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Memoriale Beneficiorum Dei: Memoir of the principal favors which I have received from God (1)

Memoir of the principal favors which I have received from God

through His Son Jesus Christ Our Lord and His most Holy Mother,

for which I must incessantly praise and thank Him.(1)

Confiteantur Domino misericordiae ejus, et mirabilia ejus fiIiis hominum.

  1. God granted me the grace to be born, baptized, to make my first Holy Communion and to give a mission filled with blessings, all in a parish dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, its patroness; that is to say, the parish of Ri,(2) in the diocese of Seez.

Uni trinoque Numini honor, virtus, imperium; Proli Matrique Virgini sit laus per omne saeculum.

  1. God granted me the grace to be born of parents who were in a modest condition of life , ( 3 ) who lived in His fear, and who, I have every reason to believe, died in His grace and love.

Benedicite servi Domini Domino. Qui timetis Dominum, laudate eum; universum semen Jacob glorificate eum.

  1. My father and mother were married (4) three years without being able to have children, because of a curse that had been put upon them which prevented it. Then they made a vow, in honor of the Blessed (1). Other biographical details on the Saint are found in the Prayer, placed at the beginning of The Kingdom of Jesus, pp. xxvi-xxvii and in the one which forms the conclusion of The Admirable Heart reproduced on pages 332-339. We also refer the reader to the notes in the Letters in this volume. (2). A village in Lower Normandy, about nine miles from Argentan, on the road to Tours. (3). "Not belonging to rich and proud aristocracy, nor yet in abject poverty, which has in special dangers and excludes from the boon of a liberal education." Cf. Matthew Russell, Blessed John Eudes, P. 4 (4). About the year 1598, Isaac Eudes of Ri married Martha Corbin, who probably Iived in the neighboring village of Houay. Cf. Boulay, op. cit., Vol. x, p. 10.

Virgin, to go to Our Lady of Recovery,(5) which is a place of devotion to this same Virgin in a chapel in the parish of Tourailles, in the diocese of Seez. Afterwards, my mother then being pregnant, she and my father made a pilgrimage to the same chapel, where they offered and consecrated me to Our Lord and Our Lady.

Tuus sum ego, 0 Domine Jesu; tuus sum ego, 0 Domina Maria. Accipite et possidete me totum ut totus impendar cum Jesu et Maria, et omnibus Sanctis, in laudem et gloriam aeternam sanctissimae Trinitatis. Amen, amen, fiat, fiat. Sit nomen Domini benedictum, qui habitare facit sterilem in domo, matrem filiorum lactantem.

  1. If doctors are correct in their opinion which holds that the soul is infused into the bodies of male children the fortieth day after conception, my soul was created by God and united with my body on the 25th of March, the day on which the Son of God was made incarnate and the Blessed Virgin Mary became the Mother of God. For I was born on the 14th of November, and consequently, having been conceived nine months previously, the 14th of February was the day of my conception. Now from that day to the 25th of March there are exactly forty days.

Benedictum sit Cor amantissimum, et dulcissimum Nomen Domini Nostri Jesu Christi, et gloriosissimae Virginis Mariae Matris ejus, in aeternum et ultra.

  1. I was born on November 14th, in the year 1601, on a Wednesday, and baptized the following Friday evening, which was the beginning of Saturday. At that time the name of John(6)was given me by my godfather of the same name, and my godmother whose name was Mary.

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, etc. Gratias aeterno P atri , qui dedit Filio suo nomen quod est super omne (5). A Shrine at Tourailles, about fifteen miles from the home of the Eudes. (6). Boulay says in Vie du Vénérable Jean Eudes, Vol. 1, p. 15, that the patron Saint of John Eudes was the Apostle St. John, not St. John the Baptist. The people in the country places of France always make a distinction between John and John the Baptist. Furthermore, the Saint does not seem to have had a special devotion to St. John the Baptist, whereas he chose St. John the Evangelist as one of the patrons of the Congregation Of Jesus and Mary. Strangely enough, we find the Religious of Our Lady of Charity sending him their feast day wishes for June 24, Feast of St. John the Baptist. See Letter 34.

nomen, ut in nomine Jesu omne genu flectatur coelestium, terrestrium, et infernorum.

  1. Living in a parish where there was very little instruction for salvation, and where few persons ever received Communion except during the Easter season, I began to know God when I was about twelve years old, through a special grace of His divine goodness, and to receive monthly Communion(7) after having made a general confession. It was on the feast of Pentecost(8) that He granted me the grace of making my first Holy Communion. Gratias Deo super inenarrabili dono ejus.

Thereupon He also gave me the grace, shortly afterwards, to consecrate my body to Him by a vow of chastity, for which may He be blessed for evermore.

  1. For some time I studied under a rural teacher, a priest named Father James Blanette, from whose example and spiritual instruction I profited a great deal. Then my father sent me to Caen to continue my studies at the College of the Reverend Jesuit Fathers(9). There, on the feast of St. Dionysius,(10) in 1615, I was taken into the fourth class conducted by Father Robin,(11) with whom I studied as far as the second class inclusively. This was through a special grace of Our Lord, because he was a virtuous and pious teacher who frequently spoke to us of God with extraordinary fervor, which helped *me in matters of salvation much more than I can express.

