SSIHM

IHM Archives Notes

Father Louis Gillet’s spirituality was formed by a life that joined an apostolic dimension with a contemplative quality, a combination that he passed on to the IHMs. Gillet, the missionary, was filled with zeal, desiring—as he said—to be everywhere when he thought of so many people in need. Over a period of 10 years he travelled extensively in 10 states and to nine stations in the expansive St. Mary Monroe parish. He preached, conduct-ed missions and retreats, served as superior of the Monroe Redemptorist house, and

ministered to many people in three different languages: French, German and English. Referring to the distanc-es of his travels, he wrote to Frederick DeHeld, the Redemptorist superior in Belgium, “Judge from that if I have need of a horse able to run; moreo-ver, I have served well an apprentice-ship in equestrian skills…”

To facilitate his ministries he initiated and built many things, such as churches in Stony Creek and Bliss-field, the Redemptorist house in Mon-roe, the expansion of the Monroe church building, and a religious con-gregation of women, the IHMs, to provide Catholic education for young women. Described as ardent and rest-less as well as high-spirited, he was inexperienced as a superior and felt

himself not suited temperamentally for that job. He was a “hard-driven missionary” when he arrived in the United States as a young 30-year-old; he was still driven by zeal when he returned to Europe 12 years later.

By 1858, desiring a contemplative life, he entered the novitiate of the Cistercian Abbey of Notre Dame de Senanque, east of Avignon, France.

Shortly before his death in

1892, Gillet wrote his last

farewell to “his dear children

of the Immaculate Heart.”

When he was finished, he

dropped the pen and began

his final journey. The monks,

knowing he had always

loved the singing of canti-

cles, intoned for him “Beau

ciel eternelle patrie.” He lis-

tened with delight.

From a letter of

Father Marie Symphorien,

Prior

Father Gillet, Zealous Missionary and Contemplative Monk

Beau Ciel Eternelle Patrie

Beautiful Heaven, eternal home, You exhaust all my desires, The world, its wealth, its pleasures Have no longer anything to cause me envy. God of love, God of love, When will you call me to the celestial abode?

In 1859, after his profession, he moved to a new foundation at the Abbey of Notre Dame de Fontfroid, where the monks were poor, working in the fields 15 hour days. There Gil-let, now in his mid-40s, worked and prayed the office with the others.

In 1864, a pioneer once again, he went to the abbey at Hautecombe, where he remained the rest of his life. For those 28 years he served in various capacities: novice master, sub-prior, prior. By then he had mellowed and was “a good contemplative and a good superior.” During his later years in Hautecombe he learned with joy of the survival and growth of the IHM congregation which he had co-founded many years earlier.

Gillet at one time lived a life of apostolic ac-tion and at another one of contemplative re-flection. During his final years, he could look back on his time as a hard-driven missionary in many distant places and also on some 34 years as a contemplative Cistercian monk in France. Gillet, as other people of strong char-acter who are able to integrate their lives, ap-proached the end of life with a great sense of peace and happiness. The words of the hymn intoned by the monks as he was dying express the peace and happiness that were his after a life well-lived.

Volume 3, Issue 6 November 2012

Senanque Abbey

Hautecombe Abbey

Fontfroide Abbey

Father Marie-Celestin

(Louis) Gillet as a Cistercian

IHM Archives Notes

Page 2

Sisters, Servants, of the

Immaculate Heart of Mary

610 West Elm Ave.

Monroe, MI 48162

www.ihmsisters.org

Archives Hours

Monday—Thursday

8:30-11:30 a.m.

12:30-3 p.m.

Phone 734-240-9695

Fax 734-240-8328

Donna Westley, Archivist

dwestley@ihmsisters.org

Writer: Anne Crane, IHM

Contributors: Ann Oestreich, IHM, Margaret Brennan, IHM

Page 2

Two young women, in the novi-tiate only a few weeks, were still trying to get used to wearing their habits in the warm and hu-mid Monroe summer. When Sister Mary asked them to go “over town” on a mission, they were ecstatic. It wasn’t all that usual in those days for novices to be out and about. Besides, they would get to wear a black veil for the excursion. They headed for a bank in the small downtown area, a walk of about a mile. The first dilemma they faced, as they stood on a street corner, was to which of two possible banks they should go. Once that momentous deci-sion was made, they headed into the lobby of the bank. Overheat-ed by the outside temperature and the excitement of the ven-ture, their ordinarily stiff head-pieces were somewhat droopy and spread out. They approached

When novice directress

Mother Benedicta (Margaret)

Brennan received a gift in the

form of a check to “treat” the

novices in the early 1960s,

Mother Anna Marie Grix told

her to cash the check and

use the money for the intend-

ed purpose.

Benedicta asked her assis-

tant, Sister Mary Immaculate

(Mary) McDevitt to take care

of the job, expecting she

would select “seasoned vet-

erans.” But, nothing was

simple in those days, and

there were complicating cir-

cumstances.

Two Nuns Held Up by Bank

The IHM Archives is sometimes the recipient of unexpected gifts, as was the case several weeks ago. Ann Oestreich, IHM, who is the justice coordinator for the Holy Cross Sisters in South Bend, has an office on the same campus as St. Mary College. Parents of a colleague had been antiquing and found a collection of small cards depicting various scenes on the St. Mary College campus. Thinking the campus was St. Mary at Notre Dame, they were pleased to donate them to the Sisters of the Holy Cross. Her colleague, realizing the pictures were of the St. Mary Monroe campus, gave them to Ann, who in turn gave them to Archives. They are in much better condition than similar ones that had been on display in Archives.

a teller who asked if he could help them. They weren’t clear about how to answer, exchanged glanc-es, and got out, “We-e-e want to-o-o cash a check.”

“How do you want it?” he asked. They were again befuddled. They looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. The situation was getting tense. The headpiece of one expanded out even more, making her resemble the flying nun. The other one, who displayed a twitch of her cheek when nervous, did just that.

Now, his suspicions were aroused. “What’s your telephone number?” he queried. In those days, novices didn’t use the phones at the Motherhouse, so again they shrugged their shoul-ders and said they didn’t know. At this point, the teller asked them to wait while he checked

something and he hurried off looking for the manager.

The manager took a look and confirmed the teller's suspi-cions. As the IHM Sisters were long and valued customers of the bank, the manager thought he should call the Motherhouse. His phone call was routed to Benedicta’s office. “There are a couple of women here saying they’re IHMs. They’re trying to cash a check made out to Sis-ters IHM. We think they may be bogus nuns and wanted to check this out with you before doing anything further.”

Benedicta responded, “Well, sir, they are two of our brand new novices and they aren’t used to their roles yet. I’m sorry about the confusion.” She hung up the phone and went looking for Mary Immaculate.

Gifts to Archives Are Welcome Surprises

These miniature postcards, with

interior and exterior views of

the 1905 St. Mary College and

Academy, may be seen in the

Archives Heritage Display Area.