Page 142 - March On! God will Provide by Brother Aubert

FINANCES t2t
died in Bruges at the age of sixty, leaving a wife and
six children, the eldest of whom had been a priest for
several years. Felix Dujardin, while he lived, had per-
sistently endeavored to induce Mr. Ryken to pay the
interest on the money advanced for the purchase of "Het
Walletje," but he was unwilling to foreclose and to sell
the property at public auction. His widow and his sons,
who took over the management of the Bank, showed the
same reluctance. They had the feeling that somehow,
sometime Mr. Ryken would find the money.
A surprise visitor at "Het Walletje;" at about the time
of the death of Banker Dujardin, was the Rt. Rev.
Thomas Oliffe, Vicar Apostolic of Dacca, India. To him
the name, "Brothers of St. Francis Xavier," seemed to
mean that India had a special claim on the services of
this Congregation. He did his best to induce Mr. Ryken
to send a colony to Dacca. He was unsuccessful, but he
left hopeful of the future. The Vicar Apostolic was en
route to Rome. Mr. Ryken pleaded with him to inter-
cede with the Holy See so that the Rule and Constitu-
tion of the Xaverian Brothers would be approved. If
this approval could be obtained, the status of the Broth-
ers would be raised from that of a diocesan society sub-
ject to the local bishops to that of a Pontifical Congre-
gation recognized by the Catholic Church as a corporate
body and as such entitled to certain rights and privileges
accorded by Canon Law.
Mr. Ryken's interest in securing Papal approval indi-
cated that he had no doubts regarding the continued
existence of his foundation. There urere others not $o
optimistic. During the year 1849 no one had been
clothed in the habit, and this was the first time that
such an omission had occurred since 1843 when Brother
Ryken and his first disciples had put aside civilian dress
and donned religious garb. Candidates in 1849 were