Report from Brother Gatian at Notre Dame

Brother Gatian (Urban) Monsimer was the youngest member to emigrate to America in 1841. He was 15 years old at the time. Very bright, he learned English quickly and served on various councils at Notre Dame. Eventually he became disenchanted with his life at Notre Dame. Father Sorin sent him on the disastrous gold mining expediction to California in 1850 where Gatian left Holy Cross one year later. This letter is translated from French by George Klawitter, CSC. The house at the right is the Monsimer home in Chéméré-le-roi from which Gatian left to join the Brothers of St. Joseph in 1840.

Notre Dame

April 20, 1847

My Reverend Father,

            I'm very grateful for your response to my long letter because I was convinced of the truth of what I wrote to you; I didn't know if it would have been more religious to hide from you the affairs of our establishment and our superiors, but your letter dissipates my doubts and makes me resolve to hide nothing from you in the future.   If I'm fooling myself, let me know.  

            I didn't answer you right away because I figured you had written about everything to Father Superior or to Father Granger, and I wanted to see how things would turn out.   Father Granger and he have shown themselves very perplexed in regard to this letter, but they have finally resolved to abolish the Administrative Council.   Father Superior, having heard the reports that had been made about his vexation, supposed he must say nothing about your letter, even more so because you didn't note the manner in which I had to conduct myself, but I tried to lead them to the reforms which you speak about in your letter to me, Father Superior and Father Granger, and I made Father Granger understand most of the things.   The Minor Chapter was set up after about three weeks of deliberation, and I even succeeded in getting Father Gouesse admitted a fortnight later.   That done, I took the side of waiting since you had given positive orders to Father Superior or more precisely to Father Granger for my admission.   Father Superior seemed to have understood nothing in all these matters.   To a Council of Brothers a month ago he made Brother Theodule and Brother Placidus come at my request so they could explain the difference between General Chapter, Major Chapter, and a Minor Chapter.   In a word, after all I've seen and heard, Father Superior has to be a consummate liar, or the explanations given to him at Ste. Croix weren't clear.  

            Another fact inclined me to say nothing about your response, and here it is: I believed I saw a general discontent among the members of our last colony, discontent which comes from irregularities of our government and from the disregard for rules.   It also seems that some of them had said to Brother Vincent that they'd write to you on this subject, which soon reached the Superior.   He called together all the French Brothers and noted his astonishment about seeing them in such dispositions, saying that he'd hardly understood Father Rector, how he paid attention to similar reports, and that this' d be a very sad way to administrate; that moreover in his own judgment he wouldn't be either exhilarated or depressed by them.   He also said to them that with time and patience they'd get accustomed (which is unfortunately very true) to what by necessity and circumstances isn't done as the motherhouse does it (that is to say our irregularities) and that in America it would be necessary to follow the customs of Americans.  

Edward Sorin, CSC

Father Superior was in Vincennes last December, found Monsignor in good spirits, and tried to pacify him and make him delay the Indianapolis foundation, since we had neither funds nor personnel.   Father Superior succeeded, and Monsignor proposed to make a Brother travel around like a peddler to sell Catholic books, adding that he'd give two mules for this purpose.   Father Superior had a mind to test this new and odd enterprise, laying out all the advantages.   Everyone concurred with his opinion (Father Gouesse was absent) except me who, taking everything as a joke, kept silent.   Two days later Father Superior had already named Brother Joseph and made him buy a cart, and for the venture to succeed, he proposed it for the first time at the table.   I wrote a nasty note immediately to Father Superior, telling him that other councilors, as well as myself, hadn't taken what he'd said as a consultation.   He called the Council together immediately and started again to make us see the bright side without talking about the dark side; the councilors who had already moved forward did not pull back.   Father Gouesse said nothing for fear that it wouldn't suit his ordination.   I raised five arguments that everyone realized were well founded.   I said among other things that we were going to advance 7 to 800 francs which would never be reimbursed and that frankly the enterprise wouldn't succeed.   But Father Superior said, "You can only do good by risking it." All voted for, except Father Gouesse and me.   Father Superior then said (seeing that his vote didn't defeat the enterprise)" I vote against and thus the responsibility rests on those who have voted for." "Ah, Father," One of them said, "If you believed the enterprise is useless, you shouldn't have proposed it, and if you believe it bad, you shouldn't undertake it." "Too bad," replied the Superior, "You've voted; it'll be carried out." It turned out as I predicted it would.   The Brother could go no further than Indianapolis where he found himself with a broken cart, a rather serious illness, and without money.   There this poor Brother found a piece of land which, to his liking, was suitable for our foundation, and without paying attention to our debts, without waiting for any directive, he bought it for 22,500 francs, adding to our debts, which are growing to about 30,000 francs, or 14,500 francs, since the bishop promised to pay 8,000 francs. Brother Joseph stayed at Indianapolis where he runs a school waiting for whoever is going to join him.

