Venerable brother polycarp, 2 THIRD SUPERIOR GENERAL OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE BROTHERS OF THE SACRED HEART - Corjesu
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2
venerable
brother polycarp,
THIRD SUPERIOR GENERAL OF THE CONGREGATION
OF THE BROTHERS OF THE SACRED HEART
1
brothers of the sacred heart
preparation booklets
for the bicentennial, 1821 - 2021
first stage:
to look at the past with gratitude
2nd booklet:
venerable brother polycarp,
third superior general of the congregation
of the brothers of the sacred heart
br. jesús ortigosa
april 30, 2019
Cover photo:
Stained glass image of
Brother Polycarp in
Renteria, Spain.
introduction
Much has been written about the life and work of Brother Polycarp. In the
pages that follow, I will try to bring him once more to life, basing myself
on reliable documents. I would especially like to let him speak through
his own words. In that way, he will make himself known, “revealing
the wisdom of his views, the nobility and generosity of his feelings, the
knowledge with which Heaven had favored him” (Positio, p. 249). I will
also cite some historical testimonies so that we can know and appreciate
his teaching and his good counsel.
Most of the quotations in this work are drawn from the Positio for the
introduction of Brother Polycarp Gondre’s cause for beatification and
canonization. The Positio is the book of Brother Polycarp’s life and
writings, presented in 1968 to the Sacred Congregation for Rites in support
of his beatification. The 1893 biography of Brother Polycarp, prepared by
Brothers Eugene and Daniel, who had lived with him for several years in
Paradis, will be the most frequently cited document, but I will quote from
it through the excerpts that we find in the Positio.
Certain longer quotations are composed of different paragraphs that are
separated in the original text; I have brought these paragraphs together for
practical reasons which advance the objectives of this work.
To accomplish this plan, I will have to limit myself to a certain number of
pages. I will try to develop the subject in four chapters:
1 Life of Venerable Brother Polycarp.
2 Brother Polycarp and his Fidelity to the Charism of Foundation
of André Coindre.
3 Brother Polycarp and the Educator.
4 Brother Polycarp on Fraternal Unity and Love.
3
1
life of
venerable
brother
polycarp
early life of john-hippolytus gondre
John-Hippolytus Gondre was born August 21, 1801, in La Motte-en-
Champsaur (Hautes-Alpes), diocese of Gap, in France. He was baptized
on the very day of his birth. His parents, John-Joseph Gondre and Victoria
Gonsalin, were farmers of modest means and very good and pious
Christians. They had “much faith and a great reputation for honesty”
(Positio, p. 546). They had three other children: Marie, the eldest, who
died at the age of 18; Virginia, deceased at 17 years; Napoleon, the fourth,
who died at twelve months.
5
John-Hippolytus lost his mother in 1804. His father then married Rose Pellegrin, who gave John-Hippolytus a half-brother, Joseph. John-Hippolytus spent his entire childhood and early adulthood in La Motte. He went to the village school until the age of fifteen or sixteen. But as soon as he was strong enough, he tended and pastured the sheep and cattle and he took up the chores of rural life, especially during the summer months. Many testimonies about John-Hippolytus Gondre tell us that he was the model for all the children of La Motte. Father Thouard, the village priest, said: “He was good, gentle, affable, and obliging toward his friends, who loved him very much” (Positio, p. 253). The young John-Hippolytus had to remain several more years in his native village, carrying out “the double apostolate of good example and Christian teaching,” before entering the Congregation of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. His good dispositions are shown in another testimony of his parish priest: “Reading, prayer, and religious practices strongly appealed to him. During church services, his respectful bearing and his piety edified the entire parish” (Positio, p. 254). His biographers, Brothers Eugene and Daniel, tell us the precautions that he took against the attacks of evil. “In the world,” he used to say, “what perils threaten good morals! I did not ignore it. To preserve myself wise and pure, I imposed on myself the most severe rules of vigilance” (Positio, pp. 254-255). John-Hippolytus had a great desire to learn. During winter he resumed his initial studies and completed his education. Thus, “by dint of personal effort,” on October 9, 1822, at the age of 21, he obtained the primary school teacher’s diploma. On November 6 of the same year, he was entrusted with the school of La Motte in which “he soon became a schoolmaster 6
In La Motte, the young
Hippolytus Gondre
pastured sheep.
7
so distinguished that his fellow villagers retained an excellent memory of him long afterward.” He acquitted himself so well of his duties that he attracted the respect of parents and pupils. “Hippolytus Gondre,” the priest of La Motte again writes to us, “became a capable schoolmaster greatly esteemed in the region. The persons who furnished me with information on this subject attest that he taught very well and that he formed very good pupils” (Positio, p. 255). john-hippolytus gondre enters the congregation of the brothers of the sacred heart. His activity from 1827 to 1841. On September 30, 1821, Father André Coindre, the great preacher of parish missions, had founded in Lyon the Congregation of the Brothers of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (since 1894, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart). This congregation’s principal aim was the Christian education of children and adolescents, especially the most deprived. After the founder’s death in 1826, Father Francis Coindre, his brother, was elected second Superior General. He governed the congregation from 1826 to 1841. After a time of reflection, consultation, and prayer, John-Hippolytus Gondre requested and obtained admission to the Congregation of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. On June 27, 1827, he was welcomed to the Pieux-Secours, an establishment in the city of Lyon. He was then nearly 26 years old. “He was quickly initiated to the practices and duties of the religious life” (Positio, p. 259). On September 16, 1827, barely three months after his arrival in Lyon, he received the religious habit. He was given the name Brother Polycarp and 8
he began his first year of novitiate. As he held the diploma for primary
school teaching, they named him to teach the pupils of the Pieux-Secours
where the novitiate was located. Everyone found him to have a remarkable
human and spiritual maturity. Then, in 1828, one year after his admission
to the congregation, he was named master of novices. At the same time
that he made the second year of his own novitiate, he received the delicate
mission of the novices’ formation. “This choice says enough about what
they thought of his merit and of the edification that he exuded in the whole
of his relations with his brothers.”
