The Sisters of St. Columban

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 23, 14 June 1923, Page 11

The Sisters of St. Columban

(By H. ConcannoNj in the Irish Ecclesiastical Record.)

LEAVES FROM THE ANNALS OF A SEVENTHCENTURY CONVENT.

It was not possible to read, without a great stirring of the heart, that in the autumn of last —yea, even of that year of agony, 1922 —there came to happy birth a new Congregation of Irish nuns, the "Missionary Sisters of St. Columban."

A new Congregation? Or a very old? Were the Sisters of St. Columban born last October in that Clare "Bethlehem," so beautifully described in the Far East of February, 1923? Or do their origins reach back over the centuries to the days of Columban himself? I venture to think that whether our Missionary Sisters of St. Columban consider themselves the newest of our Irish Sisterhoods or the oldest (they have their choice), they will not hear unmoved the names, or learn without a. kindling of sisterly love the stories, of long dead women who followed the master's Rule, under Abbess Burgundofara, in the celebrated Convent of Faremoutiers, over thirteen centuries ago.

It will be remembered by those familiar with St. Columban's life that on his way to Bregenz, after his expulsion from Luxeuil by King Theuderic, he was hospitably entertained by the father of Chagnaold, one of his favorite monks, at his villa outside Meaux. Chagneric, as the Saint's kind host was called, was a high official of King Theuderic's court, and a man of much wealth and influence. Both he and his pious wife, Leudegonde, were devoted to Columban, and at their earnest request he spent" several days at their home, instructing their household. Before he left, we are told by Jonas his biographer, he blessed the house and all its inmates, but in a very special manner his host's little baby daughter, Burgundofara, whom he dedicated to God.*

The years passed, and Abbot Eusthasius ruled over Luxeuil in Cohimhau’s stead. It happened that Eusthasius found himself obliged by some business of. the Order to visit the court of King Chlothair. .His way took him past Ohagneric’s villa, and he, in his turn, was received with the same honor as had been shown to the master. The family, however, was in great grief, for the young and beautiful daughter of the house, Burgundofara, lay blind and stricken on a bed of mortal sickness. Eusthasius soon learned the cause. He father had arranged a match for her with one of the young nobles of the king’s court, and the girl, who regarded herself, since Columban’s visit, as the promised bride of Christ, had offered such vehement resistance to the execution of her father’s will that she had fallen desperately ill under the strain, and was like to die. Eusthasius pointed out to the father that he had drawn down this punishment on himself and his family by trying to force his daughter to wed an earthly spouse, while her heart was given, and her troth plighted, to the “Son of the King of High Heaven.” The father, pretending to be convinced by the Abbot’s words, promised hot to oppose his girl’s desires any longer, if only her health and sight were restored. Eusthasius promised to do what he could for her, and was led to the dying maiden’s bedside. Ho first asked her if it were with her own consent that she was about to break promise, made in her name by Columban to the heavenly Bridegroom. She answered that never would she consent to such a breach of her troth. She told, too, how, in her dreams the preceding night she had seen a. man like Eusthasius, amjl heard a voice commanding her to do whatever that man would tell her, and that she would be healed. “Tell me, then,” she entreated, “what I am to perform, and conjure away by your prayers this sickness which God has laid upon me.” Moved by her words the venerable man prostrated himself, and with prayers and tears besought of God the restoration of the maiden’s health. Then rising he pressed his hand over the poor blind eyes, and made the sign of the Cross over them, and lo! without delay, sight was restored to them, and the maiden rose from her bed restored to perfect health. The Abbot then proceeded on his journey to the king’s court, having arranged that her formal clothing in the religious habit should take place on his return. . But no sooner was Eusthasius out of the house, and Burgundofara well again, than Chagneric went on with his

preparations for her marriage. There was nothing left for his daughter but to take refuge in flight. With a trusty girl companion she stole away one night from her father's house, and fled to the Basilica of St. Peter in Meaux. Chagneric, having discovered his daughter's whereabouts, sent his armed servants in pursuit of her, telling them to .threaten her with death if she would not return home at once. But she, the valiant maiden, proclaimed herself happy to suffer death for Him Who had not disdained to die for her.

