WE HAVE GREAT INTERESTS AT STAKE

You will not be surprised if I do not make a visit to England as I had planned; but I could not refrain from sending Father Aubert. We have great interests at stake. There is question of accepting a beautiful property for a novitiate, and regulating many other things. He will go to that country at the end of next month, and remain only long enough to establish our houses.

Letter to Fr Ambroise Vincens, 26 April, 1848, EO X n 974

Father Daly, with no consultation, had bought an expensive property in England. He had hoped to collect the money from benefactors and to establish a novitiate to serve the growing number of vocations. This project ended in disaster because to pay the inflated price demanded by the unscrupulous vendor, Fr. Daly was forced to offer the title deeds of Penzance as collateral. After prolonged litigation the decision was given against Fr. Daly and the property of Penzance mission was seized. The Oblates were forced to give up that mission. (See https://www.omiworld.org/lemma/anglo-irish-province-1841-1945/)

REFLECTION

“An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while a pessimist sees only the red stoplight… the truly wise person is colorblind.” (Albert Schweitzer)