Coupé, Fathers Pierre L. &
Tiphaigne, Jean F.
1811, Towards the Year’s End
Paris
November 16, 1815
Father and Very Dear in Our Lord:
No Memorial Cards are Available
Toward the end of the year 1811, two of our confreres, Father Pierre Lawrence Coupé of the Seminary of Viviers and Father Jean Francis Tiphaigne of the Seminary of Clermont, both from the Diocese of Coutances, set sail for the Seminary of Baltimore. What motivated these two fine priests to undertake this voyage was their strong loyalty to the Society plus the desire of carrying out without interruption the exercise of their ministry.
Since their departure, however, we have had no news of them; not only have they not written to us, but our confreres in Baltimore have informed us:
1. that after all possible inquiries to ascertain what has happened to them, the Baltimore confreres have not been able to learn anything except that it is certain that a vessel - name unknown – en route from the shores of England perished on the high seas about that time;
2. that the vessel carrying Fathers Coupé and Tiphaigne had left England;
3. that it had been insured;
4. that the insurers, unable - within the period fixed by law - to prove that it had come to a safe harbor, have been obliged to pay the insurance; and
5. that since then no one has reported anything.
Accordingly, I do not believe that we ought any longer to delay in offering the prayers customary in our Society for deceased confreres. That is why I wish you to carry out immediately in your seminary this duty, and to accept the most sincere and respectful sentiments in which, I am
Entirely yours,