Letter 1852

LETTER 1852 Circular Letter addressed to the whole Visitation Order.

Moulins, 12 December, 1641. Vive >& Jésus! My very dear and beloved Daughters,—Finding myself on my bed of death, and notwithstanding the very great desire I have to think no more of anything whatever save making this last journey through the goodness and mercy of God, yet do I conjure you, my very dear daughters, not to be precipitate in regard to the affairs of the Institute, and let no one aspire to govern it, but in this as in all things else follow the intentions of our Blessed Father, who wished the monastery of Annecy to be recognised as mother and model [matrice] of the whole Institute. Dearest sisters, I pray you to continue in this union as you have done up to now. Let the first and more important monasteries always look after the lesser ones and as far as possible willingly and charitably assist them. Preserve, I beg of you, the peace of God amongst yourselves and between the monasteries, keeping up a kindly friendship one with another —a blessing which will obtain for you priceless graces from God. Be very faithful to your observance, dear sisters. You have bound yourselves solemnly by vow to observe all that is of your Institute, and the superiors to see that it is observed. Take care not to adjust the Rule to your inclinations, but to submit these same inclinations humbly and faithfully to the Rule. Maintain complete simplicity of heart, poverty of life, and the charity that neither says nor does to your sisters (and I include all) otherwise than you would wish them to say or do to you. This is all I can say to you almost with my last breath.

My dear daughters, before ending, I must beseech and conjure you to hold in great respect Madame de Montmorency; have a holy reverence for and an entire trust in her. She is a saintly soul whom God handles to His liking, and to whom the whole Institute is under infinite obligations for the spiritual and temporal good she has done it. The call that God has given her is a very great grace for the whole Order, and I look upon it as fortunate for you all, and for this house in particular. She lives amongst our sisters with more humility, lowliness, simplicity, and innocence than if she were a mere peasant woman. Nothing touches me so much as her affectionate sorrow at my departure from this life. She thinks that you will blame her for my death; but, dear daughters, you know that divine Providence has numbered our days, and they cannot be lengthened by one quarter of an hour. This journey has been of much benefit to the houses we have visited and to all the Institute.

Be not troubled about the letters that you may have written to me since my departure from this life. They will all be thrown into the fire without being opened.

I recommend myself with my whole heart to your affectionate prayers. I hope in God’s infinite goodness that He will assist me in this passage, and that He will give me a share in His infinite mercy and merits; and if I am not deceived in my hopes, I shall beg of our Blessed Father to obtain for you the spirit of humility and lowliness, by which alone you will be able to preserve this Institute. This is all the happiness I can wish you, and I know of no greater perfection.

With all my heart I remain, dearest and beloved sisters, in life and in death, your very humble and unworthy sister and servant in Our Lord,

SISTER JEANNE FRANCOISE FREMYOT, of the Visitation of Holy Mary. God be blessed.