Life of Sister Saint-Pierre, a Carmelite of Tours, France

Front matter

Shelf

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

V

Preface

they wish to have a more vivid and attractive account, one more literal and complete. It is this general and reiterated desire we now earnestly endeavor to satisfy. For this purpose the Archives of the Carmel have been re-opened, and thence with as much care and curiosity, as religious respect, we bring forth a new Life of Sister Saint-Pierre , written, not on a different basis from its predecessor, but under a new form, by a new pro¬ cess, very simple and striking, which consists in allowing the Sister herself to speak more directly and more frequently, we repeating her own words as nearly as possible.

Furthermore, the narration has been disburdened of several secondary details which made it tedious and were really of little interest. We disclaim all pretence of having excelled our predecessor; we most willingly leave him the glory, and publicly recognize his merit in having smoothed the way for us, by surmounting most delicate and serious difficulties.

We have simply deviated from his course, in order to reach with greater facility a more numerous and less exclusive dass of readers. Nor will the touching and ingenuous figure of the pious Sister lose, by being more generally known and presented to the public under a new aspect.

We now summarize the documents that have served our pur¬ pose in the compilation of this work :

1. The Life of the Sister written by herself in obedience to' her Superiors.

2. Her private letters concerning her interior state, and the object of her mission, just as she wrote them in haste, day by day, according to the impressions of grace, and the lights received from On High.

3. The Annals of the Carmel of Tours, relative to the foun¬ dation and history of the monastery; including Circulars, Né¬ crologie notices, also letters from without, diverse documents, testimonies, and justification papers concerning the Sister.

4. The notes collected in our personal intercourse with the Religious who had known her, notably, Mother Teresa of St. Joseph, Sister Saint-Pierre’s intimate confidante, and who at

PREFACE.

XV the time was Secretary of the Prioress,—but more especially with the Reverend Prioress, Mother Mary of the Incarnation, whose confessor we were, in her last moments.

5. Finally the first “Life” already mentioned, and from which we have occasionally borrowed many useful reflections.

The Sister’s private letters concerning her divine communi¬ cations, form the most important part of her writings, and to this precious mine we have had frequent recourse ; it is indeed the source whence this work derives its principal interest. We shall not here extol their merit and excellency ; for the numer¬ ous literal extracts we have made from them, will enable the reader to form his own opinion; and we are sure, he will not fail to appreciate their charms, as well as to note their edifying character and the seal of the supernatural impressed upon them. But how has such a treasure been brought to light in these latter days, in so unexpected and happy a manner, after remaining hidden from the public for twenty years? We will explain in a few words :

After the death of Marie de Saint-Pierre, her writings were all, without exception, placed in the hands of the Diocesan Authority, in order to ascertain to what extent they might be made public. Nothing was wiser and more conformable to the spirit of the Church, since these writings treated of super¬ natural and mystical matters of a most delicate and elevated order. Furthermore, as there was question of a Work of Rep¬ aration for the crimes of contemporaneous society, in particular for the sins of France, which were especially designated, these letters, though indirectly, referred to the political events of the day.

Now, this epoch of 1848, in the beginning of the second Re¬ public which followed the fall of Louis Philippe, was one of great peril ; for revolutionary passions, violently agitated, were plotting the most subversive theories, and had already demanded the separation of Church and State.

Mgr. Morlot, who was then Archbishop of Tours, used, in his dealings with the civil power, such great caution as, at times,

XVI

PREFACE.

was judged extreme ; naturally timid, he was unwilling to put himself forward by allowing the publication and circulation in his Episcopal city, and under his auspices, of warnings of public woes and chastisements. After examining them himself, and authorizing others to examine the writings of Sister Saint-Pierre, His Grace, acting upon the advice of his councillors, ordered all these writings, indiscriminately, to be placed under seal, in the Archives of the Carmel of Tours, and communicated to no one whomsoever.

