CHAPTER IV.
TRIALS OF THE BELGIAN COMMUNITIES. The English community at Antwerp had established monasteries at Bois-le-Duc, Alost, Cologne, Neuburg, Dusseldorf and Munsterfeld. From these communities others, such as that of Aix-la-Chapelle, derived their origin. The foundation of Bois-le-Duc having been abandoned about the year 1630, the nuns established themselves at Cologne and Alost. On their way to the latter city they were the guests of their sisters of the English convent at Antwerp for several months, and although they were twelve in number, it was noticed that the expenses of the house did not increase. Even the servant who baked the bread for the community wondered exceedingly that the increase of persons made no difference as to the quantity consumed.
In 1648 the community of Lierre was established while Mother Teresa of Jesus, Ward, was Prioress of the Antwerp monastery. It was followed a few years after by that of Hoogstraeten. This convent having been the one selected by Divine Providence to contribute three sisters to the establishment of the Carmelites in the United States, we shall speak of it more at length. It was founded on the 18th of August, 1678, under the title: “Domus B. Teresiae a Jesu,” by the Lady Gabriel de La Laing, Countess of Hooostraet and Rinenburg, widow of Charles Florentine Wild, Rheingrave, Count of Salm, etc., Lieutenant-General of the infantry of the United Provinces and Governor of Breda.
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This lady, by her continued importunities, obtained a promise of the superiors to send three nuns with sister Mary Catherine, a Dutch novice, to continue the foundation. The promise was complied with in the year 1677, during the administration of Mother Margaret of the Angels. The three religious sent to Hoogstraeten were Sisters Margaret of St. Joseph, Goodlad, Mary Electa, Howard, and Ann of St. Joseph, Chamberlane. After the death of Mother Margaret of the Angels, Wake, in 1678, her successor, Mother Francisca of the Passion, completed the work of the new foundation to the admiration of all.
Lady Rheingrave had intended the foundation of Hoogstraeten to be for the Dutch, but on her asking for more nuns, Mother Francisca resolved to request her to allow the foundation to be English. She did this on the first opportunity that presented itself, and, to the surprise of all, Lady Rheingrave yielded, so that this community was established for the English nation. The other nuns who were sent to this foundation were Mother Ann of Sancta Maria, Harcourt, Sister Mary of the Angels, of the same name, and sister of Mother Ann; Sister Aloysia of St. Bernard, Wright, Sister Ann of Jesus, Keynes, and Sister Mary of the Blessed Sacrament, Colten. These, added to the three that had preceded them the previous year, made eight religious, of which number six died in the new community, and two, Sister Margaret, Goodlad, and Sister Mary of the Blessed Sacrament, Colten, returned to Antwerp.
On October 15th, 1679, Mary Teresa Rheingrave, daughter of the foundress, took the habit, and in the following year made her profession. In 1696 she was elected Prioress and died in office, February 6th, 1715.
For many years the English nuns in Belgium continued to lead holy and peaceful lives, receiving many ladies from England and America, and were a source of edification to all who knew them.
In the year 1701, the wars forced the community of Hoogstraeten to go to Mechlin, where they took up their abode in
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the castle of the Count. They returned to Hoogstraeten towards the end of the year 1712. During the octave of Corpus Christi, in the year 1713, our Divine Saviour appeared in the Sacred Host, during the elevation of the Mass, and was seen by the religious as well as by several seculars, who were present in the church. The apparition was also witnessed by the celebrant of the Mass, Rev. Edward Aynsco. This good priest, who was confessor of the community, died in the odor of sanctity, May 14th, 1734.
Towards the close of the last century dark clouds began to gather above the political and religious horizon of Europe, and an era of persecution for the church was imminent. Maria Teresa of Austria had closed her eyes in death on the 29th of November, 1780, and had been succeeded by her son, Joseph II. Born March 13th, 1741, this unworthy son of a pious mother shared with her the imperial throne in 1765. Joseph II, says Rohrbacher (t. 14, p. 145, ed. 1872), was a revolutionist on the throne. He was such, both in politics and religion. He suffered from an incurable mania to innovate in matters of religion, and to make rules for the church. It lies within our scope to mention especially his suppression of the monastic Orders, a blow which fell heavily upon Belgium, a country that, at this period, formed part of the Empire. It was the year 1782; the cruel and infamous edict had gone forth from the imperial throne, and the peaceful servants of Jesus Christ were to be driven out of their convent homes. The Mother Prioress of the Convent of Lierre, Houseman, had recourse to the saintly Madame Louise of France, then a Carmelite at St. Denis, requesting that she would graciously obtain of the king permission for the sisters of her community to remove to France, in case of their expulsion from their convent.
