Jewels from Jane, January 7, 1883

"When our Sisters from America went to Rome to have their rule approved, Madame the Comtesse [de la Rochejacquelin] had them come to Usse. The companion spent several days with us; from here they went to the motherhouse.

"It was for the first departure that the Comtesse de la Rochejacquelin, who was in exile and at Lyons undoubtedly at that moment, parted with all her jewels in behalf of the Sisters who were leaving for America. She could give nothing else for all her goods, her fortune, were seized. All these objects were turned over to Father Cholleton; one single chain was sold for 18,000 francs. One diamond could not be sold; the jeweler said he had not the price. It was placed in a crown of the Virgin in the cathedral of Lyons.

"I could not tell you the number of communities she encouraged, supported, or founded. It was she who was charged with requesting our Sisters for La Vendee, l'Anjou, Poitou, and Touraine. She encouraged benefactors to take care of the first expenses; she also loved to call us all her little Sisters. What did she not do for our sisters at Annecy, Chambery, Denmark, even England. These mothehouses kept her in touch with all their foundations and knew how to draw on her liberality.
"Madame, the Countess, was a saintly woman, a true Christian; I could even say a religious, for she was of the Third Order of St. Francis. For more than thirty years before her death she received Holy Communion nearly every day, read or had read a spiritual lecture, said her rosary, recited the Office of the Blessed Virgin. She worked for the poor. How much material we cut out, prepared, etc. I never knew anyone so charitable. She had no repairs made on her chateaux in order to have more for the poor, for good works, and she deprived herself of many things for the same end. God alone knows all the good she has done. Several months before her death she felt tired without, however, remaining in bed. On the first of January, 1883, she was seized with a weakness while going downstairs from her chapel; however, she regained her usual state of health. But in the night of January 6-7, toward midnight, she felt her end approaching. She recommended herself to God and died an instant later. The maid called the chaplain, who had just time to give her final absolution. She died the night of Saturday to Sunday; we kept the remains until Thursday. The photographer came Wednesday and was astonished she had not changed. The nobility came from all sides and viewed our dear Comtesse. They kissed her hand, they wept for their good friend. The entire parish assisted at the funeral. Madame, the Comtesse, died at her chateau d'Usse, January 7, 1883, aged 84 years."

Notes from a sister in France
Translated from the French

Jewels from Jane, January 4

"About 1834, Bishop Rosati, the first Bishop of Saint Louis, was in double perplexity. He had neither money nor priests. To obtain both, he wrote to Father Charles Cholleton, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Lyons, hoping, through his agency, to obtain help from the original work which a Lyonnaise, Mademoiselle Pauline Jaricot, of the parish of Saint Polycarp, had just founded in that city. The work of distant missions had appealed to this virtuous Christian and she interested the young working-girls in it. Every Saturday, Mademoiselle Jaricot asked them for an alms of one cent for the missions. It was from this humble beginning that the Society for the Propagation of the Faith developed--a work solemnly approved in 1813 by Pius VII. Bishop Rosati came to it as a petitioner through the mediation of the Vicar General. Father Cholleton answered the prelate: 'It is in quality of your vicar that I presented myself to the Society of the Propagation of the Faith and that I hope to obtain abundant help. I do not doubt that Archbishop de Pins will also send you priests.' He might have added that the Superior General of the Sisters of Saint Joseph would find Religious for the schools. Father Cholleton did not then know that someone was thinking of endowing America with communities of that congregation. This person was the Countess de la Rochejaquelein.

"Even at that time, the 'Annals' of the Propagation of the Faith gave an account to the associates of the use of the sums received, of the progress of the work and the requests made. The reading of the 'Annals' had revealed to the countess the great poverty of the mission of the Mississippi. Her heart was touched and at once she thought of the Sisters of Saint Joseph to convert and teach the Indians. She felt that Religious are indispensable wherever missionary labors are to be performed. There are so many works created around a mission which the Sisters alone can efficiently accomplish. After obtaining the promise from Mother Saint John [Fontbonne] that she would give the Sisters for America, if His Lordship desired them, Madame de la Rochejaquelein asked Father Odin to propose them in her name, saying that she would defray the expenses of the first foundation.

"The Bishop of Saint Louis saw at once the increase of burdens which would result from the opening of schools, and delayed his answer. [But after receiving a letter from the Countess he] accepted the offer and even asked that, to the six Sisters proposed, they send two more, specially trained to teach the deaf and dumb. In the meantime, Mother Saint John was preparing her daughters for the uncertain mission that might be confided to them. Instructions and counsels were given to these souls destined for this special apostolate. She reminded them that they would often be without spiritual help, when circumstances required it. The priest, obliged to traverse long distances in the vast forests to carry the consolations of religion to the sick and the dying, would not always be with them in the morning to give them the Eucharistic Bread. It might happen that sometimes he would not be present on Sunday to celebrate Mass. In these days of spiritual poverty they will have to remember that they carry their temple within them and that God has more than one way of giving Himself to souls. In these days, also, when all will seem to be lacking to nourish, enlighten and console them, they must remember that grace is never wanting, and that they have all the necessary means of sanctification in the actual state of things. Deprived of all exterior help, they can, by means of interior assistance, increase in themselves the life of God which will sanctify them and make their own lives fruitful.

