Cor unum et anima una

  • One heart, one soul
March 1900
01 Mar - 01 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, XIII, 353, 1851.
These poor children, having left their countries to be missionaries, have always kept the notion “I am a missionary above all”. Consequently and without realizing it, they did not attach…
March 1, 1900
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01 Mar - 01 Mar
Jacques Laval to his sister and brother-in-law, 13.09.1853
Port-Louis, where I am working, is a large town; with its suburbs, there are around 30,000 people, all of whom have to be visited. We have to teach, catechize, console,…
March 1, 1900
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02 Mar - 02 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, XIII, 353, 1851.
If they are holy religious, they will save souls. If they are not, they will do no good, because God’s blessing is attached to their holiness and their holiness depend…
March 2, 1900
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02 Mar - 02 Mar
José Maria Felgueiras, a Portuguese confrere fatally wounded in an accident while...
I was aware of being dragged by the train and left in bits on the sleepers. I counted the wagons still to pass over me until the end of the…
March 2, 1900
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03 Mar - 03 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, VI, 322, 1844.
Take courage and do not get upset if things do not go perfectly according to plan. You see that I do not do what I wish. Providence guides our work…
March 3, 1900
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03 Mar - 03 Mar
Libermann: Commentary on St. John's Gospel, 4:8
A Samaritan woman came at that time to draw water from the fountain. It was divine Providence which led here there at that exact moment for her own salvation. Our…
March 3, 1900
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04 Mar - 04 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, VI, 322, 1844.
I assure you that if I had followed my own ideas, I would have been on my guard against undertaking so much at once. It frightens me, but what can…
March 4, 1900
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04 Mar - 04 Mar
Pierre Haas, Superior General: Christmas Letter, 1990
The poor person's money is extremely honest; our own money is honest, which comes more from widows' mites than from the crumbs that fall from the tables of the rich.…
March 4, 1900
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05 Mar - 05 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, VI, 322, 1844.
God will manifest his will, his plans. We must not be headstrong in our ideas, we must not be rigid.
March 5, 1900
frenpt
05 Mar - 05 Mar
Joseph Shanahan, quoted by Sr. M.Philomena Fox, p.50
Every little detail is meant to mould our souls and draw them nearer to Himself. Then let us throw all - our sins, our faults and all besides into the…
March 5, 1900
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06 Mar - 06 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, VI, 322, 1844.
If our poor prudence wishes to struggle against Providence, it would go wrong. Our work has been moving for two years that I only think about it, and I would…
March 6, 1900
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06 Mar - 06 Mar
Joseph Lécuyer: Spiritan Papers no 3, 1977
Going over the writings of Poullart de Places meditatively (a thing we seem to do seldom today) and abstracting from their dated style, there comes across a sense of great…
March 6, 1977
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07 Mar - 07 Mar
Cf. Spiritual Letters, II, 475, 1840.
If only easy things were to be undertaken in the Church, what would have become of the Church? Saint Peter and Saint John would have continued to fish on Lake…
March 7, 1900
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07 Mar - 07 Mar
General Chapter Itaici, no. 9
Gradually, the faith-perspective of St. Paul and François Libermann began to take hold: 'For it is when I am weak that I am strong' (2Cor 12:10). The trust of our…
July 31, 1992
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08 Mar - 08 Mar
Cf. Spiritual Letters, II, 475, 1840.
We will only stop when we are at the foot of a wall, wait there with patience and confidence until there is an opening, then continue as if nothing had…
March 8, 1900
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08 Mar - 08 Mar
Libermann: Memorandum of 1846, Introduction
We experienced an ardent and continuous desire to help these unfortunate people (the Blacks). We regarded this desire as an inspira-tion from God, strengthened by the encouragement we received from…
March 8, 1900
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09 Mar - 09 Mar
Cf. Spiritual Letters, IV, 680, 1851.
What strikes me the most is that God has given us the responsibility for the mission of Guinea, and that he gives us all a burning desire to convert that…
March 9, 1900
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09 Mar - 09 Mar
Jacques Laval to Ignace Schwindenhammer, 06.09.1859
I have had the joy of making my perpetual vows in the church of Sainte-Croix in the presence of the Reverend Father Visitor. I believe that I made them with…
March 9, 1900
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10 Mar - 10 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, X, 151, 1848.
We must remember that we are presently no longer in the old scheme of things. The world has moved forward and the enemy man has drawn up his batteries according…
March 10, 1900
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10 Mar - 10 Mar
Maynooth General Chapter, Spirituality Ch. 2
The Spirit goes ahead of us on the path of mission and signs of his presence accompany our work. Mission is therefore a pilgrimage, an adventure, contemplation and discovery of…
August 8, 1988
frenpt
11 Mar - 11 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, X, 151, 1848.
To wish to remain cramped up in the old days, and in the habits and spirit that ruled them, is to bring our efforts to nothing. So embrace the new…
March 11, 1900
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11 Mar - 11 Mar
Pierre Thomas, Memoires, c 1730
The aim of M. des Places and his successors in establishing the Seminaire du Saint-Esprit is to train priests who are hardworking, capable and unselfish, ready to fill the most…
March 11, 1900
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12 Mar - 12 Mar
Cf. Spiritual Letters, IV, 458, 1847.