            Father Superior was in Detroit at the beginning of the year for Mr.V.Badin's gift.   Following the advice of Doctor Canalli, clearly a cheat, he chose a good Presbyterian as a lawyer and put matters in fashion to scare the bishop of Detroit; but he wasn't afraid.   He declared to his lawyer, Mr. Van Dyke, an honest deist, since elected mayor of Detroit, that he'd give up nothing except at sword point.   A few days after Father Superior's return, Doctor Canalli, who alone can serve as witness, having done Mr. V. Badin's accounts and business affairs, got all worked up and threatened us with a lawsuit.   It became necessary to pacify him; Father Gouesse was given the job, since the doctor liked him, and he succeeded.   It was only a question of ceding him a certain sum that he exacted for his services, because Father Superior had tricked him with fancy words which he hadn't stuck to.   Father Gouesse believed his demand just, but you have to imagine that the Superior thought otherwise.   Father Gouesse explained to Father Superior who settled the affair with the Minor Chapter, which Father Gouesse didn't attend, although he was the only one who could speak impartially, because he wasn't a member.   The doctor's request was refused, but I don't know the result of the refusal since I no longer help at any Administrative Council.  

            The discipline at the boarding school is in the worst state ever.   The insubordination of the students is insufferable.   They came to blows once with the Prefect of Studies.   They abandoned the chaperone many times while out walking and left sixteen at a time for town, etc., etc., and all these faults were not punished in a way to make an impression.   This insubordination, in my opinion, has for its immediate cause the little unanimity and uniformity which exist among the teachers, but for the first and principal cause, the lack of tact by the Superior, his overly great complaisance for the teachers as much as for the students and a lack of firmness which makes him put aside a rule a few days after publishing it and which makes him give permissions and privileges wrongly and contrarily without reaching an understanding with the Prefect of Discipline [Brother Gatian himself].   The Prefect of Discipline, who alone is loved, respected and obeyed, seeing that the superior undid what he did and that the Director of Studies is more busy with missions than his boarding school, has lost courage and often leaves everything go helter-skelter.   We don't have enough good professors: we have too many who are weak and without zeal.  

            The Brothers' novitiate instead of growing is shrinking.   Since the retreat of August, 1846, Brother Mary Joseph and Brother Francis as well as Brother Peter and Brother Charles Borromeo have defrocked.   Brother John Baptist and Brother Anthony are dead.   Since that time we have had only two postulants of which one, who had been [...] took the habit at St. Joseph with the name Brother Charles Borromeo.   Brother Basil has also defrocked for the second time with ftve year vows, but he returned and Father Superior made him make his profession with Brother Bernard about three weeks after his return.   My job as Director of Studies doesn't give me much trouble because there're only three Brothers, one postulant, and still I can hardly find a professor.   Two of the Brothers are German and could never teach English; the other is Canadian and is little disposed to study.   The postulant is also German but speaks English rather well.   Our little world has to be augmented since the fevers, which had stopped at the beginning of winter, have again struck Brother Marie [Francis Xavier], Brother Stephen, Brother Louis, Brother Dominic, etc., and although they don't avoid doses of quinine, they can escape from it for only a week or two at a time.  

            The imaginary sickness of Brother William, which plagued him last August, still endures.  

            You can conclude from what I just told you that jobs are fulfilled with much negligence and that we are overburdened.   For example, four months ago I asked for inventories of clothes and furniture, the statement of our credits and debits, necessary information for the chronicle, the obituary and the register of benefactors, but it seemed that neither the steward, who is too old, can't speak, or has lost his memory, nor the tailors or seamstresses, nor the superior, have the time to think about it.   I'll be told, "Next week, tomorrow, we'll straighten out this matter, these accounts," but ''Tomorrow never comes" says the proverb.   Moreover, I have too much to do myself to be always ready when they are, because outside of my job as secretary, I'm often employed eight hours a day at the boarding school, but I also remark that for each of the professors, I've also been kindly given charge of the bookkeeping, arithmetic, algebra, and geometry courses which, arithmetic excepted, I had never taught nor ever learned perfectly and for which I consequently need lots of preparation: I took geometry and algebra lessons for only six weeks at Notre Dame de Ste. Croix.  