Brother Polycarp understood that “God had a plan for him” and he was
ready to follow it with determination. “Strongly resolved to consecrate
himself to God irrevocably and without reserve, after two years of probation
he requested and obtained the favor of being admitted to perpetual
profession” (Positio, p. 260). On September 21, 1829, he made both
his first profession and his perpetual profession by the vows of poverty,
chastity, and obedience. This was an exception to the rule, because at that
time the brothers were first required to commit themselves to temporary
vows for four years before making a commitment for life. That same day,
Brother Polycarp wrote in his notebook of Resolutions: “It is done, O my
God! I want to be entirely yours, yours alone, for time and for eternity”
(Positio, p. 261).
Brother Polycarp, definitively joined to the Congregation of the Brothers
of the Sacred Heart, committed himself unreservedly in faithfulness to the
demands of the life of prayer, community, and apostolate. He continued
to fulfill the functions of novice master until the revolution of July, 1830,
when Father Francis Coindre, Superior General, decided to close the
novitiate and send the novices to their families.
Shortly afterward, Brother Polycarp was sent to Vals, near Le Puy, in the
department of Haute-Loire, as principal of the school that the Brothers of
9the Sacred Heart had opened in 1826. He arrived there on September 30, 1830. His biographers write: “At Vals, an eyewitness tells us, the virtues and talents of Brother Polycarp were well known and highly appreciated. His instruction, his friendly manners, and his modesty won everyone’s heart. Once the parents of his pupils got to know him, they felt drawn by the charm of his kindness, by the gentleness of his character, and they sent him their children with the greatest confidence” (Positio, p. 263). While the school in Vals operated very well, thanks to the good leadership of Brother Polycarp, the congregation found itself in great difficulties. “Its path was not secure, its future quite uncertain, its very existence seemed threatened. Among the brothers, the discouragement was becoming nearly general” (Positio, p. 271). Father Francis Coindre was a pious priest, motivated by good intentions, but he did not have the aptitudes necessary for the congregation’s good governance. Instead of developing the work, he brought about a certain deterioration that threatened to stifle the spirit and the success of the first years. Father Francis had buildings constructed without calculating the expenses and thereby contracted debts that he could not pay. He had what they used to call ironically “the sickness of the stone” which, on different occasions, led the congregation to the edge of bankruptcy. Brother Xavier, the first brother received by Father André Coindre into the congregation, tried to correct the situation. Faced with the risk of financial collapse and the dispersion of the brothers that bankruptcy could entail, he showed his courage and his faithfulness to the work of the founder: “I had always kept in mind the instructions of our Father founder. I wanted to save his work, whatever the price” (Memoirs of Brother Xavier, edition of 1996, p. 67). Brother Borgia, director general of the brothers since 1824, abandoned the congregation in 1836 because he felt powerless before Father Francis Coindre, who reserved to himself nearly all powers. In the distribution of 10
As God called Brother Polycarp, so He continues
to call young people to consecrate their life.
First religious profession of brothers from
several countries in Nianing, Senegal.
11responsibilities in the General Chapter of 1824, Brother Xavier had been elected first assistant and he was later confirmed in this same role in the Chapters of 1827 and 1835. In this latter Chapter, Brother Polycarp was elected second assistant. After Brother Borgia’s desertion, Brother Xavier became de facto director general. When he was certain that the activities of Father Francis were leading to ruin, “he did not hesitate to struggle for a higher good: the salvation of the congregation.” The responsibility that he felt after Brother Borgia’s departure left him constantly preoccupied with the future of the congregation, “which made a successful recovery thanks only to his intervention” (Positio, p. 31). Brother Xavier, considered by all the brothers as the congregation’s savior, resolved the administrative and moral crisis and prepared the ground for Brother Polycarp. Brother Polycarp directed the school in Vals from 1830 to 1837. He then moved to Lyon, followed by several postulants because, while principal in Vals, he had continued to receive young men whom he formed to religious life. He was charged once again with the formation of novices in the novitiate of the Pieux-Secours, which had just been reestablished at the pleading of Brother Xavier. At the same time, in September 1837, Brother Polycarp obtained another diploma for primary education with a wider scope than the diploma he had obtained in 1822. In September 1838, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart acquired, thanks to the initiative of Brother Xavier, a property called Paradis, near Le Puy, where he established definitively the novitiate and a place of residence for their brothers. Brother Polycarp continued to be master of novices. In October 1839, when the congregation’s administration believed it useful to open a boarding school at Paradis, Brother Polycarp was named principal. He had to shoulder different responsibilities until the moment when the novices were entrusted to the care of Brother Alphonse. 12
In 1840, Father Francis Coindre decided to preside at the retreat that took
place in Paradis. He assembled the general chapter and had new statutes
approved that reserved to him the appointment of the assistants. He replaced
Brother Xavier with Brother Polycarp as first assistant and he distanced
Brother Xavier from temporal affairs by naming him secretary general, in
all likelihood to deprive him of direct influence on the administration of
the congregation.
During the 1840-41 school year, Brother Polycarp continued to direct
the establishment of Paradis with an authority “that maintained order,
promoted work, and assured progress” (Positio, p. 280).
brother polycarp is elected superior
general of the congregation.
Some features of his activity until his death in 1859.
On August 20, 1841, Father Francis Coindre tendered his resignation as
Superior General. The twelve brothers who comprised the general chapter
met in Paradis from September 12 to 14, 1841.
