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APPENDIX F.
DOCUMENTS.
Promises made by the Mother Foundresses of the Carmel of Maryland, on their Voyage to America.—(Copied from an old Document.)
“On the 7th of May 1790 apprehending ourselves, viz: Rev. Fr. C. Neale, Rev. Mother Bernardina, Claire Joseph, Mary Aloysia and Mary Eleanora to be in danger of perishing in a storm, made a promise to perform at our leisure when settled, the nine days devotion in honor of the nine months Our Blessed Lord remained in His Blessed Mother's womb, as also the ten Fridays in honor of St. Francis Xavier: this promise was made on the coast of Oussent, as may be seen in our Journal, this promise only regards us four nuns. On the 22nd meeting with great difficulties in getting into the port of Santa Cruce on account of contrary winds, we made the following promise to our Blessed Lady, viz: Daily to say a pair of Beads in her honor, requiring the same of all who shall enter amongst us (though without any obligation of sin) the same duty is to be performed by all who go from us to found any Monastery elsewhere.
On the 6th of June same year, in order to obtain a happy and safe arrival to our journey's end, we obliged ourselves once a year to make the six Sundays of St. Aloysius with all our community, to add St. Francis Xaverius and St. Aloysius as Patrons of the Noviceship, and every year during the octave of the Patrocinium of St. Joseph the whole community to say seven Pater Nosters and seven Ave Maria's in honor of that glorious Saint and Patron of our order.”1
Sermon by Father C. Neale, S. J.
A Sermon composed and Preached by the Reverend Father C. Neale, S. J., our worthy Director on ye Veiling Day of our First Professed, dear Sister Teresa of the Heart of Mary on the first day of May 1792.—
“In Exitu Israel de Egypto, Domus Jacob de Populo Barbaro. In the going out of Israel from Egypt the House of Jacob from a barbarous people.”
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1We have seen, Chapter VII, that Father Charles Neale said Mass on the voyage to America. The alter stone used on the occasion was one which had been taken to the convent of Hoogstraet, by a member of the old English family of Tunstall, who received the habit in that convent August 7th, 1694, taking the name of Catherine of Jesus.
The stone, which is very ancient in appearance, is set in a heavy oaken frame, and an inscription on it states that it is a most precious relic, for many of the English martyrs said Mass on it. It is now carefully preserved at the convent in Baltimore.
425
426 Appendixes.
Twenty years ago, like the Israelites, God's chosen people, we were kept in bondage, and like them, we were obliged to contribute to the building of Assembly houses from whence we were debarred if not by barbarous people, at least by barbarous laws & churches which our consciences did not permit us to frequent, besides many other grievances which are sufficiently fresh in our memories to make us grateful to the great Omnipotent Being, Who in His Paternal Mercy by the happy revolution of the Government in America, has drawn us out of our bondage, and restored us to our just rights both Civil and Religious. If we have reason to rejoice, you, who have consecrated yourself to God this day by Solemn Vows, have much greater cause of triumph. This day you have gone forth out of Egypt, a wicked world, a barbarous people, a protector of vice, an enemy to virtue and you have entered into Judea the land of promise where nothing but virtue is patronized. “Et facta est Judea sanctificatio ejus, et Israel potestas ejus.” This day, after a mature deliberation of nearly a year and a half, of your own free will, you have made to Almighty God the solemn Vows of voluntary Poverty, perpetual Chastity, and entire Obedience; and have obliged yourself to the strict observance of your holy rules and Constitutions.
You are the first who ever made these Solemn Vows in this country, which is a greater honor than I can express or you could in reason expect, but since it has pleased His Divine Majesty, to give you the preference in this respect, remember that He expects great things from you in return, for to whom much is given, from him much will be required. But what are the great things He expects from you? Nothing more nor less than the exact accomplishment of what, of your own free will, you have solemnly vowed unto Him. He expects as He gave you the preference, to so many others, that you will be a shining example of virtue to others who are to follow. Everything in a Religious state will conspire to make you virtuous, and nothing but prevarication can make you otherwise. If you prevaricate you will bring destruction on yourself. If you prove faithful, you will be crowned with everlasting happiness, which may God of His Infinite Goodness grant to us all. Amen.
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