Letter 1830. To Sister Frangoise Madeleine de Chaugy,}

Moulins, 20 August, 1641. Vive > Jésus!

My very dear Sister,—I have been unable to answer your letter earlier, and, anyway, there was no pressing need for

1 «This religious, predestined to become a brilliant light and pillar of the Visitation Order, was endowed both by nature and grace with such gifts as constitute a noble character.

‘Born in Burgundy, January 1, 1611, ofa family famous for centuries for the number of distinguished members it gave to the service both of the Church and of the State, Frangoise Madeleine received a worldly education such as well-nigh ruined the designs of God over her future career. Her rare distinction of presence and her cultured mind, well versed in literature, music, and Latin, drew upon her from all sides unceasing flattery and homage. Nor was such worldly success long in making its object a slave to vanity. In 1628 St. Jane Frances de Chantal visited her daughter, Madame de Toulonjon, at her home the Chateau d’Alonne. Here she met Mademoiselle de Chaugy, M. de Toulonjon’s niece, who at the time was a broken-hearted girl in consequence of a disappointment in a love affair. The Saint’s penetrating eye soon discerned upon her brow, clouded with sorrow, the seal by which God marks souls created for great undertakings, and she resolved to make a conquest of her for Him. A visit to Annecy, no sooner proffered than accepted— upon, however, the express condition that the question of religious vocation should not be mentioned—was the first step. But Our Lord reserved the conquest of this soul for Himself, and so complete was the victory that Ja fiéve damoiselle soon entered the novitiate. ‘‘ What struggles”’ (say her contemporaries) ‘‘ had she not to engage in to emancipate herself from her haughty nature; for it was not that she was merely inclined to be overbearing, but that she distinctly was so. Yet once she recognised the perfection of the sweet and humble spirit of the Gospel, her passionate love of the beautiful and her valour in combat made her overthrow every obstacle in her nature that was a hindrance to its attainment.” St. Jane de Chantal was charmed at the first victories over self of the new novice, and keenly appreciated the gift given in her person to the rising Institute. To prepare her for her mission in it, she chose her as her secretary. Ten years of closest intimacy with a Saint whose character is described as ‘just, noble, strong, and temperate,” the assiduous study of the Scriptures and of the works of her Blessed Father, those treasures of unction and of doctrine, served wonderfully to develop the qualifications of Sister Frangoise Madeleine and to bring out and cultivate her literary talents. The History of the Foundations soon appeared in manuscript. Therein were recounted the marvellous favours bestowed on the Visitation by the Heart of Jesus, and the sublime virtues which marked the first days of the Order. To the four volumes of the Lives of the First Mothers, published at the request of Pope Alexander VII, succeeded the Année Sainte, a work which remained unfinished for two centuries, and was at my doing so, as, by the grace of God, you keep steadfastly to the advice I gave you, and your heart is quite open to our length completed, if not with the talent of the author, at least with her same end in view: the glory of God.

‘In 1641, when the Visitation mourned its Foundress, the faithful secretary consecrated more than tears to her memory, and undertook to preserve it for posterity. From the inspiration of her filial heart came an admirable biography of the Saint. Elected in 1647 to govern the community at Annecy, Mother de Chaugy’s influence soon spread throughout the hundred-and-six monasteries at this time comprised in the Order of the Visitation. All these houses sought her counsel, and, without ever letting her energy flag, she appears to have spread over all the warmth of light and of fuller life. But the work, above all others, of this great Superior, that which has immortalised her name, was her resuming and bringing to completion the process of canonisation of St. Francis de Sales, a process twice interrupted through default of formalities. The trouble, labour, sacrifices, which this work cost her filial determination must ever remain the secret of God. She drew up the ‘‘ Memoirs,” sustained the zeal of the Commissaries Apostolic, recorded the investigations, provided food not only for the peasants who came in crowds to make their depositions as to the truth of the graces received through the intercession of the servant of God, but likewise for the eighty and even at times a hundred strangers employed in the work of the process. Truly she wrought a miracle in obtaining funds sufficient to cover the enormous expenses incurred at the Court of Rome. All this she did without intertupting a prodigious amount of correspondence, without neglecting the numerous duties of her charge as Superior, and without abandoning her work as annalist of the Order. After fifteen years of heroic devotion her efforts were crowned with success, and St. Francis de Sales was placed upon the altars in 1661.

