FUNERAL OF SISTER MARY AGNES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5073, 27 June 1877, Page 3

FUNERAL OF SISTER MARY AGNES.

The funeral of Sister Mary Agnes, who died at the Convent on Saturday evening last, took place yesterday morning. We believe the young lady commenced her noviciate about three years ago, and took the black veil some twelve months since ; but ever since her admission to the Convent she had been suffering from pulmonary consumption. Sister. Mary Agues was a passenger by the Eangitoto on the occasion of its being wrecked near the French Pass, and had a very narrow escape from being drowned. The cold which she then took resulted in the settlement of the dread disease upon her, and of late it became evident that she was not long;for this world. Dr. Grace was in attendance, but his efforts proved of no avail. Yesterday morning Eequiem Mass was said. The Rev. Father Yardiu acted as celebrant, Rev. Father McGuinness as deacon, and Rev. Father Claffey as sub-deacon. There was a very large attendance at St. Mary's Cathedral, and after the office for the dead had been gone through, Father McGuinness, whohadbeenappointed, delivered the following discourse :—My dear sisters, allow me to say a word to you before you take your last farewell of all that remains of your late sister. _ It is hard, however, to speak of the dead in presence of the dead, especially of one whose virtues we have known, and whose loss to us is all the more sensible. The death of the negligent Christian creates in us a certain anxiety, arising from the fear that he may have been lost ; but the death 'of a good religious makes us feel more for ourselves, that is, for what is certainly our own loss. This is, perhaps, a pardonable weakness, a pardonable selfishness, in which we all more or less share. My brethren, Ilcec est virgo sapiens ct una de namero pmdentum. This is a wise virgin, and one of the number of the prudent, for she cluse " the better part, which shall not be taken from her." In the bloom of her days, when the world is bo fascinating for others less wise, she seeks a refuge from its deceitful charms in the holy silence of the cloister. She consecrates the flower of her life to the service of God and religion, well knowing tint it could not be consecrated to a bettor or moro deserving cause. She consecrated her life—which proved to be shorter than she anticipated—to the service of the sick, and the poor, and_ the young, according as obedience should direct her. Having finished to satisfaction her probation as novice, she was permitted to make her final consecration to God in the Order of Mercy ; and not many months have passed away since we saw her pronouncing her solemn vows and engagements before this very altar. Here, on this hallowed spot, she promised to live a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Here she took the veil that was ever to hide her from the view of the world. Here she received the ring of her espousals, by which she en"aged herself to 3esus Christ alone. Since that day she has always proved herself faithful to her engagements, faithful to her faithful spouse ; and here she comes again for the last time, bearing with her the wiino veil and the same ring as pledges of her faithfulness, to demand a ratification for eternity of the nuptials she had so auspiciously celebrated on the day of her profession in this church. Veni sponsa C'hristi, &c.—" Come spouse of Christ and possess the Kingdom the Lord hath prepared from eternity." It was, however, through much suffering and many trials she has come to receive her crown ; and how 'could it have been otherwise, seeing that she had to resemble her spouse, and die on the cross as he did. But she had the great consolation afforded her during her illness of frequently receiving the more than solemn assurance of God's minister that her sins were forgiven her, and the still greater consolation of being visited and comforted by the i'ood God in person. This is not a time to argue ; yet I may be allowed to meet a

