CHAPTER XIII.
THE STREAM OF EVENTS FLOWS ON.
Reverend Robert Molyneux, the first superior of the Jesuit Order, after its restoration in the United States, died at Georgetown, D. C., December 9th, 1808. Father Charles Neale was appointed to succeed him. We owe to the investigations of our celebrated historian, John Gilmary Shea, the knowledge of the fact that Father Brzowski, the general of the Jesuits, who resided in Russia, wrote a very strong letter to Father Neale, directing him to relinquish the direction of the nuns. The matter, however, appears to have been satisfactorily settled, for Father Neale continued in his position at Mount Carmel. Three years after, when another Father of the Society succeeded him as superior, he obtained permission to continue in the direction of the monastery he had founded, and there remained until his death. The brother of Father Charles Neale, Leonard, had become coadjutor of the Archbishop of Baltimore, in the year 1800. He resided at Georgetown,1 where he had founded the first convent of the Visitation Order in this country. A letter of his, of the year 1807, to the superior of the Carmelites, reads as follows :
Geo T., May 6th, 1807.
Revd & Dr Madam,
Your kind favour of the 4th inst. was received this morning. It gives me singular pleasure to hear of the increase of your
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1De Courcy, Shea
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Comty & to see the chosen of God fleeing from Judea or the wicked world unto the mountain of solid virtue or perfection. May all who receive the precious influence of Divine grace fully co-operate with the call of Heaven inviting them to a strict union with Jesus. You, therefore, have my full consent to receive Miss Nancy Mudd on trial & at the same time I appoint the Revd Fr. C. Neale to examen the postulant before her admittance. Accept for yourself & worthy Community my best wishes & such a blessing as Heaven will permit me to impart. My affectionate compliments to my Br, Charles, & believe me with all esteem
Yr most obdt H. Svt in Xt Jesus,
L EOND NEALE, Bishp of Gortyna.
P. S.—The Sisters of the Academy present their compliments to yr Rvce & Community begging a continuation of your prayers in their favour.
Miss Nancy Mudd, mentioned in the preceding letter, was Sister Euphrasia of the Infant Jesus, who, as we have seen, entered the Order in 1807. Bishop Carroll was then probably absent in some other part of his immense diocese, so that the Carmelites had made application to his coadjutor.
On April 8th, 1808, Pius VII erected Baltimore into an Archiepiscopal See, and Bishops Cheverus, Flaget, Egan and Concanen were given to Archbishop Carroll as his stiffragans. Mother Clare Joseph had, to the great joy of her spiritual children, discharged the office of prioress until the year 1809, when, to comply with the spirit of her rule, she wrote a pressing letter to the Archbishop, requesting, him to preside at the election. Bishop Neale went to the convent on April 14th, 1809, and Mother Clare Joseph was duly elected prioress.
Four years later, Sister Bernardina of St. Joseph was admitted to her profession. Her name was Ann Catherine Ford. She was a native of St. Mary's County, and daughter of John Gerard Ford, by his wife Ann Ford, daughter of Athanasius Ford. She made her vows on the 9th of November, 1812, in the 24th year of her age.
A little more than a month after the profession of Sister Bernardina, two more Carmelites made their vows: they were
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Sister Eleonora of St. Francis Xavier, and Sister Pulcheria of the Assumption. The ceremony took place on the 21st of December. Sister Eleonora, in the world Miss Mary Carberry, was born in North Carolina, of Mr. Thomas Carberry and his wife Catherine Simons, daughter of Henry Simons. She was a cousin of the first novice received into the Community. From her early years she had desired to become a Carmelite, but ill health prevented her, and she was unable to accomplish her pious desires, until she had attained the fortieth year of her age.
Sister Pulcheria of the Assumption, Mary Llewellin, was born in St. Mary's County, and made her profession in the 23d year of her age. She was the daughter of Charles Llewellin and Elizabeth Hammersley, daughter of William Hammersley. Miss Llewellin was very beautiful, and heiress to a large fortune. When she first made known her intention of becoming a nun, she met with great opposition from her family, who were deeply attached to her. By the grace of God she persevered in her good resolutions, and overcame all the obstacles to her vocation.
