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APPENDIX E.
LETTERS.
The following letter, we suppose, was written to Rev. Leonard or to Rev. Charles Neale, cousins of Mother Margaret Brent, whilst they were students at the Jesuit College of St. Omer:
My dearest Cousin,
This acknowledges with many thanks the kind favour of yours which I received with much pleasure and satisfaction, what pleased me the most was to find you in such good dispositions as to mend your faults, as soon as you were told of them, without excusing yourself in the least. I am truely glad to hear you and your dear little brother enjoy your health. Pray, my dear, the next time you write to me, make your brother write a few lines in your letter, if he is with you.
I sent your letter to my aunt at Lierre. She is very well and desires her tender love and blessing to you both. I hope you advance in your studys, it is my daily prayer, that if it be the will of God you may both be good Religious men. I writ to your papa and mama, in the packet I sent to Father Monsley, and said all that was kind from you to them, and told them you were very good boys, I don't doubt but you are. I am very sorry to hear your dear Papa is come to so great a loss as to have so much of his buildings blown down. I have a great share in his afflictions, for he has always been a true friend to me, and is one for whom I have a most sincere regard and affection. I suppose you have had letters from him since you came over. I beg you will always remember me in the most affectionate manner when you write to him, and to my dear Aunt Pile, and to dear little Betsey. Write to me all opportunities—poor Maryland I fear will be quite demolished—you must pray hard for your afflicted friends and Country, I long to know how times go now with them, and whether Father hunter is yet returned to them.
All your country women in these parts are well. I suppose you have heard of Aunt Mary Digges' death long ago. Adieu my dearest dear Cousin and believe that I am
Affectionately yours
MARY MARGARET OF THE ANGELS, BRENT.
386
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Letter of Rev. F. John Howard, last rector of the Jesuit College of Liege:
LIEGE, 18th Sept . 1780.
Revd Mother,
Be assured that my zeal for your Community is as great as ever, if not greater. We ought to be daily more & more zealous for the Glory of God. I have written to Mr. Charles Neale concerning your Petition. All possible attention shall be paid to it. If the Academy suffers while he1 remains with you, at least you must try and make amends by your Prayers. At present we stand particularly in need of the special Protection of Heaven, if your Prayers procure it, we shall have no reason to complain. And we must not doubt of the efficacy of your prayers—Ask and you shall receive. The Spirit of prayer, I think, is the characteristic of your Order. St. Teresa will acknowledge none, who don't try to be possessed of that H. Spirit. It is this Spirit alone which teaches us to follow our Bd Saviour, that is to deny ourselves. Now prayer founded on self denial will ever be efficacious. Therefore Rd Mother, you only need to pray yourself, & to make all yr Community pray for the Academy in this Spirit of Prayer, & we shall certainly get all we want. I am your humble Servant,
J. HOWARD.
I know I am in your debt.
The following letter is from Rev. Charles Neale to his brother Leonard:
Dear Brother ,
I received yours of the 25th of last month, but could not answer it till now. I was then just setting out for the low countries, uncertain whether I should return or not, and consequently, as you may suppose, had a deal of business upon my hands in settling my little affairs. The Nuns of Antwerp have invited me in a very pressing manner to be their Confessor. It is an offer I don't much like, though perhaps much more conducive to the recovery of my health than the employ which I have hitherto filled. I have left it to the decision of Mr. Howard. He says he is for my going, if he can do without me, but cannot determine that till about the middle of this month. I have written to my mother by the way of Amsterdam, but chose rather to send it to a merchant of that city of my acquaintance to be put on board a vessel which I am informed will shortly sail from thence for Maryland. You tell me your situation is disagreeable in one point. I heartily wish I could better it. You informed me that you had laid in your own provisions for fear of disagreement with your Captain, but forgot to let me know the
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1Rev .F. Charles Neale. This letter was written to the prioress of Carmel at Antwerp, Rev. Mother Mary Margaret, Brent, who had petitioned to have Rev. F. Charles Neale as Confessor of the community.
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name of the Captain, and the vessel in which you sail. I could tell you a great deal of domestic news if I were sure you would receive my letter, but the uncertainty in which I am of your being still at Amsterdam discourages me. One thing, however, I will tell you, as being too good to be omitted, which is that Mr Howd. had declared to our fat Chanoine that he must quit the house. May success and happiness attend you in all your undertakings.
Your loving brother.
Etichore, 7 Sep., 1780.
CAR NEALE.
P. S.—If you write to me from Amsterdam, direct, à Mr. Neale, chez Monsieur le Baron D'Exaerde, à son château D'Etichore près-D'Audenaerde.
The following letter gives an account of the apparition mentioned on p. 37.
Sept. 13th, 1799.
Dear Sir,
I will give you the history respecting the apparition, as I learned it from persons, three of whom are yet living, who were well acquainted and lived with some of the religious who were present and saw the appearance.
On account of the wars in the year 1701, our community of English Carmelites of Hoogstraet, were obliged to leave their convent and go to Mechlin, and were refuged in the Count of Mechlin's castle till peace took place. They returned to their convent at Hoogstraet towards the end of the year 1712. In the Octave of Corpus Christi, in the year 1713, our Blessed Saviour appeared in time of the Elevation in the sacred host and turned his face towards the grate of the Choir with a smiling countenance, as if he had been pleased with the community who were all hearing the Mass. Some who were in sight of the altar saw him, as also did some seculars who were in the church. The Rev. Mr. Edward Aynsco found at the Elevation the sacred Host very heavy, and, laying it down, saw the sacred face and head, etc., of our Saviour, as is engraved in the plate; but with such divine beauty and majesty, that seized and affected him extremely. At the Pater Noster our B. Saviour disappeared. Mr. Aynsco, who was our Confessor, went to Antwerp and had the plate engraved as near as he could to resemble the apparition; but it was impossible to get it executed
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with that divine beauty and majesty with which he appeared. This miraculous favor was imputed to two causes: First, to convince and confirm a young English lady, a convert, who came to take the habit in our community, but who had doubts of the Real Presence in the blessed Sacrament. She was present in the church when our Saviour appeared and saw him. She professed and died in our community, and I have lived several years with some who knew her. The other cause was to comfort the community, who, after their return from their exile, met with severe trials and crosses. The Rev. Mr. Aynsco died in the odor of sanctity on the 14th of May, 1734, and the inhabitants of Hoogstraet still retain so great a veneration for his memory that till this day they call on him, and beg his protection in thunder and lightning, from which they suffered extremely every summer. Before his death he promised them, if he had any power with God, they never should suffer the like any more, and since that time very little damage has happened in the town by it.
