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Volume six of The Chaminade Legacy continues the development in the foundational period of Marianist life; it covers the period from 1821 to 1830, which saw development of ideas on religious formation of both men and women religious. In addition to notes from four retreats (1821 to 1824) and the retreats of 1827 at Saint Remy and of 1829 at Saint Laurent, documents include the Manual of Direction for Religious Life, several writings on the Method of Mental Prayer and the Common Method, and the formal Ceremonial of the Daughters of Mary and conferences for them at Agen. Volume seven will include their Constitutions.
Other sections cover developments in the legal recognition of the Society of Mary, along with the Statutes and Constitutions of the Society of Mary in 1829, as well as the Particular Regulations.
Father Chaminade negotiated the purchase of Father Conne’s extensive library and oversaw the expansion of works of the Society of Mary into Alsace and the northeast of France, at Saint-Hippolyte and Saint Remy; he traveled to these foundations more than once and helped to develop the methods of teaching for use in the Society of Mary.
Excerpt from Document 5, “Instruction on the Apostles’ Creed” (1823)
Third Instruction.
On these first words of the Creed, “I believe in God.”
Different Meanings of These Words
It is with the Apostles’ Creed as with holy Scripture—a single word of these divine works can often provide an inexhaustible source of instruction.
In the words of the Creed, I believe in God, there are three different meanings which the holy Fathers have themselves pointed out when explaining it, and in particular Saint Augustine. When I say, “I believe in God,” I mean to say [25] that (1) I believe firmly that there is a God; (2) I believe firmly whatever it has pleased God to teach me; (3) I hope in God, and God is the object of my trust and of my love. “To believe in {a} God,” Saint Augustine says, “I believe in {the word of} God, I believe in {toward} God. To believe in God means to believe that there is a sovereign and independent master who governs the universe; to believe in the word of God means to believe that whatever God has said is true; to believe toward God means to love God.” All these dispositions are expressed and enclosed in this first word of the Creed. By this first word we acknowledge God under three different qualities: (1) as sovereign Being, (2) as sovereign Truth, and (3) as sovereign Good.
First Part
Explanation of these three different senses of these very divine words, Credo in Deum, “I believe in God,” the first truth we profess to believe when reciting the Creed and the foundation of all the other truths of religion and of salvation. A truth which both religion and nature teach us equally. The truth most known of all the truths; but a truth, if I dare [26] to say it, and I say it in a very true sense—the most unknown truth.
1. A most known truth. What is better known, in fact, than that there is a God? Faithful and infidels, Greeks and Barbarians, there is no nation so vicious that does not recognize that there is a God or has not received from nature itself this impression of the divinity. Whoever would desire to deny a supreme Being—let them look at the stars, nature, the animals—all preach to them that there is a supreme Being who has made all this, and which human hands cannot make. (Speaking of someone who would deny the existence of a supreme being), Job says he should “ask the most stupid animals and they will instruct him; let him ask the birds of the sky, and they will show him their creator; let him ask the earth, and the earth will respond” (Job 12:7).
2. At the same time, a most unknown truth. Not only are there many infidels who do not know the true God, but there are also a great number of negligent Christians who recite the Creed without thinking at all of what is contained in it. Is it knowing God to pray to him every day without thinking about what we are saying? No, of course not; this is [27] not praying to God. . . . If in speaking of God we would recall even a small part of what God is, what a source of light we would find in this simple expression, “I believe in God”! What consolation! What strength! What a source of joy, and of fully holy joy! These are the sentiments with which we should be penetrated in pronouncing this first word of the Creed, “I believe in God.” Let us join to it the homage we owe to God as sovereign truth.
Contents
Translator’s Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
A Word to the Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
Toward Legal Recognition
Of the Society of Mary
1821 to 1825
A. Continuation of the Formation
Of the Men Religious
1. “The Common Method,” or On Mental Prayer (1821) . . . . . . 3
2. Summary of the Method of Mental Prayer
in the Form of a Catechism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3. Primer on Mental Prayer given by Father Chaminade
to the Novices of Saint-Laurent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4. Silence of the Passions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
5. Instructions on the Apostles’ Creed (1823) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
6. Perpetual Vows of Bro. Jean Armenaud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
7. Formula of Reception of the Promises
of the Novitiate (1823) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
B. Continuation of the Formation
Of the Women Religious
8. William Joseph Chaminade, Priest, Missionary
Apostolic, Superior of the Sodalities and the
Institute of Mary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
9. Ordinance for a Register of Movable Items (1821) . . . . . . . 74
10. Summary of Counsels and Instructions of
Father Chaminade to the Mothers of Agen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
11. Excerpts from the Conferences of Father Chaminade
for the Mothers of Agen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
12. Advice of Father Chaminade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
13. Conferences of Father Chaminade on Faith and
Mental Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
14. Former Ceremonial of the Daughters of Mary (1821) . . . . . 97
15. Advice of Father Chaminade for the Direction of
the Novitiate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
16. Direction Concerning Fast and Abstinence (1825) . . . . . . . 112
C. Annual Retreats (1821 to 1824)
17. List of Participants, Retreat of 1821 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
18. “Growth in the Religious Life” (1821) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