Her entrance into the Order was very similar to that of a cousin of St. Teresa, also called Mary. This early flower of the reformed branch of Carmel's tree, was, like Mary Llewellin, young, beautiful and an heiress. She presented herself at the door of the monastery of St. Joseph's, at Avila, escorted by a number of gay cavaliers. Miss Llewellin too, like her namesake of the early days of the Reform, arrived at Mount Carmel, accompanied by a number of chivalrous young Marylanders, to whom, as she entered the house of God, never more to leave it, she bade a joyful farewell. They were doubtless as much impressed with the heroism of her sacrifice, as had been the young Spanish noblemen, with that of Mary of Avila. God's grace is powerful indeed. Sister Pulcheria gave herself generously to God, and became a most humble, docile and mortified religious.
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Shortly after the entrance of Sister Pulcheria into the monastery, Sister Ambrosia of the Visitation, Harrison, a religious remarkable for her exactitude in the fulfilment of her duty, and her great love of the choir, was called to her eternal reward. She died of dropsy, having been nearly twelve years professed. She received all the rites of the Holy Church. Mother Clare Joseph wrote on the occasion to the deceased sister's father as follows :
April ye 6th, 1813.
Sir:
Agreeable to promise I hasten to announce the happy departure out of this miserable exile, of your dutiful daughter, and our Blessed Sister in Christ, Dear Sr Ambrosia of the Visitation, which took place on the 3d instant, at about half past ten. Having been twice fortified with the Rites of the holy Church, it may with truth be said that she died like a Saint. Death had no terrors for her. She retained her speech and senses to the last, and gave up her soul with a smile. We have every reason to hope that she has made a very happy exchange, having borne her long and painful sickness with unwearied patience, uncommon silence and cheerfulness, but as the judgements of God are inscrutable, and knowing that He judges justice itself, we must not fail to render her the charitable assistance of our prayers, that she may speedily come to the full enjoyment of her heavenly Spouse.
The Revd Father C. Neale, myself and Community have, as you may be assured, performed every kind office in our power towards our Friend and Sister, which I here mention, for your personal comfort and that of your worthy Lady and family, to whom we all beg to be kindly remembered, in particular your niece, Sr Margaret, who is well.
Accept my best wishes of health and happiness, and believe me sincerely, Sir,
Yr. H. & Obt Serv.CLARE JOSEPH OF THE S. H.The month of July witnessed another religious profession. Miss Elizabeth Smith had finished her probation, and made her vows on the 20th of said month, in her 23d year. She had taken in religion the name of Sister Delphina of the
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Mother of God. She was born in Frederick County, Maryland, and her parents were Mr. John Smith and Elizabeth Fenwick, daughter of Ignatius Fenwick.
A few months later death again claimed a victim. Sister Stanislas of the Mother of God, Aprice, a religious distinguished by her great charity, and her amiable and cheerful disposition, died on November 8th, of consumption. She was in the forty-first year of her age, and the fifteenth of her religious profession.
Another death occurred on December 24th, when Barbara Fenwick, an out-Sister, remarkable for her humility, was called away. Three times in the course of one year the summons of death had been heard. In a short time the knell was again to sound for one who always had been a benefactor to the young community. Archbishop Carroll was approaching the term of his earthly career. On November 13th, 1813, he wrote a last letter to his dear children of Mount Carmel. We here reproduce it:
B ALTe, Nov. 13, 1813.
Hond Madam,
About ten days ago I transmitted to Georgetown the contents of a letter received from the Rd Mr Chs Plowden, which amongst other things contained an account of the death of the Rev. Mr. Leonard Brooke, Br to your friend and near neighbour Mr. Baker Brooke. The intelligence has, no doubt, been communicated to him from George Town. But to-day I have received another letter of later date from your most respected friend the Rev. Mr. Robt Plowden, partly on the same subject and partly on another, which compels me to disturb your solitude and send you the information his letter contains. 1st he says that he writes "at the particular desire of Mrs. Weld, relict of the late owner of Lullworth Castle to give intelligence to the Br and family of the death of Mr. L. B. on the 7th of July, after suffering for a considerable time great weakness and almost utter incapacity from repeated strokes of a palsy which at length carried him off." The next intelligence concerning you and your dear Sisters in Christ is as follows: "The Superior of the Canford Ladies, a Mrs. Jessop who was admitted amongst them long after I quitted the direction of that Convent wrote to me the other day to convey
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the intelligence of the death of their late Superior Mother M. Oswaldina Errington to their Sisters in your country, that they may acquit themselves of the usual suffrages agreed on between them. She died on the 9th of May last. I cannot wait for Mrs. Jessops letter, being even uncertain whether my own will be time enough to catch the cartel that is sailing from Liverpool; so beg your Ldsp. will send them the intelligence."
