Obituary Notice
This obituary notice has been digitally processed from a scanned archival document. Some words may be imperfectly rendered.
Fr. Fabian Madden (1855-1918) rh Yather Wabian (Itadden) of the Sacred Heart. The death of Father Fabian of the Sacred Heart took place at 6t. Paul's Retreat, Mount Argus, Dublin, on 17th June I9I8. The secular name of the deceased Passionist was John Yrancis Madden and he was. born in Dublin on 24th July 1855. He made his religious profession on TAth June T8860 at the novitiate St. Saviourts Retreat, Broadway, and on [9th September I835 was ordained priest by Weathers, Auxilliary to Cardinal Manning at St. Thomas! Seminary, Hammersmith, London. He was stationed at various Retreats of the Consregation:- Glasgow, Bnoadway, Carmarthen (where he was Superior) & Belfast. Fossessing a good voice and fine presence he was a successful missioner and always leboured with zeal and charity for te salvation of souls. In the arduous work of parochial duties in the large Catholic centres of Glasgow and Belfast, where he is remembered with feelings of gratitude and venerat- ion, he was unremitting in his attentions to the spiritual needs of the sick, and was accustomed to spend long hours in the confessional administering the Sacrament of Penance to the large numbers of penitents who sovght his ministrations. About a year prior to his death his health began to fail, heart troubles manifested themselves, and he was obliged to relinquish active duties and seek medical attention. Desirous to offer the Noly Sacrifice as often as he could, even after nights of suffering he would repair to the church or choir to celebrate Holy Mass. ‘ Feeling that the end was not far off, with manifestations of deep religious fervour he made diligent, fervent and edifying preparation for a happy death, and at his own request the last Sacraments were administered. On the mornigg of his death the community assembleé around his bedside, and while the prayers of the dying were recited, and the last Absolution given, he calmly passed to that exceeding great reward which awaits those who persevere faithfully to the end. Siened "francis of the VII Dolours, Rector." eee men memes mnt ett mee cent me me et ween ee omit eh ene ae ar me tS attr Metend cetee cre Arne HOR GE Ree ch te ee me re merrier meme sat an ee ee emi niet een RUE mem neem ite pe melee See met rr ee ett ne eet neem rman ror climes eerie rt Hoe eth teat ree eter
Fabian was a Catholic of the olf school, It is not surprisins, therefore, thet his srecia Martyrs. It was he who sugrested and desiened tha crys in the new church at Sutton. is was, teo, an intorrsd devotion; he studted the lives of the Snelishn Martyrs care*ully and “new their histories well. He was particularly rroud to boast that Yorshire had provided more martyrs at the "reformation" than any other county in England ! But Fabian was not at all of that rather sad tyve of Catholic twat hanikered after "the old days" and bemoaned and resented the reneval proucht anout by the Second Vatican Council. He was so fully in tune with the vost- conciliar Church that he had no time forthe excesses and aberrations that followed Vatican Council II; nor was he a man who took kindly to the plethora of meetings and discussions that loomed so large both in the Church and in our Province. "Roma locuta est, and now let us zet on with the ob of saving sovls" micht have been his slogan, So careful was he of orthodoxy that in preparing his sermons and homilies he would from tire to time check : é s ‘ with me whther such and such a phrase he wanted to use wae doctrinally correct. ecause Fabian had an impediment in his sveech he was no crator, but his ap] sermons and homilies were simple and sincere - all of them carefully vre- pared and, right to the end of his life, all of them tyved out, He had to do that, as he explained, "bécause there are certan words I cannot »ronounce," At Cffice in Choir, from which Fabian was seldom if ever absent, that srneech impediment did not make him the easiest of men to pray with in orblic. On the human side his absortving interest was cricket. It was a game he knew well, and he followed avidly the fortunes of the Yorkshire and Enaland teams. He would watch any cricket on TV with unflagging interest, but let it be any other programme and within minutes he would be sound agleen and snoring loudly ! One thing I personally remember with gratitude: one could always ack fabian to do one a favour and be sure of a ready restense. Whatever Ais comittments, for example, he never demurred about drivine one ta “uncorn station or wherever one wanted to go. ‘This readiness to be of service was surely the quality that endeared him to the people, and it is a sign of their avrreciation that at the time of writing - three monihs afher hit “sath = there are six fresh wreathes laid on his grave. “av he rest in peace. Tenatius, ©C.P. 3rd Jan 19°", Sutton
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.