The twelve unanimously accepted the resignation of Father Francis.
Moreover, they decided that the congregation would be governed in the
future by a person chosen from among its members, according to the plan
of the Father founder, “that we might have not only a master to command
us, but a model who himself shows us the way as the first to walk in the
practice of our holy rules and constitutions” (Annuaire of the Brothers
of the Sacred Heart, nº 48, p. 18). They also decided to name the new
Superior General for five years only, even though the traditional legislation
prescribed a superior for life: “As we were still in a kind of uncertainty
13about the path our affairs would take, we agreed unanimously that the new Superior would be elected for only five years” (Annuaire nº 48, pp. 18-19). The election of the new Superior General took place on Monday the 13th. On the first ballot, Brother Polycarp was elected unanimously, less his own vote, and he was proclaimed Superior General of the congregation. All the brothers welcomed this choice with much joy and hope. In the midst of the general rejoicing, “good Brother Polycarp was hardly able to accept a burden that his great humility caused him to regard as beyond his strength; nevertheless, he submitted himself to the will of God visibly manifested by the unanimous vote of the General Chapter” (Positio, pp. 215-216). As desired by Brother Polycarp, the chapter gave him two good assistants to share the burden of his work: Brothers Marie Joseph and Alphonse. Brother Polycarp named Brother Xavier to serve as general treasurer and Brother Martin as secretary general. The mission entrusted to Brother Polycarp required him to take wise initiatives. First, he tackled problems with “serenity, clearsightedness, and firmness” and he concerned himself with strengthening the spiritual life of the brothers, intensifying the good observance of religious practices, and establishing a true climate of dialogue and trust among all. His frequent visits to the houses of the congregation “were crowned with the happiest results” (Positio, p. 287). His biographers wrote: “We will not speak of the joy with which they welcomed him in each of the houses favored by his visit; we will say only that everywhere they admired his kindness toward all” (Positio, pp. 288-289). Shortly after having been elected Superior General, Brother Polycarp thought that the moment had come to perfect the organization of the congregation. The Rules given to the brothers by the founder in 1821 were 14
Paradis, where Brother Polycarp lived from 1838 to 1859.
Here he was master of novices and principal of the day
and boarding schools. As Superior General, he established
his residence there.
not complete. Father André Coindre had intended to develop them after
several years of experience, but because of his numerous apostolic works
and his premature death, he was not able to do it. Father Francis Coindre
had manifested a certain inclination to fill the gap left by his brother, but he
did not really dedicate himself to this task. In any case, what Father André
planned, Brother Polycarp accomplished.
Brother Polycarp had been elected Superior General of the congregation
for only five years. Then the brothers who belonged to the general chapter
met in Paradis on September 10-11, 1846, to elect once again a Superior
General, but this time a Superior General for life. On the chapter’s first
day they renewed their confidence in Brother Polycarp by unanimously
electing him Superior General for life.
15On September 11, the members of the general chapter met to study the Statutes of the congregation, prepared by Brother Polycarp, and to judge whether they were appropriate for approval. “After having read them and seriously reflected on their content, the chapter members approved them unanimously” (Positio, p. 52). In the afternoon, Brother Polycarp submitted the Rule that he himself had drafted and organized for the approval of the chapter members, who, considering the testimonies and approbations of several bishops, along with the brothers’ practical experience over the years, “gave unanimous approval”. Without being the founder, Brother Polycarp was the congregation’s legislator and reorganizer. In the second chapter of this work, we will see Brother Polycarp’s role as legislator in greater depth. On October 8, 1846, hardly a month after the general chapter, Brother Polycarp sent five brothers to take care of the orphanage in Mobile in the United States, initiating our works outside of France. Other brothers and other works were sure to follow them. Superior General for life, Brother Polycarp centered his efforts on the formation of religious who were open to the spiritual and attentive to the needs of the school and its pupils. To achieve these objectives, he spared nothing. He imposed on himself sacrifices and privations; he devoted himself without reserve. He asked himself “what was the surest means to foster the religious spirit everywhere, to enflame with holy ardor his brothers engaged in the teaching of youth” (Positio, p. 323). He visited all the communities each year in order to accelerate the progress of the congregation, which is to say, the schools, the brothers, the pupils. Let us cite here the brief testimony of two brothers who knew him: “He was awaited with impatience; at his arrival, we threw ourselves in his 16
arms with a feeling so alive, so sincere with inexpressible happiness, that
straight away all discouragement disappeared. His visits produced the most
precious fruits” (Brother Benjamin, Annuaire nº 51, p. 16). “His arrival
and his stay were for each house a joyful event, a real holiday” (Brother
Adelphe, Annuaire nº 51, p. 34).
During his visits, “from the hour of his arrival until the moment of his
departure, the work never stopped. Conduct of the brothers as religious and
as teachers, good order, management of the establishment: everything found
itself subject to the most conscientious examination. He kept notes from
all his evaluations, which he knew admirably how to use advantageously,
whether to encourage praiseworthy efforts or to bring certain points
of negligence to an end. With great openness and wise moderation, he
reminded everyone of the appropriate line of conduct” (Positio, p. 323).
The Congregation of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart already had nearly
thirty years of existence. Nevertheless it did not enjoy legal recognition
throughout all of France, but only an authorization limited to certain
departments. Thanks to the action of Brother Polycarp, the Supreme
Council for Public Instruction and Religion issued the decree of legal
recognition of the Congregation of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart for all
the departments of France on June 19, 1851.
At the general chapter of 1846, the brothers had approved with much
generosity the Rules prepared by Brother Polycarp. With time, they realized
that these Rules were too demanding for a teaching congregation. Brother
Polycarp then prepared some changes for consideration by the members
of the general chapter of 1856. The brothers approved them unanimously.
