6.

CRISES &
CONSOLIDATION
( 1691-1698) SOLUTIONS

CRISES 1. Novitiate at Vaugirard (1692)

DLS & the Brothers decided to open a
1. Death of Br. Henri LHeureux new Novitiate at
Br. Henri L Heureux was elected Vaugirard, a small
superior of the Brothers of the Christian village outside
School during their General Assembly in Paris (about a mile
1686. But it was annulled by the from Rue Princese).
Archbishop of Reims because he could not It has a large old
accept that a mere layman can be the house surrounded
superior of a priest much more a PhD & by garden with
canon of a Cathedral. open space &
Because of this DLS sent Br. Henri plenty of fresh air.
to study for Priesthood with the intention
of preparing him to be the next superior 2. Heroic Vow
genral of the Brothers. The 2nd
Within the days of his ordination solution to the
in Paris, Br. Henri got sick and suddenly crises was the
died. Vows made by DLS,
This tragedy brought great impact Gabriel Drolin, &
to DLS that he cried. His biographers Nicolas Vuyart on
noted that DLS rarely shows his emotion the eve of Nov. 21,
except this. 1691.
DLS soon discern what is God They bind
trying to tell him through this event? themselves by vow to establish the
He realized that the vocation to society no matter what it might cost them
Priesthood was nothing to do with the and even if the other brothers abandoned
vocation of the Brothers, as a matter of it, and they were obliged to beg for alms
fact it might bring in conflict because the and to live on bread alone.
(see the vows on page 71, The Work Is Yours by
presence of Priest in Society might open Luke Salm, FSC)
the door to the ever-present possibility of
external ecclesiastical control. 3. The Election of a Superior
This prophetic act of DLS was later On the day following Trinity Sunday in
became the distinguishing characteristic 1694, DLS reassembled the Brothers
of this Institute. who had made perpetual vows the day
before to proposed an election of a
2. Crises in Reims new Superior. The reason is because
a. Out of 16 Brothers in Reims only 8 of his health, that better to elect a new
left. For 3 years only 1 applicant Superior so that whatever happened
joined the Brothers. to him to continuity of the Institute
b. The close down of Teachers-Training will be assured of. Two times the
because it was not needed. voting were held and the result was
c. Most of the Brothers were exhausted the same the Brothers choose DLS,
and sick. DLS himself was also sick. still to be their Superior.
The future therefore seems uncertain
so a solution is needed.