Last
revised April 25th,
2001 The
original text is in French. Brother Omer Beaulieu des
Frères de la Miséricorde of Lac Sergent,
Quebec, who looks after the Order's Archives, kindly
provided a copy for use on this website. The
year 1914, the beginning of the First World War between
France and Germany, was disturbing for the Superiors of the
Congregation. The enemy army would occupy Belgium. The order
was sent out to evacuate the territory. But where to flee?
What could our young members of the religious order do and
worse, what to do with the retired Brothers? Fortunately, it
was possible to send them to England, where they were
welcomed at our House Ste-Aloïs in Highgate. The
hostilities took an end at the end of November 1918 and
peace came back to Belgium. However, another conflict could
arise. Would we again be able to count on the hospitality of
England? The Order was in doubt, whether to look out for a
place in a foreign country that the war could not reach,
such as Congo and Canada. Earlier, the Congrégation
de la Propagande, had expressed the desire to do missionary
work in Congo. They had to abandon because of lack of
personnel. Eventually, eyes were set on Canada. The
Préfet de la Propagande would later strongly reproach
the Brother Superior of the Order for that
decision. Since
the War the Americas had fascinated the European countries.
Moreover, some members of the Congregation had relatives in
the United States and on Vancouver Island in
Canada. Soon
after that Brother Amédée met in Brussels
Sister Angèle from the Convent of the
[Ursuline]2
Sisters of Thildonck. She had recently come back from
Bruxelles, a small village in Canada in the Province of
Manitoba, where the Sisters had opened a school with
boarding facilities. The school had become very successful.
She urged Brother Amédée to found a boys
school there. She even promised to send the young boys from
her school when they reached the age of 12. This
meeting was reported to the Superiors of the Order and was
decisive. Letters were exchanged between the Reverend Father
Heynen of Bruxelles (Manitoba), who very easily obtained
permission from Msgr. the Archbishop of St.-Boniface for the
Brothers to settle in the archdiocese. Canada
was unknown territory to us. In Mechelen some more cautious
Brothers suggested sending a few brothers to learn where
Bruxelles was situated and to assess the terrain, climate
and the customs of the country, how the Brothers could make
their living and what future development could be expected.
But their cautionary advice was ignored. At
the end of August 1919, Brother Marcellin and Brother
Amédée departed and arrived at Father Heynen's
residence on 15th of September. They stayed there for a few
days to rest after their long trip and then they quickly
went out to look for land on which to establish the Order
there. Their attention was drawn to the farm of the pioneer
George H. Couch that was for sale near Swan Lake, a small
village in southwestern Manitoba, near the railway and 80
miles from Winnipeg. Seven days after their arrival in
Canada a half section of good land (325 hectares) was
acquired with the farmer's house for the sum of
$20,0003. They
now cabled to Mechelen and asked Brothers Mathieu, Cyprien,
Narcisse and Finton to come and join them immediately. A
while later Brothers Auguste, Sebastien and Jarlath would
arrive as well. They all brought a lot of luggage with them.
They settled in the old farmer's house, which was small but
providing sufficient room for them all. The
first winter was harsh. The thermometer remained 35 to 40
centigrade below zero for a long time and sometimes went
lower. It was so cold in the house that bread had to be cut
with a hatchet and butter didn't soften enough to spread,
even near the glowing stove. Even though it was only a 10
minutes walk from their house, it was often
impossible to go to church in the village because of strong
winds and drifting snow. They
started planning the new college. A Belgian
contractor,
[Firmin Wyndels In
the meantime care was taken to get the farm ready for work:
9 strong horses, cows, pigs and chickens had to be bought,
as well as implements and machinery to operate a half
section of land. Costs amounted to $10,0003. Brother
Marcellin took the opportunity during that winter to visit
his sister and brother-in-law on Vancouver Island. To get
there he went to Winnipeg and then over the Rocky Mountains
by train, arriving at his destination after three days of
travel. When
it was time to start work on the farm, Brother Mathieu,
Amédée and Pie started plowing the fields and
sowing. More than 250 hectares of good fertile soil was
sowed with wheat, barley and oats. During the first
winter they had to transport the large amounts of building
materials that regularly arrived at the station, needed for
the new construction, to the farm: beams
and planks, cement, doors and windows, etc.. This involved
an enormous amount of work including bringing in 200 cart
loads of large foundation stones. And this all had to be
done while they all were busy working in the fields. This
all took exceptional courage. When
the contractor
[Wyndels]2arrived
from St. Boniface in the Spring he found all materials
needed ready to start the construction. It was his first big
enterprise in Canada and he contracted to undertake the work
for $70,000. However due to a change to the original plan,
the sum was increased to $80,0003.
