Le Gall, Jean P

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Spiritan PapersVolume 17Number 17 Easter Article 61984The Man Whom Grace Turned into a SaintJean P. Le GallFollow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/spiritan-papersPart of the Catholic Studies CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Spiritan Collection at Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusionin Spiritan Papers by an authorized editor of Duquesne Scholarship Collection.Recommended CitationLe Gall, J. P. (1984). The Man Whom Grace Turned into a Saint. Spiritan Papers, 17 (17). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/spiritan-papers/vol17/iss17/6THE MAN WHOM GRACE TURNEQ INTO A SAINT "I t  has been said that I am lucky", Fr. Brottier confided to his friend and colleague, Fr. Yves Pichon. Yes, it is true. God has blessed me, he has given me the satisfaction of succeeding in what I undertook; but if, thanks be to God, I have been so lucky I can say with some modern writer or other that cmy luck has been to rise at five every morning and retire at eleven or even midnight). My luck has been to work, to write thousands of letters, to try new initiatives, to be in the thick of things, in full tilt, availing of opportuni- ties. The basic image of Fr. Brottier's personality is one of exceptional richness at the service of a supernatural conviction capable of surmounting all obstacles. A RESOLUTE SPIRIT We are dealing with someone who was feeling anything but guilty before an immense task. He took everything seri- ously, dedicating himself to  the limit of his powers, but with a sort of quiet strength that had its source in his psychic balance and unshakable faith in God. "Your heart is worn out", the doctors told him on his deathbed. He answered: "My job is over; God, your will be done". His resolute spirit was his strength as a young man - his missionary vocation had shown itself at twelve. It sustained him in his studies despite the precocious phenomenon of headaches. A priest who knew him when he was entering the seminary described him. " A  wide-awake student, hardy, resolute, sure of himself". He went on to the senior seminary of Blois, was ordained for the diocese and received his first appointment as dean of studies in the college of Pontlevoy. He met the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny in the infirmary where his frail health made him a reg- 20 THE MAN WHOM GRACE TURNED INTO A SAINT ular client. Conversation turned to the missions, Senegal, Guiana, the Congo. The missionary flame was ignited. At the end of August 1902, aged 26, he entered the Holy Ghost novitiate, knowing he could not prolong his family's pain at the news that he was going to the missions. His resolution was firm, even at the obvious risk of an early death. Yet his determination was sorely tried. His family had accepted his vocation to be a diocesan priest; their son would be nearby, a certain security was guaranteed. Daniel realized the difficulty of parting and wrote about it to his future master of novices. " I  never knew it was so complicated to leave the world". He had foreseen his mother's objections and pre- pared his answers, but his father was more categoric. "Have you thought about your health? Your broad shoulders give the impression of strength, and yet look at all the doctors we had to bring you to, the headaches since you were a child, that nothing can take away. It is folly to go out; you will get sick and have to come back. If you do go, it is against my formal will ". OVERFLOWING ZEAL Fr. Brottier was appointed to Senegal, which at that time was reserved for the more frail; missionaries died there less quickly than in the Congo or Ubangi-Shari. Once he had arrived, his zeal knew no bounds: meetings, talks, sports, band, parish bulletin. In less than three years his bad health forced him back to France. But when he returned to Africa after a break he resumed his life of activity, sustained by a bril- liant imagination and all kinds of talents. In the midst of it came the desire to be a Trappist.After a short trial he had to abandon this, even if the pull to  contemplative life made itself felt from time to  time later. Between 1903 and 19 1 1 he spent only short periods overseas. Finally the doctors decided he must stay in France. A Sister who knew him in Senegal said: "Despite his many occupations, cares and problems, he was by no means sad or morose. No, he was bright and open, with the ready word to make people laugh. Yet he suffered, God sent him trials and troubles. Like all those who want to do good, he knew the value of generosity, sacrifice and self-forgetfulness". The THE MAN WHOM GRACE TURNED INTO A SAINT 2 1 missionary was back home. Known now for his many quali- ties, his liveliness and apostolic dynamism, he would make solid friendships like that of his bishop, Bishop Jalabert, who appreciated him. Fr. Brottier was to spend himself for Bishop Jalabert, gathering funds for the cathedral of Dakar. Other friendships among the French soldiers at St. Louis would help towards the future National Union of Ex-Servicemen, to be ini- tiated by himself, and towards the organization of the orphan- apprentices of Auteuil. His short stay in Africa sowed rich seed that would produce a hundredfold. THE MAN OF DANGER For health reasons Fr. Brottier was not mobilized when the first world war broke out. But he enlisted with a group of voluntary chaplains, and went on to show courage and legen- dary dedication in the face of danger, giving of himself with a sort of fury. Soldiers would say to him, "Father, near you we feel sheltered; shells just go through you". We do not intend to recount this capital episode of his life in detail but only to look at the moral greatness of our