Letter 1800. To Mother Louise Eugénie de Fontaine

My very dear Daughter,—Our good God cannot be mistaken in His choice. He knows what gifts He has given

1 Louise Eugénie de Fontaine, born in 1608 of Calvinist parents, abjured heresy at the age of fourteen under the instruction of the Jesuit, Pére Jerome Lallemont. In 1628 she entered the novitiate of the First Monastery of the Visitation at Paris, was elected Superior in 1641, and at the end of her first term of office the reform of the abbey of Perine, in the diocese of Le Mans, was confided to her. On her return to her house of profession she was elected Mistress of Novices, and it is of interest to note that twelve out of her twenty-five novices governed in later years various houses of the Institute. The light of wisdom and of sanctity that she would fain have always hidden under the bushel God soon placed upon a candlestick. Her biographers tell us that many eminent prelates sought counsel of her, as did also the Queen Regent, Anne of Austria, and the ladies of her Court; that M. Olier, Pére Nouet, and other Jesuits of note held in high esteem her virtue and her judgment. St. Vincent de Paul, speaking of the manner in which she conducted certain difficult affairs, said: ‘An angel could not have acted with more virtue.’ In 1649 she helped in the foundations of the Compiégne and of Chaillot. Three years later, menaced by the troubles of the Fronde, the monasteries of Meaux, Saint-Denis, Chaillot, and Dammartin all turned to her for refuge, and all four communities she lovingly welcomed to her convent in the Rue Saint Antoine. But the most difficult mission of her life was confided to her in 1664. Louis XIV and Mgr. Hardouin de Péréfixe, Archbishop of Paris, seeing that ‘ Jansenism had entrenched itself at Port Royal as in a fortress,’ called a council to decide upon the wisest action to adopt for the suppression of the heresy. Anne of Austria, who was present, gave it as her opinion that none could be found in the kingdom fitter to cope with the difficulty than Mother Louise Eugénie de Fontaine, the Superior of the Visitation at the Rue Saint Antoine. Adopting the Queen’s advice, the arduous task was entrusted to her. On August 26 she proceeded to Port Royal de Paris, there to take over the government of the house. She chose for her helpers in this work Sisters Madeleine Elisabeth de Maupeou, Marie Elisabeth de la Soudiére, Marie Séraphine de la Marguerie, Marguerite Elisabeth de Crocq, and an out-sister of proved discretion. On their arrival the Archbishop, who together with four ecclesiastics accompanied the Visitation nuns, straightway held a chapter. It is said that upon this occasion he addressed the community, which comprised from eighty-five to a hundred members, with a courtesy and consideration rivalling the gentleness of St. Francis de Sales. ..But his appeal fell upon deaf ears. The scene was a distressing one. The nuns refused to receive Mother de Fontaine. They called you, and He knows the helpers He has provided for you, so that you may be able, for His glory, worthily to carry out the duty He has imposed upon you. All you need is to persevere in humility, in absolute trust in His goodness, in holy courage and joyfulness of spirit rising above everything and above yourself, being, as you say, one in judgment and desire with your unique and dearest Sisters H. A. [Lhuillier] and A. M. [Bollain}. Then will you find, in her abusive names, and protested against her intrusion in such loud tones as to be heard outside the monastery. Their objections were, however, overruled by the Royal Commission, which appointed her Superior, and the Archbishop, giving her an obedience to fulfil all the functions of her charge, confided to her, as is customary, the principal keys of the monastery.

It is difficult to speak of Mother de Fontaine’s virtues, her firmness, and her gentleness, during the next fifteen months without bringing to light the faults of her rebellious subjects. Not only within the cloister did she receive opposition, but the many influential friends of Port Royal de Paris and Port Royal des Champs, the two Jansenistic strongholds, circulated lampoons spreading ridicule and calumnies against her, her Order, and her community of Paris, which community they had tried and completely failed to inoculate with their doctrines. Yet her mission was not without fruit. Although but twelve of the sisters of Port Royal signed the formula against Jansenism, those who remained obdurate acknowledged, albeit against the grain, that they respected her for her merits, and even added, ‘ If she were but of our way of thinking, and did not ask us to sign the formula, we should adore Mother de Fontaine.’

Before her departure from Port Royal de Paris, all the recalcitrant members, about eighty in number, were sent to Port Royal des Champs. With the twelve that were converted and a number of postulants, Port Royal de Paris began a new life in accordance with the rule of St. Bernard, which it had originally followed.

The King showed his approval of this movement by appointing Mother Louise Eugénie Abbess of the newly reformed monastery. But not the royal mandate nor all the persuasions of influential personages could induce the good Mother to yield on this point, and, having helped the sisters to elect from amongst themselves an abbess and procured the royal assent for her whom they had chosen (Mother Dorothée, the only one of the community who had never been tainted with heresy), she returned to her own house in the Rue Saint Antoine. Sister Flavie, one of those converted and now an excellent religious, was at this time appointed Mistress of Novices at Port Royal de Paris.

We cannot better conclude this note than by quoting Mgr. de Péréfixe’s words: ‘God has given me an angel,’ he said, in speaking of his mission to Port Royal, ‘to help me in this work.’—Taken from Vie de la Ven. Meére Louise E. de Fontaine, and from the Unpublished MS. History of the Foundation of the First Monastery of Paris.

For further interesting details in regard to the Visitation mission to Port Royal, see Appendix IT.

that perfect union of which God is the source, strength and benediction.

Alack! how distressed I am about my beloved daughter’s illness, for if God takes this treasure from our Institute it will be an irreparable loss to all our houses, but principally to your own. I hope His kind providence will spare her to us. Send me news of her, I beg of you. I know nothing is wanting to her, so we have but to accept God’s will and, through His grace, adore and love whatever happens.

It is a consolation to me to know that the Archbishop of Bourges is buried in your church. How God loved him! And how happy for him to have made so holy an end! I thank God for making me feel such confidence about this; it has been an immense comfort to me in the tender sorrow of this separation.

Truly I should have been glad if what the Bishop of Saint-Flour wanted could have been done, but in everything I must prefer the good of our dear houses. The lady is now in Paris; perhaps she will have the satisfaction of lodging in your out-quarters. I should like you to be very affectionate toher. Beso, I beg of you. Sheisa favoured soul, and will one day belong to us, for she greatly longs to join us. Thank you for your kindness to my daughter. The poor thing feels deeply the death of our dear Prelate. God grant you may always increase in His holy love, you and all our dear sisters. I salute you all, and recommend myself to your prayers. Once again I beg of you to call upon me willingly and freely, for I want you to feel that I am at your service.