VincentWiki:Ephemerides/18 March

1803: Portalis, Chancellor of State for Religious Affairs, presents Napoleon Bonaparte, the First Consul, special report in order to officially recognize the Congregation of the Mission in France. Tactics used by Portalis interested Bonaparte very much. Portalis, before he showed present state of missions in Turkey, Algieria, French Islands, Reunion and China, and before showed the financial resources to run these missions, presented the situation of staff in all these missions. This tactics was successful.

1843: Fr John Baptist Etienne, Treasurer General of the Congregation and Fr John Maria Aladel return from Rome. They were there to find solution of delicate problem of schism in the Congregation. Some confreres from Rome, on whose hands Fr John Baptist Nozo put his resignation from the post of Superior General of the Congregation demanded that his successor and assistants were directly nominated by the pope. Such situation would be in contrary to Constitutions of the Community and French government could recognize the decision as illegal. After series of meeting with Vatican officials Fr Etienne and Fr Aladel reached agreement with Italian Visitors in the presence of Fr. John Rosati,CM.

1852: Napoleon III decided to give Sr Rosalie Rendu the Cross of the Legion of Honor. She was ready to refuse this individual honor but Fr. John Baptist Étienne, Superior General, prevailed up her to accept it.

1879: John Joseph Lynch CM is appointed first archbishop of Toronto.

1933: The King of Sardinia approves foundation of Daughters of Charity in his estates. They work so effectively and multiple number of houses there, that soon the island is popularly renamed as "Vincentian Island".