History of SMR: Emilie’s Last Four Years of Life-Part 1
It has been a while since I researched and wrote the last issue about the beginnings of our dear Congregation. These days, finding myself having some extra time I felt called to write again. The last story ended with the death of Mary of St. Victor, Emilie’s elder daughter, and the execution of Fr. Olivaint SJ, friend and supporter of our Congregation.
1874-1878
On 12/28/1873 Emilie went to Rome to visit the community. The Jesuits, who usually heard the confessions of the sisters, had had to leave Rome by order of the Italian Government. Our sisters had to look for a new confessor as a result. They found Fr. Pierre Semenko, a member of the Congregation of the Resurrectionist.
Emily attended a presentation he gave to the community about the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. While listening to him, she felt he would be able to understand and help her.
Emilie wrote that day in her journal: “I asked the vicar to give powers to P. Semenenko so that I could then ask him to take care of my soul; he accepted. From January 1st, 1874, the first time he heard my confession, I began to experience again the life of my Lord in my soul.”
Emilie wrote to Fr. Ginhac SJ, her long-time spiritual director to share with him how “her soul began to live again in God.” He answered: “What you tell me of your dear soul makes me bless Our Lord … Do everything that Fr. Semenenko recommends. Tell him everything, write for him all that he wishes to know about your whole life; but above all, about the years in which you underwent the greatest trials. What a grace God conferred on you in bringing you into contact with so worthy a Priest”. (Photo: Fr. Ginhac, SJ and Fr. Semenko, CR)
The return of the interior happiness during this time didn’t have a spectacular effect on her physical health. However, she did experience an increase in energy, that allowed her to have a period of intense activity. She traveled around Europe to visit the communities. When she returned to Brussels in January 1875, the sisters realized that she was exhausted. Emilie knew that she had to rest and agreed to be examined by a doctor who prescribed some medications which helped Emilie.
On the 20th of October the doctor wrote to the members of the General Council, “The health of Madame the Baroness d`Hooghvorst has responded very well. The fever has disappeared as has the inflammation of the liver. She must follow the treatment that we have prescribed: She should avoid physical and mental fatigue, emotions, and worries.”
The family sufferings could not be avoided. During these years, her two brothers died. Charles, who was the younger, died in Presles on the 9th of July 1874; he was 55 years old. Theodore, the older brother born in 1815, had a painful death. Due to cerebral congestion, he suffered the loss of his mental faculties. He died at Warfusee the 8th of October 1895.
Influence and doubts about Fr. Semenenko
On his way to Rome after visiting the SMR Communities in Northern France and Belgium, Father Semenenko visited the community of Toulouse, France. On December 10th, 1871, he wrote in his journal, “Conversation with Mother Superior Marie de Saint Maurice. We talked about the letter that the General Superior wants to write to the whole congregation explaining the difference between the method recommended in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and what she wants to propose to the Congregation. I asked M. Mary of Jesus to wait for a while before sending the letter, but I explained to the sisters the difference between the two spiritualities. They realized that I was correct.”
In January 1872, Mother M. de St. Maurice writes in a letter to M. de Saint Louis Gonzaga:
“I read again your letter; you ask what the content of this famous circular shall be… I will tell you in a few words, “Explain to all that according to the lights received, and experiences, that the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius cannot be a guide to every soul, that the true spirit of the Society is not only the spirit of the Exercises. Our life demands more contemplation, abandonment, intimate love, and less reasoning, etc. At the beginning of religious life, one could follow them, but later on one shall follow the way of union, the more one follows, the more one possess the Spirit of the Congregation. That will mark our souls.” Marie the St. Maurice who was Assistant of the Community of Rome from 1871 to 1874, followed the spiritual doctrine of Fr. Semenenko for a few years.
Several sisters of the Community of Rome were directees of Fr. Semenenko, among them, the whole General Counsel. But in France and Belgium a spirit of doubt began to spread. They were afraid that Semenenko would diminish or even eliminate some aspects of the Ignatian Spirituality that they considered essential to maintaining the original identity of the Society. Realizing this, Semenenko was careful in his contacts with the different communities. He wrote to Emily about his visit to the Community of Calais, “I was very well received by M. of St. Louis Gonzaga, who was very polite and gracious. She asked me to talk to the community, but I had not prepared anything for this, she asked the whole community to gather, and I talked to them about Rome, you, etc. My visit with M. de Sait Louis Gonzaga was pleasant, but we never touched any intimate issues, this was totally closed…”
On October 27, 1876, Emilie traveled from Belgium to Paris, then to Le Mans and Nantes. Despite growing fatigue, she received all the sisters that wanted to talk with her. When she arrived in Toulouse, she had to stay there for several days to recover from pleurisy.
Emilie wrote in her Spiritual Journal: “During those days I felt so sick that I thought I was going to die. My soul remained in peace.”
“Regarding Our Lord, he kept me close to Him, but I felt I had no taste, no life, everything I did for him was an act of pure faith.”
Once she recuperated a little, she traveled to Rome where she arrived on December 23. There she enjoyed a month of peace. This did not last long because she learned of a duel between her son Edmond and a cousin. Soon after learning this, she suffered paralysis on her left side on the 24 of February 1877.
Emilie had wanted to visit the communities in Belgium, France, and perhaps England, but her travels ended in Paris. On October 10 she traveled back to Rome where she arrived on the 19th. Shortly after her arrival, one of the Assistant Generals told her that she had asked Fr. Semenenko not to come anymore. She told Emilie that she would have to change the Spiritual Director!
Emily decided not to oppose the General Council, but as a result her health suffered.
Dr. Ceccarelli prescribed that Emilie should go to Belgium where the climate was milder.
Concepción González Cánovas, smr, author
Veronica Blake, smr, editor and photo assistant
Sources:
Présentation Historique de la Société de Marie Réparatrice (1818-1953). Henri de Gensac, SJ. Rome, 1992.
The Life of Mother Mary of Jesus. Emilia d’Oultremont Baroness d’Hooghvorst, 1818-1878; Peter Suau, SJ. 1913.