The Catholic World, Vol. 06, October, 1867 to March, 1868.Various
Religion
The Catholic World, Vol. 06, October, 1867 to March, 1868.
Various
Catholic Church -- Periodicals
She was now desired to set out for Russia, and thus undertake
another long journey of discomfort and fatigue. People urged her
to leave the order, saying that the weakness of her knee, which
had never wholly recovered from the fall she had had many years
before, would render it impossible for her to be useful. She
replied that, if she were only allowed to keep the lamp burning
before the blessed sacrament, she would be contented. So she set
out for Orcha, the town named by the emperor for their reception.
It proved a really terrible journey; sometimes the religious had
to sleep under the open sky; they had the roughest food, and more
than once were without any for twenty-four hours. But never once
did the patience, sweetness, and perfect content of Louise de
Condé fail; her face was always bright, for her whole soul was
filled with the one thought--a desire of doing penance. The
arrival in Russia did not put an end to the difficulties of
either Madame Louise or her order. It was necessary to make some
arrangement for the rest of the community left in Germany. The
Emperor Paul finally agreed to receive fifty. Dom Augustin
accordingly went to fetch them. During his absence no
communication could be held with him, while various offers of
help, which had to be accepted or refused, were brought to the
princess, embarrassing her greatly.
After ten months of this suspense Dom Augustin returned, having
made up his mind to go to _America_. This was a severe blow
to Madame Louise; for, being still a novice, it became a grave
question whether she would, in such circumstances, be right in
accompanying them, and after much prayer and thought she, by the
counsel of her director, decided to leave. Once more was she to
be driven out into the cold world; once more her heart's desire
crossed, her hopes delayed indefinitely. "I thought that God
willed in his justice to break my heart, and thus arrest its
impetuous ardor.
{114}
I had once more to strip myself of the livery of the Lord, which
had been my glory and my happiness. I did it, and did _not_
die, that is all I can say." Before her departure she implored
the emperor, and all over whom she had any personal influence, to
continue their kindness to the order. In reality, it was a good
thing for the order that Madame Louise quitted it, as events
afterward proved. One of the very first communities allowed by
Bonaparte to reenter France was this very one, and he certainly
would not have done so had a Bourbon been in its ranks. It is
true his favor was but short-lived, and the Trappists had again
to fly to America, but their return to France had been in many
ways a benefit; and in 1815 they came back again, and established
themselves at Belle Fontaine and at Meillerage. The latter house
has long since become celebrated. Dom Augustin reached Rome, and
received many marks of approval from the pope for his long and
earnest struggle in the cause of his order. He died at Lyons in
1827.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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