Letter 1321. To Mother Marie Angéhque de Bigny

My Daughter,—In the first place I protest to you that not one of your sisters has written to me, and I know nothing from them of the things that have passed, but other houses have indeed written. Several monasteries have above all informed me of your going to the waters of Bourbon and have pointed out to me the details of the journey, which, if they are true, are not only prejudicial and a cause of scandal to your own sisters, but to the whole Order. They tell me that you had two carriages for travelling, in one of which you yourself, a sister, a minim father, your brother, and a physician travelled; and in the other three of your religious sisters with an out-sister and certain secular gentlemen; and that you kept open house at Bourbon. If this is so, my dear daughter, you ought to tell me the truth. As to what I hear about your being commanded to go to the waters under pain of mortal sin, this command was an exceptional one, and did not originate with your ecclesiastical superior, to whom, had you made your remonstrances with the humility and respect that is his due, he would not, I am sure, have renewed the command under pain of sin. This is probably what N. N. means by saying that you despised the Bienheureux and me because you have not carried out his intention nor mine, as I have expressed it in the ‘ Answers.’ In short, if all that I hear is true of the excursions you have made since you have been to Bourbon, and other things that have been pointed out to me, certainly, my daughter, this behaviour is altogether foreign to the spirit of our Institute. But I will wait to hear the truth aboutit. Moreover, — have done wrong in speaking against obedience, for if there was anything to say the remonstrance should have been made humbly and charitably to those who could remedy the evil, and complaints should not have been made within and without [the convent],as the Rev. Father tells me. They are quite right in believing that I do not approve of such things, for I do not. But I do approve of humble and charitable remonstrances, and I see no harm in making them in the cause of truth. But there certainly seems to me no other way, my dear daughter, for remedying all this (the affair not being so secret as you imagine it to be) save for the Bishop of Autun to appoint some person of ability and piety, capable of understanding you and all your sisters from the first of them to the last, so that knowing the truth he could, with an unbiassed mind, judge the whole affair sanely and fairly, and apply the right remedy; nay, even the suitable penances to be given if the faults are such as you mention. For, my very dear daughter, since you have suffered through these faults of theirs, it would be unbecoming in you to impose the penances yourself. You will understand how glad I should be if you have our sisters of Lyons. Long since I have wished it, and I believe the Sister Superior will send them to you, for to bring them herself she could not, I think, obtain permission; though if she could it would be a great boon to your house, for her presence would be the means of rectifying everything. However, failing this, she will, I imagine, send M. [Brun] to accompany our sisters. He is an able, pious man with experience, having served that monastery for a long time. He should speak to all the sisters, and will probably afterwards report in the proper quarter what he considers should be done. For the rest, I cannot refrain from telling you, with my usual confidence, that I marvel at you; for while professing such special trust in me you act in matters of such importance to the Institute without consulting me. For instance, your journey to Brittany, your visit to the waters, this foundation for which you have already received two subjects, and of which I knew nothing until the thing had been done. It is not that I wish to subject you to communicate these matters to me, but to let you see that I am not so easily imposed upon, for I know very well that you ask my advice about trifles so as to keep on good terms with me, but in important things, about which I could really be a help to you, you act as seems good to you and then tell me.

In conclusion, recall, I beg of you, what you wrote and said about the Sister [de Monthoux] and Sister [Favre] going out of enclosure, although their journeys were in no way like what is said of yours. So you may judge of the pain you will have caused the Institute if these things are true.

Pardon me, my dear daughter, if I speak thus, but I cannot prevent myself as long as I live from telling the truth to all those of the Institute. Whether or no it is taken in good part J must do as my conscience dictates. It is not that I wish to play the Mother over you, but only because I feel obliged to speak. And I repeat I cannot understand how you could have undertaken this foundation seeing that you have no sisters suitable for it, unless by depriving your own house of those who are necessary to it. I pray God with all my heart to give you His holy Spirit that you may do all things according to His good pleasure and the spirit of your vocation and not from human prudence nor natural inclinations. May His sweet Goodness fill you with His holy and pure love and make you and all our sisters entirely His own. I remain in Him, etc.