THE LATE REV. FATHER LUCK, O.S.B.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 8, 23 February 1899, Page 15

THE LATE REV. FATHER LUCK, 0.5.8.

(By telegraph from our own correspondent.) Auckland, February 20. Rev. Father FnA>'cib Atjgustix Luck, of the Order of St. Benedict, died, after a long and painful illness, at the Bishop's Palace, Ponsonby. at t o'clock on Saturday morning-. To say that profound and poignant sorrow was felt by the Catholics of the city and throughout the diocese but inadequately conveyed the feelings of all, from the Bishop to the humblest parishioner, when the sad news spread of the death of the good and saintly Father Luck. Hia Kfe and missionary labours are a record of long self-sacrifice and immolation in the service of God and Holy Church. Father Luck, who was the sixth child in a family of seven, was born at Peckham, London, in 18 H. His father, Mr. Alfred Luck, was the youngest son of a Protestant Kentish family who resented his converaion to the Catholic Church. His con ersion was due to a sojourn in France, where he stayed with the pariah priest of Abbeville for the purpose of learning the French la nguage. Aftef Mr. Luck's reception into the Church by the Rev . Father Doyle, of St. George's, South wark, he married Clementine Golding, of Dilton Hall, near Maidstone, Kent, and shu, after tLe birth of the seventh child, died without having received the gift of faith. Of these seven children all (except the youngest, a daughter who died at nine years of age at the boarding school of the Franciscan nuns at Taunton, where she was buried) have given themselves to God. The two eldest sisters became Franciscan nuns. The eldest b other, Thomas, is now Canon in the Portsmouth diocese. The ncjxt sister became a Benedictine nun, and died in 1881. The remaining two brothers, John Edmund, late Bibhop of Auckland, and Francia Auguatin's lives and careers have been cl r pely bound together. The Benedictine Fathers, by the invitation of Mr. Luck,

settled in Ramsgate in 1854, and he generously handed to the monks the family residence of the Lucks, in which they now reside. Thus early in life the three brothers received impressions from the monks. Accordingly John and Francis, in 1860, left home and country for Subiaco, the cradle of the Benedictine order, fully determined to embrace the religious life. On November 13 they received the habit, and on November 17, in the following year, they made their religious profession. Three years later their father died, but the year previous to that event, by the encouragemement and sanction of Pope Pius IX., he was ordained Benedictine Priest. This necessitated the return to England of the two brothers in connection with their father's will. Their father had built a monastery at Ramsgate for the Benedictines, at bis sole expense, and next to it a commodious residence which now with £20,000 passed into the hands of the Order. Through the two brothers Francis was ordained priest in ISG9. He laboured many years in England and came to Auckland in 1880. His first parish was in the North of Auckland. Two years subsequently his beloved brother was consecrated Bishop, and at the oloee of the year 1882 arrived in Auckland with the present Bishop. Father Augustin rode 600 miles over rough country to meet and greet his illustrious brother — the companion of his youth and manhood. After a while Father Luck was appointed to the charge of Hamilton parish, subsequently to Kihikihi, where he laboured assiduously until within nine months of his death. He was a model priest, his parishes were model parishes ; he was also a mechanic of the first rank. The present magnificent altar at St. Benedict's, Auckland, stands a remaining monument to his artistic skill. The Bishop's Palace, Auckland, abounds with specimens of his rare work. Upon its arrival he erected and put together the cathedral organ in. Auckland. His workshop at Kihikihi was one of the sights of the place. While discharging his priestly duties in a distant portion of his parish he received a severe wetting, contracting an influenza, from which he never recovered. His people collected J6IOO and sent him to Queensland for the benefit of his health. He returned to Auckland last October, when it was apparent death's grip was upon him. Since this time he has been invalided at the Bishop's palace. Here Bishop Lenihan was ever at the bedside of his early instructor at Ramsgate, soothing and consoling his last moments. There were also with the amiable, patient sufferer constantly the Sisters of Mercy and Miss Murphy and other attendants of the Bishop's household. Dr. Darby was medical attendant. All combined to alleviate the sufferings of this illustrious Benedictine as he quietly and happily breathed his last. He was a priest worthy of all honour, respect, and gratitude. Who, unmoved, could read of the heroic struggles of this great family of the illustrious sons and daughters ? The body was first laid in state at the Convent chapel, Ponsonby, where on Saturday night the Sisters watched and prayed over the remains. On Sunday morning the coffin was brought to the Cathedral, where at 1 1 o'clock a Solemn Requiem Mass was sung by Very Rev. Dean O'Reilly, in the presence of the Bishop. Rev. Father Croke was deacon, and Rev. Father Darby subdeacon ; and Rev. Father Gillan, master of ceremonies. After Mass the Bishop entered the pulpit and delivered a touching and pathetic sermon upon the life and labours of the deceased priest. It was with much difficulty the Bishop got through his discourse, being visibly affected. The Bishop referred to the seven tablets erected, in the Luck family residence, in commemoration of their entrance into the service of the Church. At three in the afternoon the funeral cortege left. As the coffin was brought out the tones of the organ gave forth the Dead March in ' Saul.' The Bishop's carriage headed the procession, followed by carriages containing Monsignor M'Donald, Fathers Kehoe, Croke, Darby, Buckley, Gillan, Henneberry of Hobart, the Sisters of Mercy, the Marist Brothers. A large body of the laity and a vast concourse of people assembled to witness the departure of the procession. At Onehunga Monsignor Paul, V.GL met the funeral and conducted it to the cemetery. Bishop Lenihan conducted the service at the grave and spoke feelingly of the life and labours of the deceased, and the lessons which we all might, with profit, derive therefrom. The assembled clergy sang the ' Benedictus ' in a beautiful manner, and the coffin was lowered down beside that of Father Mahoney, and not far from the remains of the brother, whom he loved so dearly, our late dear Bishop, and over whom Father Luck himself wept so bitterly but three short years ago. So ended the mortal career of one who in life endeared himself to all, and was a model of what a perfect prie3t of God should be. May God in His infinite justice and mercy grant him perpetual light and happiness. — 8.1. P.