During his long stay at Paradis, Brother Polycarp sent many circulars
and personal letters to the brothers to help them on the right path for
communities and schools.
17One of the letters that Brother Polycarp wrote as
Superior General, dated 1855.the last years and death of brother
polycarp.
Brother Polycarp had never enjoyed good health: “In 1843, pneumonia had
nearly carried him away.” Afterward, excessive work and the mortifications
that he imposed on himself weakened him prematurely. In October 1857,
he shared a premonition of his impending death with a brother who was
leaving for the region of Béarn, in the south of France: “Adieu,” he told
him, “goodbye until eternity.” Pointing to heaven, he added, “There above,
we’ll meet one another; there above, we’ll never again separate” (Positio,
p. 349).
In January 1858, he led several brothers to understand that they were seeing
him for the last time. He even addressed these words to one of them: “Try
to add some fervent prayers for me, for I will not delay coming to the end
of my race, to render account to the great Master for all that he was pleased
to entrust to me” (Positio, p. 349).
On 27 December 1858, Brother Polycarp felt the first attacks of the illness
that would lead him to death. That day, “he rose to go to Mass and to
receive Holy Communion; he returned to bed toward noon, complaining of
a pain in his side” (Positio, p. 350). The doctor told the brothers, “There’s
no danger; nevertheless, a body made weak by work and mortifications
requires much care” (Positio, p. 351).
On Wednesday January 5, 1859, the chaplain asked him if he desired to
receive communion the next day, Epiphany. “Oh, yes!” replied the sick
man, with a holy exaltation. “Since the good Master deigns to come to me,
can I refuse his visit?” (Positio, p. 351).
On Friday they observed him to be a little agitated and very feeble. On
Saturday he was calmer, but he had a fever, some difficulty breathing, and
19In Paradis, the remains of
Brother Polycarp rest alongside
those of other brothers.
a sore throat. Some brothers sought to lift his morale, but he was content to
say only, “The will of God, nothing but the will of God” (Positio, p. 351).
Toward four o’clock on Sunday morning, his breathing appeared more
difficult. Brothers Adrian and Jean-Marie, Brother Polycarp’s Assistants,
were called to his bedside; the chaplain administered the sacrament of
the anointing of the sick. Brother Polycarp was fully conscious: he made
the signs of the cross. “The agony was short. Four minutes after having
received the Church’s last assistance, Brother Polycarp peacefully rendered
his soul to God. It was Sunday January 9, 1859, at five o’clock in the
morning. He had lived 57 years, 4 months, and 20 days. He had governed
the congregation for 17 years and 5 months” (Positio, p. 352).
Brother Polycarp’s tenure as Superior General was perhaps the golden age
of the Congregation of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. He had seen the
20congregation dying, but at the end of his administration, they could look
to the future with confidence. He left the congregation solidly organized
and in a flourishing state. The hopes of the Father founder were realized:
“I have the liveliest confidence that if our brothers are holy and hard-
working, their establishment will never perish” (André Coindre, Writings
and Documents 1, Letters, p. 60).
The very day of Brother Polycarp’s death, Brothers Adrian and Jean-Marie
announced the sad news to the congregation’s members: “The good Lord
just sent us the most sorrowful of trials. Our congregation is widowed of
its excellent Superior General, and we are orphans of the most tender of
fathers. There remains to us the example of rare virtues which, during this
much-loved Superior’s entire life, have won our admiration and become a
perpetual source of edification for all his children” (Positio, p. 353).
On January 13, 1859, three days after Brother Polycarp’s death, Brother
Adrian sent a circular to the brothers who were in the United States of
America. Let us cite an excerpt from this letter: “Good example, patience,
prayer, and austerities were the principal means employed by the venerated
deceased. It must be confessed that at his last breath, he still had the
instruments of penitence on his body. O Holy Religious, may you be still
more useful for us before God than you were for us on earth, and may
your example so edifying and all your virtues inspire us all, encourage us,
sustain us, and render us worthy to be always your children!” (Positio, p.
203).
The members of the general chapter gathered on March 24, 1859, to elect
a new Superior General. “The meeting was chaired by Brother Adrian,
who opened it with a speech in which he spoke especially about Brother
Polycarp, whose precious qualities he recalled, whose virtues he celebrated,
and whose holy death he recounted. All the chapter’s members shared the
sentiments expressed by Brother Adrian” (Positio, p. 356). They designated
21Brother Polycarp as the Second Founder, for it was he who had given a complete organization and an international dimension to the Congregation of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. “In the same session, they all made it their duty to award Brother Polycarp the title of Second Founder of the congregation. In making this decision, the Assembly declared that this distinction accorded to Brother Polycarp should be without repercussions in the future” (Positio, pp. 356-357). The next day, the members of the General Chapter elected Brother Adrian as the new Superior General. 22
The actual crucifix of Venerable Brother Polycarp’s religious habit. 23
Father André Coindre, Founder of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart.
2
brother
polycarp and
his fidelity to
the charism of
foundation of
andré coindre
Father André Coindre, who founded the Congregation of the Brothers of
the Sacred Heart in 1821 and directed it until his death in 1826, acted
prophetically in a way that sheds light on the charism, the grace of our
origins. He opened the Providence of the Pieux-Secours in Lyon for
impoverished young people in order to educate them and prepare them
for life; he went to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fourvière with his first
25Original photograph of Brother Polycarp, taken in Lyon in 1858, one year before his death.
disciples for their consecration as religious and educators; he gave to his
brothers the first Rules so that they could find direction in their communal
and apostolic life; he put his congregation under the patronage of the Heart
of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary; he showed sensitivity to the
needs of his time by opening rural schools in several dioceses of France,
without limiting himself to his diocese of origin.