At this point Eusthasius returned from his embassy, liberated the maiden, and spoke so sternly to her father that the latter no longer dared to oppose any obstacle to his daughter's vocation. Burgundofara, accordingly, made her vows, and was clothed in the religious habit by Gundoald,. Bishop of Meaux. Her father gave her a site for her convent on his estate, between the rivers Grand Morin and Aubetin, at a place called then Evoriacas. Eusthasius sent some of his monks from Luxeuil to help with the building, and when it was finished he deputed Chagnoald, Burgundofara's own brother, to train herself and her two nuns in the monastic Rule of Columban. When Chagnaold was made Bishop of Laon his place was taken by Waldebert.*

How well Burgundofara profitted by their training, how faithfully she adhered to the master's Rule, was proven many years after, when the false brother, Agrestius, tried to make mischief in the various houses of the Order by his attacks on the Rule. Some of the brethren fell away, but the Sisters, thanks to Burgundofara's stand, remained unshaken in their fidelity.! A modern writer has spoken somewhere of women as "the more stable sex." Burgundofara. is one, of those chosen souls —valiant and steadfast and faithfulwho have earned for womanhood that great commendation.

The convent founded by Burgundofara, known originally as Evoriacas, and in later days, from its foundress's name, as Faremoutiers (i.e., the Monastery of Fara), became one of the most famous in all Europe. Not only from all parts of France, but from other countries, noble girls (daughters of English kings, some of them) flocked to it to devote themselves to the religious life. In later centuries it became a celebrated school for girls, and during the seventeenth century many a little princess received her early training there. A delightful picture of that school is conjured up by Bossuct in an oraiscn funebre on one who had been a pupil there, Anne of Gonzaga. "In the solitudes of Saint Fare, on that holy mountain chosen by God, a thousand years before, the early life of Princess Anne passed happily. Tho Mysteries of religion were revealed to her, tho Scriptures became familiar to her. She was taught the : Latin language, because it was the language of the Church, and the Divine Office formed her greatest delight."

Such was Faremoutiers in the "Grand Siecle." But it is our privilege, if we desire to avail ourselves of it, to visit it and its noble-hearted Abbess, and its gentle Sisterhood, a thousand years earlier — that in the company of no less a guide than Jonas, the biographer of Columban himself. He was a great friend of the Abbess, and often visited her, especially when he was collecting the materials for his Life of the master. Very often he would say Mass for the community, and he was present at the death-beds of some of the nuns, Eleven chapters of the Second Part of his -Vita Columbani are devoted to stories he has thus collected of the holy lives and saintly deaths of the Sisters. His book was probably written before Abbess Burgundofara's own death took place, for he makes no mention of it. But we learn from the researches of Professor Gaston Bonet-Maury that it took place on April 3, 658, and that her remains were interred by the side of those of her brother, Bishop Faron, in the latter's monastery at Meaux. Many an Irish pilgrim must have prayed at that tomb; for Faxon's monastery was a favorite "station" of our countrymen on the pilgrim route to Rome; and it was from that centre that St. Killian went forth to evangelise the country around Arras.

Very charming, very appealing in their girlish gentleness and innocence are these seventh-century “Sisters' of St. Columban,” to whom Jonas introduces us. We do not love them any the less when we find that in spite of Abbess Burguudofara’s strenuous training, they have not wholly

rid themselves of the faults of girlhood. They axe so young, poor dears! And children of haughty nobles, Franks or Saxons, they find lessons of meekness, and humility, and forgiveness, ideals so unfamiliar in' their home life, very, very difficult to learn. But they have such warm hearts, and they love the dear Mother so much!

Let us ask Jonas to make them better known to us.* Here comes little Sister Ercantrudis.t The daughter of noble parents, she had been sent to the convent before she had quite emerged from babyhood; and there, so carefully was she guarded from all knowledge of evil, that she did not even suspect its existence, but during her whole life she kept the pure and innocent mind of a child. While she was still very young she was stricken with an illness that caused her terrible sufferings, but never once was tho sweet child heard to utter complaint. "Marvellous the patience that was found in that maiden of tender years, marvellous her humility, marvellous her gentleness, marvellous her piety, marvellous her meekness, marvellous her charity. Amidst the sufferings she endured her strength of soul grew stronger, unshaken remained her faith, unalterable her goodness, incomparable her gift of tears.'' She was an example to —the darling of the community.

