Letter 888. To Mother Claude Agnes de la Roche
You have, I believe, my very dear and true daughter, now received my answers and seen by them that I have had your previous letters. My sister your Superior and Pére dom Juste lead me to suppose this by their letters of the ist of September. The little Mother accuses herself in hers of failing in humility towards you, and so she did. God be praised for the pleasure she expresses that you and she are so united and live together in such mutual sincerity. Oh! what an immense good is this cordial openness of heart! But I beg of you do not complain to me any more against yourself: let me hear no more of it, and practise instead a sweet and tranquil humility, acknowledging your own nothingness and rejoicing therein, whilst becoming all honey and sweetness. I will ask this of God for you, and do you co-operate by faithful practice.
S1x sisters will be enough [for the foundation at Rennes],?
In conclusion, I must tell you that Pére de la N treats the Superior of Moulins very imperiously, and wants to have her entirely in subjection to him. He said to me that one of our superiors told him that the sisters ought
My dear Agnes, I love you as myself. May God be our All. Amen.12
Footnotes
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The following is Mother de Chaugy’s account of the origin of this monastery: The Rev. Pére de la Rongére, a worthy Jesuit, spent some time at Orleans, and from thence was sent to Rennes. Knowing that Mother de la Roche, with whom he was intimately acquainted, was no longer Superior at Orleans, and that she took delight in her present lowly position in the house, he wrote telling her that he saw two objections to her present state—one, that she took undue satisfaction in obeying instead of commanding; the other, that it was a pity so good a worker lay idle, for rest was permissible only in order to take fresh breath. At the instigation of this priest, Madame de la Hautaye, wife of the second President, became foundress of the monastery of Rennes, and asked Mother de la Roche to be Superior. She went, accompanied by Sisters Marie Angélique Moiiard, Anne Radegonde Paulin, Marie Renée de Gueroust, Marie Henriette de Prunelay, professed of Orleans; and Marie Michelle de Nouvelles, professed of Annecy. The foundation was made on October 27, 1628. The authorities of the town came to call upon the good Mother in long coats of white satin faced with ermine, their full state dress, and as you are not taking lay sisters. I have written this to Sister [the Mother of Orleans], and as she supplies the money, ask frankly for as much as you consider necessary. ‘to tell all their sins to the Superior, and he said we kept the sisters under constraint. He spoke in an arrogant tone. We ought, certainly, to honour them [Priests], but by no means be under subjection to them, nor give them any opportunity of mortifying us. Be careful of this. [Several lines illegible. | ↩
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September.—I have not seen your little note in Sister Marie Louise’s [de Balot] letter. For God’s sake try hard to keep your spirit in joy and trustfulness. If I am unable to write to the sisters who have written to me, let them have patience. I send them my very special salutations. Do whatever you and the Superior think best with Sister Marie Louise. Adieu, dearest daughter. God be praised. We start from here on Tuesday or Wednesday. ↩
Chapter 100 of 252