In the fall of 1832, he was appointed to be the assistant Novice Director at the Vincentian Motherhouse in Paris. The Novice Director was old and sick, so Fr. Perboyre really had to do most of the work. At the same time he was director of the lay brothers and taught Holy Scripture.
Here are two examples of his strict and kind direction. One day, one of his novices accepted a beautiful relig¬ious picture from the superioress of a nearby convent without receiving permission. Fr. Perboyre ordered him to go back to the convent and return the picture - but at an hour when he knew the superioress would not be there to receive it. In this way, he taught the novice a lesson in obedience, but at the same time found a way that he could keep the picture. Another time, when it was strictly forbidden to pick flowers in the garden ( they were sold and the money used for the poor ), he saw a novice nearby pick several. Fr. Perboyre then picked one himself and at once threw it aside saying "Oh, I forgot; it is forbidden to pick flowers."
One morning when he was saying a private Mass in the chapel, with only a seminarian serving his Mass, he seemed to he in ecstasy at the Consecration. His whole body was raised several inches above the floor for several minutes. After Mass in the sacristy, Fr. Perboyre made the startled seminarian promise never to tell anyone what he had seen so long as he lived. The seminarian kept his promise and only years later after Fr. Perboyre's death, did Fr. Pierre Auber, C.M. - then a Superior - tell the story and write an official account of it.
Here are two examples of his strict and kind direction. One day, one of his novices accepted a beautiful relig¬ious picture from the superioress of a nearby convent without receiving permission. Fr. Perboyre ordered him to go back to the convent and return the picture - but at an hour when he knew the superioress would not be there to receive it. In this way, he taught the novice a lesson in obedience, but at the same time found a way that he could keep the picture. Another time, when it was strictly forbidden to pick flowers in the garden ( they were sold and the money used for the poor ), he saw a novice nearby pick several. Fr. Perboyre then picked one himself and at once threw it aside saying "Oh, I forgot; it is forbidden to pick flowers."
One morning when he was saying a private Mass in the chapel, with only a seminarian serving his Mass, he seemed to he in ecstasy at the Consecration. His whole body was raised several inches above the floor for several minutes. After Mass in the sacristy, Fr. Perboyre made the startled seminarian promise never to tell anyone what he had seen so long as he lived. The seminarian kept his promise and only years later after Fr. Perboyre's death, did Fr. Pierre Auber, C.M. - then a Superior - tell the story and write an official account of it.
At this time, Fr. Perboyre remarked in a talk to the nov-ices: "For 14 years I have asked to go to China. I had this vocation before I joined the Mission ( i.e. the Vincentian Community ) and it was for this that I entered St. Lazare ( the name of the Vincentian novitiate and motherhouse ).I have certainly lost my special vocation by my infidelities." His superiors refused his repeated requests because of his delicate health, which had become worse in the last few years. At last, they finally left the decision up to the doctor. The doctor examined him thoroughly and strongly opposed his going to China, saying that the ocean voyage alone would kill him. That evening, the doctor suddenly became extremely upset and unexplainably sad; he could get no sleep or relief. Then he remembered what he had told Fr. Perboyre' superiors. He resolved to reconsider his decision and to talk to the superiors the next day. At that, he suddenly became completely peaceful and had a grand night's sleep. The next morning, he rushed to the superiors and told the that he had changed his mind and that the ocean voyage might even improve Fr. Perboyre's health. The surprised superiors took this as a definite sign of God', will and in early 1835 reluctantly gave him permission to prepare to go to China.
