Letter to Monsignor Moynagh from Greenbank Monkstown. No author, but presumably Mary Martin.
ROUGH TRANSCRIPTION
Dear Monsignor Moynach,
Wery many thanks indedd for your wery welcome Letter
And for writing so fully. Of course, your dccision came as a dis-
Appointment to us, but we appreciste the grounds which determined
3ou, and are very grateful for the good will that you have Kor the
future of our Society.
1t is a matter of great regret to me that my letter
Dy air mail to you was neccssarily so hurricd and incomplete. 15
1 had had time, 1 should have given you a fuld account of the cir-
cumstances in which our decision was reached. You know howLdiff.
Acult it is to sive a picture of these things in s lctter., cspeciay
when they are very complicated and involve a number of people. And
Anfortunately Che pricsts from whem you masht have exoecled to learn
About the circmmstances, in fact knew nothsng of them. I am afriid
my letter merely stressed the necessity for immediate action withoub
fuddy explaining the reasons for it and did Miltle to show how mucR
1 forsaw your praciical difficulties. As. te the explanations, I
fesl if I had succeeded in giving you an adequate account of these,
cumstanccs in which our decision was reached. Kou kenow HowdnEE
icult it is to give a picture of these things in a letter, cspecially
Mhen they are very complicated and involve a number of people. And
unfortunately the pricsts from whom you might have expected to learn
About the circumstances, in fact knew notheng of them. I am afriid
ry letter mercly stressed the neccssity for immediate action withonG
fuldy explaining the rcasons for it and did Mittle to show How mucn
1 forsaw your practical difficudties. As te the explanations, I
fell if I had succceded in giving you an adequate account of these,
Nou would have agrecd with all who have advised me in full Knowledge
of the circumstances.As to ways and means, I should Have Miked
to have relieved you of a great dcal of the responsibilities thab
3ou maust have fclt at the prospect of acceptins us so unconditionat
2.
May I try to this nowo I wish humbly to asle of you 9
Aurther fawour, which is to reconsider your decision at least to
the extent of accepting two members with oyself in January 1957, in
Aight of he following considgrationsr
aJ The ercction of M.M.M into s religious Society is absclute,
2 requisite. 1f this is to be in your Wicariate, the wisitatio,
of His Exceldency, Monsigaor Riberi widl Providentialdy pemmit ti9
4o be done with the mimimur delay and with the least trouble to
wourself.
b3 Our present indetemmminate status make all progress for
us impossible. We cannet clist sympathy or support. It is diffi.
cult to recruit suitable and qualified members, and it becomea
more clear cach day that it wo dd be extremely undasirable to
Attempt to live a corporate 1ife in Dublin even this year.
3 It is not merely s question of risking Loss of oportun.
ities and wocations. Ih spite of our retirement at Glenstal and.
our discretion, something is known of our aimus and intentions. Ir
our prcsent position, we cannot give any public account of ourselw.
es, and there is wery real danger that the attitude may be adopted
2
towards usthat will be misinfsrmed and perhaps unsympathetic.
d) wat I have to propose to your consideration appears to
me to be the solution of difficul ties on both sides. Three of us
mith the " buona religiosa " will with the faculities thet have
been afforded us, from Rome, be sufficient to start a novitiate.
Monsignor Riberi has very kindly taken steps to sccure a Religious
for us.
Ro take first the practical aspeets of this proposal. There
is th question of my health., this I feel 1 must take full respon-
Sibility for myself, having consulted competent advice on this matter
M delicate health is a precious gift from God and I believe He wils
1aa
by/ acting with humility according to the Doctors advice using great
care and discretion bring me through the time that is absolutely
neceasary for me to remain personally in Africa.-
Therccan be me to be the rsolution of difficulties on botb sides. Three of us
mith the " buona religiosa " will with the faculities that have
been afforded us, from Rome be sufficient to start a novitiate.
Monsignor Riberi has very kindly taken steps to secure a Religious
for us.
ro take first the practical aspeets of this proposal. There
is th question of my health., this 1 feel I must take fuld respon
Sibility for mysclf, having consulted corapetent advice on this maatter
Mydelicate health is a precious gift from God and M believe He wile
HaR
Dy acting with humility according to the Doctors advice using great
care and discretion bring me through the time that is absolutely
necessary for me to remain personally in Africa.- Therecan be
mo holding back, once the offering Mas bean made, risks must be
taken when things are necessary to accomplish Gods will. So I take
full responsibility for my health and will have full instructions
from the doctor as to all that is humanly possible to help me dur-
ing the coming year.
mere is Mae seconddyquestion of msindenance, I thirke it ondy
Just, owing toous being unable to do active works for you during
our years novitiate that we suoport ourselves - using the funds I had
saved for the house in Dublin, trusting in God's Lovins Providenee
for our future needs,
There is further the point which you raise as to the qualificatinn
of our members, a point which I have always held to be, paramount
importance. The difficulty is that during the required spiritua
Vear, our members will not be able to act in a qualified capacity
Now there scems to be really less waste of time in the end if a
number of us were to under go this novitiate as soon as possible
because the status we shall thereby acquire will enable us much mo
casily to recruit qualified doctors and nurses, and it will be poa
Sible to staff the hospital with these, withdrawing them in turn
As qualified and professed members are ready to take their places
on the other hand, if our year of novitiate is prosponed for anob
er twelve months, we shall continue to encountar our present diffn
ties in recruitingt due to the uncertainty of our position J and
our members who will have qualified in the meantime will have to
retire for a further year in order to undergo their novitiate.