All I have here related has been attested to me by persons worthy of credit and may be relied on, they being very pious religious.
I remain, sir, Your obedient Servt,
MARY M. ERRINGTON,
Discalced Carmelite Unworthy Prioress.
The author of the preceding letter, in religion Mother Magdalen of St. Teresa, was elected prioress at Canford on February 2nd, 1795, and continued in office until her death on December 14th, 1810. She died at the age of sixty-two, and had been forty-six years in religion. (Oliver, p. 141.)
The letters which follow were written by Sister Teresa of Jesus, Cowdrey.
†
J. M. J. T.
LANNERNE HOUSE, near
St. Colombs, Cornwall.
My dear Mother Sub-prioress,
It was with great pleasure to Reverend Mother and us all that her Revce recd a few days ago your long expected and most welcome letter, especially as thank God it left all our dear Sisters in Maryland safe and well, of which we had been in great anxiety, fearing lest the contagion of Religion in our Europe should have reached your Continent, as to us, my dear Clare, we have a great deal to thank and praise His Divine Majesty for His bounties to us; having been pleased to change the dispositions of our Country so much in favor of Religion and Religious that I don't hear the least molestation of any of the many Houses of men and women that are setting up
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(although 'tis true the spirit of the French seems creeping in and the present scarcity of provisions give some reasons to fear riots, in which perhaps these Houses might be destroyed together with the Laws of the Country, but should Almighty God avert that stroke which in His Infinite Mercy we still hope) there is no doubt but the Convents will be permanently established. We are situated 257 miles from London at a very large old seat of lord Arundell's which he has given to us as long as ever our community subsists; we found it quite out of repair, but his lordship has employed a great number of workmen ever since we have been here; at his own expense to fit it to our liking; they go on very slow being great drinkers here, and not having any of great authority to overlook them, so that it will be very long before it is quite finished; there was a very large hall at the entrance which they are making into a beautiful chapel, in fine there is plenty of room when all is finished, only the building is such that we cannot form it into regular dormitory and cells, etc., though we have fine long galleries and every one almost a room to themselves. Our Confesssor Mr. Newsham only staid a fortnight with us and then with Mrs. Tunstal returned to Town. We have now a very holy French priest for Confessor who seems to give universal satisfaction, there is a missioner here also, the present one is going away and we don't yet hear who my Lord will send in his place.
August 7th 1795
†
J. M. J. T
LANHERNE , Feb. 11th1800.
My dear Mother Sub-prioress,
Have I not some reason to make you some tender reproaches for your long silence? For altho' I own it is near three years since I did myself the pleasure to write to you, yet that was at least the sixth letter since we left our dear Convent, and we have never had the consolation to hear from you but once about four years ago. See therefore, how much you stand indebted, and begin with 1800 to rub off old scores, and tell us all that concerns your dear Community for health and prosperity, spiritual and temporal; for I don't think I can ever be insensible to what regards the welfare of a Community so dear to me; and whose perfection is my most earnest prayer, together with that of our own dear Community—that both may be examples of exactness in the observance of our holy Vows, Rules and Constitutions, and in all that concerns the true spirit of our holy Mother St. Teresa. We heard some years ago that you were in distress, which gave me some pain, till I began to think of the poverty of many Convents at the beginning, and how our Blessed Lord supplied their wants; and so I trust and confide He ever will yours. Some time after we heard you had professed some with great fortunes, and built a nice new house; and also that one of your Nuns is dead, and lately we heard from our dear Revd Mother at Canford that
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you are fifteen in number which rejoyced us very much; but we were very sorry to hear at the same time that your dear Revd Mother has a cancer in her breast. May Almighty God support her in her sufferings and inspire you to procure some remedy for her speedy cure before it is too deeply rooted. We long also to know how dear and worthy Father Neale does, to whom be pleased to say all that is most respectful and filial affectionate from our dear Revd Mother and each of the Community; as also to dear Revd Mother and each of yours. Give mine in particular both to him and them, begging a share in their holy prayers, especially to dear Sisters Aloysia, Eleanora and my dear name-sake Sr. Teresa who I hope makes herself deserving of that name more than me. If you are too lazy or busy to write tell her to be your secretary, to give us an account of all, and the names, etc., of the Nuns.
I told you in my last letter that we had the happiness to have our dear Revd Mother Xaveria elected Prioress the 3rd of February '97: we had the consolation to have her re-elected on the 4th inst. to the universal joy of her flock: all the elections were done in very little more than half an hour; and I have never seen the Nuns more happy and merry than they have been this week. Thank God the Community in general have enjoyed pretty good health these last two years: tho' before several were sick but none died. Our worthy and holy Confessor Mr. De La Fosse also had a great illness then, but thank God entirely recovered: his loss would have been irreparable to the Community. We have got no increase since we came here, except a lay Sister, Sister Anastasia of the Immaculate Conception, who will most likely make her Profession some time in April. We did not forget you at your half Jubilee, and our dear Revd Mother wished for an occasion to have sent you some little mark of her affection: you know her half Jubilee came two years ago; and last August was the whole Jubilee of our dear Sister Ann Teresa, which Revd Mother kept as handsome as she possibly could here, as she did that of Sister Mary Agnes in November. Sr. Mary Austin dressed each of them a most beautiful cell.
I beg when you write you will take notice of both the Jubilarions: Sr. Ann Teresa is re-elected Discreet, and Sr. M. Joseph also.
