FATHER GEORGE TYRRELL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 604, 4 September 1909, Page 14

FATHER GEORGE TYRRELL.

.'. :TJnder. the" shelter, of. the Ghutch in' which' ho. if as''Horn',) in/the johurehyard/'of : : Stbrringtori, in : Sussex,■■;the , mortal',-remaijisiof-: ; the late Father George Tyrrell were laid ■ to- .rest "on lVedriesday,.-.July\2l.-' ; T : he. Romans Catholic luthorities'hhd refused, to grant ■ hinv. jurial; but;his"friends were'rDsolvedinot.to lot lira be borne!.to' .the" grave) withoUKprayors, lor would'. they- ask • fat' the,'services: .of any jther: ehuroh. than tliaV ; in ,c -which.vhe 'died. Hierefore, 'his long-do?qt«<[,.-.fn?hd; -Abbe Bre-. nond, .unofficially' said'the-ipraycrs andble'ssed ;he 'graTe.:., ;..>■,..;'.■.'.;.'; ; ."., I| "''>'.'.''■■.'.. Y-\'.;.', ; • -■■' •When the mourners;were'asserobled at:i.the louse, the Abbe'Bremdnd .(who is;a-well-known-French Catholic ipriest: and writer),.addressed » few words to thelii ini perfect. Euglish,..conjluding as'follows:—"^Yβ.'are'going' toiasfc.'that [,' thou'gh-'unwarthy,' may ,be .tlie oiily-.pne- to speak- on this ocoasiop, and.;that;.-t)ius': wo.inay xvoid'-.the'.leasti'shadow.-of l-suspicion:,that ,'we lesiro any rkind of niariifestdtt'on.' l : .'His friends jf another/.Chnrch willVoiderstand pur .'wish, wd-their^silent; pre^ncej.willl'be; the .-.highest • form : of vsynipathy." .■..■.:.">',■-: -i.V'_t: r y ~.- ]■■■ .j : The c'ofnrii : oov.ered' with>wreatha;;-*as:..then lifted on.to/the-'shoulderS;of Jthe;bearcrsi ; and, followed by :: the wournors,' proceeded ' through the -village street, past the houses.-'with drawnblinds, to the'qniet. parish:cKutchyard, 'where, n grave had-.'b'eeri dug ori'.'a 's'poKwhibli Father Tyrrell.loyedVwell,-.andMjrhere.-.he.often.used to read and meditate.-.•;There;-"und«rcthe\6hadow, af a spreading : tr«e, his. , body.was l.ai'd-to.'rest, the' guest 'ofv the' Anglican ■■'.Church:, in which.: he: was torn.and which ~he.lei f t.itj"-hi.s<carly youth.! B6und<;his.grave' of many. Christian bodies'./; , r"v'.'i■' i 1 !.- . '. -,'■ V: '■'-' - ■ After.'the ■'Abbe :read. • the prayers in :EngHsh,'. he Jav&l'an, address in. the course of 'which, lie "said:—. ;/-,;■-.'-.'-■;■{> '■ .';'•. ■'.' see tile. place Avhicli- ;we ihave, .'lovingly, ohDsen' for.'hird; .since .was re-' fused^-iis , : '■ : Tou;see'.the .'place. V-Ke used' to "like, it, :arid ; -nl'a'ny ; ;:.ai,tinie-,.when-;-lie- ;was^living.-in the'-Priory,here;;he came'reciting his';broviary in- tHe'-yeryi,saine'path'.alo'ng^which'; L tKfey>have. dug';his;grave;4>As.you- see; , it , .-stands, half-/ way' betiveen• .tHe ; . two..,churches, .'the.-one in, which'he died,, and., the btherfin which', he was, born.i Tbu,knew how ■'deep>;was bis..merencefor, the.old: Establishnient.'j.throngh'.which; no only(;Kt|whi'an, v :bnt'Manning'.,himself l '.testified that:the :.H6ly Ghost 'bad sbee'n; • was' still w6rkingi 'for; the : greater''bcn(rtit r ;.c(f;:Englarid. When I , epeak, of this,:his-.re'vereilce, - V I leell do , not;say;.enough'. 'He loved>it;\ tow, ■ not only as;the',.hpine;of;many;. ; friondsi:;'.not .only as.thehonie of' some- of those\milUqns'.for; which .he ever cared:so';much, b'nt,,alsb'.as';the''hbme;';wliichseemed- to(wyait". to this wandering: and. exiled;; .eternity with some'.of'the'sacranientaPordinarices.which were for him; ot , so'great'a.value,--the; strength of: a religious f and. a.'sense' , of rest. So it 'was,- and-'we. need.not, try; to iconceal it.' are twice'bound to 'toll. ;th.o; plain/and. entire; truth'in-'speakingjof. himiwho feared nothing in this '.world except. the. 1 faintest-shadow of. a lie. Of.. ,his -■sacramontal ■ ■aspirationS'V we ?.-.have ,-"■'■ a touching-propf'in■ the paperi'date'd : January ,1, 1909,-in ,which,Vhe itites'fnie/wishes about his oWn,.fuheral.;!.':There he "says that'he, wished nothing.:t6.:be written on his grave .except his name',.' and''.the'- iaot ' he , was a ' Cathoho priest; ■ to 1 whioh' was ito be , added. the emblem of the 'Chalice/arid, th« ; :H6s.t—of whioh. we haVe hisiown rough'.sketch. .-Andnso'th'e spell which' the Anglican .Church exercised over him during hjs'last 'year .wasMnuch more than the ordinary' sweetness' of Ihe recollections :of child-hood;,:,"-Baf he' >3id' not -yield-.to' , the, spell, arid, tliis-is the;hard-won vietbry ;of his. faith,; and the and long-significant testimony which : b6th' his.writings:■ and.'his• interior, life render■ to'the;Roman Churclt.v.>Bear'with me, de'ir'unknown friends,:-wh6 loved-.him'so:well, we; his'.confidants of every'hour; we to whom heipenly,said- .the-worst.that"was in■ him, , and , sometimea :did ; ;'not entirely..'succeed. in. hiding

