I–III. To Abbot-Bishop Rudesind Salvado; to Bishop Kirby; to a bishop friend

Dom Rudesind Salvado, O.S.B., Abbot Nullius of New Norcia tn Australia, and superior of a mission to the inhabitants of that country, had come to Rome in 1880 for the purpose of obtaining helpers for this mission. Joseph Moreau, a young Belgian student at the Propaganda College, had promised to join him later in Australia. On fis return to Belgium after ordination in Rome, Father Moreau went to the Abbey of Maredsous to make his canonical novitiate before going on to New Norcia.

While in Rome Moreau had become friendly with Joseph Marmion, a seminartan at the Irish College. So, when Joseph Marmion passed through Belgium on his way home to Ireland tn July, 1881, he went to see his friend at Maredsous. This was the first contact that the future Dom Columba Marmion had with the monastery to which Divine Providence had secretly destined him, and he felt strongly drawn to 1t. (Ironically, Father Moreau shortly afterward had to abandon his intention of going to Australia, and even of entering the Benedictine Order. As Abbot Placide Wolter observed to Father Marmion at the time, “You have a much stronger vocation than your friend.” )*

Thus the first attraction of Joseph Marmion was to the monastic life, but to a monastic life with an apostolic character —an emphasis that marked his vocation and became stronger with time.

For several reasons, however, he had to spend five years in pastoral work in the archdiocese of Dublin before he could follow his vocation. When he finally entered Maredsous on November 23, 1886, he was no longer thinking of New Norcia, but came to Belgium to live the life of a simple monk.

It is impossible to find out exactly why this change had occurred

• See M. M. Philipon, O.P., The Spiritual Doctrine of Dom Marmion, p. 31. in the orientation of his life between 1881 and 1886. The references to his religious vocation in his first letter to Dr. Dwyer, his bishop friend (see Section III), do not throw sufficient light on this 1mportant point in his soul’s evolution.

These two letters to Dom Salvado are placed at the beginning of this collection because the first is the earliest of all the letters of Joseph Marmion which have been preserved?

Pax Irish College, Rome, April 29th 1881 Very Revd. and dear Father

This letter will doubtless surprise you, as by it I wish to acquaint you with what I believe to be my vocation to your mission of Western Australia. I am at present at the termination of my theological course, was ordained Deacon on Holy Saturday, & hope to receive priest-hood on Trinity Saturday. During my entire course, —that is for about the last eight years —I have continually felt a great attraction for the religious state, & have made various attempts, although strongly opposed by the members of my family, to accomplish my desire, but never succeeded owing to the refusal of my bishop, the Late Cardinal Cullen. Last August, on occasion of a visit to Monte Cassino, I felt all my old desires revive, & on my return to College my Confessor told me that, although he had been confessor to the Irish College for over thirty years, he had never advised anyone to join religion; yet he said that the marks of my vocation were so evident that he felt himself bound to tell me that he believed it was God’s will I should join religion, & as he believed, the Benedictine Order.

As my bishop? came to Rome a couple of months after this, I opened my whole heart to him, & as he is a man of great sanctity he told me, after a day’s consideration, that, although I had enjoyed

• See Raymond Thibaut, O.S.B., Abbot Columba Marmion, pp. 26 f., for further details concerning the circumstances of these two letters.

• Archbishop Edward McCabe (1816-85), Cardinal Paul Cullen’s choice for his auxiliary in 1877. He succeeded Cardinal Cullen as archbishop of Dublin in 1879, and in 1882— within the year of Father Marmion’s ordination — was elevated to the College of Cardinals. (MEE) a free-place in his diocese for some years, he would not be an obstacle to my fulfilling God’s will, but that as it was a matter of great importance he thought it more prudent that I should spend a year or so as a secular priest in Dublin; & then if my vocation continued, he promised me his blessing & permission to depart. I accepted his terms, & continued my studies, etc., as before.

Although I always felt a great desire for the religious state, yet I felt, at the same time, a kind of uneasiness, or scruple, about joining the Benedictines, as God has given me an intense desire to labour for the salvation of souls; & I always felt myself greatly moved when I heard or read about the thousands, for whom Jesus shed His Blood, dying without knowing Him. So when I read about your mission, I felt it was exactly what I was called to, because I could satisfy my desire of being a religious, & at the same time labour for the most abandoned souls, & under obedience. I spoke about the matter to F. Joseph Moreau; & became more convinced. I then consulted my confessor, & he told me that it was quite plain Providence had called me to that vocation; & gave me permission to write this letter to your Lordship.

I have, Very Revd. Father, laid my heart open to you as much as I could; & I will now tell you the difficulties I must meet in accomplishing my vocation, in order that, if you think it well to answer this letter, you may be able to advise me how to proceed. In the first place, my bishop has given me leave to join the Benedictines; but I did not say anything about your mission to him, as at the time I knew nothing about it, however I don’t apprehend much difficulty in that respect. Secondly, since my father’s death ? my family is not in good circumstances; & I promised one of my brothers, who is studying for the medical profession that I would support all the expenses of his studies when I return, as my mother is old & depends entirely on the interest of some money which is in bank, & which I don’t wish to be put to any other purpose than her support. However, I expect that during the year I will have to spend in Dublin after my return, that I will be able to save sufficient to fulfil my promise, as I don’t intend living very extravagantly. These are the only diffculties I apprehend, except, of course, the affection of my mother,

? April 9, 1874. brothers & sisters; which, however, I think with God’s grace I can overcome, especially as I will not let them know of my resolution till the last moment. Having said this much, I place my case in your hands, & recommend myself most earnestly to your prayers. I am, My Lord, Your most dutiful Child, Joseph Aloysius Marmion EDM?®

P.S. If Your Lordship wishes to write to me, please send your letter to F. Moreau, as our letters coming here are opened; & I would expose myself to the certain opposition of my superiors here, & the mind of my bishop would be influenced by them.

Dundrum! June 7th 1882 My Lord Bishop

I received your kind & useful letter, to which I should have replied sooner, but for the following reason: For some time past, there has been question of appointing me private secretary to His Eminence Cardinal McCabe, & while the matter was doubtful, I put off writing to you expecting every day that the matter would be settled, & that I would be able to tell you, & receive from you some advice regarding the line of action which I should follow, in case I were appointed. I was written to by the V.G.? in reference to the appointment; but when the Cardinal returned from Rome, my parish-priest pressed him not to remove me yet, & so the matter stands.

As regards the mission of Nova Norcia, my intentions are fixed as ever, & I may say, more so; for my year’s experience of a secular priest’s life — though no doubt very useful to me — has given me an intense desire for the [cloistered] religious life; not that I may have

• The earliest letters of Father Marmion are signed this way. Joseph was his baptismal name; Aloysius seems to have been the patron chosen at Confirmation. The initials “EDM” signify “Enfant de Marie” (Child of Mary). This French expression is still used in certain circles in England and Ireland.

*Near Dublin. Father Marmion was appointed curate (assistant pastor) there in

September, 1881. * Vicar general of Dublin. less work, but that I may work under obedience & be removed from the influence of the world, which unfortunately has great charm for me. Therefore I will just tell your Lordship most candidly —& coram Deo* — my position. I desire most ardently to go with you, & am ready to sacrifice everything most dear to me in order to go. My difficulties are just these. I am educating my brother for the medical profession, & I am in debt (about £70); & I would not like to leave my present position (which is lucrative about £200 a year) till my debts are paid. Also the Cardinal may make some difficulty; & I do not wish to speak of the matter to him till I am out of difficulties, lest he might place me in some position in which I might not be able to get out of my difficulties. I say all this subject to your approval, & will do exactly what you advise, no matter how contrary it may seem to my own views. I remain Your obedient child, Joseph A. Marmion EDM

Ll OeD REI RBY sRECTOR OF THE IRISH COLLEGE?

|Dublin] 2 Black Hall St.? August ro, 1881 My dear and most Reverend Father,

Following the doctor’s advice, I delayed on my way home, in order that on my return I might be able to commence work with renewed vigour. A most favourable opportunity presented itself; for a young friend of mine,® who is a novice in the beautiful Monastery of Maredsous, invited me to spend a few days with him in his beautiful mountain home.* I gladly availed myself of the invitation; and while recruiting my strength, I also made a beautiful retreat

• “In the presence of God.”

*Dr. Kirby, Bishop of Lita and rector of the Irish College in Rome for 45 years, had ordained Joseph Marmion in the College chapel on June 16 of that same year.

*House where his mother lived in Dublin.

’ Joseph Moreau, to whom an allusion is made in the first letter to Dom Salvado. “Father Marmion came to Maredsous at the end of July. zi of some days; hence my tardy arrival, and delay in answering your letter. Though late, I now, with all my heart, thank you, my dear Father, for your great kindness in thinking of me, and obtaining for me the papal faculties. I will always remember your fatherly kindness to me, who am — before God I say it — the most unworthy of your children.

As yet I have received no appointment. My work, for the few days I have been at home, has consisted in saying Mass for some priests who were obliged to take some rest on account of ill-health. However, I will not waste my time; but will study my moral theology, and administration of sacraments, etc. Even for the short time I have been in Ireland, I find the great utility of the little promise I made through your hands to the Madonna, as I have been pressed, and almost forcibly constrained, to partake of drink by seeming friends, on many occasions; but the promise I made to my dear Mother had always been such a protection to me that I found no difficulty on steadily refusing that for which my conscience would afterwards reproach me.

When I have been appointed, I will again write and tell you all about my new position; and I feel sure you will afford me advice on any points I may find difficulty in.

Till then, I remain, my dear Father,

Your affectionate child in J.C. Joseph A. Marmion, EDM. iLOeASBISHOPEERLE NID

TWENTY LETTERS

Born the same year as Joseph Marmion, in 1858, of an Irish family, but in Australia, Vincent Dwyer received his elementary and higher education in that country. As he had heard the divine call to the priesthood, he came to Europe for his ecclesiastical studies, first at Clonliffe Seminary (Dublin), then at the Irish College in Rome. It was in these two establishments that he met and became a close friend of Joseph Marmion, who was just one class ahead of him. Upon his ordination for the diocese of Maitland on March 4, 1882, in Rome, he returned to Australia, where he carried on a most varied and fruitful ministry more especially directed toward Catholic education. Appointed Coadjutor of Maitland in 1897, he was consecrated on June 6, the first native-born Australian to become a bishop. His solicitude to improve elementary education earned him the ttle of “The Children’s Bishop.”

