ColinSup019

12 October 1837 — Jean-Claude Colin to Marcellin Champagnat

From the microfilm of the original in the hand of the author conserved by AFM

[p. 4]

Monsieur / Monsieur Champagnat supérieur des / frères de l’Ermitage / par St Chamond / Loire

[p. 1]

Lyons 12th October 1837.

My very dear confrère,

[1]

I saw Fr. Douillet yesterday and told him that you would not agree to the conditions he laid down. However I found him to be a self-assured man, a decent sort of a person who may be of some service to the Society. I promised him that I would write to you and ask you to send him the Brothers as usual; and I now invite you to do so.

[2]

You could write to him at the same time that you do not accept his conditions but that you and I will go and see him after the feast of All Saints, and that then all three of us together will try to establish a basis that will be firm and fair to the establishment in la Côte and to the Society.

[3]

If in this visit we fail to settle anything or to come to any understanding, then we shall be patient for a year. We shall speak to the Bishop of Grenoble, and next year you will make whatever changes you wish.

[4]

Remember that you are available to all dioceses, that you are to provide for all of them. I would see not great difficulty about there being a good Noviciate in la Côte, provided that it was run in the same spirit as that of the Hermitage and that it still remained in your hands.

[5]

Send then at least one Brother to the house in Lyons; Brother Luc cannot manage alone. You know that there must necessarily be two. If Brother Benoit will not come back, send us somebody strong who can work the garden. Send also immediately to Belley the two who are to leave. If you can dispense with Brother Marie, we shall be glad to have him. I embrace you toto corde.

Your most humble servant

Colin, sup.