Qualities of a good superior

Front matter

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<:^jaLiTrES- OF

GOOD SUPERIOR

Preface

The Ven. Father Champagnat, founder of the Little Brothers of Mary, was a model superior. He trained rude, ignorant country boys to be holy religious, excellent teachers and prudent and wise superiors. After his death one of his disciples collected together his practical instructions to the Brother Directors of his Institute, and interweaving them with what he had observed in his holy founder's manner of governing, published them under the title of " Le bon Superieur, ou les Qualites d'un bon Frere Directeur." It is our firm conviction that there is no better or more practical work on this subject. We have translated and adapted it for all superiors entrusted with the care of governing others. We have added the eighteenth chapter from another collection of Father Champagnat's instructions, under the title of " Sentences, Lecons, Avis du Ven. Pere Champagnat." To enhance the value of the work, we have added an Appendix containing matter on the duties, etc., of superiors from the works of several saints and masters of the spiritual life.

It is our jhumble opinion, as well as that of several competent judges, that this work will prove useful not merely to superiors of religious communities and to the clergy, who as confessors or ecclesiastical superiors, have the direction of convents, but also to every priest, to every one having charge of souls or governing others. In it they will find clearly delin-

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eated their duties, the virtues they should practise as superiors, and the manner of governing well.

May our Lord Jesus Christ, the Model of all superiors, bless this work and render it profitable to all who will read it.

The Compiler.

Chapter II. First Quality of a good Superior. — Good Judgment . . ■ , 15

Section i. A reasonable superior governs his subjects as he himself would wish to be governed 19

Section 2. A reasonable superior is strict towards himself, and lenient towards his subjects 21

Section 3. A reasonable superior is very reserved in speech, and most conscientiously keeps secrets ... 24

Section 6. A reasonable superior acknowledges and respects the rights of his brethren 30

Section 7. A reasonable superior loves to be counseled, admonished and corrected by his brethren .... 31

Section 8. A reasonable superior loves all his brethren equally, treats them all equally well, and has no predilection for any 36

Section p. The good superior's love for his brethren is the offspring of reason rather than of feeling .... 38

Section jo. A reasonable superior knows that souls of exalted virtue are rare, that the world is full of ordinary and imperfect souls, and that he has at his disposal only weak instruments for doing good .... 39

Section 11. A reasonable superior always proportions the tasks to each one's strength and capacity 45

Section 12. A reasonable superior draws from each one, not what he wishes, but what he can 46

Section 13. A reasonable superior is easily satisfied; he often gives sweetmeats to his subjects 53

Section 14. A reasonable superior does not indulge in anger and scolding; on his countenance are always affability and calm — the habitual disposition of great souls 56

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Section 15. A reasonable superior has a broad mind; he is neither a naturahst nor over just 58

Section 16. A reasonable superior becomes all to all, is ingenious in taking all forms to win his subjects to Jesus Christ 62

Section 17. A reasonable superior is frank, and dissembles not from his subjects the faults he perceives in them 64

Section 18. A reasonable superior never judges a brother, without previously examining his case himself ... 67

Section 19. A reasonable superior condemns no one without a hearing, were the accuser even an angel ... 69

Section 20. A reasonable superior never administers reproofs on the spot, and much less when he is in bad humor, or the culprit is irritated 72

Section 21. A reasonable superior always proportions the reprimand to the fault committed y^

Section 22. A reasonable superior fears not to yield even to his subjects on certain occasions 74

Section 23. A reasonable superior bears with what he cannot correct yy

Section 24. The reasonable and solidly virtuous superior daily addresses to God this prayer of the royal prophet: " Thou art my lamp, O Lord ; and Thou, O Lx)rd, wilt enlighten my darkness" (2 Kings 22, 29), that is, O Lord, give me an upright mjnd, a docile heart to follow the counsels, the directions of my superiors ; in a word, grant me prudence, that I may not wander from the right path, either to the left, or to the right, and may my light enlighten my brethren " 78

