Religious Communities of 1l1e1t in Texas
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heartbroken. He hastened to express his surprise and disappointment at the impending departure, offered to do everything within his power to improve their condition, and desperately countered with a proposal to abandon San Jose, if they wished, but to remain in San Antonio, where they could build a monastery in connection with a German parish which he would give them. 30 The news of a gradual withdrawal evoked new hope in the heart of good Bishop Dubuis, who pleaded once more in the spring of 1868 with the Abbot to reconsider the decision to withdraw all his men. He tried to entice the Abbot by glowingly pointing out the great opportunity they had of establishing in his diocese "a center from which they could [contribute] to enlighten the minds, kindle the hearts with divine love, and civilize future generations ... like true sons of St. Benedict." His heart was already heavy seeing the people of three parishes left without their Benedictine pastors. The Bishop assured Abbot Wimmer that he, for one, knew the Benedictines had come not in the hope of making money; that in accepting the Texas missions they had done it at a great sacrifice, and that they had labored for eight years with exemplary unselfishness. Bishop Dubuis made one last despairing proposal that if they would only remain in San Jose, they would be relieved of all missions for the time being, allowed to preach only special missions during the year, sallying forth from their holy retreat to give missions in different places, villages, and towns like the apostles and the first missionaries and Benedictines used to do. 31 In the meantime, steeling themselves against the pleas of prelate and laymen, the Benedictines were giving up their parishes. On Pentecost Monday in 1868 Father Emil Wendel, O.S.B., bade farewell to St. Mary's parish in San Antonio. "Our beloved pastor left us to return to St. Vincent," the afflicted congregation reported. Father Eberhard Gahr, in accord with instructions, left Castroville early in 1868, and Father Columban Schmidtbauer, sick and worn out, left New Braunfels in April, 1868. Abbot Wimmer and the Chapter of St. Vincent bled with sympathy for the devoted flocks that had to be left temporarily shepherdless. They felt, however, that the sacrifices involved in continuing to labor in distant 30 Bishop Dubuis to Abbot Wimmer, April 1 :a, 1867, cited in Fellner, o;. cit., 597, C. A. T. 31 Bishop Dubuis to Abbot Wimmer, February 7, 1868, C. A. T. Quoted in Fellner, o;. cu., 602-603.
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