Like Father André Coindre when he founded his congregation of brothers,
Brother Polycarp, after his election as Superior General, acted prophetically
in continuity with the founder’s work and showed that he had assimilated,
lived, and developed Father Coindre’s charism of foundation, to which he
remained faithful. We could summarize these prophetic actions in three
points: his work as legislator, his foundation of schools, his foundation in
the United States of America.
his work as legislator
Father André Coindre prepared for the Sisters of Jesus and Mary and for
the Brothers of the Sacred Heart a collection of Rules in order to clarify
the orientation of his foundations and to guide his disciples’ first steps. He
intended with time to complete his Rules, but his numerous tasks and his
premature death prevented him from doing it.
What our founder planned, Brother Polycarp, our first brother Superior
General, accomplished. That was one of his first concerns as Superior
General of the congregation.
But before commencing his work as legislator, Brother Polycarp wrote an
initial circular on January 8, 1843, in which he announced to the brothers
his intention to attend to the Rules as soon as possible. Desiring to equip
the congregation with legislation more complete than what Father André
Coindre had left us, Brother Polycarp wanted, before all and above all,
to remain faithful to the founder. He expressed it clearly in asking the
brothers to send him all the documents received from the founder: the first
Rules, his handwritten letters, saying to them, “We want to preserve with
27scrupulous care the least works that his zeal led him to undertake for us and for all those who will be his children in the future.” After an initial paragraph of greeting and a second on the spirit of the congregation, Brother Polycarp wrote, “For a long time, our very dear brothers, you have urgently sought the printing of our holy Rules. For a long time, I have also felt the importance of gathering them and putting them in order to rectify the changes that have been introduced. But to fulfill so difficult a task faithfully, we need your help, which you will provide by sending us all the documents which could have been handed over to you by our venerable founder or which, without having been received from him, came to you by a trustworthy tradition. We want to preserve with scrupulous care the least works that his zeal led him to undertake for us and for all those who will be his children in the future. His handwritten letters, dictated by his zeal, the copies of things written or dictated by his piety, the very handwritten Rules which would have some particular relevance to the work that we have undertaken, will be transmitted to us as soon as possible. We are certain that you will be religious in your eagerness to procure all that will be able to help us achieve with success the edition that you await with so intense an interest. Equipped with all the materials that your zeal and your obedience will procure for us, we hope before long to present you with a work that will satisfy your attachment to the practices of our Institute. This work is very pleasant to us when we consider that it will help your regularity of observance on which depends your progress, flight from dangers, your perfection in every sort of virtue, your eternal crown, the immense services that you render to your neighbor, and above all the glory without measure that you will obtain from God” (Heritage, Circulars of our first Superiors, pp. 14-15). Brother Polycarp finished his Rules in September 1843. The brothers, meeting in Paradis that same month for the annual retreat, received a copy of the Rules at the end of the retreat and were invited to put them into practice before the convocation of the general chapter of 1846. Not long afterward, he sent a copy to the bishops of the dioceses where we had communities. These bishops, in turn, approved the new Rules. During 28
On February 17, 1984, His Holiness John Paul II
declared Brother Polycarp “Venerable”, recognizing
the heroic quality of his virtues.
the chapter of 1846, Brother Polycarp presented them to the members, who
approved them unanimously on September 11, 1846.
We could say that the originality of Brother Polycarp was to have felt
deeply the urgent needs of the congregation in the areas of legislation
and brothers’ formation, and to have exerted himself on those matters
with fervor and perseverance. I think that Brother Polycarp never had a
legalistic mentality. He was never obsessed by laws and regulations, but
at that moment it was important to give the congregation a direction and
the means for action to secure its future. During his time as Superior
General, his visits to the communities, his concern for new vocations and
for the brothers’ formation, his contacts in person and by correspondence,
occupied most of his time. The prudence, wisdom, faith, and prayer of
Brother Polycarp relaunched the congregation on the right path. His
personal influence was very effective.
29Pope John Paul II greets Brother
José Luis Gómez, Postulator of the
Cause, at the signing of the decree
on the heroicity of Br. Polycarp’s
virtues,
30February 17, 1984.Nine years later, and in view of the general chapter of 1856, Brother
Polycarp felt the need to revise our legislation once again and to make it
complete through Constitutions. Here are some excerpts from the circular
that he addressed to the brothers in mid-December, 1855: “The Rules and
Statutes of the congregation, said our pious Founder, must be based and
drafted according to experience. That is why he first made use of his brothers
while hoping later to draft their Constitutions; but a premature death did
not leave him the time. This man, so eminently commendable, was torn
away from the tenderness of his children, who lost in him their principal
support and who have since been able to measure the extent of the loss
that they have suffered. It is urgent, it seems to me, that the congregation
organise itself definitively. According to the assessment of its Founder, the
congregation must itself establish its manner of government, in keeping
with the experience already acquired. The appreciable expansion that it
undergoes each day makes it the congregation’s duty to adopt without
delay the principles that should serve as the basis for appropriate measures
to lead it to the goal of its Institution and to reassure its members for the
future. The Statutes must be formed from the substance of these principles
and receive their necessary development in the Rules, the Constitutions,
and the Guide for the Teaching Brother. Thus we have to draft the
Statutes and put the Rules in harmony with those Statutes, each one of us
bringing, with good will, his little contribution of light and experience to
have Constitutions and a Guide for teaching as soon as possible. I have
naturally taken the initiative in this important matter, hoping that I will
not lack the help of our good brothers. I am passing to you a copy of the
draft Statutes. I ask you, please, to tell me everything you think about the
modifications that it would be advisable to make. I have nothing more
at heart than the interests of the congregation to which I have dedicated
all. Let us strengthen the bonds which unite us. Union makes strength;
with a little understanding and much generosity, we will obtain what we
should have already had long ago. I am waiting with intense impatience
the inspirations that your good sentiments will suggest to you; they will be
weighed in the most serious manner and, should they prevail, they will be
adopted” (Heritage, Circulars of our First Superiors, pp. 40-42).
