Page 161 - Transcriptions d'actes notariés - Tome 20 - 1682-1686

Fafher Soulerin, C.S.B.,
Founder and Administrator

Rev. Francis BOLAND, C.S.B., Ph.D.,
Departmeni O/ Hktary. Assumption Univers* oJ Windsor,
Windsor, O~~ario
During the year 1954 the firit !teps loward the union of French and Canadiin
Besilians were tnken with ~he vieil of Faiher Roume of Annonay, Fiance, LO Toronio.
Wirh him, Ira the Basilian Archives. came the corre~pondence of Fa~her Sonleria,
ihc firsi Basilian superior in Toronto, to the Superirir Gcnioral or the Coiiimuni~y. lu
addition rhere were Ictiers from ihe Toronlo bursar. Falher Malboa, as well as ihose
of Father Molony md Mesm. Vlnceni and Flnnnery to ihe French moiher home.
These Irilem pmvidd the basis of thia paper, though niuch infornialion wu gleaned
irom ihi: wriiings of Bidhop Charbonne1 ot Toronto to hotli Bishop Goiraes of
Byiown, nnd io Fu~her TourvieiUe. the Basili~tI general. The pegee oi the "Catholic
Ci~izcn" and the "Cetholic Freenien", the Toronto Catholic wcekliea ol the 1850's.
non located in ~be Cen~ral Llhrary, Toronto, pmurd of jmnieiiae value in disclaainp
the ardnous difieiilties attendant on ~he conairuciion of the new SI. Mithael's
College.
On hlay 26, 1850, Father de Charbonriel, a French pricst and a
former Basilian student, was consecratcd Biebop oi Toronto. A very
zealous and saintly man, the new Bjshop was faced with a multiplicity
oi problems and of these the more pressing seemed to be the Separate
School situation in Canada West, diocesan poverty and the lack of
priests. As a solution for this laet rnentioned prohlcm Bidiop Char-
bonne1 requested and obtained the services of five Basilians from bis
native land to assist him in carrying on the work of a Little Seminary.
Arriving in August, 1852, the Iittle group of Basilians waa composed
of the superior, Father Soulerin, the bursar, Father Malbos and two
unordained cleriw, Mars. FLannery and Vincent; the fifth inember was
Father Molony who had accompanied the Bishop in 1850.
Tt is not the purpose of thia sludy to glorify the first superior of
the Basiljan foundation in Canada: our aim is ratber to amss the value
of his work and to judge bjm as an administrator. This can be done
only by probing hia problems and examiiiing hia nolutions to these
problems.
Prior to the arriva1 of the amall cornmunity in Toronto, a treaty
was arranged between the biahop and the Basilian gcneral, Father Tour-
vieille. The main work of the Bmiiians in Toronto was to be the establish-
ment oi a Little Seminary which was to be ownd by the biahop. Dio.
cesan work similar to tbet of Father Molony waa to be an added projmt ;
a houie for the community was to be furnished by the bishop, BO ihat
a religious liie m cornmon could be observed and in a short period a