Page 86 - March On! God will Provide by Brother Aubert

CLOTHED IN HABIT 65
which in all likelihood he will put on for the first
time on the feast of our glorious patron, St. Francis
Xavier.
The ceremony went ofi as scheduled. At "IIet
Walletje" on December 3, 1843, Mr. Ryken, William
Duchateau, Anthony Melis, and Peter Lucas put on the
Xaverian habit, modeled after that worn by the Re-
demptorists. To give the habit an individual charac-
teristic they had substituted for the linen collar worn
try the Redemptorists a collar of tiny white beads. They
took for their respective names in religion: Francis
Xavier, Cajetan, fgnatius, and Stanislaus. Presiding at
the ceremony was Bishop Simons, Vicar General of the
diocese of Bruges.
In the Official Register of the Xaverian Brothers,
Tomballe and Van den Boorn are listed as having re-
ceived the habit on December 15, 1843. If they were
formally invested, they may have received it at the hands
of Father Van Beek. Tomballe took the name of Al-
phonse, and Van den Boorn that of Dominic. It is un-
likely that they made the 250-mile round trip from
Halder to Bruges.
Passed over in those chosen to receive the habit was
Leopold Seghers; Mr. Ryken may have felt that at
t$'enty-one he was too young.
All the Brothers with the exception of the Founder
lvere known by their religious names. In addressing the
Founder the community used "Father Superior," a
practice of the Brothers of Charity. Outside the com-
munity he was "Brother Ryken." He signed his letters,
"T. J. Ryken."
The Father Superior had no money but he always had
plans. In late Decem'ber, 1843, he wrote the Director
of the normal school at St. Tr6nd: