Owing to the numerous guests who came to Aix-la-Chapelle for investiture, the two Sisters were housed in Burtscheid, an affiliation of the congregation. As soon as the celebration was over Mother Francis with sincere love extended motherhouse hospitality to them. Now they could communicate all their problems and worries to this great servant of God. They confided all to her as to a mother, as seen in the following instance. Sister Francesca Boehmer was in great spiritual need for she feared she might not have been baptized validly. Her Protestant mother had her baptized by a Protestant minister who had the reputation of not performing his obligations conscientiously. Mother Francis solved this need by having Sister Francesca baptized conditionally by a Franciscan priest, Reverend Romuald Terhaag; she herself was sponsor. Thus this point was solved satisfactorily.
What seemed the most pressing problem at that moment was the discussion of a well-intentioned plan by the director, Reverend Schmidt, to establish a governing body as help and security for the Sisters in Olpe. The members were to manage the external business of the congregation. Mother Francis recognized such a governing body as one limiting the policy-making decision of the young congregation and circumscribing it greatly. Lay personnel would assume the right of making decisions. She objected resolutely to the plan. Urged by experience she counseled the congregation to keep itself free and independent. Upon her return to Olpe, Sister Maria Theresia informed Superior Schmidt of Mother Francis’ decision. He gave up the plan immediately, although he had developed the program rather extensively and had outlined it on paper.
Before the two sisters left Aix-la-Chapelle, Mother Francis told them that she would visit them in Olpe at her earliest convenience to help regulate all necessary matters there. It was June before she could keep her promise. At this time she learned to know the Sisters’ way of life and to give them wholesome counsel. She was convinced that zeal was not lacking and that their overzealous spirit must be tempered with wisdom. At this time Sister Maria Theresia again attempted to evade the responsibility of founding a congregation. Together with Sister Francesca she pleaded that their congregation be accepted into the Aix-la-Chapelle congregation. Mother Francis felt the great sincerity in this request made with such humility. She on her part also demonstrated humility, for she did not consider the aggrandizement of her congregation through an easy annexation of another house in a new area. Through such a maneuver she would have rewarded herself for her service in Olpe. She, however, acted in accordance with the will of God and placed her experience and knowledge at the disposal of others as instruments of the Lord. She also recognized that the Olpe Sisters were called by God to follow their own way of life; at least, they must try it. She told the Sisters that they should proceed on their own specific way with great confidence in God. Should it become apparent that they could not possibly succeed, then and only then would she be prepared to integrate the Olpe congregation into her own.
Superior Schmidt also took this opportunity to discuss all problems with Mother Francis. Seemingly, he took no offense that she objected to his plan of a governing body. To him, also, she spoke of her willingness to be of assistance in every possible way.
Because of this proffered assistance, Sister Maria Theresia was able to go to Aix-la-Chapelle for a spiritual retreat and remained at the motherhouse there for an additional six weeks. She was permitted to take part in all conventual exercises. Her objective was to learn the right way of religious living through first-hand experience in a well-regulated congregation. She realized that entering exactly into the spirit was the best way of learning that life. At this time also she was briefed by Mother Francis Schervier concerning all particulars and important matters regarding the formation and guidance of a congregation. In the six weeks she had ample opportunity to ask questions.
Mother Francis in the interim had the opportunity to mull over the impressions of her visit in Olpe and was now able to present her ideas in a more instructive way. She had no need of exhorting the Sisters to zeal, mortification, and penance. On the contrary, it was even a question of too much zeal in adopting extraordinary austerities as penance. These penances required the reins of wisdom. She counseled moderation and later advised urgently against such daily penances as the discipline, the penitential belt, fasting and the like, and counseled to abandon them. There was danger lest the young enthusiastic religious would soon undermine their energy and health. She also advised that the coarse clothing be changed, for associations with children and the sick make frequent laundering a necessity. She advocated linen wear.
During these hours of reflection Sister Maria Theresia realized ever more clearly the plan she was to follow in guiding her congregation according to the will of God. In Aix-la-Chapelle she was a great learner. Many ideas began to mature, thanks to the kind instructions she received. She did not conduct herself as one realizing her own mission, nor as one who waives advice from others relative to things which concern her alone and should be managed by herself. Because she sought and accepted counsel from the wise, she spared herself and her Sisters many an experiment and many a bitter experience. In regard to Mother Francis Schervier it must be said, she did what is exceptionally rare in religious congregations.
As foundress of a flourishing congregation, she in a selfless way placed her experiences at the disposal of a newly founded sisterhood. She advised that this new congregation maintain its own character, for in serving the will of God, she did not present her own congregation as a standard for all things. Whoever regulates his life entirely according to the will of God is capable of seeing the will of God in others and will not impose upon them his own way of life.
How grateful the foundress in Olpe always felt toward the foundress in Aix-la-Chapelle is seen from the letter she wrote shortly after the death of Mother Francis, on December 17, 1876, to Aix-la-Chapelle. Therein she called her a “dear spiritual mother and counselor in all things.” When she learned that a biography of Mother Francis was to be written, she expressed in detail her many reasons for gratitude to this great woman. In her letter of May 22, 1887, to Mother Vincentia in Aachen she mentions these with other statements:
Our congregation has experienced the self-sacrificing love and benevolence of this good and venerable mother in manifold ways. I would be glad if the following statement could be inserted (in a biography) as a manifestation of our gratitude. In April of the year 1864, accompanied by another Sister, I made a trip to Aix-la-Chappelle to seek counsel from Mother Francis and to beg her assistance. We found her prepared for every sacrifice for the glory of God; she promised to come to Olpe and arrived at our convent in July of the same year. The good mother remained with us for several days; she helped us in difficult situations, instructed, and directed the Sisters of the young congregation in their conventual exercises. She gave wholesome counsel and won the love and confidence of the Sisters and also the respect of all who had the good fortune to come in contact with her. She showed a special love for the children in the orphanage and loved to spend some time with them. Before she returned, she promised that if possible she could continue her care of our congregation — and this she did.
In the fall of the same year she caused great joy by offering me the opportunity to make a spiritual retreat in the motherhouse at Aix-la-Chapelle and thereafter remain for six weeks to study the organization of their convent and learn what might be beneficial to our own. When in Olpe, the venerable mother had noticed that our chapel lacked some necessities for the worthy celebration of the Sacred Mysteries. She supplied a chasuble, rochet, and stole. We experienced her generosity again in a supply of office books and others for spiritual reading. For all we are most grateful.
When after several years I informed the dear mother that our assistant, Sister Francesca, was suffering from tuberculosis and that a change of air was recommended for her, she lovingly provided that the sick one come to Aix-la-Chapelle and was devotedly cared for there by the Sisters. Up to that time our Sisters had very little experience in the care of the sick. The venerable mother arranged that two of our Sisters be educated in nursing care in Euskirchen. For the same reason, she provided that two other sisters be admitted to the nursing school of the large Hospital of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Aix-la-Chapelle. I went to her often in difficult