Letter from Sister M. Cyprian to Éamon de Valera, 30 May 1916.

Foo, Bar; Bar, Foo

Letter from Sister M. Cyprian to Éamon de Valera, 30 May 1916.

1 Mercy Convent Cork Street. Dublin 30 - V 1916. My dear Mr. De Valera, It is no small draught of consolation that you possess the gift of
life - a gift which has become more precious than ever to those who sympathize with
you in your loneliness & who love you. Most men of great genius have to go through in life
a period of retirement & solitude, brought about by choice or by Divine Providence through
the medium of human beings. The Poet & the Saint have to pass this way. Saintship is
only a special type of genius. Now your time is come & you will come out of it as
the sunshine from underneath the cloud. A cheerful acceptation of the surroundings &
the observance of rule, will go far to the shortening of your stay there. The beginning will be
the hardest -: as those in charge get to know you they will appreciate you. Since 1 st May I have prayed every day very specially
for you that you may get grace to bear this cross & be released soon. I shall begin
this '9 First Fridays' for you on 2nd June. If our religion be true â€” and we knowitistrue
God is with us & since He is with us, we can be in spirit with one another: now I want
you to keep a little appointment with me each day at 7 o'clock a.m. when we have Mass
&Holy Communion &at 6.30 p.m. when I shall say each day The 30 days prayer
to our Blessed Lady for you. I am only asking you to try &remember that you
are remembered then. Prayer can obtain all things â€” hope- & when God acts
He doeth the work as God. 'This gloom after all
is but the shade of Gods hand outstretched caressingly' 2 The students regret you exceedingly. Mother R.I.P died early in May.
I hope to have the pleasure of seeing your little children very soon. Won't you suggest
to your wife to have your promise to me in this matter carried out. You will find enclosed a pair of scapulars
intended to be a token of good will &do something for you if such were in my
power.As I do not know your address I count on Mrs DeValera giving
me a corner in her envelope this time. I am already looking forward to the day when
you will be once more with your wife &children in the mean time you
can live for those you love notwithstanding place or circumstance.
Goodbye, my dear friend &believe me that I have paid you the tribute of
many a tear & sympathize with you more deeply than I can tell. Trust God
not only for the best but for the verybest - try to see the ' L beyond the
seems' Very sincerely yours in Jesus Christ Sister M. Cyprian.

This letter from Sister Cyprian to Éamon de Valera (1882-1975) was enclosed in a letter dated 29 May 1916 addressed to Sinéad de Valera (1878-1975), his wife, together with a pair of scapulars and a request that they be forwarded to Mr de Valera in prison. Sr.Cyprian sympathises with his situation and reassures him of her prayers - she invites him to join her in prayer daily at 7.00 a.m., and she asks him to urge his wife to bring his children to her for a visit.Éamonn De Valera had joined the Irish Volunteers in 1913 and was adjutant to Thomas MacDonagh (1878-1916), Dublin Brigade commandant. He went on to command forces at Bolands Mill during the Rising and was the most senior participant to escape execution. De Valera would go on to become one of the most influential figures in Ireland's 20th century.

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How to cite

Letters 1916, published by the Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities, Vienna, 2026 (https://letters1916static.github.io/letters1916-static/item__1473.html)