Eugene, as founder of the Oblates, considered himself the religious father of each member. Hippolyte Court\u00e8s had a special place in Eugene\u2019s life. As an adolescent he had been a member of Eugene\u2019s youth congregation, then he was in the first group of novices to join the Missionaries, and always remained close to Eugene as a valued co-worker and adviser.<\/p>\n
In writing to him, Eugene teases him by giving him all the reasons why this letter was not strictly necessary<\/p>\n
\nPerhaps it would be more in keeping with strictly keeping the vow of poverty to deprive myself of the pleasure of writing to you and thus spare you the postal charge for my letter. Besides, I know that you are not deprived of my news, since Father Tempier takes care to give you them and even to pass on to you my letters. But apart from that being a case of insisting a little too much on perfection in that virtue, even had I no other reason to write you than the mutual pleasure of a correspondence that is appropriate,<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
He then lists the reasons, apart from the great pleasure that it gives him to communicate, why it is important that they have direct communication:<\/p>\n
\nyou are superior of the most worthwhile house of our Society,<\/strong><\/h5>\n
you have under your direction the hope of the Company [ed. the novices],<\/strong><\/h5>\n
you are one of the principal members of the family,<\/strong><\/h5>\n
so it is right for me to write you from time to time directly, and I do it without scruple and with all the satisfaction that I always feel in all my relations with you whom it has been my habit and happiness to love since almost from the time you began to exist.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Letter to Hippolyte Court\u00e8s, 2 February 1826, EO VII n 222<\/em><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.\u201d \u00a0Clarence Budington Kelland<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Eugene, as founder of the Oblates, considered himself the religious father of each member. Hippolyte Court\u00e8s had a special place in Eugene\u2019s life. As an adolescent he had been a member of Eugene\u2019s youth congregation, then he was in the … Continue reading