confrere. Two mentions in despatches will suffice. The first is of November 19 17 : "Le- gendary chaplain of the 12 1 st infantry regiment, for his calm and quiet bravery, his scorn of danger, his extraordinary spirit of dedication and self-sacrifice. He has went  himself in all cir- cumstances and under the most violeit bombardments to bring the comfort of his presence and needed aid to the wounded. Highly esteemed and admired by all the regiment". The second is of June 191 8 :  " A  magnificent soul in whom the soldier's ardour and the priest's dedication combine. Le- gendary in the regiment whose difficult moments he shares. During the attacks of June 1 and 2, 191 8 at Troesnes, he went through the lines lifting, bandaging and helping the wounded, seeking them out in the front lines under the intense fire of the cannons and encouraging the soldiers. . . Exercises the greatest influence on the soldiers, whom he sustains mo- rally in their difficult hours by his encouragement and exam- ple". These were dreadful years, of which he would say later: " I t  was a hard apprenticeship; but now it is over and I am har- dened to war for all time". 2 2 THE MAN WHOM GRACE TURNED INTO A SAINT He did not want the bond of friendship that had grown between the soldiers t o  dissolve. Astonishingly bold when something seemed right to him, he did not hesitate to meet the head of government in person - a noted anti-clerical - to outline his plan on a national level: to create an association of ex-servicemen. "Your idea is excellent", said the statesman, " I  fully approve and encourage you". This was the birth of the National Union of Ex-Servicemen, with the motto, "United as at the Front". Memories of the war would follow him all his life, but the frightful situations he had met did not alter that tenderness of heart that would make him still more legendary in the service of the orphan-apprentices of Auteuil. Providentially death had spared him, but the daily deaths of others affected his charac- ter sufficiently to be able to transform a moribund house into a thriving institution. A VALUED COUNCILLOR It was not that Fr. Brottier had totally committed himself to  activity. Twice he had felt called to be a Trappist - in Senegal in 1908 and then in France in 1912. These were signs of his passionate love for God, constantly seeking his will, a guarantee of the prudence of his actions, whether on his own behalf or for one of his manv visitors. This outstand- ing prudence would inspire the Congregation to call him, de- spite his overload of work, to the post of assistant general. He did not look for it; he even sent his doctor and friend to Archbishop Le Hunsec, the superior general, to  dissuade him. Back came the reply: "In appointing him to the Council the Fathers want above all to  be able to benefit from his wide experience in the thorny questions that arise". One of the remarkable instances of his supernatural pru- dence was the idea from the moment of his appointment - forty-eight hours after he was installed - that a new chapel should be built at Auteuil consecrated to her who was still only Blessed Thbrhse of Lisieux. Wise people tried to dis- suade him, some blamed him outright for big ideas. He attri- buted the miraculous protection of his life to her whom the English-speaking soldiers called "The Little Flower". After the war he had said to his former bishop of Dakar how sur- THE MAN WHOM GRACE TURNED INTO A SAINT 23 prised he was to have escaped so many mortal dangers. The bishop took a picture of St. ThBrese of the Child Jesus from his breviary, to which he had attached a photo of Fr. Brottier and the prayer, "Little Sister ThBrBse, keep Fr. Brottier safe for me ". "Every night", said the bishop, " I  begged her to save you; she worked the miracle". BOLDNESS In building the chapel Fr. Brottier was also guaranteeing a mother for his orphans, and he launched into what all saw as an adventure. His supernatural boldness asked for signs from his protectress, visible and tangible ones. His trust in God was the support for his boldness, it would be artificial to  sepa- rate them. His life was an unending miracle", said one of his colleagues. It is a fact that while the chapel was being built, that is, 1924-5, he received daily by mail or in the offerings- box or from anonymous donors a thousand-franc note that he felt certain came from St. TherBse. This sign urged him on. One evening about 9 p.m. he said to Fr. Yves Pichon, " I  did not receive the usual money today; look in the offerings-box in the chapel, it may be there". Sure enough it was, so badly inserted in the slot that anyone could have taken it. Another evening after prayers: " I  did not receive the money today; watch what happens". A lady arrived and offered him an envelope, asking for prayers for her father. It contained the thousand francs. Further anecdotes confirmed the aura of the miraculous surrounding him. Cardinal Verdier of Paris said, "Whenever I see Fr. Brottier I seem to see him in a halo of light". A HEART OF FIRE He looked on the chapel of St. Therese as the soul and focus of the Auteuil organization. It was a means at the ser- vice of the goal: to accept orphan children. This was his per- manent concern. He wrote more than 180 articles in La France Illustrt5e, which was edited by himself, as many in the organization's Newsletter, thousands of letters - some days as many as 200 - all to  defend the sacred cause, under the 2 4  THE MAN WHOM GRACE TURNED INTO A SAINT triptych: Open the door to them, give them bread, give them a trade. He wrote in the Newsletter of January-February 1925 : (Bread for the orphans) is a father's cry who cannot make ends meet. Bread costs I F  40. Mothers of families, you know what it costs t o  feed three or four mouths a day. What would it be i f  you multiplied by 300?  