31Brother Polycarp showed himself equal to the situation in his opening address to our congregation’s ninth general chapter on August 16, 1856. He wanted to highlight the importance of determining the organization of the congregation without ever losing sight of the founder’s intentions. Here are some excerpts from Brother Polycarp’s address to the members of the chapter assembly: “Our congregation was subjected to such great trials that several times it would have already ceased to exist, if it had not been sustained by the special designs of Providence. It was deprived of its Founder at the moment when it had the greatest need of his support. After the irreparable loss of its Founder, or rather, of its Father, the Institute was again shaken in many ways up until 1840, when its members began to recover their losses and to grow in number. But, just as we cannot walk securely without knowing the road we must follow, we would also hardly know how to practice the duties of our State unless the Rules that determine those duties were well established. Our venerable Founder wrote from Blois, in February 1826, that he could not deal with the editing of the Rules because he was burdened with work; and he said: ‘Laws and regulations are not perfect except when experience teaches what must be done or avoided. Let’s act provisionally,’ he added, ‘and one day we will deal with the rest. My persuasion and my opinion are that there must be in the Institute some Statutes that serve as the basis for the common Rules and determine definitively the organization of the congregation” (Heritage, Circulars of our First Superiors, pp. 53-55). his school foundations Brother Polycarp opened schools especially in little villages, generally at the request of the mayor or the parish priest. In the first years, the schools were close to one another in order to facilitate travel and the Superior’s visits. The brothers’ residence was nearly always found in the school itself, and it was arranged to accommodate three brothers. As there were many vocations during those years, Brother Polycarp could reinforce the personnel of the houses and assure a large number of foundations. 32
As in the time of Brother Polycarp, the brothers
continue to found schools. In Togo, Brother
Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo participates at the blessing
of the Sacred Heart Institute of Avépozo.
He progressively increased the foundations in proportion to the brothers
available, until attaining the number of ten foundations during the civil
year 1857.
Most of our works were thus primary schools that included six years of
education. In certain schools they were limited to four or two years.
In 1841, the Congregation of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart directed
21 schools. From 1841 to 1859, Brother Polycarp opened 82 schools, of
which 76 were in France and 6 in America, but as he had to close several,
the congregation numbered 97 schools at the moment of his death in 1859.
33In 1846, Brother Polycarp sent the first brothers outside
of France. They sailed to Mobile, Alabama (United States)
34 aboard the merchant ship Anna.his foundation in the united states
of america
After his great work as a legislator from 1841 to 1846, Brother Polycarp
decided to send some brothers to America, giving a new dimension to the
initial plan of Father André Coindre. He expressed his missionary ideas
clearly in the Rules and Statutes of 1846: “It is in keeping with their
vocation to travel to different countries and to fix their abode in whatever
region of the world where they will be able to render to God greater service
and to be more useful for the salvation of children” (Rules of 1846, chapter
1, article 2). “The Institute will not limit itself to one diocese nor even to
France, but with the agreement of bishops it will spread everywhere and in
all the countries of the world where Providence will call it, provided that
all its members can there fulfill their Rules and Constitutions in all their
substance” (Statutes of 1846, article 11).
In his circular of June 19, 1846, Brother Polycarp invited his brothers to
offer their services by giving their name to go to America. He put his own
name at the head of the list. Here are some excerpts from this circular:
“Our Institute is on the path of progress; our number grows perceptibly;
new establishments are being prepared and everything proves to us that
divine Providence, after the trials that we suffered, at last wants to make
our cooperation in the religious education of youth more easy. A vast
field has just been opened to us in the New World. Counting on your zeal,
your devotion, and your generosity, I have just promised a holy bishop
in America five brothers for his vast diocese. Who are those who will be
happy enough to take responsibility for such a glorious mission? Who
are the five privileged members in our little congregation whom the Lord
has selected to go make known his adorable Heart and to glorify his holy
Name beyond the ocean? As for us, trusting in your generosity, we found
it easy to promise, even to commit ourselves, to provide five brothers by
next September; and even more we have rendered to heaven many fervent
acts of thanksgiving at seeing arrive an opportunity that we had sought,
far in advance of all our desires and our most ardent wishes. Do you feel
prepared to leave for this distant country? Do you believe yourself capable
35of sacrificing homeland, friends, parents, and goods, to discover afar the inexhaustible treasures of the Heart of Jesus and to make our Institute flourish in the United States of America? Will your devotion and your courage withstand the obstacles and dangers that they will encounter in this zealous undertaking? In that case, give us your names as soon as possible; we will add them to those that we have already inscribed; God will then help to determine the choice. I await with impatience the response of all our brothers to this appeal that I happily make to their zeal” (Heritage, Circulars of our First Superiors, pp. 25-27). What Brother Polycarp said and did challenges us and sends us back to the charism of our congregation’s foundation. His veneration for Father André Coindre is beyond dispute. As legislator, as founder of new schools, and as the one who launched our works in the United States of America, Brother Polycarp showed himself always faithful to Father André Coindre’s charism of foundation. He contributed decisively to the blossoming of the grace of our origins for the good of young people. 36
3
brother
polycarp and
the educator
Brother Polycarp did not write any treatise on education. However, reading
his writings and the historical testimonies that have come down to us, we
can discover his conception of education and the true educator. The desire
to educate was kindled in him through the search for fullness of life.
