John Gabriel Perboyre: Seen Through His Letters
John Gabriel Perboyre: Seen Thr ough His Let ers
as Davit C .M. 0
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When his father arrived in Montauban to bring John Gabriel home he met
with an unexpected reception. The teachers had suggested to Jacques that John
Gabriel should continue his studies and enter the major seminary. Jacques
passed on this suggestion to his brother and nephew; it was a surprise to both of
them. After his father had gone home alone John Gabriel had time to think. On
16 June 1817 he wrote to his father:
My dear Father,
After you left town I thought over your
suggestion that I should take up Latin. I prayed to
God to know what life I should choose in order to
arrive safely in heaven. After lots of prayers I
came to the conclusion that I should study for the
priesthood, so I've started Latin, but with the
intention of giving it up if you don't agree with
what I'm doing...
Jacques got him special lessons from a priest, who later wrote to him: "You
were kind enough to hand him over to me for special attention. I had a good
foundation to work on and he amazed me with his progress...". Thirteen years
after his death Bishop Jean-Henri Baldus CM wrote:
I always thought him very intelligent, a
deep mind capable of dealing with any sort of
scientific, philosophical or literary subject; in such
matters there were few confreres of his time, I
think, who were his equal...
In his last year at school a mission was given in Montauban by the
Vincentians and John Gabriel decided he'd like to join the Congregation. As the
Congregation had been suppressed during the Revolution there was no internal
seminary in France in 1818. His uncle's suggestion of starting one in his house
in Montauban was accepted and John Gabriel was received there on 10 March
1818, two months after his sixteenth birthday, the first seminarist in France
since the Revolution; two more were received later that year. During his time
there he completed his secondary education, then began philosophy while
teaching one of the junior classes. He took his vows in 1820 and then went to
Paris to start theology. His uncle arranged his travel so that he could meet his
parents, the first time since leaving home.
In October 1823 he was sent to Montdidier, between Paris and Amiens. The
Congregation had a boys' boarding school there, and John Gabriel was given
charge of the lowest class, with eight boys. In April 1824 he went back to Paris
to be ordained sub-deacon, and returned to Montdidier to teach philosophy. In
May 1825 he was back in Paris to be ordained deacon.
That year he was issued with an internal passport which has survived. It
shows he was 1m 65cm (about 5'6") in height, with black hair coming down
over the forehead, brown eyebrows, grey-black eyes, ordinary nose, small
mouth, black beard (i.e. stubble), round chin, round face, ruddy complexion.
He returned to Montdidier for another year's teaching.
In your letter of 9 June you give out to me for not writing to you and
you urge me, both strongly and lovingly, to show a bit more diligence in
this matter. After that I couldn't very well try to make excuses for myself
for this further delay of two months. However, I'll say first of all that the
reason for the delay is not forgetfulness, for since I got your letter not a
single day has passed, I think, without my thinking of it. I could then
add that lack of opportunity must take some of the blame. The day
normally starts for us at four o'clock and never ends until nine or ten,
and often what we have to do keeps us going till midnight. Above all, as
the holidays draw near our work doubles, just as yours does at harvest
time. A week ago I started a letter to Father Gizard and I'd no sooner
started it than I had to break off, and it's only today that I got a chance to
take it up again. Finally, my dear Father, I was putting off my reply so
that I could tell you whether I'd be staying on in Montdidier for another
year. I had some hope that I might be going to Montauban. My uncle
made great attempts to get me but I now know that I'm not being
appointed there. It seems certain, though that I'll be changed, and if little
rumours which have reached me can be believed I may even be sent
somewhere in the Quercy region. Be that as it may, I'll let you know my
new appointment before leaving Paris; I'm going to be there in a
fortnight's time and don't expect to be leaving it until the end of
September.
So, my very dear Father, the day isn't very far off when the Lord is to
place on my shoulders the yoke of priesthood; that day will be the
greatest of my life. What happiness for me if I could receive the
priesthood with all the necessary dispositions! What a source of grace
for m (...truncated)