Obituary Notice
This obituary notice has been digitally processed from a scanned archival document. Some words may be imperfectly rendered.
Fr. THEODORE Matthews (1904-1967) CSL A RY sree = seam ns care ne oe ames Reverend Father Theodore of Saint Gabriel. When Father Theodore entered a Nursing Home on Monday, 20th. March, it’ was thought to be nothing more than a routtine check for his chronic heart condition. But upon his admission to hospital, it was quickly ascertained that his condition was causing anxiety to the doctors; his strength rapidly deteriorated and his déath took place rather unexpectedly on the following day, Tuesday, 2ist. March 1967. A native of Belfast, where he was born on June 19th. 1904, James Anthony Matthews grew up under the shadow of the twin towers of Holy Cross Church, Ardoyne. Living in the Passionist parish, incidently the only parish in all Ireland entrusted to the care of a religious Congregation, young James Matthews was well acquianted with the Fathers. In fact, his elder brother, Father Frederick, had already entered the Congregation. Yet when he was deciding upon his own vocation, his choice fell upon an exclusively missionary Congregation and he entered the Society of St. Columban commonly known as the Maynooth Mission to China. His preliminary studies were made at St. Columban's College, Dalgan Park, but as time went on, his vocation matured and his patn became clearer, He decided that his future lay with the Passionist Fathers. Entering the noviciate at St. Gabriel's Retreat, The Graan, Enniskillen in 1924, he made his religious Profession on June 7th. 1925, taking the name Theodore of St. Gabriel. Was this, perhaps, an indication that St. Gabriel had helped to direct his vocation to the Passionistss He completed his theological studies at St. Paul's Retreat, Ilkley, Yorkshire, where he was raised to the Priesthood by Rt. Rev. Mgr. R. Cowgill, Bishop of Leeds, on January 13th., 1929, The chronicler has noted that 'it was the largest ordination seen for many years in the Diocese of Leeds! sixteen Passionists being ordained on that occasion, Immediately after Ordination, Fr. Theodore purpued a course of post-graduate studies at the Angelicum University, Rome, where he received his Doctorate in Yaceeeny On his return to+- Ireland, he was appointed Lector of racnoy at St. YARNS Retreat, Moun “reas, Bobi! At a later date, he vas Vice~Rector of Mount Argus and also Vice-Rector of Holy Cross Retreat, Ardoyne, Belfast.
oe ‘wre. “Most of Fr. Theodore is’ pricatly life WAS 5 however, devoted to the missions and in the event, ijteean be seen that his vocation was truly providential, In 1936 he volunteered for work in the Passionist Prefecture of Kondoa-Irangi, where he acted as Educational Secretary for the newly- . - established mission. Writing of his first impressions in The Cross, . Fr, Theodore said: "I shan't say that I have to smile now when I recall the Africa that I had pictured to myself, but I will say that it is very different from the Africa that I found ~- the renl Africa. Not that there is not jungle and native and scorching sun, aye and missionary and mudhut,too. But civilisation has been doing its best to make an impression for the last forty years, and has to some extent succeeded" (The Cross, Oct,1936, page 237) It is curious to think that those words were written more than thirty years ago - and how much Africa has changed since then! But for Fr. Theodore,. Africa was the main and abiding interest of his life. "We Passionists are not finding it any easier than other missionaries," he wrote a little later, "and although we are doing our best, we all realise there can be little hope of progress without the assistance of those at home." When World War 11 broke out in September, 1939 and more especially when Italy became a belligerent in May, 1940, the mission situation became one of extreme difficulty. Because the Italian Passionists were technically ‘enemy aliens! they were interned by the British authorities and at one blow the mission was stripped of its effective personnel. Fr. Theodore found himself in a position of great delicacy where the most exquisite tact and the most expert diplomacy were required to avoid offence to anyone's susceptibilitior. The Holy See appointed him Apostolic-Administrator for the duration of hostilities, Fr. Theodore appealed for the services of some Irish Passionists, who, being from a neutral country, were acceptable to the British authorities.. He then successfully carried on the work of the mission witha skeleton vetaff. Finally, when peace was restored and conditions returned to normal, the Italian | Passionists were able to resume their work on the mission, now the Diocese of Dodoma, Tanzania. It had been saved for the Church and the Congregation by Fr. Theodore's courage and enterprise. It was, therefore, only to be expected that when a new mission in Bechuanaland was entrusted to the Province of St. Patrick, Father Theodore should have been appointed to lend the pioneer band to the new territorys His experienced hand guided the first steps of the mission and laid the foundations for future progress. It is a measure of the success of those early efforts
that the territory is now erected into the Diocese of Gaberones under Bichop Urban Murphy C.P. Personally of a retiring disposition, Fr. Theodore was never one to seek the limelight of publicity. He was sparing in speech and gentle in manner, At the same time, he had a keen sense of humour which occasionally flashed out in a witty comment or a quiet remark. In later years, his heart complaint did not permit much strenuous work but he was much in demand for convent retreats. For this highly specialised task, his wide experience and sympathetic character rendered him eminently suitable. It is no small tribute to his life that two flourishing missions in Africa owe much.of their success - and in one case their very survival - to Fr. Theodore's strength of character and unsverving devotion to duty. He has indeed, served the Congregation far beyond the call of duty and for that reason alone he has eared our undying gratitude and our unfailing remembrance. To his two brothers, Father Frederick and Father Kevin, our sympathy is extended in this bereavement. MAY HE REST IN PEACE os 3 ervea tad 4 fy . ° of the faceed Ja Cand [ ; fre. CE ; at : r f f Setientert a / Wea. “f , c
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.