Benedic anima mea Domino, et noli oblivisci omnes retributiones ejus.

  1. I was received into the Sodality of Our Lady,(12) at the college of the very Reverend Jesuit Fathers of Caen, about the year 1618, wherein Our Lord granted me extraordinary graces through the intercession of His most Holy Mother. (7). At that time there were very few in the parish who received the Blessed Eucharist more than once 2 year." Cf. Russel, OP. cit., P. 7. (8). According to the Saint's biographers the date was May 26, 1613. (9). The Royal College of the Mount founded at Caen in 1668. (10). October 9. (11). Francis Robin was just ten years older than his illustrious pupil; he was not a priest, and had finished his noviceship only the year before. Cf. Russel, ibid., p. 8. (12). One is surprised that his entrance into the Sodality was delayed until his third year at College. St. John Eudes is always mentioned among the glories of the Sodality. Cf. Russel, ibid., p. 9.

Confitebor libi, Domine, in iota corde meo, in concilio justorum et congregatione.

9. I received tonsure and the four minor orders in the year 1620, if I remember correctly, in Seez, in the month of September.(13)

Omnes sancti Sacerdotes et Levitae, benedicite Dominum in aeternum.

  1. I was admitted into the Congregation of the Oratory(14) at their house on Saint Honoré Street in Paris, where I was received by the founder, Reverend Father de Bérulle, on March 2 5 , 1623. (15)

Benedicamus Jesum Filium Marine, et Mariam Matrem Jesu. Laudemus et superexaltemus eos in saecula.

  1. I was clothed with the ecclesiastical garb that same year, on the feast of The Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which falls on Friday of Passion Week.

Confitebor Domino, et exaltabo nomen ejus in aeternum, quia incluit me vestimentis salutis, et indumento justitiae circumdedit me. Tibi laus, tibi honor, tibi gloria, 0 piissima Virgo Maria, i n saecula saeculorum. Amen.

12. I began to preach during the same year, 1623, at the command of my superiors, although I was not as yet in holy orders

Confiteantur tibi, Domine, opera tua, et Sancti tui benedicant tibi. Gloria Patri, etc.

  1. I received tonsure and minor orders in Seez, on September 19, 1620, and the order of subdiaconate, also in Seez, in 1624. I began the reading of the Breviary on the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle.(16)

Repleatur as meum laude, et cantem gloriam tuam, tota die magnitudinem tuam.

  1. I received the order of diaconate in Bayeux, during Lent of 1625. (13). In entry 13 the Saint says that the date was September 19. (14). The Oratory of Jesus was founded in 1611 by Father Peter de Bérulle, who was afterwards created Cardinal. (15). The Feast of the Annunciation was an important day in the Congregation of the Oratory. Cardinal de Bérulle, the founder, had a special devotion to the Incarnate Word and taught his young disciples to concentrate all their spiritual efforts on the adorable Person of the Saviour. Faithful to the spirit of the Founder, St. John Eudes inculcated the devotion upon his spiritual sow. It is noteworthy that he founded the Congregation of Jesus and Mary on March 25, 1643. (16). December 21.

Omnes sancti Levitae, magnificate Dominum; et exaltemus nomen ejus in idipsum.

15. In the same year, 1625, the order of the priesthood was conferred upon me in Paris on the 20th of December.(17)

Sacerdotes Domini, benedicite Dominum: laudate et superexaltate eum in saecula.

  1. Thereupon I said my first Mass on Christmas Day of 1625, at midnight, in the Saint Honoré house of the Oratory in Paris, in a chapel and at an altar dedicated to the most Holy Mother of God.

Gloria tibi, Domine, qui natus es de Virgine, etc.

  1. In the years 1625 and 1626 God sent me a physical infirmity which prevented me from working abroad. He allowed me to spend these two years(18) in retreat, devotion to prayer, the reading of pious books, and other spiritual exercises. This was a very special grace for which I must eternally bless and thank His divine bounty.

Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo.

  1. In 1627 pestilence(19) invaded the diocese of Seez, in the parishes of St. Christopher, of St. Peter and St. Martin of Vrigny, of Avoines and several other neighboring parishes, and the stricken inhabitants were left devoid of any spiritual help. I requested permission of Reverend Father de Bérulle, in Paris, where I was at the time, to go to their assistance, and this he granted me. Then I went to take up residence with a good priest of St. Christopher's parish, named Father Laurens~ who received me charitably into his house. Every day we would say Mass, he and I, in a chapel at St. Evroult's, not far from his house. After that I would put some consecrated Hosts into a small white steel box, which I now keep at the bottom of my trunk, but which I wore then around m y neck. Thereupon we would go, this good priest and I, to call on the sick, sometimes in one parish and sometimes in another, where we would hear confessions. Then I would administer the Blessed Sacrament to them. We did this from the end of August until after All Saints' Day, when the plague had completely disappeared, and God preserved us so well that we never felt any ill effects from it. (17). Saturday of Ember Days. (18). These years were spent at the country house of the Oratory at Aubervillers, 2 small town, i n the northeast of Paris, and afterwards in the Paris community. (19). For ten years, from 1627, Asiatic cholera ravaged every province of France.