When you happen not to be of the same opinion as your confreres, lose your judgement in the general opinion. Avoid inflexibility in your judgement, in your words, in your…
March 12, 1900
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12 Mar - 12 Mar
Kongolo, 01.01.1962: testimony of Père Jules Darmond
Once we had all been beaten, we were marched out of the cells in a line. We filed in front of the guard and at the door we were made…
March 12, 1900
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13 Mar - 13 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, II, 443, 1841.
Our Lord wants our business to drag on. Every step take must have its hitches and delays, so that I learn to abandon everything into his hands and repose in…
March 13, 1900
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13 Mar - 13 Mar
Libermann to his brother Samson, 08.07.1830. L.S. 1, p.9
I have not advanced to the sub-diaconate because my sickness has not altogether left me- in fact, I will probably have it for a long time to come. So it…
March 13, 1900
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14 Mar - 14 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, XII, 199, 1850.
We have kept along the way of Providence up to now, it alone leads me. I have never been able to realize a plan that I dreamt of. I have…
March 14, 1900
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14 Mar - 14 Mar
Joseph Shanahan, to the Holy Rosary Sisters, 02.07.1934, Letters I, 100
In Africa, where light and shadow, joy and sorrow, hope and despondency, good health and bad will follow each other in such disconcerting and rapid succession, one needs an extra…
March 14, 1900
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15 Mar - 15 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, II, 133, 1840.
Christian perfection does not consist in a certain more or less elevated state of prayer but in a perfect union of love with Our Lord, founded on a complete renunciation…
March 15, 1900
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15 Mar - 15 Mar
Pierre Haas, Superior General, in his introduction to the Spiritan Rule of...
The Church, by beatifying Jacques Laval and Daniel Brottier, recognises that the way pioneered by Claude Poullart des Places and Francis Libermann, and subsequently followed by generations of Spiritans, is…
March 15, 1900
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16 Mar - 16 Mar
Cf. Spiritual Letters, I, 115, 1835.
Pay attention to a maxim which I will give you, I believe it to be of greatest importance in the spiritual life. We must seek less to know what we…
March 16, 1900
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16 Mar - 16 Mar
The last writings of Sr. Eugénie Caps [25.02.1931] before her death in...
In all my struggles and temptations, I turn to prayer rather than reflection. At the most difficult moment, I stand and wait! Here I am, Jesus!. The future doesn't matter,…
March 16, 1900
frenpt
17 Mar - 17 Mar
Cf. Spiritual Letters, IV, 622, 1850.
Be convinced of this, that to fail in the line of God’s work you have only to decide on the following way of acting: “I will go straight to my…
March 17, 1900
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17 Mar - 17 Mar
Pierre Schouver, Superior General. Pentecost Letter, 1996
We must be faithful to our missionary tradition of learning languages and taking root amongst a people. We should not feel guilty about limiting our work to a specific human…
May 15, 1996
frenpt
18 Mar - 18 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, VIII, 126, 1846.
Act like a “man”, with simplicity before God and the only desire to please him.
March 18, 1900
frenpt
18 Mar - 18 Mar
Charles Besnard: Life of L-M Grignon de Montfort
The father of Claude Poullart des Places decided that his son should be a member of the parliament of Brittany and Mme. des Places bought the necessary clothes for that…
March 18, 1900
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19 Mar - 19 Mar
Cf. Spiritual Letters, III, 229, 1843.
Saint Joseph was “the first devotee of Mary, he who had greatest devotion to her because he knew most intimately the treasures contained in the heart of his blessed wife.…
March 19, 1900
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19 Mar - 19 Mar
Libermann: Meditation on St. Joseph. E.S. supplement, pp66-77
The marriage of Joseph and Mary was entirely spiritual and brought about to implement the plans of God for mankind, so Mary's dowry was also spiritual. Hence the greatness of…
March 19, 1900
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20 Mar - 20 Mar
Cf. Commentary of Saint John, 89, 1840.
O most holy and adorable Spirit of my Jesus, let me hear your gentle voice. Refresh me with your precious inspiration. O divine Spirit, I want to be before you…
March 20, 1900
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20 Mar - 20 Mar
Mgr. Vogt: Spiritan Papers 19, p.42-43
Mgr. Vogt opened a junior seminary at Mvolyé (Yaounde) in September, 1923. As there were no other teachers, the Vicar Apostolic himself became the director and teacher of the children.…
March 20, 1900
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21 Mar - 21 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, IX, 248, 1847.
In general you must cultivate a liking for everyone, whatever their sentiments on religious principles or their opinion of yourself. You must moreover, leave them full freedom to think and…
March 21, 1900
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21 Mar - 21 Mar
Memorandum of Le Vavasseur, to Galais
The missionaries must be determined to love and cherish the Blacks like their own brothers; their friendship for them should be deeper than for the Whites. They must be so…
March 21, 1900
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22 Mar - 22 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, VII, 8, 1845.
