Page 200 - March On! God will Provide by Brother Aubert

BROTHER RYKEN RESIGNS I79
the main community at "IIet Walletje," on the other
side of Bruges, only on the weekly half-holidays.
On December 21, 1859, the Wednesday before Christ-
mas, Brother Alexius wrote to Bishop Malou and re-
quested formally a Canonical Visitation of the Xaverian
community. To justify this request he appended a list
of grievances, not personal so much as instances of the
Superior's incompetency. For one thing, he was very
hungry after two years of that meatless diet and he felt
that the most of the community were worse ofi than he.
Brother Alphonse cosigned the letter. Neither man
made a secret of what he had done, and Brother Peter
publicized the fact that he endorsed their complaint.
Like three schoolboys who have taken over the class
from a "new" teacher, the three Brothers were jubilant.
Faced with this challenge, Brother Ryken became pan-
icky. He appealed to Bishop Malou for help against
"The Three Rebels," as he called them, who were boast-
ing that they had free access to the Bishop's house.
As a counter-measure against these "trouble makers,"
Brother James wrote a glowing tribute of Brother Ryken
whom he had known and revered for thirty-five years.
After his introductory statement followed by thirteen
paragraphs of eulogy, Brother James ended with this
biting indictment: "The departure of these wretched
creatures will not harm in the least our school because
they are not particularly talented." Thirty-three mem-
bers of the community signed their names to the docu-
ment which was dispatched to the Bishop's house. Na-
turally Brothers Alphonse, Alexius, and Peter were not
invited to sign. Brother Martin managed to evade a
commitment. He had to. As cook for the community at
"Het Walletje," he knew much that went on inside
the house and outside. He had supplied much of what
Brother Alphonse considered damning evidence.