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ESTABLISHMENT OF CAPUCHIN ORDER IN INDIA- II 531 away in Agra and he was not able to return home for three long weeks on account of an inundation. On reaching back, to his dismay the Guardian found the Commissary and the students sitting pretty; the Commissary was fully in control. For him, the General's mandato did not stand, and the Commissary was nothing but an usurper. Since the Friary belonged to the Mission of Agra, it was its Regular Superior alone who was empowered to appoint the Guardian. And he alone was its legitimate Guardian because he had been nominated by the Regular Superior of Agra 87 . With the stationing of the clerics at Mussoorie the curtain came down on the first scene of the tug of war between the general superiors and the Friars of Agra on the question of turning a part of the Mission's House as a Study for the infant branch of the 'capuchin Order striking root in India 88 • It was with a tinge of nostalgia that Fr Arsenius looked back to the year he spent at Sardhana as Acting Novice Master. Fr Arnold of Brugge, who had been made his assistant, did prove to be a very good companion; but like many other missionaries, he was unable to get into the rhythm of the life in the community8 9 • The period between 2 March 1923 when Br Felix Sunera made his profession and 18 September 1924 the day Fr Arsenius left for Mussoorie with the three clerics, was indeed resultful. In the intervening eighteen months twelve friars graduated from the Novitiate: Brs Felix Sunera of Sardhana 90 ; Antony Ahmid Ullah, Lawrence Cola<;o, Bernard Whelan, Pascal Blacklock, Joseph Fer– nandes, Leonard Fernandes, Crispin Saldhana, Vincent Sathu from Sardhana, 87 APCapTusc, Missione IndMan, Fr Louis of Seggiano to Fr Christopher, Mussoorie 21 October 1924: "Egli [the Commissary] voleva funzionare da Superiore della casa, ma io tenni duro e gli fed capire che nella casa ci deve essere un Superiore solo e questo per ora sono io. Allora acconsenti e il giorno dopo alla mensa mi presento alla communita come il Guardiano per gli Studenti". From Agra on 5 February 1925, reporting this to his Provincial in Tuscany Fr Christopher said: "Naturalmente il P. Luigi non poteva ceder, e difatti non cedette". 68 Cf. AGCap G 68, II, Noviziato eStudto, Fr Commissary to General Archivist, Mussoorie 1 October 1924. 69 AGCap G 68, II, Novizjato eStudto, Fr Arsenius to Fr General, Mussoorie 14 May 1925: "Durante l'anno di assenza de! P. Giov: Capistrano tenni l'arnministrazione del convento di Sardhana, il magistero dei Novizi e l'insegnamento dei Professi... Per assistente mi si diede un P. Belga, col quale si ando in perfetta armonia, ma che non si adatto per nulla alla regolare osser– vanza". 90 APCApTusc, Missione IntU!stan, Fr Christopher to Fr Provincial, Agra 8 July 1924: Both the postulants - James and Felix - whom Fr General had inducted into the Novitiate did not go far. James was sent away from the Novitiate. Felix made his simple profession but on his own accord left the Order in November 1924.