1 Tirconaill Oct 30th '22 A Chait A chara Dhílis Well wonders will surely never
cease! I got your letter of the 20th last nightThis
sudden announcement of yours took me completely
off my feet. for although 'tis quite natural that
you should make up your mind to become a
nun, the news has come so unexpectedly that
I couldn't help getting something like a shock.
I would indeed be far less surprised
if you had announced that you had just
got married. but of the two you are choosing
the wiser and I am sure, the happier course.
On account of its suddenness I cannot
rightly explain yet how I feel about it.
My first & natural feeling was, of course, of
sadness. for the first thing I thought of was
that after Nov 21st I could no longer look
forward to any letters from you and I suppose
even if you do write, like May Allman, your
mind will be fixed so much on things eternal
that you wont bother about worldly affairs.
However, Katty, I can never imagine you like
that even if your were a nun a hundred
times over I rather think that you will 2 2 still be your same self who will always be
happy to see or hear from your old
friends. The saddest part of it is that we
can no longer look forward to the same
good old times at Rockfields. During
all the trouble I often looked forward
to the time when it would be all over, to
some of the same gay times when you
would be home on holidays. This of course
was but imagination but as you must
have realised yourself one cant help
painting such pictures when away in a strange
place & among strange people. Anyway God
only knows when all this trouble will be
over or if I ever see home again. Beside
in this life we can't have things as we
wish and sooner or later there has to
be a parting of the old friendships &
associations of our youth - this is one
of the inexonerable laws of this world.
You will probably smile at the way I have
put this & will perhaps think that I am
setting myself up as a philosopher - or
perhaps a fool. The long & short of it
anyway Katty is that I am glad for your 3 3
own sake that you are doing this. You are
choosing a course of life in which you
are sure to be happy and in which
you will not have much need for worry,
to tell the truth. I have often felt for the
past couple of years, especially for the past 12
months, when I have felt fed up with
things that I would be glad to be done with every
thing in some way like that. I'm afraid though
that I am not made for such a life & I
suppose 'tis my lot to carry on as I am. It certainly
seems a big job remaining in the world & saving
your soul these days when you follow the
dictates of your conscience & try & do what
you is right. You are told by the Bishops
& priests that you are on the road to Hell
so far as I see 'tis only in a convent or
monastery where one has nothing to do
with government or wars that one has any
peace these days. You ask me to say a
prayer for you. I will & be sure though
goodness knows if a person believes all
thats said these times it might be thought
that my prayers would be of very little
use. Here is our position at present: we 4 4 are denied the sacraments no mater how
much a priest is in sympathy with us he
darent hear our confessions under penalty of
suspension. At least thats how tis in this diocese
Do you pray for me also Katty. Being denied
the other consolations of religion that is all
we have to fall back on. One thing they
cant do anyway is to stop us praying. On
account of the way the Church is getting on in this
country at present I fear that a good many
fellows will chuck up religion completely. It is
only our strong Catholic faith & the conviction that
we are right that sustains us. Our pre
dicament is a pretty tough one but with Gods
help we will get over it. I, too, would like to have a chat with
you before you enter but tis totally impossible
unless something unforseen happens within the
next couple of weeks. To get to Dublin
or anywhere else for that matter is out of
the question under present circumstances, but
le conghiamh Dé if I ever get out of here I
will pay you a visit without fail, and
I dont think that the fact of your being
behind convent walls will prevent us 5 5 having a good chat. I am glad that 'tis
a Mercy Convent you are entering. You will
have some liberty there & it will be easier
getting to see you who knows but I
may be home in time for your profession.
Pray that I will anyway. I would like to
be there if possible. I hope that you
have got my last letter alright I think it
should have reached you about a week
ago. I explained in it why I didn't write
sooner. I hope you took what I said
about the political situation in the way I meant
you would & that you were not vexed with
me for putting things so plainly. Now that
I think of it you must have made up
your mind about leaving the world by
the way you wrote of things then. Is that
so? I'm glad that you found Míceál well.
Twasn't true then that he had left. Queer that
we should be in opposite camps but I
hope that the day is not far when we will
be all one again. Write me a long letter soon aga
Katty. I will miss your letters very
much after our regular correspondence 6 for the past couple of years, but I do hope
that you will be able to drop a
line now & again. I will know at
any rate that you are praying for
me no matter where I am alive or dead
and I will always remember you
as my best friend - if you like to
use a commoner term - my best
pal.
Wishing you every happiness and
the very best of luck Mise
Do chara dílis go Buain
Cormac P.S. I've had no letters from home
since. I will write you again
next week. I will give you another
add. next week so that I will
get your letter as soon as it arrives.
Slán / Beannacht leat arís C.