Foundation in London: Missions
This year opens with a new event and a series of small difficulties which illustrate the obstacles which surround a religious foundation. Cardinal Wiseman, always our greatest friend in these countries, was transferred as Vicar Apostolic to the London district towards the end of the year 1847.He wished to have the help of religious Orders in London; having likely the establishment of the Hierarchy in his eye, was speculating upon those bodies who would lend him most assistance without troubling his jurisdiction in the event of their establishment. H is heart yearned to good old Fr. Dominic who had just given the retreat to his clergy and he prepared a place where he might plant the first seed of our future existence in London. The house chosen was Poplar House, in Westend, Hampstead. It had been left to Drs. Wiseman and Ullathorne for ecclesiastical purposes by its owner, and seemed to possess all the advantages which a community might require. When we remember that Fr. Dominic was an Italian and that Fr. Wiseman had been most of his life in Rome, we shall not be surprised at their want of knowledge of English law and customs. The father, at the bidding of his Lordship, took possession of the house, whilst an occupier to whom a tenant had sub-let it, was still living there. Difficulties arose from within in this manner. It was intended that the Passionists should live here as in Italy, free from parochial care. The surrounding priests, whose incomes were very small, objected to this and troubles arose from outside. The only seeming way of the difficulties was to remove to somewhere else. All parties were agreed as to this but where were they to go to. A place was offered in Liverpool, but the bishop in London would not be satisfied unless he saw them established near the metropolis. Two offers of new localities were made. One was a mission already established and the otheran institution in which an old lady and her maid were to live until the death of the former. Father Dominic declined the first offer and the old lady gave him such a sour reception when he went to recognoitre that he thought peace could scarcely be compatible with her terms.
Matters having been better adjusted about the June of this year the religious remained in Poplar House, as a temporary abode, intending to look out for a better one as soon as they might have means to procure it. This was the beginning of our first footing in London, which, after various vicissitudes ended ten years afterwards in our settling down in St. Joseph's Retreat, Highgate Hill. It was found by a brief experiment that we could not get on in England, with satisfaction to our neighbours, if with inconvenience to ourselves, without undertaking parochial duties.
In one of the records of these times, Fr. Dominic remarks that the brethren, though mendicants, never had to beg from the time they came to England until the year 1848,and then only for building. The progress of the Church and one wing of the future Retreat at Aston was very slow, in consequence of our poverty and to remedy this, Fr. Ignatius Spencer collected through various places in England and Ireland. He was very successful and met, with his usual suavity of manner and temper, the difficulties which lay before him in this new mode of life.
The number of our professed Religious in the two houses of Woodchester and Aston Hall was only 20 - 10 priests, 5 students and 5 laybrothers - and the calls upon their services were many. Only one of that number, Fr. Bernard O'Loughlin, now survives to tell the tale of difficulties encountered and trials then bravely endured.
Before the year closed the portion undertaken of the new monastery was roofed and the church nearly ready to be opened. Death thinned the ranks of our scant numbers by taking away one or two excellent companions and the work of our Institute only seemed to increase.
Fr. Ignatius and Fr. Joseph were now added to our staff of missionaries and relieved the two poor Italians of a great deal of their work. Our Fathers evangelized the people in Richmond, Surrey, in West Bromwich, where Fr. Ignatius went to give his first mission to his late parishioners, in Northampton and in Tooley St and Webb St., Southwark. A very pleasing episode is recorded in our annals at this juncture. The Rev. Mr. Hodgson, who was then the priest at Richmond gave up his cure in order to devote himself altogether to the spiritual welfare of the poor Irish immigrants who were thronging into London, and from their scant knowledge of the English Language, appeared more ignorant than they were in reality. There were only two priests in London then, who spoke Irish and if the faith of the Irish had not been as strong as its proverbial reputation asserts, it would fare with them as it did with the Welsh.
The first congregation of Welshmer addressed by Whitfield, blessed themselves at the beginning of his sermon. He soon abolished this superstitious ceremony and with it their faith. The Welsh are nearly all Wesleyans because both Catholic and protestant England looked down upon them and their language and never sent them pastors except those who despised them and gathered the temporal fleece whilst the flock pined into methodism for want of digestable pabulum from their hireling pastors.
The next retreat was in Oscott college - the 6th in York; - 7, Cambridge - 8, Hampstead - 9th London Clergy - 10 Sisters of Mercy, Queen square; 11th, Fr. Gaudentius to the clergy in Oscott; 12, St. Mary's convent, Birmingham; 13 & 14th two retreats in Carlow College by Fr. Ignatius; 15, Middleton , Salop; 16, Rugby; 17, Stockport.
It is mentioned casually that whilst the mission in Webb St. was going on there were great fears of a Chartist disturbance and this is all we have recorded in our Annals about the troubles of the 3 kingdoms in the remarkable year of 1848.