anniversaries - more
Dehon’s anniversaries - as seen by him
In 1909 Dehon remembers:
"March 14, I enter my 67th year. So many thoughts about the lost graces! If only I could recover time and opportunities! I remember the very beginnings of the Congregation. It had to suffer so many attacks by the demon! From 1881 to 1884 especially, so many afflictions on me and on the Congregation!" (NQT XXIV/1909, 68)
In 1913 Dehon writes:
"My 70th anniversary. The Holy Father sends me his congratulations and his blessings for my 70th anniversary. That’s too much of an honour for a little no-one, and I am even less than no-one. All this prepares for the end, which is not too far away.... In the Congregation they will pray for me, that is the best to be done. The counsellors sent a letter to all our houses and invited them to make this day a day of prayer and gratitude. The priests are invited to say the holy mass for my intentions, the others will offer holy communion. Deo gratias! I need so much the mercy of the Sacred Heart!" (NQT XXXV/1913, 23ff)
Ten years later:
"March 14, the day of my 80th anniversary. A rain of messages which express good wishes and benevolence towards me: letters from everywhere, a note from the Pope, beautiful letters from Cardinals Gasparri and Laurenti and Mgr of Soissons. It is much more than I deserve... My career is completed, I will leave many works begun in a good way. A difficult task will be the accomplishment of the Church in Rome, because of the economic crisis which crushes the world, but the Sacred Heart who has accomplished great things in Montmartre will make well also his church in Rome." (NQT XLIV/1923, 73f)
And in 1925 - for his last anniversary: "Thus I am 82 years old, how much the intercessions of my good mother in heaven and my good Angel were necessary in order to escape for such a long time from all the dangers, all the accidents, all the diseases which put a human life in danger! Thank you, my divine Mother, thank you my good Angel... What did I make of these 82 years? Nothing great and good. I multiply my reparations, I repeat my regrets and nevertheless I have confidence in the mercy of the Saviour...." (NQT XLV/1925, 44f.)