            My job as Prefect of Discipline is purely honorary because how can I fix any disorder among the Brothers, spending only three quarters of an hour with them a week?

            As for our deliberation regarding Louisville, it would be possible that Father Superior hasn't sent it.   I asked him many times if he had done so, but I can't get a direct response.

            Your nota bene "that we must build nothing, nor buy, nor transfer without your permission" hasn't been observed up to now, and I believe it'll be difficult to make it observed in the future.   We must buy, according to the contract made with Father Th. Badin, two pieces of land which border us as soon as they're up for sale, which will add at least 25,000 francs to our debts.   They just built a wooden stable, 30 by 15 feet, and a cart-house 86 by 20, which is going to cost, without counting part of the wood we took from our farm and the work of our carpenters who have to finish it, 1750 francs.   This building was put to a vote last December: four voted for and four against (Father Gouesse was absent).   The double vote ofthe superior carried it.   I believe they're thinking about building a beautiful church which, without counting what we can furnish and make ourselves, is going to cost, according to the estimate of Father Superior who didn't exaggerate in a similar case, 5,000 francs at least.   When the question was put to a vote, there were three negative votes and two affirnative, and thus the question depends on the superior who asks for time to reflect.  

We'll have to return Brother Peter's dowry to him in May 2,500   [in francs]

We have debts amounting to   30,000  

Our Indianapolis purchase   22,500  

Two pieces of land (if there aren't three) to buy   35,000  

The cart-house   1,750  

The church, if it's built   5,000  

Yearly allowance for Father Badin   2,000

Total   88,750  

But we'll have almost the means to pay all that if we win the lawsuit that (I think) we're going  to make against the bishop of Detroit   60,000  

[Total]   28,750  

            Since you'd like us, reasonably enough, to give you an account of our business affairs as well as the changes that we can make in the rules, and as you seem not to have known several important items, you'll have to require someone in the Minor Chapter to keep you up to date and that man will have to have the freedom to write you at all times.  

            I saw Father Superior refuse a letter which came from France, but I don't know to whom it was addressed: that explains perhaps how it comes about that several men have never received an answer to letters they wrote to you.  

            Although you assert you only imitated the superior in the agreement with Monsignor, he always denied it and moreover it seems we'll have to do the translation at our expense.   But how can we make a similar foundation without personnel?

The Sisters continue to appear very often at the college.   Moreover three are continually in the building: the one who cleans the dormitories, the two infirmarians, and sometimes the cook.   The infirmary is in the body of the college, on the second floor, facing Father Gouesse' s bedroom, although six months ago we decided to put it in the apartments attached to the print-shop, but those bedrooms aren't ready yet.  

            The print-shop, which especially bothers us and which since vacation has done nothing, was sold with a loss of two or three thousand francs.   Nevertheless we've been praised for having been able to strike a good deal for it.  

            I'm in the same disposition regarding my vocation.   I have the same attraction for studying languages and mathematics, but I don't have time to apply myself to it.   It's true these abstract studies and my jobs wither my heart, and I'm consequently lukewarm in my religious exercises, which I do more by obedience than by taste.  

            I'm happy my parents were made aware that I'm doing well and that I continue to be happy.   I don't like to write to them because I've lost the habit, not having written for two years, and because I've received no news from them since I've been in America.  

            I don't forget former benefactors, Mr. Marchand, pastor at Chéméré-le-Roi, and Brother Vital.  

            I believe I must tell you that Brother Theodule was elected a member of the Minor Chapter to fill in for the absence of Brother Joseph.  

            Our armies continue to be victorious in Mexico.   It's odd that although only the ninth part of our population is Catholic, the army chaplains are Catholic priests.  

            Since I still have some paper, I'll tell you the winter hasn't been rough this year, snow having been on the ground only five months.  

            My reverend Father, please recommend our entire establishment to the Association's prayers and our boarding school to the prayers of the one at Ste. Croix, so God deigns to heal our sicknesses, both spiritual and temporal.  

            I'm writing in a style only slightly coherent, but that comes from my having to steal time.   Excuse the freedom I took in sending you letters so long and so poorly executed.  

            I am your Reverence's respectful and obedient servant,

Brother Gatian

The house at the right is the Monsimer home in Chéméré-le-roi from which Gatian left to join the Brothers of St. Joseph in 1840.

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