Building Notre Dame de l’Hermitage
"By 1824, Marcellin’s Institute had grown to such an extent
that he needed the assistance of another priest. The
Archiepiscopal Council voted on May 12th to send Father
Courveille to help out.
The priest’s arrival freed Marcellin for a project that had
long been close to his heart: the construction of a building
spacious enough to house the ever-increasing number of
brothers. He purchased a piece of property, five acres in size,
in a sheltered section of the valley of the Gier River. Bounded
on east and west by steep mountain slopes, it contained a
grove of oak trees and was well irrigated by water from the
river. Late in May, Vicar General Cholleton blessed the cornerstone; construction was soon underway.
Marcellin and his young brothers worked steadily throughout the six months of summer and early autumn in 1824. They
quarried and carried the stones for the building, dug sand,
made mortar, and assisted the professional tradesmen, who
had been hired for the skilled work. Lodged in an old rented
house on the opposite bank of the Gier, the group came
together for morning Mass in a small shed in an oak grove.
This spot came to be known as the Chapel in the Woods.A
chest of drawers served as the altar; a bell, suspended from a
tree branch, called the community to prayer. What heady days
for all involved: the young men found support in one another; they were also proud of their achievement.
Throughout construction of the five-story building, the
founder set an example for his brothers. He was the first to
start work each day and the last to put it aside at night. While
the brothers appreciated Marcellin’s efforts, some of his fellow
clergy were less enthusiastic. They did not take kindly to the
sight of a priest wearing dusty clothing, whose hands were
rough from manual labor. Marcellin’s parishioners, though,
stood by him. They loved him as a pastor of souls, and being
working people themselves, they admired him as a laborer
and builder.
The new building was ready for occupancy by the end of
winter 1825. In May of that year, the brothers from La Valla
took up residence at Notre Dame de l’Hermitage. Marcellin
now had a Mother House for his Institute.
Throughout the period of construction the founder did not
neglect the formation of his brothers. Until October 1824, he
still fulfilled his duties as parish curate. Despite his fatigue
after a day of construction work, Marcellin continued the
brothers’ religious and professional education. He spent his
evenings instructing them about religious life and advancing
their formation as teachers."
An excerpt from "A Heart That Knew No Bounds" (49-50)- Br. Sean Sammon, FMS