As in Canada the
construction of a house, almost always of wood, went very
fast, the contractor
[Wyndels]
2
was eager to show that he could finish the work quickly. The
college soon had a roof and at the beginning of July the
Brothers could start dining there for the first time: a
joyful occasion! But during the feasting, a message came to
say that a fire had broken out at the farm. They ran as fast
as they could - the farm was an 8 minutes' walk from the
school - but it was useless, the whole farm house was going
up in flames. And everything: the Brothers' baggage, the
souvenirs of Belgium, their clothing, furniture and kitchen
utensils, everything was lost. Their grief was immense. But
bereft of everything, they put their trust in Divine
Providence. Why
had this happened? The Brothers, leaving the house on their
way to the feast in the new College, had left the door open.
The strong wind had made the stove flare up bringing the
stove pipe that went through the ceiling to a red heat,
which started the fire there. On
top of that the insurance had run out a few days before and
had not been renewed. One could say: the Brothers' first
foundation in Canada was heavily afflicted and they had a
Cross to bear. The
Brothers moved into the College's Chapel and tried to find
the essentials for daily life. Meanwhile the finishing
touches had to be made to the Chapel and to the classrooms
and other rooms of the College needed completion. Thanks to
God, this went all very smoothly. His
Excellency, Msgr. Béliveau, archbishop of
St.-Boniface, solemnly consecrated the new college, under
the name of Sacré-Coeur. Lots of people, among them
the pastors of the neighboring parishes attended the
ceremony. After the benediction people were invited in to
visit the premises. The
college planned to open its doors beginning of October. Some
40 students signed up as boarders. Besides, there were some
15 day students who came daily from the village. They were
divided in three classes, with as head master Brother
Auguste, Finton and Jarlath. His Excellency had requested
that some courses were taught in French, the others in
English, as was common in the Christian schools in his
archdiocese. It
has to be said that the teaching staff, although intelligent
and dedicated, was not up to the task. Two English Brothers
had barely finished the novitiate; Brother Auguste, although
having spent 6 years in England and 6 years in Belgium,
hadn't had the opportunity to prepare for the program he had
to teach. The following year they were up to the task,
though. However, some dissatisfied students, went back to
their old schools. The
Right Honorable Brother Superior had announced his visit for
the summer of 1921, accompanied by Brother Bernard. Some
important points were on the agenda. 1.The
question of the loan from the Hochelaga Bank; insurance
costs to cover the college, payment for the property, the
accounting costs. 2.Religious
duties - work on the farm was time consuming, so there was
not enough time for spiritual recollection. 3.The
irregular departures of Brothers from the convent. Brother
Mathieu who had been told to go back to Belgium, would not
submit and left the congregation. He went on to live in
Mariapolis, 10 miles away from Swan Lake. At
his departure, The Right Honorable Brother Superior
encouraged his colleagues and promised a new director in
September. The latter would have all necessary instructions
and all power to adjust the points of dissent.
As he
was in need of money for his trip to his brother in the
United States, he borrowed $5003
from a Belgian farmer in Swan Lake. On
13 September 1921 a new Superior, Brother Rombaut arrived at
Swan Lake accompanied by Brother Boniface. He didn't have
the time to rest as he had to go to Winnipeg immediately.
The Hochelaga Bank, who did not issue long term loans,
wanted to take out a mortgage while awaiting complete
reimbursement. The loan had been At
that time the Canadian dollar exchanged for about 8 Belgian
francs. In Mechelen they anticipated a better exchange rate,
but the opposite happened. Sending of funds could therefore
not be put off. With great effort Brother Marcellin gathered
1,125,000 Francs [about $CAN
123,626]3
in 1922, part of which went to the Bank. He had been able to
borrow 650,000 Francs in Holland at good rates, with the
Guilder remaining stable, but the latter later on also rose
disproportionately. Brother
Boniface, was put in charge of the college, Brother
Sébastien was set to work on the farm. This allowed
time for the Brothers to attend all religious activities
prescribed by the Congregation. Msgr.
