Obituary Notice
This obituary notice has been digitally processed from a scanned archival document. Some words may be imperfectly rendered.
Br. CASIMIR Donnon (1824-1896) Vv “Brother Casimir (Donnon) of Saint Poul. . er The truth of | the mecetin enviclated Almost 1900 yearr ago by thé Apostles a4 that “In the midst of life wo are in deathy" was realised to the full by evety© member of this community on Holy Saturday, The Sacred Cerenonies preseribed. by our Holy Mother the Church were. performed, the joyful straint of the ete heralding another anniversary of Christ's triumph over death had died aways the | pious custom anongst us of the excharige of Easter greetings was ‘just conoluding; when filial leve and holy charity called us to a far different scene, and to the < ‘fulfilment of « most saddening obligation) thet of aceiuting the sovl of one of our brethren in its dread passage to eternity. Bro. Casimir hed passed beyond the epan of life neualiy allotted. to man, and his hénlth had been deelining for afew yesrs pasts. The final stages, = however, were much accelerated about three months ago by @ partial paralysis of | ‘the right aide and brain, which rendered nim compLetely helpless and put hin beyond the hope of recovery, While we thus knew death was his only alternative yet until the morning of his dicease, his condition warranted us in entertaining 7 the hope that he would tide over the joyful season of the Résurrection. God, . however, otherwise disposed. He becawe so i111 on Saturday morning, that at) i. 3 o'clock in the afternoon it was thought expedient to administer to him the last _ rites of the Church, from the reception of which he gradually nank, until he. calmly and quietly pasaed eway at 7 otciock thé eame evening (April 12th 1696).— ithe son of Henry and Anne Donnon, he was born in the parish of Heonsbrok, diocdse of Liegé, and received in Baptism the nume of Johns Le wer clothed with: the holy habit of the Paseion on Merch 23rd 1649 at Tournay, the seat of our i novitiate in Kelgium. At this time also, he exchanged in accordance with our Holy Rule, his baptismal name of John for that of Bro. Casimir of Sts Paul. Searcely nine yeats before had the first foundation of the Institute of the ! Passion been laid in the Netherlands, by him whom wée may justly term the pioneer— coloniser of the congregation, the raintly Father Dominic. Well then con we . imagine how the members of that yoting religious school, in ali the earnestness of its primitive fervour, cultivated thosé virtues which ought to mark the life of- every Passionist ~ meekness, obedience, self-contempt; We have no personal — testimony indeed to the seal with which our dear d-parted brother performed. the | holy exercises prescribed by mux the regulations of Gur novitiate, yet mindful ef. the words of tlie Searcher of all hearts ‘By their fraits ye shell know them", there is no doubt that his after life proved him td be @ holy,exact and fervent novice. - After the usual year of probation he was professed on March 24th 1950. | In the purity of purpose which aninates the true servant of God, with the fervour , of his profession full upon him, hé breaks asunder the tender ties of newly — formed religious associations, and leaves a land redolent, with the sdours of evory virtue, consequent upon ite possession of the priceless one of Faith, to devote hia life arid labours to the assistance of hie brethren in the dried and parched religious desert of fingland. Gn his arrived he is sent to the. lately — founded retreat in the West énd of Hampatesd, London, where for a long mimber ae years, up to and after ite removal to Highgate, he discharged the onerous and sm- selfsdenying duties of uestor. The conterpt with which the ‘Ronen garb! was treated in ingland and expank 4 especially in the Metropolis at thie period is a matter of historys I+ takes no’ great stretch of the inegination to conceive an idea of the rebuffs and insults. which the humble brother must have wet in bie daily solicitations for. assistanes | to supply the wants of the communitys That he patiently endured £11 these, ard 4 and manfully executed every task appointed hin is an evidence of his practice of many virtues and of the great natural endowmerit of a strong determination. . From thence he was transferred to Paris: As if by a special dispensation of | Providence, thet he should experience a share of. tie worst trials of the | 4 congregation in this Province, it was his let to witness the outrages perpetrate 4
in the gacred name of liberty, and te suffex the fears and anxieties of evéity religious man for his right to live under the Communistic government of Paria ‘during the Franco+-lruseian wer. Of a strong frame he was néturally adopted for these arduove undertakings. But what mont of all contributed to the suecesa of | his laboure, and to the preservation of his natural strength; was his heroté practice of the virtue of obediences In every retreat in wiich he lived hia nane. became synénymous with a perfect example of that virtue. This spiritual weapon — énabled him to pteserve a peecefvl and contented mind, which is tne: foundation of - health, trse joy and beppiness here belo. The sun of hie existence had now set, and God faithful to his own divine law that "The labourer is worthy of his reward" ordained that the evening of his 11f6 ~ should be spent in the quiet and retirement of the monastery. fo by the command. of Aiea sunertors he returns ts the adopted land of his early labours and ia atiached to the commmity of St. Annets Retreat, Sutton, where he filled the hurble office of Refectorian. Needless to say that in the dischnrge of hig dutios in this capacity his geniality of manner and ready compliance with the will of others, gained for him, not only the sincere friendship of his brethren, but aleo their highest admiration. ‘Then truly waa it with keen vegret, that owing | to the pradual breaking up of his constitution, we sewbthe necessity of hin place being filled and his wort: performed by another. For over a period of two years he was confined to the solitude of his cell. It was one of the geentect pinzen pleasures of the daily routine for the religious to visit him there. How agrees | able ta behold the placid smile that ever shone upon the face of the worn out toller. How edifying to listen to the stories in which every shred of self was concealed, of the self-sacrifice of the early founders of the congregation in this. ‘country « During the last three months of his life subsequent to the attack of paralysis, theapparent involuntary nervous twitching of the extremities of his body gave ample proof of sharp physical pain. Bro. Casimir, however, had not borne in vain upon his breast for nigh 60 years, the sacred emblem of the auffer= ings of his Divine Master. He had learnt its lessons of silent endurance and no > murmer or sound of complaint escaped his lips, Having thus abandoned himself to the will of his Creator, he patiently awaited the happy moment when God would reveal to him thet glory spoken of by St. faul in his epistle to the Romans, "For I reckon that the suffering of this time is not worthy to be coupared to the _ glory to come which shall be revealed in us." Yis remains lie beside those of the Very Revs Fx. Dominic and Very Reve Fra Ignatius to both of whom he was # true and irusted coupanions Signed "Richard ab Imm. Concept. BNA. Rector, end. dated April 1896, sutton. fain iim? eciews inine winnie Wiese ain eR ils apes tienen ite OOH Qnemetind Oe Wink oemminwersere dine Mohd fants te Gin Oe ae Ue ai ere con Lines tee am meme emm pnee sere deme wind dns OO eatin hts lane Sikes el eee hee ates ee dined Sperteted une ums ince indeed cine chm ee ola did ah He Gia rife mn A Aa Bh Gee See Cte ee mee eine mies ote Pe dee aE
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.