had time for more reflection, and consulted with my spiritual
adviser, and this course appears to be the one Divine Providence
points out."

This very important letter ends as follows: "I endeavor to keep close
to God, to keep up my confidence in His protection, and in the aid of
Our Blessed Lady. I pray for you all; you cannot forget me in your
prayers."

Then follow suggestions about obtaining testimonials from the
American hierarchy for the information of the Holy See in a final
settlement of the entire case. The prelates who wrote, all very
favorably, were: Archbishops Hughes of New York, Kenrick of
Baltimore, Purcell of Cincinnati, Bishops Bayley of Newark, Spalding
of Louisville (both afterwards Archbishops of Baltimore), Lynch of
Charleston, Barry of Savannah, and De Goesbriand of Burlington,
Vermont.

On October 26, while wondering what would next happen, he writes:
"As for my part, I do not see one step ahead, but at the same time I
never felt so closely embraced in the arms of Divine Providence." But
on the next day: "It seems to me a great and entire change awaits
us. . . . We are all of us young, and if we keep close and true to
God--and there is nothing but ourselves to prevent this--a great and
hopeful future is at our waiting. I know you pray for me; continue to
do so, and believe me always your wholly devoted friend and brother
in Jesus and Mary."

On November 12: "My present impression is that neither union with the
Cisalpine Fathers nor separation as a band of [independent
Redemptorist] missionaries in the United States will be approved of
here. . . . What appears to me more and more probable is that we
shall have to start entirely upon our own basis. This is perhaps the
best of all, all things considered. . . . Such a movement has from
the beginning seemed to me _the one to which Divine Providence calls
us,_ but I always felt timid as long as any door was left open for us
to act in the Congregation. . . . I feel prepared to take this step
with you without hesitation and with great confidence, . . . I should
have been glad, as soon as my dismission was given, to have started
on in such a movement. But then it was my first duty to see whether
this work could not be accomplished by the Congregation (of the Most
Holy Redeemer); and, besides, I was not sure, as I now am, of your
views being the same as mine . . . all indicates the will of Divine
Providence in our regard and gives me confidence. . .