Béliveau on hearing that the Brothers had established
an agricultural institute at the College was greatly
satisfied. "Your students are all farmers' sons and will
have to help their parents at the farm. Educate them thus
theoretically and in practice. In so doing you will instill
in them the love for the land and our countryside will
remain Catholic". He
had many articles published in the newspaper "La Gazette du
Manitoba" recommending the college and its educational
program. There
was another big Institute [College] for Agriculture
in Winnipeg, but the school was Protestant, and open to boys
and girls alike. That School ate up a lot of money but did
not attain its goals. In the provincial Legislature it was
shown that only 15% of those who have finished courses there
return to the farm. The other graduates stayed in town and
looked for administrative jobs. What
was needed in Manitoba was a more popular
[down-to-earth]2
education, more practical, more in harmony with the farmers
and the Belgian settlers' needs. The Scheppers College
filled that gap, especially as it did not prove to be
difficult to combine agricultural lessons with a general
education. In
1920 the harvest was very good and with the high wheat
price, the yield was $3,000. In 1921 the harvest was good as
well, but with the decline of the price of wheat the yield
was only $2,5003. That
money came just on time because when he arrived in Swan Lake
Brother Rombaut had found a number of unpaid bills amounting
to $14,0003.
He was able to reduce this sum to $4,000 with this cash and
savings. Besides
the wheat, our courageous Brothers could also were able to
store huge quantities of barley and oats in the barn to feed
the animals, and a considerable stock of potatoes. The farm
also provided butter and milk to the kitchen. At
the reopening of the School in October
[1922?]2
there were 60 students. During the winter, at each full
moon, sleds brought the parents of the students and their
Belgian families to the College for evenings of music and
entertainment. Each loved to show his act. Between acts
there was time for cakes and sweets that the parents had
brought with them, on which the students gorged themselves!
Such cozy parties broke the monotony of the long winter and
maintained good relations with the Belgian families, who
realized how dedicated the Brothers were to their children
and to the College. By
1922 the community of the Brothers had become very stable,
and it became time to recruit new candidates to join the
Congregation of Brothers. Soon four youngsters expressed
their wish to live with the Brothers! They were initiated
into the religious life, and on July 19th, after a fervent
retreat, they were admitted into the Congregation. Also, at
this time Brother Finton and Jarlath took their eternal
vows. It was a day of joy and happiness at the College. The
parents were proud of their sons who were the first
Brothers of Our
Lady of Mercy ordained
in
Canada. Around
the School the countryside was still undeveloped and
unoccupied. Avenues and roads were laid with white rocks
bordering the property. Numerous shrubs and flowers
beautified the entrance of the College. Father
Heynen, pastor of Bruxelles (Man.), an honest and devoted
friend to the Brothers, had been in contact for years with
the Fathers of La Compagnie de Marie. These Fathers, having
fled from France after the persecution by Combes had found
refuge at Montfort and Huberdeau in Quebec, where they had
opened an orphanage. As they longed to take up their
missionary work again, they looked for a buyer for their two
houses. Father Heynen wrote to the Superiors in
Mechelen. In
May 1923 Brother Marcellin accompanied by Brother Egbert
arrived in Canada and acquired the Orphanage at Huberdeau
with all its contents for the
Brothers of Our Lady of Mercy
for $150,0003. When
they were told about that acquisition, the Brothers in Swan
Lake felt very happy. They learned also that several Belgian
Brothers would arrive in September and that the College
would send Brother Rombaut and three young Canadian Brothers
to Huberdeau. In
Swan Lake Brother Lucien became director and Brother
Gaudence house master. One winter, with a nice layer of
snow, they got the marvelous idea to haul the farmer
buildings closer to the college. This improved the mutual
servicing of the College and farm considerably. The
English Protestant schools prepare their students to obtain
a degree at the end of the school year. The teaching staff
at Swan Lake dreamt of doing the same. As a result the
agricultural lessons and French courses were gradually
eliminated from the curriculum and eventually all courses
were taught in English. However, Msgr.
