Obituary Notice
This obituary notice has been digitally processed from a scanned archival document. Some words may be imperfectly rendered.
Basil Carron 1892 - 1972 OBITUARY NOTICE OF FR. BASIL CARRON. Fr. Basil Carron, or John Carron, as he was known in the world, was born in Raglan Street, Belfast, on 30th. June 1892. He was educated with the Insh Christian Brothers, Mill Street. In the year 1908 he entered the Passionist Novitiate, then at St. Mary's, Carmarthen; he was professed a year later. His student days were spent in Broadway, England, and Mount Argus, Dublin. He was ordained to the Priesthood in Dublin on 17th. June 1917. After ordination he went to the Holy Land for two years in pursuit of higher Biblical Studies. He returned to Dublin to assume the duties of Scripture lector, and was there until 1932 when he was transferred to St. Mungo's Retreat, Glasgow. If this account of the first forty years of Fr. Basil's life seems to be rather sketchily dismissed let it be added that Fr. Basil, at this stage of his career, was a very talented priest - Scriptural scholar, accomplished organist, competent pianist, more than conversant with five different languages. Let it be also added, however, that if there be any truth in the saying “life begins at forty", then it is in the next forty years that the real Fr. Basil will be seen to emerge; certainly the Fr. Basil that will long be remembered in St. Mungo's. Fr. Basil came to Townhead, Glasgow, in June 1932, the year and the month of the Eucharistic Congress in the Phoenix Park, Dublin. The next forty years were spent in an unbroken and devoted service to the people of St. Mungo's Parish. ; It was chiefly as a confessor that he was known. The letters that have come in, however, in tribute to his memory show that his role as a spiritual guide was not confined to the Saturday confessions; letters from priests who, at times, had occasion to call upon Fr. Basil to come and give spiritual help to their sick people; letters from Ireland and England showing that his was not an apostolate of the spoken word only, but, the written word as well. "Poor Father Basil!" It was an affectionate tern, spoken affectionately about him, especially in his latter years. The people looked upon him as one who had grown old in their service. Fr. Basil could be a determined man - determined not to go, if it were humanly possible, before his time - determined that when the time came to go, he would do so, to coin a phrase, "with his stole on"; and so it was. He heard confessions, as usual, on the Saturday prior to his death. He said his last mass, in the choir, on the Monday morning. He had for years, of course, owing to failing eyesight, been saying Mass in the choir. Since the beginning of 1970 he had, with the permission of Father General, been saying a votive Mass of Our Lady every morning. On the morning of Tuesday 25th. April he was found to be in a confused state of mind, but insisted on coming down to his meals; in fact, he remained up until his usual time for retiring, round about 10.30 p.m. It was quite apparent to all by now that he was a very sick man, and it was deemed prudent to administer the Last Anointing. How prudent it turned out to be can be judged by the fact that Fr. Basil died in the very early hours of Wednesday 26th. April. The span of Fr. Basil's years in St. Mungo's took in the years of the economic depression; the years of the Second World War; the subsequent years of continued rationing and tightened belts, but the saddest years must surely have been those of the recent past, as he saw the parish he loved literally crumbling round about him, and the people he loved moving out. It was a fitting tribute, therefore, to his memory, that on the evening that his remains were brought into the Church, and on the morning of his funeral Mass, the Church, if not crowded, was quite full (a very rare sight, indeed, these days). His friends had come back to say good-bye. The funeral Mass on Friday 28th. April was concelebrated by Passionists from Scotland, Ireland and England. His Lordship, Bishop James Ward, Vicar-General of the Archdiocese of Glasgow paid a very glowing tribute to Fr. Basil's work in the Archdiocese. Fr. Basil was buried in the Passionist plot in St. Kentigern's Cemetery, Lambhill, Glasgow. Fr. Basil will be missed, and, as has already been said, remembered for a long time to come in St. Mungo's. REQUIESCAT IN PACE.
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.