‘ The glorification of the holy Bishop of Geneva seems to have been the signal of trial for Mother de Chaugy. Up to the date of that event her zeal, talents, and personality excited the admiration of men and met with universal approval. But thenceforth her sufferings and humiliations were to rejoice the angels, and to give to her virtue that unction which made it sacred. Murmurs rose up against her from those who owed her gratitude, and they reproached her for her activity, nay, even for her zeal in the interests of the Order and of its glorious Founder. It was spoken of as a crime on her part that she should have written the book which she had undertaken through obedience, and the influence which had acquired for it so much merit and success was made a reproach to her. The wave of calumny spread until it reached the ears of Charles Emmanuel II, and from the throne came an order of exile. She was banished to the monastery of Seyssel, the poorest of the Institute. This was in 1664. Then it was seen how her virtue surpassed her genius. “ God alone,”’ she wrote one day, ‘“‘who sees hearts and penetrates their depths, knows that mine is very tranquil amidst all these misfortunes. And why should it trouble? for it has put its whole trust in Him, and He never fails to uphold the truth. ... I should indeed bear a grudge against my own heart if it caused me to utter one sigh or shed a tear over this painful affair.” ’—From the manuscript Life of Mother de Chaugy (Annecy Archives).

good Mother de Blonay. We must suffer, dear child, in this world in one way or another. The important thing is to bear our sufferings sweetly, lovingly, and in complete submission to the good pleasure of God, whose holy and divine intention is that we should thus draw profit from them. He has been pleased to send you a new sorrow in the death of your good mother, which occurred some days ago at my daughter de Toulonjon’s house. She has been deeply affected by it, and it has, I hope, proved very profitable to hersoul. In these natural events, dearest daughter, we must resign ourselves to the divine will. Yet we must not be content with submitting in tranquillity of heart and mind to the decrees of God, but try to welcome them lovingly, however severe they may appear. When our parents leave this world fit to go out of it, it is the sweetest consolation we can have. May our good God give her peace and fill you with His love. I remain yours heart and soul all in Him, my daughter. God be blessed.

‘Hatred and envy pursued her to the monastery of Montferrand, where she had been elected Superior and was allowed to take up her charge. Even her orthodoxy was questioned, and she was forbidden to receive the sacraments. Expelled once more, this time from Montferrand, she was sent back to Seyssel. However, she soon quitted this latter place to govern the house of Crest, and after that Carpentras, which she saved from otherwise inevitable ruin.

‘The Duchess of Savoy, who had become Regent on the death of her husband, Charles Emmanuel II, ordered Mother de Chaugy to report herself at the Visitation of Turin. This the Princess did in order that she might the more easily have recourse to the holy nun for advice and guidance. The young sovereign could not forget the fortitude, wisdom, and resignation that this good religious had imparted to her mother, Elizabeth of Vendéme, in her days of affliction; so once more she became the object of veneration, not only to the Regent but to her whole Court. Yet the humble Mother remained what she had ever been throughout her religious life, a true daughter of St. Francis de Sales.

‘ The bitter chalice was now at length drained, and so completely was Mother de Chaugy exonerated that each one of her former persecutors tried to outdo all others in making fullest reparation for the past. She, meanwhile, with that greatness of soul which was ever her prerogative, made haste to assure them that all was forgiven, all was forgotten.

‘September 7, 1680, was the day of deliverance for Frangoise Madeleine de Chaugy. Eighteen months later her body was found incorrupt and exhaling a sweet odour, symbol of the perfume of sanctity which will ever remain attached to her memory and of her sublime virtues.’——A rchives of the Visitation of Annecy.

2D