RRReeefffllleeeccctttiiiooonnnsss ooonnn ooouuurrr FFFCCCJJJ LLLiiifffeee aaannnddd MMMiiissssssiiiooonnn ... ... ...

 

 

 

 

Launch of Le Chéile Trust In FCJ Schools ‐ Laurel Hill, Limerick 

 

 The Le Chéile Trust  is a Collaborative Trust set up by twelve founding Congregations.   The Trust will carry  out  the  increasingly  complex  legal  and inspirational  role  of  the  Patron,  previously exercised by the Congregations.   This Trust under a new agreed Charter, gives expression  to all we hold  in  common  as  Catholic  Schools,  while safeguarding  the  different  historical  traditions  of the various schools entering the Trust.   For many  years  preparations  have  been  ongoing to bring our schools  into the Le Chéile Trust.   The 17th September 2009,  the day arranged by Laurel Hill Schools for the Celebration of the Eucharist to mark  the  beginning  of  the  new  School  Year was the  day  chosen  for  the  Launch  of  the  Le  Chéile Trust  in  those  schools.  In  Laurel Hill  Coláiste  FCJ the celebration took place in the school Chapel at 10  a.m.  and  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day Laurel Hill FCJ Secondary School assembled  in the Redemptorist Church.      An outline of a very meaningful Ritual, with ‘Unity in  Diversity’  as  its  theme,  was  prepared  by  the Working Party of the Le Chéile Group and adapted by each congregation in keeping with its spirit and tradition.    The  ceremony  included  a  formal handing  over  of  Trusteeship  of  the  School  from the  FCJ  Trustees  to  the  new  collaborative  Le Chéile Trust which will in future represent the FCJ Trustees  and  the  Trustees  of  the  other  eleven congregations involved.  

  

  Transfer of Trusteeship: This was a very solemn and significant moment in the  Ritual.    The  Chairperson  on  behalf  of  the Board of Management  formally  requested  the Le Chéile  Representative  (Sr.  Mary  Lyons  of  the Sisters of Charity of St Paul the Apostle) to receive the  school  into  the  Trust  and  to  honour  the historical  ethos  of  the  school  within  the  wider unity  of  the  Le  Chéile  Trust.    Sr.  Mary  Lyons accepted  the  school  and  agreed  to  honour  the historic  FCJ  Ethos.  She  also  invited  the  school  to be true to the Le Chéile Trust Charter. This Charter describes the Mission and Vision of the Trust and its member schools – while valuing  the  traditions of the founding Congregations.                        

Edition: 5 Christmas 2009

 

 

 

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Next followed the handing over of the Licence

Agreement by Sr. Maria Dunne FCJ and I quote:

“On behalf of the FCJ Congregation, who are the

Trustees of this school, I am giving the Le Chéile

Trust the Licence to use the premises of this

school in trust for the welfare of the school

community”.

To which the Le Chéile representative replied:

“I thank you for the Licence of the premises and

the Trust looks forward to working with the FCJ

Trustees for the welfare of the School within the

Le Chéile Trust”.

For FCJ sisters in our Province, perhaps, it was a

moment of a deeper realization of the call of GC.

2003, as expressed in our Mandate for Mission –

“Be ready to leave ministries and places when

this is discerned to be for the greater good”.

The significant role of the Charter was symbolized

by the lighting of the Le Chéile Candle by an FCJ

Sister and the Le Chéile Representative. To mark

the special occasion of the Transfer of the

Trusteeship of the School, each student received

a memento in the form of a bookmark which

shows the Le Chéile Logo and the aims of the Le

Chéile Schools Trust.

Following the celebration of Eucharist and the

Launch of the Le Chéile Trust in our schools some

present and former staff members, past pupils

and FCJ sisters returned to Laurel Hill. There, we

exchanged memories and enjoyed a cup of tea in

the company of many friends

Catherine Toomey fcJ

‘To be a Student’—that is my ministry!

It was with great emotion and joy that I began my

studies to become a Primary School Teacher at

the University of Bucharest. The vast majority of

my colleagues (85%), are orthodox and in my year

there are four other religious who wear the

religious habit, including the veil.

It is a real challenge for me to live in this

environment where I am seen as by my

companions as ‘so different’. (Different, because

I am catholic and a religious without the habit,

dressed like everyone else.)

What I heard from my work colleagues before, I

now hear exactly the same from my student

colleagues: you way of life witnesses to

something different and beautiful . . . you are a

person who loves God and loves others.

For me being an FCJ in the student world means

simply to be there to accept each person as s/he

is and all that that means. I make new friends

because of this attitude of mine to be there for

others, listening, encouraging, sharing my

experience, laughing and working together. Yes!

the fruits of my ministry are these new friends as

well as my academic results.

May the Holy Spirit guide us to find ways of being

a companion to those whom we meet on our

journey through life. May the Spirit give us big

and generous hearts to live and share with others

the love with which God showers and fills us.

AMDG.

Cornelia Vȋrgǎ fcJ

A Tale of Two Trunks

“All things are bound together.

All things connect.” Chief Seattle

We have just had an interesting “connection” at Somers Town which seems worth sharing: To begin at the beginning ... Gertrude was passing by a men‟s clothing store in Camden

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High Street the other day, when she happened to notice a battered old trunk in the window display. Remembering that we had a couple of battered old trunks in the basement that we didn‟t know how to dispose of, she went into the shop to ask if they were interested in acquiring two more. The lady in the shop was extremely interested, saying that she had purchased hers in a charity shop and loved old trunks! Gertrude arranged a date and the lady‟s husband arrived one evening to “check them out”. One of the trunks had belonged to Una Mary Conran and the other to Margaret Crank RIP. Margaret‟s trunk still bore its labels – “Poles Convent, Ware, Herts”. When the man saw the labels, he immediately said, “We live in Ware!” and got on his mobile to tell his wife. I told him a little about our sisters, our way of life, Poles Convent – and the fact that it is now called “Hanbury Manor”. The man then exclaimed, “Hanbury Manor! That was where my wife had her first job!” (Another quick call on the mobile...) Neither of us could quite believe the quirk of fate – or the impulse of the Universe – to bring together a lady who loved trunks, who used to work at Hanbury Manor, with Margaret and Una‟s old trunks. The man assured me his wife would “treasure them – she loves old things” and he went away happy (after one last call to his wife: “I‟m just talking to Gloria about Ware!”) and I returned happy to tell the community that Una and Margaret‟s trunks had found a good home!