"Bishop Rosati's answer settled all doubt and the Sisters of Saint Joseph accepted the invitation to the American missions. As Mother Saint John did not wish to impose this exile on anybody, she made an appeal to her daughters, recommending them to pray, to consult their director, to weigh the matter well and, after that, to follow Divine inspiration. Divine inspiration grouped a goodly number. When the Sisters came to offer themselves to the Superior General, the latter saw, foremost among them, her two nieces, Sister Febronia and Sister Marie Delphine Fontbonne, daughters of her only brother, Claude Fontbonne. This sight afflicted the heart of the venerable Superior, but she generously accepted the sacrifice.

"From this numerous group, seven were chosen. Six were to leave within a short time, Sisters Febronia and Delphine Fontbonne, Sister Febronia Chapellon, Sister Saint Protais Deboille, Sister Philomene Vilaine and Sister Marguerite Boute. The Christian name of the countess was added to that of the last. She was thenceforth called Sister Felicite. The seventh, Sister Celestine Pommerel and Julie Fournier, a postulant, began at once to study the language of the deaf-mutes and would depart for America when they were capable of teaching it.

"Archbishop de Pins asked for volunteers. From them, he chose a priest and two seminarians, as the needs of the diocese would not permit greater sacrifices. The priest chosen was Father James Fontbonne, Mother Saint John's nephew. The immolation was complete.

"At the motherhouse, everybody was edified at the sacrifice and the simple, sublime manner with which it was made. One of the Sisters inspired by the circumstances, dramatized the biblical scene of the father preparing to sacrifice his son. Abraham's sacrifice was represented in the novitiate a few days before the departure. The allusion was too striking not to bring tears; they flowed abundantly, but hearts were comforted by them.

"All was ready. Father Cholleton appointed Sister Febronia Fontbonne Superior of the little colony. Through delicacy and fear of acting from natural inclination, Mother Saint John did not wish to make the choice. She even felt sorrow in signing the new Superior's letter of obedience. Since the Vicar General had decided and regulated everything, the virtuous aunt gave the niece, whom she cherished, counsels full of wisdom and affection.

"The departure was fixed for January 4, 1836. On the eve of this day, the six chosen ones said goodby to the assembled community. There was a scene of touching humility in this last reunion. The six missionaries casting themselves at the feet of their Sisters begged them to bless them and to pardon them for the trouble they had caused them and for any bad example which they had given. With great overflowing of heart, Mother Saint John blessed the six valiant missionaries and the Sisters whom they were about to leave."

From Mother Saint John Fontbonne: A Biography adapted from the original French edition by a Sister of Saint Joseph of Brentwood, New York

Jewels from Jane, August 12

"Cahokia, as well as Carondelet, had its joys and consolations. In 1838, a stone chapel was built. The countess had supplied part of the money, a rich woman of the country gave the rest and Mother Saint John [Fontbonne] sent, God knows with what joy, stations of the cross, candlesticks, candelabra, ornaments, flowers and a bell made in Lyons. On August 12 of that year, Bishop Rosati blessed the bell and the chapel. The same day, Sister Saint Protais made her vows.

"The good Canadians were delighted because they loved their 'Abbey,' and the peal of the Catholic bell on the river bank and the edges of the forest had a great charm for them. The Sisters were saints who had come from France to teach their children, to help their poor and to assist their sick. They venerated and loved them as their mothers.

"From Switzerland the countess wrote: 'On what are you living? Is your health good? Answer me quickly because I wish to send you a package. Tell me the things you need. Give me details of your establishments, of the good they do and the resources you have.' She gave them information about the convents of Touraine, Vendee and other cities.

"Mother Saint John, from afar, sustained her dear, generous missionaries by most encouraging exhortations: 'All here recalls to me the memory of my well-loved children; and I still meet you in all the places where I saw you so many times. It seems to me, that it is a century since I have heard from you, and I do not know how you are. The affection I have for you does not permit me to remain waiting any longer; for the distance which separates us, far from lessening my affection, makes it only more intense and tender. If the ocean separates us, eternity will unite us. I cannot express to you perfectly the joy I experience in this thought. Eternity will unite us, gives me consolation. What joy on our first meeting in Heaven. We will then be united, never more to be separated. Write to me at the first chance. Give me details of all you do or suffer. Pour into the heart of a Mother, who loves you tenderly, your sorrow, your cares and your joys, if you have any. I will share all. Do not let me think that America makes you forget your old Mother, who embraces you all in Our Lord Jesus Christ. In whatever part of this world we may be, we are never exiled, never far from the eyes of our Heavenly Father. In Europe, as well as in America, He is everywhere witness of our works and struggles. When I think that you are separated from me in another world, I am consoled by the thought that we are all united in the bosom of God. My entire wish is that you be saints, and that your communities be regular and edifying. I implore God to pour down upon you His choicest blessings and to assist you always with His grace.'