Confitebor libi, Domine Rex, et collaudabo te Deum Salvatorem meum. Confitebor nomini tuo, quoniam adjutor et protector factu est mihi.

  1. In 1631 Father Gaspard de Repichon, the superior of the house of the Oratory in Caen, was stricken with the plague. God also granted me the grace to assist him in his illness, which proved fatal to him, and to administer all the sacraments and be present during his last agony and at his death; likewise I assisted two others after him and rendered them all the corporal services usually given to sick persons, after having administered the holy sacraments to them. Later one of them recovered, but the other died. And God again preserved me from all harm.

Propterea confitebor et laudem dicam tibi, et benedicam nomini Domini in aeternum; quoniam de interitu redemisti vitam meam. Laudent coelum et terra, mare, et omnia quae in eis sunt.

  1. In the year 1632 I labored on missions(20) in the diocese of Coutances, at Lessay, Périers, Saint Sauveur-le- Vicomte, La Haye-du-Puits, Cherbourg and Montebourg.

Cantate Domino canticum novum, cantate Domino omnis terra.

21. In 1635 I gave several missions in various places in the diocese of Bayeux, namely: at Beneauville, Avenay, Evrecy and Villers-Bocage

Omnis spiritus laudet Dominum.

22. During the summer of 1636 I took part in several missions in the diocese of Saint Malo i n Brittany, at Pleurtuit, Plouer and Cancale

Benedic anima mea Domino, et omnia quae intra me sunt nomini sancto ejus.

  1. In September of the same year I gave a mission in the parish of Le Fresne, the cost of which was borne by Mr. de Camilly(21) On this occasion God was pleased to convert a goodly number of Huguenots. It was also on this mission that I began to have morning and evening prayers offered, as we do now on our missions. (20). His missionary labors continued with extraordinary fruitfulness for 44 years. In the course of this long career St. John Eudes preached over 100 missions, each lasting at least six weeks. (21). Mr. James Blouet de Camilly and his wife, Madame de Camilly, were two stesadfast friends of St. John Eudes. See Letter 15, note 2.

Confiteantur Domino misericordiae ejus, et laudent cum omnes virtutes ejus*

24. In the year 1637 I gave a mission in the parish of Ri, my birthplace, in the diocese of Séez, upon which God showered many blessings

Benedicite omnia opera Domini,.Domino, Laudate et superexaltate cum in saecula.

  1. In 1638 I gave three missions: the first at Bremoy, in the diocese of Bayeux, during the summer; the second in September at Estreham, the expenses of which were defrayed by Madame Laurence de Budos,(22) the abbess of Holy Trinity at Caen; the third during Advent at Le PontI'Eveque, in the diocese of Lisieux.

It is impossible to express the fruits garnered by God from all these missions; may He be eternally blessed and glorified for them.

  1. In the year 1639 I preached during Lent at Le Pont-I'Eveque, which served as a continuation of the mission I had given there during Advent.

  2. In that same year, between Advent and Lent, I gave a mission at the Abbey of St. Stephen i n Caen, the fruits of which were far more abundant than can be recorded.

Quid retribuam Domino, pro omnibus quae retribuit mihi? Tibi sacrificabo hostiam laudis, et benedicam nomen tuum in saeculum, et in saeculum saeculi.

  1. During the summer of that year His Lordship Philip Cospéan, Bishop of Lisieux, had me conduct a mission in the city of Lisieux, through which God was greatly glorified.

Tibi laus, tibi honor, tibi gloria, 0 beata Trinitas, unus Deus, a quo omne bonum in coelo et i n terra procedit.

  1. Still in 1639 I preached during Advent in St. Peter's Church in Caen, as also the following Lent, in 1640, when Our Lord deigned to produce some wonderful effects of grace in many souls by virtue of His divine word.

Confiteantur tibi, Domine, omnia opera tua. Laudent et superexaltent misericordias tuas i n saecula. ( 2 2 ) . Madame Laurence de Budos: The abbess of Holy Trinity Monastery was a lifelong benefactor of the Saint. See Letter 1, note 2.

  1. In 1640 I also preached the Advent season in Lisieux, as well as the following Lent, i n 1641, when God in His goodness continued, as always, to grant me His usual blessings.

Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore: semper laus ejus in ore meo.

  1. In the aforesaid year 1640 I conducted a mission in the parish of Le Mesnil-Mauger, i n the diocese of Lisieux. God lavished so many graces upon it that they are beyong the power of expression.

Ex quo omnia, per quem omnia, in quo omnia, ipsi gloria in saecula.

