Girard0231B
Doc. 231, 7 January 1843, Yvert to Poupinel, Kororareka
APM Z 208
Translated by Fr Brian Quin SM, June 2005
Kororareka, 7 January 1843
Very dear Father
After spending so long a time without writing to you, it will be, no doubt, difficult for me to find some reason for restoring myself to your favour. However, as I value your affection in a very particular way, I want to do everything I can in future to show you gratitude which will last, I dare to hope, beyond this short life. But, very dear Father, would I have so forgotten you? Would I have become ungrateful? Oh! no, my heart never experienced ingratitude. In the midst of following the passions of youth, this heart never allowed itself to be vanquished in generosity. So our holy religion, far from making it [1] less sensitive, will purify these fortunate dispositions. Ah! may it please God that it would be as easy for me to express to a real friend the feelings of affection with which I am filled for him!
So I am beginning today, very dear Father, to write to you, as well as to my other benefactors. If you except three letters addressed to our Superior General, two of which were forced, as it could be said, by great duty, you will realise that I have sent only one solitary missive to the most loving and most loved of the Fathers.
[p2] In that, I have acted according to my old principle of maturely studying each new situation God leads me to experience, before giving any sign of life. In that way I allow myself to become aware of the judgment which Divine goodness is pleased to allow me, and I hurt no one. Now, living in the midst of a community which is ceaselessly changing, and placed between two extremes, the Fathers and the Brothers, I sometimes find relationships a bit difficult. That voyage over the sea, if crossed, [si traversé] and yet of happy memory, has left a trail of difficulties which resignation alone will enable me to overcome. If you add to that the success of our printery, which seems to be bringing to a halt the flood which was about to engulf us, you will have no difficulty in believing that the devil will not let me have a day of peace. But the faithful Virgin, my tender mother, who brought (us) to harbour after some months of sailing in the first voyage, will also guide the barque in this great and last voyage [2] After all, I have good reason to rejoice at taking my position where Mary herself has placed me, and where I can safely work at the business of my salvation. You see, very dear Father, that I count a lot on the interest you have in me, to be able to speak to you so frankly. It is to tell you that I have a deserved right to your fervent prayers.
Your last letter was a consoling balm to my soul. How fortunate I am, I cried, to have left in France three friends so generous, so disinterested! As well, the only thing to which I really cling in this world, is to show them my gratitude, and to never grieve them in any way. Yes, our very Reverend Father, the good Father Poupinel and the excellent Father Montargis are like three mothers which Mary has given to one of her children [3] I will do everything I can to help allay the difficulties inseparable from their numerous works. I will neglect nothing to work for the success of the work to which they have sent me, in the way my Superiors wish, well [p3] persuaded that in doing so, I will be doing the will of God.
I am now, very dear Father, going to talk about temporal matters, which still contribute powerfully in a mission, to the conversion of peoples. You will have experienced, like the Bishop the effects, certainly very serious, of an unfortunate situation. If, as I have every reason to hope, good Father Epalle has destroyed all the disquieting doubts about the future [4] the great sacrifice that you will have made will have restored calm to (our) spirits, at the same time assuring the progress of your interesting mission. Because, and you really need to be convinced of this, it is your work that you are supporting; the workers you have sent are not working only for them(selves).
You will receive, enclosed, a list of things to be bought by M[onsieu]r Marc for our printing workshop, binding etc. Everything I ask for is or will be indispensable in 12 or 15 months. You will see a copy of this list in a letter I am writing to good M[onsieu]r Marc, telling him to go along with small changes you can make to it. I say this to show my subordination (to you).
The Bishop will soon write to Messrs Grouet, Leveneur, Poisson and Marc, all inhabitatns of your good Normandy. As for me, allow me, very dear Father, to refuse the request you made of me. I am too miserable to take part in correspondence like that, and besides, my feeble knowledge would soon betray me.
As I have told you, I am making a great effort over letters this time. I am going on, without taking breath, to write to Messrs Poisson, Marc, Montargis and the Superior of the [Convent of the] Visitation at Caen.
Please accept the assurance of the high respect and devotion, very dear Father.
of your very humble and obedient servant in J[esus] C[hrist]
Kororareka, 7 January 1843
Please offer my respectful homage to our very Reverend Father, and to the good Fathers I had the honour to see in Lyons.
- Yvert
- ↑ the heart - translator’s note
- ↑ By ‘the barque’ he seems to mean ‘the Church’ or ‘the mission’ - translator’s note.
- ↑ This Father Montargis is not listed in the index to Origines Maristes which covers Marist history up to 1836, only six years before this letter was written, nor in the Society of Mary necrology 2001, so he is likely to have been a diocesan priest - translator’s note.
- ↑ Epalle had, in the face of a financial crisis facing the mission, gone to Europe in mid-1842 to get money - translator’s note