The following ts what the Catholic Press of Sydney wrote about him the day after his death on April 2, 1931:

Personally, the deceased prelate was a man of commanding presence and splendid physique, of marked force of character and executive skill, and his administration in every office entrusted to him was characterised by energy, wisdom and discretion. In his private life he was wholly unselfish, kind and considerate to all with whom he was associated, and the charity of which many of his friends knew so little, because of its unostentatious nature, was almost boundless. He lived for his Church and his people. His sincerity of purpose, which was always so apparent, was evidenced in every action of his splendid life, and it endeared him to all.

The friendship which united the two “men of God” from 1881 was sincere and profound. Here 1s what Abbot Marmion wrote in a letter dated December 15, 1919: “My greatest friend perhaps in this world,— we were brought up together,—1s Dr. P. V. Dwyer, Bishop of Maitland.” And this Dr. Dwyer, for his part, wrote in 1927 a “Tribute of a Friend,’ the text of which, published here for the first time, will undoubtedly help to make better known the personalities of both correspondents.

My memory of the late Abbot Marmion goes back forty-six years to the days when we were both beginning our theological studies. It was in Holy Cross College, Clonliffe, Dublin, that we had the privilege of entering that via sacra which leads to God's holy Altar. The “Clonliffe”’ of those days housed about eighty students. It was under the direct personal patronage of the first Irish Cardinal, Paul Cullen, and had for rector Dr. Michael Verdon, afterwards first rector of our Australian College of Manly, and more recently Bishop of Dunedin in the Dominion of New Zealand, and for vice-rector Father B. Fitzpatrick, now Vicar- General of Dublin. The small sheepfold was well cared for, and had the benefit of the Cardinal’s secretary, Dr. Tyman, for professor of Dogmatic Theology and S. Scripture, and of the saintly Vincentian Fr. John Gowan, as spiritual director. To me, coming, as I did de finibus terrae,} from far-off Australia, such surroundings appealed with uncommon force; and the memory of them now often evokes the sentiment expressed in the words of the Psalmist: funes ceciderunt mihi in praeclaris.?

It was in such circumstances that Joseph Marmion and I first came to move in the same little sphere, and, as the sequel showed, to begin a friendship that was to last for life. Marmion had a lively and cheerful manner and good ability, but his chief characteristic was piety. An institution in the College encouraged by the superiors was known as “dogmatizing.” It meant the custom of two students walking together at recreation and rehearsing to each other the portion of dogmatic theology which was the subject of the professor's next lecture. It was carried on in Latin, the language of the class-book and of the professor lecturing, as well as of the student repeating or replying to questions. Marmion and myself by some kind of affinity came to be the constant factors of one of these walking “binomials”; and every school morning found us during early recreation combining useful talking with healthful exercise and agreeable companionship. Our companionship was continued not only in our studies but also in the results as set forth in the annual prize list; and this lasted until in 1880 my friend went to Rome with Dr. Verdon who had qust been appointed to the governing staff of the Collegio Irlandese.

Many were the points of difference in our characters, most of them, 1 think telling to the advantage of Marmion; but one occurs to me which often afforded to us and our companions an occasion of cheerful banter and harmless fun. It was a tendency to weakness in spelling English. I believe that even in later years, during residence in Belgium this weakness was always ready to show itself; and the learned author of treatises in French and lecturer of retreats to priests and others in that language would fail in the spelling of some simple English word. I distinctly remember the amusement caused by his announcement in a letter from Rome that he was to be ordained deakon.

I had the pleasure of following my friend to the Eternal City and of joining with him in study in the Irish College for a few months and then

• From the ends of the earth. * «The lines are fallen unto me in goodly places” (Ps. 15:6). ide) of assisting at his ordination to the priesthood by the venerable Rector, Monsignor Kirby, who had shortly before been honoured by Pope Leo XIII, his former schoolmate, by being raised to the episcopate. It was a day of much happiness for me when I had the privilege of assisting in the capacity of “Ceremoniere’’ at the ordination in the College Capella, and of serving Father Marmion’s first Mass.

The newly ordained priest soon left Rome for his missionary work in Dublin; and I think his first appointment was to a curacy in Dundrum, Co. Dublin. |

In 1882, after ordination in Rome, I returned to my southern home in Australia; and thus our paths in life were as widely separated as the orbis terrae permits. Different too were the ways in which we were to use the sacred science studied together in College, and yet the difference was rather one of degree than of kind. It was a sincere pleasure to me to see the fruits of his study and living piety set out in the beautiful treatises on the spiritual life which the late Abbot has left as an enduring monument of a life of religious activity.

Since 1882 I had the pleasure of making two visits to Maredsous. On the first occasion, in 1896, another dear friend and College companion of ours in “Clonliffe’ days, Monsignore Dunne, V.G. of Dublin and myself were privileged to enjoy a few days of pleasant companionship with Dom Columba who was then Master of Novices in Maredsous.® The second visit was made in 1914, just on the eve of the war; and my travelling companion — another Australian Bishop —and myself were the guests of Abbot Marmion during a brief but very pleasant stay in his beautiful monastery.

The last letter I received from the late Abbot came just two years ago. [t shows him the same kind and constant friend I had known and loved for nearly fifty years. I may therefore be pardoned for setting down these few facts, of some interest to his friends, of very great interest to me, and, in doing so, of renewing towards his memory the strong affection I entertained towards his person.

The friendship of Christians has the advantage of looking forward to the future life for its completion and perfection. The death of Abbot Marmion brings no anxiety to us regarding his eternal happiness. It brings to his many friends the consolation of having a friend at Court, and to one of them the confidence that, 1t now being well with him, he will remember his fellow prisoner of the days that are gone.

• A slight mistake: he was at that time assistant master of novices.

TA

In 1957, twenty-six autographed unpublished letters which the late Bishop had kept arrived from the Bishop’s house in Maitland. Unfortunately they are in very poor condition: nine of them, which are only in pieces, are practically worthless; of the other seventeen, six are more or less mutilated. We are publishing here all that, in these letters, might prove of some interest to a better understanding of Abbot Marmion. For in them one sees above all a biographical document clearly revealing (even in the writing), the evolution of a character. Most spontaneous, familiar, written with great frankness and lack of restraint, these letters, chiefly the earlier ones, show an exuberant good humor that ts typically Irish. One may say concerning them what the Editor of the Spiritual Letters of Dom John Chapman said of his subject: “Like St. Teresa or Blessed Thomas More, to both of whom he had a great devotion, Abbot Chapman thought that a man’s religion was Itkely to be all the more sincere if he was able to make jokes about it.... To argue from these that the writer 1s dealing with serious matters in a flippant way, would be to do him a great injustice.” *

All this could be applied equally well to Abbot Marmion’s other letters.

Whenever it was possible to do so, we have attempted to fill in the above-mentioned gaps; this was the case when only the ends of the lines were missing: the conjectures were then highly probable.” We have also corrected the spelling mistakes — the author's besetting sin, according to the recipient himself.

Sacred Heart Convent. Dundrum, Co. Dublin. [1881 | Dear Revd. Junk?

|. . .| you. I have shared your happiness & felt just as if it were my

• London, Sheed and Ward, 1935, p. viil.

°In this difficult task we have been greatly helped by Dom Cuthbert McCann, monk of Downside Abbey, to whom we must express our gratitude.

The first and last pages are mutilated. Father Marmion had been assistant pastor at Dundrum since September of 1881. His friend Dwyer had been ordained subdeacon in Rome, where Father Marmion had been with him until June of that year.

• Nickname which Father Marmion usually gave his friend and which apparently applied also to his Australian compatriots. own. I also offered the H. Sacrifice for you etc. I dined last evening with my fellow curate in Stillorgan. I met James there. He told me he had given you permission to remain another year in Rome & will have you ordained priest. |. . .|

I find it much easier to live right on the Mission than I thought. Indeed I find it easier to serve God than I even did in College. |. . .|

I prefer the hearing of confessions to any other duty. I never found any difficulty as yet although I have a great many penitents, even from other parishes & from Dublin. I believe that very much less “geny” is required than is generally thought; great kindness & patience are everything & the principle sacramenta propter homines (et mulieres )*: of course you must know that if a man steals a pound he must restore it, & that murder, drunkenness etc. are sometimes mortal sins; beyond this, you very seldom get a “casus.” .. .

I am chaplain & confessor to the criminal Lunatic Asylum. I found it a little difficult at first but at present find no difficulty. I have got quite accustomed to listening to the details of the most horrible murders as many there are committed for that crime & it is strange to see how these poor fellows went from bad to worse; true, the devil so got possession of them that they were fit for anything & yet I assure you many of them are at present leading lives of real perfection, being for months without committing a deliberate venial sin. Misertcordias Dni cantabo in aeternum.*

I say Mass every morning at the convent of the Sisters of the S. Heart. The Rd. Mother is a woman of great sanctity & common sense. She has been Superioress in Poland, Italy & France. She comes to speak to me almost every morning & is very kind to me. When I was sick she sent me a dozen of rare spanish wine & sends the carriage for me, although I never asked her, & my predecessor often demanded it but never succeeded in getting it. However Satis de to Bisco ue

I met some Junks lately, they are very nice. The Hon. Dr. Mullen who was chief medical practitioner in Brisbane is a great friend of

°«The sacraments are for men (and for women).”

*«The mercies of the Lord I will sing forever” (Ps. 88:1).

°Mount Anville. °“Fnough said about me.” iS) mine. He was a student for eight years in the Irish College Rome & had all his theology. He was a contemporary of Dr. Moran, Dr. O’Mahoney etc. . .

How are all your Junks? I often remember Kathleen at Mass & sometimes say a Mass for her perseverance... .

I often wish you were my fellow C.C." I would be then zoo happy for I have indeed found that in your case “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Ma queste cose non saranno mat; ci vedremo in celo.®

My confessor does not approve of my changing my state at all.” He says I am doing much good as a secular, & would not be following God’s wishes by changing. Come si fa? *°, I am not changed in my inclinations. I sigh for quiet & absence of responsibility. Cosa ne dici tu? ™

I must now wind up. This is a very foolish scribble, but I just wrote as I would speak to you... .

With affectionate regards to Mgr. D. Verdon, & the Camerata especially —I can’t spell his name—to the fat bob, & Pat, Jim. I remain your affectionate friend in J.C.

Joseph A. Marmion E.D.M.

P.S. I am very anxious to get permission to give the papal benediction to give the nuns of Mount Anville on the 8th December. Could you get it for me? Perhaps O’Hanan would do me this favour. Let me have a line when you can & don’t be ordained without letting me know the date, as I will say Mass for you.

Dundrum, Feb. 28. 1882.

Dear Rev. Junk

I got your letter this morning and though I have considerably more on hand than I can accomplish they must go to the wall for this time in order that you may have a line.

