Jewels from Jane, Oct. 6

"In 1809, Father Coccard, parish priest of Sury-le-Comtal, Department of the Loire, asked Father Bouchard for Sisters. His request was so earnestly made that the Vicar General felt he had to demand an immediate acquiescence from Mother Saint John. At that time, the community was quite in its beginning. Mother Saint John had no available subjects. What could she do? Sury needed Sisters. The perplexed Mother had to take teachers from the establishments in Saint-Etienne and send them to this other school. Three Sisters were then chosen for Sury. Sister Marcoux, the Superior, was among the number. The little colony set out on October 6, [1809] and soon arrived in a place where nobody awaited them, not even the one who had requested them, since he did not count on their arriving so soon. Neither house, classes nor resources were ready for them.

"The worthy priest, grieved at their discomfort, offered them his rectory, which they did not accept. They had already decided to return to Saint-Etienne, when an unusual settlement of their difficulty was proposed to them. While the situation was being discussed with the priest, some pious Christian women of the parish, hoping to overcome the difficulty, had gone in quest of a lodging. The proverb says: 'What women want, God wants.' Not only the women but the whole community wanted the Sisters. They were there, they must not let them go. Here is what these zealous Christians suggested.

"'There is a stable not far from here. The proprietor promises to quarter his horse in another place and to give you the stable, if it suits you. Will you accept it?'

"A stable was something that resembled so closely the manger of Bethlehem, that it was deemed most suitable for the Sisters of Saint Joseph. They accepted and slept on the straw. The next day, after consoling themselves with a fervent communion and pious prayers, they set to work. It was a question of transforming this place into a convent. The stable was large. One corner served as a dormitory, another as an oratory, a third as a kitchen and refectory, and a fourth as a parlor. The kitchen had no fireplace; two disjointed stones did instead of it. Glass was lacking in the windows; oiled paper replaced it. One charitable neighbor brought potatoes, another lent a kettle, some others gave covering to put over the straw. In short, everything was arranged and the Sisters found the food and the poverty of their Bethlehem delightful. Finally, the parish priest secured a site for the school and everything was satisfactory."

From Mother Saint John Fontbonne by a Sister of Saint Joseph Brentwood, New York