Gloria Calabrese fcJ Effects of Global Warming: Upper Nile

State, South Sudan

On arrival in Malakal, South Sudan in

December 2008 I was informed that it was

now the Dry Season which would continue

until end of April or beginning of May to be

then replaced by the Rainy Season for June,

July and August. Towards the end of April and

in May we often had a few hours’ rain either

by night or during the day but then the sun

shone and the terrain dried up. In the

beginning of June, there was a noticeable

increase. From a bright hot day there would

be a sudden downpour in the evening. The

short journey from the car to the gate was

hazardous as first rains produce very slippery

underfoot conditions!

We finished this term’s Follow-Up of the

trainee teachers and our English course on

Friday 3rd. of July as weather was beginning

to be more unpredictable. Some teachers

were planting Maize and imploring us to pray

for rain. We offered some of our compound

to the seminarians in the neighbouring minor

seminary and to our caretaker for their own

planting. The former accepted and planted

maize; the latter, with local knowledge and

wisdom said it was too late to plant as the

delayed rainfall militated against planting,

and the rain when it would come, would

wash away the young growth. Actually we

had little rain in July and up to mid-August –

half days or evenings and then sun again next

day which dried the place up!

Mill Hill Missionaries, who have been here for

over thirty years have never witnessed as dry

a July and August. Except for a few days in

late August, an open space within the Church

compound, which is normally water logged

for weeks, was a daily Soccer pitch. Heavy

rain did come in September but despite this I

was amazed to find the earth parched and

cracked on my return from annual leave the

first week of October. On enquiry I

discovered that the seminarians suffered a

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total loss of their maize. This sad fact will be

replicated over and over in Sudan’s Upper

Nile State where there was already a

food shortage.

Betty Ryan FCJ

Was Marie Madeleine Influenced by Père

Loriquet SJ?

In September I was working with staff at Upton Hall School FCJ and was told that a certain Professor Maurice Whitehead, a friend of an Upton teacher, would be coming to work with Sixth Form students. I was asked could the Professor get in touch with me to clarify some facts about our foundation. I agreed and a few days later received the following email from Professor Whitehead.

Professor Whitehead wrote:

„As you will know, I am scheduled to give a talk to the Sixth Form at Upton Hall on 16 September and I am now preparing my material. My working title for the talk at the moment is "Women and men for others: pioneering Ignatian ideals from Merseyside to Paraguay".

My main focus is going to be on the Jesuits in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Paraguay, but I plan to get to that topic by looking very briefly at the story of your foundress and her early work in Liverpool -- and then working backwards historically.

What has particularly struck me in my preparation so far are references that I have found to your foundress having moved to Amiens to supervise the education of her son at the Petit Séminaire St Acheul. From previous research, I know that this was an intellectual powerhouse for the regeneration of the Society of Jesus in France, following the universal restoration of the Society in 1814.

My purpose in writing is to enquire whether or not we know: a) the precise years that Marie-Madeleine was resident in Amiens (and the precise years of her son's attendance at St Acheul); b) whether or not there is any documentary evidence to indicate that she was influenced in her own educational thinking by Père Jean-Nicolas Loriquet, SJ (1767-1845). This hugely influential Jesuit was on the staff at Amiens in 1814 and then again from 1816 to 1821 at a time when, at the request of the French Jesuit Provincial, he was deeply involved in educational reform and the reconstitution of an updated Ratio Studiorum* for the whole of France. Père Loriquet was later charged with the revision of the Ratio for the entire Society of Jesus internationally -- and so is of prime educational importance. Your foundress must surely have known Père Loriquet, who was successively principal of the Petit Seminaire, and then superior and rector of the Jesuit community at Amiens -- but it would be fascinating to know to what extent she was influenced by what he was doing educationally. -- but please do not go to any great trouble, as I do not have to enter into great detail on this subject in my talk: it would just be very interesting to know more about this possible influence. Professor Maurice Whitehead Associate Dean (Bologna)/Deon Cysylltiol (Bologna) Postgraduate Research Faculty/Y Gyfadran Ymchwil Ôl-radd Department of History/Yr Adran Hanes Swansea University/Prifysgol Abertawe Wales/Cymru

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... I replied that we know for certain that our Foundress knew Père Loriquet but to what extent she was influenced by him educationally we do not know. However, we can infer that there was some influence.

I told him facts that are known to all of us: that... „In September 1826 after her return from Rome, Marie Madeleine went to see her son Eugène de Bonnault, who had just completed his studies at St Acheul. She wished to pay her respects to the college staff and to thank Father Loriquet SJ for his testimonial signed on 10 September 1826 in which he praised Eugene's life as a student 'which had continuously been that of a young man devoted to study.' Grogan, p 142

The Professor was interested to learn that Eugène was at St Acheul from its reopening until 1826 and commented that the young man was there for the whole duration of Fr Loriquet‟s time at St Acheul. He was fascinated to learn that Marie Madeleine was one of the special guests at the official opening on 3 November 1814. I was able to tell him that the Vicar General of the diocese, Monseigneur Cottu began his address with a quotation from Isaiah „This place is too narrow for me: give me space that I may dwell therein,‟ ...and that „the words brought smiles to those in the audience who saw how apt they were, even in a literal sense.‟ (Grogan p39) He asked is there documentary evidence for this and I said „Yes it is in the life of our Foundress and that is based on evidence!‟ As for the significance of Amiens in our history, I pointed out that Marie Madeleine's sending her child to school at St Acheul was hugely significant for us. Putting it simply, if she had not done that it is doubtful that we would be here. I told him that she bought a house in Amiens in 1817

and once the Society was founded in 1820 she came and went from Amiens on a regular basis.

Professor Whitehead told me there were several English Jesuits in St Acheul at this time and asked did I know whether our Foundress knew them. I was unable to comment on this.

The Professor asked would I recognise pictures of St Acheul if he were to send them to me. I assured him that I could, adding that if he wanted a picture of St Acheul as it was in 1817, I had one. I explained that a number of years ago I stood outside an antiques shop in Amiens and looking through the window, sketched an expensive picture that was titled „St Acheul 1817‟. He was delighted to get the sketch (which is found in Grogan, p. 37).

It is good to tell that Professor Whitehead‟s seminar at Upton was well received by both staff and students.

And one final comment: In the recently published „Reflections on the Life of Marie Madeleine‟, Bernadette O‟Malley tells us in her article, „Marie Madeleine‟s Vision for education and schools,‟ that „Mother Josepha Bouque ... remembers how careful Marie Madeleine was in the choice of books and adds that the books chosen were “serious but also interesting”. Examples are given: Rollin‟s History of Ancient Rome Bossuet‟s History of France, Fleury‟s Ecclesiastical History The travels of La Harpe 1001 Nights Edition of Perrant‟s Tales History books by Père Loriquet

So yes, we can infer that Marie Madeleine was influenced to some degree by this „hugely influential Jesuit.‟ *The Ratio Studiorum (Latin: „Plan of Studies‟) designates the document that

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formally established the globally influential system of Jesuit Education in 1599. Its full title is Ratio atque Institutio Studiorum Societatis Iesu ("The Official Plan for Jesuit Education").