Béliveau was eager to keep French schools in his
archdiocese. His whole life had been a continuous strife
against the government of Manitoba, which wanted to do away
with them. He sent an Inspector-Priest to inspect the
classes of the College. Flabbergasted at the radical change
in the educational program, he reported to the Archbishop,
which resulted in the first conflict between the Brothers
and Msgr. Béliveau. At
that time the Hochelaga Bank continued to demand payment of
the remaining $40,0003
of their loan. The General Superior of the Frères de
la Charité were willing to lend the money to the
Congregation. The House at Huberdeau agreed to pay $4,000
with interest for 10 years to the Frères de la
Charité. In
August 1926 Brother Callixte and Luc arrived from Belgium at
Swan Lake to teach. Both very much wanted to provide a
commercial and scientific education, similar to the
education at the Jesuits at St-Boniface. Two new classes had
to be organized and new equipment for physics and chemistry
bought. Brother Director put into this new work all the
money yielded by that year's harvest. When
the Jesuits' college burnt down in St. Boniface, the Jesuits
retreated to the Petit Séminaire. They went on
teaching humanities with a course in Commerce and Sciences.
The number of students however was not sufficient for the
survival of their school and they wanted to give up. Msgr.
Béliveau didn't spare any effort to keep them
functioning. As Swan Lake persisted in teaching a Commercial
Course, and thus took away students from the Jesuits, the
Archbishop forbade his village priests to send their village
boys to the Brothers
of Our Lady of Mercy.
This was the 2nd conflict between the Brothers at Swan Lake
and Msgr. Béliveau. The
Brothers' College had had its best days. Brother Lucien
obtained his transfer to Huberdeau. Brother Luc replaced him
for a while. Brother Calixte then left the Congregation and
setlled at Somerset, at a few miles from Swan Lake and
became the school teacher. Brother
Engelbert, from Huberdeau while at Swan Lake sold all the
contents of the farm, including the livestock and
agricultural machinery, and rented the fields to a Belgian
farmer, on condition that one third of the produce went to
the College. At the end of that year Brother Engelbert was
called back at Huberdeau and replaced by Brother Gaudence.
The
number of students had already shrunk considerably, when the
great crisis set on. Wheat could not be sold, even at the
lowest prices, whereas prices for food and household
utensils rose. At the College the Brothers had to borrow
money to survive, to pay for insurance ($500 per year) and
for coal. The
building needed urgent repair, but funds were lacking. The
roof most of all was in a very bad shape and with every rain
water leaked into the building in torrents. At
the end of October 1932, Brother Gaudence got the order to
dispose of all the College's contents, and the personnel of
the House were ordered to leave for Huberdeau. A train wagon
was loaded with beds and mattresses, the ornaments of the
chapel and some other things that could be of use in the
Orphanage at Huberdeau. The rest was auctioned off and in
one week everything was gone but the money from the sales
barely covered the expenses of the wagon transport and the
ticket fares for the Brothers. The
evening before the Brothers left, the village priest and a
good number of villagers came to thank them for their
eminent services to the parish. They expressed their regret
that they should leave, and that they would always remember
them well. The ceremony was short as tears were running from
many eyes. The
surveillance of the empty College was trusted to the village
priest and Mr. Goethals, who lived on the farm. The College
building deteriorated with no buyer in sight. The village
priest was allowed to take away any material that he could
use for the construction of his new Church. Mr.
Goethals, renting the half section of land , became the
owner of the lands for $10,0003.
The sum he paid was used to discharge the last debts owing
to Mr. Vermeire, a Belgian farmer and a neighbour of the
Brothers. That's
how the history of the first foundation in Canada, the
College of Sacré Coeur, came to its ending. Begun in
1919 and abandoned in 1932, it has eaten up more than 1 Translation of
the Archives by Claire Carbonez-Dejaeger 3
$CAN 1.00 in 1920 = 50 Francs Belgian = $CAN 9.10 in
2001 4 As
remembered by a former pupil, Morris DeRoo
Archives
of The Brothers of our Lady of Mercy in Canada
Regarding
their first establishment in
Canada in Swan Lake, Manitoba
by
Brother Rombaut Obbens1
Below is the English translation of the text, which has been
edited by
Marcel Blanchaer and Claire
Carbonez-Dejaeger.]2
from
St.-Boniface was contracted to construct the College. It was
to be 45 m long and 25m wide, with an under structure for
two basement floors, all in wood with a
half-brick facing on the front of the building. Some of the
Brothers suggested that they have only half of the building
complete immediately and to have it finished later, but
their suggestion was quickly discarded. It was decided that
the building had to be imposing and huge and should be
completed at once. An
objection was that the ceilings were too high, with as a
consequence difficulty to heat the rooms, but this was also
dismissed: one had to build, as in Belgium, spacious rooms
with high ceilings, with plenty of air and
light!
[But as a result it was cold in the winter months, as
some former pupils remember.]2 4
2
Explanatory
interpolations by Marcel
Blanchaer