32. In 1641 I gave five missions, all filled with immeasurable blessings: The first was at Urville, near Falaise, in the diocese of Bayeux

The second was given at Remilly, in the diocese of Coutances. It was requested and paid for by Mr. de Montfort(23) and his wife, a sister of Mr. de Bernières.(24) It was during the Remilly mission that I began to hold private conferences for ecclesiastics.

The third was at Landelle, in the same diocese. Mr. de Renty(25) induced us to give this one.

The fourth was conducted at Coutances. Father Le Pileur, the vicargeneral of His Lordship Léonor de Matignon, Bishop of Coutances, requested and paid for it.

The fifth was held during Advent in the city of Pont-Audemer, in the diocese of Lisieux. Its cost was defrayed by His Lordship Philip Cospéan, Bishop of Lisieux.

Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te, benedicimus te, adoramus te, glorificamus te, gratias agimus libi propter magnam gloriam tuam.

  1. Also in 1641, during the octave of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, God gave me the grace to formulate the plan of establishing our Congregation.

  2. In that same year 1641, during the month of August, God granted me one of the greatest favors I have ever received from His infinite (23). A brother-in-law of Mr. John de Bernières. See next note and also Letter 18, note 1. " M r . John de Bernières was treasurer of the City of Caen. A pious layman, he founded The Hermitage, a community of devout laymen who spent their leisure in prayer and devotional exercises. See Letter 15, note 12. (25).Gaston John Baptist, Baron de Renty, another devout layman. See Letter 24, note 4.

bounty, for it was then that I had the happiness of first knowing Sister Mary des Vallées," through whom His gracious Majesty bestowed on me a great number of signal graces(27). After God, I am indebted for this favor to the most Blessed Virgin Mary, my most honored Lady and dearest Mother, whom I can never sufficiently thank.

Confiteor tibi Pater, Domine coeli et terrae, quia abscondisti haec a sapientibus et prudentibus, et revelasti ea parvulis. Ita Pater, quoniam sic fuit placitum ante te. Ave Maria gratia plena, Dominus tecum, benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui Jesus. Amen.

  1. It was also in 1641 that God granted me the grace of beginning the establishment of the house of Our Lady of Charity,(28) on the day of the Immaculate Conception of the most Holy Virgin.

Deo gratias.

36. In the year 1642 I gave three missions which were even richer in graces and blessings than all the preceding ones

The first was held at Rouen and lasted from the beginning of the year until well on into Lent. Its cost was defrayed by the Duchess d'Aiguillon.

The second was conducted during the summer in the city of Saint Malo, in Brittany, and was paid for by His Lordship Harlay-Sancy, Bishop of Saint Malo.

The third was given in Saint U, in the diocese of Coutances. (26). Often called "The Saint of Coutances," Mary des Vallées was the humble instrument used by God to guide St. John Eudes in many of his important undertakings. See Letter 17, note 3. (27). In this Article 34 the Saint makes two statements: first, that it was in the month of August, 1641 that he began to know Mary des Vallées; secondly, that God bestowed upon him, during the course of his life, signal graces through the intercession of this holy woman. He does not say that these graces were given him at his first meeting with "The Saint of Coutances" as she was called by the people. It is hard then to understand how this text could have been used to substantiate the assertion that at that very moment, through the mediation of Mary des Vallées, the Saint received from heaven the triple mission of founding the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, instituting the Order of Our Lady of Charity and establishing the public cult of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The Saint's early biographers never wrote anything of the sort. This opinion, which dates from Reverend Father Le Doré, seems to us to be thoroughly groundless. Cf. the pamphlet by Reverend Charles Lebrun on Marie des Vallées et le culte public du Coeur de Jésus. Reply to Mr. Emile Dermenghem. (28). The religious order founded by St. John Eudes for the conversion and rehabilitation of penitent women.

Renedictus es, Domine, in firmamento coeli, et laudabilis, et gloriosus, et superexaltatus i n saecula.

  1. In the year 1643 Our Lord and His most Holy Mother, in their excessive goodness, granted, us the grace to begin the establishment of our little Congregation(29) on March 25th, the day on which the Son of God was made man and the Blessed Virgin became the Mother of God.

Sacrosanctae Trinitati, Christi Jesu humanitati, Virginis Matris foecunditati, et omnium Sanctorum universitati, sit sempiterna laus, honor, virtus et gloria, ab omni creatura, per infinita saecula saeculorum. Amen.

  1. In this same year we gave two missions which yielded extraordinary fruits, surpassing those of all the preceding missions, as if Our Lord had clearly wished to show everyone that He was with us and was the author of the above-mentioned establishment.

The first was given at Saint Sauveur-le-Vicomte, in the diocese of Coutances.

The second took place at Valognes, where the crowds were so large that I was obliged to preach daily outside the city, behind the chateau, and it is estimated that there were forty thousand persons present on Sundays and feast days.

It was during this mission that God granted us the grace to establish the devotion of Our Lady of Victory in a chapel which had be completely deserted and abandoned, in the parish of Alleaume, near Valognes.

