Four days after the death of Father François Moine (cf. L. 163), Fr. Joseph Beneton was named parish priest of Perreux. Carrying on his predecessors work, he took to heart the brothers school. Also, Brother Justin was replaced as of March 1838 by Brother Innocent, who would remain there only until the vacation of 1839.

The adult class, which Fr. Moine had opened on a provisional basis, was therefore going to continue, and Fr. Champagnat, concerned about his brothers health, felt it necessary to entrust it to a fourth brother, to lighten the burden on the other three, two of whom taught the whole day, while the third took care of the manual work and cooking.

The new parish priest was doubtless not yet very well aware of our regulations, so Father Champagnat explains some of the details to him.

Father,

In order to bring the request you sent me on 18th September into line with our rules and customs, I am sending you a fourth brother for the adult class. I do not believe it possible for a brother who has spent nearly the whole day with the regular classes to start over again with another in the evening. My interest in the health of all of them, plus the prohibition which His Lordship the administrator gave me under other similar circumstances, would not allow me to impose this burden on him. I hope that the town, together with the young people who will attend the evening classes, will be generous enough so that this fourth brother will not remain there at our expense. In keeping with our brothers observations, I must also point out to you, Father, that our modest salary does not permit us to accept children from nearby towns free of charge. In all our establishments, the monthly fees for this service are received by the brothers as a supplement to their minimal resources. I was very flattered by the good reports you gave me about our brothers. I hope they will continue to please you and your generous parishioners as well. As for myself, I strongly desire the prosperity of your establishment and I will neglect nothing to assure its continuance.

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, pp. 142-143, nº 182