Claire Sykes fcJ

The Craighead Institute comes to Romania

In Bucharest, on Saturday October 24th, 2009, we organised an Awards Ceremony for the graduates of the Craighead “Integration of Life and Faith” Course, at which Msgr. Cornel Damian, auxiliary Bishop of Bucharest, presented certificates to the 17 people who had completed the Course. All are already University graduates with work experience, yet for most of them it was the first time they had the experience of being awarded diplomas during a Graduation Ceremony. Although this Course had been given several years ago in Lithuania and in Latvia, this was a first for Romania. The Course is given in 4 modules, given on four separate weekends between February and the end of June. Small base groups meet several times after each module for prayer, reflection and sharing experience. Our hope is that many of the young people who have followed this Course, will play an important role in the future of their country. Alan McKell, a Scot from Glasgow, who with his team had directed the Course in Bucharest, added a special ceremonial dimension to the gathering by arriving in his kilt! In their final evaluation, the Craighead

team paid tribute to the graduates by using three words to describe their involvement in ministry: Creativity, Cooperation, Compassion.

We feel privileged to have been able take part ourselves in this Course and to offer it through the generosity of our sponsors and hope to be able to continue our involvement in Education at this level.

Maeve Shannon fcJ e Juliet Ory fcJ

Celebrating the 65th Jubilee of vows of

Sr. Anna Maria Zandonà - October 3rd 2009

On the third of October I had the great of joy of

celebrating my 65th anniversary of consecrated life

and my 84th birthday together. Gathered with my

community were Sr. Mary, the Provincial Leader,

the sisters of San Mauro, Livorno, Sr. Dominique,

Sr. Ruth, Sr. Lorenza, my sister Teresina and my

brother in law Abele. Other relations, who could not

be present because of sickness in the family, were

present in spirit, with messages and telegrams. We

had a lovely Mass of thanksgiving and

intercession, with readings and hymns that I had

chosen. To conclude the celebration we had an

excellent meal together.

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Imelda fcJ, Anna Maria fcJ, and their sister Teresina

In the afternoon we had a conference on the beauty of

creation, whose heart is Jesus present in all things. At

the end of the day we participated at the renewal of the

engagement of the Companions in Mission followed by

a convivial supper. It was a beautiful day and an

experience of joy.

Anna Maria Zandonà fcJ

Companions in Mission renew their commitment

San Mauro 4 Ottobre 2009

Maria Teresa fcJ, Dominique fcJ, Ruth fcJ, Imelda fcJ

Maria Teresa‟s Silver Jubilee celebrations

in parish church at San Mauro

Apostolic Experience

My apostolic experience, following the Spiritual

Exercises, took me over to Dublin for five weeks, to

live in Balally1 and to work with children with

moderate to profound mental and physical

disabilities, at St Vincent‟s Centre, run by the

Daughters of Charity. I also joined the choir in the

parish, which allowed me to meet more people as

an FCJ novice.

This time has been precious for me, because I had

a healthy balance between silence and good

conversations in community, and a combination of

FCJ prayerful living and work. God has given me a

sense of longing for him, as time has moved on,

and the shape of life I have lived, has allowed me

to be present to this yearning.

The children I worked with were 2 to 6 years old.

All of them had one kind or another of mental

problems, which delayed and severely affected

their normal development. The aim in the centre

was for them to gain as much autonomy in the

basic tasks of life: to walk, to hold things, toilet

1 Catherine Toomey FCJ, Susan Boyce FCJ, Eileen Foley FCJ and Mary Leahy FCJ.

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training… and to learn a way to communicate with

us. There was no verbal communication with any of

them and I was not aware of there being much

visual contact with two of them. However, as

children, they were always ready to play, to listen

to a story, to engage with us… and to give us their

affection. I loved being with them, just being, and

they eagerly engaged in playing with me, within the

boundaries of the real limitations they had. What if

Jesus had been born as one of these children?

What if I had been born like one of these? The

sense of perfection in creation that I struggled with,

in the Spiritual Exercises, challenged me again; but

now I was able to see from God‟s side the

perfection of their souls.

My biggest learning came from the good practice of

the staff: I admired how well they treated the

children and related to them, and each other. The

work atmosphere was one of welcome and

inclusion, where the children were respected and

pushed forward, and loved as one‟s own children,

and where I was accepted, from the first day.

In community, I was almost humbled by the

frankness of the sisters in the conversations I had

with them. I was most grateful for their engagement

with my questions, comments and suggestions. I

learnt to have a bigger concern and commitment

for ecology and God‟s creation. I appreciated their

sharing of insights and difficulties in the evolution

of FCJ life and how they always wanted to find

Jesus. I was helped to understand obedience, as

creative fidelity to God, from an FCJ point of view.

I felt honoured to have been part of a sharing about

the crossroads we are at, at this moment in our

faith-lives.

Towards the end of my experience we celebrated

the feast of St Stanislaus with great joy.

MariJoxe Azurtza nov. fcJ

Two Catholic Musicians

Two very prominent Catholic musicians are very much

in the news at present. Stephen Haugh, a brilliant

pianist: he played four concerti of Tchaikovsky at the

proms this year. He also gave a recital to a large

audience at Westminster Cathedral in aid of the building

appeal.

In recent years Stephen wrote a Mass for Cardinal

Hume which very nearly didn‟t see the light of day. He

was driving back from a recital with the full score in the

boot of the car racing to meet the deadline when

another car smashed into his, sending him flying on to

the hard shoulder. He got out and with almost super

human-strength wrenched open the boot and rescued

the score. He then was escorted to hospital to be x-

rayed in case of concussion!

There is a very profound exhibition of Spanish paintings

and sculpture at the National Gallery, “The Sacred

Made Real”. Stephen composed a string Sextet, based

on Vittoria‟s Requiem, which he discusses with the

curator: he has also published a book on prayer.

Ad multos annos.

Another composer in the news is a very beautiful Polish

lady, Roxanna Panufnik, a harpist who was also asked

to write a Mass setting for Westminster. I heard it there

on a glorious summer‟s evening when the Cathedral

was drenched in sunshine. The music featured two

harps no less, which musically reflected the sunshine.

Roxanna (41) has also written a Magnificat.

Recently she was commissioned to write a work

commemorating the fall of the Iron Curtain in Berlin.