19. Meditations of the Retreat of 1821 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
20. On Mental Prayer. Conferences of
Father Chaminade (1821) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
21. List of Participants, Retreat of 1822
(The “Red Book”) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
22. Instructions of the Retreat of 1822 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
23. Notebook on the Pentecost Retreat (1823).
Bro. Antoine Marres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
24. List of Participants, Retreat of October 1823 . . . . . . . . . . . 266
25. Notes of the Retreat of October 1823.
Bro. Bernard Laugeay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
26. Notes of Fr. Jean Lalanne (Retreat of 1824) . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
27. Notes of Bro. Bernard Laugeay (1824) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
D. Personal Business Matters
Of Father Chaminade
28. Contract of Purchase of the Conne Library (1821) . . . . . . . 326
29. Observations (1823) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
30. Indebtedness of August 19, 1823 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
31. Declaration of July 18, 1825 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
32. Father Chaminade’s First Will and Testament . . . . . . . . . . 334
33. Purchase of Rue Croix de Segay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
34. Agreement for Renovations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
35. Plans for Work To Be Carried Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
36. Bill to M. Heinrich Vent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
37. Indebtedness to M. Bousquet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
38. Indebtedness to M. Bienvenu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
39. Indebtedness to Madame Dubroca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Beginnings of the Teaching Ministry
A. The Primary School of Agen
40. Obedience for Bro. Bernard Gaussens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
41. Method of Teaching for Use in Primary Schools of
the Society of Mary, or “The Former Method” . . . . . . . . . . 350
42. The Religious and Spiritual Spirit (1824) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
B. Beginnings at Saint-Remy
43. Ordinance Establishing the House of Saint-Remy,
Haute-Saône, July 16, 1823 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
44. First Prospectus of the Religious Establishment of
Saint-Remy, Department of Haute-Saône (June 18, 1824) . . 415
C. Entrance of the Society of Mary into Alsace
45. Ordinance to Bro. Louis Rothéa (1821) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
46. Notes Regarding the Primary School To Be
Established at Colmar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
Legal Recognition of the Society of Mary
47. Statutes of the Society of the Children of Mary
(First Draft) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426
48. Obedience for Fr. Georges Caillet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
49. Petition to King Charles X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
50. Letter to Bishop Frayssinous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
51. Letter to the Duke de Montmorency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
52. Statutes of the Society of Mary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443
53. Definitive Statutes of the Society of Mary (1825) . . . . . . . 446
54. Father Chaminade’s Address to the Council (1826) . . . . . . 452
55. The Holy Name of Mary, Patronal Feast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455
First Trips to the Northeast of France
A. Agreements with Fr. Ignace Mertian
56. Delegation by Father Chaminade to
Bro. Louis Rothéa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
57. Instructions for Fr. Georges Caillet Concerning
Saint-Hippolyte, March 28, 1826 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461
58. Further Possibilities Regarding Saint-Hippolyte . . . . . . . . 463
59. Delegation to Fr. Georges Caillet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466
B. First Visit to the Northeast
60. Report on the Conclusion of the Matter of
Saint-Hippolyte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468
61. List of the Brothers of Christian Doctrine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470
62. Nine Conferences at Saint-Remy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473
C. Return to Bordeaux
63. Retreat of 1826, Bordeaux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490
64. Two Conferences Given in Bordeaux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494
65. Conference Given by Father Chaminade at
Saint-Laurent (1827) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495
66. Advice of Father Chaminade to the
Council of Condom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
D. Second Trip to the Northeast
67. Retreat of 1827, Saint-Remy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
68. Father Chaminade’s Visit to the Community of
Arbois (Jura), 1827 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535
1828 Draft of the Constitutions
A. Spiritual Preparation
69. Father Chaminade and the Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542
70. Circular to the Institute, February 20, 1828 . . . . . . . . . . . . 543
B. Father Chaminade’s Notes
Anticipating the Constitutions
71. Plan of the Society of Mary, Considered in
Its Organization and Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 546
72. Directives on the Third Part of the Constitutions.
On Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 550
73. Notes on the Different Classes of the Society of Mary,
and in Particular on Ecclesiastical Students . . . . . . . . . . . . 557
74. Divisions of the Constitutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557
75. Observations on the First Book of the Constitutions
of the Society of Mary (1829) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 569
C. Manual of Direction
76. Directives for the Society of Mary on the Ways
of Salvation, 1828 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 584
D. Retreats and Mental Prayer
77. Fundamental Elements of the Gospel Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596
78. “The Common Method,” Second Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . 603
79. Direction on the Method of Mental Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 610
80. Mental Prayer of Faith and of the Presence of God . . . . . . 614
E. The First Constitutions of the Society of Mary
81. The Constitutions of the Society of Mary, 1829 . . . . . . . . . 628
82. Book Three. Particular Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 692
Various Texts, 1829 to 1830
83. Manual of Direction for Religious Life and
Religious Virtues in the Society of Mary (1829) . . . . . . . . 695
84. The Grandeurs of Mary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 711
85. First Ordinance. For Fr. Jean Lalanne
(September 10, 1829) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 718
86. Second Ordinance. For Bro. Dominique Clouzet
(September 10, 1829) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 719
87. Retreat of 1829 at Saint-Laurent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 720
88. Father Chaminade’s Notes on the Observations of
the Brothers, 1829 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 731
89. Ordinance. Articles 9 and 10 of the Statutes
(October 20, 1829) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 748
90. Indebtedness of 1,000 francs to M. Durand (1829) . . . . . . 751
91. Indebtedness of 2,000 francs to Madame Eyquem,
Widow (1829) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 752
92. Indebtedness of 220 francs to
Bro. David Monier (1830) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 753
93. Text of Lease, Rue Croix de Segay (1830) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 753
94. Father Chaminade’s Second Will, 1830 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 754
Biblical Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 757
Index of Personal Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 765