At the end of the novitiate of the first group professed, two membe
Having their C.W.B. cert. will Have been professed and ready fon
Mork in the hospital as religious. I myself shall at last be in
A position to interest people in the work, recruit suitable subjec
And financial assistance andestablish a novitiate, for the qualife
Subiec ts to enter. Andto refer again to my health, please do EI bwe Lve mon ths, we shatl contlnue to cncountdr our present difid
ties in recruitingt due to the uncertainty of our position J and
our members who will have qualified in the meantime will have to
retire for o further year in order to undergo their novitiate.
At the end of the novitiate of the first group professed, two membe)
having their C.M.B. cert. will have been professed and ready for
work in the hospital as religious.I wyself shall at last be An
A position to interest people in the work, recruit suitable subiect,
And financial assistance andestablish a novitiate, for the qualdfiec
Subiects to enter. Andto refer again to my health, please do
not think that because of th e confidence I have expressed in the
Providence of God, I have quite neglected considerations of prudence
In fact, the proposed step appcars to me to be one which widd enab,
me to do the maximum for M.M.M. with the least possible strain or
my physical resources.
I only wish that it was possible to dacuss ald these
metters with you personaliy. Thers is so much to considar that it
seems a hopeless task to attempt by correspondance with its delays
And the Miability of misunderstandings.Wou can weld imnagine how
Anxious I am to have things definitely fixed as to going or not aB
1 have so many girls on my hands.
Wou wild, I know, appreciate the complexities of my pes-
ition. I hae the responsibility of arranging the immediate future
of the members in the midst of a host of praciyical difficulties, and And have tot take care that no step is taken which wild endanger
the ultimate interests of the work, while takcnginto full account
And consideration the convience of all whese promise of assistance
has done so much to encourage me. I should certainly have been
Appalled at the difficulties if I had not been able to count on tho
Advice of good friends and especialdy dn that of Their Excellencics
The Nuncio and Monsignor Riberi.
And as you see I rea 1y want to ask the mimnimum of yon,
And merely that you allow us to have our domicile for thds vitale
Jear in you Vicariate. Please do not bother very much aboub
Accommodation we shall be able to provide this for ourselves as
our requirements will be extremely simple. and all that would be
immediately required is quite temporary accommodationfor three,
while we prepare our own quarters. Untill these are ready, we
nced not live as a group if there should be any difficulties in
the way, and the arrival of the religious could be deferred untild
then.
Wou may feel however that even with these provisions made
our presence in your Vicariate would involve you in more that you
Mould wish to undertake, and that you would prefers that we sougMt
shelter elsewhere. in which case I shall fudly understand and ae our requirements will be extremely simple, and all that would be
immediately required is quite temporary accommodationfor three
while we prepare our own quarters.Untill these are ready, we
nced not live as a group if there should be any difficulties in
the way, and the arrival of the religious could be deferred untild
then.
Wou may feel however that even with these provisions mado
our presence in your Vicariate would involve you in more that yom
rould mish te undertshe, and that you moudld prefers that me scnsEt
shelter elsewhere. in which case I shall fully understand and ae
cept your decisionwith regret but with a sincere feeling of gratit
ude for the consideration you have shown for us.
I should, however be grateful for an imnmediate and definite
reply by cable as to whether these of us might sail by the boat (
Acavins on the
which would enable us to reach Calabar
Your Sister Mary has sust been home for a week and found
Ald we M at home cl. and Garcsa is as hanoy as sassible at Cancete
In union of prayer in the hearts of Jesus and Mary.
I remain,
Yours Wery sincerely and gratefud child
AI CLEANED TEXT
Dear Monsignor Moynach, Very many thanks indeed for your very welcome letter and for writing so fully. Of course, your decision came as a disappointment to us, but we appreciate the grounds which determined you, and are very grateful for the goodwill that you have for the future of our Society. It is a matter of great regret to me that my letter by air mail to you was necessarily so hurried and incomplete. If I had had time, I should have given you a full account of the circumstances in which our decision was reached. You know how difficult it is to give a picture of these things in a letter, especially when they are very complicated and involve a number of people. And unfortunately, the priests from whom you might have expected to learn about the circumstances, in fact, knew nothing of them. I am afraid my letter merely stressed the necessity for immediate action without fully explaining the reasons for it and did little to show how much I foresaw your practical difficulties. As to the explanations, I feel if I had succeeded in giving you an adequate account of these circumstances in which our decision was reached, you would have agreed with all who have advised me in full knowledge of the circumstances. As to ways and means, I should have liked to have relieved you of a great deal of the responsibilities that you must have felt at the prospect of accepting us so unconditionally. May I try to do this now? I wish humbly to ask of you a further favor, which is to reconsider your decision at least to the extent of accepting two members with myself in January 1957, in light of the following considerations: a) The erection of M.M.M. into a religious Society is absolutely requisite. If this is to be in your Vicariate, the visitation of His Excellency, Monsignor Riberi, will providentially permit this to be done with the minimum delay and with the least trouble to yourself. b) Our present indeterminate status makes all progress difficult. You would have agreed with all who have advised me in full knowledge.