I am always afraid Bonaparte is Antichrist,—at least he is his forerunner: When he went to seize on the Turks' dominions he declared himself a Mahometan, said he had God with him, and that he and the Father did all things, or some such shocking words: now he is come back and placed himself at the head of France, he orders the Church doors to be open, and Priest and people to join in prayer to the God of peace to atone for all the crimes committed in the war; but he also orders that the heathenish ceremonies they have performed for some years past in the church, be also continued at another hour than the worship. He has written some fine perlavering letters to our King and government for peace,—which thank God they have refused him alleging his being a usurper, and also his having a fortnight before entirely destroyed the Constitutions the French Republic had pretended to own,—and made quite new ones for himself. He has also
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another fellow as wicked as himself—a fallen priest—to help him, who possibly may be the Prophet of Antichrist; for it is he who works all the mischief underhand for him: what happiness it will be if these two creatures are destroyed, which it is hoped they will be unless they really are these persons.
We have not heard lately whether our dear House1 still stands; some time since it was employed for something of a manufactory or store-house which may preserve it, most other Convents being entirely destroyed. Sister Elizabeth was alive last June and found means to let us know she was in want of everything; so Revd Mother sent her some money but has never heard whether she received it.
LANHERNE , Oct. 27th, 1800.
You ask me my dear Mother, to give you a list of our Community: it is not much increased by professions since you left us. Revd Mother, Sr. Ann Teresa, Mother Francis Xaveria, Sr. Mary Joseph, Sr. Mary Francis, Sr. Anna Maria, Sr. Mary Josephine (French nun from Valencienne Convent) Sr. Mary Angela (English from the Convent Rue Grenelle, Paris), Charlotte Stewart in the world, an old acquaintance of yours. Sr. Mary Austin, Sr. Mary Magdalen (an English nun from the Convent Rue Chapeau, Paris), Sr. Joseph Frances, Sr. Louise Teresa. Lay Sisters-Sr. Mary Agnes, Sr . Stanislaus, Sr. Mary Winefrid, Sr. Anastasia professed the 8thof June this year, and poor Teresa of Jesus. They each desire their most affectionate respects to your Reverence and each one of your dear flock, to whom they wish all happiness, and temporal as well as spiritual prosperity. We were very happy to hear you were so finely increased; and also to have an account of all your industry. I wish we could spin as you do, for the cloth we buy in England is very dear, and neither strong nor warm. I beg my kind love to dear Sister Teresa, and many thanks for her kind note; not only because it made an excuse for your long silence having so many occupations; but also as it made me acquainted with the good and profitable manner in which you spend your time, which your own humility would never have told me of. Your little Mother, Sr. Anna Maria was highly pleased at your inquiries after her, and begs her affectionate respects, desiring you will be a tender Mother to your children. I think you know more concerning our Convent and affairs at Antwerpt than most of us do! I was, and am still always sorry that we did not stay to see whether the French would or would not have turned us out: but the greater part was desirous to go, upon the notice given by the Duke of York that the French were re-entering the Low Countries. We might certainly have brought away everything with us; but the fatigue we had the last three weeks is not to be believed; having Mrs. Moore2 and her nuns from Bruges, and Lady
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1Convent of Antwerp.
2 Mother M. Augustine Moore, prioress of the Augustinian nuns of Bruges.
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Abbess and several of her's from Gand, we had neither place to lie on, nor beddings, nor time. I believe none were so much occupied as our present Revd Mother and I; and we would not have left a vestment, nor a book, nor a habit or rag of any kind behind us: she was Sacristan, and I Proviser. I do not mean to brag of what we did, but only as you lament the destruction and sale etc., I tell you we did at all parts of the house what we could, and could get the keys of; but the fright which seized several, made it not in our power to do more for they would not let us; and also the shortness of the time, and occupation with those strangers. Now every body is sorry that more things were not brought; however, I don't mean to blame anyone, as it was fright; and we must adore the designs of God in permitting us to partake a little of the several losses of this time: then to mend the matter no one was to be left behind but poor Sister Anna Maria,1 to take care of the rest and besides all the selling etc. you have heard of, and the givings away, (for she never thought of us keeping in Community in England) besides this I say, the Mob broke in at the time and destroyed what few things she had intended to have brought over with her. As to the different accounts I have given you of this House, they are all when explained true; for we owe very great obligations to Lord Arundel who first let us come and then by the hand of Lady Arundel told us we might look on the house as our own, and that neither himself nor his heirs would ever take it from us while the Community exists.*
*As Your Reverence was perfectly acquainted with our dear deceased who as long as she had her memory never forgot she was your little Mother, I shall only say, that she always preserved that spirit of regularity, and love of labour which made her both an edifying and useful member until about ten years ago when a paralytic stroke impaired her mental faculties and subsequent ones deprived her entirely of the use of them: for the last three years she has been usually confined to the infirmary. As we were just in the midst of our retreat she was seized with the last violent attack, which in a few days terminated her earthly existence after having received the Extreme Unction and last Absolution.
LANHERNE, Novbr ye 8th 1802.
My dear Sister Teresa,
I was just going to thank you for your very agreeable and affectionate letter when Revd Mother claimed it as belonging to her; being wrote in her letter; and besides her Revce as well as all the Comtyare quite charmed both with the easy and pretty manner you describe your dear Revd Mother's Jubilee, and at the ingenuity and cleverness with which you decorated and kept it. Indeed I am quite delighted that my dear American Sisters have thus excelled in their attempt to honor their dear and amiable Prioress to whom under God, they owe so much for their present happiness, yes my dear, I am sure you are sensible, how many cares and troubles it has cost
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1Sister Anna Maria of the Blessed Sacrament, alias Brassier, departed this life on October 6th, 1822, a little after seven in the morning, in the 81st year of her age, and 54th of her religious profession.
