<<< chapter 16       chapter 18 >>>

 

CHAPTER XVII.

SORROW AND JOY.

      As the time of the elections was approaching, Archbishop Maréchal sent the following letter to the Mother Prioress:

BALT., 6 March, 1827.

Rev^d & Dr. Mother,

      I have always received your letters with pleasure, but none gave me more satisfaction than the last one. For whatever may be the infirmities by which it pleases Almighty God you be afflicted, to my eyes your letter affords me a sensible proof that your hand is steady and that your head enjoys all the lucidity and energy Divine Providence adorned it with, in your younger days. I will have not, Rev^d and D^r Mother, the consolation of visiting you and your saintly community on the 8th of next month. The sacred functions I am bound to perform here will not permit me to leave Baltimore during Holy Week. Besides, the present state of my health gives me very little hope that I could undertake this excursion, how agreeable soever it would prove to me. But your community will not suffer at all by my absence. I beg you to present my respectful compliments to your amiable and good Director, the Rev^d Enoch Fenwick, and to tell him that I request him to preside at the Election in my place and name, and I authorise you to invite another respectable Clergyman, if you think it necessary to assist M^r  E. Fenwick.

      I beg Almighty God to direct the Election to His honor and glory and to the spiritual and temporal prosperity of your excellent Society. I earnestly solicit your charitable prayers and those of all your good Sisters, assuring you that I remain with respect and a truly fatherly affection,

Rev^d and D^r Mother,

Your humb. serv^t.,

+AMB., A. B.

---

Sorrow and Joy. 167

      P. S.— I received yesterday several letters from Rome. One of them, dated 24 Xber last, announces that the Pope¹ is so well that he was to celebrate Midnight Mass in the Church of St. Mary Major. . . . His 2^nd   Mass, at the rising of the sun, in the Church of St. Anastasia; and the 3^rd  Solemn Pontifical Mass in St. Peter's. His present good health is truly a subject of religious admiration to all those who know his former, weak constitution. For my part I believe some Carmelites had a hand in this wonderful change. " Perhaps you or some of your Sisters."

      The Archbishop always took the greatest interest in the community. "This little nursery," be said, "is one of my greatest consolations in the diocese." He paid the Sisters several paternal visits.

      The elections took place on March 30th, and Mother Clare Joseph was again elected Prioress. This year Sister Martha of the Holy Cross, Lauler, entered the community.

      The Sisters were once more deprived of a spiritual director, when death snatched away Father Enoch Fenwick, on November 25th, 1827. Rev. Father Walsh succeeded him for a brief period, remaining six months at Mount Carmel. Towards the close of the same year, Father Dzierozinsky sent the following information to the Carmelites:

      I have the honor to acquaint you, that a certain person of singular virtue and piety deposited in my hands the sum of 400 Dollars as a donation for your Convent at Mt. Carmel under the following conditions:

      1^st . That on the 19^th of each month forever the Religious Community should receive the Bl. Sacrament in honor of the Sacred Names of Jesus, Mary & Joseph for the intention of the Donor.

      2^nd . That the Community should recite each day a Pater & Ave, for the same intention, & forever.

      3^rd. That the Name of the Person making this donation be not mentioned only to them to whom it may be necessary, which

__________

    ¹Leo XII. — He had succeeded Pius VII on the 28th of September, 1823. He died February 10th, 1829.

