THE LATE FATHER GILBERT.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20097, 28 November 1930, Page 15

THE LATE FATHER GILBERT.

| requiem massand • . FUNERAL. - I . ! Wi® BRODIE'S TRIBUTE. of the. Soman Catholic daffftaßi many parts of New Zealand were present at the funeral of the Bev. !.aedj Sector of St. Bede's College, •riiektootc plaee at the Waimairi Cemetey yesterday morning. The present into the eemetery, while the Old Boys' i A»ciatioai of both St. Bede's College ! lid St. Patrick's College attended in i hige lumbers. His Lordship Bishop conducted the service at the {andb,-where the "Benedictus" was. •fflj ty'tte clergy. Theeiief mourners were the brothers: fritter of Father Gilbert, the Bev. Mttr Fergus (Auckland), Messrs W. I'ffiibtrt (Greymouth), John Gilbert ffnan), Gerald Gilbert (Manawatu), "I Miw ilary Gilbert (Taihape). The •Hieiren were: Dr. P. F. MeEvedy, Bourke and Mr J. Gieseking SlSKßtjiig St. Patrick's College Ola Mgi. Messrs L. P. Barrett (preaiwi), B. Lattimore, and F. Fogarty (ref»tiag St Bede's College Old Boya' fmtem). .. Cathedral,'where Solemn *p~jfa}niem Mass was celebrated be*®li« funeral,-was-filled with those gathered to pay-a final tribute jfi I.futiignished priest and educationSw. •.s6seinqiijr was impressive. jT s E'Brodie was celebrant, while the J. Long-(Grcyinouth) acted » ttieoa, .and ,the : Bev. Father M. j & ®-M. (St, Bede's) as sub-. J*®*- The assistant priest was Dr. S.M. (Rector of St. Mary's **®Wy, Greenmeadows), and the M.isj#Ceremonies the Bev.. Father McPP*(A4nHnißtrator), with the Bev. Qnihn as his assistant. Dea1} rS.._, 8 were the Bev. Father rJ®tertr-M.8.C,, M.C. (Sydney), a GtSS™-®®*- Father H. McDonrn. Pat rick.'s:College. k(i , w the Dead was chanted Kuja,, while, his Lordship proy>e absolution at the CataVwentaff Uv ® the P ane &> ric - Sijfci , j , ® of : educational insti"Other organisations occupy"•Shi .. been reserved for , thedral were = The Mayor 18 v.--]? 1 (^ r J- K- Archer), Mr (Town CJerk), Mr D. G. •tobn»Tn'i? r " J ' Hi S ht (Bector of S?^:C oll ege.), the Rev. E. C. Hr A ? aßter ' 6 ' f . Christ's Col- , .(.Headmaster "•» m ? ColJe e e >. ilr G. J. Lan>ftj» , ffiaster Of Christcliurch E. Cad dick **ll™ Mi Brother Magee in? 1 College), Dr.'D. E. Hansen i«iti "•?„ V fi.ojdstone (Christ- '• S° ,lege) ' Mr P ^trk-k ' a Col- - n Amodeo \ Shea, p n ge °- ld Boys), Messrs La MrfN.ii' , ercse y. p- c. waish,V(oS'H Hayward, B;«l)r. C A - B. O'Erien! . Hie * M, >fkane. w , '^ari 3t i f rn^ erc y. Sisters of Mis- - -? ers ' niemberß of th«lh' ] Dd pUpils of Cath -- • insfituti °^ of'tlf - a ? r ® the organist. «^uJ h O Vl e h r f M k „ akin g 3art ,j tjM.tte ern „" l e .. Mass, and pre- ! 8.11 7la.v- 1' deluded Bishop Cross Col- • iis^ tc hQrch^ T\-J' ®® an J. O'Donnetl Pea »-Holley, B.M. (Ti :

