Goodbye Maduré - 1865-1878 - Part 3
In August 1876, Pope Pius IX had set a deadline of one year to see if it would be possible to restore the relationship between the Jesuits and the Reparatrixes in Maduré. Several months beyond the deadline had passed, so the sisters could have thought that their mission was secure. That was not the case!
In August 1878 Mgr. Canoz wrote to P. Rubillon, SJ assistant of France: “The moment seems appropriate to me to propose to them to abandon the Mission of Maduré, or if that is too painful, to suppress the daily adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. … If they object that they cannot renounce one of the important principles of their Institute, it would be necessary to assume that their Congregation is not meant to be in the mission, and they should leave Maduré.”
Let us recall that Emilie had died February 22, 1878. Marie de Ste. Maurice was elected general superior by the General Chapter that took place in Toulouse, France from May 29 to July 4,1878.
Our sisters served two more years in Tuticorin and Trichinopoly, M. de St. Maurice tried to negotiate with the Jesuits to no avail. She wrote a long letter to the congregation dated July 16, 1881, announcing the closing of the Mission of Maduré: “The work of the apostle is completed by their immolation of soul and heart. If the field opened by our zeal has been diminished at this time, rather than letting our zeal diminish, we shall be guided by a greater charity, by a broader abnegation of ourselves to accomplish more fully the spiritual apostolate that has no limits of time or place, and where hidden action is not less real or efficient in advancing the reign of God.”
Our sisters left as soon as they could despite the sorrow of the Christians of Trichinopoly and Tuticorin who sent telegrams to M. de St. Maurice and to Pope Leo XIII.
The sisters of Trichinopoly left September 29, 1881. The community of Tuticorin waited for the death of a member of the community who was extremely ill. They left at the beginning of January 1882.
*These are the names of the twenty sisters who signed a collective letter addressed to Pope Pius IX on June 19, 1876, justifying their actions:
Choir Religious :
M. de St. Michel (Gabrielle Chamagne)
M. de Ste. Therese (Therese Bouix)
M. de St. Philippe (Amelia Bennett)
M. de Ste. Veronique (Marie Josephine de Guigne)
M. de St. Denis (Cécile Nérac)
M. de la Passion (Helene de Chappotin)
M. du Saint Esprit (Marie d’Erceville)
M. de Saint Jean Baptiste (Sophie de Villèle)
M. de Saint Sébastien (Amelie Couturier)
M. de Saint Alban (Grace Pickles)
M. Emmanuel (Emmeline Morange)
M. de Sainte Celine (Julie Fève) *
M. du Bienheureux Ignace Fernandez (Emma Van Melkebeke)
M. du Cœur Immacule (Isabel Guigne)
M. de la Santa Casa (Elodie Faciolle), novice.
Coadjutrice Sisters :
M. des Saints Anges (Guillermine Mahon)
M. de la Bienheureux Jean de Brito (Amelie Nedelec)
M. de la Sainte Famille (Flore Degobert)
M. de Sainte Damien (Eleonor Malet)
M. de Saint Frix (Pauline Roques)
Julie Fève (M. de Sainte Celine}, asked to return to SMR several months after the scission. She had to repeat her novitiate and made her vows taking the name of M. de Saint Hydulphe. M. de la Paix, a novice had left, but a few days later changed her mind and asked to be readmitted.
Concepción González Cánovas, smr
conce_gonzalez@comcast.net
Sources:
The Life of Mother Mary of Jesus. Emilia d’Oultremont Baroness d’Hooghvorst, 1818-1878; Peter Suau, SJ. 1913.
Présentation Historique de la Société de Marie Réparatrice (1818-1953). Henri de Gensac, SJ. Rome, 1992. Text and photos.