Letter 462. To Mother Mane Héléne de Chastelleux

Superior at Moulins. [Annecy] Octave day of the Feast of Corpus Christi, 1623.

Vive > Jésus!

I assure you, very dear Daughter, this affair is by no means being conducted in accordance with the spirit of our Blessed Father. What you have done under advice I hope God will bless, but, I must say, I would have rather seen our sisters ordered to return. Indeed, they richly deserve this mortification. As for me, I would have been greatly consoled by it. My God, is it possible? And why must we make new houses? Is it possible that sisters are to be found amongst us who for the sake of anything whatsoever evade and turn aside from the way of true simplicity and straightness? Well, but I think it is more a fault of judgment than of will; however, I have my fears, and my heart is sore about it. I pray God to set them right.*

If the young girls are not altogether to your liking, and have no desire to be religious, excuse yourself to them. Our Blessed Father wished us to have this liberty on such occasions, not that we are in any way obliged to receive them. Arrange to get rid amicably of that girl; but it is better to be patient in doing so than to worry them about her. What ground has our dear Sister Marie Aimée [de Morville] for wishing so many people to come into your enclosure, since it was only her mother, sisters, and nieces that were permitted to enter? Certainly if I were those people I should take very great care not to come, for thereby they incur excommunication. And you, on your part, ought not in conscience to permit them. Tell the Father Rector that this privilege belongs exclusively to queens and daughters of France, and, even in their case, our late Blessed Father said we were not doing right in letting them in. Those children ought only to go into Sister Marie Aimée’s apartments, and it certainly is not desirable that the ladies should have their meals in the monastery, still less sleep there; however, if you think they desire it, allow the relatives I have mentioned above to do so, and ask advice of the Rev. Father.

I thought I had told you that, on account of the numberless mistakes in the Directory, you must not go by it until I have corrected it. The article on the parlour, as shown in your letter, is more severe than it ought to be, though, — indeed, our Blessed Father expressed to me, when at Lyons, his wish that we should spend but little time there and not leave the Office to go to the parlour, asking our friends to accommodate themselves to this. However, continue as you are in the habit of doing and make no change. Do not

It is dangerous to take girls who have a taint of leprosy in the blood. God will help you to get rid of them.

It is indeed quite true that priests who are regulars like your house and speak very well of it. It consoles me to hear that the atmosphere that pervades it continues always to increase in its influence for good. May God be glorified thereby. I am also comforted at the esteem and love your sisters have for you. Be very cordial with them and humbly bless God, for for this you have good reason.

Yes, the superior ought to have some desk or box that locks.

I have no news of our sisters of Riom. Do not tell the Father Rector what I have said above, and have no fear that I shall write anything to Riom that would do harm. I hope God will reward your good faith in helping them and your condescension in taking their advice. Abide then in peace, and try as much as you can to keep your sisters in joyfulness of heart, peaceable, and satisfied with you. A superior whose zeal is cordial, sweet, and vigilant is a treasure in the monastery.

We have just seen the body of our Blessed Father laid in his sepulchre. God grant that his spirit may live and reign for ever in our houses.

You know well how truly and entirely I am yours, my dearest sister. My greetings to all our dear sisters, especially to her who has received the favour of improved hearing, but I wish our Blessed Father would obtain interior graces for us and not exterior ones. It seems to me that it matters little whether we are deaf or acute of hearing as to the body, provided the ears of our spirit are attentive to

P.S.—Dear Sister Marie Jeanne is urging me about her niece. As regards her dowry being so small, pray do not refuse her on that account, because she has persevered for such a long time; but beware of the taint; the doctor will tell you about it. And the little one, is she not also of the same blood? Do not, I beseech you, be constrained and narrow of soul, but act as you judge wisest, with a fine and holy liberty of spirit, for a superior should have this, and God will give it to you, my daughter. Possess your soul in freedom and contentment in every eventuality.¹

Footnotes

1. The Saint is here referring to the foundation of Riom, made amidst many painful difficulties, the true account of which did not always reach Saint Chantal. send this Directory to Riom, as there are so many things in it of which I do not approve. Not that I have any wish to introduce anything new, nor ought, save what we have received from our Blessed Father and in the manner he intended. I have even mitigated several answers that he gave to our questionings, because I felt that had he heard my poor views he would have done so. When all that we are accustomed to do is put together, I am of opinion that it will be found sweet and pleasant to practise! tro SAINT JANE FRANCES DE CHANTAL execute faithfully the will of God. Greetings once more to friends. [By the hand of a Secretary.| Here is some of the blood of our Blessed Father that our dearest Mother sends for you and for Sister Marie Aimée (and a little grain to give Sister M. Avoye), also some linen steeped in his blood, and a piece of the shirt in which he was buried, and of the cotton in which he was embalmed. ↩