Obituary Notice
This obituary notice has been digitally processed from a scanned archival document. Some words may be imperfectly rendered.
Br.. ANDREW Smith (1829-1848) BRO. ANDREW OF THE ASSUMPTION (SMITH) 1829-1848 man Bro.Andrew was the first English: to be professed as a Brother, and the first of our Brothers tc die in England. The following is Fr.Ignatius Spencer's account of his life: "On the 25th of March in this year /1848/ died Brother Andrew of the Assumption, called in the world John Smith of Liverpool. He had been articled to a respectable attorney at Liverpool, but was moved to devote himself to a relig- ious life by seeing and hearing Father Dominic preach in Liverpool. As he was a youth of good ability, and his parents were possessed of sufficient means, F. Dominic offered to receive him as a Cleric, if he would first occupy some time in learning Latin. He preferred enter~ in as a lay brother; saying that thus he might at once become useful to the community, whereas if he entered as a Cleric, he should be of no use till he had completed his studies, and might die before that time. F,Dominic used to consider that he had at the time some presentiment that he should not live long. anyways /sic/ the event justified his choice. He was a most promising religious: obedient, recollected, consr*entious, and though not previously trained to manual lapour, he was becoming very useful in all the domestic employments of the brothers, when in the course of the autum of 1847, he was taken with an obstinate cold and cough, which soon began to threaten fatal consequences. about /sic/ nov 21. he was placed under the Physician's hands, and during the winter had to be confined to the infirmary, which he hardly left till he was taken to be buried. He had always entertained a --- great desire to die on a day consecrated to our Blessed Lady, and this desire was granted to him; he died on Sat- urday the 25th of March: the feast of our Lady's Annunciation and was buried in the Lady Chapel of the new Church." (7) Bro.Andrew was professed on 6th September 1846, and was only 19 when he died.
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.