she endeavored in the interim to engage in some undertaking. Therefore, in 1860, before Pentecost, she went to Paderborn to report to the bishop on the progress of the new foundation and at the same time beg for investiture for herself and the other Sisters. Bishop Dr. Konrad Martin explained that first they must choose a Rule and then write a constitution. After that investiture would be in order.
Of the deliberations that must have gone on in the community, nothing is known. Discussions were held regarding the Rule to be adopted as a basis for community living. Aline Bonzel wanted the Franciscan Rule by all means. But seemingly she was not well acquainted with the basic Rules of religious orders, for with the exception of Aix-la-Chappelle, she had not come in contact with the Third Order Regular of St. Francis. Besides her stay with the Schervier-Sisters was more in the character of a visitor than otherwise. Clara Pfaender knew the Augustinian Rule from her convent days with the Sisters of Christian Charity. She felt she could write a constitution based on that Rule. Since she was the superior and responsible for admitting candidates into the community, it seemed advisable, in this very beginning, that she have the liberty to employ her full experience in religious life. Only on this basis, can one explain how a community which uniformly desired to live according to the Franciscan Rule, began with the Augustinian Rule, but with the intention of later converting to the Franciscan rule. In this procedure the character of the times can readily be detected. Many most likely saw basically little difference whether one lived according to the Augustinian or the Franciscan Rule. The development of a specialized spirituality came later and in many instances very much later. As mentioned before there might have been good reasons for the action at that time, but these are lost on the present generation. Still that decision was the source of very many difficulties in the future. Therein lay the cause why in a few years two communities developed from the one.
In the summer of 1860, in the joys of a successful and flourishing beginning one never thought of the sorrows to set in later. The constitutions were drafted and sent to the bishop for approval. That happened in August. The days passed quickly and foundation day was drawing nearer. But the approval of the constitutions and the permission for investiture still awaited a reply. With great impatience, Clara Pfaender wrote to the bishop on September 29, 1860:
… although for several weeks I have twice daily sent to the post office for the mail, I have thus far not received your gracious reply relative to the approval of the constitutions and the happy day of our investiture.
In all, three letters dated September 29, 1860, were sent to the bishop with the same request and with the probable idea that the request would carry more weight if the three first candidates — Clara Pfaender, Aline Bonzel, and Regina Loeser — would write the bishop simultaneously, individually, and in the same tenor. The letter bearing Aline Bonzel’s signature is of special interest to us. It is as follows:
His Excellency the Bishop!Most Reverend Bishop!
Your Excellency will graciously permit me to venture to write to you also to make known my most urgent requests and humbly to explain them.
One year has now elapsed since we engaged in our well-known work for the honor of God, under the leadership of our dear Sister Clara, who came here for the happiness and welfare of many. As our venerable Mother we obey her in childlike and sincere love. We have overcome many difficulties by the grace of God, for He often answered the tears and burning petition of his beloved daughter and spouse (Sister Clara). Through her pious and saintly life she has won the hearts of the well-disposed for this good cause. Through steadfast confidence in God and in your pastoral support, she founded and furthered a community here in Olpe, without all human support and assistance under all sorts of difficulties and far from that fatherly care bestowed so lovingly upon the community established close to you.
Long have we felt sincerely grateful to God and to Your Excellency for the treasure shared with us and our native town through and in our beloved Sister Clara. She is the instrument of God, the grain of mustard seed. She willingly permitted herself to be trodden on and here under the loving protection of Your Excellency, now blossoms, grows, and renders the fruit of Catholic love and joy for the glory of God and the good of the Church. At the least sign of Your Excellency, we are prepared to leave our native town with our dear Sister Clara and to reside wherever you in your goodness will determine.
With an ever increasing longing, we have waited for Your Excellency’s ecclesiastical approbation of our constitutions and the appointment of the blessed day on which we shall have the happiness of receiving the holy habit from your hands. Not only we, the small group of your least servants, but also our families, after some minor obstacles from their side have been eliminated with the help of God, are now in most favorable frame of mind and ready to support us as much as lies within their power. All Olpe is of the same opinion with the exception of a few to whom the pious life of our dear Sister Clara and our seclusion and contempt of the world are a constant reproach.
Without our suggesting it, there is among all the expressed desire that Your Excellency, after the completion of your confirmation schedule in October, honor our native town with your august presence and officiate at our investiture.
We also have a firm confidence in God that the many prayers, fasts, and mortifications offered daily by us and others will ascend to our good Father in heaven and be received graciously. With your kind cooperation may our work soon be crowned. All preparations have been made. The chapel is furnished, the vestments are on hand, the religious habits are in readiness. The only thing missing is a set day for the investiture and our joy will be complete.
The ending of our trial period is especially important to our dear Sister Clara for the repeated delays are proving detrimental to her health; and we fear lest a longer and painful postponement will undermine it completely.
Also, Your Excellency, the confidence now engendered in this work for the greater glory of God the Father and also its support could be weakened very much and result in impaired development. It could also create a new hardship for my family in regard to succession of property.
Up to this time we have limited our activity to the care of six orphan children and are unwilling to increase this number before our investiture. Strengthened through ecclesiastical consecration and vested with the blessed habit of the order, we shall with the help of God fulfill our obligations with great courage, deep humility, and intense love, and thus bring honor to the diocese and joy to your fatherly heart.
May we humbly ask Your Excellency to honor the feast of St. Theresia or a beautiful feast of the Blessed Virgin in October by granting us the happiness of receiving the long-desired religious garb. We shall be grateful to you throughout our lives and pray for you daily as we have done for a long time.
Please forgive my liberty, Most Reverend Bishop, brought on by the great desire of investiture, and pardon it kindly. Again I plead for it most earnestly with a worthy desire for the development of our work.
With deep respect and confiding reverence
Your ExcellencyYour leastAline BonzelOlpe, September 29, 1860
This letter is informative in more respects than one. Whoever must wait is easily subjected to fears for he endeavors to seek reasons why no reply has come. Was it wise to make the new foundation in Olpe? Olpe is relatively a great distance from Paderborn. Whoever lives in Paderborn can readily clarify a situation through personal contact. Could the bishop even harbor the thought that the new foundation should be made elsewhere? Olpe is not the only place where the foundation could be made.
Noticeably, Aline Bonzel’s letter revolves strongly around the person of Clara Pfaender. Is it the expression of implicit obedience that Aline also at this time offered her superior? That well may be assumed. For somehow all beginnings center in reverence around the personality of the leader. Still the letter gives a very individualistic impression.
