Page 100 - March On! God will Provide by Brother Aubert

RYKEN KEEPS TRYING 79

didates first presented themselves to Father Van Beek
who was to decide whether or not they should go on to
Bruges for a trial of the life with his friend.
_Others may have felt that Theodore Ryken's wild
scheme had run its course and that dissolution was in-
evitable but not Ryken. He had more ideas.
In April, 1846, a Father De Ia Croix from Tirlemont
near Louvain wrote to ask if he might once again spend
a few days,at "Ifet Walletje." In ieply Brot[er Ryten
qugges-ted that this priesr arrive in Bruges on the lasr
Saturday of the month and remain untilMonday after-
noon, May 4, so that he could witness the famous pro-
cession of the Precious Blood.
What Father De la Croix had in mind was to enroll
in the Xaverian Brothers, and the Founder was not only
willing but anxious to have him. In the previous March
he had written to a clerical frientl: .,Try to send us De
Ia Croix, for it seems to me it would bb dangerous for
him to remain much longer in the world.,,
It is Brother Seghers'recollection that the Father
John
SupgIior had in mind the founding of a separate body
"have
of "Xaverian Fathers, who would be6n an inde-
pendent group but who would have worked with the
Brothers on the missions.,,
-^Tg"_Ryk"n there was-no_turning back. On May 14,
1846, he forwarded to the Redemp-torist Fathers
^'ropy
of a newly drafted Constitution, of the Xaverian Sroih_
.,be
ers, asking the Fathers if one of them would
kind
enoug-h to examine it and to write his comments in
t
on the page-Ieft blank for that purpos".', H.
l.",.il
explained that this document when approved'by Bishop
..as
Boussen would serve a basis for tire pronouneirrg ji
our vows."