Page 62 - March On! God will Provide by Brother Aubert

42 TRoUBLE AT HoME

had taken over as president the preceding December.
One of this gentleman's practices was to annotate the
paper work that passed over his desk with "Read by
William McSherry," and among the Ryken papers is a
translation into English of the Latin testimonial letter
from Bishop Purcell. Across the bottom of it, is written:
"A' true translation. William McSherry."
From a letter to Bishop Rosati, which Ryken wrote
after his return to Bruges, it is evident that he discussed
with Father McSherry his business in the United States,
for he tells Bishop Rosati that "the Provincial of the
Jesuits at Georgetown," had advised him to accept the
St. Louis proposition.
Father McSherry did not provide his visitor with a
testimonial and this need not prove surPrising. Father
Verhaegen and Father McSherry were in constant cor-
respondence. Verhaegen had been at Georgetown only
a short time before Ryken put in his appearance. There
was no good reason why Father McSherry should become
involved and he satisfied Mr. Ryken by telling him that
in his opinion the acceptance of the Rosati ofier was
very desirable.
From Washington, immediately after transacting his
business with the Dutch charge d'affaires, Ryken went
sn to Philadelphia to tell his story to Bishop Kenrick,
the coadjutor. The resulting testimonial is dated May 9:
"We approve completely the enterprise of Mr. Theodore
Ryken who is endeavoring to found in Belgium an asso-
ciation to assist the American Missions."
Back in New York, Ryken had the opportunity of
securing one more letter and this one from a visitor to
the city, Rev. Nicholas Young, Provincial of the Domini-
cans, dated May 25, 1838.8
On June first, Ryken made one last visit to the episco-
pal rectory on Mulberry Street that had been his point