Section 25. A reasonable superior walks at the head of his community, and always gives good example in piety, regular observance and in all the virtues 82

Chapter IIL Second Quality of a Superior. — Piety . 83

Chapter V. Fourth Quality of a Good Superior. — Holiness, OR, at least, solid virtue 105

Section i. The superior stands in need of holiness, or solid virtue, that he may in all things give good example to his subjects 105

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Section 2. Good example is the shortest and most effective means of leading our neisfhbor to God .... 106 Section 3. Terrible influence of bad example .... 109 Section 4. The superior should be holy, in order to inspire virtue to his subjects 112

Section i. The superior should be humble, because he is raised above others 131

Section 2. A superior must be humble, that he may please God, deserve His graces and become in His hands a fit instrument of His glory 132

Section S- A superior should be humble, that he may imitate Jesus Christ and the saints 136

Section 4. A superior should be humble, that he may please men and win their esteem and confidence . . . 138

Chapter XII. The Duty of Correction 174

Section l. Correction is one of the superior's duties . . 174

Section 2. Fraternal correction is a proof of friendship 176

Section 3. Correction is a difficult duty 178

Section 4. The superior should support with patience and without becoming discouraged, the defects and faults

of his subjects 181

Chapter XIII. Precautions to Insure the Success of Correction 185

First Precaution. Prepare the correction 185

Second Precaution. \Vait for the calm 187

Third Precaution. Punish as little as possible, and choose

the most opportune time for administering correction i88 vili CONTENTS

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Fourth Precaution. Never show anger or irritation

against the culprit 190

Fifth Precaution. Never punish the culprit until he has

been previously admonished or heard in his defense . 192

Sixth Precaution. To have due consideration .... 194 Seventh Precaution. The superior should testify respect

and esteem for the culprit 198

Eighth Precaution. Be brief 200

Ninth Precaution. To condescend to the weaknesses of

those we correct 201

Appendix

I. A few hints to superiors 259

II. Some traits of St. Ignatius Loyola as superior . . . 260

III. St. Alphonsus on the obligations of superiors . . . 261

Section l. His maxims as superior 262

Section 2. His directions to superiors 263

IV. St. Gerard's Advice to a Superior 265

V. Advice, etc., of other saints and holy persons to superiors 267

1. St. Catharine of Ricci 267

2. St, Frances de Chantal 267

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3. St. Veronica Giuliani 267

4. Ven. Anna of Xainctonge 268

5. Ven. Mother Emily de Rodat 268

6. Ven. Father Joseph Passerat, C.SS.R 269

7. Father Bourdaloue, SJ 269

8. Mgr. de la Motte, bishop of Amiens 269

VI. Father Balthasar Alvarez, S.J., on superiors . . . 270

VII. Some sayings and maxims of Mother Mary of St.

Joseph concerning superiors 275

VIII. Rev. Father B. Valuy, S.J. — Summary of his work

The Formation, or training of subjects 291

Who is eligible as superior? 294

Introduction

The Venerable Father Champagnat, the holy Founder of the Little Brothers of Mary, had a remarkable vision, which, in his humility, he called a dream. He beheld an army of stalwart men, dressed partly as religious and partly as soldiers passing alongside the mother-house of his Congregation, each one endeavoring to detach and carry away a stone from it. The walls, thus pierced in many places, soon began to split and crumble, the roof fell in and the whole structure lay in a mass of ruins. " In vain," he said, " did I strive to induce them to stop their destructive work, but each one replied that one stone more or less was of no consequence to the building and would not impair its solidity.'' When these men had reached the middle of the garden, they threw the stones they had taken at the heads of the younger brothers working there, and killed many. They then continued their march along the river, and were soon lost to view in a dark, misty valley leading to a frightful abyss.