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her Revce to procure your establishment; although she was not your first actual Superior, and I am sure you can never too much shew your gratitude, respect and love to her, for the same; though I know all the reward she wishes and asks is, that her dear children prove true and fervent daughters of our Holy Mother St. Teresa; and exact observers of the Holy Rules and Constitutions you have had the happiness to profess to: and this is a consolation which I don't doubt you each one strive to give your dear Superior, and yourself in the first place, who having the honor to stand the first in the profession book are a kind of a model for all the rest to look at. I wish therefore my dear Sister Teresa all the sanctity which our first professed at Antwerp (who was also called Teresa) arrived to, which was very great, as your dear Rev. Mother can tell you from her life: and I humbly beg you will have the charity to pray for me; who am my dear an object of charity from my great defects and negligence in this my holy and happy state; and I don't know anything that gives me a spark of fervor sooner than by thinking that you, and the rest of my dear Sisters, whom I name in my poor prayers, have the goodness to remember me in their much better ones, and in thinking that you all love and serve your Divine Spouse and mine with all your hearts and souls.
I beg my kindest and most affectionate respects to dear Mother Subprioress, and dear Sister Eleonora in a particular manner; I hope they will not take unkind that I have not done myself the pleasure to write a few lines to them as I have wrote such a long letter to Revd Mother; say also all that is tenderly affectionate to dear Sisters Francisca, Joseph, Ann of Jesus, Stanislaus, Ignatia, Agnes, Juliana, Ambrosia, Margaret, Austin, Angela, Mary of the Incarnation, Mary Magdalene, Martha and good Sister Barbara from me, with Rev. Mother's leave begging an Ave Maria of each, you see I remember all your names, I keep them in my heart, but if I have misplaced any, you must correct me. Pay also the particular compts of Revd Mother, and all the Nuns to Mother Sub-prioress and the other dear Nuns who invented and so beautifully decorated the Recreation, Choir, Refectory and Revd Mother's Cell; to be sure your good angels inspired and helped you, for no doubt it was a sight pleasing to them to see the love and union with which you were all exerting yourselves to celebrate the jubilee of your beloved Mother's sacred Vows to her Heavenly Spouse, and sung their canticles with you; for I think it was impossible you should each have performed so well and properly having never seen anything of the kind: at the same time it shews what a natural ingenuity and taste you all have. There was one thing in your letter which made us all laugh viz. that worthy Father Brook sent you 100 bushels of oysters. I think you meant to say 10, as that seems a pretty good quantity at once. If this arrives (as I hope it will) by Christmas, please to give my kind love to Dear Mother Sub-prioress and beg she will ask a good recreation day on St. Agnes ye 21st of Janry it being the name day of our Dear Revd Mother. I dare say yours will be pleased to grant it. I have asked leave to send you a little image
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of our Holy Mother, and relick, neither the image nor shell work is very pretty, but if your dear Revd Mother gives you permission I hope you will accept it for your office. Adieu my dear and beloved Sister, I wish you a happy Feast tomorrow, and shall not fail to remember you being your namesake in Baptism as well as Religion and I am with true esteem
Your most affectionate tho' unworthy servant
TERESA OF JESUS ELIZATH COWDREY
Carmelite unworthy.
From the Carmelites of Canford:
CANFORD HOUSE (formerly Hoogstraet) Aug. 24, 1803.
Mother sub-Prioress and her companions, who went to Lier last Septr was so extremely kind as to go on purpose to Hoogstraet to see in what state our dear convent was, and to recover if they could the effects we left there, but did not succeed in the latter. We should be truly happy my dear Revd Mother could we but return to our former convent but your Reverence has seen by my last letter that there is no possibility of that joyful event taking place during the present Government of France to which the low countries are subject, could we recover the ruins of our dear Convent and we could repair it so as to be inhabitable, which is impossible for us to do, we should not be allowed to observe our Holy Rules nor wear our habit nor would the present Government allow us to repurchase it for a Convent, were we able to do it. The Austin Nuns at Bruges we hear heartily regret their return there.
From Sister Teresa of Jesus, Cowdrey:
LANHERNE, March ye 6th 1804.
I hope your Revce has recd a long letter from our dear Reverend Mother and me, wrote about three months ago (I think) and also that this will find your dear self and beloved flock all in perfect good health; I did not intend to have done myself the pleasure to write till Easter, but Our Blessed Lord having visited us this Holy Season with sickness, and the death of our Dear Sister Mary Agnes of Jesus, I can't defer acquainting you my Dear Revd Mother and imploring your holy prayers and those of your Community as also our Worthy and Dear Father Neale's to whom Revd Mother, myself and each one presents our best and filial respects and beg that charity of him for her dear soul—although indeed we have great hopes that she is already in possession of Almighty God, from the holy, innocent and suffering life which you know she always led; and which she continued until the last, with ardent desires of seeing God; and constant preparation for that awful moment. She departed this life on the 26th of Febry a little before five o'clock in the morning, having received all the last sacraments a few days before, with great joy and piety and the last absolution as she expired, and Mass and communion offered for her immediately after: she was seventy-four years old, fifty-four in Religion; her last sickness was only about ten days, but very great suffering from a fever and inward mortification and
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particularly from a total relaxation and descent of her throat, so that the Doctor said only the windpipe continued there; which was the cause she could not take any liquids and only very seldom a teaspoonful of moistened bread which almost choaked her in going down; and I believe no tongue can express the hunger she felt; as we could perceive by her signs, for she could not articulate her words the last two days. We expected she would have corrupted immediately, as her leg was turned black, also her finger ends, and she had every mark of putrefaction; but it never increased, nor the least smell even of death during the time she remained in the Choir; and even the Protestants were in admiration at her being such a pretty corpse: we thought it a favor of Almighty God, that so she might have more prayers, by remaining a day longer unburied. R. I. P.
Each one from our dear Revd Mother to Sister Anastatia and myself, join in all that is most tenderly respectful to your Revce, Dear Mother Sub-prioress, Sister Eleonora, Sister Teresa and each of your dear children to whose holy prayers we again recommend our Dear Deceased and each one of ourselves, be assured we are not backward in offering our good prayers for all that concerns the spiritual and temporal welfare of your dear Community and of every member that composes it, that all may be true Carmelites, holy religious and great Saints, and that the hour of death may be the moment that begins their eternal felicity and Heavenly Nuptials: I hope my dear Mother your crown will be very brilliant on that great day, from the glory you have endeavored to procure to Almighty God; and the labors you have undergone in establishing Mount Carmel in Maryland and thereby procuring so many holy souls the happiness of becoming the spouses of their Dear Lord, and for your vigilancy in keeping up the strict observance of our Holy Rules and Constitutions, may our Blessed Lord long preserve a life so precious as yours, and add still daily new gems to your Heavenly Crown as also to dear Father Neale to whom your House and our Holy Order owes so much for his indefatigable labors and zeal in procuring and establishing it.
