Stuk 2025-05-07/2068 - Mother Cecily Dillon

One A4

Original letter is in Archives, St. Isidore’s College, Rome.

The writer, presumably M. Cecily Dillon, was sister of Sir Lucas Dillon.

As the existing community of Bethlehem was scattered at the time of writing (Dec. 27, 1642), the new "Bethlehem" in Athlone must not have been founded until at least 1643.

Copy of letter in St. Isidore's Archives, Rome, written presumably by Mother Cecily Dillon.

TEXT

Je(su)s M(a)r(i)a
/27th Dec./ 1642

Loving Cosen,

... (dis)tress of these distempered times is such as ministreth a sufficient subject for these I addresse unto Y[our] Reverence, to (s)hew you the state wherunto yr poore sisters of Bethleem are reduced, and w[ho] (in ye grief I had the chiefe charge in the beginning of these wars and continue still in the sadd obligation unto my Sweet God, whereof I am made uncapable to disch[ar]g my duty, any other way then (= than) to resyne my self unto the divine permission gave way to separate our comynitie into several places to seek for some refuge under the wings of God’s mercy (in our charact[er] as all doe for God sake adure this harbour), being upon the seasid out of our cruell enemies now in our guards of their time, which are dispersed into several places, where some few of us have betaken them selves to Ballimore of this countie where liue half a dozen of us, with a number of seaven to be heard with Sir Lucas Dillon, six at Sir Ulick Burkes, four in the countie of Westmeath with the kings countis with my cosen Terence Coughlan, which three I hope begett compassion in yr (Reveren)ce towards such a number of distressed poore creatures, who are by the dispersion, and dissolution, of the whole Kingdome of the like livelihood stood noe soe disappointed as under God, whose care upon wh[om] tune our last rec[ourse?] for price of a habit in our need, wherefore seeing it hath pleased God to make yr (Reveren)ce an instrument for doeing yr country and friends many favours, in there necessitie, I hope you will be mindful of yr poore sisters whose extermitie in our degree is not in the rest of our country, and yet I hope deare __ my parte, if I had not betaken my self to the ser(vice of God), to exaime in time of need presume upon yr f(avou?) they might be wanting, and much more now (= then?) expired without some release of favour for my deare sisters, with whom for (?) yr R(everen)ce is spirituall and corporall happines leaving this my sute un(der) (con)sideration I will remane

...company which we sent there
to inhabit, and this last,
Easter (?)

Yr R(everen)ce is poore assured
Sister ———