Contrary to what he said in his preceding letter to Fr. Revol (L. 253), Fr. Champagnat now informs him that he expects to give him brothers that very year. The foundress mentioned here is none other than Miss Esther de Revol.

Under the guidance of the parish priest, she wanted to make this foundation in spite of her mother. The latters ill-will forced her to buy the property from a third party, but it was found to be too small. The only way to enlarge it was to add part of a meadow which belonged to her mother. Mrs. de Revol pushed her greed to the point of selling a section of the meadow to her daughter at a very high price. After the sale, she even had the grass and topsoil removed. On this site, Miss Esther built the house which the brothers have occupied from the outset. The construction, in masonry, cost her 7200 francs. So she spent 25,000 francs for her foundation: 16,000 francs capital outlay, 8000 for the property and construction, and 1000 francs for personal furnishings. Once the house was built, Miss Esther made her will on 31st August 1839, [leaving the house, its furnishings and its outbuildings to the town, so that everything would be reserved in perpetuity for the moral and religious instruction of the boys of the town, and so that] the school would be directed only by the Brothers of the Christian Schools or others approved by the diocesan bishop in communion with the Roman Catholic Church (Annales de Bougé-Chambalud, AFM 214.14, p.4).

Father,

I am ashamed to have owed you a reply for so long. I have not lost sight of your establishment, but various circumstances prevented me from setting a date for the opening of your classes until now. I am sending you the bill for the furnishings for three brothers.

Towards the end of October or the beginning of November we will come to see you, to visit the school building, and if everything is ready, our brothers will go to carry out their functions under your auspices, in your attractive parish, in order to further your zeal for the education of youth and to give the virtouous foundress of this establishment the consolation of seeing the effects of her generosity.

Edition: Translation from: Lettres de Marcellin J. B. Champagnat (1789-1840) Fondateur de l?Institut des Frères Maristes, présentés par Frère Paul Sester,1985.

fonte: Daprès la minute, AFM, RCLA 1, p. 132, nº 163