Obituary Notice
This obituary notice has been digitally processed from a scanned archival document. Some words may be imperfectly rendered.
Fr. ALPHONSUS Farrell (1888-1958) FATHER ALPHONSUS G.P. Sunday Ootober 12th 1958 dewned as any other day. Yet it was not as any other day ~ it was a day of great shook and sorrow to 411 in Bt. Joseph's Retreat and in St. Joseph's Province. Father Alphonsus could not, by any stretch of the imagination, have been said to be in good health or even te be improving in health but the determination in his general condition ~ so marked last year = did seem to have been arrested. He had recently been to Herne Bay for a rest and seemed very much better for his visit. Being the man he was, he was insistent that he was ready for work. On Saturday the lith he had been Sub-Deacon at the Solem Requiem for His Holiness Pope Pius XII. In the aftermnon of that seme day he heard confessions for two hours and was in the best of spirits when the evening cames He wis going to say the 10 o'cleck Mass on Sunday morning and went to bed his usual cheerful and happy self. But * slightly te change an old Horati@an tag « "Pallida mors aeque puleat pede monachique cellam Regumque turres"
and when the time ceme for the Maas and someone went to rouse him At wae found that he had had a heart attack in the early hours of the morning, an attack which had proved fatal. Patrick Francis Farrell was born «t Loughrea, Co. Galway on August 7th 1688. He was educated at St. Joseph's College, Clondalicin, Dublin, by the Carmelite Brothers and entered the Novitiete at Faniakilien 4s 2909 being profensed March 16th 1910. His student life was epent in Ht. Argue, Dublin, end he was ordained at All Hallows’ College, Dublin, on June 17th 1917. After his ordination Father Alphonsue quickly found his metier - he was an outstanding Miasioner and Retreat Kasters Those of us who have lived with him know why - untiring seal and cane in the preparation of hie sermens, right to the end he would spend a1 the time he had in careful writing of his talks for the Perpetual Novena, and with that seal end ence went a deep love of Our Lord and Hie Plessed Mother and a sympathy and pity thet was truly Christlike for all trouble. He wae atationed during his priestly life at Dublin, Sutton, Harbourne, Carmarthen, Perle and Highgate - eo run what we may 6012 the statiatios of hia life. But how dull and Lifeless mich things aret What waa it that gave these figures life, that made us ail feel a sense of deep personal loss, that made the people of Highgate orewd inte and fill to capacity that great ohurch, that made then openly weep with sorrow?
Im the truest #ense he was Father Alphonsus ~ a father to all. Kindly, patient, tolerant of human wealmosé ever willing to listen to sorrow and by his kindly widgdom to consele and help. During the years of the War he had one of the most diffieult tasks of anyof the Brethren of Ste Joseph's Prevince ~ he wan during all that time, and during the German Ocoupation stationed at St. Joseph's, Aveme Hoche, Paria. There he had to cope with very great humn suffering ~- and though he himself would scarcely ever speak about those yenre, we learned from others what a tower of strength and ever present help he was in those very difficult days. When those times were over he came to Highgate and quickly endeared “pAmself to all. A amtle and « cheerful greeting were ever hie and above all a deep loyal love for our Congregation. Of nothing was he more proud than the fact that he wes a Passioniat. All of us whe came together for hia fimerel felt the same thing ~ here was a true Passtoniat in his deep loyalty and true sinplicitys "Pitee remneth sone in gentil herte" indeed 1 ran soon in hin gentle heart and with that pity a deep love for Holy Hass and the devetion of @ true son for Our Blessed Lady. May his gentle soul Rest in Peace. 1/12/58 if tr? vee My . ow SAA GRADO oAUe © 0:
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.