maru), the Bev. Fathers H. Seymour, S.M. (Beefton), M. J. Burke, B.M-, JCullen, S.M. (St. Bede's), S.. O'Connor, S.M., F. L. Dignan, S.M. (St. Maiy's), •J. Beardon,' S.M. (Maori Mission), JKennedy, S.M. (St. Patrick's College), J. Stewart, S.M. (Wellington), M. Murphy, S.M. (Napier), P. J: Smyth, S.M. (Wellington), A. L. Burger, S.M. (Act-ing-Bector of St. Bede's), C. Outtrim, S.M. (Fairlie), A. J. Cullen, S.M. (Timaru), T. Cleary, S.M. (St. .Bede's), A. Mac Donald, S.M. (St. Mary's)-J. Seymouth, S.M. (Nelson), T. Minehan, &.M; (Timaru), C. O'Beilly, S.M. J. O'Connor, S.M. (Waimate); P. Scanlon, S.M. (St. Bede's), C..O'Connor, S.M. (St. Bede-ri),' J. Hickson, S.M. (St, Mary's), R.- G. Hoare, S.M. (Wanganui), J. Herbert, S.M. (Geraldine), J. Campbell, S.M. (Temuka), B. F. Blake, S.M. (St. Bede's), the Bev. Fathers Kelly (Christchurch), O. Gallagher (Linr coin), T. Creed (Leeston), P. Timoney (Cathedral), T. Hanrahan (Biccarton), T. Browne (Cathedral), P. O'Meeghan (Ahaura), P. Hanratty (Kaikoura), C. Collins (Dunedin), L. Packer,- C.5.5.8.(Wellington), J. McKeon ' (Addington), T. W. Price (Methven), L. Daly (Hutt), J. Kilgour (Bangipra); P. O'Doherty (Boss), J. Finerty (Hokitika), J. Hanrahan (Papanuiy, P. Madden (New Brighton), Ji O'Connor, G. Daly (Addington), M. Fogarty (Darfield), P. Cooney (Lyttelton), C. Ardagh; (Dunedin), T. Halvey (Hawardeil), ;J. Henley (Dunedin), and the Bpv. Dr. J. Kennedy (Beckenham). ' Others present at the funeral included, Sir Cyril and Lady-Ward, Mr and Mrs Gladstone Ward, Brother Jailath (Sacred Heart College, Auckland), Mr and Mrs-Alfred Bunz, Mr . and Mrs T. Fogarty,' Messrs B. W, Hawke, .M.P.-,' D. F. Dennehy, J. M. Dennehy, D. Dennehy, E.-W'. Campbell; Captain W. Mur» phy, Miss M. Enright, Miss N. Enrighty Miss L. Donohue, Mr and Mrs B; Crossan, Messrs J. Connelly, H. Tr Armstrong, M.P., P, Galligan, B; Catherwood," * B; Catherwood, "S. F. Barrett, <J.. . G. O'Malley, R. B, Ryan and Mrs Ryan, Messrs P. "B'. Ryan, H. St. A. Murray and Mrs Murray, Messrs J. "B. Catherwood, B. Weir, J: McCormick, T. Sullivan, J. B. Giffordy M. Earl, Mrs M 4 Moradson (DaTfield), ,H. -T. Kearns, P. J. Corrigan, Mrs and Miss. W.^lie,-Mrs. G. ' Greenlees, .' tfrif .'A-'. J- "".'Mailey," "Mr's Kennedy, Mr E. J.'P; Wall- and ■ Mts Wall, 'Messrs P. W. .Pope- ( Wainga-n-tii J, D.'. G?Connell'and Mrs O'-Connell, • MTBVtAW>o{t <.W<!lJj.ngl?on),.; Mrter.V,. Cj. McP.hailf, Mr J. B. - Hayward r Messrs B. IIJ V.. .Winter, E. M. SjieeHy", T. .'fat.isey, tßasil" . W.hitt!omb"e",. T. ;Steph'ensV . EtO. S. ~J~. Craighead, !>-. McCorniick, B. . J. McKenna, Mr " E v . VKean and Mrs ICean, Mrji.'. iG'alv^in,'." Mr ,\y. B. Brittenderi and' .Mrs' Brltfendett, iMr, M. D- iJyan and\Mrs. Byan. ; ■ . - Among- the.- wreaths,- seat • fhose from the - fpHow.ingi- Headmastei-it of pie. Private Secondary. /Schools'.: St. Patrick's College Old Boys' Association, Headmaster and staff of the Boys'

