Obituary Notice
This obituary notice has been digitally processed from a scanned archival document. Some words may be imperfectly rendered.
_ our Province | stis= tained a severe lossy » Baddenéd by the: “death of, Fr. Michaet f Fr. Michael Watts+Russell On the 20th Marck |:ea pteeawientener tineaee and all hearts wera: |: petite cece penne wb tee 7 of’ Mary, “of the Sacred Heatt (2: | Fr. Michael was) et City on Febrttary born if the Etétnal}-: - Chtitch .. of Sait? Atidrea delle Frattés’ » saeted fotit the name ~ 6f Johti Chrysostom, -Watts-Russell — the friend of Fr. Faber “ohad, late ih 1843, tith,.1848,. arid was | baptised “in thet His father, Michael lifelong and intimate {0 -..| , Anglicati Church, | lic+-hence the family | part abroad. His “of .singtlar | sweet- Llp ae a ‘hess of disposition d deep ‘piety: the pietiire of her and her two little. girls he Oratétian Fathérs at theit country house, Sydenham. Fr, Mictiael’s tatliest education. was .técéived froth -titots who travelled with the Romé, for two imoitths.. Ia the sutitiet of that year the family went “What thotightfulness | : What fervent ptayer! 1 réally itnagined my- th ke if Usha nest three pears and: a: Half He atl in orsiés Raltiazott petforimed at the Church of fiat 4 brothers. weit. to Ushaw; thidugh thei his, Fi. Michael ever afterwards affection as his “Alita Mate were spetit in Ttaly and Fratice,, Getinany, . For some, tiie the sitgala w fatiily migrating to Atusttall tlie. tising chutch 6y < vs wotild become missionary ptiests atid _-aind becomé a Catho- Lx - lived for the tnost 7 Fa] . dining and waititig of four poor meén, at Lucca, evety Thursday, is | .- iké & passage from the life of soire medieval saint. She died Novembet [> tf, i85t. Fr. Michael was the secoitd of their thtéé sons, his brothéts |. being Wilftid and Julian. In brief visits to England, the boys were! -#feqtient. visitors to Fr. Faber at thé Londo Oratory, atid guests of F~ family) but in 1857 hé was with his brothets at the Collegio Nobili, |” if.t6 be between two. aiigels at that futiction which the Patriarch!) ~ : Pidtito.” tr 1862 the three | “was brief; only eightéet [p+ aw with 4dinifation | Btishiné was. sélected—-whete &. boys, Woilld becor ls. establish a-cdmthiunity of Catielite huns. This was,’ how- me Se aa pte Ne rant resigned his “living” |. ‘of Benefield, in the |’ feécelvitig att h 6 err ees Oe tet ete epee (1848-1912) tnothet was a woman | Vehicé, where, with Julia, hé técelved the Sacratiant of Contitma-t. 00 fi. 6H thé third Sutiday of Septembet. A priest; Don Joseph Caldeéran, | whé. was their godfather Gn thé: cctdsion, wrote of. it- afterwards.:— |
evet, abandoned through legal and faimily diffictilties. “His two brothers ae then chose a military career, atid,, through-a relative, sought for com poe a || tiissions in the Austrian army. As these could not be obtained without frowns ovine renouncing their nationality, they aftétwatds enlisted as private soldiets re in the Papal’ Zouaves, to aid in defenditig the Patrimony of St, Peter oe ‘| abdinst the Italian: revolution .thel threatening it... In the Meantime bese vores Ft, Michael had felt hithsetf called to the religious life, and had-chosen> . 