Gloria aeterno Patri, gloria Filio ejus Unigenito, gloria Spiritui sancto, gloria Virgini M atri , et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

  1. In the year 1644 I preached during Lent at Coutances, with altogether singular blessings. I had the pleasure of lodging with Father Potier, a holy priest, at whose house Sister Mary des ValIées was living. I made it a point to see and converse with her daily, thereby gaining spiritual benefits and advantages that words can never reveal. (29). Congregation of Jesus and Mary, religious order of priests founded by St. John Eudes on March 25, 1643. The chief objects of the Congregation are the sanctification of the clergy and the evangelizing of the people through the preaching of missions.

Gratias Deo et beatistimae Virgini Mariae pro inenarrabilibus donis eorum.

  1. During the summer of that year we gave a very celebrated and fruitful mission at Honfleur, in the diocese of Lisieux, for which may God and His most Holy Mother be for ever blessed.

We conducted several others like it during the following years in various places, namely:

At Entrees, near Corbon, diocese of Lisieux, in the year 1645;

At Vimoutiers, in the same diocese, also during 1645;

At Arnay-le-Duc, in Burgundy, in the diocese of Autun. It was procured and partially paid for by Mr. de Renty, in that same year of 1645;

And at Couches, in the same diocese and year, and also through Mr. de Renty.

41. At Thorigny, in the diocese of Bayeux. This mission was procured by Madame de Matignon, in the year 1646, during Lent

At Le Bény, in the same diocese, in 1646. Its cost was borne by Mr. de Renty. Sister Mary des Vallées was present, at Mr. de Renty's request, and God worked several wonders through her on that occasion.

At Lion, in the diocese of Bayeux, near Our Lady of Deliverance, in the aforesaid year 1646.

42. At Nogent-le-Rotrou, in the diocese of Chartres, in 1647

At Fouqueville, in the diocese of Evreux. It was arranged and paid for by Madame de BecThomas, who is now Madame de la Porte, the wife of Mr. de la Porte, a councillor of the Parliament of Rouen, in that same year 1647.

At La Ferté-Vidame, in the diocese of Chartres. This mission was paid for by the Duke de Saint Simon, in the aforesaid year 1647

43. At Autun, in Burgundy. It began in Advent of the year 1647 and ended shortly before Lent in the year 1648

At Beaune, in the diocese of Autun, during Lent of that same year 1648. These last two missions were also arranged by Mr. de Renty, who defrayed their expense.

At Fère-en-Tardenois, in the diocese of Soissons. It was obtained and paid for by the Princess de Conde, the mother of the Princess de Conde and de Conti, in the aforesaid year 1648.

During these last four missions, the results of God's goodness and mercy were most extraordinary and abundant, for which may Jesus Christ be praised and glorified for all eternity.

Confitemini Domino quoniam bonus, quoniam in saeculum misericordia ejus.

44. His bounty and mercy were also very manifest and considerable on the following missions conducted by us:

At Saint Sauveur-Lendelin, in the diocese of Coutances, the birthplace of Sister Mary des Vallées, who attended this mission. We gave it in the year 1649 at the expense of Mr. de Liancourt.

At Briquebec, in the same diocese, also in 1649 At Alleaume, near Valognes, in the aforesaid year 1649.

At Saint Sever, in the diocese of Coutances. It had been requested in the last will and testament of Mr. de Renty, at that time deceased, and paid for by Madame de Renty in the same year 1649.

  1. At Vesly, in the diocese of Coutances, in the year 1650. It was during this mission that God granted us the grace of establishing the devotion of Our Lady of Consolation in a chapel situated in the parish of Vesly, which previous to that time had been totally abandoned.

At Denneville, also in that diocese, in the same year 1650.

At Ravenoville, in the same diocese. Its cost was borne by Mr. de Cybrantot, in the aforesaid year 1650.

  1. In this same year we began the establishment of our house in Coutances, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the most Blessed Virgin, for which may her Son Jesus and she be eternally blessed by all the creatures in heaven and on earth. Amen, amen, fiat, fiat. And this establishment was made possible through the great kindness shown us by His Lordship Claude Auvry, Bishop of Coutances, who of his own accord indicated that he desired it.

  2. After this we gave a second mission in Coutances which began during Advent in 1651 and ended shortly before Lent of the year 1652. Its fruits were most abundant; for them and for those of all the preceding and following missions, eternal praise and glory be rendered to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, and to the most Holy Mother of God, for ever and ever. Amen.

48. God also granted us the grace to give the following missions, namely:

At Paris, in the parish of Saint Sulpice, during Lent of the year 1651. This mission had been requested a long time before by Father Olier,(30) pastor of Saint Sulpice, who defrayed its cost.

In the city of Corbeil, diocese of Paris. It was paid for by Madame Tronson, of the parish of Saint Sulpice in Paris, during the same year 1651.

At Bernay, in the diocese of Lisieux. It was procured and paid for in part by Mr. de Croisy, lawyer for the Council, in the aforesaid year 1651.