Live by faith, be present to God always through sincere charity. Always aim to keep your soul in peace and trust in God. Acknowledge your poverty, stay and repose in…
March 22, 1900
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22 Mar - 22 Mar
Libermann, Memorandum of 1846: The Way we intend to follow.
The proposed missionary method rests on two co-related principles: the first is that we are convinced that the Faith will not have a firm foundation amongst these people, nor will…
March 22, 1900
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23 Mar - 23 Mar
Cf. Spiritual Letters, IV, 621, 1850.
Never embrace an idea with ardour and never take a resolution except when you feel that the ardour and excitement of your mind has died down. You must be certain…
March 23, 1900
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23 Mar - 23 Mar
Memorandum of 1846, The Way we intend to follow
The second principle on which our missionary method rests is our conviction that civilisation is impossible without the Faith. Hence the task of the missionary is not just to work…
March 23, 1900
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24 Mar - 24 Mar
Spiritual Writings, 494. 1851
I have come to cast fire on the earth”, says Jesus. Why then are there so few of these burning torches? It is because there are few saints, few souls…
March 24, 1900
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24 Mar - 24 Mar
Bernard Kelly: Life began at Forty, p.111-113
Libermann was physically strong and nervously fragile. Vulnerable to stress, his body possessed a wiry endurance. He was sensitive, affectionate and shy. He had a penetrating mind that went straight…
March 24, 1900
frenpt
25 Mar - 25 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, IV, 461, 1843.
A soul who wants to be for God does not do what it wants.
March 25, 1900
frenpt
25 Mar - 25 Mar
Spiritan Rule of Life
To carry out its mission and build up communion within, the Congregation gives itself various structures. Central to all these, however, is community living. It is practised differently in response…
March 25, 1900
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26 Mar - 26 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, XIII, 144, 1851.
The African People will not be converted by the efforts of clever and capable missionaries, they have no need of them. It is the holiness and sacrifices of their Priests…
March 26, 1900
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26 Mar - 26 Mar
Paul VI: Populorum Progressio nos 6 and 13
To be liberated from misery; to be able to enjoy support, good health, a stable job; to have more responsibility, free from oppression, protected from situations offensive to human dignity;…
March 26, 1900
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27 Mar - 27 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, XIII, 144, 1851.
May Jesus’ Spirit animate all your actions, may he form all the sentiments of your soul, may he mortify and moderate all the turbulent vivaciousness of your mind, all the…
March 27, 1900
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27 Mar - 27 Mar
Libermann: Memorandum to Mgr. Cadolini, 27.03.1840
Our project consists in giving ourselves entirely to Our Lord for the salvation of the Black Peoples, being those who are the most unfortunate, the furthest removed from the means…
March 27, 1900
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28 Mar - 28 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, XIII, 144, 1851.
Be holy as Jesus was holy. This is the one and only way to redeem and sanctify souls.
March 28, 1900
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28 Mar - 28 Mar
East Africa
The first adult Kikuyu baptism in Kenya.
March 28, 1900
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28 Mar - 28 Mar
Germany
The Provincial of Germany, Père Acker, acquires the house at Saverne in which François Libermann was born.
March 28, 1900
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28 Mar - 28 Mar
General Chapter, Itaici: reaction of the oldest delegate present. No. 18
Like Simeon, I want to give thanks to God. The Holy Spirit pushed us forward, he swept away the doubts and hesitations we had about these new experiences. Spiritan vocations…
March 28, 1900
frenpt
29 Mar - 29 Mar
Cf. Spiritual Letters, I, 231, 1839.
Until now, you have been in the habit of working on your own and of considering your work and application of some value. This is why, seeing your weakness, you…
March 29, 1900
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29 Mar - 29 Mar
Libermann to the community at Palmas, January 1844
Have courage, brothers and dedicate yourselves totally to the glory of God and the salvation of so many poor people. You have suffered much and you will suffer more; but…
March 29, 1900
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30 Mar - 30 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, XIII, 144, 1851.
Oh! How important is this gentleness and humility of heart and how few men possess them! These two virtues, which are the immediate fruit of a genuine and perfect love,…
March 30, 1900
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30 Mar - 30 Mar
J. Michel: Memoire Spiritaine no. 4, p. 99
In the house of Poullart des Places, poverty is less of a necessity than a mystique. His spiritual poverty led him not just to accept but to love and seek…
March 30, 1900
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31 Mar - 31 Mar
Cf. Notes and Documents, XIII, 144, 1851.
May the Spirit of Jesus dominate all your perceptions, direct and lead all the movements of your soul. May it communicate gentleness and humility to your heart.
March 31, 1900
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31 Mar - 31 Mar
Jacques Laval to Ignace Schwindenhammer, Superior General. 17.12.1854
I don't have the talents that a superior needs. He has to be at the very least at the level of his confreres but I am far below them- and…
March 31, 1900
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