High School, pupils of the Boys' High School, Boys' Cricket Association, Messrs Whiteombe nnd Tombs, Dr. P. F„. McEyerly (Wellington), Miss M. Skerrett, Dr. C. F. Morkano,' and the Misses Morkane. GENEROUS TRIBUTE. SEKVICE TO CHURCH AND EDUCATION. In-his panegyric, Bishop Brodie outlined " the career of Father Gilbert, and quoted Luke xii., 43: ''Blessed is he whom, when the Lord shall come, He shall- find so doing. "• /'I tvish to api>ly those words in an -espe.cial manner to the closing years of Ea:ther :Gilbert's life," he said. "Early. in; 1&29 Gilbert was appointed by. religious obedience to be Bector of St. Bede's College. My . close association with brs work enabled me to see his remarkable gifts, his unbounded zeal;..-his--wJiole-souled devotion to his work. .His one ambition seemed to be 'to spend himself and to be spent in the service of souls,"' especially in the interests-of Catholic education. I will refer to one eventful day, but yev a. .typical -day- in his"'active ve'mtier 24th, .1029, .when: hb had tbx; joy' of < solemn opening, of - the ilevotionai new College : Cliapel at St; Be do's. Bay- and., night he had e'upervised the •;work of -: construction," guiding, by his artistic taste, every step leading to the effectiveness of the whole, structure. Yet' this was only one of his many activities; his duties as Rec-' tor of the College . prompted him to widen his sphere 'of "helpfulbegs. The Newinan Society for the guidance. o£ Catholic -University* students- tob his' own foundation; the Summer School of Catholie Studies at Timaru was i-under

his special direction; he was in close association with the golden jubilee celobrations of the Convent of the Sacred Heart at Timaru. Most important of all, at that very same time, he had been appointed by the Catholic Hierarchy to be their representative to compile a statement of the Catholic education position with a view of placing it before the' Parliamentary Recess Education Committee. These duties he discharged to the complete satisfaction of the Hierarchy, and with the greatest credit to himself.. The College Chapel. "It can readily be realised that the religious and social functions in connexion with the opening of the College Chapel, associated with such a remarkable accumulation of other activities, proved too great a strain, and brought on a seizure caused by a rupture of a blood-vessel on the brain. However, after a short rest, Father Gilbert resumed work, passing through periods of extreme weakness and suffering spasms of intense pain, his great heart and undaunted will sustaining him through all. For the last' three months ho had to seek rest, and his strength gradually failed, until November -24 th, 1930, the anniversary o-f the opening of the College Chapel, -when his earthly life came to its close.. A faithful son of' the Society of Mary had persevered to. the end- in his loyalty, to his loved in-, stitute, a devoted servant had fulfilled, his mission,, a vh.ainpiou in. the cause of Catholic education.-.had...gone to his God. Of such a. death it may-be.-.said; 'Blessed he that-servant whom, when the Lord -shall wbc, He shall find so'; doing.'

: Sympathy for Staff and Students. - " As Bishop of the Diocese. 6'f Christchurch, I convey my siiiceregt sympathy tft' the staff and students of. St.- B'edc'a College. As the death of martyrs has beeri the" seed o£-Christians, may the' death of their revered Rector! be an augury of tho richest blessings in the future of the College. To the Superiors,

Very Bev, Father Provincial, and all tho Fathers of Mary my sympathy goes out; my prayer will be that God wi?l compensate for this loss by renewed and redoubled blessings on all the activities of the society. . I offer my thanks to all kind friends who have shown-such kind sympathy at the death of Father Gilbert. "I conclude with tho prayer of Sacred Liturgy for the repose of the ■soul of the departed priest, 'O God," Who lias raised Thy servant Thomas and .placed him among tho number of Thy apostolic priests, grant, through Thy Divine mercy, be may be associ-" atod -with theru in their eternal reward.' "Eternal rest grant to him; O Lord. May he -rest in peace., .Amen,'.' ■