"In the American communities, each word of these precious letters was received with religious respect; and the ocean only apparently separated the Mother from her daughters. Her daughers found the venerable Mother's heart in her letters and in all the little packages she sent them from France--money, pictures, crucifixes, rosaries and medals for the pupils, the novices and their relatives. Since her daughters had left Lyons, in spite of her great age, she multiplied her visits to Fourviere. She used to say: 'I must bring my children's needs to the Blessed Virgin.' The following words express the value the Sisters placed on her motherly interest: 'Her prayers have been a gentle, fruitful rain on our American mustard seed, as her example, virtue and advice have been for us a torch and a rule of perfection.'"

"...the Mississippi was a bad neighbor for the convent of Cahokia and for the inhabitants of the country. Without considering the harm it might do to the people of its vicinity, it suddenly overflowed its banks and flooded the country. Mother Febronia had warnings of this danger on several occasions and was forced to seek refuge with the Sisters in Carondelet. When the waters subsided, the Sisters returned to their plague-stricken neighborhood, which they found ravaged by fever, the aftermath of the flood.

"In 1839, Mother Febronia was so seriously ill that Mother Delphine asked to be relieved from her duties in Carondelet that she might take care of her. She spent almost a year in Cahokia and left it to go to Saint Louis, where His Lordship confided to her the direction of the schools.

"Floods again visited the ill-fated Cahokia, compelling the entire population to flee. The Sisters, entrapped in their convent, saw the waters reach the first floor and continue to rise. Death seemed inevitable when suddenly a boat, sailing over the fields, the palisades and the enclosures, approached the convent. A plank, thrown from the boat to the window, served as a footbridge. The Sisters were saved. Once again Carondelet was a refuge.

"As a result of this flood and of the fevers that followed in its train, Cahokia was completely depopulated and the mission was abandoned. Mother Febronia contracted an illness from which she suffered so intensely that she and her namesake, Sister Febronia, who was also in poor health, were ordered by the doctors to return to France."

From Mother Saint John Fontbonne: A Biography translation adapted from the original French edition by a Sister of Saint Joseph Brentwood, New York

Jewels from Jane,June 10

Letter from Countess Rochejaquelin to Bishop Rosati, June 10, 1835

“I think the excellent Father Odin and the Vicar General of Lyons have written to you several times on the subject of the desire I have to send Sisters of St. Joseph to America. Your silence on this subject proves either that the letters did not reach you or that you are not anxious for this establishment. If, indeed, you have any objections to it, I wonder what they may be.

“It is not a vague idea to do a good work in America which has made me propose them to you. Protected by Divine Providence, in a singular manner, in all the difficulties and misfortunes to which I have been exposed, I promised God, in so far as He would deign to bless this design, to send six Sisters of St. Joseph to America to convert the savages, to teach their children and those of Protestant families, and to convert also those to whom the missionaries, too busy or too few, are able to make but passing visits. The reading of the Annals of the Propagation of the Faith made me shed tears over these harvests for which there are no laborers.

“These incomparable Sisters, once they are established, could be sent two by two into little villages, and there prepare the way for Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation. A settlement near the Indian territories, built on a rather wide plain, could be, after a short time, of the greatest advantage.

“My Lord, perhaps you do not know the Sisters of St. Joseph. They…make perpetual vows. Their Rule obliges them to all the virtues of the cloister joined to those which exact and ardent charity for their fellow-beings. It was the first thought of St. Francis de Sales; one which he renounced, with sorrow, for his Visitation. Thus piety, interior recollection, self-denial, humility and prayer on the one hand, and on the other a devotion, without restriction, to all works of charity. They work in free schools, paid boarding houses, great hospitals, hospices for the elderly or abandoned children, jails, refuges for the poor, home care for the sick, the care of people with scabies and ringworm; in pharmacies, at manual labor, sewing and weaving.

“If you had seen, as I, their spirit of poverty and humility; it is evangelical. I have known them for thirteen years. I have established several convents and contributed to the establishment of others. The East of France is alive with the activity of these Sisters. I have sent them to the West. They are not numerous enough for the demands….

“My Lord, the spirit of the Congregation of Saint Joseph is something without precedent. It is this poverty and this lowliness which Our Lord taught, and which conquers the world. It seems to me that if I succeed in establishing the Sisters of St. Joseph in your America, near the savages, and near so many heretics in your diocese, I shall have done, during my life, something pleasing to God to win His mercy for my sins. I know what I have given is not enough, but I will give more, I will help; only say, My Lord, what you think is necessary for the beginning.

“I pray you to answer as soon as possible. I am anxious that the work be accomplished. Be persuaded that I am altogether unwilling to impose my views on you as to the place and the best means to be taken to accomplish this end. Do what you think best. I have but one desire; namely, that they not be far from the territory of the savages and that they work for the conversion of poor Indians and poor Protestants…for all unhappy sects….

“I am imposing on your time which is so valuable. Permit me to ask you to remember me to Madame Henrietta Kersaint, my cousin, a Religious of the Sacred Heart in Saint Louis. I ask her prayers and yours particularly, while begging you to accept my sentiments of respectful consideration and devotion in Our Lord.

“I have the honor of being your very humble and very obedient servant,

Felicite de Duras, Countess de la Rochejaquelin”