Our dear Sisters at Canford, (formerly of Hoogstraet) have all been ill with colds; and their Worthy Confessor Mr. Willacie I believe will soon follow the other three gentlemen they have buried since they went there. He has been very ill of a cold and fever for more than two months and received his Holy Viaticum about a fortnight ago; after which for some days was so much better as to be declared quite out of danger by the Doctor; has since relapsed and Dear Revd Mother says in a letter we received two days ago, she perceives him every day grow worse, and being upwards of seventy years old they seem to have no more hopes: she and the Comty are in great grief, Our Blessed Lord gives them indeed frequent heavy Crosses. They were seven weeks without any Mass on week days, a gentleman came on Sundays and holidays to say Mass and Father Brooke once a fortnight or thereabouts to hear confessions and which is very fatigueing to him, it being a good many miles and he sometimes obliged to return the same day to Lulworth there being no priest but him there; at present there is a
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french priest come to Canford to say the daily Mass: may God comfort and support Dear Revd Mother and her dear Comty.
Our Nuns of Liere at Auckland with Mr. Robey have all been sick one after another all the winter and continue so now, they say this house is a complete hospital. Sr. Teresa Maria (Sister to dear Sr. Agnes) seems likely soon to follow her to Eternity. Revd Mother, Mother Sub-prioress, Sr. Clare etc. always desire best respects to your Revceas do the Nuns of Louvain at Spetsbury House. Mrs. Tunstall has lived some years past with the latter, and helped them to purchase that beautiful spot. She has now purchased a House at Acton near Hammersmith which is forming into a Convent of the Order of Visitation, being the first English Foundation—she has got three Nuns arrived from Spain ready to go to it in a few weeks, several young ladies are ready to enter, amongst them Miss Weld, who is of singular sanctity, as is her good father, you know and all his family; his other eldest daughter was a nun at Princenhoff now at Winchester and died in great holiness at twenty-eight years old, one of his sons died about the same time at Stonyhurst (from Liege) and he has another son who has taken his place there in studying to be a priest and Jesuit. I suppose Fr. Neale and you all know of the restoration of the dear Society and that Far Stone at Stonyhurst is Provincial for all the English? the Bulls were deferred being published, but it was lately said in the papers his Holiness was going to publish them: and in the mean time there is no doubt of their being restored by Living Voice: but to return to the Foundation of the Visitation, it is supposed this Order being new to the English and so easy will run away with all the vocations. Mrs. Tunstall intends to enter it, having already settled all she has, but we don't know whether directly as a Choir Nun, she being near fifty-two. We lose an annual large alms which this good Lady has bestowed on us ever since we came here; and which we shall find a great loss; especially at this moment when we are obliged to pay a shilling tax out of every pound sterling of our revenues however I hope and confide our Dear Lord to take care of us if we are faithful to Him and our Holy Rules.
LANHERNE, Septr. ye 11, 1805.
We recd your truly welcome and affectionate Letters and those of your dear children with a joy nothing inferior I assure you to that you are pleased so kindly to express at the arrival of the box (whose contents Revd Mother myself and each one wish had been a thousand times more valuable and worth your acceptance) we had been anxious lest some new accident had prevented your receiving it at last; and therefore universal joy took place at the sight of your dear hand, and we could neither think nor speak of anything else at recreation, but affectionate effusions of the heart for you and yours, only our hearts were much grieved to find your health in such a precarious state my beloved and dear Mother, and especially for the last attack your Revce had just before the departure of the letters, which leaves
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us still in uncertainty if you are recovered, and is a very sensible pain to Revd Mother, myself and all, first for the true affection we have to your dear person; and second for the dreadful and I fear almost irreparable loss your Revce would be to the new and flourishing plantation in the Vineyard of Mt. Carmel. May Almighty God be pleased long, very long to preserve your dear life to gather the fruit of your labor in seeing your dear children flourish in all virtue, for my part I feel more joy than I can express in seeing how Our Dear Blessed Lord has been pleased to bless your zeal and that of our Dear Father Neale and draw so many souls to His Holy Service in this our Holy Order, whose innocence and simplicity makes them fit subjects for His Grace to work upon and their souls to become fit mansions for Him to establish His kingdom and reign. I thought when I was sick last winter that there was nothing I wished to see more in this life: the success of your Foundation, and our dear Comty having an appearance of flourishing by receiving Novices, being the only two things I had at heart with any anxiety; for I should have felt a great sorrow for our dear Comty to die out, and I trust in His Divine Majesty there is no appearance of that at present-the three I mentioned in my last have nearly past their year and comported themselves with very great regularity and fervor. We have been in a great deal of trouble in the spring seeking for another House as this was advertised for sale. Good Fathers Strickland and Plowden after a deal of trouble found an old Castle in Wales, but the people of Cornwall, as well as ourselves when it came to the push, wish us not to leave this county, and therefore proposed different large houses especially one which we asked the Duke of Leeds for, it belonging to him, but he never gave an answer, as to other friends whose pockets we hoped would have helped to pay the heavy expense of carriage etc. of us and our goods; or to pay a little rent or taxes; we were like the hare in Gay's Fable, and in effect house rent and taxes being so dear in England we could not even be placed as we are here I believe under £200 pr an, by this we saw more clearly than ever the great obligation we have to our true friends and benefactors Lord and Lady Arundell who with Lord Clifford forbid the sale of the house; and assure us of a continuance of their protection, and ever since we remain with more quiet and peace here than before; because it seems evidently from the many prayers ordered to know the Holy Will of God that it is to remain here at present, and serve God with gratitude the best we can till something better offers. I hope your Revce has received a letter I wrote in Febry in which I informed you of the death of dear Mother Francis Xaveria R. I. P. her death was very edifying and holy; I hope she is enjoying Almighty God whom she so earnestly sighed after while on earth, but nevertheless I don't doubt yourself and Dear Fr. Neale have not only granted her according to contract between our two Houses (like Lierre and Hoogstraete) but some little additions in your pious mementoes.