---

168 Carmel in America.

Respectfully yours,

      Archbishop Maréchal had written to Mother Clare Joseph in one of his letters: You too, my Rev^d & Dr. Mother, will be the object of my prayers, both during your life and after it shall have pleased our Lord to call you out of this world." But God had otherwise decreed, for he was called first. After having borne the pains of a long illness with Christian strength, he died January 29th, 1828. On the 8th of the same month, Leo XII, acceding to the request of Archbishop Maréchal, had appointed Rev. James Whitfield coadjutor of Baltimore. The brief arrived only after the death of Archbishop Maréchal, and consequently Dr. Whitfield became his successor. He was consecrated on Whitsunday, May 25th, 1828, by Bishop Flaget of Bardstown.¹

      The new Archbishop of Baltimore was an Englishman. He was born at Liverpool, November 3d, 1770, of a very respectable family, from whom he received all the advantages of a good education. At the age of seventeen, having lost his father, he spent some time on the Continent with his mother. In France he was detained captive in virtue of a decree of Napoleon. At Lyons he formed the acquaintance of Abbé Maréchal, afterwards Archbishop of Baltimore. Having decided to embrace the ecclesiastical state, he entered the seminary under the direction of his learned friend. He was ordained at Lyons in 1809, and on his mother's death returned to England. Yielding to the invitations of his old friend, Archbishop Maréchal, he came to the United States in 1817. He became one of the vicars-general of the diocese. During the whole of his administration, Archbishop Whitfield

_________

    ¹ De Courcy, Shea.

---

Sorrow and Joy. 169

took a lively interest in the three female religious communities in his diocese, namely, the Carmelites, Visitandines and Sisters of Charity, and showed his active solicitude, especially for the Carmelites, on account of the trials they had to undergo. His consecrator, Bishop Benedict Flaget was, says O'Kane- Murray, one of the great Bishops of our early Church. He was born in France in 1763. Having finished his course of philosophy in the University of Clermont, he entered the congregation of St. Sulpice, and was ordained priest. He came to America in 1792. He first labored in Indiana, and afterwards became professor of Georgetown College. In 1801 he began to reside at St. Mary's College, Baltimore. In 1810 be was consecrated Bishop of Bardstown, Kentucky. The saintly Flaget became acquainted with our Sisters on Mount Carmel, and paid them a visit that greatly edified him. Before returning to his diocese, after the consecration of Archbishop Whitfield, he wrote the following letter:

Dear & Rev^d Mother,

     

      Were I to leave Baltimore without giving you a sign of my most sincere & warm gratitude for the kind reception you gave me & my companion when we visited your monastery, I would look upon me as guilty of a sin against all the rules of civility & charity. I assure you, venerable mother, that though I would live thirty years more, it would be impossible for me to forget Mount Carmel & the pious daughters of St. Theresa that live upon it. Never, no never, I will loose the sight of what I beheld in that sacred dwelling. Henceforth I will never complain of privations & of cold or hot weather, of scanty & coarse food, when I will remember my dearly beloved Sisters of Mount Carmel. Oh! how glad I am to have confirmed by writing our union or communication of prayers,—it is certainly the best bargain I ever made in my life. I request your prayers in a special manner on the 28th of this month, that I will start from Baltimore with five young ladies that go to Kentucky, some to enter into our monasteries, others to visit their relations or friends. I will have besides two boys & my dear Abell, in all we will be nine. We will say Mass in Fredericktown on St. Peter's day, & on the 30^th of this month we will continue our march towards Kentucky — where we expect to be if no accident happens against the 10^th or 11^th of

---

170 Carmel in America.

July. I cordially bless you & all your fervent daughters. I love you all tenderly in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, & I assure you that you will, at all times, find in me the great admirer of your wonderful poverty & other virtues, & your most obedient & affectionate servant & friend,

      Blessings & friendship to Rev^d M^r Francis Neale, Rev^d M^r Walsh. I beg of you, when a favorable opportunity occurs, to present my blessings & compliments to M^r Basil Spaulding & family. Rev^d M^r Abell joins with me in every point.

