Obituary Notice
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Fr. JOHN BAPTIST Byrne (1856-1908) Rother. John.n Baptist (Byrne) of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. = Be On Jane ‘Tat 1908, the Provinge of St. Joseph énatairied a airy nevere loss da the death of Fr. John Raptist, in the 52nd year of hia ape. ' ‘Hig death waa not unexpected, as it came at the end of a severe and protidoted Allness, yet it was not until he wae gone fron emonget us that hie brethren realise the severity of their loss. Born at Blackbrock, Co. Dublin, Mateh Sth 1056, 1% will be geen that when the ' end came he had but reached the prime of hie life. He entered the Novitiate 4r 1886 and was profegaed on the 9th April 188i. Ais student life wae epent in Belfast) _ where he wes ordained in 1685. for about a yeer after his ordination he filled the office of Director of Students in Suttons He was then moved to Glasgow where he ié | still well remembered, though he spent but 2 yeara there principally in parochial work, From Glasgow he was moved to Dublin where for 15 years his lite was devoted to missionary work until he waa appointed Vicar ef Belfast: Hera the closing years of his life were passed, 3 as Vicar and about tuo and a4 half’ in impaired health ¢ @ member of the community. . Bat the chronology of Fr. John Baptist's life is the least interesting. portion | of it. To him time end place were of little account, except in so fur ag they & > offered him opportunities of excercising his unbounded seal fox thé salvation of - souls. It was his most striking eharacteriatic. Gifted by nature with & keen | intelligence, great fluency of expression, pincére piety and & sympathy that adounte to a tenderness for the suffering, he was thoroughly equiped for the work of the © missions, atid as he never did things by halves, but acted on the prinviple that if. thing were worth doing it wae worth doing well, it 48 no wondéy that he achieved resulta as a missionary which were ‘in keepng with the energy, and untiring zeal which: he devoted to the work of the missions, 1% would be hard to dd even scant juétic to the memory of Fr. John Baptist, for the whole heurted way in which he sacrificed himself for his neighbours salvation. From the time that he joined tie missionary © staff his Life wae one continual round of labour, and éven thé short respite betwee missions was no relaxation to him. His return from migeions wad eagerly watched by penitenta, who flocked to him in euch numbers, that the few days which the Holy Rul allows for rest after missions, were almost entirely devoted to hearing confessions No one whe has rot lived with him can have any idea of hi# ceaseleso labours,‘ especially during the 15 years he lived in Dublin, and it need be no wonder that hi constitution, robust though it was, gradually gave way undor auch wevere exactions, It is no exaggeration to say, speaking humanly; that Fr) John Baptist hastened his = death by many years, by spending himself without sounting the coats for the salvation of his neighbours. : His seal, however, was not of the fierce order. He could at tinds be eoussd té indignation in denounging vice and vehement in unmasking thé woes to come, but alsoil| 41] hie conquests were won by gentleness and aympathy, and 44 becauie a Passlonist, hi; was most effective when he spoke of the Sufferings of our Redeemer. On thie topié. no one could listen to him without being deeply mowed and feeling that the speakex : had made a special atudy of Christ and Him Crucified. Ko wonder then that the - Confraternaties of the Cross and fassion over Which he presided both in Dublin and. Belfast increased to such numberds under His enlightened and pious guidance. This short notice of his Life would be very incomplete without sone reference: to the admirable patience and resignation with which he bore hia long and trying ite ness. He wan naturally of a very bright and cheerful disposition, and he wes con spicuously a courageous man. These two qualities sustained hia during an: illness” that would Aave made an ordinary patient despondent ana gloomy, ‘He fought hard 4 regain hie atrength that he might still labour for some yours for the salvation of © sould, but when once he realised that hie course was run, or that even should he res: cover partially he would be an invalids he had no firther wish to liva, bot in # epirit of earnest piety set about preparing for the ends For months he bore his inoreasing infirmities without, more OF complaint, cheerfuls souragenusy resigned, a Ae
. fe ns te bk eek ak ee ert ote whee ed hae ee i we ice Mm ors wk en ee te ae, ee Laie ek et ded me aan eee oh La Soh eel en, he evaited the and. ‘Death seewed to have no ‘terrors for hiny baoanse Life had bu _ few vegrete, and dovbtlesas during hie last hours, he was consoled by the memory of his arduous Ute and sustained by the prayers of the thoudands whom he Had aided in the atrugegle for salvation. with all the blessings which religion provides for th dying hig pire sonl paseed from aarth at 4 ofaldok on the first morning of 1908. tha Bishop of the Diécase, the Vicar (leneral, over 20 secular prisste and ait the feprésentative lnynien of the ity, at wall as the poor of the éietriot whom he leved lire a father, attended hia obsequies. Hie remsine lie in the beantiful _ Little demetery whith has recently heen ene). oeed in the grounds of the Retreat at. Holy CRAB. Ardoyne. — - RelPs . i m7
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.