Girard0255

12 May 1843 - Father Antoine Garin to Father Jean-Baptiste Épalle, Kororareka

Summary

Garin is for the time being the only priest at the Kororareka station. He is still in charge of the procure, which he is not happy about. But basically the letter just describes some interesting little events.

Sheet, "Bath" paper, forming four pages, three of which are written, the fourth bearing only the address and annotation by Poupinel. Although the outer address bears the name of Father Girard, it is indicated at the top of the first page and in the first paragraph that this letter is addressed to Father Épalle. Translated by Merv Duffy, January 2025.

Text of the Letter

[p. 4] 

[Address] 

Monsieur ¤ Monsieur Girard ¤ Montée Saint Barthélemy No. 4 ¤ Lyon ¤ France ¤ Rhône.

[Postal marks]

OUTRE-MER 1 DEC. 43 PAUILLAC — BORDEAUX 2 DEC 43 (32) — LYON 5 DEC [43] (68)

[handwritten by Poupinel]

Kororareka May 12, 1843 ¤ Father Garin

[p. 1]

No. 1

A(d) m(ajorem) D(ei) g(loriam) & D(ei) g(enitricis) h(onorem)

Kororareka, May 12, 1843.

To the Reverend Father Épalle.

My dear and reverend father,

[1]

It has been almost a year since you left New Zealand and I have barely given you any signs of life; however, I am not yet dead although you left us in agony. You undoubtedly know from the letters I wrote to the reverend father superior on this subject, that after your departure, I found myself initially the only priest in the Bay of Islands. Mr. Perret, Mr. Waterton Henri soon took a ship each to flee a land that seemed to devour its inhabitants; I found myself alone at the table with the tireless Mr. Yvert. Well! would you believe it? we have never been more peaceful and less troubled by outside demands; they thought we were dead; what can one expect from the dead? We went on very quietly, expenses were lower and affairs were settled.

[2]

However, I did not abuse this sweet rest; I saw that Satan was rejoicing in advance and that he was already beginning to make his moves; so I also set about competing with him. I did not yet know the tribes of the Bay of Islands. The natives did not come to prayer; they stayed in their kainga. So I took Henri whose zeal and goodwill were of great help to me; together, we began to visit all the tribes of the Bay of Islands. Alas! I regretted not knowing the language. However, the necessity of speaking soon made me find words and, with the help of some phrases that Father Petit-Jean had dictated to us on some instructional subjects to teach us the language, I was able to show the natives that we did not forget them. I even found them in fairly good dispositions, several gave me gifts of pork, which I had not seen happen often.

[3]

Speaking of these Maori phrases that Father Petit-Jean had dictated to us, I will tell you a little story that will make you laugh: One day I was returning from Waitangi where I had gone to see some natives; passing by the place where the fathers who go to Hokianga are dropped off with the boat, I see some natives sitting on the small elevation closest to the river in that place. I hear them reciting the Our Father in Maori but in a tone that immediately makes me understand that it is to insult me. I no longer doubt it when I see them repeat several times and laughing: Amené, amené, amené. At once I turn around, we go straight to them. They are surprised, these missionaries, that a Catholic priest turns aside like this to go see them after being insulted. Approaching, I ask them what they meant by these cries and this prayer; then laughing they tell me to complete the insult: Well! are you bringing us a book. Yes, I tell them, and heading towards them, I pull out of my pocket a kind of book in which I take my notes and in which I had written some Maori. Here, here is my book. Then he takes it from my hands: is it written in Maori, he asks me. Of course, look. He begins to read a few lines; he is quite stunned; he probably thinks it is a printed book. I look for the place where it talks about Luther; listen, here, I tell him, this is what my book says; they all listen attentively. We sit on this small elevation, and the discussion begins. Among other things, I ask him if he attended the grand committee, if he heard what William said; he talked a lot, didn't he? Ka nui te korero no te Wiremu. But when he was told to put his name under what he had just said, Kahore, kahore, that was his only answer; if his speech had been right, he would not have been afraid to put his name at the bottom. ... While we are discussing like this, I see a boat full of ladies and gentlemen approaching us; without trying to see who it is, I continue to talk about William and in a tone loud enough to be heard from further away, when suddenly I recognize Mr. William himself, majestically leaning on the back of his boat, with his lady and children by his side; the scene was most curious, but without losing my composure, I continue the discussion, however ceasing to name Mr. William and drawing conclusions to my men who seemed to rejoice at the arrival of their minister. Two young men, of fine stature, get out of the boat, pass in front of me; we greet each other. They are the minister's sons. A few moments later they pass again, return to their boat which withdraws leaving me still on the battlefield. When it is at a small distance, his disciples greet him with cries that respond to our Vivat! And when he is out of our sight, I take my boat and continue my journey. As I leave, I extend my hand as I did when I arrived to these poor natives who were nothing but Mr. William's servants.

