DEATH OF A DOMINICAN NUN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIII, Issue 29, 15 November 1895, Page 19

DEATH OF A DOMINICAN NUN.

We record with deep regret the death of the Bister Mary Hyacinth, siot r of the Rev Fitter O'Neill of Milton, which occurred at the boose of her Order, St Dominic's Priory, Dunedin, abont midnight on Monday last, the 11th inst, in the 31st year of her age. The deceased nun had been for some years an invalid. About six years ago she began to suffer from her head, and was placed under the skilful care of Dr Lindo Ferguson, who did all that science could do for her relief bat without effectual results. Dr Batchelor wbb also called in and with no better success. Some twelve months ago, the head trouble still continuing, symptoms of chest complaint made themselves manifest i and resort wa^ had to the aid of Dr Coug'itrey, who continued to attend on the sufferer to the last, and whose devotion and kindness towards her evoked her warmest gratitude, and can never be forgotten by those to whom she was dear. She was also kindly and skilfully treated at Oamaru by Dr de Latour and at Milton by Dr Stewart. She had been sent, in hopes of amelioration, to the houses of her Order respectively at Oamaru, Queenstown arjd Milton, finally returning a few months ago to Dunedin, where she awaited the divine call, awaited it impatiently, it might be said— if patience and submission to the will of God had not been made perfect in her. But it is on record in the hearts of those who knew and loved her best that, from her earliest years, she had been favoured by special graces, aui had led a life devoted to God and to religion. Her end was that of a suat — ler soal bemg breathed oat ia fervent prayer.

Sister Hyacinth came to New Z -aland ia the year 1881, forming one of a band of six nuns who were sent out by the late Bishop from Sion Hill Convent, Blackrock, on his first visit from Danedin to Dublin. Two of the number had preceded her to the giave — natnely the Sisters Mary Evangelist and Mary Columba. She came here a postuUot, at the age of 17— bearing in her person <ill the traits of innocence and beauty that hive made the name of the Irish girl renowned throughout the world. Her face, too, beamed with bright intelligence, and it sjemed plain to all who Baw her that thi Order had gained a m mo t Iwtmal to bdeoma a nun in Ice 1. Tne foreshadowing was so in fu filled. It was bat a little time till the name of Sister Hyacinth waa familiar in every Citholic home as a housaho d word. Th >se true discernera of character, the children, had found her out uad made her famous. By her illness and death the community have lost a member who canoot easily be replaced.

Sister Hyacinth was a native of the city of Limerick, where she was born in the year 1865. on March 25, the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin, fit natal day for one who was to become a saintly religious. Bhe was the daughter of Mr Thomas O'Neill, of Gerald-Griffin str eet— formerly Cornwallis street— a well known citizen of the town in question, and the proprietor of an extensive house proparty — am ing it the house in which Gerald Griffin was born, aud in wucb the present owner himself also first stw the light of day. Mr O Neill is likewise a man oE rem trkable attainments — a rip' L'cboUr, an 1 still a constant reader. His knowledge particularly of the hist iry a.id traditions of tie city of Limerick ia sj full and mre, that his friends arj unxioua that he should recurd it in a book. li ila aWo a mia of njted public sprit. Waja for eximple, some eight or nue yeirs a^o the Muniter Biuk was in d ingar of failure, he cime forward, and, wi h the conjunction an 1 aivice of the Very Eev Jjaep'i O'Brien, contributed io its reconstruction, and prevented the lanentible iff.ctsof a panic. The undertasing involved risk and crushing anxiety, but it resulted in a splendid success. Such men as tins are wortby of children like the Dun who has passed away. Sister Hyacinth had inherited her father's talents. Her education was conducted first at tbe school of the Presentation nuns, and afterwards at the college of Madame de Prins— both in her native city.

On Tuesday the body, exposed in the coffin, lay before the altar in the chapel of the convent. The expression of the dead nan's facp, though her features had been worn by illness, was that of ineffable peace— well suited to the holy calm of the sanctuary where she lay. Large numbers of the people came to show their re«pect and sympathy, and to offer their prayers. In the evening the men of the confraternity of the Holy Family came in by sections after their weekly meeting in the cathedral, and recited the rosary of the Blessed Virgin for the departed soul.

On Wednesday morning the remains wvre borne in procession by the nuns to the Cathedral, and placed upon the cat«falque— the coffin being closed, and covered with wreaths of fljwers. Solemn office for tbe dead and High Mass of Requiem were commenced at 11.30, tbe celebrant of the Mass being the Rev Father O'Neill ; deacon, Very Bey Father O'Leary ; sub-deacon, Rev Father Vereker ; master of ceremonies, Rev Father Newport ; assistant master of ceremonies, Rev Father Murphy. Lessons were read by the Very Rev Fathsr O'Leary, and the Rev Fathers Vereker, O'Donnell (Gore), Hunt, O'Donnell (Palmerston), O'Neill (G >re), Coffey, Ryan, and Howard. The music of tne Mass was sweetly and touchingly sung by the nuns' choir. The Very R 3 v Father Lynch, who was preacher, spoke as follows :—

