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The Primitive Society: 1846-54 99
with the community seems to have supplied an élan which the written text
would supplement after 1850.**
In the first decade of the Society, Holy Child sisters found in Cornelia
a model of sister, mother, teacher, novice mistress, superior, animator, in-
spirer, friend. These were the “primitive church” years.” In his inaugural
letter Bishop Wiseman had exhorted them “Be of one heart and soul.”
When Bishop Ullathorne, not an early supporter of the Society, made a
Visitation of the Derby convent in 1848, he commended the community
for “the great charity and union among the sisters.”°° There exists a vivid
reminiscence of the beginnings at Derby, by one of the first companions,
Sr. Aloysia. It is a remarkable record of her recognition of Cornelia as a
charismatic whose presence manifested the power of the Spirit within the
community. Cornelia’s first biographer, who joined the community in its
second year, attested to the insightfulness of this reminiscence written
almost fifty years after the founding:
. of the five first Religious only Sister Aloysia is living to give us her
testimony to those early days which were the beginning of so much in after
years. It reminds us of the grain of mustard springing up no one knows
how.*!
Sr. Aloysia is cited at some length because spontaneously and inform-
ally she fleshed out the theology of the charism of foundation. Uninhibited
by theological terminology or the rules of composition, she reconstructed a
concrete picture of one inspired by the Spirit so that her “life, words, and
works were privileged in the sense that they resounded in other persons
with a force which motivated them to leave all and follow Christ in this
particular form of life and service.”** With ease she recalled how Cornelia,
her founder, was able to manifest those virtues, —that “spirit” —to which
the sisters aspired, and in which they found nurture for religious communi-
ty:
—I only relate what struck me and others at the time as being so beautiful
and saint-like in her . . . . Her beautiful confidence and trust in God grew
upon us so, the thought of not succeeding never entered into our minds.
—You felt she was with our Lord all the time she was at work . . . I say
work! for she did all kinds... .
— She had all to do for we were such children . . . . Our dear Mother was
always so encouraging... - -
—She thought of so many things we felt confiding and safe as little
children. . . .°%
Sr. Aloysia remembered that, from the day of their arrival at Derby,
Cornelia provided for basic physical, psychological and social needs, while
making it plain that “the first thing” was Mass, reservation of the Blessed
Sacrament, and a framework for fostering life in the Spirit.
We went ... to the convent [St. Mary's, Derby] which was quite emp-
ty except the Parlour & some bed steads with beds & pillows (in the dor-