4 the Congregation of ‘the Passlon. The family residence, Ilam Hall, boa Ne, | dt beautiful Dovedall, Derbyshite, at thig tite occupiéd by his grand- |: \ father, is not fat frofi St, Wilftid’s,: Cotton, where Fr. Faber had | mS “=! established Hig first cottiitnity; and where alsd. our Fathers had for a |: Foon iivaynitacet He d Retreat. There the family asgetibléd in the aututin of 1866} Sas wn ¥ to- bid John god-speed. “The! day. béfetetite eft home he had a very | ABS TH -had taken down two old. . ‘abs on them to startle hit “~ Ho | hatrow- escape of his life. His. brothert! tweed Mskets hanging in the hall,-and had put taps oe oo" with the fidise; as he, crossed thé hallitheg\took deliberate aim and _ | fired; ote of the muskets was loaded, ‘andthe: ball passed close to hig) head; his escapé he éver attributed to theyepecial protection of Out ~~ ae a ; Lady. It was of the feast of St, Michael; t866, he said good-bye to > “ ~. { his family andicame to Bioadway. This Mid the fact that Michael’ 9) oon enens ss —oownseni] Was his fathiet’s hime induced hits td ask for the natne of Michael in | "os *"o.) religion.” He‘received the habit ot the tgth October, St. Teresa’s day— © aitothér family devotion: He was now eighteen and 4 half yeats old; re a fair-haired, otitspokéen Engtish boy, ovetfowing with good spifits ©. ° and fond of all outdoor sports, 8 sttotg swittitiét and a splendid shot— | pee iy eee me Aor .| they scrambled through he always jumped.” But. tindefsall were the «°° deepest and simplest piety, and the’ tnost.. afféttionate “and trustful | devotion to Our Blessed Lady: He made hig’ religious profession of October 16th, 1867; but temained andther tioith in the novitiate, wait! . ing for' the profession of. 4 companion, with whom he travelléd to i Stitton on November t4, and.on the tollowing dayto St. Paul's, Dublin, } to commence his écclesiasti¢alistudies. His: fitst days in Dublin were | saddened by the hews—knowi ‘at Broadway thé! day before he left, but [> 1 kindly withheld from hint-of his brother Juliai’s death on the battle. -[~ “| field of Mentana, Noveriber 4td. .Thosé with Alia at the time tematked: 1” how with his sorrow, there showed itself § noble pridé that he had lox Argus; while putsuing ‘his studies; his spirittal training was tifider the _ sf @Xperienced guidance of Fr, Ignatius Paoli «(afterwards Archbishop of: ~~""| Bucharest) and Fr. Salrian Nardocel, atid his pliant. spirit wasteasily -| thotiided both to the religiotis life and the particular, obsetvattes of out Institute, Towards the coniplétion of his studiés, he received minot orders it the Church of the Carielites, Whiteftiat Street, on the eve of Pentecost, May 27th, :1872, atid the three major. ordérg at. Maynooth, oh Pentecost’ Sunday, Monday atid Tuesday, May 38th, at 1 6th. In this hé had the fare, ard to both father and son, ‘the fost - ‘sihtensé happinessafor thelt muttial, affection was teat indeed=-cf dy itaself raised to the priesthood, Th aftet years, on the cotnpletion, |"... - fof the new church at Highgate, he erected, gatheritie the, necessary. [0 i} funds froin his. fainily, the beautiful chapel: of: St. Michael with its marble altarpiece, in. tiemoty of his father, Leaving Dublii. soon | after his drditiation, hé had chatge' fot a tline’6f 4 class of atudeiits at Sutton, amongst whoti was thé late Fr. Gerard Woollett, But teach- ing’ Was not cofipenial to hitn, and it the following yéat-he was called sito Highgatt, Hete hé acted us Vicat to Fr. Viticént' from 1875. to ‘98; this was a tenewal of an ld friendship of thelr novice days, Fr. 4 Michael having literally put, the habit on Fr, Vincent, October 28th, | 4) by preaching the panegytie of St. Philip-at the Bronipton Oratory, ag he did later that to. Ushaw by giving the. students t fetreat. Ih 1878 he became ‘Rector of Broadway, and three ye wiost happily returned to Sti JUséph’s “as its Rector, e 4 we | the gates his companions clitsbed over hé. always vaultedjithe ditches -,.. - aon ne ad had a brother who had shed his*blood fofsthe Church. At.-Moune - foeposiee peor ‘{, 2oth atid goth, He celebrated his first Mass of Trinity Sunday, June |. a Gite assisted by" his own. father, who had 4 short tine before been — 1867, About this time he pald it soite sort a debt of his boytiood days |... eit Atintial {eles ele ee ee