Though refraining from pronouncing canonical judgment re¬ garding them, he declared them free from theological error, and did not positively deny the Divine mission of the Sister, whom, on the contrary, he qualified as a most fervent religious, who, notwithstanding, might have been unconsciously influenced by her imagination, and, through this means, have given way to these “prophetic instincts,” admitting of a natural explana¬ tion; moreover, considering the “present state of things,” he did not think so much importance should be attached to her Revelations. All this was exceedingly vague, and tending to convince us that the especial reasons determining the Arch¬ bishop’s interdiction were the critical and exceptional circum¬ stances just then surrounding the Church and France.

As we shall see in the course of our narration, the Prelate personally professed the highest esteem for the virtues and sanc¬ tity of this pious Carmelite. He more than once declared that her inspirations appeared to him as coming from God, and not the result of her own spirit. Even the terms of the Archi¬ épiscopal decision, forbidding her writings to be made known, clearly evinces the serious importance he attached to them ; for, before sealing, he takes care to sign his name, page after page, to all the autograph sheets, and, also, expressly declares that if favorable circumstances should again call attention to Sister Saint-Pierre, her writings may become the subject - of another examination, either on his part, or that of his successors. Con¬ sequently, the interdiction was not final ; a way was left open for the future.

PREFACE.

XVII

This is not the place to defend this virgin of Carmel ; the his¬ tory of her life and the faithful picture of her virtues will be sufficient justification in the eyes of our readers. It is also out of our province to judge, still less to condemn the severe act to which her writings were subjected, since it was one purely ad¬ ministrative, and concerning matters upon which the Church has not yet pronounced judgment. We prefer to think that the hour had not yet come, for revealing to the public these secrets confided to the servant of God.

The Carmelites believed it also ; they submitted with docility to the wishes of the Diocesan Authority, and, notwithstanding pressing solicitations, the seals remained intact and a religious silence was kept regarding their contents. Twenty-six years elapsed, two Archbishops succeeded Mgr. Morlot in the See of Tours, and still Marie de Saint-Pierre remained unknown, nor had the slightest step been taken towards lifting the veil which covered her life and writings.

But Providence, during this long interval, was preparing its work by furnishing in the third successsor of Mgr. Morlot, the individual who would aid this Carmel in accomplishing the mis¬ sion for which it seems to have been predestined. Mgr. Colet. Vicar-General of Dijon, became Superior of the Carmelites of Beaune, who were intimately connected with those of Tours. He was one of the first in France to pass favorable judgment upon an abridged account of the communication made by our Lord to Marie de Saint-Pierre. Also, was it at his instance, that during the Sister’s life, the Bishop of Dijon had established in that city the Confraternity of Reparation so earnestly demanded by the servant of God,—one of the very first of these Confraternities. Then, making use of his experience gained in the guidance of souls, and his profound knowledge of mystical matters, Mgr. Colet took up the pen, and with sure and steady hand, wrote the admirable life of a Carmelite of the seventeenth century, Mlle, de Quatrebarbes, in religion, Mother Elizabeth of the Trinity, who was professed at Tours, and afterwards became Prioress of Beaune.

PREFACE.

In this work, he gives an account of certain supernatural events similar to those which fill the life of Sister Saint-Pierre.*

Later, during an Episcopate of thirteen years at Luçon, he became fully cognizant of communications touching certain celestial revelations, which one of his predecessors, Mgr. Soyer, had received from a Carmelite of Poitiers, Rev. Mother Ade¬ laide, and which greatly resembled those of the Carmelite of Tours.

Hence, the new Archbishop, on taking possession of the See of St. Martin in 1875, was better qualified than any other to ap¬ preciate the Divine mission of Sister Saint-Pierre, and knew exactly what course to pursue relative to the publication of her writings. We must also add that the period was singularly favorable. France was just issuing from a frightful cataclysm, after passing through a series of trials unparalleled in her annals; and the chastisements foretold by the daughter of Carmel, had they not, alas ! been but too severely executed ?

Never were the Works of Reparation, revealed by our Lord to His faithful confidante, more necessary or urgent ! A glance sufficed Mgr. Colet, scarcely installed at Tours, to comprehend that the propitious moment, so impatiently anticipated, had at last dawned ; and in the first year of his episcopate at Tours, he authorized the seals to be broken which so long held secret the life and writings of the venerable Sister. After a new and thorough examination, which seems to have been a legacy be¬ queathed by Mgr. Morlot to his successors, Mgr. Colet permitted the historian to draw forth the treasures of light and edification contained in this precious mine, now so happily beginning to excite the attention and interest of the public.

