TWO PRIESTS DROWNED.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume X, Issue 514, 16 February 1883, Page 11

TWO PRIESTS DROWNED.

(Sydney Freeman's Journal, January 20.)

Last Friday evening word came to Sydney that two young priests, Father Michael M'Grath and Father Patrick Clarke, had been drowned while bathing at Kiama, and the severity of the shock which an announcement so dreadful and so pitiful natuially caused was equalled by the mournful and universal grief that followed. The particulars of the tragedy are given below. It appears that the good priests now dead, who were then staying at Kiama, went to bathe at Kendall's beach. The time chosen for bathing was most unfortunate for the rev. gentlemen as the sea was then very treacherous, and the clergymen not knowing the dangers by which they were surrounded unconsciously imperilled their safety by trusting themselves to the mercy of the waves, with the sorrowfully fatal result that at last they were overpowered by the strong unmerciful sea, and all helpless and exhausted, they gave up their struggles to regain shore, and the waters closed over them. A sad story indeed. Two faithful and zealous priests— lovable and beloved, pure-minded and noble-souled men. who had come from their own dear land to this new one of ours to do God's work — rising in the morning in all the vigour of youth and health, going out amidst brightness and sunshine, and carried back dead in the evening to the chapel in which they had offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

It was arranged on the ill-fated morning that Father P. Ryan, who had come on to Kiama with the Archbishop from Albion Park, should go with Fathers M'Grath and Clarke to bathe. For some reason Father Ryan only accompanied his friends to the beach. When he saw his brother priests struggling in the water, he was powerless to assist, but he at once gave the alarm and afterwaads assisted in recovering the bodies. His Grace the Archbishop, who was on a visit to Kiama, and Father Kiordan were also present at the painful scene. The bodies were carried to the church, and the coffins were decked with lovely flowers. On Saturday morning Father P. Ryan celebrated seven o'clock Mass, and at half -past eight o'clock his Grace the Archbishop officiated. The funeral procession started for the Gerringong cemetery at; half-past one, a large number of residents of Shoalhaven attending. The Archbishop performed the last sad ceremony at the grave, assisted by Fathers Riordan and Ryan, and his Grace spoke with much feeling of the deceased gentlemen.

Father Michael M'Grath was born in that historic spot in Limerick, Ballyneaty, and he was educated at St. Patrick's College, Thurles. During his college career he showed himself to be a bright and solid scholar, and on the 3 1st December, 1873, he was ordained for the Archdiocese of Cashel. Leave was, however, granted to the young priest end some companions to proceed to the Diocese of Maitland for five years to asssist his Lordship Bishop Murray. Father M'Grath arrived in this colony shortly after his ordination, and went to the Bathurst diocese for some time, and afterwards to Maitland. He was for three years stationed at Scone, and two years at the Quirindi. Liverpool Plains, mission. Leaving Maitland, Father M'Grath came to the Archdiocese of Sydney, and the Archbishop appointed him to the Sacred Heart Church. Some two years since the reverend gentleman was apointed to the Shoalhaven mission, and he was pastor of ■ that district at the time of his death. Father M'Grath was thirty-five years of age, and he has, we believe, several relatives in the neighbouring colony of Victoria. He was a singularly courteous and amiable gentleman, and his gentleness of manner and kindness of heart won him friends wherever he went. Father Patrick Clarke was born at Longford, Ireland, and he had only attained the age of twenty-six years when his untimely death occurred. The rev. gentleman was first educated at St. Mel's College, Longford, and was intended as a priest for his own diocese. At All Hallow's, where he was ordained on the 24th June, 1881, he spent six years, and in September, 1881, he arrived here by the s.s. Sorata. For twelve months he worked in the Sacred Heart district, assisting the Very Eev. Dean Leonard, and in September, 1882, he was appointed as one of the staff of St. Mary's Cathedral. Father Clarke remained about a month at the Cathedral, and after a month's service at St. Francis', Haymarket, he was appointed to assist Father M'Grath at Shoalhaven. When his Grace the Archbishop commenced his tour last week, Father Clarke was appointed to temporarily take Father Eiordan's place at Kiama, it having been arranged that Father fiiordan should accompany his Grace to the various parts of the archdiocese. The deceased gentlemen had only been at Kiama a few days when he lost his life. Father Clarke was a thoroughly good, pious priest, and remarkable for his solid virtues, and for the faithful discharge of his duties ; a man of gentle and retiring nature, modest and humble in the extreme, and with a heart as good as gold. A brother of the deceased gentleman resideß at Cootamundra.