Do you understand our cry of distress? Friends of Auteuil, must  w e  stop taking in l itt le chil- dren who wi l l  never receive their first holy commu- nion? These unfortunate boys are deprived of family help and affection, must w e  leave them on the streets, leave them t o  vice and misery? Wha? is given t o  the unfortunate on earth will be rewarded by God in heaven. One day the Cardinal Archbishop of Paris, impressed by criticisms levelled against the advertizing used by Fr. Brottier, and worried by the very development of the house, said to him: "Father, it seems you are letting yourself be carried away. People are talking about the considerable capital you use for new buildings, and I hear reports that you keep the doors open daily to new orphans. It has dangers. I know it would be cruel to refuse the unfortunate, but I have the duty to remind you to be prudent". The conversation took place at the orphanage. Just then a poorly clad woman with ema- ciated face entered. "Father, I am a widow, sick and penni- less. Tomorrow I go into hospital for a big operation. My twelve year old son may find himself without a family. Will you take him?" The woman looked from one priest to the oth- er, not realizing one of them was the archbishop. "Madam", said Fr. Brottier, " i t  is for the cardinal, not for me, to decide your son's fate". The cardinal started, hesitated, then said, "Yes, Madam, Fr. Brottier will take your child". When Fr. Brottier arrived on 21 November 1923 there were 170 orphan-apprentices; there were 300 in 1930, 400 in 1932, 500 in 1933, 700 in 1934 and 1000 in 1935. A year later, at his death, there were 1400. The figure kept on increasing, it is over 3,000 now, with the added complications of diverse origin and culture, due to the many races repre- sented, from Asian refugees to the socially maladjusted; some houses also accept the mentally handicapped. THE MAN WHOM GRACE TURNED INTO A SAINT A MODERN "SAINT" How did this growth take place? The new director in 1923 introduced himself calmly. Speaking to the staff, he declared : This is no novice taking charge. Those who see him know that the years in Africa and in the war have put their hard mark on his appearance. But that is sec- ondary. What only counts, dear friends, is that you find in me, as you did in the last four directors of Auteuil, good will, a great longing to be of use to you at a moment none too propitious. Since the end of the war Fr. Brottier had been collecting money for the cathedral of Dakar. He had put his whole heart into that. Now he was offered a new appointment. That too he accepted and welcomed with the same self-dedication. He wrote : To serve means to get outside oneself, to be one's own no more. It almost means to have no rights, only duties. It means to have no self-interest, to sac- rifice everything to the general interest. It is to think, will and act for the good of others. It is to live, and sometimes to die, for the well-being of all, out of love for God. His way was to take decisions - some would call it rash- ness. He was convinced he was doing missionary work. St. Th6rkse was committed on her part by her promise to shower roses from heaven after she died. So he gave himself over to working for the orphans, becoming attached to the boys and what families they had. His bulletin hamrqered home the motto, "Open the gates to them". His biographer, Fr. Pichon, said in the depositions for his beatification: " I  often met him crying as he left his office at night, when he would say with sadness, See, I had to refuse a hundred more or- phans today; I have nowhere to put them; isn't it dreadful?" TIRELESS LETTER-WRITER St. ThBrBse's shower of roses did not turn sufficiently into a flood of banknotes, despite Fr. Brottier's campaigning ge- 2 6 THE MAN WHOM GRACE TURNED INTO A SAINT nius and conviction. The demand exceeded the supply. Thousands of letters, articles in La France Illustree and the organization's Newsletter, lavish ceremonies in honour of St. TliBr&se at which tens of thousands of Parisians came to pray under the leadership of famous bishops - all human means were pressed into the service of the organization that had the triple goal of making good Christians, good workers and good citizens. On occasion the spiritual state of his charges disturbed him. He opened his heart to his chaplains: "When we examine the results so far we must admit they are modest enough; religiously, we are not raising our children high". The chaplains countered that levels were low every- where in such institutions, and that the handicap of orphans from poor families added complications. For material devel- opment he obtained the collaboration of an engineer of the polytechnic school to modernize the workshops, multiply the trades, improve the quality of teaching techniques and profes- sional training. The organization has kept up its tradition and reputation in industrial circles ever since. At his death the foundations were well laid and Auteuil had become known. As he said himself: " I  could disappear any day. The future can be faced calmly, for I have created around our orphans a network of friendships and dedication that I consider indes- tructible". These few characteristics, taken basically from Fr. Pi- chon's Life of Fr. Brottier, will help to sketch the moral portrait o f  our confrere. What must be borne in mind is that the mainspring of his life was nothing other than complete trust in God and in the organization's protectress, St. Therese of the Child Jesus. Union with God is the soul of the apostolate. Jean P. Le Gall, C.S.Sp. Former Director General of the Auteuil Organization 

The Man Whom Grace Turned into a Saint

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