The joy of M. Dupont and all the friends of the Carmel, as well as the consoling results attending the removal of the seals, we will relate hereafter. At present, we can only bless and ad¬ mire that Providence, which in this as in all things else, wisely

* Vie de la mère Elizabeth de la Trinité de Quatrebarbes, Religieuse Carmelite à Beaune, par M. L’abbê Colet, Yic. Gen. de Dijon, 1861.

PREFACE.

XIX appoints its hour and prepares its ways, with equal strength and mildness. M. Dupont expresses the same sentiment in one of his letters: “Ah !” exclaims he, “if Sister Saint-Pierre’s reve¬ lations upon the necessity of Reparation could only be published, what numbers would they not induce to swell the ranks of prayer and penance ! But, to bring this about, three things are indis¬ pensable : secrecy, patience, prayer ! ” These discreet and hum¬ ble sentiments clearly reveal to us the man of God, the fervent layman, obeying, before all else, the Church and those who rep¬ resent her. And is not the realization of his wishes, indeed, due to the fact that he, conjointly with the Carmelite Nuns, fulfilled the conditions he judged “indispensable” to its success? To the many questions of the curious, from time to time, addressed him concerning the matter, he would answer plainly : “Author¬ ity prescribes silence in regard to Sister Saint-Pierre, and I am compelled to respect it. The Holy Scriptures prove clearly to me that God has always justifiable reasons in allowing such silence, and I leave this entirely in the hands of Providence.” * Yet, no one desired more ardently than himself the removal of this restriction imposed by the Metropolitan Authority. He awaited this signal, the natural consequence of which would be to increase public devotion to the Holy Face, and thus perfect the Work of the Reparation, f “It will impart,” says he, “a great impulse to the movement towards this Reparative Work for blasphemy. It is time the world should become aware of God’s intentions, fear the chastisements of Hîs Justice, and take refuge in the Heart of Jesus, filled with Mercy ! ” J May this hope of the holy man find in our midst its complete realization ! Reparation is, at present, a more pressing necessity than when Marie de Saint-Pierre lived. It was but lately a learned and pious theologian wisely remarked : “ The interests of France, her regeneration, demand that we move towards the

♦Life of M. Dupont, t. II., p. 99 (French copy), f Ibid., p. 95.

XX

PREFACE.

Work of Reparation; the nation has not returned to God, wherefore, He keeps her suffering ; she must make atonement ; it is necessary. Says Holy Scripture, ‘she must return to her¬ self/ but, alas ! far from this, she continues her march in wick-, edness!” * .

Hence, the eminent ecclesiastic whose words we hawe just quoted, attributes great weight to the Revelations of Sister Saint-Pierre. “This soul,” says he, “was certainly in the right path ; her simple union with God, and the supernatural spirit by which she was actuated under all circumstances, are the seal of a predestined soul, whilst her life of reparation is an equally evident mark of the action of Divine grace. There was nothing personal in anything she did ; all was for the glory of God and the salvation of souls . . . Again, let us take notice that she was always an exemplary religious, that palpable signs clearly indicate God’s guidance of her in totally exceptional ways, that the signal favors heaped upon her, never occasioned the least pride, that she was always obedient to her Superiors even when their will seemed to oppose the orders she received directly from our Lord, that her self-renunciation was in no wise affected by occupations which were repugnant to her, that she never betrayed obstinacy in her ideas, and that the spirit of faith animated, in an extraordinary degree, her every thought and act. From all this we reasonably conclude, that far from being deluded, she, on the contrary, possesses every mark of a holy and predestined soul.”

Such testimony from a very enlightened and competent judge, in favor of the daughter of St. Teresa, our readers as well as ourselves, will no doubt appreciate. We also quote the com¬ parison M. Dupont has drawn between the Revelations of Sister Saint-Pierre and those of Blessed Margaret-Mary Alacoque. “The virgin of the Visitation,” says he, “heard these words which, to-day, constitute our hope : ‘ Behold this Heart which has loved mankind so much. All who thus honor Me shall receive

* Letter of M. L’abbé Delatour, Y. G. of Versailles, Jan. 10,1881.