• Catholic curate (assistant pastor).

*“But that will never happen. We shall see each other in Heaven.”

°T.e., by becoming a monk.

“FTow can that be?”

“What do you say about it?” * Written several days before the ordination of his friend.

With all my heart I congratulate you on the happiness which is before you next Saturday and I will unite with you in thanking the good God for bestowing this the greatest mark of His love which He can give. The more I see of the life of a priest the more I love it & become every day more convinced that Servire Deo regnare est? Only those who try to do their little best for love of that Sacred victim whom they daily immolate can know how God repays the priest for the slight sacrifice he makes in consecrating to Him all his joys & his labours. It is true that you will often find the old Adam showing his head & feel how unworthy you are of all the favours you receive, but nevertheless I am of the opinion that no one feels so well as the priest that God is all-merciful & is content so long as we try to please Him & do not deliberately fail in our duty. I say then Prospere procede et regna.® 1 will offer Holy Sacrifice for you on the day of your great oblation. I will try to assist you before the tabernacle as much as I can.

Oh, I am more convinced now than ever that a student can’t set too high a standard of holiness for himself in College; and take my word for it, for I have seen it that those students who are considered “good,” but don’t go in for an unreserved service of God, would shudder if they knew what they would be, after about one year on the mission. The life of a priest is very much more lonely than we anticipate. I have often been for days without opening my lips to a mortal. This may seem very strange but it is true, & if we can’t find our pleasure before Gesu sacramentato, we will, inevitably, go for consolation into society & then . . .t This may seem at variance with what I said to you some time ago about visiting, but it is not. It is quite a different thing to dine out occasionally with a good intention and to go into society because one can’t bear to be alone.

Eccomi:* four pages given to a sermon! I am so accustomed to lecturing every one now that I had quite forgotten myself. You want to know how I am. Well, even since my last letter I had a partial relapse of my attack, but now D.G.° it is wholly & finally removed

7 “To serve God is to reign.” Postcommunion of the Mass for Peace. ° “Proceed prosperously, and reign.’ Psalm 44:5.

• Sentence left unfinished.

° And there I am.

• Deo gratias, “Thanks be to God.” Often abbreviated as “D.G.” a together with its effects & causes, & I am at present enjoying such health as I never had before, as you will guess when I tell you what my duties are at present.

I say Mass in Mt. Anville convent every morning at 7. and consequently rise at 5. every morning to prepare. I then do my chronic sick-calls & then go home for about an hour. Then visit the poor schools in which I give instructions for half an hour twice a week. I instruct the young ladies in Mt. Anville once a week & besides in Lent preach to them on the Passion every Friday. I preach twice every Sunday and three times every second Sunday, & on Wednesdays in Lent. Besides, I am spiritual director to the Ladies’ Association of |. . .| of which I have the entire care, & have to preach to them, keep their accounts, settle their disputes! etc. I am also spiritual director to the St. Vincent de Paul society which meets once a week; chaplain to the Lunatic Asylum & finally Fag-in-general to anyone who wants me for baptisms etc. So you see I haven’t much time to be idle. One great advantage of having so much to do is that it hasn’t left the ghost of a scruple in my conscience, & I sometimes wonder how I could have been so foolish, cosi vanno le cose mie."

I am delighted to see that Jem has cottoned so much to Rome. I knew it would exactly suit him & I expect he will pray for me as I flatter myself that my advice had something to do with his going; tell him that he is never forgotten in my prayers, & that whenever I have a spare Mass— which is very seldom, as I always have more intentions than I can satisfy, as you will know —he & some others, not to be mentioned, get the benefit.

I was delighted to get the “telegraph.” I would not have believed it unless I had seen it a realized fact. I fear he is sadly degenerate. I expect to hear soon that he has taken shares in some railway Co.! it’s wonderfully like him. Do you know I am very fond of him. I felt a real pleasure in looking at his holy old phis again. How is the “Boss?” ® I see he got a bequest lately for the college. I wish some old maid would die & make me her heir, as I am in debt. I was thinking of giving a dose to an old one out here who likes me very much; only I fear she hasn’t made the will yet, & that would spoil all.

• That’s how things are with me. * Rector of the Irish College in Rome.

I met |. . .] some time ago, he is expecting to be made a fellow of the new university, & the lads are persuading him it is a fact. It is more likely they will make him a butler in the new university hotel . . . , however, chi lo sa? ® I won’t venture on a new sheet as I have to instruct a large congregation of antiquated virginity this evening. I haven’t put my thoughts together yet, so basta.’°

I have just read that poor Tom Reilly of Maynooth is no more. R.I.P. Poor fellow, he is gone straight to Heaven. Would I were with him! However, we must not forget him as it is hard to be so spotless as to satisfy the envy of the All Holy.

Your affectionate friend in J.C. Joseph A. Marmion, EDM.

Salva la convenienza delle cose;"' this letter is terribly egotistical.

Holy Seminary,’ April 1883 My dear Vincy

I am sure you have thought many hard things of me lately; but I can assure you that my silence is in no way to be attributed to forgetfulness, as I often think of you, & I can say in truth that you are one of the very few upon whom I look as dear & sincere friends. I think with the exception of my mother, there are not more than four upon earth for whom I entertain a real affection, & you are one of the four & not the least; so you must not look upon my silence as a sign of change.

The reasons for my delay were chiefly these: my brother got suddenly ill & received the last sacs; went over in a hurry & stopped with him till he was able to swallow the H. Viaticum, & then administered It. He remained a long time at death’s door. Every day I expected would be his last, & so, I was constantly with him except when at class; & I had to take the hours of the night when I should

® Who knows?

© That is enough.

™ To call a thing by its name.

*In October, 1882, Father Marmion was appointed professor at Holy Cross Seminary at Clonliffe, near Dublin, where he had studied his philosophy. be in bed for study & prayer. He is now out of all danger. Another reason of my silence was that I did not wish to send a short letter to you, & I would not have been able to send more than a page at most if I had written before; so now Vincy, you must forgive me and believe that I am unchanged.

De me ipso? I am still in Alma Mater, & never knew what real happiness was before. I have given up the world entirely, & am trying to live “all for Jesus.” It appears when I say Mass, or kneel before Our Lord at Benediction, that He says to me “Joseph, lovest thou Me more than these?”; & I feel that the priest should be able to say from his heart “Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee.” And so I have cut entirely with the world: omnia arbitrans ut stercora ut Xtum lucrifaciam.® 1 am teaching Metaphysics, Greek & French, & am making some progress considering the difficulties under which I have been labouring. It is not impossible that you will see me in Maitland before many years: chi sa? * The life here is very happy. I pull splendidly with the others, & we are always in good humour. Dr. McGrath® sometimes gives lectures for our common good on temperance & politics, but they have not induced me to change my evil habit of taking wine at dinner. Oh, how I would wish you were here, for although our characters are entirely different, I never found anyone to whom I could speak with the certainty of being understood as to you! ...

We had a great miracle here during the winter. F. Sam Dunnigan was driving through Dublin during the intense cold of the winter. He suddenly felt some strange feeling about his hand, & on taking off his glove, discovered that his index finger had disappeared. He searched fruitlessly in his pockets, the car, etc., & at last found the missing member in his glove. He said an aspiration, & it was miraculously joined to the stump again. Sic ipse.® He firmly believes this, & so do many priests in Dublin. It is admitted that he raised a man to life in order to give him the last sacs. I guess your country can’t show anything to beat that!

• “Speaking of myself,” or, “As for me.”

• “Counting all as dung, that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 3:8).

*“Who knows?”

° President of Holy Cross College (‘Clonliffe’”). ° “Thus he said.”

Give my respectful regards to Dr. Murray‘; also to your Mother, Father, etc., & believe, my dear Vincy, ever your sincere & affectionate friend in J.C.

Joseph Aloysius Marmion goose E.D.M.

Holy # Seminary [August? 1883? | My dear Vincy,

Although I am writing out of my turn you must not be amazed. I know you will be glad to get a line from the land of invincible, [...]. Art. Il. Quid dicendum de amicis Marmonii et Junku? Art. Ill. Quid dicendum de Ipso Yunko et omnibus ad eum pertinentibus? Ad Ium. Respondeo dicendum:* —{ find myself exactly in the same position as when I wrote last. My health continues good; spirits excellent; & I like my present mode of life very much — for the present. Our year is just over. It will, I expect [. . .].

[. . .] a large dog: he turns out to be no good, but he amuses me by his stupidity. I should get something of the kind when he & you left. I bring him out daily for a walk through the grounds; he is an extraordinary animal; he has got diabetes, & when I bring him down to the river he occupies himself for over half an hour pumping water in & out of himself; most extraordinary brute! (I had written bruit but there ain’t any noise).

I am glad the year is over. I intend, D.V., commencing the next year with great fervour. My Mother has been very ill, but is able to be up now....

You may expect to see me soon if I live, as I intend going out to Australia; but no one knows this but yourself, so serva sigillum, satis de Marmonio?

• Bishop of Maitland.

• A quarter of the first page is torn off.

"Art, II. What should we say about the friends of Marmion and of Junk? Art III. What can be said of Junk himself, and all that concerns him? As to the first point, I reply . . .” Stereotyped expressions from the medieval Scholastics.

• “Keep the secret. And that is enough about Marmion.”

Arie lin Re dicenduniaae

The papal circular is causing great commotion in ecclesiastical circles. I hear a great deal of wild—& to me disgusting talk — from priests about papal interference & things appear in the papers over priests’ names which if the animal with tall ears could write would certainly be attributed to him. Povero J. Christo, Povero Chiesa! Povero papa what will he do? * He is utterly unprovided with the assistance of the |. . .]| we must only pity him, meantime it would be good to make a subscription to buy fodder for some of these poor animals as if they found themselves before a well filled manger they might stop braying. That last remark of mine looks uncharitable, & I have a kind of scruple about it, but I don’t like to tear this sheet; don’t show it about... .

Art. Ill, De Junko ipso. Dicendum.’ 1 hear you are some kind of a school functionary. Cave, iterum dico, Cave.® If you find yourself becoming anxious about your appearance etc. Cave... But leaving jokes aside, I will pray for you, because I consider that kind of work distracting, & not free from danger for a young priest. I am delighted, my dear Vincy, to see that you are getting on so well, & I feel sure that you will do great things yet for the glory of God & the salvation of souls. Ma chi va piano va sano." Distrust your own lights, & keep close to obedience, & all will go well. Q.E.D.

Your affectionate brother in J.C. Joseph A. Marmion E. D. M.

