Obituary Notice
This obituary notice has been digitally processed from a scanned archival document. Some words may be imperfectly rendered.
Fr. GABRIEL McDARBY (1874-1952) ws FATHER GABRIEL OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS (MACDARBY), ©.P. (1874-1952) Father Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, known in the world as James Joseph MacDarby, was born in Carlow, Ireland on Aug 4th 1874. He at Broadway entered the Novitiate/in 1892, and made his Religious Profession there on May 7th 1893. He wag ordained priest on September Sth 1901. Shortly after his ordination he was appointed Director of Students at Mount Argus , Dublin. Later he was Vicar at St.Gabriel's, The Graan, Enniskillen, and also at St.Anne's, Sutton. He was engaged for some time in parochial work in Highgate, Booadway and Glasgow. Then for a number of years he was busily occupied conducting missions and retreats. | In 1915 he was appointed Superior of St.Joseph's, Avenue Hoche , Paris, where he remained for nineteen years. Here he received into the Church over a hundred converts of many nationalities, some of them public figures, whose conversion made news at the time. Through- out ‘his long time in Paris Father Gabriel endeared himself to Cardinals, bishops, priests and lay notabilities, to whom he acted as host. -In 1954 he was awarded the Cross of the Legion of Honour by the French Government in recognition of his services hoth during and after the 1914-1918 War. Tn 1934 he was appointed Provincial-Consultor and came to live in London, From 1935 to 1938 he was Rector of SteJoseph's, Highgate. He was then transferred to St.Gabriel's, Blythe Hall, Ormskirk, i where for some years in spite of failing health he continued to give “retreats and carry on an active priestly life. He necame well-known A figure in the neighbourhood,and was highly respected as much
(. 2 ) by non~Catholics as by Catholics. Four years ago he underwent a serious operation, which left him more or less a perm nent invalid. But for some time afterwards he continued to take his turn in preaching and hearing confessions, and he finally gave up active work only towards the midd&e of last year, when his illness compelisd him to do so. His biggest cross was, of course, when - about last Christmas - he had to give wp the celebration of Holy Mass. In September of last year Father Gabriel had the happiness of celebrating the golden jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood. Besides the blessing of our Holy Father the Pope, messages of congratulation and prayers for his recovery reached him from many parts of the world. Among the many tributes to him was a golden Chalice, specially made to order for the occasion, funds for which had been contributed by a group of American friends, ineluding some non~Catholics. It was a generous token from those outside and inside the fold of the esteem and respect in which they held one who had helped all indiscriminately on their way to God. Father Gabriel continued to be up and around for some time each . day until about two months pefore his death. It was a happy fortune that he did not suffer great pain at the time, but towards the end he was afflicted with a grievous haemorrhage that made breathing difficult. On April 18th at 5.50 p.em. he passed peasefully to his rest. Solemn Requiem Mass was offered at Blythe Hall for the repose of his soul by his cousin, Rev.J.Byrne, Witham, Essex. Priests from various retreats of St.Patrick's and our own Province were present, as well as a mumber of local clergy. The interment followed at -SteAnne's, Sutton, St.Helens.
( 2) Those of us who iknew Father Gabriel only in his later years have often been impressed by the volume of correspondence with which he dealt each day. Morning after morning letters came to him from ~< various parts of the worid, especially from America and France. Day after day Fr.Gabriel devoted a good deal of his time faithfully replying to each. To us this large correspondence from people who had ong since passed from his immediate influence bespoke a former spiritual relationship that was sufficiently strong and practical to be maintained across the years. To make friends is not too difficult : to keep them demands humility on both sides : to retain an intimate friendship across the void of both space and time suggests a relationship founded in God. Unconsciously Fy.Gabriel must have established in the hearts of his friends a conviction of his own worth before God. How otherwise can be explained the continued appeal to his judgement from people who had not seen him for ten, twenty, thirty years? We have known of young people, whose only contact with Fr.Gebriel was that their parents knew him and trusted him, and who now themselves, following almost a family tradition, looked to him as their spiritual guide, even though he lived thousands of miles away. This argues a priestly humility, a distrust of self, so pleasing to Him who alone ean search the heart. We have witnessed more than one notable conversion of lapsed Catholics wrought through his instrumentality in his declining years. Souls who had almost been abandoned by others seemed to find in him a confidante, whose friendship they would not willingly give up. He + a] 2 7 Ao oy VW. had a peculiar way of dealing with certain types of people, whose ideas of holiness and heaven had long been clouded by material success.
- » 5 s SUCCESS. Slowly and patiently through human friendship he gained their confidence. Still more slowly and more patiently he waited for the word that meant so much to his heart - the return to God. However long it took to cultivate the friendship - and we have known him to take several years on one case - it seemed to him a necessary preliminary to permanent conversion. He had a horror of "pushing" a soul too quickly, lest the conversion be merely superficial. No wonder that, towards the end, when news of his immediate danger ‘got round, inquiries came from many who realised that their best guide was passing from them. The simple humility of the man was more than evor obvious in his last illness. Fr.Gabriel was of a nervous disposition, and one might readily excuse @ murmur of complaint in the illness that came to him after twenty years of unbroken glowing health. But no complaint escaped his lips. On the contrary we remember how before he entered hospital for his operation he spoke with feeling of God's will for him, of his readiness to meet death if God wanted him. His ilness was of a nature that wold try one's patience severely. - more and more indeed as time went on and the body weakened - but never did he show any Sign of irritability. Far from complaining he rarely spoke at all ‘of his ilness. Instead he continued to be, as always, a noted first visitor to any one of the brethren who fell sick. And so, serving ethers as best he could, he waited patiently for what he knew could not be too far off. He spoke of his death sometimes, and always with a disarming simplicity. When eventually he was forced to take to his ped, he faced death with a holy calm. His complete resignation to God's vill and his great confidence in God's love and mercy edified us all. May his soul rest in peace. [ene lh So Hao - kedbe-
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.