The following letter is from the Bishop of Boston:

      I received, D^r Rev^d Mother, some time past, a letter from you, with some others: but at the time of their reaching me, and for some considerable time after, I was too much taken up with more immediately urgent business to answer them. Since then, time has flown rapidly by, & so much of it has elapsed since their receipt, that I begin to think that an answer would now be, as it were, out of date. And in fact in my present situation, it is not at all times, I can command leisure sufficient even to attend to pressing exigencies always in their proper time—so that my correspondents have much to bear from me. They must not however impute my silence to absolute neglect. The news you gave me of the death of Mr. Smith of Frederick¹ afflicted me much, not indeed on account of himself (for he was a good man, & was prepared for death), but on account of poor little Stanney, who must have been inconsolable for his loss—so much did he love her, & so much did she love him. Still, I felt persuaded, bitter as was the Pill administered to her on the part of God, she would know how to receive it, when, upon reflection, & after the first shock would be over, she viewed the kind & fatherly hand that presented it. The ways of God are ways of Mercy—He intends all for the best, & she, I am sure, would be the last person in the world to withhold him, even for a single minute, from the enjoyment of that heavenly kingdom for which he was so well prepared. Beg her to accept my poor little condolence, & assure her I shall not forget him at the holy Altar.

__________

    ¹Brother of Sister Stanislas

---

Sorrow and Joy. 171

      I was rejoiced to see that your hand, enfeebled as it is with age, & with a constitution broken with sickness, could still perform the mechanical part of letter writing & do it so well too as appears from your last letter to me. I hope you will still long be able to do it; & that Al. God will continue to extend the miracle He has been for many years past operating in the prolongation of your days. I am sorry to hear that the health of your Community has been but poor this time back & among the rest Sisters Euphrasia & Delphina have been very ill.—I hope they will both continue to mend until they get again perfectly reestablished.—From all I can hear, the past season in your State, has been very unfavorable to health. I am the more sorry for it, knowing that your house, so much out of repair, is but badly calculated to secure that blessing in even the most favourable seasons—but I hope God will temper the air to suit the shorn lamb.

      I shall soon set out upon a very long journey, which I hope however to pass over in a comparatively short time.—On my return nothing will give me more pleasure, than to hear that you are well—that your good Community enjoy all good health & that you are all happy—

      P. S. — I beg you to give my kindest respects to Father Neale, Zacchi, Coombs & Walsh—also to Mrs. & Mr. Spalding, & their good little Lizzy.

      A very singular thing took place in Geo.¹ Town the day before yesterday. I am assured it is true. A woman but lately taken into the Church took sick about a week ago, & after remaining so until last Thursday died. During her agony, whilst the departing prayer was recited, she took a Crucifix, embraced it, & gave every sign of regret for her sins, & of resignation to the will of God. Shortly after she expired. After she was laid out, her brother & mother with other relations who are still Protestants, came in with the intention of watching the corpse during the night. Suddenly there appeared IHS distinctly marked in white & red on her arm, which remained there a considerable time, long enough at least, for all to observe it, & then gradually disappeared. The Brother instantly went to a Magistrate, so greatly was he struck at what he saw, & made his affidavit of the whole. Much speculation exists here on the subject among Catholics, as well as

__________

    ¹This is probably Georgetown, Essex Co., Mass.

---

172 Carmel in America.

Protestants, but chiefly among the latter. At all events, it will have the effect of converting the whole of the family, which is probably what Al. God chiefly intended it for.

      After the death of Father Enoch Fenwick, the Sisters made application to the Superior of the Society of Jesus, for one of his subjects to be their director. But he replied that the members were so few and so necessary that they could not possibly be spared. After some months Rev. W. F. X. O'Brien was appointed to fill the vacancy. During the interval between the death of Father Fenwick and the arrival of Mr. O'Brien, Rev. Father Walsh rendered his services to the community.

      Rev. W. F. X. O'Brien was probably born on the spot where Georgetown, D.C. now stands. He was ordained April 11th, 1808. In the beginning of November, of the same year, he went to Pittsburg, and was the first resident priest in that city. In March, 1820, ill health obliged him to leave Pittsburg, and it is said that he retired to Mount St. Mary's College, Maryland. At the time of his appointment, however, we find him at Newtown, Maryland, whence he wrote to Archbishop Whitfield, as follows:

Most Rev. Sir,

     

      I have received a letter from the Rev. Mr. Dzierozinsky concerning my going to Mount Carmel, and another from the Rev. Mother of the Monastery, stating that she has your consent & requesting me to go there, but neither make any mention of faculties and jurisdiction, conferred on me for that purpose.

