching speech whose text was Egredere de domo tua et veni in terram quam monstravero tibi: Get out of your house and come into the land that I will show you. The speeches finished, Monsignor said Holy Mass for the first time in the chapel and gave the blessing of the Blessed Sacrament. Then he blessed the monastery. Were present: MM Abbé Michel, Vicar General, Sauvage parish priest of Saint Jacques, Lefèvre parish priest of Saint Désir, PN Sauvage Superior of the Carmelites and first vicar of Saint Jacques, Frémont Superior of the minor seminary, Boudard director of the Bayeux Seminary, Hebert Vicar of Santiago.
After the ceremony, his Grace accompanied by his clergy went to the chauffoir where he spoke with the nuns and visited their garden; there a man of taste from the neighborhood had erected a sort of hermitage under the avenue of lime trees, where Our Lord was represented in the Garden of Olives with his three apostles. This hermitage caused the admiration of all those who saw it and in particular of Mgr. Before leaving the house, the worthy Prelate promised the two foundresses to return as soon as possible to give them the veil. That day, the parish priest of Saint Jacques, friend and protector of the Carmelites, gave a splendid lunch to Bishop and part of the clergy of Lisieux, the architect of the Carmelites, Mr. Chouquet was invited there; His Grace wanted to have him by his side. However, this feast day is not that of the final installation of the nuns, the room was not sufficiently prepared to receive them, there was still essential work to be done and the paintings were far from dry.
It was the occasion of a small ordeal for the daughters of Saint Thérèse. One day when they were filled with zeal to leave the temporary house, they obtained by holy importunity from their Mother Prioress permission to pack their bags, all was over. Unfortunately, their Superior, who did not think like his daughters about sanitation because of the paintings, had not given any formal approval, so he said a positive no and we had to unpack and wait. Like them, however, he ardently desired to see them further offshore, but says this good Father in his story, prudence is such a beautiful virtue that they have to sacrifice all their desires, even the most legitimate, and this virtue of which he makes the praise he possessed her eminently.
Epilogue: and so began the long and great history of the Carmel of Lisieux
Finally, September 5, 1838, arrived, the day fixed for thanking the widowed Madame le Boucher for her benevolent hospitality; it was decided that that day we would make a pilgrimage to Saint Jacques, before entering the cloister, very early in the morning, that is to say at four o'clock; while everyone was enjoying the sweetness of rest, the nuns set out. The parish priest of Saint Jacques was waiting for the little procession at the altar. M. le Supérieur had lit up the church so that the pilgrims could form an idea of it; they retired to the chapel dedicated to Saint Philomena, which is quite close to the altar of Mount Carmel where mass is said. The parish priest gave them communion, after a moment of thanksgiving they resumed their journey, bade their last farewells to Madame le Boucher and finally entered the cloister; it was then that they had the consolation of seeing each other under the gates they had so desired. If the small community had had to suffer from the inconvenience of the accommodation they were leaving and even more from the deprivation of the enclosure which is the happiness of a Carmelite, it had much to praise from Mme le Boucher and her servant. . This respectable widow was so deeply saddened by the departure of the nuns that they were moved by it; the feelings of deep gratitude with which they were imbued for her then manifested themselves in an unequivocal manner.
The chapel was not yet open to the public, the work that had to be completed made it necessary to ask the Bishop for permission to say Holy Mass in the chapter. The priest, the sexton and the nuns were there alone.
[second story]
On September 16, 11 days after the nuns entered their monastery, Sisters Thérèse of St Joseph, Marie de la Croix and St Jean de la Croix had the joy of making profession. But when the work was finally finished, Holy Mass was said in the chapel and the neighbors were able to attend on September 18, 1838. [That day,] Sr St Jean de la Croix received the veil from the hands of her cousin M. Boudard , director of the Bayeux Seminary. Monsignor had authorized the latter on August 24, at the request of the Superior, to perform this ceremony... We can say that all that was missing was a chapel of a suitable size to make this taking of the veil the most solemn feast. It was the first public ceremony, the nuns were overjoyed, the attendance, as numerous as the place could permit, were attentive and religious, though it was hard not to give something to curiosity; they became very quiet as the preacher gave his speech which was very appropriate to the circumstances. M. Boudard had divided it this way: “What is a community of Carmelite nuns in relation to the world, especially in relation to the city where it is established? What is the religious state in relation to the person who embraces it? He was especially very eloquent in his first point and dispelled many errors in people who regarded contemplative nuns as useless.
END
To read an amusing version of the arrival in Lisieux, see the long song composed by Agnès de Jésus entitled "To our dear jubilee Sr St-Joseph of Jesus" for the golden jubilee of this 1st postulant of the Carmel of Lisieux.
