A post by Carol Hollywood, Archivist for the FCJ Sisters in Calgary, with materials from the Archives
Does the photo (top) bring back memories for you? This black leather sewing kit, a ‘housewife’ or ‘hussif’, dates from the 1920s. It features a medal of Our Lady on its exterior, and contains needles, fine thread in gray and beige, and a tiny packet of needles stamped ‘Abel Morrall’s. Griffin Brand, no. 9 – Manufactured Expressly for The Hudson’s Bay Stores.’
Tucked into a small pocket in its interior is a miniature letter in a tiny envelope, addressed to Soeur Philomena, Uccle Novitiate.
The letter, beautifully written in French, purports to be from Stanislas Kostka, SJ. Translated, it says, it is addressed from ‘Heaven, Love Quarter, Street of Faith’, and begins, “My Child, what a beautiful name is the one destined for you! Bear it worthily on earth so that you may deserve to have it engraved forever on your forehead. Try to keep your eyes constantly fixed on your divine model and follow with exactitude the love of grace. Pray earnestly to the Queen of Heaven so that after having been the Faithful Companion of her Son on earth, you may still bear this beautiful name in Heaven. Your brother, all yours, Stanislaus Kostka, SJ.” [Acc. 13.22]
As the envelope is addressed to ‘Soeur Philomena’, and Philomena Feist made her temporary vows in Uccle on July 31, 1929, we assume it likely that she received the ‘hussif’ as a gift while she was a novice for the Feast of St. Stanislaus in November 1927.
For those who enjoy reading the French original transcription (MEM 964, i.e. Memorabilia):
Au ciel!
Quartier de l’Amour
Rue de la Fidélité
Mon Enfant,
Quel beau nom que celui qui vous est destiné porter – le dignement sur la terre afin de mériter de l’avoir gravé à jamais sur le front pour cela, tachez d’avoir les yeux constamment fixés sur votre divin Modèle et suivez avec exactitude et amour tous les mouvements de la grâce. Priez bien la Reine du Ciel afin qu’après avoir été la Fidèle Compagne de son Fils sur la terre vous pussiez porter encore ce beau nom au ciel.
Votre frère tout votre
Stanislaus Kostka S.J.
Read more about the FCJ presence in Belgium in our History section.