PREFACE.

XXI from Me very great favors ; this is the last effort of My love in re-kind¬ ling extinguished faith . 1 And the virgin of Carmel, in the Com¬ munications our Lord made to her relative to the Reparation of Blasphemy heard these : ‘ I will give thee My Adorable Face and each time thou shalt 'present It to My Father , My Mouth will he opened to place thy cause ; My Face is to be the sensible sign of the Reparation .’ Now, it is evident,” he continues, “that our Lord has been pleased to recompense already, in the clearest manner, the faith of many, who have labored to render homage to His Holy Face, especially with the intention of repairing the out¬ rages committed against the Divine Majesty. Hence, let us bear in mind that when we love God, we cannot do too much for His glory.” Elsewhere, he says: “If the Heart of Jesus be the emblem of His love, His Adorable Face is the dolorous expression of the sufferings He endured for us, mystically accompanying this same Saviour who is ever occupied with our salvation. Ah ! what should we not do for Him ! The Face of Jesus tells us it much better than any discourse.”* These reflections of “ The Holy Man of Tours,” may serve as a rule for our conduct, and to re-animate our confidence.

The cultiLS of the Holy Face being the sensible sign of the Reparation, and at the same time, the complement of the devo¬ tion to the Sacred Heart, let us then unite, by the same faith, the Heart of Jesus and the Face of Jesus, making them thus the common object and centre of our love, homage and repa¬ ration.

Behold the means of salvation offered to contemporaneous society, to France, and to souls ! Behold the work it behooves us to practice and propagate with all possible fervor and perfec¬ tion ! Nothing will contribute more effectually towards it than the edifying life, and luminous writings of Sister Saint-Pierre ; and the reader, in perusing these pages, should bear in mind, that this was the author’s sole motive in preparing the work for publication.

* Life of M. Dupont, t. II, p. 94 and 95.

XXII

PREFACE.

We declare, relative to the terms of eulogy or veneration applied to the servant of God and other pious personages, likewise, as regards the supernatural virtues, miraculous facts, and Divine communications of which this book treats, that we conform absolutely and wholly to the Decree of Urban VIII, upon such matters, wishing to anticipate, in no wise, the Apos* tolic decisions.

P. J.

Contents

Chap.

Page.

I. The Little Bretonne

IL

The Vocation,.

. 16

HL

The Probation, ....

. 30

IV.

The Carmel of Tours, .

. 50

V.

The Novitiate, ....

. 69

VI.

The Profession, ....

. 85

VII.

. 110

VIII.

The Reparation, ....

. 129

IX.

The Association, ....

. 152

X.

The Archbishop, ....

. 171

XI.

. 189

XII.

The Holy Face, ....

. 210

XIII.

Veronica and the Good Thief, .

. 228

XIV.

La Salette,.

. 246

XV.

. 260

XVI.

. 276

XVII.

The Communists, ....

. 293

XVIII.

The Arch-confraternity, .

. 309

XIX.

. 321

XX.

Mercy, .

. 348

XXI.

The Secretary’s Colloquy, .

. 376

XXII.

Her Virtues,.

. 398

XXIII.

Her Last Sickness—Her Death, .

. 420

XXIV.

. 439

XXlll

LIFE

OF

SISTER SAINT-PIERRE.

Chapter I. The Little Bretonne

“I am crying for my sins!” {The Sister’s words when a child.)

We are indebted to Catholic Brittany, that land so fruitful in great characters and heroic virtues, for having given us Marie de Saint-Pierre. She was born at B-ennes, in 1816, of a family of honest artisans, of whom, however, but little is known. Her father, Pierre Éluère, was a locksmith, and, as we shall see, a Christian of the old stock. Her mother, Françoise Portier, was a woman of piety and worth. At an early day this virtuous woman was taken from her husband, leaving him the care of twelve children, whose long and mortal ailments caused him much suffering and toil ; all successively preceded him to the tomb, with the exception of a son. His glory before God is to have given to Carmel, and to the Church a daughter of bene¬ diction, whose history we have undertaken to relate.

