Letter 1483. To Mother Marie Henriette de Prunelay

To Mother Marie Henriette de Prunelay, Superior at Rennes. [Annecy, 1637.] Vive > Jésus! My most good and dear Daughter,—I am giving myself the consolation of writing to you with my own hand and my own heart in all confidence, as you have written to me.

May our most gracious Saviour be eternally praised for the graces which He has bestowed upon your dear daughters. How happy are those blessed souls to serve Him with such courage and fidelity! May they unceasingly advance in His service, from which alone comes their courage and their peace of conscience; and in the end, from it will come their eternal happiness. I entreat of them to walk forward in their holy path with ever-increasing generosity, growing always in the sacred and pure love of our sweet Saviour and in blessed kindliness one towards another, for therein all else is included. Recommending myself to their prayers, my soul, not my body nor this wretched temporal life, I implore them in the name of the good God not to forget me. And let the good mistress of novices, whom God blesses for the care with which she is training her novices, often remind them to pray for my spiritual needs.

I am glad you are of opinion that our houses should not be multiplied. When you will have founded your second one you know very well you will require arest. M. , the good theologal,! writes that he has all the licences for Vannes and is trying to collect the necessary expenses for the King’s letters patent. At the same time he told me that the bishop and the ecclesiastical superiors of Croisic think the Superior there ought to be sent to you. You will see what has been written to him. From what he says of the bad air of Croisic, it probably might be a great charity to remove that family to Vannes. Talk the matter over with your ecclesiastical superiors and the theologal and see if it would be desirable.

Good M. Quesnel’s account of you and your house is most satisfactory. Through your care, he says, all tends to God’s glory, with the exception of the poor sisters who were so strongly attached to the deposed Mother. He desires to write fully on this subject to me, but, my dearest daughter, what can be done for such minds save what is being done? Show them good example, point out to them gently the harm they are doing to their own souls, and then bear with

• An official of the Chapter, in English called the Canon Theologal of the Chapter.

them. They are indeed your cross, to which you must submit. Few religious houses are exempt from such trials. I see you have other external trouble about temporal affairs, but all can be borne with when all goes well within the house. Miseries abound everywhere.

I have the greatest respect and regard for M. Moreau and M. Quesnel. Remind them not to forget me at the Holy Sacrifice and salute them affectionately on my part. Truly you are fortunate in having such assistants and such good and able supporters. May God preserve them to you! So I see in every way God is blessing your house, and it will advance from good to better. I pray His infinite goodness to continue His holy guidance of you. All you tell me of your dear soul and of your government is, in my opinion, as God would wish, since in everything you regard only Him and the accomplishment of His good pleasure, and you do to your sisters what you would have them do to you were they in your place and you in theirs. This is the true rule and law of God and contains all Christian perfection. Impress it deeply on the hearts of your sisters; it is life to the soul. They are wise in their resolve to keep you for Mother as long as they can; it gladdens me to hear it, for they could not do better. Indeed, my sister, the Superior of Nantes, errs in so palpably showing her lack of confidence in you that even seculars perceive it. I am sorry about it, for she is a very virtuous soul; continue to treat frankly with her so that people may not notice any coldness. It is only the Superior who signs the balance sheet of the accounts. Your expenditure is moderate considering the high prices which I believe are universal in France. May God have pity on His people! As to changing the work of the lay-sisters, it is not our custom here, but we employ them according to the Directory and the judgment of the Superior.

I am longing to give yousome day our ‘Little Customs’ of this monastery, which we have in manuscript. When the ‘Book of Customs’ and these ‘ Little Customs’ are printed, you will then have had everything, and there will be nothing more to ask about the Office and ceremonial or about the rules of the monastery. It must be owned our Blessed Father arranged all things well and considerately. I do not remember if you acknowledged the receipt of the Office books, which, however, I sent you last year from Paris. The Office is so clearly arranged in them that, for the future, it will be difficult to commit faults as we did formerly. Now, thank God, there is nothing more wanting for our little Institute save with our own holy liberty and cordial union to persevere in observance.

Your foundress is not of an amiable disposition if she does not love you. God bless her and our sisters of Orleans with their dry ways! Show no dryness, my daughter, on your side, but be always absolutely frank and affectionate in your dealings with them. Our Lord, if He pleases, will make all that disappear and fill us with such holy charity as will burn up all our weaknesses and imperfections. For this I pray to His sovereign Majesty. Often ask Him to accomplish His holy will fully in me with no hindrance on my part. By the holy charity you have for me and the tender affection God has given me for you, whom I bear so lovingly in my heart, once more I beg of you and all our sisters to do me this kindness. Ask this specially of those who are the most humble and favoured by God, such as good Sister R., whom I salute with affection. May God increase in her all His holy graces. Yours, etc. —