Letter 181. To Mother Jeanne Charlotte de Bréchard

Superior at Moulins. Bourges, 16 February, 1619.

Vive »& Jésus!

I enclose a letter of a previous date in which I have answered nearly all you now ask me over again. Any other questions to which I have not replied our sister the assistant will answer at my request. Yes, the sister who has the black veil should have a vote in chapter. If Sister Antoinette’s dispositions are not different from what they were at the time of my visit, I should not find much difficulty in sending her away, for how could she be admitted with a mind so disposed? Nevertheless, you ought to pray about it, and confer with the Reverend Father Rector and the sisters, and then make up your mind about this sister of whom I write.

I do not think you ought to receive so many young girls who may not be ready to take the habit, for now you really have very little room, and by this means you will shut the door to aspirants suitable for reception; besides, so many young girls all at the same time will overburden the mistress. Indeed, I have my doubts that poor Sister Jeanne Marie will be cured by this remedy. How childish she is! Her actions still show this. I wish she could become more sensible. The truth is, we are not careful enough to form ourselves on our model. Oh well! now they will each have their little book of Rules,! and that, please God, will work marvels. In one word, my dearest daughter, all we need do is to preach what we find therein, and practise it ourselves very exactly, even such points in it as do not quite apply to us. May God bless you, my child, for remembering¹

Footnotes

1. The Rules and Constitutions of the Visitation had just been printed for the first time. your poor old mother! Alas! how I long to begin to live more entirely in God. Pray earnestly for me, I beg of you. A thousand salutations to all. Adieu, my poor dear and beloved sister. Blessed be God. ↩