Father Champagnat, having related this vision, gave it the following explanation. The stalwart men, half religious and half soldiers, signify the worldly-minded superiors, who, having lost the spirit of their state, open the door to abuses and do away with all restraint. The abuses which careless superiors introduce or allow to creep into their communities, will

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gradually undermine the religious spirit of their subjects and cause the downfall of the Institute, just as the quantity of the detached stones caused the building to crumble and become a mass of ruins. Those who threw the stones at the heads of the young religious, indicate the superiors lacking in zeal for the regular observance, who allow their subjects to do as they like, make no account of the Rule, and by their evil example destroy the vocation and the souls of those entrusted to them. " If ever our Institute perishes," Father Champagnat concluded, " it will be through the neglect and bad example of worldly-minded superiors, who fail to see that their first duty is to maintain the strict observance of the Rule. Hence good superiors are the support and glory of the Congregation, and the bad. ones are its disgrace and ruin. It is then a matter of the utmost importance to form good superiors, to appoint as such only persons of solid virtue." To train good superiors, he made use of four principal means.

1. In the first place, he would frequently confer with each superior, requiring of him a detailed account of his administration, of the difficulties he encountered both in and out of the community, and then he would teach him how to overcome them and derive profit from them.

2. Secondly, he would take counsel of the principal brothers. In fact, he never did anything of importance without previously conferring with them and asking their advice. He thus Initiated them into the affairs and rules of the Institute, rectified their views, developed their judgment, enabled them to acquire experience and to treat and judge matters intelligently.

3. Thirdly, each superior had to write to him

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every two months, to give an account of the affairs of his house, of the conduct of his subjects and of the state of the school and to ask his directions as to unforeseen occurrences.

4. Finally, during the two months of vacation, he would give the superiors frequent conferences on governing a community, on its temporal administration and on teaching and directing schools. He would treat minutely of the virtues necessary to a good superior, of the means of acquiring them, and of the duties of teachers and the manner of fulfilling them. The following are the leading thoughts of his conferences, which he developed with all his energy.

As the head imparts to the body all its influences, both good and bad, so the superior, who is the moral head of the community, Imparts to his subjects his spirit, his dispositions, his defects and his virtues, for he can give only what he himself possesses. A superior, who Is pious, regular, humble, charitable and animated with the spirit of Jesus Christ, will communicate to his subjects his piety and his other virtues. But a superior who Is worldly, vain, irregular, will Inoculate his subjects with his fallings and defects.

As the graft is to the tree, so Is the superior to his community. A good graft brings forth good fruit; a poor graft produces only wild and sour fruits. Hence the adage: As the tree, so the fruit; as the superior, so the community.

The superior Is the mirror of his community, for they look at his conduct to conform theirs to his. The community is the faithful echo of the superior. Hence the superior should give them a good example, and be able to say to them with St. Paul : " Be ye my imitators, as I am of Christ." (i Cor. 4.16.)

XIV INTRODUCTION

The superior Is the principal clock of the house. A religious community needs two clocks, the one, mechanical, to keep the time and regulate the exercises, and the other, a living one, a superior, exact in the regular observance, to preside and be the first everywhere, and to cause punctuality and fidelity to reign in all things. If the latter clock is out of order, the former, however excellent it may be in itself, will be of no avail, and disorder will reign in the convent.

A good superior draws subjects to the Institute. When God wishes to withdraw a youth from the world and make him a living image of Jesus Christ, He entrusts him to a good superior, sends him to a well-regulated convent, full of fervor and of the religious virtues. A good superior preserves and trains the subjects and supplies his Institute with a nursery of holy religious. But a negligent and irregular superior repels good subjects, and God does not care to entrust them to him. Woe to those who are under the guidance of such a one! Scandalized by his evil example, abandoned to themselves, without regular observance, their piety and their love for their vocation will weaken; their good dispositions will be lost, and they will run the risk of becoming worse than their superior and losing their vocation.

When we read in the lives of the saints or in Church history that certain religious orders or communities greatly edified the Church by the practice of all the virtues of their state, we also see that they had a holy superior to govern them. On the contrary, history tells us that careless and Irregular superiors are always found at the head of relaxed and ruined religious orders and communities.