To understand certain expressions of Brother Polycarp that we will find
further below, it is necessary to take into account the context of his age. In
the time of Brother Polycarp, education was strongly centered on a complete
moral and religious formation. Faith and culture were considered as two
essential values. The supreme good was faith. Culture was subordinated to
faith. Today we often speak of the tension between the ethic of duty and
the ethic of self-actualization. The former insists on the existence of a pre-
established moral order that must be respected, for one’s own good and for
37the good of the community. The latter accentuates motivations and respect for the person. Brother Polycarp’s ethic was that of duty. Like Father André Coindre from the beginning of the Congregation of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, one of the fundamental concerns of Brother Polycarp was the Christian instruction of children, particularly the poorest. For him, to educate meant to orientate toward God, and he thought that to attain this goal, it was necessary that the educator lived what he offered to his pupils. In 1833, Brother Polycarp wrote in his notebook of Resolutions: “What devotion must I have, above all for the Christian instruction of children redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ! Hence only, on my part, a great charity for them, an ardent zeal to assure their progress in virtue, and finally an affection, a paternal tenderness in order to win them all for our Lord” (Resolutions, 1833). The Rules, drafted by Brother Polycarp in 1843 and approved by the brothers of the general chapter of 1846, constitute the fundamental document for understanding his religious and pedagogical conception in the domain of education. In the first article of his Rules, Brother Polycarp wrote: “The end of this Institute is not only to work with the help of divine grace for its own salvation, but also to employ all its strength, with the help of the same grace, for the religious and moral instruction of children” (Positio, p. 68). Brother Polycarp had an exalted idea of the educator’s vocation. He thanked God for having called him to such a beautiful vocation of forming children and youths. In the fourth article of his Rules, he said to the brothers: “They will have the highest esteem for their vocation; they will neglect nothing to perfect themselves in it” (Positio, p. 68). He appreciated to the highest degree the fruitfulness of the education given by true educators. For the good education of young people, he advised such means as, “prayer, vigilance, good example, instructions given at the level of the pupils” (Positio, p. 69). With this last means, he seemed to ask the educator 38
Br. Polycarp advocated receiving the greatest
possible number of pupils without fees. Br.
Felipe Paiva with children of the tuition-free
Brother Polycarp School in Marilia, Brazil.
to adapt himself to the knowledge of young people and try hard to make his
instruction clear for those who still did not understand.
We cannot consider the activity of teaching as something personal, but
rather as a mission received from God: “They regard themselves as
established by God to keep the treasure of children’s innocence which has
been entrusted to them, and to keep their souls far from all that could bring
them to sin” (Positio, pp. 68-69).
In the first article of chapter XV of his Rules, Brother Polycarp speaks of
teaching without fees: “All the schools will have free admission; if the
houses are not sufficiently endowed and must receive payments, they will
be modest. We will still receive as many poor children without fees as
it will be possible to do without ruining the institution” (Positio, p. 88).
In an age when the poverty of many families was a reality, free access
39to education constituted an important opportunity for literacy among the most needy. In the twelfth article of this same chapter, he said to the brothers: “All their conduct must be for their pupils a model of piety, modesty, and silence, speaking to them as seldom and as briefly as possible, always with seriousness about useful and necessary things” (Positio, p. 90). In chapter XVI, he speaks to us of the correction of pupils. To avoid establishing a repressive and strained climate, punishments must be rare and useful for the pupils’ progress: “The strict vigilance of the brothers must prevent abuses and make punishments very rare; if they are obliged to inflict some, they will follow the Rules of the book of Conduct of Schools, acting always with moderation and without any impulse of anger or impatience” (Positio, p. 90). At the end of this same chapter, he asked that they act always with charity and gentleness: “In all corrections, they will be very careful to do nothing that might be in the least opposed to charity and to Christian gentleness” (Positio, p. 91). Brother Polycarp considered the art of correcting pupils as a task to be accomplished with prudence, kindness, and firmness, above all toward the weakest pupils, in order to encourage and motivate them. He was always inspired by these principles in his task of education. He advised the brothers: “In every circumstance, exercise self-control. In your correction especially, act in such a way that the children can see in you a father who does not act harshly except with regret. They must understand that you still love them, whether you reward them for their goodness and their progress, or whether you have to reform their character, to correct their faults. Never punish on a whim or in a moment of strong emotion” (Positio, p. 268). In his letter of February 28, 1847, to the brothers in the United States, Brother Polycarp insisted on what he had already written in the first article of his Rules: “The end of our congregation is the religious and moral 40
instruction of youth: that is the goal toward which you must draw all your
desires and all your efforts; do not ever forget it” (Positio, p. 309).
His biographers tell us that he had an excellent way of relating to young
people: his firmness and especially his kindness and his sincere affection.
That is what the brother principal of a school attests: “Brother Polycarp
had the gift to make children better. The wisdom of his words, his edifying
life, and his faith produced in them the happiest impressions. Children
love those who love them; they distinguish very quickly a teacher who
is dedicated from a mercenary who is indifferent to their interests.
Understanding that they had in Brother Polycarp a tender father and a
devoted friend, his pupils loved to give him tokens of respect, esteem, and
trust” (Positio, p. 265).
Brother Polycarp neglected nothing in order to achieve his goals, and he
achieved them not only by his fidelity to his duties, but also by the good
use of his firmness, “without which the efforts of his zeal might have
been ineffective” (Positio, p. 266). Experience taught him that “discipline
contributes powerfully to the success of schoolwork” (Mgr. Dupanloup,
Positio, p. 266). To the powerful and fruitful action that Brother Polycarp
exercised around him, he added concern and oversight “that did not permit
him to lose sight of the children entrusted to his care.” A brother who had
seen him at work said, “What prudent measures would he not take to fulfill
his duties of good supervision! With tact and admirable calm, he wanted to
see everything, observe everything, in order to prevent anything bad and to
avoid the least accidents” (Positio, p. 266).