Her father, also a composer, was exiled for 45 years

and only escaped through the ingenuity of his Irish wife,

Scarlett, who claimed he had been invited to give a

(bogus) conducting tour in Switzerland. She planned his

escape through the lavatory window where he slid down

on a rope to a waiting car ready to take him to the

British Embassy and hence to Britain. When the KGB

got tired of waiting, they smashed the door down to find

the window open, the rope hanging idle and the bird

had flown. The Communists destroyed his manuscripts

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and expunged his name from the books. He

started writing again in England.

Roxanna’s recent work includes Julian’s words

“All shall be well” and some new arrangements of

Polish Christmas Carols which we know, featuring

“Sleep Little Jesus Sleep” which she describes as

the Polish “Away in a Manger”. This work will be

on CD by Christmas. I met her through a past

pupil from Poles, Caroline Lees (Everall) from

Shropshire, herself a well-known painter who no

doubt developed her love of Art from Sister

Elizabeth Philips FCJ.

Madeleine Cuddy fcJ

Decay’d musicians

Recently I received a postcard from the Music

College Shop requesting money for the support

of:

Decay’d musicians and their Families and

Widows of Decay’d Musicians

and for the

Education of Orphans who are distressed.

Dated 19th April 1781

I was wondering at what stage, one becomes a

Decay’d musician!!

Madeleine Cuddy fcJ

A Two Week Pilgrimage in Spain

This summer I had a very rich and beautiful

experience. It was with “Réseau Jeunesse

Ignatien” (Ignatian Youth Network) that I took

part in the European Pilgrimage “Manresa 2009”

as a member of the support team. I want with

the desire to serve. Yes, I wanted to give some of

my holiday time to support and be at the service

of young people so that they themselves could

make a good pilgrimage. All along the way from

Loyola to Javier (you will notice that we did not

go to Manresa) I lived a real adventure with the

Lord and with the other pilgrims.

It was at Javier, towards the end of our pilgrimage

that we were offered a desert day, a day for

oneself, lived according to one’s needs and

desires. Many options were suggested to us.

One completely new one for me was to write a

letter to myself, to describe what I live, what I

have discovered, that which I carry in my heart

and all that I desire. It was the ideal suggestion

for me, like a gift that I was going to give myself. I

wrote the letter with great delight, enthusiasm

and with all my heart. This letter will be posted

to me after four months!

I do not know how I will be when I will receive the

letter, but I am sure that it will renew the joy,

energy, enthusiasm and spirit in which I made the

pilgrimage.

I conclude by thanking God and the Society for

the opportunity given to me to make this

pilgrimage.

Cornelia Vȋrgǎ fcJ

A trip to Skipton

Early in September, I had the pleasure of

spending a few days at Kersal Hill. The weather

was good so I took full advantage of my London

Freedom Pass to travel on the buses in the area.

The X43 along Bury New Road took me to north

Lancashire, to Colne, Nelson and Burnley with

beautiful views of the Pennines. I discovered that

I could connect with a bus to Skipton so I planned

to devote a day to making this trip.

I was never in community at St Monica’s but

wanted to visit the cemetery where many of our

Sisters are buried. All went well and I finally

arrived at the gates of St Stephen’s Church. I was

reading the notice-board when a gentleman came

out of the Primary School and offered his help

(I learnt later that he was Headmaster).

I introduced myself and when he heard ‘FCJ’ he

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welcomed me warmly and invited me into the

school.

The dinner break had just ended and the children

were gathering in the hall for a short recital by

four boys from the Grammar School next door.

Apparently, these students work regularly in the

school with small groups of pupils. They were

delightful young men; a pianist, a guitarist, a

saxophonist and a trumpeter. I joined the

children who obviously enjoyed the short

concert, especially when they were asked the

name tunes from TV programmes and films. They

seemed to recognise them all and their hands

kept shooting up enthusiastically. As the pupils

went to class I was escorted to the office where

the Secretary, a past pupil of St Monica’s, phoned

the Parish Priest so that I could visit the church.

However, he was out so I thanked everyone for

their welcome and left.

I then made my way up to the cemetery and

prayed for our Sisters buried there and for many

others who had worked in Skipton but are now

buried elsewhere. I left, thanking God for the

great work carried on by FCJs in both St Monica’s

and St Stephen’s Primary School, both of which

seem to have been places of great happiness for

all involved.

I then returned to the town as I had been told

that no visit to Skipton was complete without

“chips by the canal”. Together with a mug of tea, I

enjoyed my snack and started my two-bus

journey home. It was a very happy day for me

when I felt I had touched into the life of our

Sisters in Skipton many years ago.

My innocent ‘faux pas’

At Nelson I went into the Tourist Information

Office to buy a picture postcard of Pendle Hill

(Lancashire). I then asked if they had any cards of

Skipton. “Skipton”, the attendant exclaimed

indignantly, “that’s in Yorkshire”.

Obviously, The Wars of the Roses are not over

yet!

Gertrude Hodkinson fcJ

Catechesi degli adulti a Livorno: Non è mai

troppo tardi!

A Livorno, a differenza delle altre Diocesi italiane, la

frequenza al catechismo in parrocchia non è scontata.

Ci sono genitori cristiani che vogliono rispettare la

libertà di scelta dei figli e quindi non chiedono per loro il

sacramento del Battesimo. Altri ricevono solo il

Battesimo e tutto finisce lì. Pochi ragazzi frequentano

fino al sacramento della Cresima e ancora meno

perseverano nella pratica regligiosa.

Nel mio apostolato come insegnante di Religione e

come catechista, cosa che ho sempre fatto con molto

entusiasmo e con molta gioia, nonostante la fatica che

questo insegnamento comporta al giorno d‟oggi, ho

sempre avvertito la necessità di fare catechesi anche ai

genitori e, pur facendo qualche tentativo, non c‟ero mai

riuscita. Ma non è mai troppo tardi!!!

Due anni fa, impossibilitata dalla salute a stare con i

ragazzi, il Parroco mi ha affidato la preparazione dei

Genitori al Battesimo dei loro piccoli. Sono soltanto tre

incontri per ogni famiglia prima di ricevere il

Sacramento, ma mi sembra che siano molto importanti

per l‟immagine che diamo della Chiesa e che dipende

molto dalla qualità del rapporto che stringiamo con i

Genitori in questa particolare circostanza. In questo

momento così esaltante della loro vita in cui

sperimentano la meravigliosa realtà di esser stati con-

creatori di Dio nell‟aver donato la vita a una creaturina

così perfetta, così fragile e tenera e si sentono loro i

primi responsabili della sua crescita umana e cristiana,

sono molto aperti e disponibili ad accogliere la buona

novella e a comprendere la necessità della crescita

nella fede, frequentando la Chiesa e ricevendo tutti i

sacramenti.