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When God wishes to bless a community, He gives it a holy superior, and when He wishes to punish it. He suffers it to have a bad superior. A pious, regular, fervent superior, who faithfully performs all his duties. Is a real treasure for a religious community; but its scourge is the superior devoid of zeal for the regular observance. Such a community Is not an asylum for virtue, nor a harbor of salvation, but a place of hidden shoals and shipwreck. The superior has as many imitators of his conduct as he has members In his community. Hence great Is the good or the evil he does, and great also is his reward or his punishment. Our divine Saviour utters woes against those who scandalize the little ones ! But far greater Is the woe against the superior who scandalizes a religious community, composed of choice souls, predestined and called to a higher perfection. God, as judge, will justly impute to him the faults of his subjects.

The Council of Trent holds that a religious house totters and menaces ruin, when the virtues that ought to adorn the subjects are not found in the superior, for just as the superior's virtue and good government promote the virtues and holiness of the subjects, so also the negligence and bad example of the superior are responsible for the defects and Irregularity of the community.

The holy founders of religious orders understood these truths, and, therefore, laid down very wise rules to Insure good superiors for their communities. St. Ignatius, besides Indicating the virtues a superior should possess, requires that an admonltor should be given him to watch over his conduct and his administration, to admonish him of his faults and shortxvl INTRODUCTION

comings, to give him advice, and, if necessary, to report any serious irregularity on his part to the General of the Society. St. John Baptist de la Salle, founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, considered the Brother Directors as the pillars of his Institute, and said that it was only in the communities having good superiors at their head, that there reigned the regular observance, piety and zeal for the education of children. To obtain good superiors he prescribed special prayers and the Thursday holy Communion.

St. Francis de Sales was very slovv^ in making new foundations, for he feared they would oblige him to entrust their government to Incompetent persons. His motto was: " Few, but good." Good subjects are priceless, and can never be too greatly esteemed. The whole strength and power of a religious order lies in the quality, and not in the quantity of its members. St. John Chrysostom says we should weigh, and not count the subjects. St. Ignatius said on his death-bed: "If I desired my life prolonged. It would be that I might be more watchful In the choice of subjects."

Seeing how greatly the Congregation of the Little Brothers of Mary was being developed, some one remarked to Father Champagnat: "What grand things you would do, if you had a few hundred thousands of francs at your disposal ! " " If divine Providence would give us fifty good brothers," replied Father Champagnat, " we would do far greater things, for we need good subjects more than money. I pray daily for more good brothers."

St. Francis de Sales says it is better that religious Institutes should grow by the roots of virtue than

INTRODUCTION xvii

by the branches of foundations. Some of them have been ruined by spreading out too rapidly, for it is not easy to find men competent by their intelligence, good judgment and virtue to govern new foundations. Often, whilst intending and striving to build up, we pull down, and, instead of increasing, we diminish the divine glory. A great multitude often creates confusion, hence the prophet Isaias says (9.3) : " Thou hast multiplied the nation, and hast not increased the joy" (i.e. the fruit). Therefore the saint's motto : " Few, but good." " This," said Father Champagnat, " should be our rule. Rather train a few holy religious, than multiply our foundations. Let us have few convents, but a holy superior in each one."

Section i. What Idea We Should Have of a Good Superior

1. The superior is the representative of God and the depository of His authority. All power, all authority is from God. The superior does not represent God on account of his age, science or personal capacity, but simply because he has been canonically elected or appointed.

2. The superior is a father. God is every thing in our regard; He is our Creator, our Preserver, our Lord, our Master, our Judge; but He is especially pleased to show Himself a father to us. In delegating His authority to our superior. He wishes him to show himself in a particular manner as our father, in order to manifest to us the divine attribute in which He most delights — His goodness, for He is Goodness itself. Hence He confers on him whom He institutes as superior, all the qualities of a father, — love, kindness, indulgence, charity and something of that inexhaustible fund of goodness, which induces us to call Him the Father of mercies, the treasure and source of all good. God's acts have two effects; — they confer the thing itself, or the dignity, and the spirit, or the qualities of the dignity. Hence in be-

I stowing on us a father in the person of our superior, He also confers on him all the qualities of a good and tender father. A good father lives, labors, sacrifices himself and gives all for the welfare of his children.

