Letter 163

From Quebec to her Son. 18 October 1654.
The same subject: those who want to advance in the Spiritual life must be ready for trials and temptations. Treachery of one Iroquois nation and the acceptance of the Faith by all the others.

My very dear and dearly beloved son,

The life and love of Jesus be your life and love for time and eternity. I have written to you by all the ships that have sailed. This is only a summary of the letters so that if they are lost you will have news of me by the last ship. I am sending the promised papers and confided them to Fr. de Lionnes to give them into your own hands. I ask you to keep them secret as you promised for I want nobody but yourself to see them. If you see any danger of such happening burn them or better for the peace of my mind send them back to me. You will find clarification of certain points that you ask me, if they reach you.

As for your problem. Don’t worry and don’t stop your acts of charity towards this good lady. Being new to the work it causes you trouble. Experience inures you to it. Even if it were to last your whole life you mustn’t cease to exercise charity. The devil doesn’t like the work and he resorts to all sorts of expedience to frighten souls. I know a holy man who is a martyr to this type of temptation but does not relax his efforts and pursues his way generously. You do the same for the love of God and the salvation of this soul. For the other problem that is exercising your mind; in one way it is a temptation and in another it is the work given you by God. You will find something like it in what I have written. You will see also how it worked out for me. We have to pass dear son, through many temptations and afflictions to reach the purity of body and soul that God demands of us, and for that, a great courage is needed, and one must be pitiless to self. Otherwise there is no advance in the ways of the spirit. All the saints passed through such in order to be saints. I do not count myself among the number because I am a great sinner but I beg you see what I have been through for the past seven years or more in different situations. It is not possible to live the spiritual life for long without such trials, and for my part you can believe that your interests are too dear to me, so there is no need to ask me to recommend them to our Good Jesus.

Physically I am well enough and do not feel the inconveniences of age very severely except my eyes are getting weaker. I use glasses with which I can see as well as when I was 25. They also ease my chronic headache which has considerably lessened. I have also become a little stout; people of my temperament do in this country where the humidity is greater than in France although the air is light and fresh. But we leave the body to the earth and give our mind to God. My very dear son. I have already written to you of the news of the country. Since then two of the Iroquois nations have quarreled because they asked for priests. One nation, the Agniers wanted Fr. Chaumonot to make an alliance with the Hurons but they were not accepting the Faith. The Annontageronons wanted the Hurons and the priests to make peace and they were ready to accept the Faith. The Hurons who were free did not want to get involved and promised both that they would visit them in time but they must have patience. They could not trust any of the Iroquois especially the infidels. A priest was sent to the Annontageronons with orders to visit the Agnerognons too but there wasn’t time for the second visit. He remained with the first group where many Iroquois nations had gathered ready for instruction in the Faith. The priest returned here with good news which caused great rejoicing. It was decided that he himself should return. On the way, the Agniers moved by jealousy, came to meet him pretending friendship but when they came within firing range they fired on the group. A Huron captain was killed, several Hurons wounded and others taken prisoner. A Huron captain who came safe said; “Brothers what have you done? I declare war on you”. But they didn’t care and turning to the priest they told him he had not the courage to have referred others to them. They had no quarrel with the French but would like to murder the Hurons and the Algonquins. Indeed they did their best to carry out this.

We have been told that it was not the elders of the Nation who inspired this attack. As a matter of fact they knew nothing about it. It was the work of the Dutch bastard. Being the son of a Dutch man and an Iroquois mother, he lived like an Iroquois, for their lands border New Holland. He is a fine looking man, clever and valiant, like a European but has no beard. Nearly 150 Hurons and Algonquins gave him chase. If these attack him he’s finished because he is an unfortunate opposed to the Faith and to peace.

But to return to the priest, he continued his journey as far as Montreal. As soon as he arrived the other Iroquois nations sent him a deputation with compliments and presents. They protested anew their desire to believe in God and begged him to arrange that his brothers would come to instruct them. They gave him a special present to convince him to open his eyes and to consider well what they were going to do to the Agniers to avenge the insult to him. That’s the state of affairs but as you have so well remarked you cannot trust the Indians especially the non- Christians. Although you get on well with them, you cannot be off your guard. The Fathers come and go among these people but they never really trust them. Pray to the God of peace that He will give peace to you and me and to all these people. From Him only can we expect it. The World cannot give it.

From Quebec. 18 October 1654.
Kelly, Sr M. St. Dominic, O.S.U. Marie of the Incarnation 1599 - 1672 Correspondence, (translated from the French edition by Dom Guy Oury Monk of Solesmes), Irish Ursuline Union, 2000, p. 210 - 211.