My consistent thought has always been that our little family should consecrate itself to God and to the service of the Church through the vows of religion.
The difficulty was to get my first companions to appreciate something of this principle that was a little harsh for beginners. This was especially the case because we had lost sight of this tradition when the Revolution had dispersed, and I would say practically destroyed, all the religious orders.
I opened up to the first of them, Father Tempier, whom I had chosen as my spiritual director – and he had chosen me to be his. He was delighted with this proposal, which was in harmony with his own views, and we decided, M. Tempier and I, to go ahead with this project.
I did not find M. Deblieu so open to this good inspiration. The unworthy Icard had been expelled on our return from our first mission, I do not recall now where the good Mye was, presumably on mission somewhere, because he had a need always to be in action.
Rambert I, p. 187
Consecration provided a bond with God, and a link and a bond between those who had taken this step.
In Eugene’s “little family” his high ideals were shared by Henri Tempier, but initially not by the others. His first companions certainly did not reach the ideal state of perfection that he wished for them there and then (See above the entries of October 15, 2010 and November 3, 2010).
The impatient Eugene would have to wait two more years before the others would be ready to take this huge step!