Fr. Ignatius Spencer joins us: New church Aston: Politics.
It was or the 5th January of this year that Fr. Ignatius Spencer entered the Noviciate at Aston Hall. His career was a very remarkable one. Born of a noble family, with influence in Church and state which might promise him a prosperous future, he entered the ranks of the Anglican clergy
after he had taken his degree in Cambridge, in 1822. For nine years did he labour hard to infuse life and a zealous spirit into the then apathetic state of the Church of England. His duties were chiefly confined to his rectory of Bringtor, Northampton shire. In 1830 he became a catholic andshortly afterwards, having studied in Rome was there ordained Priest in 1832, 2 years and four months after his reception. He laboured in various capacities as a secular priest and towards the end of the year 1846 he resolved to become a Passionist. For seventeen years he laboured hard as a member of our body and died whilst on missionary work in Scotland on October 4th 1864.
The Noviciate at Aston all was at a low ebb just now. There were 3 priests and the novice. The poor Irish who fled from the grim face of famine, carrying famine fever in their system, thronged every place where labour could be procured in order to try and keep life a little while longer in their bodies. Around Aston and Stone they came in crowds. Our Fathers of course were at every moment of the day and night at the bed of sickness and death. One after another they were stricken down with fever, until 3 being prostrate, Fr. Dominic had to do all the work inside and outside the retreat. The Lord spared the poor community for future labours in his vineyard.
When this cloud had passed away a new dawn lit up the horizon of their labours. Where they could count their congregation by tens before, they could count them by hundreds row. It was the general thing throughout England, wheresoever the poor Irish settled down. Our fathers, in Aston all, as soon as they were able to rise from a bed of illness, bethought them of the necessity of building a church. The plans furnished by Mr Hanson required the modest sum of £1250 to have them carried out, and great was the apprehension of the brethren, when with empty coffers and broken health they signed the contract.
The work was begun on the 26th April 1847, and when up to the level of the earth the corner stone was laid by Dr. Walsh and a sermon preached by Dr. Wiseman. The retreat and church at Woodchester were growing apace under the generous benificence of Mr Leigh and everything seemed clad in a second Spring gloss.
Neither sickness nor building nor extra parochial work could detain the Fathers from pursuing the work of the Congregation. We find Frs. Dominic and Gaudentius on missions and retreats nearly the whole year. We gave: 1 - a mission in Mulberry St., Manchester; 2 - a retreat in Aston Hall; 3 - in Woodfield House; 4 - mission in Poplar, London; 5 - one in Virginia Street (now Commercial Road and Tower Hill); 6 - retreat in Oscott College; 7 - Mission in the Potteries; 8 - Aston Hall, people; 9 - Caverswall, nuns; 10 - Stafford; 11 - Birmingham, clergy; 12 - Woolston; 13 - London, clergy; 14 - Princethorpe, nuns; 15 - St. Wilfrids; 16 - York, clergy; 17 - Ushaw college; 18 - Bellings; 19 - Oscott, ordinandi; 20 Hammersmith. This was a wide field to traverse in one year when the missionaries were so few and had so many difficulties to contend against. They sought and found little rest in those days.
Political changes were now sweeping over these countries but our gathers kept always aloof from them. They might discuss their various merits at their own fireside or with the friends they visited, but it was never known in this country that a Passionist used his influence as a missioner to influence any political party or try to turn the scale of an election. This year was memorable. Starvelings from Ireland crossed the seas to seek a sustinence which difficulties at home prevented them wringing out of a poisoned earth, and the great leader of Irish politics breathed his last in Genoa and sent his heart to Rome, whilst the atmosphere was darkened with the clouds of possible bloodshed. Our Fathers gave their retreats and missions, sympathised with suffering in every form, tried to supply the spiritual and temporal necessities of others and become more useful as priests by eschewing politics.