It happened, however, that she committed some fault against the Rule, which, as we know, was very exacting. When she made known this fault in the public confession, which was made thrice a day in the presence of all the Sisterhood, the Abbess was obliged to impose a penance on her. But harder to bear than the bodily penance, however severe, was the deprivation of Holy Communion, which the Mother fonud herself also compelled to exact from her. It was the eve of the Feast of St. Martin, and poor little Sister Ercantrudis was broken-hearted to think that she could not receive her Lord on that great festival. She spent the whole night in prayers and tears, and in the morningshe heard a voice saying that her fault was pardoned her, and bidding her go at once with that message to the Mother, so that she might receive Holy Communion with the rest of the Sisters, on that happy feast day. whose light had just then dawned.

For all her youth and innocence, she had the. gift of discernment to a high degree, and was able to "steady" another poor young nun, who was passing through a. period of great unhappiness, and tempted to renounce her vocation. The story of her deathbed is beautiful—like nearly all those convent deathbed scenes which Jonas relates with such delight. As she lay in the darkness, she suddenly asked the nuns who were around her couch to extinguish the light. "What light?" they asked. "Do you not see," she cried, "the glory that has arisen, and do you not hear

tho strains of harmonious voices, singing together in canticles?" And to the psalmody of angelic choirs her pure soul sped aloft to its Creator.

At another of these saintly deathbeds, that of Sister Gibitrudis, Jonas himself had the happiness of assisting, and it was his privilege to be present in the little cell while the fragrance shaken from the wings of the herald angels yet filled it with paradisial sweetness. §.

Sister Gibitrudis was a cousin of the Abbess, and, like Burgundofara herself, sprung, both on the paternal and the maternal side, from the noblest houses of the Franks. Even when she was a very little girl, she wanted to be a nun, but her father and mother, who wished her to marry and continue the family, were loth to allow her. To satisfy her to some extent they permitted her to build a. little oratory for herself at the foot of their garden. But God wanted this pure heart entirely for His own, and as her father opposed His will, He struck him down with a. heavy sickness, and the maiden herself with blindness. Terrified by these warnings, her father promised that, if God would spare him and his daughter recovered her sight, he would no longer prevent her from becoming a nun in Evoraoas. God granted these graces to Gibitrudis's earnest prayers, and she found herself at liberty to present herself to her dear cousin—henceforth to be her Mother. * Jonas devotes twelve chapters of the second book- of the Vita, Columbani Abbatis Disci pulorumquc ejus to an account of Evoriacas. I quote from Bruno Krusoh's edition in Monumenta Germaniac Eistorica. t Vita Col., ii. 13. ) § Vita Col., ii. 12.

She was very devoted to the Abbess, and soon gave proof thereof. Burgundofara fell dangerously ill, and her life was despaired of. The whole community was in great grief, but the grief of none compared with that of Gibitrudis. In a passion of tears she went one day into the church, and asked God to take her, but to spare the dear Mother. Her sacrifice was accepted. Ere she rose from her knees before the Blessed Sacrament, she thought she heard a voice saying, "Go, handmaid of Christ. What thou hast asked, that ehalt thou obtain. She will be left amidst the living, and thou shalt be freed from the bonds of the flesh." A short time after, she fell mortally ill of a fever. Her soul had actually passed from her body, and been borne aloft by the angels, and her eyes had seen the chivalry of Heaven, and the white-robed company of the martyrs gathered around the Throne, when she heard a voice bidding her return to earth, for her task was not wholly completed, her debts not wholly paid.

It appears that there were three of her young companions in the cloister who had offended her in some way, and she had not tamed her proud young heart sufficiently to bear them no grudge. So she had perforce to return to earth for six months longer, and forgive her comrades "their trespasses" against her, as she hoped to have her own forgiven.

