Obituary Notice
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Fr. Cyril Barker (1874-1950) a ci (. Com OBITUARY NOTICE The son of a Protestant father and etaolic mother, Fr. Cyril was born on uke lok IVY, at Gospel Oak, horth London. The Barker family was alarge one, including seven brothers, and after Mrs. Barker's early death was cared for devotedly by the eldest daughter, Rose, wno afterwards marricd Mr, Jones, well known for many years as usher at St. Joseph's, Highgate, Not long after Fr. Cyril's birth the family moved to Highgate, where he was baptised at our own church and edutated at our own schools. After Leaving school he worked for a time as a clerk in the city. He first felt a call to tne Eee Life about the year 1894, having been very much affécted by the death of fr. Gerard Woolett, C.L., who had been his confessor and particular friend. It was not, however, until two years later that, under the direction of Fr. Fidelis Doyle, he left the world and entered the novitiate at 3roadway, mukmaxekmax where he was clothed with the holy habit on 1lOth March, 1896, and received the na religious name of Cyril of the Blessed Sacrament. Fellow novices tell of his simple sincerity and intense enthusiasm for every detail of the novices' life,’ together with a love of mortification that sometimes had to be held in check by his novice master (as, for example, when he had his head completely shaven). He made his religious profession on March llth, 1897, and the next day set out for St. Joseph's, Highgate, where he was to spend the whole of his student days. After seven years of student life, during
which he was noted for his conscientious and persevering application, he was ordained priest in Westminster Cathedral by Archbishop Bourne on February 27th, 1984. Fr. Cyril's priestly career began with &xkxe some years of fruitful work at Harborne. In 1967 he was trans- ferred to Glasgbw, where he remained until 1920, being Vicar from 1917 to 1920. His charity and apostolic zeal endeared snuothmatecca the Glasgow people, and many stories are still told to-day to illustrate his kindness and lovable simplicity. Whkke wk in ékangom He gained quite a reputation, too, among the musical world of Glasgow. As a boy he haa received a fine musical training in the choir at Highgate, where his beautiful voice often earned the praise of Sir Charles Sant- ley. The love of music, implanted in his heart as a choir- boy, tever left him, and wherever he wWaRK wis stationed he took the keenest interest in the whamkx musical activities of the parish. At 8t. Mungo's he formed, trabdmed and conducted a youthful choir which achieved outstanding suceesses, and he was able to do the same in later years while stationed at Sutton. Aftera serious illness he was transferred to Belfast and then to Paris, but returned to Hingland to be Vicar at Sutton from 1923 to 1926. It was whkke at Sutton that he undertook a labour of love that should earn for him the deepest gratitude of every Passionist. He had always had @ great personal devotion to Ven, p , OMinig
and he now set himself zealously to promote tiiis devotion in the heartebt others. We beabitied as far as he could the crypt in which the remains of Ven. Dominic were buried, and which ha@ falled into a sad state of neglect, and then dnaugurated the series of Jilgvimages to the tomo which nas sone on uninterruptedly ever since. A zreat friend and col- laborator in this days was Fr. F. W. Kershaw, of manchester. ‘on hearings of Fr. Cyril's death, ltr. Kershaw wrote to recall his pioneer work and spoke of his "excitement and enthusiasm that was senuine though sometimes alarming. It was genuine, because it never pvetered out", Those who nad the privilege of living witn br. Cryil will be very ready to confirm those lest words. Another heavenly patron to whom tr. Cyril had an intense devotion was St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus. Here again he could not keep his devotion to himself, but felt compelled to try to spread it smong others. He formed an intimate friendshiv with a Uerisian artist who had painted a portrait of 5t. theresa, and materially helped him in puoli- cising the pitture widely in lingland and the United Stetes. In 1926 Ir, Cyril returned to Paris, where re remained until his appointment as vicar at higngate in 19068. During the three years he spent at Highgate he was fated to witness the ravaging by enemy action of many of the haunts of childhood, and in particular the mutilation of the bexutiful
4, church in which he had preached his first sermon, the des- truction of the great rose window over the choir in which he had sung s0 often as a boy, and the severe damaging of the doors throush which he had been carried as an infant to be baptized. His experiences during the raids on London seriously undermined fr. Cyril's Health, and not long aiter jiis trensier to St. Anne's, Sutton, in 1941 he has found to be suff®ring from angina pectoris, This prevented his taking part in many of the usual religious exercises and restrhcted the scope of his vriestly activities. It could not quench his gay, youth- ful spirit, however, and to the end he was in a sense the youngest member of the community. idhegen to fail in the enrly oart of this ,ear, and with the death of his heloved brother wilgred mich of his remainines strensth seemed to leave him, A severe heart atteck abouth the middle of March left him so weak that he was auite yngoble to helo himself, but he was spared to the comaunity for another fortnight that he might sive them an unforgettable example of oatient, uncomplaining resignation. His death eame very quiétly and peacefully early on the morning of Soturday, March 3lst.
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.