3. The superior Is the channel of grace to his community. Through the superior God imparts to them the graces of direction, of protection, and the spirit of their state.

4. The superior is a sure and faithful guide. He Instructs his subjects In their religious duties, teaches them how to discover their passions and defects, points out to them the deceits and snares of the devil, trains them In virtue. In the spirit of their vocation, in the discharge of their office, and leads them In the way of perfection, solid piety and the Interior life.

5. The superior Is the guardian of the Rule. His first duty as superior Is to look after the faithful observance of the Rule, and to maintain In his subjects the religious spirit, the peculiar virtues of their Institute, to perfect them daily, to strive to conquer In himself and In them whatever is opposed to religious perfection. He Is the living Rule, that is, he should be a perpetual and perfect model of regularity and virtue, so that his subjects may need only to look at him to know what they should do to conform to the maxims of Jesus Christ, and to live according to the spirit of their state In order to become perfect religious. What was said of St. Aloyslus, should be applicable to every superior, viz: If the Rule and Constitutions were lost, they could be found again in his conduct. The superior Is the living Rule also, inasmuch as he is endowed with the authority to enforce Its observance on all his subjects. By virtue of this authority the superior, according to Father Champagnat, has seven functions.

1. First, he has the power to command and to teach. It is, then, his right and his duty to give directions to his subjects, to instruct and train them, to explain the Rule, to grant necessary dispensations therefrom, to determine its meaning and application in accordance with the spirit and customs of the Institute.

2. Secondly, the superior is empowered to direct his subjects in the way marked out by the Rule, in the employments imposed by obedience, in the practice of virtue, and in all the exercises of the com^- munity.

3. The superior is authorized to watch in order to ward off evils and whatever may prove injurious to any particular individual or to the whole community. He should consider these words as addressed to himself: "Keep this man; and if he shall slip away, thy life shall be for his life " (3 Kings 20.39).

4. The superior is bound to keep and maintain his subjects in the discharge of their duties and in the spirit and end of their vocation.

5. It behooves the superior to provide with a tender solicitude for the spiritual and corporal wants of every individual of the community, so that the individual members, being relieved of such cares, may devote all their time and attention to their sanctification and the performance of their tasks.

6. It pertains to the superior to secure the rights of each one, and to have due respect shown to the officials, to protect the weak against the strong, the oppressed against the oppressor.

7. The superior is empowered to correct and punish leniently and charitably the faults and defects of the good, and more severely the habitual violators of the Rule, who disturb peace in the community and promote abuses, for it should be said of him that he does not carry in vain the sword of authority.

The superior among his subjects is like the head in regard to the other members of the body. Each member or organ has its own peculiar function. The head, connected with all the senses, predominates over all of them, governs and directs them, transmits to them motion and life at will. The head has no special function, so that it may provide for the wants of the other members, for it is necessary for all, since it sees, hears, breathes, tastes, speaks for all. Such also is the action of the superior in regard to his subjects. He watches over their souls as being to give an account of them to the Lord.

In instituting the superior, God speaks to him as did Pharaoh to Joseph, when placing him over Egypt : " This community I entrust to you is like a kingdom in which I will keep the first place and the sovereign authority; but you are next after Me, My representative, and no one shall do or undertake any thing except by your orders. I delegate to you My power, and those in need of counsel and help shall have recourse to you. It is your duty to watch, command, instruct, correct, direct, encourage and console them in My name. If you are faithful and correspond with My designs over you, you shall receive all the light, help and graces to fulfil easily your duties as superior." What glory and honor for a man to be thus made God's help and coadjutor, and to co-operate with Him in the salvation and sanctification of men I

