3 he died at the @arly ape of 42, he has left behind him monuments of his labours for the plory of dod and the advancement of the Congregation. He gave numerous Missions and retreats and being ao rifted orator his mernory will long live wherever he preached * " Ghrist Crucified", In I885 he was elected Reotor of St. Jon eph's Retreat London. and in 1891 Superior of Our House at Avenue Hoche at Paris, [It Was as Superioky of these houses that Fr. Gerard fully exhibited the extent of his oharity towards the religious. Ever attentive to their wants and always desir- ous that the Yoke of the Dord should be sweet in their vegard,#* he left nothing undone to promote tyéir happiness, and more especially that of the older members who had borne the heat of the day for whom he cherished a speoisl affeetion At the same time he was careful that the Holy Rule should be observed in its intesrity; and that the spirit of our Holy Founder should be Cultivated by his sons. Jie was of a cheerful disposition, and no matter how great his anxiety mieht be ever preserved equi- nanity and a joyful countenance. Yor the promotion of devotion to the Sacred Passion of Our Divine Lord, he laboured with in- defatigable assiduity, and his love for Jesus Orucified was never exemplified more that @uring the last Hours of Bins Life, For claspins the drucifix that he had worn on hia breast at the Mission of the previous Sunday he imprinted kisses opt and uttered fervent ejaculations of love towards Him who was wounded for our jniquities and brkised for our sins. Never did he spare hémself when he saw work waa to be done whieh apper~- tained to his sacred calling . When Reetor of our House at Sut~ ton he established # Mission at Rurton Wood and built a Chureh . {
4 there , At the time of his election to the Rectéorship of St, | Joseph's Retreat Nighgate Hill, aeeing thet the old eharch was inadequate for the requirements of the ever inccasing son- prepntion sansed by the numerous converts who entered the ehureh through the miniatrationa of our fathers amongst them he under took the fpipantie task of oreeting thea present apaclous edifice whose beauty da-a 80 poherally ndémired and thoge manmnifiaent proportions pive testimony of the idea whish Fr. Gerard had of what was becoming the House of God. Tt would bo difficult to renlize whet it soa him to earry out this profect, and it is only thése who knew him intimagely gan have anythin: Like a trae aoncaptian of the weeks and monty of unremitting {abour and anxions thought that foll to his Lot ap well an the. numerous obstatles and disappointments that he hed to contend With in putting. his noble design into exosution.s Thoush not a stone of the building had becon laid when he ‘became Reetor in 1888 the present Chureh was opened With Solemn Calebrof ion. for public worship on Wev. Blat. 1588. In Paris teu, he wea never Whary doing good and there are many who mourm hie logs in the Proneh Qapital., In Paria hia health beoune rather precarious and after the Provincial Chapter of 1895 ha wan sent to our Retreat at. Herne Bay in erder to rearuit hia phat tered heelth. His atren- mth became so reatored that he felt able to undertake missionary work ond as already stated was aent to Belfast tn Oetob. where he became 111. Ha retwned to Herne Bay with the roguLt that he conaidered himself stron: enough to take part in the general Mission in London, and our Church at Highgate was aaslened him But it pleased God to oall him away while thus labouring for [the]
6) the @alvation of souls , and fortified by all the consoletions of Our Holy Religion, een Even while in Herne Ray ho did nox Little good amongst the people and showed particular solicitude for the education of the children who aa yet have no Cathollie Sehool. That the Little ones appreciated his efforts was avid» eneed by the wreath sent by them for his tomb when they became aware that they had lost such a dear friend. Great indeed ia the loas woioh our @ongregation haa sustains ad in the death of such an eloquent and earnest missioner, seh a Wise: and shariteably superior and such an exemplary and humble Y@lLipionusas ‘the virtues of Faith and Hope and Charity beautif- led his go ul and though hia life was comparatively brief, vot it could truly said of him "that in a shert space he fulfilled a long time ’, for he did great works before Heaven and man for the anlvakion of gouls , for the OHurch of Gad and for the Conpyr gation to whiexh he proved sucha faithfua od edifying membere Rire:P. — SESSOOSHOTRRNEEESSS Su Y SE ee a el
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.