Holy # Seminary April 28 1884 Dear Rd. Junk, I ought to have written to you before this, but the fact is my heart was too heavy *; I know that dull letters would serve no useful purpose in your regard |.. .].

**Poor Jesus Christ! poor Church! poor Pope!”

° “Concerning Junk himself, one should say .. .”.

° “Take care, I repeat, take care.”

7 Slow but sure.

• This letter is badly mutilated. About half of each page is missing.

• By reason of financial crisis afflicting his family.

[. . .] say a little prayer for me. This last business at home has been an obstacle to arrangements all but completed. Fiat voluntas Dei. I found this the hardest part to bear. I am awfully sorry you are not somewhere near. I have no one whom I can call a friend here. I /ike all immensely, but I take to very few. God knows best. Jerry will be soon home, D.G. I am glad to see you are keeping]. . .] will keep you in union with Him. I say this because I imagine — perhaps erroneously — that a life of continual action like yours is apt to make one fix his attention more upon the magnitude of the actions themselves than upon the motive. Remember the widow’s mite “she cast in more than all the others.” ? I will never cease to pray for you that you may reap a rich harvest of merit, & advance every day in |.. .| |

I am hearing each confession solely for this sake: that as Jesus shed His Blood for that soul, that I will take all the trouble I can with each; & when I give absolution, I humble myself as I think that I am holding the place of the King of Virgins &c. &c. Also, a favourite devotion of mine is to offer myself mentally at the Consecration of the Mass every morning in union with the S. Victim to God to suffer . . . for His glory.

I ain’t got no more time for no more. Write soon & don’t bore me with politics, I don’t care a d—— about them; they are a humbug, except in so far as the glory of God may perhaps be advanced by one kind of government more than another. However the matter about Irish Bishops in Australia is, I admit, important; but if you & I were [. . .| aim in life to look after these matters; consequently they don’t want me to spend my time in fruitless speculations about politics, & therefore I don’t. Them is my sentiments on politics, and they are very profound. Q.E.D. Love to 'F James.* Affect. regards to Da & Ma Connice ete. etc.

J. A. Marmion E.D.M.

®Mark 12:41-44. * The cross before the name indicates Bishop James Murray of Maitland.

Holy # College, Clonliffe Nov. 1884 My dear Vincy,

Although I received no letter from you since my last to you, I will not let Xmas pass without sending you a line; especially as I imagine I shall receive one from you about that time.

I often think of you & sometimes amuse myself by thinking of all you must be doing out in the bush for Our Lord’s glory. How “many lilies you are causing to bloom before Him, who will day & night send up before His throne the sweet fragrance of their love” (justus germinabit sicut lilium, et florebit in aeternum ante Dominum). You may be sure I will not forget to assist you by my prayers in that great & glorious work; but as I often think that even the most fervent are liable to lose that fervour & union with God, which is the one source of grace Ego sum vitis, vos palmites, qui manet in me, et ego in eo, Hic fert fructum multum quia sine me NIHIL potestis facere.” 1 pray fervently that God may give you the grace to advance daily in personal holiness, in the same proportion as you increase your labours of zeal for souls. For this end I am sending you by this post a book of “meditations for priests,” from which I imagine I have derived great fruit myself. Accept it as a Xmas present & a pledge of my unalterable friendship for you.

Having preached my sermon I shall now do what I ought to have commenced by doing, viz., I wish you a very happy Xmas & through you I wish the same to your Father, Mother, Sister etc. whom I still hope to have the pleasure of seeing at some future time.

As regards news. First myself. I am, as you see, still at Clonliffe & though my desire to enter religion is stronger than ever, the same pecuniary difficulties still remain so that I must defer my hope. My classes are all very successful: two out of three presented for examination have passed the B.A., viz., Hatton & Pat Malone; & in the greek class all passed but two out of a large class. One of our students

*“The just shall grow like the lily and flourish eternally in the Presence of the Lord” (Osee 14). Gradual of the Common of Abbots.

“T am the Vine: you are the branches. He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). got an exhibition (£15) having taken honours in physics, English, French & Latin so that we have been congratulated as having been very successful. Still my heart is not in the work, although I study hard for conscience’ sake. (One of my students at the B.A. exam got honours in Metaphysics & Ethics), yet I would rather have one hour in the confessional than a life-time of successful teaching; yet I daily repeat the words of Pope Clement XI Domine volo quidquid vis; volo quia vis; volo quomodo vis; volo quamdiu vis. No jokes will come this time; I fear they have been all squose out of me by family troubles, & others which were no less severe. Satis de me ipso. All the professors here are well. McGrath has written a “document” about the philosophical paper set at the R. University Exam. which has created a great furore. He is now looked upon as the great champion (potatoe) of Xtian philosophy in these parts. You have doubtless seen this “document” in the Ecc. Record for November. . . . Wishing you every grace & joy of this holy time, I remain your affectionate friend in J.C.

Joseph A. Marmion E.D.M.

P.S. Please present my respectful compliments to Dr. James *® & wish him from me a Happy Xmas &c. Mr. Ed O’Reily has just asked me to remember him to you & to say he often thinks of you.

VII. bax Abbaye de St. Benoit, Maredsous,’ par St. Gérard, Belgium [1888? |

My dear Vincy, Many thanks for the photo as also for the Ordo last year. The latter was much valued & appreciated here. I shall speak of the former later. The Ordo came during my novitiate. I think I asked

®“Oh Lord, I want all that you want; because you want it; the way you want it; and as long as you want it.”

*“Fnough about me.”

° Bishop of Maitland.

‘Father Marmion entered Maredsous on November 21, 1886, receiving the Irish name ‘Columba.’ His monastic profession took place on February 10, 1888, and this letter must have been written shortly after. permission to write to you & was refused. In any case our faculties for letter-writing, usually limited, are almost suspended during novitiate. I won’t waste any more time or paper on excuses. I will only say that my affection for you has undergone no change; & no day passes without a special prayer for you— according to promise — & the rosary every Saturday for the four.’

To begin from myself. I am convinced that I am where God wills me to be. I have found great peace, & am extremely happy: to use a euphemism, I wasn’t success on the secular mission; & it is a singular mercy of God towards me that I am here.®

The monastery here is but a few years in existence. It is in its first fervour. It forms one of five monasteries which constitute the new Benedictine Congregation of Beuron. This Congregation was founded at the desire of Pius IX by two brothers — one of whom is our Abbot here. After suffering great trials, in consequence of the “May Laws,” * it seems to have received a very special blessing from God. We number now about 300 members, we have five Monasteries & four Abbots. I send you the photo of Maredsous in the background.

But you will ask me, what do you do? Well, we are up about 344 every morning. Matins commence at 4, & from that, till bedtime — about 814 —in choir, in study, & in teaching & manual work. The chief object of our congregation is to carry out the S. Liturgy & the Chant of the Church with the greatest exactitude & splendour possible. We have therefore the conventual masses, masses of vigils & in fact everything prescribed. I had no idea that such riches & beauty were contained in the D. Office etc. How I wish you could spend a week here. I know you would be charmed.

I know almost nothing in the shape of news to tell you, as I very

• Four intimate friends.

• Here Dom Marmion in his humility disparages his service as a diocesan priest. In 1907 the archbishop of Dublin paid him this tribute, that he had fulfilled his functions as curate and professor in an exemplary manner and that he had received full recognition from his superiors for his outstanding zeal and genuine piety. The complete Latin text is cited in Thibaut, Abbot Columba Marmion, p. 32 (English trans.).

*May (or Falk) Laws, repressive measures against the Church designed to liquidate Catholic opposition to Bismarck’s Kulturkampf. seldom hear from any-body. I will tell you what I know. Poor Tom Brady going to attend a sick-call at night fell off his horse, broke his arm, put out his eye, cracked his skull & died after a couple of days without ever recovering consciousness. R.J.P. In reading the last sentence I see it is calculated to make you laugh; it was not meant in that way: it’s my genius. The photo you sent me was a real pleasure. ...

Somebody told me that there was a young Junk at Clonliffe. Is it the little one who made his genuflection at the altar backwards? I have wandered away from the photo. You are looking well & fat; your head taking the shape of the mitre. You have something like a pectoral —only it’s in the wrong place —cross, hanging out your vest. The “nigger” seems to have got a dash of whitewash. Pierce is a very respectable looking clergyman & J. Burn very “distingué” as they say in French. If you ever go to Tasmania, try & see the Dominican nuns M. Gabriel & Sr. Paul. I take a great interest in them. They suffered terribly in Ireland, & I came in for my share on their account.

What a stupid letter; but I know you didn’t want a sermon, & I have no news. If ever you come to Europe, pass this way; it’s only a few hours by train from Antwerp. You would be charmed I know, & we could ramble across the hills & talk over old times. Present my most kind regards to Dr. James, Dr. Verdon, F. Hand. My affectionate regards to your father and family.

Your affectionate brother in J.C. Dom Columba O.S.B.

Pax Abbaye de Maredsous, par St. Gérard, March 19, 1890. My dear Vincy,

I just have a few minutes leisure to-day, & so I shall treat myself to the pleasure of a little chat with you. I suspect you will say to yourself that if I mortify myself in all other pleasures as I have done in this I must soon become a saint. I can say, however, in all sincerity, that though I have changed in many respects, I have not in the sincerity & warmth of my friendship for you; & that a line from you, or any indication that you have not forgotten me, is a source of deep joy & a veritable treat.

Talking of indications: the Ordo was very welcome. It is brought out in splendid style, & does credit to the rédacteur, whom I suspect I know. The state of the Australian church as indicated there, is really quite a revelation for us here. F. Abbot has been under the impression that there were four or five bishops, and was astounded to see the flourishing & imposing hierarchy which has been established in so short a time. In your last letter you were a little bitter on His Em. He has a terribly cold nature, but he is certainly a homo Dei, and is a great credit to the Green Isle; & then he is the first Cardinal of the Mother Country.

How is “James”? * Does he still glide along with his green silklined biretta? I have a very great veneration for him. He was my confessor for a time in Rome; and I shall never forget his kindness in calling to see me when I was sick in Dublin after my return from Rome. Kindly give him my most humble and respectful compliments. While I am asking for people: how are your parents and Sr. Columba (isn’t that your sister’s name? )*

The Junk at Clonliffe is doing well. Tom Watters described him in a letter to me as a “calm, cool, studious fellow, just like the brother.” If so, that will work. I suppose you have the intention of giving him the final brush up in the Eternal City. Without saying anything derogatory about the Coll. Irlandese, if I were you, I'd send him to the Prop.® as I am sure one gains more real advantage there. I znsist on his giving me a call before going back to the mother country. Need I say how I shall try to make him at home etc. propfae tae

Frank Wall & John Waters are ordained at the Prop. since before Xmas. I saw a letter from Frank who is burning with fervour and devotion. Esto perpetua, I pray.” A host of little fellows who were in their lay clothes, or under the tender care of the fourth prefect when

• Bishop Murray of Maitland. Father Dwyer became his coadjutor in 1897.

