Woodchester - New Fathers - Death of Gregory XVI
A new phase of our status in these countries began to manifest itself this year. We were patronized and a house offered to us as a gift.
It was our custom heretofore to struggle with privations in our various foundations, to put up with effects in furniture, defects in comfort, defects in food and accommodation. We were saved from these casualties in the foundation offered to us in 1846.
William Leigh, Esq., of Woodchester Park , near Stroud, Gloucestershire, intended to build a church in honour of the Annunciation of Our lady as a thanks offering for the grace of conversion, and to hard over the edifice to a community of Regulars. Acting under the advice of Fr. Wiseman, the gentleman invited Fr. Dominic to look at the place and mark out the site. On the 9th January, the site of the present Dominican Priory and Church was chosen by Fr. Dominic.
Mr. Leigh hired a mansion, called Northfield House near Nailsworth, to be the temporary residence of the Fathers until the new Retreat was built. On March 24th, Fr. Dominic and a lay brother took possession, or the 25th, Feast of the Annunciation, Mass was said in the presence of a congregation of four people; two more religious were sent to join them; Mass was said in a temporary chapel on the Sunday following and the Ven. Father preached to a congregation of 20 people, many of whom came from a great distance. Such was the beginning of Woodchester.
The community at Aston all consisted of 14 members, 8 of whom were sent to colonize the new foundation. It was arranged that Woodchester should be the house of studies and Astor all the Noviciate. Father Dominic undertook the office of teaching the students in addition to that of Vice-provincial. He kept on still nursing the cradle of our future province.
On the 8th June of this year a very important subject was added to the small number who followed the Rule of St. Paul of the Cross in this country. This was Father Vincent of St. Joseph (Grotti). H e had been a secular priest of the diocese of Viterbo and only one year professed when he was sent over here. He was destined to be one of the most successful missioners who ever came to this community from Italy, during the few years he worked amongst us before being recalled. In a very short time he became master of the English language and was able to preach the 'sermons on the missions far more successfully than any of the native Fathers. He gave retreats to Priests,
Colleges, Nuns, and gained the esteem and reverence of all with whom he came in contact. Bishops felt proud of his friendship and his name was a password to the confidence of all who heard it. He is still working it his native country and gathering fruits of his ministry every day.
The change of climate began to affect the health of some of our best young Italian Fathers about this time. The rule, in all its rigour of restbreaking, abstinence and fasting, will never hurt a strong and sound British constitution. There are some things of Italian peculiarity, which our ancient Fathers seemed to consider essential to the keeping of the rule; and which more than anything else have lost us many a useful subject. The air of these countries is very humid, even in summer and theWinter, from this humidity, if not as cold as some continental strips is more distressing to the lungs. To keep poor sandalled Religious in cold rooms during, winter is simply to kill them in this country. Again the physique of the young men, degenerating of itself, requires a great amount of physical exercise and genial recreation to keep down our northern phlegm. Both these things are not only not provided for but, by the nature of our habit and life and the words of Rule, all but condemned. To change any portion of a Rule is a very dangerous thing and to open the door to relaxation is to spring a leak which may finally submerge the strongest vessel. To know how to accomodate Rules made in one country to the requirements of another quite different, without doing them deadly harm is a problem which has yet to find a solution.
Fr. Gaudentius seems to have been missioner in chief during this year. He evangelized in: Tamworth, Chester, Glossop, Leamington, Kidderminster, Dudley, Great Haywood, Bollington Cheshire, Stockport, Doncaster, Blackbrook, Ashton-le- Willows, Selby, Aldenam, and Bridgnorth Salop. Salford, Mount Vernon and two more retreats filled up the amount of work done this year. The missions were given singlehanded with one exception and nearly all by Fr. Gaudentius. Fr. Dominic kept to his class and the duties of his office for this year and the jopes of being able to reinforce the number of missionaries in a year or two.
The death of Gregory XVI and the accession of Pius IX to the papacy caused little or no change in the even tenor of our struggling existence. The failure of the potato crop in Ireland brought the people to the verge of that fearful famine which was now decimating the people by death and sending thousands of famished creatures to seek for a livelihood in England.
Signs of expansive and better organised ecclesiastical polity began to manifest themselves and the charity which sent pounds stem to a starving people in Ireland purchased the souls of martyrs children to being them the evidences of a lively faith in return.
On the 26th November of this year, Dr. Ullathorne laid the foundation-stone of the new church at Woodchester.