      My successor in my present mission is already arrived here, and if I have to go to the Monastery and take charge thereof, and of the Congregation attended lately by Rev. M^r . Walsh, I wish to be properly appointed and authorized by your grace; so much the more, as from the manner of my being properly appointed for the mission I am about to leave, I should have some doubt about exercising faculties in any other part of this Diocese, even without an express authorization from you. I should rather not have gone to the Monastery, for some time at least if ever, but if you think proper to authorize me, I will go and make a trial. Please

---

Sorrow and Joy. 173

to answer me by return of post and direct to me at St. Thomas' near Porttobacco, Charles County, Maryland, to the care of Rev. Mr. Francis Neale.

    

      P. S. The late arch-bishop granted me as long as I remained in my present mission, the power of blessing scapulars and putting them on. I request you will continue the grant, and also to grant me the power of indulgencing beads, of blessing crucifixes, and images, which he had not the faculty of granting, as his power was limited to a certain number of missionaries as he stated in his letter to me.

     

    Father O'Brien became chaplain and confessor of the Carmelites by appointment of Archbishop Whitfield, and entered upon his duties September 5th, 1828.

      The following letter gives us an insight into the simplicity of his character, and the poverty he endured; it reads as follows:

Most Rev. Sir,

     

      I have received your favor of the 23^rd inst. I return you my thanks for your great & prompt kindness, in granting or continuing to me the favors that I requested of you in my last letter to you. May Almighty God reward and prosper your grace. Your goodness encourages me to request of you another thing, which did not occur to my mind when I wrote to you last. I request that you will grant me permission to conform my mass to the office of the Nuns of this place, whenever I shall say Mass for them, usque ad revocationem;¹ I beg that you will not be displeased. I know you before granted me permission to conform my Mass to their office; but if my faculties were limited when you granted it, would not it also be limited? And I do not remember satisfactorily that I asked you for, or that you granted me that permission, usque ad revocationem. I may be troublesome sometimes even unnecessarily. But I would wish to be as straight

__________

    ¹ Until withdrawn.

---

174 Carmel in America.

as possible in regard to spiritual faculties & permissions. I spoke to your grace once about Masses. If you could not let me have any with larger retributions, you might perhaps procure me some 20 cts. retribution Masses. If you will be so good, I will be thankful to you. Some of the people that I attend are about to contribute to procure a horse, but they are slow. I do not know what kind of salary will be made. If the horse is procured, I must wait awhile and see what will be done in regard of the salary. I will be thankful if you will grant me power to bless crucifixes, crosses, images, pictures, beads, etc. I will be thankful for an answer by return of post.

      Another letter of his to the Archbishop we here insert:

      On last Tuesday, the day after I received your last letter, I went to see Mr. Middleton to request him to send the boy he is to let you have. He told me he would send him by the steamboat next Wednesday. The steamboat, by which Mr. Middleton intends to send him, is called Fredericksburgh, Captain Jenkins. It arrives at Baltimore on Thursday morning. You would do well to send some person about 8 or 9 o'clock next Thursday morning to see about the boy. From Mr. Middleton's observations he would wish to receive $350 from you for the boy, though I think he will take less. However he expects to be in Baltimore next fall, where, if you would wish to keep the boy, you may have an opportunity of bargaining with him  facie ad faciem.¹ He wishes you to have the boy, if he will suit you. Could you not grant me the power of blessing scapulars and of putting them on, without the condition of my receiving or wearing the scapular myself; I have received that power before without such a condition. The Rev. Mother is still in a low state of health. Please accept her respects.

__________

    ¹Face to face.

