Letter from Fr. Peter Bowe to Fr. Brendan O’Callaghan

Letter from Fr. Peter Bowe OFM Cap., Provincial Minister, to Fr. Brendan O’Callaghan OFM Cap. Fr. Peter suggesting that English friars only stay in Abbottstown for a few days every six months. Reference is also made to the death of Fr. Nicholas Murphy, who ‘died like St. Francis on the floor (in the Sacristy, just after saying Mass)’. Father Peter describes this sudden passing as a ‘final temporal reward’ for a life of long and faithful service.

Details

Level of description: Item
Date: 20 Nov. 1923
Reference: 5
Extent and medium: 2 pp; typescript
Scope and content: Letter from Fr. Peter Bowe OFM Cap., Provincial Minister, to Fr. Brendan O’Callaghan OFM Cap. Fr. Peter suggesting that English friars only stay in Abbottstown for a few days every six months. Reference is also made to the death of Fr. Nicholas Murphy, who ‘died like St. Francis on the floor (in the Sacristy, just after saying Mass)’. Father Peter describes this sudden passing as a ‘final temporal reward’ for a life of long and faithful service.
Repository: Irish Capuchin Archives
Context: Irish Capuchin Archives > Papers of the Irish Capuchin Mission in the United States > Missionary Correspondence > Correspondence relating to English Capuchins in the United States

Annotations

Rights

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Extracted Mentions

People, places, and terms identified via handwriting recognition and named entity recognition.

People

May(2)
Long(1)
Paul(1)
Young(1)
Nicholas(1)
ENGLISH(1)
Francis(1)
Leonard(1)

Places

Abbotstown(2)

Terms

Sample passages

With regard to the Fathers of the English Province, we were quite alive to the inconveniences that may arise from their technical location to Abbotstown, but we took it as the less…
If we refused, it would mean that the Fathers should return to England after six months' absence (see Canon 606 of Canon Law), or else Fr. General should apply for dispensation to…
Poor Fr. Nicholas died like St. Francis on the floor (in the Sacristy, just after saying Mass). Although it was sudden, it should make us exceedingly grateful to God for His great…

Full Transcript (OCR, 1 pages)

Machine-generated OCR transcript. Handwritten material may contain recognition errors.

Page 1

BRANCHSCAN CAPUCHIN FERTARY, CHURCH STREET, DUBLIN. Tueday, November 20th, 1923. My dear Fr. Brendan, Your kind letter of the 9th inst. to hand. I am glad to find that all went well with your Jubilee, and that the two young Fathers are giving a good account of themselves, etc. With regard to the Fathers of the English Province, we were quite alive to the inconveniences that may arise from their technical location to Abbotstown, but we took it as the lesser of two evils. However I think you wont find it as burdensome as you seem to think. If we refused, it would mean that the Fathers should return to England after six months' absence (see Canon 606 of Canon Law), or else Fr. General should apply for dispensation to the S. Congregation, and that he did not wish to do. Another alternative was to take a residence for themselves, which they may do, if the present arrangement cannot work, while their present need lasts. Their pressing monstery need is recognised by the Superiors in Rome, and it would all behove us to put obstacles in what seems to be the only way they can find out of their difficulties. In order to meet the requirements they must spend a few days every six months at Abbotstown, but you can arrange to take only one at a time, and none when the time is inconvenient. Consult with Fr. Joseph while you are over West, and if you find the situation unworkable later on, you can let me know. Some of us are very well, but Frs. Fidelis and Paul are failing, while Leonard and Mark are looking to specialists for their skin, and Fr. finbarr is not as well as we should wish. Poor Fr. Nicholas died like St. Francis on the floor (in the Sacristy, just after saying Mass). Although it was sudden, it should make us exceedingly grateful to God for His great mercy and goodness to him and to us. It was the final temporal reward of a life of long and faithful service, and let us hope the gate of immediate and eternal happiness. -R. I. P. Wishing you success in your Western Mission, and a holy and happy Christmas. I remain, Fraternally yours, Reg. Letter O. B. L. C. Provincial.