• Father Dwyer’s sister was a Dominican nun.

*Trish College; Propaganda College.

*“For your sake.” °*T pray that these dispositions may be lasting.” we were at Clonliffe, are being ordained now; & I begin to think that I am just about to begin my roth year of priesthood. The few years which remain won’t be long about flying, & then the long rest & union of dear friends in our Father’s Home.

I never forget the promise which we made (James Dunne, You and I); and I am faithful to the little practices which we undertook, & sometimes I think what a joy it will be for us to find, after a few years, that we have contributed to save each others’ souls; and I feel that God will bless, by a closer union of our hearts in heaven, that spiritual union commenced for His love here on earth. And after all, my dear Vincy, as I reflect here in the solitude of the monastery; & look back on my life since my ordination; I find that the simple, almost boyish, ideas we had as students, & which, while in the world I was sometimes tempted to look on as foolish, were the true ones. To love God is the beginning & the end of wisdom; & if we have laboured for any other, and “even tho’ we should give our bodies to be burned & give all our goods to feed the poor,” ® it would be all lost time. Therefore, I pray for you, that in the midst of the distractions to which the position in which God has placed you, expose you, in the midst of success & praise, you may always keep the eye of your soul fixed on God si oculus tuus mundus est, totum corpus tuum lucidum eritt,” 1.¢. st intentio tua pura est omne td quod facts, vultus divint lumine illuminabitur.'

As regards myself D.G., I am in excellent health and very, very happy. I am well occupied; & well protected against myself by the walls of the monastery, I am able to occupy myself usefully. I have a class of Dogma & Moral & three classes of English in our school; besides choir work which lasts about four hours every day. Besides this, I have sundry other jobs which obedience imposes from time to time. As I am beginning to speak french pretty well, I will soon, I think, be allowed to hear confessions. So you see I won’t grow musty for want of work. You said in your last that you scarcely hoped to visit Europe, & that I would probably not have the happiness of seeing you again inter vivos.® I look on it as certain that I

Bia Gor: °73:3.

• “Tf thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be lightsome’”’ (Matt. 6:22). * “Among the living.”

=) shall see you again, i.e. that you will come to Europe; for I am firmly persuaded that before many years you will be making your official ad limina visit.®

Satolli is a bishop I think; and has been sent to Washington as representative of the H. Father. Aliardi is also a bishop, and takes snuff through one nostril still; your great friend & model Galimberti?° is zn carriera ++ somewhere near a cardinal’s hat; if he hasn’t it already.

I’m so glad you are president of the Sacred Heart College. It is just the place for you; you can do so much good there, & will not be distracted as if you were on an outlying station. Is it an ecclesiastical college, or species of St. Gall’s establishment?

I’ve just heard that Satolli has been named cardinal, prosit say I. Practical resolution “study D. Thomas if you want promotion.” ”

Clonliffe very seldom writes me. James Dunne has never sent me a line since I came here. I hear he is studying on ne peut plus.* He is professor of all the Greek taught in Clonliffe together with Philosophy & Plain Chant. He would be a great acquisition to your establishment.

How is the little pudge O’Callaghan getting on? Making a row, Pll be bound, where ever he is. I would like to know how poor Joe Farrelly died. We were friends. His parents were poor, and I used to take him with me during vacation for little trips, so that we were rather intimate; but I never heard of, or from, him since he went to the Antipodes.

There is one thing for which I must ask your pardon: it is this. During his stay in Ireland, I did not show myself as hospitable &

° To the Apostles’ thresholds,” a bishop’s official five-year visit to the Holy See.

*° Satolli, Aliardi, Galimberti— Dom Marmion’s former professors at the Propaganda. Satolli was assigned to Washington in 1889, becoming first Apostolic Delegate to the United States in 1892. According to Philipon, of all young Marmion’s professors Satolli ‘had the most influence on his intellectual development. . . . To the end of his life Dom Marmion would recall with emotion the admirable teaching of this beloved master’ (op. cit., p. 29). It was Satolli who introduced him to the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas. (MEE)

™ “On the way.”

• Actually, Satolli was not named cardinal until 1895, while still in Washington. 8 The best he can.” kind towards F. Hand as I should have liked to have towards a friend of yours. I felt this all the more, as personally I took a great fancy to him, & should have liked very much to have been in his society. The fact is, precisely at that time owing to family difficulties, my purse was quite empty. I was even considerably in debt, & being unable to act the part of a host, I rather avoided him; though perhaps it was pushing delicacy too far... .

I must conclude. You'll write soon? Give my affect. regards to your Father, Mother & family.

Yours very sincerely & affect. friend in J.C.

Pére Columba Marmion, O.S.B.

Abbaye de S. Benoit Maredsous Belgium. August 10. 1892 My dear Vincy,

Wasn’t it a pleasure to see your hand again? When I got to recreation, they remarked that I looked happy. I explained that I had just heard from one of my dearest friends. You should not think that a monk is a kind of dried-up |. . .] who is so wrapt up in the prayer| ?| that he forgets his friends. I never allow a day to pass without praying specially for your intentions, & I look forward to the day when I shall have the joy of kissing your ring, when you come to make your visit ad limina. I shall |. . .]

Well I am nearly 6 years a monk; last year I made my solemn & final profession. I am extremely happy, & daily thank God for the great grace He gave me in bringing me to a place where I have a chance of saving my soul; since in the world I was sure to have lost it [. . .] from any exaggerated idea |. . .] but from the knowledge & [. . .] of my own frailty | ...|

[end of fragment]

=o

July [1896] ... Later on, it is my conviction, you will have a more extended sphere in which to exercise your activity. But we can talk over the matter when you come to make your visit ad limina. (Must stop now, God knows for how long.) July 22. I have been beyond my ears in work these days. Some of my pupils have been up for their University exams & have not done marvels |? |. D.G. Want of success after a year’s hard work is the very best way of purifying our intention & showing how foolish it is to have any object in view beyond Dieu seul! A magnificent ideal, but very hard to act up to.

Our Lord Abbot? has been made primate of the whole order. He is a very holy man, and very talented. When a young fellow, although a nobleman & very well-off, he went out as a simple zouave to fight for Pius IX. After a few years he came home dying; became a monk here. Since his election as abbot & primate, God has given him back his health so wonderfully that we can say: Digitus Dei est hic.’ Unfortunately we shall lose him as he will leave us to take up his permanent residence in Rome as soon as our new College is completed.*

I don’t see any prospect of my going to Rome. Any thing I know, I know very superficially; & with us solid study & erudition are the great requirements|?]| in a professor, & I am incapable of these, partly owing to health, partly lack of vigour of character. However I have no desire to go to Rome, but am perfectly happy here in Maredsous which becomes dearer & dearer to me every day.

I am very fond of the Belgians, they are far the best missionaries in the world. St. Francis Xaverious was always writing to S. Ignatius: “Da mihi Belgas.” ;° & now that I know the priests more intimately,

• Mutilated letter. The first page is entirely missing; the second lacks a vertical strip, but the meaning can be reconstructed. This holds good also for letters 12, 13, and 14. Missing portions are indicated by [.. .].

*Dom Hildebrand de Hemptinne.

5“The finger of God is there.”

*Sant’ Anselmo, on the Aventine, one of Dom Hildebrand’s achievements (see

Section X). ° “Give me Belgians.”

I think it would be hard to get better. |. . .] In Flanders you may judge of the formation[?] of the priests when I tell you that not only are all the classes in latin, but even the conferences| ?| of the clergy, & all the correspondence with the authorities.

Our Congregation ® has received the mission from the Pope to reform our order in Brazil. [. . .] fathers have just returned and bring tales of the deplorable state of religion in certain parts of the country. It seems the level of morality has fallen so low that the people has no reluctance to accept the ministration, & attend the offices of a married clergy, looking|?] on such things as pardonable weakness|?]. It is not impossible that I might be sent. If it were God’s will, I should be delighted to cooperate in such a glorious work, & even if need be, give my life in such a cause. The bishops| ? | — who are very good —, are most anxious to have us, but the devil is placing formidable obstacles to our |. . .| , & we are not quite sure yet if we should go or not. I recommend this to your prayers, & I wish you to keep it for the present entre nous. |. . .|

I am more convinced than ever that in these matters‘ there is nothing like a pure child-like faith; & that all the Aigher-criticism is a lot of high humbug. I have come in contact with many “high critics” as they call themselves, & they are very often but little removed from protestantism. Nisi efficiamini sicut parvuli, etc.® is as true now as in the time of Our Lord.

Dear Vincy, let us grow in personal love for Jesus. It is the great joy of this life, & source of durable] ? | peace. It is only through Christ that the angels can praise God; & only in so far as we are united with him, are we pleasing(?) to the Father, who looks down on us saying|?]: Hic est filius meus dilectus... 2

Affect. regards to Str Columba.

(ae. pattecs brothiersiny)s C- D. Columba O.S.B.

• Beuronese Congregation, to which Maredsous belonged at that time.

“TLe., in the new so-called “progressive” biblical criticism shaping up during this period.

° “Unless you become converted, and become as little children, . . .” (Matt. 18:3).

°«This is my beloved son”? (Mark 9:7).

Pax Abbaye de S. Benoit Maredsous April 1st 1897 My dear Lord

When I heard of your appointment? I confess that I felt a double sentiment: one of great & very sincere pleasure, & the other almost one of sadness. Your appointment was a very sincere pleasure for me; because the honours & favours bestowed on those we love are as if conferred on ourselves; & you know that twenty years have not diminished the friendship & affection I had for you when we were students together at Holy Cross. Besides I always felt that God had destined you to fill the position. |. . . | to find that God has approved my previsions.

I confess that at the same time I felt at first a kind of sadness. For the thought came to me that in gaining a bishop I was losing a friend; for friendship requires a certain equality; & I felt at first that your elevation must necessarily change my friendship into some other sentiment more in harmony |. . .| jam non dicam® |. . .|

|. . .] if He could stoop to consider these poor sinners as His friends, why my old friend can do the same; & there is no need of any change in our relations, except an increase of respect on my part for the sacerdotal character now existing in its plenitude in my friend; & an increase of affection on his part towards me, arising from the increase in him of the spirit of the good Pastor.

