The following excerpts are from the book, Letters Written in Good Faith, an account of Abbot Bernard H. Pennings’ journey from Berne Abbey in Holland to the Door County Penninsula, where the first Norbertine missions were established in the New World .
Introduction:
 In November 1893 three Dutch Norbertines, two priests and a brother, responded to the call of an American Bishop to begin a mission among French and Walloon speaking Catholics in far away America. In November 1893 they left, Fathers Pennings and Broens and Brother Servatius, from the ancient Berne Abbey, in the small rural village of Heeswijk, Holland on a very long journey which would take them across the ocean, and then first to the mind-boggling metropolises of New York and Chicago, and from there to the American frontier, to a remote hamlet, Delwich, in the primitive forests of the Green Bay Peninsula of Wisconsin. They arrived mid-winter.
The Story of the Norbertine Mission has survived in a large collection of letters written by priests and brothers to confreres and family in the homeland. Many letters were preserved either in the archives of the Berne Abbey or in the missionary publication Het Offer (The Sacrifice).
The collection of letters, which is for the period between 1890 and 1947, is a large one, a little less than 400 letters, about 1200 pages of double-spaced text in the English translation. It is an extraordinary tale which these letters tell, of deprivation and self-denial, of sacrifice and service, of adaptation and Americanization, of faith and vision. It is a very human story, of disappointments but also of successes. It is above all an important story, from a uniquely Dutch and Catholic perspective, one which takes us back to American origins which are as interesting to scholars as they are to the spiritual sons and daughters of those immigrants.
“S.S. Veendam” 1 p.m.
November 1, 1893
Rt. Rev. Abbot and all the confreres,
As you know, we are on board the S.S. Veendam. Until now, the journey has been most calm and everything is much better than we had expected indeed, our boat is one of the best, for when we see another ship here or there in our vicinity, then we have a good time watching it rolling on the great waters; for now there is not a hint of sea-sickness, all of us are hale and healthy and have good appetites, we have just had lunch. That’s a good-sized little dinner: soup potato pie with pork chops, stewed potatoes and meat, another meat pie, and a delicious pear (bread and cheese, cold cuts etc. as much as you like, but this, except for the cheese, one leaves untouched.) But what must we expect for dinner then! That will be at five, but by then this letter will already be on its way to Holland.
Our company is not very large: 165 passengers: 100 third class, 50 second, and 15 first, among the latter there is only one Hollander besides us; the others are all German; among them, a lady, a real virago, is an experienced ocean traveler and is well known to the sailors, she is a match for any man when it comes to smoking and talks more than all others put together.
There are good people among the passengers, we have already gotten acquainted with some of them; at first it was all rather awkward, but now that we are really on the high sea things are more cordial; the seamen are also friendly, but no more so toward us than toward the ladies; the latter sit next to the Captain; the officers are all Protestants, except the chief engineer, as Your Eminence already knows. Whether there are Roman Catholics among the passengers, I still do not know, but we have not yet seen anyone saying grace. This is the first half (written by Father Broens); Mr. Prior will take care of the second part, cordial greetings, pray for us.
P.S. That old woman is sitting just across from me in the smoking room and she is at it again, smoking a blue streak.
Your Eminence, esteemed confreres,
The second half of this letter was not to be confidential! That is what Fr. Lambert is supposed to have told Your Eminence, and just now he was worried because I am writing the second half! The first news is above and it is all true. The sea is getting a little rougher, some ladies would like to think they are sea-sick, but that can scarcely be the case yet. At about 10 o’clock this morning Brother Servatius was already lying on his couch while we calmly kept on smoking our cigars. Still we could plainly feel that we were moving into open sea. Constantly we felt pressure in our heads, like being on a train that comes to a sudden stop. After a couple hours, especially after a glass of cognac! which we had about ten-thirty, we felt like veteran sailors. Brother Servatius can’t stand being in the smoking room very well yet, and prefers to stroll about upstairs on deck.
This morning (when we were leaving Rotterdam), I could see His Eminence and Fr. Mickers with my hawk eyes until they finally went around the corner of the warehouses, but we doubted whether they could still see us waving our hats and handkerchiefs. The weather is not getting any better; a threatening sky, says the elderly Friesian sitting opposite me who just now awakened from his afternoon nap. But we are not afraid; after all, this morning we entrusted ourselves to all the Saints, and especially to the Star of the Sea (Blessed Virgin Mary). Let us keep courage with full trust in God.
Fare well, Your Eminence, and dear confreres. Fare well and do pray much for us.
Your loving and humble Son and Confrere,
H. Pennings, Ord. Praem.
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