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ESTABLISHMENT OF CAPUCHIN ORDER IN INDIA- II 519 Mgr Poli, who had previously proffered the property and the buildings in Joelikote for the Novitiate House, now appeared to have got cold feet, when requested to have them made over into the Capuchin Study. The fact that the Bishop and the Regular Superior of Allahabad were not seeing eye to eye with each other on certain questions of administrative procedure, had put a damper on the Bishop's enthusiasm for the Capuchin undertaking5 2 • From the thick correspondence that ensued, it emerges that despite his first irritant refusal, the Bishop gradually softened his position and was no longer averse to the erection of the Study at Joelikote 53 . The Regular Superior of Allahabad, Fr Peter Mary, thought that if the General could put in a good word at the Propaganda Fide for the Capuchin Study, it would go far towards clinching the deal. But in the General's eyes this strategy held out little hope of success 54 . Still some of the Regular Superiors hoped against hope that one day they would be able to have the Study erected in Joelikote. They held that no other station in their Missions was as favourable for the Study as Joelikote precisely because of its climatic conditions. Meanwhile Frs Il Rev.ma P. Generale ne aveva lasciata la determinazione al Commissario ed i suoi Consiglieri, sperando in un felice e completo accordo di vedute e di equa ripartizione di spese". 52 The Bishop himself had held the office of the Regular Superior from 1913 to 1918. Fr Peter Mary of Sant'Arcangelo (Prov. Bologna) was elected Regular Superior of Allahabad on 14 October 1921. 53 AGCap G 68, II, Novizjato eStud.to, Fr Peter Mary to Mgr Poli, Sagar 22 January 1923; Fr Peter Mary to Mgr Poli, Sagar 13 February 1923; Mgr Poli to Fr Peter Mary, Allahabad 15 February 1923; Fr Peter Mary to Mgr Poli, Sagar 17 February 1923; Mgr Poli to Fr Peter Mary, Allahabad, 1 March 1923; Fr Peter Mary to Mgr Poli, Sagar 7 March 1923. If the Regular Superior felt that "le ragioni del rifiuto del Vescovo sono semplici trovatelle", the Bishop justi– fied his stand by saying that he had "offered the Priest's quarters and the old orphanage to the Superior General during his recent visit to the Mission and that he declined the offer''. 54 AGCap G 68, II, Novizjato e Stud.to, Fr Peter Mary to Fr General, Sagar 26 February 1923. Fr General to Fr Peter Mary, Washington DC 12 April 1923, "... io stesso nel tempo che rimasi costi me ne occupai ed io pure pregai S.E. Mons. Vescovo a cedere quel luogo, io pure ne ebbi una risposta non favorevole. Ora, dopo la negativa 'data anche alla P.V., non crederei opportuno ritornare sull'argomento e quindi prego la P.V. ed i Superiori delle altre nostre Missioni cost! a non insistere e a rivolgere ad altri h,1oghi i loro sguardi. lo non saprei qua! altro luogo suggerire, ma vedano di comune accordo quale sia piu espediente". It was already a month since the General had gone to the American Continent.

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