Andrea disse a Simone: “Abbiamo incontrato il Messia” e

lo condusse da Gesù.

Filippo disse a Natanaele: “ Vieni e vedi!” Gv. 1,40

Dall‟anno scorso, il Signore mi dona la bella

responsabilità di tutta la catechesi degli adulti nella

nostra Parrocchia dove sempre più coppie di fidanzati

si presentano al Parroco dicendo:

“Uno di noi è cristiana praticante e l‟altro no”, oppure

“abbiamo ricevuto soltanto il Battesimo e vorremmo

sposarci in Chiesa”. Ci sono, poi, persone che vogliono

10

fare da padrino o madrina al Battesimo o alla Cresima

dei loro nipoti e non hanno ricevuto la Cresima. Per

questi ultimi il Parroco propone loro un cammino di fede

di circa 4 mesi, mentre per chi chiede il Battesimo

almeno di un intero anno.

Io ho avuto l‟immensa gioia di accogliere una

quindicina di giovani, uomini e donne (erano impegnati

nel lavoro, chi come commerciante, chi insegnante, chi

impiegato o studente e ogni martedì sera non

mancavano all‟appuntamento catechistico!) e li ho

accompagnati nel loro cammino di fede: alla scoperta di

Gesù, della Chiesa e dei Sacramenti. All‟inizio non mi

sentivo all‟altezza: ero trepidante, sempre preoccupata

ed ansiosa. Ma il “chi manderò” del Profeta Isaia

risuonava dentro di me e mi faceva pregare molto

perché lo Spirito Santo aprisse i cuori di questi giovani

ad accogliere la buona novella. Posso dire che la

preghiera mi ha sostenuto ed ha trasformato il timore

nella gioia dell‟incontro. E‟ stata ed è ancora per me

una grande impresa il cercare di essere all‟altezza, di

coniugare fede-vita-cultura, di preparare riflessioni e

preghiere sempre appropriate, ma quale gioia ho

provato nel riuscire ad avere i loro occhi e il loro cuore

aperto alla Parola di Dio! E che profondo senso di

maternità spirituale ho provato nel momento del

Battesimo di Linda, 26 anni. Da atea che era, è

diventata una fedele praticante: quasi ogni giorno viene

alla santa messa ed ora è anche di grande aiuto ad

una catechista, nel suo ruolo di assistente.

E quale gioia ho provato alla Prima Confessione e

Prima Comunione di 4 giovani del gruppo e nella

amministrazione del Sacramento della Confermazione

dalle mani del nostro Vescovo Simone a tutti. Siano

rese grazie a Dio che si è servito di me e dei miei tanti

limiti! Non è davvero mai troppo tardi per il Signore:

infatti Lui si è servito di me quando pensavo di dover

tirare i remi in barca e lasciarmi trasportare dalla

corrente a motivo dei miei problemi di salute.

Questa bella esperienza mi ha fatto comprendere

meglio che solo continuando ad avere piena fiducia nel

Signore, permettiamo a Lui di compiere miracoli. Lui

non guarda né alla nostra età né ai nostri limiti.

DEO GRATIAS!

Irene Maria Spinato fcJ

Memorial Mass in Jersey for Sr. Miriam Maher RIP

On Tuesday 20th October 2009 a Memorial Mass was celebrated in the Church of St. Mary and St Peter, St. Helier, Jersey. The Past Pupils of FCJ Convent and School organised a beautiful Thanksgiving Mass in memory of the life of Sister Miriam Maher FCJ, a former headmistress of the school. Miriam had died on 25th July in Stella Maris in her sleep. May she rest in peace. Two FCJs were able to be present Srs. Jo Barron and Beatrice Molyneux. Several former members of Sr. Miriam's staff attended, Ms. Daryl Querre now aged 95 years, Mrs Amy Luce, Mrs Joan Marquee, Mrs Angela Le Sueur, Miss Elizabeth Donaghue . Two Senators from the States of Jersey attended Senators Terry Le Sueur, Chief Minister and Senator Paul Routier, brother of Sr. Judith Routier FCJ. The organising committee was chaired by the president of the Past Pupils Association Ms. Siobhan Riley and assisted by Mrs. Angela Le Sueur. The readings were read by past pupils. Sr. Beatrice wrote and read the prayers of intercession. The offertory procession was led by the present headmistress carrying a framed photograph of the former heads of school. These were Srs. Miriam Maher, Loretta Madigan, Veronica Garner, Catherine Bibby, Lucy Sacco and Cecelia Connolly. Two students in perfect uniform, a boy and a girl, carried the wine and bread. These children were the grand children of Mrs. Carole Jordi a great friend of Miriam and dedicated past pupil. Sr. Beatrice brought up an FCJ Cross on a small white cushion. The music was directed by Ms. Auralie Doublet. We sang the FCJ Magnificat as our closing Hymn. At various times throughout the liturgy a power point was beamed up for the various points of the eulogy which was delivered by Angela Le Sueur, Carol Jordi, Pat Bannier and Therese Bannier. We saw many familiar past pupils including Judith Routier and Anne Bulpin in lovely May processions and during school picnics. As we moved from the church into the parish room beyond, the former students sang "Bless this house" which had been a favourite song to many boarders and day girls. It was lovely to greet old

11

friends, Mary Kennedy, Anne, David and Pat Rabbet, Mary and Julie Doublet, Zillah Hutchinson, Marcel and Agnes, Dennis Crapp, to name but a few. Some were asking for their old friends Sr. Veronica, Sr Anne Marie Ryan, Sr Juliet Ory. In the prayers of intercession we had prayed for Sr. Ethna Dempsy and Sr. Katherine Curtin RIP. It was a wonderful evening and one of which Miriam would have approved. It was full of life and thanksgiving and true FCJ spirit. Our FCJ School on the island is vibrant, full, and with a waiting list. It is great to see boys as well as girls. Several former students are among the teachers and assistants. One lady the assistant principal is a former student of the Hollies Manchester. When asked did she know Sr. Victoire and Sr. Dolores she was thrilled to send her love to both sisters. Victoire knew her as Eileen Brady. Dolores taught her French and Latin and Eileen herself teachers much of the French in our FCJ School. I returned home with handmade Jersey fudge which was very easy to eat in Maryville and much appreciated by our senior sisters. Thank God for all that Sister Miriam was able to accomplish in the lives of these wonderful islanders. May she rest in peace.

