Fr. Freyd - more

"If the church could suffer irreparable losses, this would be one." Thus Louis Veuillot writes on the occasion of Melchior Freyd's death in his "L'Univers".

Freyd (1819-1875) is the second superior in the history of the French Seminary. As an absolute supporter of papal infallibility Santa Chiara in the days of Vatican I becomes "the main center of the ultramontane group in the French episcopacy" (cf. Le Séminaire Francais de Rome, Note Historique, 1924).

For Leo Dehon Melchior Freyd is both spiritual director and father confessor: "He was a true religious. During those six years I found him to be always consistent in his direction. He was always pious, always united with God and inspired others to strive for the same... Father Freyd's direction has been one of the great graces of my life." (NHV IV/138) Freyd is one of the persons, by whom Dehon is extremely influenced: "Who will lead me to a decision? I expect you, as if it would be God's decision" (A letter to Freyd, 25.9.71)

Thus Fr. Freyd will intervene vigorously at several crucial points in Dehon's life. It's Fr. Freyd who finally recommends to Dehon not to follow d'Alzon and the Assumptionists and their plans for a Catholic University in Nîmes. It's once again Freyd who suggests that Dehon reject Hautcoeur’s offer of a professorial chair at the new Catholic University of Lille. The superior of Santa Chiara justifies his skepticism because, according to him, Catholic Universities in France would have no future and ran the risk of becoming centers of Gallicanism. In addition, in the mind of Freyd Leo Dehon is destined one day to become a bishop in France.

Only when Dehon's attraction for religious life becomes indisputable, does Freyd modify his intentions concerning his spiritual son and suggest to him that Dehon enter his own congregation of the Holy Spirit and become superior at Santa Chiara (1874). But now Dehon, who has for years followed the advice of Fr. Freyd, and because of this has remained in St. Quentin, for the first time hesitates to follow his director's advice, precisely because he feels so much committed to his work in St. Quentin. The sudden death of Melchior Freyd due to pneumonia, on March 6, 1875, destroys these plans and puts and end to a relationship, which for 11 years strongly influenced Dehon.