L'héritage au service de la mission! – Legacy in the service of mission.

The Code of Canon Law (§587), states that "The whole patrimony of an institute must be faithfully preserved by all. This patrimony is comprised of the intentions of the founders, of all that the competent ecclesiastical authority has approved concerning the nature, purpose, spirit and character of the institute, and of its sound traditions."

Thus, the Dougherty Archive preserves the legacy (patrimony) of the North American Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and serves the Church by: (a) encouraging equitable access to the historical record and (b) by telling the story of the Oblates in North America.

Our main effort is to give the People of God access to the intellectual and inspirational materials useful in practicing the spirituality of Francis de Sales (1567 - 1622).

Our secondary effort is to highlight the goodness, struggles, and accomplishments of our confreres and the North American Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, with special reference to how, when, and where individual Oblates, groups of Oblates, or the larger community have influenced the church or American history and culture.

The Fr. Fournier Library and Repository is the online platform for the Fr. Dougherty Archive.

Thus, a few words about Fr. Father Fournier (1885 – 1939), for whom this repository is named, serve as an appropraite example.

Priest, Soldier, Educator, Athlete, Coach...

Paul Marie was born in La Canourgue, Southeastern France. He was received into the Novitiate at Giove, Italy in 1905, and then sent to the Salesianum in Wilmington, Delaware. There, under the direction of Fr. John Isenring OSFS, (1862-1923) Swiss-born, an immigrant himself, and first American Oblate Novicemaster, he completed preparations for taking the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Paul Marie was ordained four years later in 1909. However, in 1914, when war broke out in Europe, he returned to France and joined the Army to fight the “Bosch.” While he deplored the 3rd Republic's anti-clericalism which had instigated the suppression of French Catholic institutions and had forced many religious into exile, his love for France and its people were unflagging.

During the Great War he served as a medic or “stretcher bearer,” chaplain, and scout in the elite Hunter Alpine Infantry, or Chasseurs. His journal indicates he fought in various battles, but the most horrendous was probably Verdun in 1916, the longest of the war, and during which France and Germany suffered approximately 1.3 million casualties.

He earned the Croix de Guerre “for remarkable courage and absolute disregard for the danger” (from his citation for valor). The award is equivalent to the US Bronze Star or the UK’s Military Cross. Fr. Fournier served until war's end in 1918 and returned to Salesianum where he resumed teaching and coaching.

Father Fournier was a remarkably adept animator between the nascent American Province and our French Fathers and a symbol of French and American solidarity during World War I. He was a pioneer in shaping our legacy at the service of mission.

For more information about the North Amewrican Oblates of St. Francis de Sales see... Oblates of St. Francis de Sales.