Obituary Notice
This obituary notice has been digitally processed from a scanned archival document. Some words may be imperfectly rendered.
morning. However, 8 Fr. DERMOT Cronin (1894-1942) St. Saviour'e Retrest, PROADFAY, WORCS. danuary 1943. BR. DERMOT OF Tos MOTHER OF GOD. | on the evening of Rednosday 9th Decenbsr 1942, the Community of St. Saviour's Retreat Broadway received a severe shock. fhe news wag recetved from Cheltenhan that Sr. Dermot had passed sway, in the Sospitel there, Ee had been 411, but not geriously 89, for some weeks, @uring ¥h: ah ke had been sable to say Soly Mass sach | about 1 p.m. on the aay of his death he head / collapesd at the foot of the steire. fhe fail was not a hesvy one, and wae insufficient to cause any injury: but its cause wes evidently e heart attack. The doctor was dumediately sumponed, and meanwhile the patient recoverst sufficiently to be renoved to ped, where he was made fairly comfortable end improved rapidly, so that thers appeared good hope of his ultimate recovery. Hevertheless, Fr. Reetor . deemed it wiee to administer the Last Sacraments without daisy. The Community therefore was msnoned to the bedside, and Fr. Dermot received the Last Sfecramente with the most edifying dispositions and _in full possession of his faculties, repeating bsfore the apostolic Blessing was given that he accepted death willingly from the hands of God ag & punishment of gin. ' WHen the doctor errived. he advised ths patient's immedinte rexovel to the Cheltenham General Yospital. his was done, and Fr. Rector Sceompanied the ambulance to the Hospital, staying there until the prelizinary medical inspection wag ovsr, l.
7 and the patient hed received an injection and was apparently settled for the night. fr. Rector then retired to a room he haf engeged not far fro the Hospital; but be had not been there long before the ead news vas ‘phoned to him from the Zospital that Fr. Dermot had suffered ancther heart attack, and dsapite 11 medical attention had passed away, couse of death being 2 coronary thrombosis. “Born in Bighgate on June 17th 1894, Sdward Heuries Cronin came undsr Pardionict influences from his. earliest years, being baptised and making his First Holy Cesmunion in our church of St. Joseph's, and seosiving his early education in st. Joseph's Schoole. Eis parents were good practising Catholics, and the hone life of the future Passionist was such as to make fitting preparation for the life of e Religious. ‘At the esriy age of 4 he left home for our Alumniate, whieh was then at ourmarthen. Prom there he entered the Hovitiate at Enniskillen, whore he was clothed in February 1911, taking the name of Dermot of the Mother of God. After Profegeion the following year, kis student years were spent first at Mount Argus and aftermnrds at st. Anne's Sutton, in which iatter piece he was crdaineé in 1929. | The years of Fr. Dermot's priestly life were epent - for the most part in Retrests actively engaged in work for souls - Glaagow, Yaris, Sarborne and Lighgate. He wag in turn Vicar at Harborne, Paris and Highgate, and then returned to Paris eas — Superior of our House there. in 1940. he becaze a member of the Community et the Novitiate Eouge of St. Saviour's Broadway, where he Yemained until hia death. |
1? Of a sensitive and retiring nature, Fr. Dermot would | sonetines Sppear te enpusi acquaintances as of s rather reserved disposition. So these. however, who knew hiz intimately, this external reserve bid an affeetionsts and eheritable character, quick to respond te any kindness, and resiy to speak weil of others and if nacesasary Bise in their astfence. ks a part of hie prisstly equipment, he took pains te be well resd in sil branehes of eatholie litereture, particularly Apologetics; and occasionally at recreation time he would Amebtrugively introduce subjects for discussion snich could be dsbated with /interest. ke was versed, too, in Ohursh Music end choir work generally, and wae sble should ocexzsion arise to take the place of the Organist at Hass or Benediction. His chief work ® priest, however, lisy in the parish, weere he found & satiefying outlet for hie zeal for souls, particularly in st. Yungo's Glasgow anf St. Joseph's Eighgete, in presching, hearing confessions and | inetroeting converts. Occasionally he gave missions; and was often exployai in the importent work of conducting retreats, whieh he a4 with commends bie efficiency and senl. “ye Gied at the comparatively early age of 48 ysers, of whick 34 had been spent in FPassioniet Louges (Ancluding the Alumniste) and £2 a8 © priest. His loss is a severe ons, and will be felt not only by thoee who shared with hix the religious life, but elso by the meny who benefittea by the years of bis toil in the vineyard of the. Lord, ay ke reat in pesee!” FINTAR OF TES KOTESR OF GOD Rector.
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.