---

Sorrow and Joy. 175

      At this time there lived in the United States an illustrious, but unfortunate personage, namely, Madame Yturbide, ex-Empress of Mexico. Her husband, Augustin de Yturbide, after a troubled youth, spent in scenes of war, had been proclaimed emperor of Mexico on May 18th, 1822; but, by one of those sudden revolutions so common in the American off-shoots of the Spanish Monarchy, in less than a year he was obliged to descend from the throne, and depart into exile. The following year he imprudently returned to Mexico, but was captured and shot on July 19th, 1824. His wife, having retired to the United States, resided for many years in Philadelphia, and then went to France. A yearly pension of $8,000 was allowed by the Government of Mexico to the family of the deceased Emperor. During her sojourn in the United States, Madame Yturbide made the acquaintance of the Carmelite nuns. In company with her daughters and her chaplain, Rev. Mr. Lopez, she spent some time at Mount Carmel, in Charles County. They became deeply attached to the community, and particularly to the Prioress. Madame Yturbide made a donation of $400 to the community, out of devotion to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, requesting the nuns to receive Holy Communion once a month, and to recite daily a Pater Noster and Ave Maria for the intention of the donor. This obligation was to be binding only upon those who were then members of the community, and was to cease with their death. It continued until February, 1878, when the last survivor of the community of 1827 passed away. From the following letter it appears that Madame Yturbide had purchased a young slave from the Sisters. We give the contents of the letter in full without any corrections:

      J. + M.

          J.   

     Enclosed you will find here two notes of the U. S. Bank for $150, the concerted price for little David. If convenient I will

---

176 Carmel in America.

be obliged to you for a written credential of the sale. I suppose he is baptised, but I want it to be mentioned by yourself.

      Sabina forgot the direction of the gentleman in Alexandria, to whom the materials concerning flowers, are to be sent: be pleased to mention it also to me. Besides two said notes, three dollars more are here enclosed, which application is to be done to the Rev^d Mr. Brien, whom I compliment & beg his prayers. He sang Mass for dear Joana. Now, dear Mother, let me assure you, that we all miss the good company of the Sisters of Mt. Carmel. Sabina became sick as soon as she arrived to the Academy; she is at home now, & better too.

      Yesterday I saw Mrs. Carbery, she says she is continually remembering you. For myself I must tell you, that I am not so well, nor so happy as I did in your Convent. Rev^d Mr. Lopez says, he is preparing himself to say Mass tomorrow for you, as he does not forget his promise. I hope you will continue better, until you be recovered, because you are still necessary to the good people of Mt. Carmel. Give my love to every one of them, do not forget me in your prayers, & believe me, Dear Mother,

     

    ArchbishopWhitfield wrote in 1829 to the Mother Prioress the following letter:

      After an absence of some weeks, spent in visiting different Congregations, I have received your letter of the 5^th inst. I am glad to hear that you are somewhat recovered from your severe spell of   of health which may be enjoyed at your age. The permission which you ask for leave to some Clergyman to enter the enclosure and visit you when sick, I grant, knowing that you will use it with great prudence and discretion. Such visits, were they frequent, might be very prejudicial to your pious community, so be sparing & cautious in allowing them. Mr. Taney, the Lawyer, is gone to Anapolis to attend the Court. He said that your suit will certainly come on during this session, & that he would inform me of the result. He trusts it will be favorable to you. You will sing or recite a Te Deum for the election of Pius VIII and insert

---

Sorrow and Joy. 177

his name in the prayers of the Church that are offered for the Sovereign Pontiff.¹

Giving my blessing to you & all your Community,

      At this time the first Provincial Council of Baltimore was convoked by Archbishop Whitfield. The opening took place October 4th, 1829. Mother Clare Joseph, having invited the Bishops to visit the monastery, Archbishop Whitfield wrote as follows to Mount Carmel:

      You must excuse me for not answering sooner your kind letter; our long & laborious sittings in council take up almost all our time and have prevented me from writing several letters I have to write.