Madame Louise de France felt the liveliest sympathy for the persecuted religious, and wrote as follows to Mr. de Villegas, a gentleman at Brussels who greatly interested himself in the welfare of the religious: " I do not cease to pray for him whom God uses as an instrument to chastise us, that He
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may pardon him some day. I hope that thus he will see that we contemplatives are not as useless as they have tried to persuade him. I often repeat for him and all those who surround him the prayer of St. Stephen: 'My God, forgive them, for they know not what they do.'" She endeavored by every means to facilitate the entrance of the religious into France. She asked and obtained from Louis XVI an act permitting the religious of the Low Countries to be transferred to his kingdom. This permission was granted through M. de Vergennes, minister and secretary of state, who wrote as follows to Madame Louise:
"His Majesty leaves it to Madame to arrange as to the number she will admit, and the distribution thereof. I have already informed M. de Villegas d'Estainbourg that he has only to receive orders from Madame. I will congratulate myself on having been able to second her pious intentions."
After this the correspondence between Madame Louise and M. de Villegas became very frequent. She excited his zeal, already so active, for the spiritual interests of the religious, and opened to them all the convents of France, especially those of Carmel. Many religious hesitated to go, alleging lack of resource and dower, but the princess replied to all, protesting her disinterestedness and that of the monasteries. She said to M. de Villegas: "I assure you that we desire nothing, except that God be not offended, and that the souls of our poor sisters be saved, for I see that those who remain will be in great danger, unless there be a real impossibility."
When the edict of the Emperor was executed, Madame Louise received the exiled sisters into France, with the greatest hospitality. The community of Brussels was joined with that of St. Denis. Two months after their arrival, she invited M. de Villegas to spend his vacation at St. Denis, so that he might see the happiness of the religious over whom he had watched with such paternal care. He accepted the invitation. His gratitude to Madame Louise was beyond expression, and the esteem he felt for her virtues increased upon seeing her.
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When the Mother Prioress of St. Denis offered him the portrait of this admirable Princess, he believed himself compensated for all his trouble, and preserved it with pious veneration.
M. de Villegas made arrangements to transport the three communities of English Carmelites to St. Denis, in France, in 1784. On this occasion he wrote them the following letter, which we here reproduce in its original English:
Most Reverend Mother,—
I have wrote to the august mother that through our faith, I intend to transport the English Mount Carmel to Mount Liban, along with my two convents of Visitandines; that she would be so good as to take us as pilgrims in France, that meanwhile we want a refuge, and being lodged last year, just at this time, at the Carmelites at St. Dennis, I saw one against my window, and of ye gate of ye Carmelites an ensign le puit d'amour, which seemed to me a very good ground, at least sufficient for pilgrims; therefore I ask the august mother, she would do the acquisition of it for us, and let me know the price as to ye econome of my three English Convents; which done we shall order the further necessary preparations, on what purpose I shall know the number of the Carmelites of Antwerp, Lierre and Hoogstraet. For my two other Convents of Visitandines I make other dispositions, and I tell her that not finding way to become an Ecclesiastical Jesuit, I am a secular one, which to prove I'll shew her my five wounds. I prevent the princess that to all opposition she should answer that in the well of love she sees no bottom because it is grounded on ye unfathomable love of God wh I invite you to reclaim with me with all yr hearts.
Though there is no human appearance of yr present destruction which we cant pretend to know, methinks there is one in the prospect, therefore I advise you to act as pilgrims going to the well of love at St. Dennis our temporal refuge. I believe there will be no obstacle to receive us, because we don't ask a perpetual establishment. As soon as I will get an answer I'll communicate it to you, and remain with the deepest veneration in the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Most Revd Mother yr most humble and obedient servant,
DE VILLEGAS D'ESTAINBOURG.