LIFE OF SISTER SAINT-PIERRE.

When Marie de Saint-Pierre became a religious, her Superiors ordered her to write her own life, and all that she knew of her earlier years. We shall make ample use of her writings and letters, preserving, as far as possible, the Sister’s simple and candid style. She begins thus :

“Notwithstanding the great repugnance I feel to write of things personally concerning myself, yet I shall not swerve from obedience, but will perform this act with the aid of the Holy Infant, Jesus, in whose little Hand I have placed my pen, praying Him to write Himself, an account of the precious graces He has given me, and also of my wickedness in having so much offended Hifn, that thus His Father may be glorified, for having, by His power, brought forth in the miserable soil of my soul, filled with imperfections and covered with the briars and thorns of sin, such beautiful fruits for the glory of His Holy Name.*

“It is then at the Feet of the Infant Jesus, in the crib that I am going to make this little record, in order to obey you, my most Rev. Mother, f

“I was born on the 4th of October, 1816, a not¬ able day, being the anniversary of the death of our holy Mother Teresa, and the feast of St. Francis of Assissium, whose name my mother bore. I was

*She here alludes to the work of Reparation for, blasphemy which our Lord revealed to her, and which would indeed con¬ tribute to the glory of His Divine Name.

fThe Mother Prioress, of the Carmel of Tours, Marie of the Incarnation, of whom we shall hereafter speak. The docu¬ ment A, from which we borrow this extract, is dated June 13, 1847.

THE LITTLE BRETONNE.

baptized in the Church of Saint Germain at Rennes, and the patrons given me, were St. Peter and St. Francis of Assissium. My poor mother received on that anniversary of her feast-day, a sad gift in the birth of the little girl, whose maladies and wayward¬ ness were to cause her so much solicitude. She con¬ fided me to the care of a nurse, who was an excellent person. When I w r as a month old, I met with an accident, which, without God’s especial protection, might have caused my death. My nurse had gone out an instant, leaving me in the cradle. One of her little children took me up, and doubtless wishing to warm me, carried me near the fire; but I fell out of the child’s arms into the fire, and my face has always retained the mark of that accident. My mother was much distressed, and withdrew me from that person’s care.

“I am going to relate one of my first traits of malice. I was told of this accident when older, and one day, when this poor, good woman, my nurse, came to see me, I received her by saying very mali¬ ciously : ‘ You have already burned one cheek, do you come now to fricassee the other?’

“At the age of four years, I had an attack of scarlet fever which brought me to death’s door. My parents have told me that I was nineteen days in danger, and during all that time could take nothing except occasionally a little cider. It always made my father laugh in speaking of this illness to me, to think that a beverage so illy suited to my condition, had sustained and preserved my life.

“As soon as my reason began to develop, my good parents, who were truly pious, taught me the

LIFE OF SISTER SAINT-PIERRE.

first rudiments of a Christian education. But I had a very ugly disposition, I was passionate, stubborn, and giddy. My pious mother often took me to Church, but in my thoughtlessness, I was constantly turning my head to see what was going on. My mother never failed to punish me severely for this behavior. I was taken to confession when six years and a half old. I was very jealous of my little sister, so much so that they were obliged to send her away from me for some time. With all these defects, which rendered me extremely disagreeable, I had even more pride and self-love. To humble me, my mother once said before me to my father : ‘ All ! this little girl is surely not our own, she must have been exchanged in the nursery ; it is not possible that a child of ours could be as bad as this little one is/ This language was very displeasing to me, I knew not what to think of it.

“ However, I endeavored to gain a victory over my pride. There daily passed our door a poor blind man, badly clothed, who sometimes needed a charitable hand at the turn of the street to guide him in the proper direction. My parents had already suggested my rendering him this service, but the thought was extremely repugnant to my pride. At last, one day I did great violence to myself, and taking the good man by the arm, I guided him into the path, and it seemed to me then, that I had performed a most heroic act.