You may count on my poor prayers during this time. |. . .] |. . .| very sincere compunction & humility, & a complete abandoning of yourself to the guidance of the H. Spirit to carry out His will, & glorify Him according to His designs.

I am not going to write a sermon. I haven’t received the mission to instruct the pastors of the Church; but I just write as if we were chatting together. [ . . .]

[. . .| offer a suggestion, I would advise you to read habitually

• Mutilated letter, of which only two horizontal strips remain.

? As coadjutor bishop of Maitland. * “JT will not now call you servants . . . but friends” (John 15:15). the lives of those great modern bishops who were raised up by God to give an example of episcopal sanctity in contact with modern civilization; e.g. “Vie de S. Frangots de Sales,” par Hammon; “Life of S. Charles Borromeo,’ by Capecelatro, etc; & also “Vie de S. Alphonse de Liguori,’ par le Cardinal de Villecourt. These lives I have read & reread; & although IJ have not got an episcopal vocation [. . .|

If I can be of any service to you (finding out for you names of books on Canon Law, Theology, etc, etc) you know I shall only be too glad to help.

I have no news. Our life here is so uniform that the only changes are those which I suppose must occur in our invisible world regnum Dei intra vos est.* The only event worth mentioning is that I [. . .]

|. . .| & very dark. I ran a great danger; but my angel guardian, whom I did not cease to invoke, aided me; & I was able to arrive at the village to which I was going, say my Masses, & get back all right.°

You are receiving congratulations & presents, I am sure, from all sides. In my poverty, I can only offer you this chronogram; which I am sure you will keep for my sake as a pledge of the very sincere & respectful [. . .]

• Pax Abbaye Regina Coeli Mont-César Louvain 3 April [1900] My dear Lord I am sure you must be displeased with me for interrupting my turn. I am beginning to wonder if my last letter to your Lordship

*“The Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).

° Early one morning Dom Marmion had to go on foot to a village some distance from the monastery. It was winter, and the countryside was thickly covered with snow. He had great difficulty in finding his way in the darkness.

*Dom Marmion was one of the group of monks of Maredsous chosen to found a new monastery at Louvain in April, 1899, under the direction of Dom Robert de Kerckhove, who subsequently became abbot there when the priory was made an abbey on August 6 of that year, and immediately appointed Dom Marmion prior and prefect of the clerics. See Philipon, op. cit., pp. 47-49. got to its destination. You asked me to write out for you all the particularities concerning the struggles for religious[?] education here in Belgium. |. . .]?

Since I wrote, I have been named Prior, & I have a deal of responsibility; but I am very happy. I find that when one gives one’s self without reserve to God, leaving to Him full control over our acts, & seeking His glory in all things, then He helps wonderfully; & even He supplies where talent or knowledge |. . .| are wanting. This kind of life of study, teaching|?] and contact with the University is |. . .] according to my natural tastes; but as I have not chosen it, I am sure it is God’s will for the present; & I succeed very well in it.

Our little community here is very fervent |?] & our Abbot is a man of great humility[?] & union with God. He is looked on by many, not alone in the monastery, but throughout the country, as a saint; & I who know him more intimately than most others, know the beauty of that soul. It is such a consolation to be placed under the guidance of a man who seeks God alone in all that he does. I hope, my dear Lord, that one day you will come and pass a few days here with us, & then you can judge for yourself.

Almighty God has just sent me a severe trial: my brother-in-law, who was in the full strength & vigor of manhood|?|, was struck down by the inf[luenza?] and died in four days.? Thank God. He always| ?| had lived as an excellent catholic; but he leaves my poor sister Mary with 10 children, many of them very young. God certainly shows a most wonderful care for them, as at first |. . .| [. . .| but divine Providence has most admirably arranged all; giving extraordinary courage to my poor sister, & raising up friends in a most unexpected manner.

I am teaching the treatise de Ecclesia* at present. It often brings back memories of the past, when we sat together listening to the wisdom|?]| of the great Toss.? I read an article written by your Lordship in an Australian newspaper in reply to a Protestant minis-

• The lines that follow are impossible to reconstruct.

‘January 31, 1900.

• Theological treatise on the Church. ° Father Tynan, professor of theology and Sacred Scripture at Clonliffe. ter, & recognized many of the “points” as having been taken down from the notes of the great man.

My friendship & affection for your Lordship are as fresh as ever, more |. . .|, friendship founded in God increases as we draw nearer to Him. I pray for you every day; & I most humbly recommend myself to your prayers, that I may most perfectly| ?| fulfil all God’s designs on me.

With most profound respect I remain very affectionately yours in J.C.

Columba Marmion O.S.B. Pr.

Pax Mont-César Louvain Nov.| ? | [1902] My dear Lord

It was really so kind of you to write to me, though it must seem to you as if I had forgotten. In all truth I have not forgotten; for daily I beg our Lord to bless & keep you in His love & service; & you will believe me when I say that the souvenir of your faithful friendship is one of the sweetest things of my life.

I have been working very hard, being prior, & professor of theology; & having many other occupations as confessor, etc. and during the vacation I gave 3 retreats: one in Belgium, an other one at Douai to our English Benedictines; & a third at Metz to the ecclesiastical personnel of the diocese. The explanation of my going to this place is that the bishop? is a monk|?], knowing me well personally; & asked me to preach to his priests. I got knocked up after the last retreat, & was obliged to give up head-work. And so when I got back to work, there was such a quantity of necessary things to get through that I was forced to let this letter stand over till today.

I am delighted to see our Lord is continuing to bless you; & that you feel such a strong desire to live up to the perfection of your state. I am more & more convinced every day that in the spiritual life: fundamentum aliud neme ponere potest, praeter illud quod positum est,

• Bishop Benzler, monk of Beuron, former abbot of Maria-Laach. quod est Xt Jesus.” St. Basil says: |. . .| est imitatio Verbi secundum |. . .| Incarnationis.® In fact J.C. est imago Dei invisibilis,s & the more we study Him, the more He reveals Himself to us. Qui videt me, videt et Patrem.’

For myself I find that the spiritual life becomes wonderful when one has made up his mind to give one’s self without reserve to J.C., for then He becomes our light, our life, our all: Xtus factus est nobis sapientia a Deo et justitia et sanctificatio et redemptio.® You ask me to refresh your soul with words of edification. I know nothing better than to recommend you to identify yourself as closely as possible with the Pastor animarum." It is His great desire for us, as we see by His sublime prayer to His Father: Ut omnes unum sint sicut et nos; ego in te et in me, ut sint consummati in unum® But this is especially for those whom He has chosen to carry out His work on earth. For this I do pray for us three,? & I beg you to ask the same grace for me. |. . .|

I was to have gone over to |. . .] this Summer to prospect; !° but to the great disappointment of my Sisters, I could not for many reasons. Perhaps next year. In such matters I allow myself to be guided solely by obedience, & try not |. . .] a wish of my own.

I was sorry your Sister Columba had been ill; with nuns & monks, illness is often a part of God’s plan of sanctification; & they must take it as such. Tell her I pray for her.

In Louvain there is a great spirit of study. The young priests, after

*“Other foundation no man can lay, but that which is laid: which is Christ Jesus: 7Cie Cor, 3:02).

• Unrecoverable text.

*“Tmage of the invisible God’ (Col. 1:15).

° “He that seeth Me, seeth the Father also” (John 14:9).

°“Tn Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and justice and sanctification and redemption” (I Cor. 1:30).

“The Shepherd of souls, Jesus Christ.

° «That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, in Me, and I in Thee: that they also may be one in Us” (John 17:21). The New Testament texts quoted in this letter are frequently repeated in Dom Marmion’s preaching.

° The two correspondents, together with a third friend, James Dunne, a priest in the Dublin archdiocese.

• Text unrecoverable. There seems to be a question of a foundation in Ireland, and it is in this connection that Dom Marmion speaks of his eventual trip to that country.

3 or 4 year’s theology in their Seminary, come here & follow the courses for 3 years. The standard is very high; but, entre nous, in some branches, v.g. H. Scripture they are very advanced, & German Protestant authors are much esteemed.

I use the Summa as text-book|?], & am greatly pleased with results. P. Billot S.J.[?] an excellent help, though I don’t follow all his opinions. I have the advantage to be in relation here with some great theologians, like P. Dummermuth O.P.”

With sincere respect

|. . .|] affection ever yours in J.C. Dom Columba Marmion O.S.B.

Louvain. [April, 1902 or 1903] My dear Lord,

It is a long time since you heard from me, but as I so often told you before, you are daily remembered where remembrance counts; for hearts once united in God’s love cannot be separated by distance. I often think of you & all you are doing for our emigrants. There are two roads to perfection, i.e. to perfect love. One is to seek God continually in the person of our neighbour, the other is to seek Him by contemplation; provided we seck Him, & rest united to Him in perfect love, it little matters by which of these two roads He wishes to lead us. He has chosen to lead you by the same road as He led His only Son the Saviour . . . by presenting Himself to you in the souls of those who are committed to your care. He expects me to go to Him by prayer & contemplation. It seems to me that this difference is well illustrated by the two ceremonies which are the starting points of our respective routes. On the day of my monastic profession I con-

™ The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Well-known Master of Theology at the Dominican house of studies in Louvain, and author of two large volumes numbering nearly twelve hundred pages and in Latin, on the subject of physical premotion. The esteem Dom Marmion bore him in no way inhibited his sense of humor. During an official dinner that brought together many prominent personalities from the university, he declared in the presence of the formidable Dominican: “If you suffer from insomnia there is an infallible remedy: just read Father Dummermuth.” * A vertical strip has been torn from this letter. secrated myself to God, & on the day of your consecration you offered yourself entirely to your flock. Let us pray for one another that we may be very faithful in our respective spheres, I as a Conf. non Pont. you as a Conf. Pont.”

I was greatly pleased to receive the account of your splendid Cath. Congress, & to read the paper which your Lordship prepared. What we are losing here in old Europe, where principes convenerunt adversus Dominum, et adversus Xtum eius,® you are gaining in those new countries where the faith is growing strong and bearing fruit. For the moment the devil seems to have the upper-hand here in Europe. In Belgium, the Catholics are still in power, for the faith is still strong among the people. But I think Socialism & irreligion will soon become so potent that the acts we are deploring in France, Spain & Portugal at present will be repeated here.