I wish your Revce could have been at chapter yesterday in a corner, you would have been as delighted as I was to hear our dear Revd Mother in her
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speech, say so many affectionate things of your Dear Foundation which she called the Benjamin of our House and by consequence ever to be the most loved and cherished, encouraged and helped and recommended the Nuns to pray with great ardour for its conservation and spiritual and temporal welfare. I am sure you have reciprocally in yours recommended our dear Comty also; and especially this our dear and Honored Superior that our Blessed Lord may be pleased long to conserve a life so valuable and precious to us all, and preserve her dear health to be able to see and go through as she does so many fatigues since her fervor will not be persuaded to do less.
LANHERNE , April, ye 18th 1806.
I think it is sixteen years ago to-day since we last had the pleasure to see your Revce and Worthy Fr. Neale: I hope the Sacrifice you then made of yourself to procure the glory of God, and the good of souls in extending our Holy Order as it must afford you consolation in seeing it so happily effected in your dear children; so may it be your joy and glory in a long eternity in company with all these dear souls who by your means have become spouses of the Lamb, and destined to follow Him wherever He goes.
I am now going to ask the charity of your holy prayers etc. for the soul of our poor dear Sister Mary Joseph of the Infant Jesus Maddocks aged sixty-seven professed forty-seven years, whom our Blessed Lord was pleased to deprive us of and release from her long and painful sufferings on ye 10th inst R. I. P. We may truly say death always seems sudden, she having two or three times recovered from strokes which to the Doctors and us seemed immediate death, both they and we thought her now fixed in her paralitick state and likely to live some years being quite helpless, but in tolerable health; she went as usual to Holy Communion on Palm Sunday, Maunday Thursday and Easter Sunday; she began to sing Alleluia by herself whilst we were at the ceremonies on Holy Saturday and spent herself from thence to Tuesday evening in singing to everybody: "Alleluia to the Lamb that was slain and has washed us with His Blood. She had been singing “O Filii” with the Far that evening and soon after Revd Mother went in, she showed her how her bad arm was agitated and in a minute or two was seized with another stroke which immediately took her speech and senses, and after some convulsion threw her into a sleep in which she remained till Thursday morning, and so expired without ever seeming to wake. Mr. De La Fosse gave her the Holy Oils on Wednesday evening altho' the Doctor said she was in no danger, and that the sleep nourished her. R. I. P. you know that she was a very pious and interior soul and that her whole life was a preparation for death, and especially her long illness has been so, that we greatly hope she had great part of her Purgatory here as she so frequently beg'd of our Blessed Lord.
Jan. ye 29—1807.
I begin to break our long silence with crying, “mea culpa” and imploring pardon, for I have long been uneasy at the pain I feared it would give
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your dearest self and beloved children not to hear from us, and I think I can say with truth that it is more than a hundred times that I have proposed to write and something or other has intervened to put it off; so far my Dear Revd Mother of excuse, the rest I refer to your tender and affectionate heart to pardon, both in our Dearest Revd Mother and myself; and above all I beg you will be assured our silence has no ways proceeded from want of most tender regard respect and affection to your dear person, our beloved and dear Mother Clare Joseph nor to your dear flock whom we all love most tenderly and hold in our hearts wishing their perfection and sanctification as we do our own. It grieved us much to find your Revce had two more such violent attacks of illness between your last letters and especially that in your throat, which must have been both a very great suffering and very dangerous from the account dear Sister Stanny has so kindly given me of it: all my consolation my dear Revd Mother (after that which the knowledge of your virtues of patience, resignation and Divine Love gives me) is to know that your dear children one and all are so sensible of the treasure they possess in their honored and dearest Superior; and so penetrated with filial affection, that whatever care or remedies can be procured to solace your sufferings and pains their affectionate hearts will not fail to apply: seconded by our most worthy and dear Father Neale, whom we most heartily congratulate, your Revce and dear Comty for the happiness of retaining for your Father Director and Friend—I think it would almost have broken my heart as well as yours if his good Provincial had insisted on his going; being sensible of the terrible loss you would have sustained and I don't doubt it was the fervent prayers of the afflicted children that made our Blessed Lord inspire his Superior to let him remain; may the same holy prayers obtain of His Divine Majesty to encrease his health and conserve his precious life and yours many years, for the glory of God and increase of the merits of you both; and for the spiritual and temporal good of the dear American Mount Carmel, that it may flourish more and more; being pruned and cherished by your tender care.
We are much grieved my dear Revd Mother to find you have lost your law suit, it would have been the same I believe had it been here because all money must be left and placed in the names of particular persons. I am sorry our dear deceased Friend Mr. De Villegas did not before his death caution his cousin; or that the good Lady did not know the new laws made in her Country by their new Masters; how grieved would both have been had they foreseen their relations would have treated you so unjustly; it is money given to our Blessed Lord that they have thus taken from you; but this Divine Master can and will make it up to you as He has hitherto done in providing abundantly for His chosen House and Beloved Spouses; whilst He gives you the encrease of merit in pardoning the injury. May His Divine majesty also be pleased either to avert the suit intended for contesting your Mill: or give it in your favor, as I think you would find the loss of that necessary thing more than you do even of this revenue: we shall long to know the result.
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All the foregoing letters from Lanherne were written by Sister Teresa of Jesus, Cowdrey. The following one gives an account of her death.
LANHERNE, March ye 18, 1808.