I now acquit myself of the commission imposed on me and the occasion will be to you a subject of some concern, yet I embrace with pleasure the opportunity of assuring you and your holy community of my paternal affection and sincere esteem; and of recommending myself to your and their fervent and charitable prayers. My respects likewise to the Rd d Messrs Neale and Brooke.I am with sentiments of confidence and esteemHond MadamYour humble Servt & Fr in Christ+ J. Abp. of Baltre.On January 18th, 1814, Sister Teresa of the Heart of Mary, Carberry, the first novice professed in the United States, was called away from this earthly habitation. She was 69 years of age, and had been twenty-two years in religion. She was conspicuous for her devotion towards the Blessed Sacrament, the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph and her Angel Guardian. On the 15th she received the last Sacraments, and fell asleep in God, on Tuesday, the 18th, between ten and eleven o'clock at night.
As we have already seen, a convent of the nuns of the Visitation had been established by Bishop Leonard Neale at Georgetown, D. C. Miss Alice Lalor and her companions, under the direction of Bishop Neale, laid the foundations in the United States of the Order of St. Francis de Sales, which was destined to become one of the most important of female religious orders in the country. The following letter of Bishop Neale will serve as a proof of the edifying harmony that existed between the sister communities of Carmelites and Visitandines:
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Dr Revd Mother;
Mother Teresa of the Heart of Mary1 and the Sisters under her charge return their most grateful thanks to you & your worthy Community for the special attention you have been pleased to testify towards them. They rejoice much that the sentiments & disposition of their hearts towards you are so justly reciprocal & mutual between you. They return you many thanks for the treat you were so gracious as to send them they will not fail to enjoy themselves on the occasion & commemorate your kindness. They are happy to be assured of your supplications to Heaven in their favour & will not fail to offer up daily prayers to the Father of Mercies to draw down every blessing on you & your pious community. They have been waiting for some considerable time for an opportunity to send you as a present the Picture of a Carmelite Community, which formerly you expressed a desire of. 2 It will go with my Br. Charles & I hope will arrive safe. We are all in good health. Present my sincere wishes & blessing to all & believe me
RespectfullyYr most obdt H. SvtL EOND NEALE, Bshp of Gortyna
The year 1815, an important one in the history of Europe, and of the Church in America, had now arrived; it was to witness the passing away of the Founder of the American hierarchy. The venerable patriarch had passed the age of four score, he had seen the infant church in the young republic grow up around him, and could truly now repeat the Nunc dimittis of the aged Simeon. When the supreme moment arrived, he requested to be laid on the ground, desired those around him to recite the Miserere, and, bestowing his benediction, he rendered his soul to God on Sunday, December 3d, 1815. The Carmelite Sisters lost in Archbishop Carroll a true friend and father.
Archbishop Neale, nearly seventy years of age, now succeeded to the Metropolitan See of Baltimore. He was born
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1 Miss Alice Lalor, foundress of the Visitation nuns in America.
2This picture was received.
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October 16th, 1746, and was a brother of Father Charles Neale. He entered the Society of Jesus in Europe. After the suppression of the Society, he departed for Demerara in British Guiana, where be labored from 1779 to 1783. He then returned to the United States and worked zealously at Philadelphia, until Archbishop Carroll appointed him president of Georgetown College in 1799. The following year he was named Bishop of Gortyna, I. P. I., and coadjutor to the Archbishop of Baltimore. Having by the death of Archbishop Carroll, become Archbishop of Baltimore, he still continued to reside at Georgetown, appearing, however, on solemn occasions, and when his health permitted at Baltimore, and devoting himself with constant care to the administration of his vast diocese. On June 15th, 1817, be followed Archbishop Carroll to the grave.