While awaiting these events I am trying to accomplish my little bit as perfectly as I can, for God will not leave us to face these trials, of which I have spoken, when their hour comes. I am still teaching dogmatic, & it is a most enchanting study, when one goes into it thoroughly. I am beginning to understand how very little I knew when I had finished my course; & what an immense blessing it is for the students here at the University, who, after a 3 year course in their seminary, arrive here to begin a further course of higher studies for 3 or 4 years more. |. . .|

Besides my teaching I am Prior of our new foundation, and have our young scholastics to form; and am chaplain to a Convent of Holy Carmelites; so you can see I am not idle. I am, however, living in great peace, for I find my happiness in being united to our dear Lord. He takes all on Himself; although at times He may make you wait for Him in faith Revela Dno. viam tuam, et spera in eum, et tpse factet.*

I told you in my last that my brother-in-law, Stephen, died suddenly leaving my poor sister with a very large family. D.G. He has done wonderfully in providing for all... .

• “Confessor not a Bishop” and “Confessor Bishop” — designations used in the Common of Saints in the Missal.

°“The princes met together against the Lord and against His Christ” (Ps. 2:2). *“Commit thy way to the Lord and trust in Him: and He will do it” (Ps. 36:5).

Please remember me to Sr. Columba and the other members of your family, especially to Joseph.

I remain with profound respect & affection yrs in Xto. D. Columba Marmion O.S.B. prior. xVin [. . .] so the new school would take Kant; but all the water in the ocean couldn’t baptise Kant, nor make his philosophy christian. Loisy of whom so much has been said & written, is simply a victim of this false philosophy.” Kant distinguishes between the phenomenon (things as they appear to us) & the numenon (things as they are in themselves); & he asserts that there is no necessity for the one to correspond with the other. Loisy distinguished also between Christ phenomenon i.e. Christ as faith presents Him to us; & he admits that every christian must admit that deal Xt; & Christ noumenon, ie. Xt. as an historical personage; & he differs absolutely from the first. A large portion of the French clergy is infected with these ideas; & those who don’t admit them feel their influence.

Since my class of theology was finished,® I have been occupied — through obedience — with the study of mystic theology; & I give one or two conferences weekly to the community. Itisa[. . .] study [. . .]

Pax Mont César, Louvain. 30 Oct. 1904. My dear Lord, Since I wrote my last letter, I have received another letter from

• Fragment of a badly mutilated letter.

? Alfred F. Loisy (1857-1940), leader in Modernist heresy, former priest and professor of Sacred Scripture at Institut Catholique of Paris, from which he was suspended for espousing Kant-inspired ‘higher criticism” and the accommodation of revealed Truth. By the time of this letter (1904), Loisy had terminated a five-year professorship at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes; his excommunication for heresy followed in 1908. See Catholic Encyclopedia, ‘““Modernism.” (MEE)

®Dom Marmion taught theology to the young monks at Louvain from 1899 to 1903 — one complete four-year course. He was then relieved of these classes because of his many other all-engrossing activities. my sister in which she tells me of your great kindness to my nephew. I am most grateful to Your Lordship & shall never forget what you have done for him....

We are again at work. The great question at present is the nature of biblical inspiration. It is certain that the old explanation of Franzelin,’ though true as far as it goes, wants completeness. Loisy, & I think Lagrange,” goes too far; but I am of the opinion that the whole question requires revision. When the bible tells us that the sun stood still for Joshua, etc., we answer that the inspired author only used the language of his time, having no intention to teach astronomy; & when (as very grave authorities assure us) the sacred books narrate events which are historically inexact, they answer that, not having the intention to teach history, they narrate the current belief as a means of teaching religious & moral truth. Of course this is very slippery ground & I have not as yet made up my mind. One of the best professors of S. Scripture, member of the Biblical-Commission & professor here at Louvain, a holy priest & a most clear-headed man, is propounding principles such as I have just expressed. When they are all given I shall get a copy of notes of one of the pupils, &, if it interests you, send it on to you. I am very conservative in such matters; but yet there are difficulties in the sacred text which it is very

‘Johann Baptist Cardinal Franzelin, S.J. (d. 1886), a pioneer in the 19th-century restoration of the primacy of speculation in theology, but in the field of Biblical scholarship, particularly on the question of Inspiration, his conclusions were inadequate for the times, as Dom Marmion recognized. See R. T. Murphy, O.P. (ed.), Pére Lagrange and the Scriptures (Milwaukee, Bruce, 1946), Chap. I, “The Old Testament — Semitism,” by J. Chaine of Faculté Catholique of Lyon. (MEE)

° Marie-Joseph Lagrange, O.P. (1855-1938), eminent Scripture scholar and founder (in 1893) of his Order’s Ecole Pratique d’Etudes Bibliques (St. Stephen’s) in Jerusalem, can hardly be bracketed with Loisy, although his conferences at Fribourg in 1897 on the authorship of the Pentateuch, and his exegetical publications of 1903, particularly the Méthode historique (2nd ed., 1904, year of Marmion’s allusion), caused a furore in orthodox circles. Recognizing that biblical scholarship utilizing only the traditional argument from divine inspiration was powerless in the face of rationalistic attacks of the day, Pére Lagrange simply applied the same rational criticism of the Church’s enemies to his work of vindicating the Bible’s value as historic document — but always in the light of his strong faith in the “divine character of the Bible.” His approach is basic to Catholic Scripture study today, but in his day he was blazing a perilous trail, and suffered accordingly. See Murphy, op. cit. (MEE) hard to explain on the old principles; & I am in search of a “Working theory.”

This year, besides my ordinary work as prior, & prefect of studies, I have a class of exegesis. I am explaining the gospel of St. John which I did nearly 30 years ago with Tynan. Do the Australian Bishops never visit the /imina? It ought to be nearly your time now.

A new book has just come out published by one of our Fathers.’ It is all the new ecclesiastical legislation regarding the religious congregations of simple vows. It is very complete & well done; only it is in French, as it is destined not only as a guide for the bishops, but as a manual for the religious themselves.

I pray, as ever, every day for your Lordship, & remain with profound respect and affection, Yours most devotedly in J.C.

Dom Columba Marmion O.S.B. P.

• Pax Mont César, Louvain. 12 Feb. [1908] My dear Lord

I am most grateful to you for your kind remembrance of me, & should have answered sooner; but that I am just recovering from a heavy attack of influenza accompanied by fever & lung trouble. I am still very weak. It is a very great consolation for me to see that our friendship, begun so many years ago, & founded on God, is like Him unchangeable, & I hope eternal. We are getting on towards the evening of life. I shall be 50 in April, & you some months later; & the great truth which comes out clearer & clearer every day is that nothing is eternal but God, & what we do for Him opera in Deo facta

I very often think of you before God; for I must say in all sincerity that I have found no sincerer or dearer friend up to this. James Dunne never writes, but he remains a fast & sincere friend. I told him I should like to receive the new Theological Review published

*Dom Pierre Bastien, O.S.B., professor of canon law at Sant’ Anselmo, took part in preparation of the New Code of Canon Law. *“The works done for God.” Council of Trent, 6th sesssion, chap. 16. at Maynooth, & he always subscribes for me, so that I receive it very regularly.

You seem to think I have a very quiet life. God has arranged otherwise. Besides being prior & prefect of studies, I am invited to give a great number of retreats. I gave, I think, about 12 last year in Belgium, England & Scotland. Besides this, a great number of priests, professors of the University, etc., come to confession, & take up a lot of my time. Then I am the confessor & intimate friend of the Cardinal,” who gives me a deal to do in many ways. (Commission of Vigilance, examen of books, different odds & ends in a diocese of 2,500,000 souls).

The Cardinal is a saint. He lives a most mortified life, & a life of prayer; & yet does a prodigious amount of work. Since his consecration, besides the active government of his vast diocese, he has given a series of magnificent conferences to his students, which is being brought out in book form. Then he sees them all individually; invites them to dine with him; & is a real father to them. Although a broad-minded man, he is strongly orthodox, & carries out the Pope’s instructions in that respect with great vigour. He is one of the three Cardinals (Rampolla, Mafh, Mercier) charged by the Holy See to constitute the “International Scientific Institute.’ Some weeks ago I was in England, & in his name, waited on some of the foremost scientific Catholics in order to arrange preliminaries.

I suppose you have no modernism out in Australia. It is simply the effect of trying to baptize Kant. St. Thomas did up Aristotle, baptized him, & made a very respectable Christian of him. The Germans, & the Neokantists in France, have been trying to do the same for Kant, but it won’t do. Grace supposes nature; & just as you can’t baptize an ape, so you can’t baptize Kant’s system, because it is radi-

• Désiré Cardinal Mercier, (1851-1926), former (from 1882) professor of theology at Louvain, consecrated archbishop of Malines in March, 1906, and elevated to the College of Cardinals the following year. The two friends had met first at Maynooth’s centenary celebration (1895) at which Dom Marmion represented Maredsous, and Mercier, Louvain. According to Philipon (p. 57), after the Benedictines were established at Louvain, Mercier consulted Marmion regularly and was ‘“‘a constant visitor and a faithful friend to Mont-César. It was there that he received formal notification of his elevation to the cardinalate; there also that he composed in 1914 his famous letter: ‘Patriotism and Endurance’.” (MEE) cally false. The University of Louvain is showing itself very correct in the present crisis. There is a very great sentiment of loyalty & submission all through Belgium towards the Holy See; & once all the professors sent a declaration of sincere adhesion to the Pope’s ideas.

It is not easy to see exactly what one ought to think on certain points; for my own part I would willingly give my life for the faith, and welcome with sincere joy every declaration of authority. Yet on some points, v.g. the nature of inspiration, my mind is in a muddle. Up to this I had always held Franzelin’s explanation as very satisfactory. Yet it seems to me difficult to admit that inspiration always guarantees historical truth; & yet if it doesn’t, of what practical use is it? I give you an instance of what I mean. It is evident that the substantial fact of Our Lord’s baptism is true, & falls under inspiration; but are the details guaranteed by inspiration? For it is really very difficult to reconcile the description of this same fact as given Pyesati 3; 14 sq. & Jo. I; 31, 33. In Jo. 1,°31 St. John says Ego nesciebam eum etc.® & that he did not know Him till after the dove had descended on Him, v. 33; where as in St. Math. we are told that St. John knew Him before the baptism Joannes autem prohibebat eum,* etc. v. 14. There are numbers of places like that: v.g. in the description of the resurrection by the different Evangelists, in which it is very hard to be sincere with oneself, & admit that there is no difficulty in reconciling the details. I don’t give this as an opinion, but simply say I don’t see clearly; & am waiting for some authentic teaching on the point; & others like it.

I see you have plenty of work; & I expect coadjutoring has some analogy with prioring; & if so, it requires at times patience & a strong spirit of faith. I see by your “Almanac” — for which thanks — that religion is making great strides in the colony. What a pity that God’s work should depend so much on questions of money, & yet practically so it often is.

