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

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1846

pg 93                              Chapter V.  Year 1846

                              1.  Voyage of F. Sorin to France

                  Of all the proceedings of F. Sorin since his arrival in the 
             United States, none was perhaps more injurious to him than his 
             voyage to Europe at a time when his presence was far more 
             necessary to his house than he could have imagined.  During his 
             absence, which lasted for about six months, from February until 
             the end of August, the evil spirit made ravages of his flock which 
             even in two years was not able to repair:--not that F. Granger, 
             who took his place, was negligent or spared himself in any way; 
             but being overburdened with duties and having daily to fight 
             against bad will, which took advantage of the superior's absence 
             to heap difficulties in the way, he could not oppose a 
             sufficiently strong resistance to the passions of others which
             had become more exacting, nor maintain everywhere the spirit of 
             obedience and of peace.
                  Of the five seminarians whom he left in the novitiate at his 
             departure, he found only two.  The Sisters, being without a mother 
             for fifteen months, felt deeply the effects of this absence,