Beatrice Molyneux fcJ

Olallo Project

For the past few months I have been doing a little

voluntary work in the Olallo Project, near Euston

Station, London, in a former hostel owned by the

Poor Servants of the Mother of God. The project

was set up to help homeless migrant workers from

Central and East European Countries to lead

independent lives, and was born out of concern for

the increasing numbers of people, coming to the

UK to find work „at the invitation of the British

Government, who then find themselves, through

misfortune or other reasons, sleeping on the

streets of London with little or no support due to

restrictions on their rights.‟

The Olallo Project is a unique response to this

situation by the Saint John of God Brothers, the

Poor Servants of the Mother of God and The

Passage (a centre for homeless people in London).

It is a residential project with 30 beds. It aims at

getting people back into work, ideally within 6 to 8

weeks, or if this is not feasible, to return to their

own country of origin. The residents come only

through referrals from „the street teams‟ in the

surrounding areas.

I teach English one night a week to those who turn

up for class! If they have found work, they may be

too tired to come, or may be going off to do a night

job, such as sweeping the streets or washing up in

a restaurant. The group, therefore, is never the

same from one week to the next, which is a good

challenge!

The men I have got to know have usually been

working already in other countries, often in the

construction industry. Their stories are sometimes

heartbreaking. One young man had been

trafficked, and at first only looked up occasionally,

as he answered in a low indistinct voice. Two

others recently tried to describe what happened to

them at the time of the Chernobyl disaster. Sorin

was seven years of age in a Romanian orphanage,

the other, a Lithuanian, who was twenty-nine, was

desperately knocking at doors, trying to find refuge

from the radiation. They explained how they were

supposed to stay indoors for 40 days after the

explosion.

The personal stories of the men I work with, show

why they have ended up on the streets or have an

alcohol problem. Often I find myself repeating,

„There but for the grace of God, go I.‟ For many,

the difficulty is not finding a job, but keeping it!

However, once they have money, many of them

12

also want to send it back home, and sometimes

prefer to sleep rough rather than pay rent.

Since I do not know who will be in my class, I have

to prepare about three possible lessons before I

go, and never end up doing any of them as

planned, and this is really good for me! I am happy

to share in the struggles of these men „beyond the

open door‟ and find I can draw on my tiny

experience of life in Eastern Europe, thanks to

opportunities I am grateful to have had in

the Society.

Rita McLoughlin fcJ

Prostitution Now Has A Face. . .

This was the title given by one of my colleagues to

her reflections on the experience we had in the

Ukraine last May, courtesy of the Justice and

Peace Commission. For me, this title captures in

a nutshell what it meant to actually live for 3 full

days with someone who had been trafficked.

Vikki (this is not her real name) comes from a very

dysfunctional family in north-west Ukraine. Her

father was murdered by a villager at 39 and her

mother died of alcohol-related disease at 49,

leaving Vikki, an older sister and 2 young brothers

to fend for themselves. After Primary School, Vikki

worked in the village bar. There, a „so-called

friend‟ offered to send her to Dubai to earn

American dollars and create a better life for herself.

Unwittingly, she accepted this unexpected offer,

only to find herself on arrival, caught in a web of

prostitution that had no outlet, where she was

physically, psychologically and sexually abused

over a period of 3 years, culminating in an abortion,

several weeks in hospital, a prison sentence,

followed (happily) by expulsion from a country

where abortion is a crime!

On return to her country, Vikki underwent a

rehabilitation programme and then, assured that

her trafficker was now in prison, she accepted to

meet us and tell her story so that others might be

helped to avoid such a horrific experience.

Vikki is a pretty young woman of 25, one of

hundreds of young Ukrainians who in order to

escape dire poverty and improve their quality of

life, are exposed to this modern form of slavery.

The Trafficking of Persons is a crime, the

existence of which we can no longer deny and the

struggle to combat it is something in which Marie-

Madeleine would have surely been involved,

had she lived in our times. Now a world-wide

phenomenon, no one knows the number of victims

of this crime against humanity, although recent

identified figures esteem the number to be at least

4,000,000, 500,000 of whom alone are found in

Europe. Indeed, after the estimated budget spent

on Arms-deals and drugs, it is thought that the 3rd

largest „chiffre d‟affaires‟ is that spent on Human

Trafficking.

Vikki could tell us that she knew her „boss „had

made at least $20.000 on her services.

Another invitation from Justice and Peace to talk

about the situation on Romania, took me to

France for the 3rd European Day ( hopefully

soon to be known as „World Day‟) dedicated to

raising awareness to this evil in our midst.

Through film, round-table discussions, power-point

presentations and exhibitions of various DVDs,

posters and articles on this subject, it was evident

that a joint effort by the 25 or more Christian and

Humanitarian groups involved in this struggle was

a sign of hope to all. An interesting encounter was

with a singer who has decided to use his talent to

further this awareness and struggle.

13

Combating Human Trafficking is a Ministry in

which we FCJs can all be involved, irrespective of

age, infirmity or busy schedule. Let us join forces

in praying for victims of trafficking all over the

world, in raising awareness and educating the

young to a deep respect for their bodies, to the

hidden dangers that can lie behind enticing

advertisements - and always showing the gentle

face of Christ to those who have been deprived of

their basic human dignity.

Romania ‘Pro demnitatea femeii’.

Maeve Shannon fcJ

Holistic Care

Help yourself to a Better Life!

‘Since we start to age from the moment the

single fertilized egg cell divides in two, the

possibilities for intervention extend across

the lifespan. What we need, therefore, is a

‘ promote healthy aging throughout our

lives’ motto rather than simply waiting to

treat illnesses of old age. . .

The first thing to recognize is that many age-

related diseases have social and

environmental causes that can be addressed,

for example, . . .by eating sensibly.

Secondly, preventive measures might help,

such as statins to lower cholesterol and anti-

hypertensives to reduce the risk of heart

attacks and strokes.

Thirdly, cures may be developed for most

intractable diseases. This can seem like a

forlorn hope sometimes, but consider the

remarkable things that are being done with

clot-bursting drugs for stroke victims and the

significantly improved survival rates for

certain forms of cancers.

Fourthly, even if there are no cures, it might

be that better palliation is possible so that

people can remain active and well for longer

despite their diseases. . .’

(Adapted from Julian Hughes’ article: Price of growing

old gracefully The Tablet 05/09/09)

14

Presentation of FCJ Companionship Award

at Launch of Le Chéile

The ceremonies to mark the launch of Le Chéile in

our FCJ schools in Ireland concluded with the

presentation of the FCJ Companionship Award.

Sr. Maria Dunne FCJ explained and gave the

criteria for this award.

“To day, we mark our movement from a family of

four FCJ Schools to a family of fifty Schools from

twelve different Religious Congregations in the Le

Chéile Trust. As each member of a family is

unique so each school has its own particular

characteristics. The unique values of each

Congregation make up what we call the ethos of

that group and the new Trust wants us to remain

faithful to our ethos as FCJ schools. As one way of

keeping the FCJ ethos alive in our school we are

setting up an FCJ Companionship Award.

