Obituary Notice
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Br. MICHAEL Behan (1822-1907) - - Ab 5 o*cleck in the afternoon Hovesber 9th (1907) occurred ‘the death of Reve Bro. Michael, whese venerable figure was for many years familier to the swhrahipers. at the shurch of Holy Croas, Ardoyne, Belfast.. ee The deceased had attained the age of 85 and wes.59 years in the order, having - joined et Aston Hall in Staffordshire, which was then the novitiate house of ‘the , Passiorists, et a time when the journey ‘there from Ireland occupied five days.. _- He was born in Dublin in 1822 (Feb. 22nd) and reseived the habit in Te48, _ arriving at Aston Hall on 29th September, the feast. of St. Michael the Archangel. ‘The ‘Superiors who received him were the Very Rev. Fr. Dominick, C.P., of the Hother of God, and the Rev. Fr. ignatius of St. Paul. In consequenve of the fact that he ‘arrived at the novitiate house on. Ste Michael's Day, he was named Br. Michael. He was professed Oct I9th 1845. - 7 ws His reminiscences of the early days of the order in England were very interesting, dealing as they did with the struggles which had to be made when Catholics were ao few and the religious habit was such & novelty in the country after the penal times. Im the course of his long religious life Bre Michael yesided at nearly ell the houses of the anglo-Hibernian Province of the Passionist Order and during the last. . 36 years he lived contimonsly at ardoyne. hie was a familiar figure io both the oid and new churches #t frdoyne, and up to the very end of = long and saintly © carecr was blessed with a robust constitution. On the Vigil of the Feast of All Saints, however, be contracted a chill and sank rather rapidly owing to his advanced years, passing away most peacefully after having received the Sacraments at 3 otcleck in the afterncon.of Hovesber 9th, - ‘Paose who attended the Holy Cross Church will miss the familiar figure of the venerable brother whose devotion in the presence. of the Blessed Sacrament where he spent eo mane hours of the day was a source of greatedification to all. After his devotion to the Blessed Sacrament his reverence for the Mother of Ged was the west conspicuous trait in his character, and this was especially notable during the trying hours preceding his death. _ & 7” BEI4 DATE CF ORIGIN year month day I SERIAL Ne. GATE OF ENTRY jos 4 i973 @) de yerr month day > Skene pep way pene PASSIOSGCST FACHENS
06 one weep. IJfis agony was simply terrible. Speechless and restless, he passed the entire per- iod in sighing deeply, turning his head from side to side. It was in this veritable martyrdom, whose bitterness God alone knoweth, he breathed forth his blameless soul. Tt was the very feast of Our Lady, the Welp of the Agonizing, and the vigil of his patron, St. Simon the Apostle. d2 Bro, Michael of the Seven Dolors Died Noy. 7, In Holy Cross Retreat, Belfast; St. Joseph’s Province. This good Brother was received into the Con- gregation by the most distinguished Passionists of the Anglo-Tlibernian province: I, Dominic of the Mother of God, and I’. Tenatius of St. Paul. So perfeetly did he inherit their spirit, that all their virtues seemed reflected in him. He was the last of the early pioneers, and his fellow re- ligious were justly prond of him. He never tired of rehearsing the trials and the snecesses of days long gone by, nor did his hearers weary of listen- ing to the venerable old man, so interesting and exact were his recollections. He contrasted the venturesome beginnings of onr Congregation in England and Treland, the few and widely seatter- ed religious of those early days, with all that has since taken place, and seemed never satisfied in praising the sweet Providence of God who bless-
97 ed the little grain of mustard seed planted by F. Dominic, making of it a great tree, with its vari- ous Retreats (ike so many branches), and a good- ly number of fervent Religious (like its flowers and fruits). : Bro. Michael was born in Dublin, the capital city of the ancient kingdom of Ireland, on Feb- ruary 22, 1822. In the 26th year of his aye, he entered our novitiate, and on Oct. 19, 1849, he made his profession. His secular name was Thomas Behan. During his long life of 57 years as a Passion- ist, he was employed in the various Retreats of the provinee in nearly all the offices discharged by our lay-brothers; but the two that he exercised the longest were questing and being sacristan. For the last sixteen years of his life he was al- ways busy in Holy Cross Church where with the greatest diligence he looked after the neatness and orderliness of the sacred edifice and all its appurtenances. He made use of his nearness to the sanctuary to cultivate a special devotion to the BY. Sacrament; and when his work was over, he consecrated all the time that remained kneel- ing in prayer before the tabernacle; and whilst thus engaged, his whole demeanor was so recol- lected, that both at home and abroad he was look- cd upon as a saint. For some years he suffered sc much from rheumatism, that being unable to do any domestic work, he profited thereby to de- vote still more of his life to the worship of his
98 Hidden Lord in the sacrament of his love. [is tender heart was almost equally attracted to our Bl. Lady; and giving rein to his natural aptitude for versification, he delighted to compose devout little hymns in honor of Jesus and Mary. These _ holy names were frequently on his lips his whole -life long; his last hours were likewise sanctified and made most edifying, by his untiring repeti- tion of them. When his death was known to be nigh, the sacraments and comforts of Tloly Chureh were administered to this her faithful child. Tle re- tained the full use of his senses to the very last, tranquilly breathing out his soul on the morning of the Tth of November. Ife was the first to be interred in the little cemetery adjoining the Re- treat. 43 Confr. Joseph Mary of Jesus Died Nov. 8, at Mondoneto, Spain; S. Heart Province. This dear little angel of a boy, forestalled by divine grace, had from his tenderest years so elear a knowledge of heavenly things that almost from the dawn of reason he resolved to abandon the world and become a religious, that thus he might know and love God all the more, and all the better. He became acquainted with our In- stitute thrw some of our good lay-brothers em- ployed on the quest, and was so attracted to it that he wanted not only to become a Passionist zg *at a
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.