Little did I think when I did myself the pleasure of writing last in the letter of dear Mother Sub-prioress, that it was the last she would write to your Reverence, yes my dearest Revd Mother Almighty God has been pleased to visit us with the most sensible affliction, in calling to Himself our dear Mother Sub-prioress, Teresa of Jesus (alias Eliz. Cowdrey) on ye 3rd of March, professed 25 years. She had been poorly in Janry and had caught cold, was very much oppressed tho' came to all dutys. On ye second of Febry got up in a great perspiration and went down to Holy Communion, from that time she visibly grew worse, but still went about in a very lingering way, unable to go to bed, or get up without help but frequently came down to Communion, her disorder was a dropsy on her breast which spread over her body, her legs and feet were violently swelled, but her sickness of Heart was her greatest suffering, the Doctor affirmed that weakness alone was the cause of her dropsy, thus she went on bearing her sufferings with much tranquility and uncommon cheerfulness. On Ash Wednesday she importuned leave to go to Holy Communion with the rest of the Comty; she was at the ceremony of the Ashes and heard Mass, she had a very bad night and on Thursday morning I observed her Medicines did not take the right effect, her swelling was much increased, her oppression, sickness at heart and retching increasing to an alarming degree, notwithstanding she got up and wanted to go to Mass but I did not permit her, she could take nothing, but retched without ceasing, she went on thus till a little before two in the afternoon, and I thought she was worse and worse, I begged Mr. De La Fosse to go and see her tho' he had been several times in ye morning, he had not found her in any danger, but she had asked him to hear her confession, but he told her there was no need and she remained happy and content, but when he went to see her just before Vespers, he found her much changed, and told her he would hear her confession but she said she did not wish it as she found herself something better, but she would do what he thought best, (she had such a comfort and consolation and an intire confidence in him that at the least word she was always ready to submit) she went to confession and Almighty God was pleased to stop her retching, so that towards five o'clock she had the consolation to receive her Holy Viaticum, sitting in her chair. She got up and put on her mantle, and did some little things in her room, was very chearful and spoke to everyone with perfect content and happiness. About seven I said to her I think if you were to take a little red wine it would do you good she said, “I will”—Str Louise gave her a small glass and she said, “I think it has done me good and it is the only thing I have found a relief in all my sickness.” She said, “I could eat a bit of dry toast,” she had it and eat half with a drop more wine, siting by me on the side of her bed,
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and she said every now and then I am better I shall be better to-morrow and from time to time I find myself heavy to sleep, but when I dose I always see myself a dying—she repeated this to me four or five times, I found myself alarmed but did not perceive she appeared worse—Sister Angela called me and told me the Doctor was come, I went and told her—as it happened to be the one she liked the least, she answered, I am sorry for he will ask me a hundred questions. When he came in, she spoke and answered as usual and enquired after his family etc. He felt her pulse but did not find her in immediate danger. I conducted him down and he said he would send her something that would relieve her. I returned immediately to her cell and Sr. Louise met me at the door said, she was asleep, that the moment I went down with ye Doctor she was so eager to go to bed, she turned her habit over her head with that vivasity she was quite astonished and then got into bed and said to her pull off my stockings quick, quick, she did so and she fell asleep, Sister Louise had not finished telling me this but she awoke, and said, “I must get up,” I bg'd her not but in a moment she turned herself off the bed and began to retch and vomit,—I found her very ill and thought we should never get her on the bed again, but she made her last effort, and returned to her bed, all the Nuns were in the Refectory at their Colation except Str Louise and myself. She said when on her bed, “give me a cup of green tea” but I made Str Louise a sign to call the Father, he came and found her very bad, ran down to his chamber and brought up the Holy Oils (Str Louise called the Nuns) she was very sensible to the very last moment and spoke to the Father and me, she quietly expired without a groan, R. I. P. I am sure my dearest Revd Mother it would be a loss of time to enumerate all her excellent virtues, qualifications and useful talents that she possessed as you are as well acquainted with them as myself and the irreparable loss we sustain in this dear and much lamented Mother; she was a great help to me on every occasion, so that I felt the loss of her more than any one, and shall feel it daily more and more, I recommend her dear and precious soul to your Revces and holy Comtys prayers with Mass, Communions and suffrages of the Order according to Contract, and to the holy Sacrifices of worthy Father Neale to all the College, Novitiate etc. of the holy Society, you must my Dearest, tell your dear children they must give her a double portion of prayers as she had laboured so much for that foundation. She loved your Revce and them so tenderly and interested herself with everything that regarded the spiritual and temporal good of your house, and when in the full enjoyment of her Heavenly Spouse, I am confident will not be unmindful of you all before God for she was continually occupied about you all I may truly say to her last moments, for in the morning before she died, she told me that if ever I found an occasion to send anything to your Revce that she begged me to send some little things she had prepared for you etc, etc., and as soon as I can meet with an opportunity shall send them, with some other trifles I have collected: But the mother of Acton has never
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given me an answer to two or three letters I wrote to her and I have just heard from Cocken Hall that it is the Visitandines from Brussels that have set out for America I am glad of it for the good of the new Foundation, but I am sorry that I have no means or opportunity to send what I should be glad to present to your Reverence my dearest Mother, and your amiable children with before I die, and at the present moment I don't think it would be prudent to venture anything, till the affairs are well settled between the two countries. We hear nothing from our old friends at Antwerp, for every port is shut to us, that is governed by Bonaparte so that it is impossible to get anything from thence not even a letter, for poor people, they are all in slavery to this tyrant.
The good Mother of the Visitandines at Acton has never answered my letters in regard to the Religious that were demanded by Bp. Neale for the foundation of that order, but I received a letter just now from Cocken Hall that the Visitandines from Brussels was set off by way of Holland for America which I am sorry for, as I shall not meet, I fear with an occasion of sending a few more poor things before I die to your Revces, but if I ever can meet with an opportunity you may rely I shall most willingly embrace it, but I must beg a favor of your Revces and all your dear children to make a novena for us for two or three good English Novices with good vocation and the true spirit of our Holy Mother St. Teresa.
Sr MARY XAVERIA OF THE ANGELS (Wright)
Prioress.
CIRCULAR LETTER FROM LANHERNE.
†
Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Teresa.
