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27 May 1843 - Bishop Pompallier to Father Maitrepierre, Bay of Islands

Summary

Notes the arrival of three new priests on 18 February 1843, and is grateful. The mission in all areas, he says, is making good progress, but still needs men, money, prayers and, especially, fast and regular communications. Emphasises the need for Brothers in equal numbers to the priests – no Brothers had been sent in the last dispatch of men.

Translated by Merv Duffy, January 2025. Sheet of "Bath" paper, forming four pages, of which only the first is written, the second and third are blank, and the fourth bears only the address and Poupinel's annotation.

Text of the Letter

[p. 1] [Address]

To Monsieur ¤ Monsieur Maîtrepierre, ¤ in Lyon, Montée St. Barthélemy No. 4 ¤ Europe, Lyon, France.

[In Poupinel’s handwriting]

New Zealand ¤

[In Maîtrepierre’s handwriting]

Bay of Islands, May 27, 1843 ¤ Mgr. Pompallier (No. 28)

Jesus, Mary, Joseph

Station of St. Peter and St. Paul, Bay of Islands, May 27, 1843

To the Reverend Father Maîtrepierre, priest of the Society of Mary, assistant to the Superior General.

My Reverend and dear Father,

[1]

I received with great pleasure and gratitude your letter dated Lyon, April 1, 1842, and the three priests of our Society whom you sent me on behalf of the Superior General. They arrived here at the Bay of Islands on February 18, 1843.^[1] The next day, a Mass of thanksgiving was celebrated in the small parish chapel of Kororareka, where we reside. We sang the Te Deum in gratitude for God’s goodness in granting them a safe voyage and in sending, through them, three more good labourers to this mission, which is so greatly in need and always gives the brightest hopes!

I had all three of them remain here to learn the basics of the languages of New Zealand, for the missions to which I intend to assign them. I hope they will do well, all three of them, and that God will bless their work. In a few weeks, they will go to the field of the Lord’s battles. May the power of His grace accompany them! May the holy angels guide them! May Mary protect them as much as I desire it!

[2]

I have not yet received all the funds you sent me on behalf of the Propagation of the Faith. A portion, about 8,000 francs, remains on a ship that will soon arrive at the Bay of Islands. This portion of the funds has been entrusted to the care of a captain who, I hope, will deliver them to me without fail.

[3]

How grateful I am to you in particular, my Reverend Father, for the zeal, interest, and dedication you express in your letter for this mission! May God reward you with a hundredfold of grace for your cooperation! I cannot give you detailed news about our missions today. However, many previous letters sent to the Propagation of the Faith and various persons, whether of the Society or otherwise, will have reached Europe, and you will have learned of them. I wrote one to the Very Reverend Superior in November 1842, No. 27.

I eagerly await the response, along with another dispatch of brothers and priests, which was announced to me by the three who recently arrived here in February. I have not received news from the tropics since last November. At that time, all the missions on these islands were giving great consolations. New Zealand still urgently needs people, aid, prayers, and especially, I would almost say, frequent and regular communications.

I earnestly commend myself to your holy sacrifices and the prayers of your house. May the reign of God come, and may His grace grow ever more in our souls!

Your very humble and very obedient servant,

Jean Baptiste François, Bishop, Vicar Apostolic of Western Oceania

[In the margin and across the page] Postscript

I beg you to remind the Very Reverend Father General to always strive to send us as many brothers as priests. I was very pleased to receive the priests who arrived last February, but, alas, there were no brothers with them. The lack of brothers greatly hinders us. In the next dispatch, please ensure that the number of brothers corresponds to the three last priests who arrived without bringing any.

François

Notes

1. ↑ The seventh group of Marist missionaries (Fathers Jean-Simon Bernard, Auguste-Joseph Chouvet, Delphin Moreau) (cf. doc. 242, § 3, n. 1; 247, § 31).