At Marolles, in the diocese of Lisieux, in autumn of that same year 1651.

  1. At Pontoise, in 1653. This mission was obtained and paid for through the efforts of Reverend Mother Joan of Jesus, a Carmelite nun and sister of his Lordship, Chancellor Seguier.

At Lisieux, our second time there, during autumn of the same year 1653

  1. It was during this mission that our house in Lisieux was established, for which immortal thanks be rendered to Our Lord Jesus and His most Holy Mother.

51. At Cisai, in the diocese of Lisieux. It was requested and paid for by President d’Amfreville, in the year 1654

  1. At Lingevres, diocese of Bayeux, in 1656. This mission was procured by His Lordship Francis Servien, Bishop of Bayeux, and employed by divine Providence to destroy the bad impressions that his Lordship had received of us, and to reconcile him with us.

  2. At L'Etanville, near Grandcamp, in the diocese of Bayeux. It was given at the request and expense of President de Langrie in the year 1657.

  3. The establishment of our house at Rouen was concluded and signed by his Lordship the Archbishop on the feast of the Ascension in 1658, and our church there was opened in the year 1659, all through the efforts and charity of Mr. de La Motte-Lambert,(31) Father Mallet, who was the vicar-general, Mr. d'Omonville, (32)Father de Fermanel, a priest and the son of Mr. de Fermanel the collector, and Mr. Cornier. (30). Father John James Olier, the founder of the Society of St. Sulpice. (31). Peter de la Motte-Lambert was for many years councillor of the Court of Rouen. He later became a priest. Pope Alexander V11 appointed him Vicar Apostolic in China with the title of Bishop of Berytus. (32). Counsellor of the Rouen Parliament. See Letter 75

55. At Vasteville, in La Hague, in the diocese of Coutances, we gave a mission filled with extraordinary blessings, in the year 1659

And we held another that year at Villedieu-les-Poëles, in the same diocese, which was no less fruitful than the preceding one. It had been the wish of the late Mr. de Remy, and its expense was defrayed by his widow.

For all these missions and establishments, for all these graces that God has granted us, I say with my whole heart and supplicate all the angels, saints and creatures to say with me: Regi saeculorum immortali et invisibili, soli Deo honor et gloria in saecula saeculorum. Amen. quoque, 0 sanctissima Dei Mater, laus, et gratiarum actio ab omni creatura, in aeternum et ultra. Amen, amen, fiat, fiat.

I must not forget seven other favors bestowed upon us by Our Lord and His Holy Mother, for which I owe them particular thanks.

  1. The first was in connection with His Lordship Edward Molé, Bishop of Bayeux, who had been prejudiced by unfavorable impressions he had been given of us, and ordered our chapel in Caen to be closed, with the intention of completely suppressing our establishment. God frustrated these plans, undoing all that his Lordship had done against us, through I'Abbé de Sainte Croix, his brother, for shortly afterwards Bishop Molé died, and I'Abbé de Sainte Croix was appointed to the bishopric of Bayeux. He restored us to our former status, so that our chapel was reopened in the year 1653, after Easter, on the feast of the Apparition of Our Lord to His most Holy Mother after the Resurrection, a day of great consolation and extraordinary joy for us and all our friends.

Regina coeli laetare, alleluia, quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia, resurrexit sicut dixit , alleluia. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

  1. The second favor was that Our Lord Jesus Christ and His most worthy Mother granted us the grace to erect a church in Coutances, over a period of three years. This is the first church ever to be built and dedicated in honor of the most Holy Heart of the Blessed Virgin, who has but one Heart with her beloved Son.

0 Mater admirabilis, magnificent te omnes gentes; et benedicant fidelissimum Cor tuum omnes populi.

  1. The third favor concerned our most honored Sister Mary des Vallées, who had desired that her body be interred in our church. Although we were deprived for a time of this treasure, God in His goodness was pleased to restore it to us through the mediation of President de Langrie,(33) and to preserve it for us through the protection of His Lordship Claude Auvry, Bishop of Coutances, notwithstanding all the evil intents of worldly persons to rob us of it, nor all their efforts in that direction.

Exaltabo te Domine, quoniam adjutor et protector factus est nobis, nec delectasti inimicos nostros super nos.

  1. The fourth was that, through a wonderful demonstration of His divine might and infinite mercy, God deigned to give us, contrary to all likelihood, the large square(34) in front of our house in Caen for the construction of a church in honor of the most Holy Heart of our admirable Mother, and for the erection of the other buildings and accommodations we needed, availing Himself of His Lordship Francis Servien, the bishop of Bayeux, Mr. de Longueville, the governor of the province, and Mr. de la Croisette, governor of the château of Caen, as well as of Madame de la Croisette, his wife.

Magnus Dominus Deus noster, et magna virtus ejus, et sapientiae ejus non est numerus. Sit benedictum nomen ejus in aeternum.

  1. The fifth is that God preserved me many times, through the intercession of my most kind Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, when I found myself on the verge of losing His grace and falling into the hell of sin.