After six months she was again attacked by a fever, and she was able to tell all the community the day and hour of her approaching death. "And so blessed was that death," says Jonas, with one of those personal touches which make his narrative so engaging, "that within the little cell where her body lay, you would think there was balsam being distilled, which to all of us who were there, present, seemed a great miracle. And thirty days after, as we were celebrating her Month's Mind Mass, according to the custom of the Church, so great a fragrance filled the .sanctuary that you would think that all the perfumes and unguents that ever existed were there concentrated."

The little glimpses which Jonas thus gives us into the conventual life and ecclesiastical customs of the period are of great interest and importance for the student of Church history. We learn, for instance, from the following story (while enjoying its quaint flavor, naive and delightful) that a beautiful old Irish custom, brought by St. Columban and his companions from their Alma Mater, Bangor, was observed by the nuns of Evoriacas. While the community were receiving Holy Communion the Sisters sang that exquisite Eucharistic hymn (still preserved in the Antiphonarium Benchorense) which seemed to the old Gaels, our ancestors, so lovely that they thought angels had first composed it and taught it to St. Patrick and St. Sechnell:' Saneti venite Christi Corpus sumite - ' Sanctum bibentes, Quo redempti Sanguinem. "On a certain Sunday, when the aforesaid Burgundofara and her community of nuns were assisting at the solemn mysteries of the Mass, and were already partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, it happened that a certain Sister among them, called Domna, having" received Holy Communion, had returned to her place in the choir, and was singing, with her companions, Hoc Sacrum Corpus Domini ft Salvatoris Sanguinem sumite robis in vitam perennevi. Suddenly her face and brow were illumined by a soft radiance that seemed to come from a globe of white fire. Two' tiny little maidens who were standing by, immaculate in their childish innocence, saw the rays of light radiatng from the countenance of the sad Domna, while she sang melodiously the Communion Hymn. Unable to contain their wonder, they began to cry out: Look, look, at the globe of fire shining from the face of Sister Domna.' Which when the Mother heard, fearing - (with good reason, ,as afterwards transpired) lest vain glory might spoil the heart of the favored one, she bade them be silent."

The story goes on to tell that poor Domna did yield to the sin of pride, after having been the object of such predilection on the part of the Holy Spirit. And so it came to pass that the great favor that was meant for her was taken from her and given to the little innocent girls who had witnessed her transfiguration. The two of them fell ill: one of them, Ansitrudis, with terrible pains in her

head, the other with a fever—and both were soon brought to death's door. Their companions were gathered around them, as the custom was, to speed their parting souls with the psalms sung on such occasions. Then, all at once, tho bystanders felt a marvellous fragrance fill the cell; and they heard from the lips of the little dying girls wonderful songs, set to melodies such as only angels sing, and prayers and invocations so touching that the like was never heard before. And thus they continued until Nones of the following day. Then they asked the Mother herself' to sing, and said that they were about to depart. And, lo ! as their innocent souls left this earth the paradisial fragrance faded with them.*

There are many other stories equally lovely told by Jonas: of how Sister Willesuinda received the Bridegroom's summons as she worked in the convent garden; of how the little novice, Deurechildis, as she lay on her happy deathbed, comforted her weeping and heart-broken mother; of how the angels sang around the couch of Augnofledis, and of Sisetrudis; of how St. Peter himself came to conduct to Paradise the soul of Sister Lcudeberta. But these things should be read in Jonas's own pages. t

When Sister Willesuinda lay dying she suddenly turned to a nun who knelt by her couch, and asked her did she not recognise, among the train of white-robed virgins who filled the cell, her Sister Ansildis, who had lately passed from earth to heaven % Is it not a beautiful and touching thought that even in Paradise these dear souls did not forget the old ties that bound them in mutual love and helpfulness to their sisters on earth, and that they were content to leave "the groves where the Lady Mary is" to crowd the death-coll of one of their old comrades? Though the centuries have passed, and their memory, like that of the master, St. Columban himself, has well nigh faded from earth, we may hold it for a certainty that they have not yet forgotten their old way.-; of loving-kindness. Will they be content, think yon. to leave unvisited this new home of their new sisters by the banks of the Shannon? By the fragrance breathed around it, by the melodious strains that fill it, we shall recognise their presence. * Vita Col, ii. 16. t Vita Col, ii. 11-22. ■ W>