Item 2023-01-25/474 - St. Johns Abbey Minnesota

Two pages. One A5, One A4. Typed

From the Abbot Alcuin Deutsch of St. John's Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota. Advising about the rule of the Benedictines Nuns.

AI CLEANED TEXT
St. John's Abbey
Collegeville, Minn.

Very Rev. Dom Beda Lebbe, O.S.B.
St. Columba's Priory
Glenstal, Co. Limerick, Ireland.

My dear Dom Beda:

In my letter of April 20 I promised to send you copies of several Constitutions for Benedictine Sisters. I sent you three on the second of this month. That is all I can get for you at the present time. The Constitution for the Congregation that I have been trying to form is not yet available. As a matter of fact it is about the same in the Declarations as that of the Congregation of St. Scholastica. I introduced some important changes into the Constitution of the Congregation, but you will hardly need anything for a Congregation at the present time, since I imagine that you are for the present merely trying to establish a single community.

With a hearty God bless you and your community, I am

Yours fraternally,

St. John's Abbey
Collegeville, Minn.
April 20, 1936

Very Rev. Dom Beda Lebbe, O.S.B.
St. Columba's Priory
Glenstal, Co. Limerick, Ireland.

My dear Father Prior:

I don't know whether I should address you, "Povero Don Beda" (—Yes, I recall very well how I used to tease you in this way). And I suppose I ought to do it again to express my sympathy for you in having been exiled to Ireland and made Prior there. The last time I received a letter from there it was from my old friend "Monsignore Don Auberto." If I am not mistaken he has been thrown back by Ireland to the shores of Belgium.

It is a long time since I had any letter from a Benedictine in England or Ireland. But almost the same mail that brought your letter brought me one from Father Wilfrid Wilson with a reprint of the obituary of Father Joseph Dawson, which originally appeared in the Ampleforth Journal. It was a pleasure to know that neither you nor Don Wilfrido, whom I suppose you still remember, has forgotten me.

As to the service you request: a copy of the Constitution of the one or the other of the Benedictine Sister communities in this country. There is one Congregation embracing quite a number of the Benedictine communities. Its statutes have been approved by the Holy See. These communities engage only in school work. There is another group of houses out here in Minnesota and the neighboring States of the northwest of the U.S. For some years already [I] have been trying to get these together into a Congregation. I have succeeded so far that the statutes for it are at present before the Holy See and will, I hope, meet its approval before the end of this year.

I shall try to obtain for you a printed copy of the Constitutions of the first mentioned Congregation and a typewritten copy of the second. Then I shall try to get you a copy also of the Declarations on the Holy Rule that I drew up some years ago for the convent of St. Scholastica in Duluth, and a copy also of the recently revised constitutions for St. Benedict's Convent, four miles from here. There are some other convents that stand alone, but I do not even know whether they have anything except the will of the Prioress to guide them. As I shall have to write for copies of these constitutions, it may take two or three weeks after receipt of this letter before you get them.

Hoping that you are well and happy and that St. Columba's

ORIGINAL OCR

S. Jobnr Abbeg
Gmlleperllle, Man.
Very Rev. Dom Beda Lebbe, O.S.B.
St. Columba s Priory
Glenstal Co. Limerick, Ireland.
My dear Dom Beda:
copies of several Constitutions for Benedictine Sisters.1I sent
In my letter of April 20 I promised to send you
you three on the second of this month. That is all I can get for
you at the present time. The Constitution for the Congregation
that 1 have been trying to form is not yet available. As a matter
of fact it is about the same in the Beclarations as that of the
Congregation of St. Scholastica. I introduced some important
changes into the Constitution of the Congregation, but you will
hardly nced anything for a Congregation at the present time, since
1 imagine that you are for the present merely trying to cstablish
A Single community.
Mith a hearty God bless you and your comunity, I am
Yours fraternally,

S. Jobs Abben
Gollepeville, Han.
April 20, 1936
Very Rev. Dom Beda Lebbe. O.S.B.
St. Columba' s Priory
Glenstal Co. Limerick, Ireland.
My dear Father Prior.
Epovero Don Beda' (- Yes, I recall very well how I used to
I don't know whether I should address you,
tease you in this way. And 1 suppose I ought to do it again
to express my sympathy for you in having been exiled to the
Irish and made Prior there. The last time I received a letter
from there it was from my old friend "Monsignore Don Autberto.
1f 1 am not mistaken he has been thrown back by Ireland to the
shores of Belgium.
It is a long time since I had any letter from a Benedictine
in England or Ireland. But almost the same mail that brought
your letter brought me one from Father Wilfrid Wilson with a
reprint of the obituary of Father Joseph Dawson, which originally
Appcarcd in the Ampleforth Journal. It was a pleasure to Know
that neither you nor Don Wilfrido, whom 1 suppose you still re-
member, has forgotten me.
As to the service you request: a copy of the Constitution
of the one or the other of the Benedictine Sister communities
in this country. There is one Congregation embracing quite a
number of the Benedictine communities. 1ts statutes have been
Approved by the Holy See. These communities engage only in school
work. There is another group of houses out here in Minnesota and
the neighboring States of the northwest of the U.S. For some years
Already have been trying to get these together into a Congrega-
tion.I have succeeded so far that the statutes for it are at
present before the Holy See and will, I hope meet its approval
before the end of this year.
I shall try to obtain for you a printed copy of the Constitu-
tions of the first mentioned Congregation and a typewritten copy
of the second. Then I shall try to get you a copy also of the
Beclarations on the Holy Rule that I drew up some years ago for
the convent of St. Scholastica in Duluth, and a copy a1so of the
recently revised constitutions for St. Benedict's Convent, four
miles from here. There are some other convents that stand alone,
but 1 do not even know whether they have anything except the will
of the Prioress to guide them. As 1 shall have to write for copies
of these constitutions, it may take two or three wecks after re-
ceipt of this letter before you get them.
Hoping that you are well and happy and that St. Columba's