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

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1858

pg 319       Provincial Council which had just been held in Cincinnati, and the 
             open and declared hostility of an unfortunate priest, an ex-Jesuit 
             of unsavory reputation, who though everything was against him, had 
             managed to have himself restored to the exercise of the sacred 
             ministry by the good Bishop of Fort Wayne.  This man was said to 
             be the sworn enemy of Notre Dame though no cause was known for his 
             malice.
                  F. Sorin, although he had received a gracious invitation from 
             Archbishop Purcell to attend the Council, was not able to absent 
             himself at the appointed time, for several reasons, one of which 
             was all-sufficient: We were at the height of the financial crisis; 
             Notre Dame had been caught unprepared for it, and although there 
             was property enough last fall to pay off all debts, this property 
             was daily less sufficient to meet the needs of the times, since it 
             was impossible to make any sale.
                  The creditors in general were growing timid and were easily 
             alarmed.  The debts of the community were no secret to anyone;