It is impossible. We cannot elicit sympathy or support. It is difficult to recruit suitable and qualified members, and it becomes more clear each day that it would be extremely undesirable to attempt to live a corporate life in Dublin even this year. It is not merely a question of risking loss of opportunities and vocations. In spite of our retirement at Glenstal and our discretion, something is known of our aims and intentions. In our present position, we cannot give any public account of ourselves, and there is a very real danger that the attitude may be adopted towards us that will be misinformed and perhaps unsympathetic. What I have to propose to your consideration appears to me to be the resolution of difficulties on both sides. Three of us with the "buona religiosa" will, with the faculties that have been afforded us from Rome, be sufficient to start a novitiate. Monsignor Riberi has very kindly taken steps to secure a Religious for us. To take first the practical aspects of this proposal, there is the question of my health. I feel I must take full responsibility for myself, having consulted competent advice on this matter. My delicate health is a precious gift from God and I believe He will, by acting with humility according to the doctor's advice and using great care and discretion, bring me through the time that is absolutely necessary for me to remain personally in Africa. There can be no holding back once the offering has been made; risks must be taken when things are necessary to accomplish God's will. So I take full responsibility for my health and will have full instructions from the doctor as to all that is humanly possible to help me during the coming year. There is the secondary question of maintenance. I think it only just, owing to our being unable to do active work for you during our years of novitiate, that we support ourselves—using the funds I had saved for the house in Dublin, trusting in God's loving providence for our future needs.
There is further the point which you raise as to the qualification of our members, a point which I have always held to be of paramount importance. The difficulty is that during the required spiritual year, our members will not be able to act in a qualified capacity. Now there seems to be really less waste of time in the end if a number of us were to undergo this novitiate as soon as possible because the status we shall thereby acquire will enable us much more easily to recruit qualified doctors and nurses, and it will be possible to staff the hospital with these, withdrawing them in turn as qualified and professed members are ready to take their places. On the other hand, if our year of novitiate is postponed for another twelve months, we shall continue to encounter our present difficulties in recruiting due to the uncertainty of our position, and our members who will have qualified in the meantime will have to retire for a further year in order to undergo their novitiate. At the end of the novitiate of the first group professed, two members having their C.W.B. certificate will have been professed and ready for work in the hospital as religious. I myself shall at last be in a position to interest people in the work, recruit suitable subjects, and financial assistance, and establish a novitiate for the qualified subjects to enter. And to refer again to my health, please do not think that because of the confidence I have expressed in the Providence of God, I have quite neglected considerations of prudence. In fact, the proposed step appears to me to be one which would enable me to do the maximum for M.M.M. with the least possible strain on my physical resources. I only wish that it was possible to discuss all these matters with you personally. There is so much to consider that it seems a hopeless task to attempt by correspondence with its delays and the likelihood of misunderstandings. You can well imagine how anxious I am to have things definitely fixed as to going or not, as I have so many girls on my hands. You will, I know, appreciate the complexities of my position. I have the responsibility of arranging the immediate future of the members in the midst of a host of practical difficulties, and I have to take care that no step is taken which would endanger the ultimate interests of the work while taking into full account and consideration the convenience of all whose promise of assistance has done so much to encourage me. I should certainly have been appalled at the difficulties if I had not been able to count on the advice of good friends, and especially on that of Their Excellencies the Nuncio and Monsignor Riberi. As you see, I really want to ask the minimum of you, and merely that you allow us to have our domicile for this vital year in your Vicariate. Please do not bother very much about accommodation, as we shall be able to provide this for ourselves, and our requirements will be extremely simple. All that would be immediately required is quite temporary accommodation for three, while we prepare our own quarters. Until these are ready, we need not live as a group if there should be any difficulties in the way, and the arrival of the religious could be deferred until then. You may feel, however, that even with these provisions made, our presence in your Vicariate would involve you in more than you would wish to undertake, and that you would prefer that we sought shelter elsewhere. In which case, I shall fully understand and accept your decision with regret but with a sincere feeling of gratitude for the consideration you have shown us. I should, however, be grateful for an immediate and definite reply by cable as to whether three of us might sail by the boat leaving on the *** Your Sister Mary has just been home for a week and found all well at home. Clara is as happy as possible at Convent. In union of prayer in the hearts of Jesus and Mary, I remain, Yours very sincerely and grateful child