Brussels, ye 31 July, 1784.
40 Carmel in AmericaCardinal Franckenberg,1 Archbishop of Malines, who opposed so strenuously the anti-religious efforts of Joseph II in Belgium, wrote to the persecuted nuns a consoling letter, of which we here give a translation.
MECHLIN, April 22, 1783.However afflicting the blow may be that falls upon you, my dear Daughters in God, do not allow yourselves to be overcome in this painful moment when it pleases God to expose your resignation and your virtue to a severe trial.
Plunged myself in profound sorrow, by sharing your grief I can perfectly feel how much it must cost you, to be torn from a state which hitherto has been your happiness, and in which God has abundantly poured forth upon you His heavenly consolations, His graces and His blessings.
But it is in this great God Himself and in the accomplishment of His holy Will, without which nothing happens in this world, that you must seek, and that you will infallibly find, the means to alleviate your well grounded sorrows.
Remember, that no one can ever separate you from the Divine Spouse, whom you have chosen at the foot of the Altar. He will dwell in the midst of your hearts, wherever you may be. He will be Himself the faithful witness of the sincerity of the regrets with which you are penetrated, at your inability to fulfil any longer, to their whole extent, the solemn engagements you contracted with Him before the Church. He knows the greatness and the value of your sacrifice, which will be the more meritorious in His eyes, on account of the tears and sighs it shall have cost you; He will be contented with those remnants of observance and of the practice of your Rule which circumstances will permit; and He will know how to indemnify you by His special graces for the incomparable advantages of a community-life, of the merits of obedience and of all the beautiful examples of virtue of which you are deprived in spite of yourselves.
Throw yourselves then with the liveliest confidence into the arms of your God; place your fate entirely in His hands; remember especially that all things pass away, that time is short, that eternity is approaching, and that a heavenly country awaits you, where such vicissitudes are unknown, but where everything will be firm, permanent and eternal. Never lose sight of this happy object of your hopes, and be sure that the most certain
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1John Henry Cardinal Franckenberg was born in Silesia, September 13, 1726. He died in 1804.
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road to arrive at it, is that of afflictions, of tears, of adversities and of sufferings; because Jesus Christ, our divine Master and Model, chose it Himself, in preference to every other, to enter into His glory.
This is all, that the affliction, I suffer on account of your situation, allows me to say at present, my dear Daughters in God, offering to you at the same time my feeble prayers, my counsels and all the assistance that is in my power.
I also implore the aid of your prayers, and remain,
My dear daughters in God,
However the storm blew over, the English nuns were exempted from the edict, and they were allowed to enjoy their pious seclusion a few years longer.The following religious filled the office of prioress at the Convent of Hoogstraeten :
1. Ann Harcourt, who held office for three weeks, and died on September 11th, 1678.
2. Aloysia Wright remained in office for three years. She died in 1694, at the age of fifty-seven.
3. Theresa Wakeman was prioress for six years and returned to Antwerp.
4. Mary Howard was elected in 1687, and remained three years in office.
5. Margaret Burlan was in office six years, and after an interval of another six years was re-elected, and died in office in 1713.
6. Mary Theresa Rheingrave, daughter of the foundress, was elected in 1696 and governed the house for six years. After the death of Margaret Burlan she again became prioress, and died in office in 1715, on February 6th.
7. Theresa Stepney succeeded in 1715 and filled the place of superioress three years.
8. Seraphina Busby succeeded in 1722, and remained in office for three years.
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9. Agnes Frances Burton, formerly prioress of the Convent of Lierre, was elected in 1725.
10. Mary Burnett, the next prioress, died within a year.
11. Mary York died in office September 21st, 1742.
12. Isabella Burnett died in office in 1756.
13. Mary Ann Hunter was elected July 28th, 1756, and remained in office until her death on April 25th, 1765.
14. Mary Parkinson was elected May 23rd, 1765, and died in office in 1774.
15. Bernardina Teresa Matthews was elected April 13th, 1774.1
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1Oliver's Collections: History of the Catholic Religion in Six Western Counties.