Yonr prayers are requested for the repose of the soul of Sister Mary Hyacin'h O'Neill. Yoar prayers and communions will be freely offered up for her whom the children of the schools loved, whom all those who me* her highly respected, and whom ber Bisters in Christ revered as a good and faithful religieuse. It is my duty to respectfully offer the Dominican Nuns of this diocese your sincere sympathy. A few days ago they celebrated the feast of •• all the saints of the Dominican Order," anl a commemoration of all souls was afterwards male. Siaca then another member of the Order has left e«rth to join— quiokly join, I believe,— the throng of spiritual daughters of Dominic who hive exchanged the sweet Salve of supplication for tbe glorious Te Deum of victory. One wbo has been regarded as a saint by those who witnessed her daily life h »s passed away. The recollection her years wholly devoted to the Almighty and of her heroic patience on the bed of sickness assuages grief at the loss of a sincere friend and dear sister. It is my duty to offjr in nama of my fellow-priests as well as the people our heartfelt sympathy to Father O'Neill in the great sorrow which he must naturally feel at the death of his sister. In his Drese-ce I should not speak of the respect in which he is deservedly held by us all. We j .in in his sorrow and ask him to convey to the father and mother in the far-off Old Land the expression of our most sincere condolence. Heaven does not destroy natural affections. It elevate", it purifies, it takes avay what is inordinate. Holy religion, which should be heaven in miniature, does not sunder the links of fond affection which bind the members of a family together. Separation, even witb an ocean between them, does not diminish the love which nature implanted, which reason inculcates and the great God blesses. The Catholic child who enters a convent, the Catholic parent who gives a loved daughter to God, connnue to love each other, and ever pray and work for each other that all may one day be re-united before the throne of the Most High. It will be 8 consolation to the fond Irish father and the true Irish mother to learn that the c-.i!d whom they gave to tbe Church to beome the Spouse of Jesus Christ never faltered in her vocation, till, with a prayer of conformity to the adorable will of God upon her lips, she gave up her pure soul to her Creator. In reading the office for the deal a certain verse which the clergy recited seemed to me moat appropriate to the departed. Substituting merely feminine for the masculine, it can be read, " Blessed is Bhe whom Thou hast chosen and hast taken, she sball dwell in Thy csurts." We hive all, in one way or other, witnessed the holiness of her life, and her inte se devotion to duty. We have every reason for believing that a high place in the House of the Master will be the reward of the fai hful labourer in the vineyard of Him wbo declared that those who instruct others into justice shall shine like stars for ever in His kingdom. t-he was chosen by God when the baptismal waters v/ere poarei upon her brow, and her ciild life, and her girl life and her maiden life was char cterised by the same piety, the same spirit of fai h, the same charity and unselfi-ihaess, the same' fervour, which in the cloister— no doubt in greater measure — conBtantly edified the whole community. Woids of commendation were distasteful to her in life. S'le looke 1 to Gjd and never sought th 9 wirld'd ephemeral pnise. Now, when she has gone, we en, without off:aca to Ohnstim humility, say that her sole aim in tbe convent was to become a perfect religious and a faithful imitator of the mci k nnd hnnoble Heart of Jesus. How she succeeded even the children of the schools — you before ok whom she patiently and lovirgly taught— can bfar eloquent witness. God called her to \< aye home and friends. Sh > obeye i. The call of Gol required her to leave the native land she dearly loved She obeyed Her vocation required constant self-sacnfica and, in the last years of her life, heroic patience to bear intent physic il sufferings. Sne obeyed. " Fiat vohintas ttja"—" Thy will, O L ird, be dotie," was the first answer to the call to holy religion. " May the most just, the

most high, the most adorable Will of God ever be in all things done and praised and for ever magnified " was the prayer of the list moments of her life. Mary had been proposed to ber by hnr good Irish mother as a model of every virtue. ' Impice et fao secwidu?* ememplar quod momtratum est tibi " wai said to her on her entry iato the religious state. " Look, fashion yonr life according to the pattern which has been shown to you." She learned well the les?on and constantly anl successfully strove to follow Mary in. imitation of the Bacred Heart of Jt>«us. Like Mary she detested pride, an i in the words of tha Imitation, " loved to be unknown." Tie natural kindness of her heart wa<» intensified and more and more supernaturalised as tbe years went on. Consideration for others — the mark of a generous, charitable mind was a salient feature of her conduct during along and most trying illness. She was eminently a good and faithful servant of God. Her years were short, but her merit, we all believe, most be very great. Bhe was faithful to dnty and her high vocation even nnto death When wo consider her life and bear in mind the heroic patience with which s v ie endared her final illness, we cannot but feel that if not actually with God in heaven she is united to God in the home of the dear detained son la. The Chnrch inspired of God alone may canonise. However great oar appreciation of a beautiful life, our duty is not to praise but rather to pray. Gjdis an all Holy God, and nothing in the smallest way d". filed can enter henven. Before Bhe died she thanked all those who had prayed for and lovingly attended her, and requested a continuance of prayers then and after her death. I need not ask you to pray this morning, you will do so of your own accord. You will continue to pray for one who, by her work in the field of Christian education has a special claim upon us. You will pray also for younelves that you may die a happy death. HodU mihi crat tibi. " To-day for me," she says, " to-morrow for you." May we too have the consolations of religion at oar death-bed. May the priest of God be there to comfort us and give the final absolution. May our last prayer be like hers—" My Jesus mercy, Mary pray." She frequently invoked the Mother of Perpetual Buccour to help her. We can well believe that Mary was at her bedside, and that Jesus, who favoured her in His mercy and gooiness in life, received her pure soul at death, you will pray as the remains are borne ti the last resting place, thit eternal rest miy be granted to her. O Lord let perpetual light shine upon tnr. Miy shi: rest ia p?ace. Amen.

At 2.30 the remains were conveyed from lha cathedral to the burial ground of the Djminicin co-nmunity in tha Southern Cemetery, the cortege being of great length. Bei des the members of ths clergy whom we have alrea iy nam'd, the V ry Boy Faher Mackay, Adm and the Bey Father MacMullan, who hid just arrived by the train from Oamaru, took part in the carem >nies at tha grave. May the soul of the departed nun througo the mercy of G»d rest in peace.