In 1830, Brother Polycarp had been sent to Vals as principal of the school
that the brothers had opened in 1826. He remained there until 1837: “He
was happy to obtain for the children the benefits of moral and religious
education. He worked also with happiness to adorn their memory and their
spirit with the first notions of the science taught at that time in primary
schools. Constant care to keep the attention of his pupils in a state of
alertness, emulation, rewards bestowed at the right moment: these gave
41life to his teaching, which made his lessons attractive and fruitful” (Positio, pp. 266-267). For Brother Polycarp, “eloquent actions were even more persuasive than eloquent words.” He knew how to obtain extraordinary results with his pupils, thanks to the intensity and attractiveness of his life. He often said to his brothers: “Neglect nothing so that our schools might yield to no other in strength of studies and academic success; but above all, let us endeavor to lift hearts, to reform characters, to make men and Christians” (Positio, p. 396). Several testimonies also show us his concern for the good formation of the brothers. He sought to provide them with the necessary elements to develop their particular aptitudes that might contribute to the good education of our schools’ pupils. “Concerned with the brothers’ good formation, he sought, by all the means in his power, to develop their particular aptitudes, in order to provide them with the abilities necessary to serve the Institute with benefit and honor” (Positio, p. 491). Brother Polycarp recommended vigilance and kindness to the brothers as the appropriate means to accomplish their task as educators and thereby produce good results. But he reminded them also that their work with children and adolescents must be “supported by the help of God’s grace which enlightens the spirit, changes hearts, and strengthens them in the way of virtue” (Positio, p. 397). To consecrate all his life to education is a mission whose conception and fulfillment cannot come solely from man. God, who gives the inspiration, will refuse neither the strength nor the means, if they ask him through prayer and if they work in self-denial and love. “We do not educate a child or an adolescent if he does not want to be educated.” We used to speak often of the influence of the school and the family in the field of education. Today, parents and educators must consider that children and adolescents are the ones primarily responsible for their own education. The teachings that we put before their eyes are the advice and the exhortations that we offer them, but their education depends on them. In the field of education, the moment has come to consider seriously 42
Brother Polycarp has a message for today’s
educators. The teaching staff of the Brother
Polycarp School Complex, inaugurated in
January 2019 in N’Djamena, Chad.
that the principal role belongs to the children and teenagers. They are at
least the protagonists of their education.
A good educator must be convinced of the greatness of his apostolate to
be able to transmit the human and Christian values that our world needs.
With their classes in mathematics, religion, history, etc., good educators
must have the capacity and the care to transmit values that contribute to
the creation of a better world. In our primary and secondary schools, there
are too many discouraged educators. I think that it would be good to recall
here a brief expression from Father André Coindre and another, briefer
still, from Brother Polycarp, who seem to mean the same thing: “I will
not speak of the young people whom you form and who will never forget
in their future life either your lessons or your virtues, even though today,
they would not give you every possible satisfaction. More will last than
you think” (excerpt from Letter VII from Father André Coindre to Brother
Borgia, May 1823). “Never be discouraged, even though your efforts
43Young people are the protagonists
of their own education. Meeting
of supervisors of free time in the
44
brothers’ schools in Spain.seem to produce few results” (excerpt from a letter of Brother Polycarp to
Brother David, Positio, p. 398). If Father André Coindre, facing difficulties,
counseled “courage and confidence”, Brother Polycarp asked for “humility
and confidence”.
Good educators must seek for their students the best religious, human,
and academic formation; they must motivate, encourage, accompany, and
love their students so that their work will bear good fruit. That is why it is
normal to pray with students, so that their work and their teachers’ work
will be successful.
In the context of a socialization dominated by technology and the media,
it is also necessary to offer experiences that encourage in school life the
development of reflection, critical thinking, creativity and the search for
justice and peace.
The school needs a profound transformation. Educators know that the
future is full of challenges. We need to listen, to accompany, and to guide
the students personally, especially the weakest. We must be watchful that
certain resources offered by new technologies be means that are used well
and not ends in themselves. We should help young people to reflect so that
they can change their way of seeing reality in order to establish a hierarchy
of values that can guide them and give them a way of being and of living
their life with meaning and responsibility.
Love was and continues to be the principal commandment of Jesus Christ
and his fundamental law for a Christian school. Without love, every
educational endeavor is devoid of its deepest meaning. The love of Brother
Polycarp for children and adolescents was generous. Inspired by a great
spirit of faith, he saw in each of his pupils a soul redeemed by the blood
of Jesus Christ. The enthusiasm, hope, consistency, and love of Brother
Polycarp in his relationships with pupils can inspire educators of the 21st
century to educate their students with enthusiasm, hope, consistency, and
love.
Before finishing this chapter on “Brother Polycarp and the Educator,” I
would like to recall the words of the prophet Daniel that Father André
Coindre quoted for Brother Borgia’s encouragement in letter VII: “Those
45who instruct others will shine like stars in everlasting eternity.” Meditation on these words will perhaps be able to encourage a disheartened educator to find a greater motivation for his mission. After these reflections, we can ask ourselves about Brother Polycarp’s contribution in the field of education. There is no doubt that certain of the human and evangelical values that were valuable and effective in his time cannot be proposed today in the same way. We must rediscover which are the most important and effective values for the good education of today’s youth. Respect, tolerance, responsibility, honesty, faithfulness, justice, brotherhood and sisterhood seem like important values in the ongoing work for a world that is more human and better for all. 46
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