“ When I was naughty and my parents punished me, I did not rebel against them, because I saw that these punishments benefitted me; and I felt touches of grace reproaching me for my waywardness. My

THE LITTLE BRETONNE.

parents had taught me devotion to the most Blessed Virgin, by telling me instances of this good Mother’s protection, which touched my heart. I began to invoke her and I became better. I now commenced to enjoy prayer, and, conducting myself properly in Church, had no more penances to suffer when I returned from High Mass on Sundays; and when anything clashed with my inclinations, striving to overcome my rebellious feelings, I would say : ‘ My God ! I offer Thee this in expiation of my sins .’ 99

Let us, for an instant, interrupt this ingenuous narration, to add two facts connected with this part of it, and which we have learned elsewhere. The consciousness of what she called her sins, (they were, as we all know, but the waywardness of childhood) had already in her, at so tender an age, assumed vivid intensity. Thus several times her eldest sister found her alone shedding tears, and on one occasion inquiring the cause of them, the dear little one answered : “ I am crying for my sins.” She so much dreaded even the shadow of wrong, that having, when only eight years old, some scruples about read¬ ing a little story-book which had been loaned her, she brought it before opening, to the parish priest to ask his advice, and learning from him, that though not bad, the book was frivolous, she immediately returned it to its owner, and without having read a single page.

“ My good parents made me attend the Catechism class for the little children of the parish. I enjoyed the instructions, and my conduct being edifying, compliments succeeded the reproaches I had been accustomed to receive. People would say before me 1 *

LIFE OF SISTER SAINT-PIERRE.

to my mother : ‘ Madam, your little girl behaves in Church as if she were forty, years old/ But I believe these praises still occasioned pride. I began also the devotion of the Way of the Cross. In reading the account of our Lord’s sufferings, my heart was deeply touched, for I believed that my sins were the cause of them ; and I would sorrowfully say to Him : ‘ O, my Saviour ! during Thy Passion, didst Thou foresee that I would one day be converted, and be solely Thine?’ I kissed the ground at each Station, and our Lord permitted that this act of piety should draw upon me a slight humiliation, for I returned home with dirt on my face, and my sister seeing it, called me ( dirty nose,’ whenever she got angry with me. As this little sarcasm was highly displeasing to me, it was a great trial to my feeble virtue.

“ Grace attracted me strongly to God, but I was-not constant in good ; I would rise and fall. Having heard, though I know not through what source, of a kind of prayer called mental, more agreeable to God than vocal prayer, I desired to practice this devotion, and said to myself, I am not going to articulate the words whilst praying, and this will be mental prayer ; but when I had finished, my heart was dis¬ quieted, lest I had not fulfilled the obligation of my morning and evening prayers. Our Lord seeing my desire, inspired me to think of His sufferings and my sins, at which I would weep bitterly ; and some¬ what later He permitted that I should hear a ser¬ mon treating entirely on meditation. I opened my ears and heart to such an interesting subject, happy in knowing at last how to make mental prayer.”

THE LITTLE BRETONNE.

This attraction for prayer at such an early age, foreshadowed the marvels which were to be its fruits. When the child was ten years and a half old, she prepared herself for her First Communion by mak¬ ing a good general confession.

“Through the mercy of God,” says she, “my heart was truly touched by grace; I gave myself entirely to Him, and received with much devotion this Divine Saviour, whom I had so offended in my early years.

“The sacrament of Confirmation \ps adminis¬ tered to me the same day, and I was invested with the Scapular, which placed me under the protection of that tender Mother, to whom I owed my conver¬ sion My confessor, seeing that I was entirely changed permitted me to communicate again during the course of the year ; and this good father himself, began to marvel at the changes grace had wrought in my soul. He sometimes spoke to me on the subject, but after saying much that was pleasant to my ears, he never failed to humble me ; and as I had but a small stock of humility, I would have pre¬ ferred not receiving praises, were they to be followed by humiliations. Our Lord, whose watchful Hand was guiding me, wished to purify my soul by interior tribulations, in making me pass through a severe trial, truly calculated to drive pride forever from my heart.

“The demon fearing his prey had escaped him, redoubled his attacks ; finding himself driven from his abode, he went, as the Gospel tells us, to seek seven spirits more wicked than himself, to assist him in recovering his possessions. I was assailed by