      I presented to the Bishops your kind invitation but such are their projected journeys for business that I fear none can come, unless the Bishop of Boston should go by himself. He, on account of the sickness prevailing in your County, is not at present inclined to go, but perhaps he may change his mind before he leaves the District where he expects to be towards the end of next week. Tomorrow our National Council will be solemnly closed in the Cathedral. After a Pontifical High Mass the decrees will be published in Latin. Such grandeur of ceremonies we have had since a fortnight has never been exhibited before in this country.

      Be assured I bear in mind & heart the interests of your holy community & that I shall endeavor to promote them as much as possible.

      Begging your prayers & those of your Spiritual daughters,

                                                  I am

__________

    ¹Cardinal Castiglione was elected March 31st, 1829, and took the name of Pius VIII. He died the following year, on November 30th.

---

178 Carmel in America.

      Whether any of the Bishops accepted the invitation of Mother Dickenson, we have not been able to discover. The following letter of Bishop Flaget informs us that he could not pay the desired visit. It also makes us acquainted with the fact, that the mother of Father O'Brien then resided at Bardstown.

      It was a great satisfaction for me, when coming to Baltimore, to think that before your death & mine, I would enjoy the inexpressible pleasure of seeing you once more, in your peaceable & sanctified retreat of Mount Carmel. Your desire indeed & that of your Community of enjoying the company of all the Bishops who attended the Council, was no less lively than mine, since by a kind letter to our Most Rev^d Arch Bisp., you invited him & all his Brethren to come & spend some time in your poor but delightful abode; however, I must renounce this pleasure, & content myself with writing you & your interesting daughters in true spirit, & sincere affection. This I do, Venerable Mother, from the bottom of my heart, at Rev^d Mr. M^c Evoy in Fredericktown, on my way to Kentucky, where I must be by the first week of November next. Our sessions in the Council have lasted one week more than we expected, & the season being far advanced, I hasten home for fear of being overtaken by Winter. Since I had the satisfaction of enjoying your company, I received a charming letter of Madame Thorlozan, who had the goodness to call me her Father in God, & who complained of not receiving letters from you as often as she & her daughters wished to receive. She gave me an excellent character of M^r Ellery, & blessed God that he was engaged in a Religious house. So far, this young man who is helping in building a Monastery, & a Church, has given me the utmost satisfaction. May he continue in these holy & profitable dispositions! Dear & Venerable Mother, permit me to recommend myself, & all my diocese to your constant sufferings, & fervent prayers. I hope your pious daughters whom I cherish, & bless will join you in such holy work. Assure them of the purest sentiments of esteem, affection, & gratitude with which I remain of you all, Venerable Mother, your most affectionate, & devoted servant, & friend,

    +BENEDICT JOSEPH, Bishop of Bardstown, Ky.

      Rev^d   M^r O'Brien is my son, & sincerely beloved by me. Be so good as to present him all my blessings & cordial affection. His mother was well when I left Bardstown.

---

Sorrow and Joy. 179

      The lawsuit, which had so long been pending, was finally settled in favor of the Carmelites. Information of this was conveyed to them in the following letter of Mr. Taney:

      I take sincere pleasure in telling you that the Court of Appeals has at length decided the suit in your favor. There can be no farther appeal from this decision— and you may consider your title as entirely safe—and the dispute as finally settled according to your wishes. I truly rejoice in this result which will put an end to your anxieties on this subject, and wishing you a happy Christmas with many returns of it,

      The following letter of the same gentleman is addressed to Rev. Father O'Brien:

      I received yesterday your kind letter with the fee of one hundred dollars enclosed—which I assure you I neither desired nor expected. I felt myself abundantly rewarded in the fortunate issue of this long and anxious controversy.—I pray you to return to the Rev^d Mother and the good Sisters my sincere acknowledgements for their kindness and liberality—and I beg to be remembered in their prayers and in yours.

R. B. TANEY.