Lanherne.—Of our Convent of St. Joseph and St. Ann of the English discalced Carmelites lately of Antwerp with all the sacred rites of our Holy Mother the church, departed this life on the 11th of Feb'y. 1814 our beloved Revd Mother Mary Xaveria of the angels (alias Agnes Wright) aged 60, professed 41, prioress 17 years whose soul we recommend to your prayers and sacrifices that she may eternally rest in peace.
This dear Revd Mother whose memory will ever be most affectionately revered in our Community and whose loss will be long and deeply felt, was born in Yorkshire of Catholic parents. Her mother dying in childbirth of her, she was committed to the care of a pious aunt who brought her up very christianly and with all the tenderness and attention of a mother. At twelve years of age she went over to a Convent of Annunciades at Boulogne, where she made her first Communion and conceived the desire of consecrating herself to Jesus Christ in a religious state; which desire she preserved after her return to England until her 19th year, when she carried it into effect by leaving country, friends, relations, despising the advantages her many qualifications of mind and body might have procured her in the
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world, and embracing the Carmelite Order in our Monastery of Antwerp. She could not however consummate this sacrifice until the twenty-fifth year of her age (the law of the country not permitting it). But this trial and others she underwent during her long Noviceship, far from shaking her holy resolution it seemed on the contrary still more to strengthen and confirm it.
As a private Religious her life was always very holy and exemplary, which joined to an excellent capacity, solid judgment and sweet temper rendered her a most valuable member. As a superior, her loss is in a manner irreparable, as she justly possessed the love and esteem of all the Community which she governed with a very great prudence and charity, and to which she has rendered very eminent services. From her youth she has suffered much from erisypelis humour in her face which at length striking in, brought on a dropsy which terminated her mortal existence, after long and violent sufferings which she supported with the most christian fortitude and edifying patience. For like a St. Francis Regis, the sight of a crucifix which she held in her hand and kissed incessantly, softened and alleviated her pains. Her countenance was always serene and never was greater tranquility beheld in a dying person. She preserved the liberty of her senses and her speech to the last. Nothing was heard from her but warm and affectionate prayers, tender aspirations, ardent and longing desires of her heavenly country....
From the first moment she was informed of her danger, it seemed as if every earthly concern, in which so many years of superiority had necessarily engaged her, had entirely withdrawn from her mind, which was occupied solely with God and eternity. She received four times during her illness the holy Viaticum, the last time about two hours before she expired, and the last absolution some time after at which she made the sign of the cross. Soon after she raised her eyes to Heaven and said “In manus tuas Domine,” and expired without a groan.
Thus did her happy soul purifed not only by a long and painful sickness, but also by several other severe trials and afflictions which happened to her these later years, take, as we may confidently hope, its fight to Heaven, which comfortable hope assuages the bitter sorrow with which our Community laments the loss of so worthy and so beloved a Mother.
LANHERNE, Oct. 4, 1814.
Most honored & dear Revd Mother,
Your Reverence & beloved Comty have great reason to complain of my seeming negligence and indifference by so long a silence on occasion of the unfortunate days we live in of war. I am very sorry as it has deprived the Dead of your holy prayers, Father Neale and those of your dear flock, I take advantage of the first opportunity, which I have had since the melancholy event of the death of our beloved Revd Mother Mary Xaveria to comply with her request of writing to her most esteemed and valued friend
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Rev. Mother Clare. You will find in her Circulatory letter all the particulars of her sickness and truly happy death, which we doubt not was to her a Passage to a happy Immortality, but how shall I, my dear Mother, describe the loss we all and particularly myself have sustained in her, she has been from my first entrance into Religion the object of my esteem and most tender affection and has reciprocally ever entertained for me the most affectionate regard and since I have had the happiness to have her for my Superior, my heart has in a manner rested upon her, it has however pleased Our Blessed Lord, who is the Master of His own gifts to demand of me the sacrifice of her (perhaps the greatest He could have required) and I do not refuse Him the submission of mine to His ever holy and adorable Will, soon my Dear Revd Mother and we know not how soon we shall I hope be again reunited with her in the Bosom of our common Parent—I am assured her loss is a very great one and will be very heavily felt by you, who had for her so very sincere a friendship and affectionate attachment. How much I wish tho' I feel myself so incapable of it, that it were in my power to supply her loss to you, of this be assured, that my good will will never be wanting and that you may always command my friendship and poor prayers. Your dear departed friend did not receive your last letter but she very frequently spoke of you and always in terms the most affectionate, friendly and grateful, for the great comfort you have rendered her by your good advice etc., for which she desired me to return you her most grateful thanks and to say she hoped that you will have the goodness to pray for her dear departed soul and particularly Father N—in the holy Sacrifice of Mass, also to assure you, that if she found mercy with Almighty God she would not fail to beg His Divine Majesty to give you everything which can contribute to His own Glory and the good and happiness of you both and every blessing for your holy community.
Our dear Revd Mother begs a share in your holy Prayers and those of your beloved flock and begs her respects to your Revce and all that is most affectionate to each of our Dear and beloved Sisters; she will be very happy if you continue the favour to correspond with us as usual. I assure your Revce it will be a heartfelt comfort and consolation to us to find that you have received my letter. Sister Mary Frances, Sr. Ann Mary, Sr. Joseph Frances, Sr. Stanislaus, Sr. Mary Winefrid and Louise Teresa beg their humble respects to our worthy friend Father Neele and to your Revce, hope you enjoy good health and all kinds of blessings spiritual and temporal and humbly beg a share in his holy prayers repeating the same request to your Revce for our dear Reverend Mother and all the Comty. I remain Honord and dear Revd Mother with the most tender respect and affection,
Your most humble and obedient servant
LOUISE TERESA OF THE SACRED HEARTS.
C. unworthy,
De Bromver.
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This Sister was the last professed at the convent of Antwerp. She was a very useful and edifying member of the community, and died at Lanherne, Nov. 27th, 1840.
Lanherne.—Of our Convent of St. Joseph and St. Ann of the English Discalced Carmelites formerly of Antwerp, with all the sacred rites of our Holy Mother the Church, departed this life on the 27th of November 1840 our beloved Sister Louise Teresa of the S