Please give my sincere love to members of your dear family, & tell them I do not forget them before God. Pray for me, that I may live

°“T knew him not” (John 1:33). *«But John stayed him” (Matt. 3:14). up to the high ideal of our Benedictine life, & Believe me ever with sincere affection & respect

Yours in J.C.

Dom Columba Marmion O.S.B.

P. S. My very respectful regards to your excellent Bishop. XVII.

Bela x Mont-César, Louvain. 12 May 1909. My dear Lord,

I was about to begin this letter by one of the hackneyed phrases of worldly politeness & tell you how sorry I was at your father’s death; but I really cannot; for I am too convinced that such a death ought to be a subject of rejoicing & not of sadness. A long life spent in the service of God & of the sacred cause of Catholic education; his efforts and prayers to bring up his own family as he has done; his intense interior life nourished at the source of sanctity by daily communion; & crowned by such a holy death, gives us the certitude that he is in that home of peace towards which all our desires tend. You will convey to Fr. Joseph, Sr. Columba and the other members of your family, the expression of my profound sympathy. I am saying 16 Masses for him (there is no difficulty for us as being exempti. Our ordinarius is the Abbot, and not the Bishop).

Poor Dr. Murray! ? He has lived his time, & could help you more now by his prayers in heaven than by his presence on earth. I won’t forget him, as he was very kind to me years ago in Rome when I needed counsel & encouragement. James Dunne came over to Louvain some months ago with Pivers & Mivers; or rather these last remained at Spa, & James came on here & we spent the day together. He is just the same as we knew him years ago, a model priest. We spent a very happy day together. In fact he declared that it was the happiest he had spent since we three spent the day together at Maredsous.

Do Australian Bishops never visit the limina? I know at least one

• Since the Council of Trent, religious orders are exempt from jurisdiction of the diocesan Ordinary in local, personal matters. (MEE) * Bishop Murray of Maitland had recently died. who has not been to Rome for over ten years. I often think that when you do come I shall get James over, & we could spend a day together

Since I doubled the cape of 50,° I often think of eternity; though to be candid, I am feeling stronger & better than I was when you saw me last. I do a lot of active work giving retreats, conferences to priests, confessions; & get back to the monastery to get up fervour when it is waning. Of course I pass the greater part of my time in the monastery as my abbot does not accept half of the invitations, but yet I have a deal to do. I am not at all a preacher, but something in the style of old father Gowan *; & as I have a good deal of experience I am able to help souls, especially priests & nuns.

I don’t know how things will get on here in Belgium. I fear sooner or later, perhaps very soon, we may be in the same state as in France & then it would fare badly with us monks. Good people in Belgium are very good just like good Irish Catholics; but bad people are diabolical, & if the government once got into the hands of our liberaux, we should be stamped out without mercy. In which latter case I should be applying to His Lordship of Maitland for a place as chaplain to finish my days in peace & prepare for eternity.

I suppose you have no modernists over in the colonies. There is not much of it in Belgium, but it’s in the air; & that simple faith, which looks on the Church as Christ living in our midst “usque ad consummationem saeculi,’® is changing into a critical attitude towards all dogmatic guidance. I have read a good deal of theology, & mixed much with all kinds of savants, & I have a reputation for being

*To pass one’s 50th birthday, an expression possibly derived from the nautical feat of sailing around the Cape of Good Hope.

*A Vincentian and Joseph Marmion’s spiritual director at Clonliffe. Thibaut has more on the subject (op. cit., pp. 16 f.). Of his “‘style,” to which Dom Marmion likens his own, Philipon writes: ““Humble and austere in himself but impassioned when in his celebrated conferences he spoke of God, of the Passion and Death of Christ, or of the other divine mysteries, he required the same supernatural spirit from his penitents, asking of them a generous acceptance of crosses and humiliations and a fervent devotion to the sufferings of Christ. . . . It was under his guidance that Dom Marmion formed the resolution to make the stations of the Cross every day, a practice to which he remained faithful to the day of his death” (op. cit., pp. 27 £.). (MEE)

®In Belgian politics the Liberal party is generally anti-Catholic.

• “Until the end of time” (Matt. 28:20). a large-minded man, but I am convinced that light & truth are to be found in humble docility to Christ’s Vicar. With all respect, Your ever affectionate Joe.

Pax Abbaye de Saint-Benoit, Maredsous * par Maredret. le 6. XII. 19109. My dear Lord,

I was really delighted to get your letter; for our old friendship has not changed &, as years pass & eternity approaches, I find that ours has been one of the sincerest & most enduring. I spoke of eternity; I have had once or twice the responsum mortis,” & it has a very sobering effect even on those who live in the peace & calm of the cloister. I had heart trouble (tired out heart), some three years ago, as a result of the anguish & horrors of the German occupation. We were in the middle of it here, & being responsible for my flock, and in daily danger of all kinds, it wrought on my heart, & one night I thought the end was come. That passed away as there is nothing functionally wrong, but just fatigue. Again, some months ago I had an attack of gravel. It is the greatest pain one can endure, & I had it during nearly 3 weeks for 15 or 20 hours at a time. I am now quite cured and all that remains to do is to be careful about diet, & so I am living principally on fruit & raw vegetables. It is not nice, but very wholesome. So much for myself.

I don’t know if you received the 2 vols. I sent you: (Le Christ Vie del’ Ame & Le Christ dans ses mystéres ). It has had a most astonishing success. The gth edition is already almost exhausted, & the Pope * has given me a very nice letter of approval. I know also that he uses it for his own spiritual reading. The reason of the success is that there is practically nothing in these works from me. I simply make Our Lord, & St. Paul, & St. Benedict speak; & explain their doctrine.

*Dom Marmion had been elected abbot of Maredsous on September 29, 1909, and governed the abbey until his death in 1923.

® “Answer of death” (II Cor. 1:9), i.e., a close call. * Benedict XV.

I saw James D.* several times this year. I got my attack of gravel when passing through Dublin & had to lie up at St. Vincent’s. Batty came to see me daily, & James very often. Both were most kind... .

I dined several times with the Vice (Dr. Hagen). He is a very strong patriot. Although quite of his opinion in theory, I felt that such ideas are outside the region of practical politics. Poor Ireland! I don’t know what will become of her — yet when you live in the midst of these people they are unlike all others in their faith, their love of the priest & their purity.°

I have been preaching at Westminster & giving a retreat to the cathedral clergy. I am sorry Maitland is so far or I should also ask to preach to yours, omnibus debitor sum ® even to the natives of the colonies. Poor Jack Hoey died like a saint. He was a most holy priest; an oddity up to the last, but he left a great reputation of charity & zeal. In fact almost all our old Cloncliffe companions have turned out well.

Best regards to Sr. Columba.

Tuissimus in J.C.

Columba Abb.

Pax Abbaye de Maredsous, par Maredret. le 22. V. 1921. My Lord & very dear old friend,

Your letter just received was a great joy & consolation for me. It is so long since we have written to each other & yet it is not forgetfulness, for I have been very faithful to our contract of daily prayers & weekly rosary.

I saw a good deal of Jem, as I was laid up in Dublin for weeks, at Vincent’s hospital, some two years ago. He & Batty, faithful old friends, came constantly to see me and cheer me up in my sufferings

*James Dunne, their mutual friend.

® See Letter 20 for clarification of Dom Marmion’s position on Ireland. The date of the present letter is a scant year after the victory of Sinn Fein candidates in the Irish elections, whereupon Sinn Fein members in the old House of Commons had constituted themselves the Dail Eirann under Eamon de Valera (January, 1919), and David Lloyd George was preparing his campaign of reprisal in which Black and Tans would be turned loose on the countryside, local leaders murdered, and towns (includ- ing Cork) set afire. (MEE) *“T am a debtor to all’? (Rom. 1:14).

(stone). I suffered a deal; but it is now passed & perhaps has served to atone for a part of my very heavy debt towards God’s justice & sanctity. St. Francis de Sales said that no order has produced so many saints as the episcopal order. Bishops having received the plenitude of the Holy Spirit, have helps which we have not: Mittam eis doctorem justitiae.! They have the H. Spirit as their professor of sanctity. He gives them such light, such graces, such help that they are in the state of perfection here on earth & shall be high above us in heaven. Abbots have the responsibility, but not the wonderful help & grace of bishops.

There was some talk of my being named a bishop in Wales or England, but the reports were false; or perhaps the information given to the Prefect of the Consistorial not satisfactory. In any case they came to nothing. I think it likely that Jem Dunne may be A.B. of Dublin. I hope it with all my heart. He is so holy, so wise & so enlightened.

Poor Ireland is in a sad plight; & unless God gives very special help & light, I don’t see any way out. England will never give us a republic as long as she has a soldier to carry a gun; & Ireland won't be satisfied with anything less. I am not for separation from England, nor for a republic; but I desire a very large measure of “self-determination,” such as you have in Australia.®

I am glad you liked my conferences. The pope said to me at my last audience “Vous avez écrit un trés beau livre”; * and I know from one of the Cardinals that he uses it for his daily meditation. This is a consolation, a guarantee of orthodoxy. The Vols. have been trans-

• A reference to “He hath given you a teacher of justice” (Joel 2:23).

” Archbishop.

• By this time Ireland was virtually in a state of civil war. After bitter guerrilla fighting between Irish and British forces, Lloyd George had invited De Valera to discuss settlement. Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith were dispatched to London, and returned with the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921, which guaranteed home rule and dominion status to Ireland. Although the treaty was ratified by the Dail after protracted and violent debate, De Valera refused to accept it, and his left-wing ‘“‘Republican” party split with the forces of the more conservative provisional government formed by Collins and Griffith for the period of debate until the right wing prevailed in 1922, after much violence and bloodshed. The Republic of Ireland was not formally inaugurated until 1949 —long after Dom Marmion’s death. (MEE)

*“You have written a very beautiful book.” lated into English, German, Italian, Polish, Dutch, and have passed through 12 editions. Live Tynan, Satolli, & old Kirby! Dr. Mani made great noise over here.” He is a great man & a strong man. He was very badly treated in England.

Please tell Sr. Columba I pray for her & for your brother Joe. If you had a quiet spot where I could go & prepare for death, (an Abbot has not a moment: I have 100 monks, a college, a school of art etc.), and weep over my sins; I think I should bolt. May God bless & love you,

Ever your affectionate.

“ Columba Marmion Abb.

P.S. The enclosed photo of Her Majesty ® may interest you. We are quite chummy. She gave a chalice worth over £ 1000.