Companionship is part of our name and is a

central value in our Congregation. It connects us

to our heritage and brings us back to Marie

Madeleine d’Houët who founded the FCJ Sisters

and for whom companionship was a much

cherished value. The Companionship Award will

be presented annually to the student in each

school who demonstrates companionship,

gentleness, compassion, courage and confidence.

The student who receives the award will express

these values

o Through an awareness of and an

attentiveness to the needs of others

o Through being actively engaged in developing

an inclusive community

o Through an appreciation of all of creation and

a commitment to the care of the

environment.

A process will be put in place in the school to

select the most deserving candidate for this

award each year and it is open to all students

from 1st to 6th year.

The TROPHY is a piece of BOG OAK which has

three figures carved on it representing the school

community. In their relationship to each other

these figures speak of companionship,

gentleness, compassion, courage, and

confidence. These are the virtues that we want

to recognize. The FCJ badge and the words

Companionship Award are engraved on the

plinth. Bog Oak is a very appropriate material for

this trophy as it is in essence the roots of oak

trees going back thousands of years just as

companionship connects us to the roots of the

FCJ ethos. We read in the Bog Oak Story that

these pieces of bog oak are a timeless reminder

of our heritage, a reminder of our love of nature,

our respect for all living things and our ability to

find beauty in all of God’s creation”.

The trophy was presented to the Principal of each

school and will be awarded for the first time at

the end of this school year.

Catherine Toomey fcJ

Lancio del Gruppo Le Chéile nella scuola

secondaria FCJ di Bunclody

15

In F.C.J. Secondary School Bunclody, the

symbolic transfer of Trusteeship took place

after the 1st school Mass on 9th October 2009.

Ms Vivienne Dunne, the FC.J. Education

Officer for the Province, started the

ceremony by inviting the Chairperson, the

Principal, the Le Cheile representative, Sr.

Maria, FCJ Provincial and the holders of the

symbols into the sanctuary. She explained

that the transfer of the school into the Le

Cheile Trust was an evolution rather than an

ending as the current Trustees, the F.CJ.

Sisters, are part of the new Trustee group.

The Chairperson, Mr. Fran Stevenson,

formally requested Le Cheile to receive the

school into the Trust and to honour the

historical ethos of the school within the wider

unity of the Le Cheile Trust. The document

containing the written Philosophy of

Education and FCJ Ethos, the Mission

Statement, the School Crest and the History

of the school were then presented to Sr.

Dympna, the Le Cheile representative. She

responded by stating that the Le cheile Trust

would honour the historical ethos o f the

school and she invited the school to be true

to the new Charter agreed between the

school representatives and the Trustees. Sr.

Maria on behalf of the F.C.J. Congregation

then gave the Licence of the school premises

to Sr. Dympna who handed over the Le Cheile

Charter to the Chairperson. Then Sr.

Madeleine Hayes, representing the

F.C.J.Trustees and Sr. Dympna, representing

Le Cheile together lit the Le Cheile candle as a

symbol that the Le Cheile Charter would be

the light that will guide the school into the

future.

Bookmarks, with the logo and aims of the

Trust, were then handed over to be

distributed to each one of the students.

Finally Sr. Maria presented the school with a

specially designed Companionship Award to

be presented at the end of each school year

to the student who had contributed the most

to the ideals of friendship and companionship

during the year.

Madeleine Ryan fcJ

Some Echoes from the FCJ Centre, Brussels

To say that the past year has been an eventful one

is indeed an understatement starting as it did with

Margaret‟s unexpected surgery, and all this at a

time when three members of the community were

about to leave for the FCJ General Chapter in

Angers! Thank God for Kate‟s prompt and most

generous response to come to Brussels to be with

Margaret during those critical weeks. On return

from the Chapter Joan carried forward the work of

the Centre until mid February when Margaret was

able to engage once again in a limited way with the

programme. We were delighted to welcome

Teresa who joined us in Brussels at the end

of August.

One of the highlights of the year was the setting up

of our Management Advisory Committee (known

as MAC) whose main role is to advise the FCJ

Centre Team and assist them in fulfilling the aims

and objectives of the Centre. We are fortunate to

have Margarita as chairperson of this group.

While the three network provincials hold the vision

for the FCJ Centre, it is the MAC members who

work with the FCJ Centre Team in implementing

the Vision/ Mission. As „Identifying needs,

suggesting resources and offering support‟ were

three elements of the role of MAC, we decided to

engage the group from the outset in this work. We

received a very positive response, ending up at the

close of our fourth meeting with the following seven

16

Focus Areas identified for our continued or early

attention.

With members of MAC involved with us, we are

actively addressing the first five of these Focus

Areas and indirectly the remaining two areas.

Global Challenge Spirituality in the Work Place Social Justice Routine Church goers Parents and Families Those who have lost faith in faith Singles.

As well as the aforementioned, other areas have

also been addressed, as part of our programme, or

in response to requests coming from particular

groups. A Scripture-based prayer group takes

place weekly. There is a regular clientele who

participate when possible. These evenings are very

much appreciated. As one participant wrote,

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to go to the next two

prayer meetings (which I love)…”. Having been

invited to run a Couples Enrichment Course, a

Jewish participant remarked later, “It was fantastic;

we look forward to the future retreats”. We were

asked by an evangelical group to run a series of

evenings on contemplative prayer. After the event,

one of the participants thanked us, writing, “Your

teaching has re-awakened a passion for

contemplative prayer and that is having a powerful

impact on my life at the moment”.

We have also responded to requests from the

Anglophone and Francophone community to run

leadership workshops, facilitate groups and help

with adult faith development programmes. There

are so many instances of blessing in our ministry in

Brussels, which can at times be a challenging

context.

Recession Blues in Rusholme

Every day the media asks the question whether

here in Britain we are in, or coming out of, a period

of recession. Living in a multicultural area of the

inner city there are signs of the recession outside

the door. In the last few days several tell-tale

pictures come to mind.

A relentless marketing through the letterbox, of

leaflets urging the purchase of pizzas and

Asian meals, with free delivery. Local people are

not frequenting the restaurants in the same

numbers due to reduced cash flow. One of the

most heart-rending sights is the frequent visits of

destitute persons who search the rubbish bins for

anything that can be salvaged. Often those visiting

the bins are men and women from Eastern Europe,

some of whom may be Roma Gypsies. Today I

saw an elderly Indian woman engaged in the

same task.

In the area there are building projects that have

never seen completion. These partly finished

premises are put in wraps with some windows

glazed and others open to the elements. In certain

districts shops are boarded up as there is not

sufficient trade to support the venture.

