Death of a Notable Sister of Mercy

New Zealand Tablet, 19 January 1922, Page 23

Death of a Notable Sister of Mercy

(From our own correspondent.)

r The death occurred at the Seatoun- Convent, Wellington, on Tuesday, the 10th inst., of the Rev. Mother Mary Cecilia (Benbow) at the age of 81 years. She was one of the first nuns to come to Wellington, and had a record of over half a century’s service for her Church. She was beloved by all who had the privilege of being associated with her, and her death has come as a blow to those who were her colleagues. The late Mother Mary Cecilia. Benbow had an eventful history. She was born on May 22, 1840, in Birmingham (England), and was the eldest of six children. Her father-, died when she was eight years of age, and her mother turned her attention to religious work. In London, she was associated with those persons who rekindled the life of the Catholic Church in England, such as Daniel O’Connellfor it was not long after 1847 that the young widow moved to the capital Lady Arundel, Surrey, Miss Gladstone, and Fathers Faber and Ignatius Spencer, members of the now famous galaxy of “Oxford converts.” The late Mother Cecilia was her mother’s constant companion, except for the short time she was at school with the "Ursuline Nuns at Boulogne. At fifteen, she showed marked artistic talent, and was admitted among the artists to “copy” at the National Gallery, where she sketched beside her mother, who was also a talented artist. Then the eldest son of the Benbow family went to Victoria, Australia, and in December, 1857, the family having followed him, Miss Benbow entered the then struggling Convent of Mercy, in Melbourne, which was at that time the only one in Victoria. She received the religious habit and white veil on June 9 of the following year, and was professed on August 28, 1860, by Bishop Gould afterwards Archbishop Gould. In 1873, Sister Mary Cecilia Benbow and a companion Sister were permitted by Archbishop Gould to accept an invitation from Wellington’s then small Catholic community to come to their assistance (this was after Bishop Award’s death, and the see was vacant). They landed .on July 2 of the same year, and founded the nucleus of St. Mary’s Convent and schools, besides St. Joseph’s Providence, which had been built by Sir George Grey and endowed. There was a rented shop-school, in the Te Aro parish, but the mother assistant who founded it and kept-it up was in ill-health, and soon- died, leaving seven of the original community to mourn her loss. Sifter Mary Cecilia was. elected Mother Assistant and Mistress of Novices on May 23, 1874. On September 21, 1876, she, with a novice companion, left for Europe via Suez, for the purpose of seeking monetary help and securing school Sisters — of all visiting the Pope to get her mission blessed by his Holiness. She carried many credentials, including three letters in Latin, French, and English, from her first superior, Dr. Redwood, Bishop of Wellington. Of' that trip, one who knew her well writes: — “Mother Cecilia had no money— Rev. Mother had none to give her, save a few shillings, as no bank account had yet been opened. But two generous young ladies of the congregation paid her passage as far as Rome, She entered Romo at dawn on the Feast of the Presentation (November 21). It -was difficult to find friends, but after a few hours’ hunt the New' Zealand Sisters obtained lavish hospitality in the mansion of a lady who lived next to the Quirinal Palace. Mother Cecilia obtained an audience with Pius IX. -without any difficulty, and he listened to her most graciously and granted all her requests, ’including special blessings on all who should join or in any way help the necessitous Welling-' ton community. She then pent into Germany as far as Paderborn. Bismarck was driving the religious Orders out of the land, and Mother Cecilia thought to relieve him of some of them. . To that end she interviewed the “exiled”

Confessor Bishop of Paderborn, who was found clad in a peasant’s frock and without his ring, in a poor part of the town administering the affairs of his distracted diocese. But the nuns of the various. .Orders preferred to migrate to friendly Holland. “After much seeking, Mother Cecilia found in the British Isles all she needed for St. Mary’s Convent, and/the far west coast of New Zealand. . During her three weeks’ stay in Rome Mother Cecilia wrote to Ennis Convent, a groat missionary centre, begging a small foundation for the Rev. Father Martin, of Hokitika, stating that their passage from the coast was lodged in an English bank, but the good Superioress was forced to decline the invitation as only recently a foundation had been sent *to America. However, by the time the New Zealanders reached Ireland the gaps in the conyent were filled up, and the Superioress was most willing to give Sisters to the Antipodes if any would volunteer to go. The Rev. Mother Mechtilde Boland, foundress of the Christchurch Mercy Convent, was Mother Cecilia’s first volunteer. “A special Providence watched over three small bands subjects that were dispatched during those two years, he last batch was ready to depart for New Zealand by tho Avalanche, and great was the Mother’s disappointment when the shipping officer announced that it Had its full complement of -passengers and cargo. The ill-fated ship went down in the Channel with all hands, save one The Mother had to divide her large party on the return journey, and she reached Melbourne by the Lusitania, before the Ennis Foundation of eight professed Sisters and two Postulants, who had been travelling by the Garonne. All met, however, at Melbourne, and started together for Wellington, where they arrived on October 4, 1878, and were accorded a very grand reception.” <, For hiany years Mother Cecilia filled various high offices in the Order. During the past 12 years she had lived a life of prayer and retirenfent-at the Seatoun Convent, where she endeared herself to all. The funeral took place on Thursday morning, the 12th just. Solemn Requiem Mass was celebrated at the college by Rev. Father Connolly, assisted by the Rev. Fathers Moloney, S.M., and Griffin as deacon and subdeacon respectively, Rev. Father Smyth, S.M., Adm., being master of ceremonies. His Grace Archbishon Redwood and his Grace Archbishop O’Shea were present in the sanctuary, together with the following clergy: Very Rev. Dean McKenna, Rev. Fathers F. Cullen, Adm.,’ Walsh, C.SS.Mj Bowden, S.M., Silk (Auckland), McDonnell, S.M., ami O’Donnell. The Sisters of Mercy* sang the music of the Mass. The Rev. Father Connolly officiated at the interment at the Karori Cemetery. Members of the Hibernian Society (Bros. J. F. Taylor, T. O’Brien, M. J. Kennedy, and P. D. Hoskins) acted as pall-bearers. The funeral arrangements were carried out by the new Catholic firm of funeral directors— Messrs. J. E. Taylor and Sons —R.I.P.