Obituary Notice
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Fr. MARCELLUS Malone '( 1886-1958) J. xX, P, PATHER MARCELLUS (Malone) Of THE SACRED HEART In keeping with the family spirit so honoured amongst us, the passing of any of our Religious casts over the Retreat in which a death takes place the inevitable gloom coupled with the atmosphere of fraternal sorrow end loss, But it is no exag- geration to say that this was especially felt in the death, on July 5th, 1958, of Father Marcellus of the Sacred Heart - a momber of the Community of Holy Cross Retrsat, Belfast, where he had lived for well over thirty years, Father Marcellus's secular name was Esmonde Walter Malone. He was bor in Edinburgh on March 20th, 1886, but, from the days of his childhood, had his home at Gorsy, Co, Wexford, and, consequently, regarded himself as "a Wexford man." As a boy, he recsived his education in England at the well~know Prior Park College, Bath, Whon he first camy amongst us, ho was in his twenty-first year, and thus a little older than most of his classmates, While be was on¢ of the last to enter the old Novitiate of Anglo-Hibornian Province at St, Saviourts Retreat, Broadway, in Woroestershire, he had the unique distinction of being the first Passionist professed in [relend - a distinction of which he was very legitimately proud and of which he loved to boast in his own emphatic and inimitable way, His Profession took place on November 15th, 1908, at St, Paul's Retreat, Mount Argus - wheres our Novitiate was temporarily situated for almost a year betweon its transfer from St, Saviour's Rotreat, Broadway, to the newly-acquired Retreat of Blessed Gabricl at The Graan, Enniskillen, which has been the home of our novices since the Spring of 1909, After. bis Profession hs remained in St, Paul's Retreat as a student; and he was ordained in Dublin on March 8th, 191,, His first years in the Sacred Ministry were spent at St. Mungo's Retreat, Glasgow, Here he found many and varicd outlets for his unbounded activity and unflagging zeal; and those who have since lived there aro happy to testify that, oven twenty and thirty years after his departurs from this seene of his carly labours, his name has becn, and still is, held in deep veneration ond grateful momory, The instruction of converts, sympathy towards the sick, pastoral solicitude and success in parochial work, kindness in the confessional, popularity in the pulpit, love for little childron, the promotion of religious vocations: all these, as well as other unrecorded spiritual triumphs, were part of the harvest of his younger years, Before he had reached his fortisth year, Father Marcellus was transferred to Holy Cross Retreat - where he spent the remainder of his Lifes, Por some years after his coming to Belfast, he was Lector ~- having as his main subjects Mathematics and Greck - ot our Alumniate then situated, from its acquisition in the last months of 1923, ot Wheatfield, Crumlin Road; but, while thus engaged, Pathor Marcellus remained resident at Holy Cross and went for a fow hours daily to the Alumiate for his classos, Those who were thon Postulonts - most of thom now Passionists - retain the happiest and most grateful memories of his timo amongst them, Fo had tho facility or knack of combining devotedness to duty with an almost extreme or excessive leniency; so much so that ho was often mildly, but not unaffectionately, criticised for "spoiling" his pupils or, as the saying goes, "killing them with kind- ness," Nevertheless, his work was well done as evidenced in successful examination results, 4Llso in the vsarlier years of his long residence at Holy Cross, ho was the popular and devoted Director of the Women's Branch of the Confrotomity of the Sacred Passion, . Its then enormous membership, composed of hundreds fron every part of Belfast was the legacy ieft by the late Father Patrick of the Blessed Sacrament, Father Marcellug laid no claim to the original enrolment of the vast numbers _ assombled week after weak but to tho lattcr must go the credit of fully maintaining these record attendances during his Directorship.
A musicion of unquestionable standing, he had omple scope for the exercise of this accomplishment at the fomous organ in our church - said to be one of the finest modem installations of its kind and period in the North of Ire land, It is no exaggeration to say that he could make it "talk", so to spe He regarded it as his own aare and concern, constantly timing and tomding it, ‘His love of liturgical musie also made him often the oslebrant of Solerm Mass and, till the year before his reaths he of fi. ciated unfailingly at the Sacred Cermonics of Holy Saturday or Easter va . Perhaps the apostolic spirit of this worthy Passtonist was pre-eminent ly evidenced in his untiring devotedniss as a cofessor, Throughout the years at Ardoyne, every Thursday - which was his day 'on duty' - brought large numbers to his confessional, while again on Saturdays, moming as well as evening, he was always there; ever patient, kindly and cheerful, And when, in his later years, the Rector had to insist that a day's work of well-nigh twelve hours, with but short breaks for ths meagre moaals that he took, was too great for his uncomplaining willingness and 2zal, he begged, despite a slight deafness, to be still allowed the consolation of this priestly work from the last Mass till well into the aftermoon, On the fore-noon of every Saturday scores of little children, by whom he was loved, flocked to "the top box on the left" - as his confessional was familiarly nom - where they ware grested with a smiling salutation and genially dismissed in happy Sinlcsmsss, Hs was also the much-soupht confessor of large numbers of the dioozsan clergy who had grateful experiences of bis kindly counsel and spiritual help, while unnumbered Belfast laymen - mainly of the business and professional class - looked for but one namo when they came for Confession - that of "wee Father Mares llus," We are often inclined, understandably and pardonably no doubt, to overstress the axiom or spiritual adage: "Nihil de mortuis nisi bonum" in our charitobie references to our dear dead, but thers is no such inclination or temptation in writing these lines to the memory of one whom the present generation at Ardoyne will never cgase to miss end mourm, Wea sum up by saying that the virtues ond achievements of the late Father | Maresllus number mony more than those herein recorded, We who Lived with him could speak of his obligingness, his constent readiness to step into any broach, bis humility, his paint wit and the good humour born of inner contentment, his simplicity and suilelessmess, and not lsast of all his gentloness md gentlumonliness, Roughness ond rudeness were utterly foreirm to him, ond his strongest exclamation ~ or even imprecation ~- was "Oh, help!" During the last weeks of his incurable illness we saw him suffer with a serenity seldom surpassed, For him, oncoming death, of which he was wall aware, scomed to hold no terrors, He spoke of it calmly and with no distress or dread, With his rector's ready consent he choses the site of his grave in our little oemetery under the sheltering branches of a nearby tree, He even alluded jocularly to details connected with his funeral! And maybe the brightest gem in his crown was his simple and deep devotion to Our Blessed Lady, During the Inst long night prior to his death after daw, he recited Rosary aftor Rosary, and Mary's Béads were still warm in his fingers at his last breath, And surely it was but a fitting reward that this devoted son of Saint Paul of the Cross, who had dispensed grace and brought peace to countless souls, had God's Priest at his bedside throuzhout that last night of his life on this carth, ond that it was only a matter of mero minutes after his last reception of Holy Viaticum that his good soul left this world! May he rest in Peace, (ALEXIS OF THE MOTHER OF SORROWS ) Holy Gross Retreat, | Rector, Belfast,
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.