Obituary Notice
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Fr. Raphael Nickson (1866-1938) J.X.P. St. Anne's Retreat, Sutton, ST. HELENS. April 1938. FR. RAPHABL NICKSON, .P. R. I. PP "Don't worry: Almighty God knows what He is doing. “He never makes a mistake." With these words of confidenee and resignation to God's Holy Will, Father Raphael of the Holy Rosary, whose death on 23rd Mareh saddened the Commmity of St. Anne's, consoled those around his bed#ide, a short time before he passed td his eternal reward, It was a remark characteristic of the man who spoke it, and eloquent in -its testimony of the peaceful spirit in which he accepted death from the hands of God. Born at Catforth, near Preston Lancs., on the 13th November 1866, Moses Niekson passed his early years amid the rurak surroundings of a countryside where traditions of Catholicity could ‘be traced back in an unbroken line to pre-ReforYmation days; and it seemed as thotigh these sturdy traditions had become part and parcel of his very nature, as even to the very last he took the keenest pleasure in tracing out more clearly the Catholic records of the distriet in which he was born, never moré pleased than when he found mention made in them of the part played by the Nicksona, the family to which he belonged, and whieh for generations had farmed land in the vicinity. At the age of 19, the vocation to the religious life whieh had formed within him took definite shape, and he applied to the Father Provincial of the then Anglo-Hibernian Province for admission to the Congregation as a lay postulant. He was accepted, and received into St. Anne's Sutton on Sth August 1886. In September of the following year hé Was clothed in the Novitiate at Broadway; and after his Prefession as a lay brother, he commenced with a gimple and humble zeal the various duties of his state. God works in wonderful ways. The change from the state of lay brother to that of clérie is not unknown among us, the Founder of the Passionists in these sointries, Venerable Dominic, having been himself recéived at first as a lay postulant. But it is indeed 9 rare occurrénce, requiring evident marks of God's call to the priesthood, That these marks were present in the case of Bro. Raphael we may be sire, not only from the fact of the granting of the necessary dispensations, but also from the words of encourage- ment and congratulation he received from those priests who wey'¢ had ben. novices with him at Broadway, as goon as it was made known that he was to proceed to Rome as a cleric, there to study for the priest- 1.
hood, Sixteen years after his Profession he received Minor Orders, and finally, on 29th October 1905, received the erowning blessing of hig whole life, when he was raised to the priesthood at the German College Rome. Returning the same year to England, he commenced that great work for souls which was only to cease with his death. He was a member in turn of our Communities at Mount Argus, Sutton Broadway, Glasgow (where he was Vicar), Enniskillen, Harborne (where he was Rector), and Ilkley. As Vicar at Ilkley, his knowledge of farming matters stood him in good stead, and in spite of his advanc-~ ing years he did not spare himself in the efforts he made to improve produetion on the farm. At length, in August 1935, he returned to St. Anne's Sutton, to end his days after three years at the place which fiftytwo years previously had first given him shelter ae a lay postulant. The Community of St. Anne's mourn the loss of one who, beneath the little foibles and pectlharities which old age sometimes. brings in ite train, was at heart a true Passionist and a loyal son of St. Paul of the Cross, aver anxious to practise himself and foster in others the customs and traditions of our Institute. As a confes- sor and director of souls, his kindliness of heart and wise counsels attracted to him persons of widely différing condition, who were not slow to express their gratitudé when occasion offered. His love of the Holy Mass manifested itself in the care and devotion with which he celebrated the Holy Sacrifice every day, 28 long as his health permitted, His habits were neat and methodical, and no difficulty was experiénced after his death in any of his concerns, as everything in his cell was left in perfect order. The illness which proved the occasion, but not the im-- mediate cause, of his death, was a comparatively mild form of phlebitis. This caused his removal to the Providence Hospital. As, however, his heart was found to be in fair, but not strong, condition, V. Rev. Fr. Arthur, Rector of 8t. Anne's, thought it well to adminis- ter the Last Sacraments. These Fr. Raphael received with edifying fervour. Some days later, the heart gave cause for a certain amount of anxiety, and his relations were called to hia bedside. It was not, however, until what was subsequently described by one of the doctors as 4 "toxic crash" occurred, revealing a hitherto unsuspected but deep-seated malady, that. anxiety became acute. From that time his condition rapidly worsened, and in spite of every care it became Clear that he Would not recover. He experienced about this time considerable pain, which became very severe during the whole night preceding thé night on which he died. Towards the é¢nd, however, he became more peaceful. He retained full consciousness until the last, and his death, which had been prefaced by such edifying words of resignation as those already quoted, occurred at 11 p.m. on the night of 23rd March, the eve of the Feast of St. Gabriel the Archangel. May he rest in peace, w
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.