Section 2. What a Religious Owes to His Superior

1. Since the superior is the representative of God's authority, the subject should respect him, that is, he should, first, have a high opinion of him and esteem for him. " To obey our superior is of little consequence," says St. Bernard, " if we do not sincerely esteem him.'' We ought rather to recall his virtues and good qualities than think on his shortcomings. " It is the duty of a good religious," says St. Laurence Justinian, " to believe that no one is more virtuous or more able, more competent to govern than his superior; if he does not think so, he will soon lose confidence in his superior, and become the sport of the devil's temptations." But if the superior has defects, should this be a reason to refuse him the respect due him? By no means, for it is our duty to respect our superior, not on account of his sanctity or natural gifts, but because he is God's representative in our regard. The imperfect or ignorant superior is God's representative as well as the saintly and highly gifted superior. He who would venerate a crucifix only on account of its beauty or costly material, and refuse to venerate a wooden one, would be wanting' in faith, and would dishonor Jesus Christ Himself hanging on it for our salvation. Hence he who would fail to revere a superior because of his failings and lack of learning and ability, would be wanting in faith, for he would fail to recognize him as the representative of God Himself.

2. Secondly, we should always speak of our superior with respect and esteem. St. Bernard requires, in addition to this^ that we endeavor to keep up respect and esteem for the superior in the minds of our companions; hence we must refrain from speaking ill of him, or listening to others doing so. Detraction of superiors is a serious fault, destructive of obedience, the good spirit and childlike piety, without which there can be no real virtue.

3. Thirdly, we should never object or talk back to our superior, when he gives us a command or an admonition. Seneca says that contending with an equal is suspicious, with an inferior, evil, and with a superior, insolent and shameful. The Holy Ghost admonishes us to listen, see, and be silent.

4. Fourthly, we should revere, honor, respect all that pertains to or comes from our superior, such as — his words, orders, writings and even his reproofs, receiving all from him as coming from God Himself. We should not, observes St. Bonaventure, attend to what strikes our senses, but consider all that comes from our superior as a remedy for our spiritual ills, as an antidote to our temptations. — St. Teresa was wont to look upon her superior as her visible God. Another saint used to call her superior her Christ. Father Bartholomew Islas called his superior his Jesus Christ on earth. St. Francis Xavier so greatly revered his superior, St. Ignatius, that he would read only on his knees the letters he received from him. St. Maurus so revered St. Benedict, that he ordered a letter he had received from him to be buried with him. St. Teresa so respected her superior, that she would never sit down where her superior had been seated.

The next thing we owe to our superior as God's representative in our regard, is faith. This implies that I. we must believe that he holds God's place and represents Jesus Christ; 2. that God speaks or commands through him, since our divine Saviour says: " He that heareth you, heareth Me "; 3. that when we respect, honor and obey our superior, we respect, honor and obey Jesus Christ Himself; 4. that we offend Jesus Christ whenever we fail in our duty towards our superior, for He says expressly: "He that despiseth you, despiseth Me"; 5. that all that proceeds from obedience is most advantageous and perfect for us; 6. that divine Providence tries us for our good whenever our superior says, does or commands what displeases or mortifies us. The Holy Ghost warns us (Prov. 2-^^ l) ^o^ to rely on our own judgment. We should rely rather on the light and word of our superior, for to him Jesus Christ says " He that heareth you, heareth Me." " God in giving a superior to religious," says St. Ambrose, " has provided them with an indefectible light to guide them." He who does not wish to go astray, must follow this light. But is the superior infallible ? No; he may err in giving orders and directions, but unless what he commands is evidently sinful, the subject, in obeying, does not err, but performs an act of virtue. St. Teresa, who was well qualified to judge in this matter, declares that there is more security in obeying the superior, than in obeying visions and revelations. " If all the angels," she says, " were to tell me one thing and my superior were to tell me another, I should follow my superior, although I were convinced that the angels were sent to me by God." St. Peter Damian thus addressed his superior: " I consider you as my father, my master, my teacher, my angel, and I have greater faith in your light than in that of all the doctors and of all the angels in heaven."