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15th Provincial Chapter
1899.
7/3/16/1
Gregory of St. Joseph, Provincial of the
Province of St. Joseph.
To the Very Rev. Fathers, Consultors, Rectors, Superiors, Masters of Novices, Rev. Fathers, Students & Brothers, Health and Benediction in the Lord.
THE time prescribed by Our Holy Rule for holding our Provincial Chapter is now drawing nigh. It gives us great pleasure, therefore to announce to you that our Most Rev. Fr. Bernard Mary of Jesus (General) has appointed Sunday, July 9th, for the opening of the 15th Provincial Chapter of our Province and Retreat of St. Paul of the Cross, Dublin, as the place where it is to be held.
It is a wise provision of our Constitutions which gives the Superiors of each Province an opportunity of coming together at stated times to take into consideration the moral condition of the Provinces committed to their care.
No greater misfortune can befall a religious institute than to loose the spirit of its Founder.
When this happens, its usefulness and benefit to the Church, as well as its power of sanctifying the members belonging to it, has passed away. God grant that such a misfortune will never befall our Congregation. It is our duty, however, to take every precaution to prevent such a calamity. This, then, is one of the objects for which both General and Provincial Chapters are convoked.
When recently attending our General Chapter in Rome, it was our privilege to kneel at the feet of the Sovereign Pontiff, Leo XIII., and ask his blessing for the Religious of our Province and a special blessing for the coming Provincial Chapter. In granting our request, His Holiness was pleased to ask us to impress on the Capitular Fathers the obligation and necessity of cultivating a love for holy meditation and prayer, a spirit of recollection, strict observance of Rule as also ardent zeal for the salvation of souls.
This paternal counsel of the Vicar of Christ will, I am sure, receive all the respect and attention it deserves, not only from those to whom it is addressed, but from all the Religious of our Province.
In order, however, that the Congregation in our Province may retain the spirit of our Holy Founder, it is of the first importance that the Superiors of the Province be lovers of regular observance and strict discipline, that they go before their brethren and encourage them to the practice of a holy life both by word and example. This is the second and all-

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important object for which the coming Chapter is convoked, viz., to select new Superiors for the coming three years. No more serious or important work could be entrusted to men than will devolve on those about to assemble at our Provincial Chapter.
The future of our Province, at least, for three years, will be placed in their hands, and the Religious look to them to perpetuate and keep in its primitive fervour the Spirit of our Holy Founder.
We are all of us, then, deeply interested in the coming important gathering of the Superiors of the Province, and we should all of us manifest an anxiety for its success by our fervent petitions to the throne of grace that the Holy Spirit of Truth and Light may be with those who have so responsible a work to do.
In addition, then, to the fervent petitions which each Religious of our Province will send up before the throne of the Most High for the success of the Chapter, we prescribe that from the reception of this letter there be recited in common, previous to the evening meditation till the 8th of July the Veni Creator and prayer; the Litany of the Blessed Virgin with prayer Concede, three Paters, and Aves in honour of St. Michael, St. Joseph, and St. Paul of the Cross with their respective antiphons and prayers. During the triduum, as well as on the day of the opening of the Chapter, all the Students, Lay Brothers, and Novices will receive Holy Communion.
We remind the Father Rectors to bring with them their Littera Patentes and their seals of office, and likewise the following:—
I. Certificate of the faithful celebration of the Masses said during the past three years, signed by all the Fathers of the Community except the Rector.II. Certificate of the keeping of the Archives signed by the Rector and Vice-Rector.III. An inventory of all the goods of the House, Church, and Sacristy.IV. A correct financial statement of the Retreat giving an abstract of the Income and Expenditure for the past three years of Administration, and stating the amount of money in Bank and House.V. A faithful statement of the permanent debts of the House and current bills due up to the time of giving up office, mentioning the amount due to each creditor. We moreover order that an exact copy of IV. and V. be inserted in the Administration Book, and signed by Rector and Vice-Rector.
In conclusion, we beg to remind the Capitular Fathers to be at the Retreat of St. Paul of the Cross not later than the 8th of July, in order to take part in the solemn triduum of prayer previous to the opening of the Chapter.
Given at St. Joseph's Retreat, Highgate, London, June 1st, 1899.
GREGORY OF ST. JOSEPH, PROVINCIAL.

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PHOTOSTAT (made at Cheltenham 19.9.1974) from the
original printed copy in Broadway's Archives.
CALL NO TERM NO 07
1899. 06. 01.
YEAR MONTH DAY
CLASS.
NUMBER
ARCHIVES
ARCHIVE AREAS DUBLIN 6
ENTRY DATE SERIAL
1574. 11-07 2.54