[4]

You left me a sad gift when you left. I mean the procure. I expected to be in charge of it only until Father Petit-Jean's return, but the bishop having arrived in the meantime told me to be patient for a few more weeks, and from week to week I have come to this day, always seeing myself on the verge of being relieved of it and always encountering some obstacle that postpones it, but God wills it, as much for me as for another; may his holy name be blessed! The necessity in which I have found myself several times to speak to the natives has made me make some progress; I have a singular pleasure in talking with them and addressing them from time to time with some words of instruction; so it has been during these eight days when Father Baty is on retreat.

[5]

If I do not have time to write a small letter to Father Poupinel, I would ask you to tell him that it would be necessary to send the fathers one or two more pairs of boots, because I have just received a letter from Father Pezant who would like for his own account to have no other shoes; and I have found by experience that it is the most economical, either to save stockings or to avoid often getting wet feet during travels. All the fathers, apart from the new ones, are in urgent need of shoes; we have just bought 2 pairs for the Whangaroa station, that is to say for Father Rozet and Brother Elie, — 1 pair for Father Pezant, one for Brother Euloge; all the other fathers ask me for them. It has been a long time since the fathers in the tropics asked me for them. Leather is very expensive here, and sometimes one pays as much for a bad pair of shoes as for a pair of boots in France. Father Petit wears out a lot of stockings, shoes, and cassocks; Father Rozet the same; Father Grange wears out a lot of shoes. ... I cut short here, because I hear that the ship does not leave until tomorrow because today is Friday. I am going to write a letter to Father Poupinel.

[6]

I told you above that Father Baty is on retreat; the bishop had just finished his. All the fathers and brothers did it here except for Father Forest who gave the retreat, Brother Luc who replaced Brother Basile in the kitchen to let him do his retreat, and finally me, in charge of talking to the comers and goers and distributing the work in the house; but we lost nothing. We took literally and in spirit these words: ducam eam in solitudinem. So Brother Luc, Father Forest and I went to Hokianga to do our retreat and to have Fathers Petit and Lampilaz and Brother Claude Marie do theirs at the same time, but it was still Father Forest who bore the brunt, so much so that he stayed 8 days longer after us in Hokianga to do his retreat as well as we did. You should know that the fathers in the south also did it under the direction of Father Forest.

[7]

Speaking of my trip to Hokianga, I will tell you a curious and precious story. Our caravan consisted of 12 people: Werahiko, Aroiko his son, Petera, Tukutahi, the 4 daughters of the great Papahia who were returning washed in the waters of baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of confirmation, and nourished, at least some of them, with the bread of the strong, finally the brother, Fathers Petit, Forest, and myself. If in these journeys undertaken for the glory of God, the demon jealous of the good that can result from it seeks to spoil the work of his ministers, the Lord knows well how to find ways to humiliate and paralyze his efforts. Thus, a small circumstance that I had barely noticed has nevertheless become for me a subject of thanksgiving. We were walking peacefully and entering a forest when the demon, as he often does, presented me with a bad thought, at the same time the end of a branch that I believe got caught on my hat came to deposit in the middle of my forehead a large drop of water just as if I had put holy water on myself with my finger when entering the church. This drop of water thus deposited reminded me that it is with holy water that one chases away the demon by making the sign of the cross on oneself. Imagining then that I had holy water on my forehead, the thought of God came to me and the bad thought left. I did not dwell on this circumstance at first, but by the end of the journey, I had reason to bless providence for this happy circumstance, for several times this bad thought returned and each time the thought of the drop of water and of God came to my mind, I saw myself instantly delivered from this temptation. People of little faith would laugh at my simplicity, but let them laugh; for me who felt the benefit of this drop of water, I thanked God for it as a great favour.

[8]

I would have many other interesting things to tell you, but I no longer have as much time as I did at the beginning. I would say a word to the reverend father, but Father Forest told me that he was writing to him about the things I could also discuss, so since he has just had the retreat done for everyone, he will be able to give more accurate insights than I could on the state of the members of the mission. However, please present my very humble respects to him and ask him not to forget the request I have made to him several times to appoint a provincial other than myself. Do not forget to remind me to the venerable and dear fathers of the Society, to all the brothers and sisters, and may their prayers often rise to the feet of Mary for the most unworthy of her servants. Farewell, my eyes are heavy, I am scribbling, I will close my letter, pray for me.

Your ever devoted servant and friend,

Garin

priest, apostolic missionary

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