Obituary Notice
This obituary notice has been digitally processed from a scanned archival document. Some words may be imperfectly rendered.
Bernard McManus 1901 - 1973 OBITUARY NOTICE OF BR. BERNARD McMANUS, C._P. On Sunday night, July 22nd, 1973, with that quiet resignation that was characteristic of his life, Bro. Bernard McManus died peacefully in the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Belfast. Although he had borne the cross of chronic illness for the greater part of his life, his last illness was of short duration. The previous Sunday, he had remained in bed, feeling - as he said - unable to get up. When it was noticed that he was having some trouble with his breathing, the local doctor was called in. He diagnosed pneumonia, and arranged for his removal to hospital by ambulance. On the following day, he was transferred from the Nursing Home to the intensive care unit in the hospital. By the middle of the week, a more serious malady was diagnosed, one which intensive and extensive medical examination on several occasions had failed to reveal, cancer of the lung. Having been made aware of his serious condition, he received the Last Sacraments at the hands of Fr. Alphonsus; and with great peace of mind prepared to answer the last call of obedience. During his last days, he was frequently visited and encouraged by his brethren from Tobar Mhuire, as well as by members of the Holy Cross community, who brought him every day the comfort of Holy Viaticum. The final summons was not long delayed; but a few hours before it came, he was able in full consciousness to receive Holy Communion for the last time. , Bro. Bernard was born in Carrickboy, Co. Cavan, and in Baptism received the name of Philip. After completing his schooling, he came to Enniskillen to serve his time in the drapery trade. The firm to which he was apprenticed is no longer in existence, but Bro. Bernard maintained a life-long friendship with the members of the family, an indication of the satisfaction he gave them during the days of apprenticeship. It was while in Enniskillen that he first came into contact with the Passionists. It was his custom on Sunday and Wednesday evenings to walk out to the Graan for evening devotions. Naturally when he began to think of the religious life, he was drawn to the Passionist Congregation. It is not known now to whom he first opened his mind on the subject, but we find him early in 1920 commencing the first months of his formal postulancy in Mount Argus. From there he proceeded to the Graan to join a group of clerical postulants, and was clothed in the Passionist habit with them on November 12th of the same year. He made his religious profession on November 13th, 1921. Bro. Bernard was destined to spend most of his years in the religious life in the Juniorate, but his first assignment was to St. Mungo's Retreat, Glasgow. It was there that he began to suffer severely from a stomach ulcer. At that time, treatment for such ailments was not so advanced as it is today. The medical experts decided to operate. The operation was not a complete success, and for the rest of his life, he had to endure a chronic illness. From Glasgow, he was transferred to the Juniorate, which at that time was located at Wheatfield House, Belfast. Many generations of boys who passed through the Juniorate, both those who became Passionists and those who left, when recalling in after years their impressionable Juniorate days, would enquire with an anxious solicitude about the "quiet brother", who had made such a deep impression upon them in their boyhood. One friendship which Bro. Bernard held in high regard was with Dr. Donaghy, Consultant Physician in the Mater Hospital. Dr. Donaghy spent a few years in the Juniorate, and has always maintained a special relationship with the Passionists. To Bro. Bernard he showed special care and attention, and in the last few years of his life had him admitted on several occasions to St. John's Private Nursing Home for complete medical investigation. While in Wheatfield, in addition to his other duties he cared for the flower gardens, which he kept in beautiful condition; and it was with flowers he expressed his devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, especially during the Forty Hours' Adoration. The boys who helped him on these occasions can still recall how exacting he was in his preparation. While liturgists now demand greater simplicity in the decoration of altars, their predecessors of those days were not so demanding, and Bro. Bernard had each year a magnificent arrangement of flowers and candles which evoked the admiration and praise of those who visited the chapel during this devotional exercise. In later years, he would always speak of the time he spent in Wheatfield as the happiest of his life; and it was with real sorrow that he had to say "goodbye", and accompany the community to the new Juniorate premises at Tobar Mhuire, Crossgar. This was in the year 1952. Although he took an active part in decorating the New Juniorate, he could not adjust himself to the changed circumstances of his life, and began to suffer from deep depression, an added cross which he had to endure until the end of his life. He received medical treatment, and a change to a new community setting was recommended. During the next ten years from 1954 to 1964, he spent short periods in Dankeith, Collooney and the Graan. In the Graan, he was given the duty of attending to the great number of Mass Intentions which arrived daily through the post. It was a tedious and time-consuming task, but Bro. Bernard turned it into a practical and satisfying apostolate. Not content with posting back the official form of acknowledgement, he wrote a personal letter to those who were ill or in distress, exhorting them to have recourse to our Blessed Lady, and enclosed a suitable prayer leaflet. Many were so touched by his personal concern and by his words of comfort that they kept up their correspondence with him to the end. Once again, his settled way of life was interrupted by the call of obedience, when in 1964 he was asked to return to the Juniorate. He was disappointed, as he had hoped to end his days in the Graan, but without hesitation he accepted his new appointment. During the nine years he was to spend in Tobar Mhuire, he tried to be as useful as his strength and health would permit, attending to light domestic duties and helping to keep the grounds and lawns in good trim, although he was plagued with his stomach ailment and periods of acute nervous depression. In 1971 he had the joy of celebrating his Golden Jubilee as a Passionist. Bro. Bernard died as he had lived, quietly and peacefully. His remains were removed from the Mater Hospital to Holy Cross Retreat. The funeral took place to the cemetery attached to the Retreat, after Concelebrated Mass, at which the Provincial, Very Rev. Fr. Valentine, was principal Celebrant. May he rest in peace.
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.