Chronicles of Notre Dame du Lac
Edward Sorin, CSC -- Translated by John M. Toohey, CSC, 1895

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1844

pg 60                             Chapter III.  Year 1844

                                1.  Chapel of the Novitiate

Dedicated to      In the month of November 1843, as F. Sorin was making his 
the Sacred   retreat on a little island beyond the Lake, he found the place 
Heart of     admirably suited for a Novitiate for the Brothers, and as there 
Mary.        remained only one year more, according to the contract of 
             donation, to build the house, he did not think he was losing his 
             time by spending his leisure hours in drawing up the plan of the 
             Novitiate as it was afterwards carried out.
Begun in May      The corner stone of the chapel contained in his plan was 
1844, in     blessed in May of the following year, 1844.  The building of this 
fulfillment  chapel was in fulfilment of a vow made by F. Sorin on occasion of 
of a vow     the sickness of one of the Sisters.  The work on the university 
             did not permit the continuance of that on the chapel before the 
             month of November; but then such was the activity of the workmen 
             in this matter that in seven and a half days the walls were up, 
             and eight days more sufficed to build those of the Novitiate.