I am often asked, \u201cIn the first years of their existence where did the money for the livelihood of the Missionaries come from?\u201d This letter to the new Archbishop of Aix gives an idea of the situation at the end of 1819.<\/p>\n
Telling him the story of the origins of the Missionaries\u00a0Eugene explains:<\/p>\n
\nI took it upon myself to acquire at my own expense the place which was to serve as a dwelling place for the new community. But the diocese would have to rightfully furnish the missionaries\u2019 upkeep. \u2026but I don\u2019t know by what chance, that arrangement was never carried out…<\/strong><\/h5>\n
But now our resources are all dried up; and it is not just now that such is the case. And how could it be otherwise? For the five years that we have been established, we have between all of us taken only 1162 francs from the diocese which, divided by and five and shared out to seven, the number of missionaries, comes to an annual income of thirty-three francs and a few pennies for each missionary, the only resource they have to feed and clothe themselves.<\/strong><\/h5>\n
I don\u2019t think I am offending my co-workers when I say that they are as rich in virtue as they are poor in material things.<\/strong><\/h5>\n
So, up to now I have been obliged to supplement what has not been done for them, whether by my own special means, or by the help I have procured in contributions from a very limited number of people of good will. These resources have dried up at the same time. The expenses of the establishment which cost me more than twenty thousand francs that I\u2019ve not yet been able to finish paying, make it impossible for me to supply any longer from my own account the upkeep and food for my co-workers. My friends on their part have become tired in seeing no end to our needs; so the missionaries find themselves at the point of having nothing more to live on.<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Consequently, I am in the absolute necessity of having recourse to the Archbishop\u2019s kindness, an Archbishop who is too just to allow priests who sacrifice themselves in such a demanding ministry as preaching missions, priests who are always ready to move quickly at all times and at the least sign to that place where obedience shows us that some good is to be done, to suffer from not having the necessities of life. They are certainly far removed from wanting to rake in money; and so I\u2019m asking for them only a sufficient salary to pay for their food and upkeep which I estimate to be four hundred francs per person.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Letter to\u00a0Archbishop de Bausset of Aix, 16 December 1819, O.W. XIII n.27<\/em><\/p>\n
\u00a0On December 22, 1819, Fortun\u00e9 wrote to Eugene\u2019s father: \u201c[Your son\u2019s] memorandum has been approved and gained for him an account of 1500 francs which he immediately withdrew.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00a0“Ever more people today have the means to live, but no meaning to live for.”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em>Viktor E. Frankl<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I am often asked, \u201cIn the first years of their existence where did the money for the livelihood of the Missionaries come from?\u201d This letter to the new Archbishop of Aix gives an idea of the situation at the end … Continue reading