Letter 175

My very dear son,

The life and love of Jesus be our life and love. I got very good news of the Iroquois Missions which I want to share with you. I heard three days ago that the Faith is making progress. Fr. Mesnard alone has baptised 400 people. The other Missionaries have baptised a proportionate number where they are working. The devil is enraged by these beginnings and fears for the future. He has raised trouble to destroy what the Fathers are building up. He has got the young people naturally war-like and troublesome to attack the Christians and do them as much injury as they can. As they dare not yet attack their own nation, they throw themselves on the Hurons, their ancient enemies. They have killed thirteen of them young and old and taken forty other prisoners. The elders are very much displeased but the young men are not afraid of them and there are no police.

As regards our Monastery I wrote to our mothers in Tours about two sisters of our Congregation to be met in Brittany to be sent to us by the next convoy. I thanked them for this year on account of certain changes that have happened in our house and particularly our great losses (a hurricane destroyed their farm). It is true I appreciate the advice which you offer us about sisters coming from France and that girls from this country would be better able to absorb our spirit than others who bring a different spirit. All that is true and we have tried it but there are not enough subjects in this country yet. They marry very young or they haven’t a vocation or they cannot get enough to live on which is absolutely necessary, our Community being very poor and unable to receive choir sisters without dowries. As regards the converse sisters we have received three or four without anything and this obliges us to turn to France. Besides for the present we need persons who are trained and able to serve in the various offices in the house instead of novices for whom we have to wait a long time and in the end be unsure that they have the talents necessary. Last year we asked for two, one from each Congregation. The sister from Paris was ready but the sister from Tours failed us. It wasn’t our doing and our sisters in Tours cannot blame us for want of affection. We have five professed here; one from Canada and the others came from France in secular dress. We have at present two novices and two of our boarders have asked to come. We have four professed of the Congregation of Paris and though we have come from different places we live together as if we came from the same Congregation and the same House under Mother St. Athanasius who has succeeded me in office. But whatever union we have together if we find suitable subjects in this country we will not ask for any from France, for the good of our Community and to avoid the inconveniences of which you speak which are real and true. But God is the Master of all and our real Superior and it is for Him to provide the necessities of His community and to seek the subjects that please Him to fit His designs in this end of the world.

From Quebec. 15 Oct.1657.