thp .best;,wo knew: tho~pathetic'struggle' whiefi seomed,\ A at times, Ho "absorb; his; activities, and we' knew", too,^withoutthe' slightest hesitation, what would'.ljeUhe-endro("the'stioggle.-.'-We knew {hat'for him the Boman. Catholic Church, as ii fact;'6to'od" for the oldest and widest', body .of corporate Christian Experience, est approximation' so ■ far attained'to ; the '■ etill" 'far-distant : ideal' 6f,. a: Catholic He clung to'tho,Church^ofhis.'conTersion : :with tho same, deep>rootediponvictiph-and the same lovo with,which he cliing to , the Gospel, and to the Diyin'o Person.'of 'out...Lord.flThe r most'' admirable bookj.soQn'to;' I be , 'published,-iwhich occnp'ied his'last raSnths-fwhioh, ij-jfear.shortened his precious monument ;of; this: his faith; ■ The;))opk ■is'called. "Christianity at the Cross-roads." •' "As for oiir own personal loss, it."is'.'bejp'fid ..words.'.' Hey was the.one to;%yhpln Ave,.turried ; in' allvour. anxieties,'arid to 'lvh'em'v'soino'ibf'us at.least owe it, that they'kept-, faithful"; toithoChutch and (the Christ. 'To. realise that now wo" shall never* hear him'again on earth would'entirely darken our lives if ; ho , had,'not.taught uS his own bitter but -triumphant ',optimism and. the present duty of hoping : ' against hope. Hope. This must be our parting:word and I feel sure ho would have liked me to end these few farewell words with the'lines of, the Christian poet'he loved .60 mnch-r'■ ;.',/.'.' Prisoner of hope thou art—look.'np'and sing' ; ' In hope of.'promised spring;' ■' ',■;,•; ■•'.; ■ 'Y As in,the pit'his father's; darling lay." ..' Beside the desert ,way; ''■',•■'};';■'■'' -: ' ' " And knew/not how,.but knew his God, would -save .". -: ■■:-; ■'- : ' >..; ;. ;■'-. ■' - : ;.■■'.-. •': '.-''/,. . Even from-that giving /grave);" 1 V>: : '■■;';■'., , " So buried with our Lord, wo dose. our • eyes To the idecaying; world,'; till rangols-bid us riso.