Obituary Notice
This obituary notice has been digitally processed from a scanned archival document. Some words may be imperfectly rendered.
Fr. HERMAN Willis (1886-1956) IXP OBITUARY NOTICE FATHI HERMAN OF OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL Died: January 30, 1956 0 tae eee ae me ne Lor ae ft AT 6 o'clock on the evening of Monday, January 30, 1956, just as the Angelus was ringing, death claimed the soul of one of our best- known and. most-beloved brethren, Fr. Herman of Our Lady of Good Counsel. The news of his death came unexpectedly after an illness of only two weeks duration, during which he had first shown prospects of making a good recovery. Born in Ireland's primatial city of Armagh on October 9th, 1886, George Willis was educated by the Vincentian Fathers at Patrick's St, Diocesan College. Here he had a brilliant scholastic course, securing first-class Honours with distinction in Latin and Greek in the Senior Grade examination of the old Intermediate Board, In 1903 he entered the Passionist Novitiate at St. Saviour's Retreat, Broadway, Worcs, where he made his religious profession, November 21st, 1904, Having completed his ecclesiastical studies at St. Faul's Retreat, Mount Argus, Dublin, he was ordained by Most Rev, Dr. Walsh on September 23rd, 1911. In view of his outstanding ability he was appointed Lector, first at Sutton, later at the Alumiate, then established at Sandymount, Dublin, It was here in 1916 that he first became acquainted with Mr. Famon de Valera, then an obscure professor of mathematics, later a noted Irish national leader and a figure of international renown, Fr. Herman became superior of the Alumniate in 1917, and here he first welcomed to the Passionist Congregation many a raw young postulant who later bacame a pricst of distinction. In later years he often humourously recalled many a comigal incident connected with their first faltering footsteps in the religious life. In 1920 Fr, Herman was appointed Vicar of St, Anne's Retreat, Sutton, Lancs., and on the death of the Rector, Fr. Isidore Whelehan, in Februsery, 1923, he was clected Rector, to which office he was re-elected at the Frovincial Chapter of 1923, In 1925, he was trans-~ ferred to Herne Bay, and on the division of the former Anglo-Hibernian Province, having chosen to come to St. Patrick's Province, he was transferred to St. Paul's Retreat, Mount Argus, Dublin, where he remained until his death almost thirty years later. He was such a fomiliar figure in our midst for so many years that it is hard to realise he is gone from us, His genial smilc, his cheerful conversation, his gcnoral air of optimism were characteristic,
=~ De and endeared him, not only to his brethren but to all who knew hin, On ‘lucsday, which was his regular day for duty, he was ever ready to 1° ,con to and to console those who came to the monastery with heavy hearts, They went away happy in the thought that they had found an understanding and sympathetic fricnd, a priest of rarc quality whose kindly ministrations had cased their burden and brought healing to their souls. As a missionary preacher Fr, Herman had preached both in England and in Ireland, the majotity of his missions being in tne Dioccsos of Armagh, Down and Conor, and Dublin. His sermons were cloquent and well- prepared, and he possessed the facility of appealing both to mind and heart. In later years, as Profcssor of Sacred Eloquence, he passed on to many of our young missionerics the fruit of his experience, Assiduous in his attention to the sick, Tr, Herman spont many an hour by the bedside of those who were suffuring and in pain, Never did he spare himsclf in this work of charity, nor did he ever complain of the lebour and the hardship which it sometimes involved. As a confessor and spiritual guide he was mich sought by convents. At the time of his death he was confessor to the Carmelite Nuns, Hampton, Drumcondra, Dublin, where he was always most regular in attendance cach week, “hen thoy heard of his fatal illness, their prayers and sorrow were tokens of the loss they had sustained. Fr. Horman was a man of dcep culture, well-rvad in literature and particularly appreciative of the arts. He had a wide knowledge of paint- ing, patticularly of the Italian schools, his favourite artists being Corr€gio, Titian, Fra Angclico, Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci, When the apportunity occurred he seldom failed to visit an Art Gallery to view the works of the great Masters, ‘When in Rome for the Holy Year of 1950 he rejoiced at the opportunity of sceing those great masterpicces whose reproductions were familiar to him, For music, too, he had a keen appreciation and a comprehensive knowledge. But he was by nature of retiring disposition, and he never made a parade of his knowledgo nor of his opinions, More than this, Fr. Herman had the rare gift not only of making friends but of retaining their friendship over the ysars. Some time after his ccparture from Sutton, every child in the school wrote a por- sonal letter to him, each one saying how much they had missed hin, That is no small testimony of friendship, and it is only one incident of many, Reticent about his spiritual life, Fr. Herman was a priest of dcep - and simple piety. His devotion to the Holy Mass, to the Blessed Sacrament and to the Sacred Passion were evident in his personal life as well as in his sermons and discourses; whilst his well-worn beads cloquently attested his unfailed recourse to the Mother of God. He had given himself unroscrvediy to God's service, and when that service required - as it often did - sacrifice on his part, he did not complain. Amongst the papers and manuscripts found in his coll after death,
= Bw this little verse scoms singularly appropriate: "When I am dying, how glad TI shall be That the lamp of my life has burncd out for Thec That anguish of spirit full often was mine Since anguish of spirit so often was Thine My cherishcd Rabboni, how glad I shall be To die with the hope of a welcome from Theo," That hope was surely fulfilled in his passing. He was working about His Master's business until the day when stricken down by fatal illness. A cerebral thrombosis brought about an unexpected collapse in the midst of his duties. He was brought to his cell where he was anointed, but after some days he scemed to recover and hopes were enter- taincd that he would be spared. Alas, those hopes were in vain. On the Thursday before his death, he gradually sank into a coma, and later lost consciousness. The prayers for the dying were recited by the community on Saturday night, and for the next few days, mombers of the comminity in turn watched by his bedside with assiduous charity. Assisted by continuous prayer, his soul took to flight on January 30th and he peacefully slept in the Lord. The obsequies took place on Thursday, February 2nd, Feast of the Purification of Our Blessed Lady. Solem Requicm Mass was celebrated by Very Rev. Father Fergus, C.P., Provincial, assisted by Rev, Fr. Michael, C,P,, as deacon, and by Rev. Fr. Germain, C.P., a class-mate of the deceased, as subdcacon, The funcral was attended by a large gathering of the brethren of both Provinces, and by a representative body of the secular and regular clergy. May his good soul enjoy eternal rest! May he rest in peace? Edmund of the Blessed Virgin, Rector.
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.