Unemployed youths on bicycles tour the area in

groups and can create a threatening atmosphere.

The reality is that they have no work and nothing

special to occupy their time. Many of these young

men are from black communities and often from

families where there is no father figure.

Immigrant families with permission to stay in this

country can only find low paid jobs even though

they come from educated backgrounds. There is

usually some work in care homes looking after the

elderly, or short term jobs where the worker walks

the streets from one half-hour or hourly task to the

next, looking after an elderly person who needs

assistance. Payment is always the minimum wage,

17

hardly enough to look after a family with four

children.

One father of a family is now unemployed as his

small firm has folded. The business used to make

specialised parts for the aircraft industry. There is

the dreary task of applying online for endless jobs

without any positive offers. Manchester Airport

used to be a great place for job seekers working

unsociable hours in cafeterias and bars. These

days fewer planes are flying and at certain times of

the day the Airport is like a ghost town.

There is another side to life in a big city like

Manchester. Shopping thrives for those with a

good cash flow. The town centre draws crowds of

eager shoppers especially at the weekends.

Entertainment thrives with bursting football crowds

and lavish entertainment centres and

night clubs.

So the question is writ large about the reality of the

Recession. It all depends on who you are, where

you live, the colour of your skin and, to a large

extent, on the level of your educational

attainments.

As an older person with the rich experience of an

FCJ sister there are some things I can do to help.

Today there was the chance to ferry a Chinese

woman who was in great pain to see a dentist who

carried out the necessary extraction at low cost. A

few weeks ago a local school brought all the

produce from their harvest festival to me for

distribution. Within 24 hours, seven families

gratefully received generous sized food parcels.

Opportunities abound to be a listening ear to

painful situations, a woman who is suffering

domestic violence and at the same time fears her

husband is sexually abusing her daughter.

Sometimes I am able to refer a family in need, to

get help with household furniture from our

Diocesan charity. Often people who need a

reference for a job or some other situation know

that I will do this while they wait.

These small tasks are part of today‟s FCJ mission

and give me a sense of sharing the life of the

neighbourhood. I am sure it is a story mirrored all

around the country. I remember my mother saying

to us at home, “It is a blessed thing to give and it is

also a blessed thing to receive”. We live in blessed

world.

Maureen Farrell fcJ

Père Rozaven in England 1800 - 1804

Promising Hope: Essays on the Suppression and

Restoration of the English Province of the Society

of Jesus, in Honour of the 200th Anniversary.

Edited by T.M. McCoog SJ.

This volume provided me with new information2

about two whom previously I had known only as

Jesuits with significant parts to play in the story of

Marie Madeleine: Fathers Rozaven and Varin.

After the suppression of the Society of Jesus in

1773, two Congregations sprang up in Europe

with the aim of continuing the spirit of the

Society until such times as it might be restored. In

1799, these two, the Society of the Sacred Heart

of Jesus and the Society of the Faith of Jesus

became one, and the new Society ‘The Fathers

of the Faith’ (Paccanarists) began to spread over

Western Europe.

In 1800 Abbé de Broglie and Père Jean-Louis

Rozaven were despatched to England. Père

Rozaven was named ‘provincial’ and lived at 7,

Upper Evesham Buildings, Sommerstown (sic)

where later the Paccanarists established their

novitiate. Their hope was twofold: to establish

links with ex-members of the Jesuit English

province and to establish a college in London.

2 Paccanarists in England: Hubert Chadwick S.J.

18

To the apparent amazement of the new comers,

the ex-Jesuits were not eager to unite with them

(even though they appreciated their sincerity) but

they did succeed in establishing a school. The

1802 Laity Directory includes the ‘Prospectus of

Kennington House’ (under the direction of Abbé

de Broglie) which in 1803 moved across the River

Thames and was then at Kensington House,

Kensington, Middlesex.

In 1802 Père Rozaven was summoned to Rome by

the General, Père Paccanari, and he travelled

with his French counterpart, none other than

Père Joseph Varin. During his absence, three of

the priests left at Kensington House wrote to Fr

Gruber, then General of the Society of Jesus,

asking for admission to the Society in Russia

where it had been formally recognized by Pius VII

in 1801. The two provincials in Rome, meanwhile,

had themselves become disenchanted with

Paccanari and decided that their own preferred

course was to seek admittance to the Society of

Jesus.

Rumour and counter rumour were rife! The issues

seem familiar today! England and Rome were

mutually suspicious! English Jesuits feared

Spanish machinations; Fr Gruber insisted there

could be no corporate union; Paccanari wanted

union but on his terms; the Pope believed that

union would come but not yet!

In 1803, Rozaven, deeply disturbed over the

personal conduct of Paccanari, returned to Rome

to consult with Pius VII as to future action.

Before he returned, however, two Paccanarist

Fathers had left London for Russia and were

admitted to the novitiate at Polotsk. It fell to

Rozaven to inform Paccanari and the Pope what

had happened and he told them that he wished

to do the same. In fact he left England in

February 1804 for St Petersburg with three other

members of his community.

The Paccanarists assumed that the Jesuits would

be happy to take over Kensington House School,

even merge it with their own school at

Stonyhurst. This was to ignore two facts: that at

the London establishment discipline was known

to be lax (de Broglie had been publicly

reprimanded at Bow Street Magistrates Court for

allowing cock-fighting which was already illegal)

and secondly that it was heavily in debt and this

despite the fact that fees at Kensington were

much higher than at Stonyhurst (sixty guineas

compared to forty). In 1805 de Broglie was

arrested, imprisoned, bailed, and absconded.

Kensington House was later sold to pay off the

debts ‘said to amount to £10,000, plus minus.3’

(De Broglie never applied for entrance to the

Society of Jesus but remained in London as a

secular priest.)

Interestingly Paccanari blamed Rozaven for all

that had happened in England. He saw him as ‘a

traitor to his own conscience, disloyal to the

manifest will of God’; Hubert Chadwick SJ prefers

to speak of his ‘underlying soundness of

judgement and sense of values’ which opinion

would seem to be borne out by the trust placed

in him in later years by his Jesuit brethren. I for

one, feel I now have a better sense of his concern

to safeguard the integrity of the Society of Jesus

when he appears in our own story as Assistant to

Fr General Roothan in 1837.

Following the lead given by the Paccanarists in

England, the brethren in France and elsewhere

gradually took the same steps and by 1808, the

year of Paccanari’s trial before the Holy Office,

the Society of the Fathers of the Faith was well-

nigh defunct.

Sr. Mary Campion McCarren fcJ

3 Bishop Douglass, Vicar Apostolic of the London District