r ee eee ‘[ the following years he was successively, Supetiot of St, oseph's, Patis, ol did the Retreat! 6f ticked Heatt,: Hetié Bayt -Aiso he held fot “thrée years the ‘éflice tf 'Sécond Pisvinclal Cunsultor, and was again . Rector of St. Joseph’s, Highgate. " oIfithe summerof 1893 he returned .to Ireland ag Rector of ‘Mount (OL) eemietery “where, under thé blessing of a large Celtic: cross, matty ‘of “:| sultét; atid-in:May,. 1899, proceedéd. with Frs.-Gregoty aids Dominic >. to'Rome.to. represent out Province at the Gétieral Chapter of the Order. >| Retithing home he became. Rettor. of St Marty's; Harbotne, and: re erected sin this. church the altar. and. communioi fail, hitherto at St. - “= Michael's; Wateham, whith had been given to tis: by-a personal friend © of his own. Though mtich attached to: Harborne, heswas hot to com- “| plete:his. tern of offict. there, for, at-the awisit: of thé highet Superiors; Phe tesigned in 1891, to také. chargé. once mote. of Si, Joseph’s, . Paris, ts _.} ad. loyal, fiedrty came the: hard blow of beitig dtiven from it. It. was _ 1] Sfbtindatipor: 7 La “dutingsthe last. few. months:thatit made: him relinauish work and “own i “ah invalid. . Whet: thé :éhd approached, hé faced: it with per: | had given. his whole. life to: 4 ith gel “| ons Holy, Thursday, April oth, :to03, that ‘he, with: four priests and two lay brothers, was expelled’ by the French Goveriment: A year later, 4 old hone ‘of ‘his novice days! The rémidining pears of his life Were 4 Sp&nt at-St» Joseph’s, Hishpate. - CUTE eS .- he talady to which. he. eventually sticcutnbed ‘had been gaining is strong: cofistitution -for sévetal years, but:it was ofily fect calriness; as oné: Who. froiti boyhood jithe setvice of God, and ‘with’a childlike ‘confidetice, never changing, the Fr. Provincial,.and-bti the 20th Match. peacefully retidered his soul 4: t6-its: Maker; he 7 , ndere He has gone. before us in the “good oddur we Chtist} oT re) Nias gathed ally But‘it ids otir loss: -fet we are. the. rich Pp by His i exatiplé, atid: when the.“Lotd come,” maywe.be “fottid watchifig®,as. er 4 faithfully as.was he: 5° ve | Argusi'? There ‘he: laid out, at: the sidé- of thé church, the: beautiful: _ | out: religious and: of out benefactors lié at fest. ‘There also, on May: *|-goth 1896, ‘he célebrated. the ‘silver jubilee of. his: priesthood, the 1 occasion being marked by the presentation of a-vety Hatidsbine jewelled | chalicé. -At’ thé chapter: of 1866 hei was again elected. Second .Con:: ‘Litt the frying tities how sten to: be approdchitig. . Thén to. his: brave | “t had ever ‘felt himself tinder :the lovitig. protection of Our Lady. .Some: {days before his death he received the last Sacraments at the hand’ of 7 : end distressed: | Jp ever fottid im hina. wealth: of practital kindness) his, seal edified: all. Ao. ly ing hes ithe sRectotship. of Broadway : becoming vacant, beheld that. office till}: ~-- ~ thé Chapter of: todg: Phas hits first:atid-last Réctorships were: i the | } (The positions of trust he held through the greater part of his priestly |... T°) tife Aecdssarily: restricted hig missionary. labotirs, to out own churches | °’. . fo ahd: the Itstitutions and works of charity:attachéd to.them in these fa he labotited With unobtrusivé but tinflaggitig ‘zeal 5 witfiess’ his dévotion |- et te thee religious: and thildtet’ of “Saifite’ Uhion” Gonvent; Highgate,- leas lohg-as he had: strength enough to.leave the housé..:His deep. piety. os 1 and :obsétvaiice of ruléy together with |his-cheerful 4nd midnly- disposie } = + «tionsiendeated him to:his brother religious) the poot and:the
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.