Confiteor tibi, Domine Deus, in toto corde meo, et glorificabo nomen tuum in aeternum, quia misericordia tua magna est super me, et eruisti animam meam ex inferno inferiori. Sit laus tibi , Mater gratiae, sit laus tibi, Mater misericordiae, quoniam ab hoste me protexisti. Sit laus tibi , Mater mea charissima, ab omni creatura in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

  1. The sixth is that divine Mercy has had me undergo a great number of tribulations, which is one of the greatest favors accorded me, because they have been most useful to me and God has always delivered me from them. (33). Royal Councillor and President of the Normandy Parliament. ( 3 4 ) . Place des Petits-Prés, later Place Royale and today Place de la République.

Benedictus Deus et Pater Domini nostri Jesu Christi, Pater misericordiarum et Deus totius consolationis, qui quos amat castigat. Dedit mihi per multas tribulationes transire, et consolatus est me in omni tribulatione mea, et eripuit me de omni angustia.

  1. The seventh is an infinite number of other graces that Our Lord has granted me, through the mediation of His most worthy Mother, for which may they both be blessed and glorified for all eternity.

Magnificate Dominum Jesum mecum: et exaltemus nomen Matris ejus in aeternum. Confiteantur Domino misericordiae ejus: et mirabilia ejus fiIiis hominum.

  1. In the year 1659, for ten days during Advent, I delivered conferences in Rouen to the candidates for ordination, as also during the following Lent of the year 1661, with great blessings.

Benedictus es, Domine, in firmamento coeli, et laudabilis et gloriosus in saecula.

  1. In the closing days of 1659 and at the beginning of the year 1660, God permitted me to be despised, reviled and culumniated to an extraordinary degree. Nevertheless, this grieved me very little and almost not at all, through a special grace of divine Bounty, for which may He be for ever praised and glorified.

  2. During the same year 1660, shortly before die Ascension, divine Providence sent me to Paris and engaged me, when I least expected it, to give a mission at the Quinze-Vingts,(35) on which God abundantly lavished wonderful blessings. It was His Lordship Claude Auvry, Bishop of Coutances, who had us give it and who defrayed the expenses.

Confiteantur Domino misericordiae ejus: et mirabilia ejus filiis hominum.

  1. Following the preceding mission, we gave a short one that lasted only ten days, in the parish of Mauregard, five or six leagues from Paris, in die diocese of Meaux.

In omni loco dominationis ejus, benedic anima mea Domino.

  1. In the same year 1660 we gave another mission at Paris, in the Church of Saint Germaindes-Prés. It began On July 4th and continued (35). A hospital for the blind in Paris. The Church connected with the institution had a very select congregation. Even King Louis XIV and his Court attended services there.

until the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady. God bestowed even greater blessings upon this mission than the one we had given at the Quinze-Vingts. It was Father de Pousse, the pastor of Saint Sulpice, who had us conduct it.

Te Deum laudamus, te Dominum confitemur.

  1. In the years 1661 and 1662 God granted me the grace of enduring several great afflictions, partly from the slanders and calumnies of the world and partly from persons very dear to me who caused me, for many months, the most poignant sorrows and griefs I have ever suffered in my whole life.

Benedicam Dominum Jesum omni tempore: semper laus ejus in ore meo.

  1. In the year 1662, on a Saturday, the eve of the Visitation of Our Lady, Our Lord provided us with the means of redeeming an annuity of three hundred sixty-nine livres which we had been paying to the city of Caen for the square in front of our house which had been granted us in fief. This was accomplished through the mediation of a man from Paris who wishes to remain anonymous, both during his lifetime and after his death. Simply out of pure charity he, or rather Our Lord and His most Holy Mother, gave us the sum of ten thousand francs, from which we took about eight thousand to effect this amortization and pay up two years of arrears owed on the aforesaid annuity. Thereupon I dedicated and consecrated the square, on that same day, in honor of the in Holy Heart of the Blessed Virgin. I also made a vow to God, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, to choose her as foundress of the church that we desired and hoped to erect there in honor of this same Heart, as well as foundress of the houses necessary and expedient for our Community, and never to concede the title of founder or foundress to anyone else at all.

Benedictum sit in aeternum Cor tuum amantissimum, O Maria, vita, spes et laetitia cordis nostri.

  1. It was also in 1662, on the 16th of September, that Our Lord was pleased to send me a grave illness which lasted for six weeks, during which He bestowed choice graces upon me.

Benedic anima mea Domino: et omnia quae intra me sunt, nomini sancto ejus.

  1. In 1663 Our Lord and His most Holy Mother granted us a very precious gift in the form of a heavy cross, with the grace to receive it from their hands and bear it with complete submission to the most adorable will of God. It was the death of our beloved brother, Father Manchon,(36) who died at Rouen on February 6th with the holiest dispositions that could be desired, after having labored more than twenty years for the salvation of souls and won a great number of them for God through numerous missions. The news of his death was brought to us here in Caen on February 8, the feast day of the Most Holy Heart of the Blessed Virgin, on which His Lordship of Bayeux celebrated Holy Mass, solemnly officiated at Vespers, was present at a very beautiful sermon delivered by Father de Than, a doctor and religious of the Abbey of St. Stephen in Caen, and then gave Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, all of which afforded us comfort in our great affliction.

Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore: semper laus ejus in ore meo.

  1. In the same year 1663 we gave a very fruitful mission in the parish of Saint Germain de la Campagne, in the diocese of Lisieux. It was requested and paid for by Father Le Marchand, one of the four priests of that parish.

Deo gratias.

  1. During that year we also conducted a second mission at L'Etanville, where we had previously given one in 1657, and it proved to be even more fruitful and celebrated than the first one had been. It too was requested and paid for by President de Langrie, who died on the 13th of December in that same year. His Lordship Francis de Nesmond, Bishop of Bayeux, arrived toward the end, administered confirmation, preached at the cemetery, and gave benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, after a powerful and very fervent exhortation.

Soli Deo honor et gloria in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

  1. In the same year we gave a mission at Saint Lô which lasted from the 7th of October until Advent. God bestowed wonderful blessings upon it. There were twenty-five confessors, but even fifty would scarcely have been enough. A great number of restitutions and recon (36). One of the first five members of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary. See Letter 13, note 2.

ciliations were effected, and we burned a considerable number of bad books. Gratias Deo super inenarrabilibus donis ejus.

The Abbé of Saint Lô procured it and defrayed most of the expense incurred; the rest was contributed by Mr. de Mesny, a clothier named Mr. Eliot, and several others whose names are written in the book of life.

  1. In the year 1664 we gave a mission in the city of Meaux which lasted from the Epiphany to the first week of Lent inclusively. God showered no fewer blessings on this one than upon the preceding mission. His Lordship the bishop of Meaux instructed us to give it and bore the entire cost.

Sit nomen Domini benedictum, ex hoc nunc, et usque in saeculum.

  1. During that year 1664, on the 20th of May, the day before the Eve of the Ascension, the first stone of our church in Caen was laid with great solemnity by Madame de la Croisette, the wife of Mr. de la Croisette, governor of the city of Caen. This she did, not in her own name, but in the name and 6n behalf of our divine foundress, the most Holy Mother of God. His Lordship Francis de Nesmond, Bishop of Bayeux, assisted by fifteen ecclesiastical dignitaries, performed the ceremony and celebrated the pontifical Mass of the Most Holy Heart of the Blessed Virgin, with the I ntroit Gaudeamus, the Gloria in excelsis, the Credo and the Sequence Laetabunda. It was sung by the clergy of Caen, all of whom were on hand, for his Lordship had ordered all the pastors to bring their processions there. The Mass was celebrated on a stage which had been erected on the spot where the church was to he built. Mr. de la Croisette was present, together with the chief personages of the city and a very great multitude of people. The sermon was preached by Father Lamy, lecturer in theology at Bayeux. On the afternoon of the following day, May 21, the eve of the Ascension, the laying of the first foundations of the church was begun.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Benedictum sit in aeternum sanctissimum Cor Mariae, pars nostra, spes et gaudium, coetusque nostri gloria. Amen.

  1. In the same year 1664 we gave our second mission at Ravenoville, in the diocese of Coutances. Its cost was defrayed by Mr. de Cybrantot, and it was richly blessed by God.

Sit nomen Domini benedictum, ex hoc nunc, et usque in saeculum. 78. Also in that year we gave a mission at Cretteville-en-Beauptois, in the diocese of Coutances. It was paid for in part by Madame de Malherbe, who just before her death had requested that mission and had left some money toward its expense; the remainder was furnished by other pious persons. The blessings of God were extraordinarily in evidence there.

Benedicite omnia opera Domini Domino.

  1. In 1665 we gave a mission at Granville, in the diocese of Coutances. Its cost was generously defrayed by the inhabitants of the city, and it yielded innumerable fruits. During this mission I was taken ill with pleurisy, from in which divine Bounty deigned to deliver me.

Benedic anima mea Domino: et omnia quae intra me sunt nomini sancto ejus, qui sanat omnes infirmitates tuas, qui redimit de interitu vitam tuam, qui coronat te in misericordia et miserationibus.

  1. In the same year, 1665, we gave a mission in the city of Châlons, in Champagne. It was requested and paid for by His Lordship the Bishop of Châlons, and divine Mercy showered very abundant blessings upon it.

Gratias Deo super inenarrabilibus donis ejus.

  1. In that same year, and also at the beginning of 1666, we gave a mission at St. Peter's Church in Caen. It continued from the beginning of Advent until Lent, at the partial expense of His Lordship of Bayeux, who contributed five hundred livres. Mr. and Madame de Secqueville donated about eight hundred livres, and other persons also contributed. This mission produced wonderful and abundant results, for which may God be eternally glorified.

Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam.

Chapter 22 of 28