certain worldly-minded class of persons, who would be disposed to pity her on the ground that she had none of her relations to tend her in her sickness, and to minister to her their comfort. Out upon such worldlings with their false sympathy ! In the first place, I might say that she was so far disengaged from all affection for ties of flesh and blood, that the matter gave her not a thought; and that if her relations did tend her, she might be tempted to cling very tenaciously to the desire of living longer, to the great disturbance of her peace of mind, and to the great detriment of that resignation to God's will so necessary to a happy death. In the next place, I can say in defence of religion, tint if she had no relations near her, she had what have often proved to he better, I mean, friends ; and these friends were her adopted sisters. I know not what her sisters in the world may have been, but I scarcely think they could have done more for her than her sistas in religion. I know not what her mother in the world may have been, but I scarcely think she could have done more for her than her mother in religion. This much, however, I do know, that sisters of the same blood betray often a great amount of impatience and are guilty of much gros3 neglect when charged with the care of the sick in their own family, and this to the great discomfort and inconvenience and suffering of the poor patient. This much, however, I do know, that sisters of the same blood have in many instances proved ussless, and even hurtful to the soul of their sick and dying sister ; for though I must give them credit for many sleepless nights watching by her pillow and fordoing all in their power to assuage the pains of the poor body, they have neglected the most important particular, and have contributed materially to the injury of the better part of her nature. If they speak to her it is never of the world she is going to, but of this world ; it is of time, but never of eternity, to which she is listening. They will waste away hours chattering about 'the vanities of the world which is fast fading from her sight, and say not one word about that other world that is soon to open before her. If they read to her, it is only some idle romance, the pages of which are reeking with the blood of cruel revenge, or with the impurities of profane love; pages which have been steeped in a slow, insidious, but deadly poison. Forsooth, a fitting preparation for a passage to e'ernity, for that awful scrutiny of the dreadest of tribunals which none of us can escape. What a bright contrast to this negligence and to this positive ill-treatment (for I can call it nothing else) do we find in the care and tenderness, in the foresight and the prudent thoughtfulness with which the sisters in religion wait upon the soul and body of their poor dear sick sister. Dear sisters, there is nothing in reason that you could do for this poor body that you failed in doing for it. You nursed it day and night, you ministered to it incessantly, and whilst you neglected nothing that could contribute to its ease and comfort, you did not forget or neglect to supply the more pressing necessities of the soul. From time to time you suggested some pious thought, or read some consolatory passage from a spiritual book; from time to time you invited her to pray with you, and and when she could no longer pray for herself you continued to pray for her yourselves; and thereby you showed yourselves true sisters, and Sisters of Mercy. She well knew to whom she was committing herself when she first came to live with you. She left the home of her relatives well knowing that a better was awaiting her in your midst; another, which was to open to her the hundred-fold which I trust is hers to-day. " This is a wise virgin, and one of the number of the prudent." In saying bo, let it be remembered that I do not mean to canonize her. I am merely giving expression to my own private conviction. And am I not justified in coming to such a conviction when I call to mind the promises of our Blessed Saviour in favor of those who leave all things to follow Him. On the one hand I feel that no Catholic in his senses could pay that salvation is the exclusive privilege of the canonized; for if that were so, we might all well despair. On the other hand, if it is possible that a lady of the world could save her soul by receiving the sacraments once or twice a year, saying her prayers morning and evening, going to mass on Sundays and holydays, how could we have any misgivings about the salvation of a holy religious who- frequently communicated, who assisted at Holy Mass everyday, who prayed almost every hour. If those entangled in the affairs of the world and the cares of a family seldom examine their consciences, or think in their hearts over the great hereafter, and yet be saved, what fear could we reasonably entertain for the salvation of a good sister of religion, who made everyday a general and a particular examination of conrcience, who meditated every morning over the truths of eternity, and familiarized herself with them? And here it may not be out of place to quote the words of St. Paul, in his first epistle to the Corinthians. The passage speaks for itself, inasmuch as it points out the great facility to work out her salvation afforded to the virgin not afforded to the married women. Here are his very words: "She that is married thinketh on the things of the world, how she may please her husband; and the unmarried woman and the virgin thinketh on the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit." If those can lay claim to salvation who have kept the Commandments so far only as not to offend against them in any grievous matter, how much stronger must be her claim who has respected the Commandments even in matters of lesser consequence, and who has, moreover, observed that counsel of our Lord, to the young man of the Gospel, to leave all things and follow Him, by consecrating herself for ever to his service through the solemn vows of the religious state. If those think themselves entitled to a place in Heaven who are working year after year to fill their pockets, and to have means wherewith to enjoy themselves, shall I not be permitted to think that she too is entitled to a place in Heaven; she, who worked from year to year, filling up her days with works of mercy and charity, not expecting any earthly reward—expectine- nothing save the love and the grace of God. It would be hard to think she could be disappointed. A place in Heaven ; yes, and a high place, I should rather think; for if God rewards those who give to Him just only what they cannot help, how will He not reward her who reserved nothing to herself, nothing that she did not give Him, and cheerfully ' give Him. But, for all that, my brethren, and for aught we know, the time that she is to receive her reward may be deferred. All we know is that nothing having the least stain or inordinate affection can enter into the presence of the God of all sanctity and purity before all the dross is burned away. They will be saved, says Holy Scripture, but so as by fire. God is merciful. Who denies it, for what would become of us at all if He were not? But He would not be God if He were not only just. He examines the "justices of the just," and He will here or hereafter exact the very last farthing. Lest, therefore, she should continue for any length of time a debtor to God's justice, I beg of you to pray for her, for we read in God's own word, in the mouth of Maccabieus, that " it is a holy and , wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may b3-loosed from their Bins." As for you, mf dear sisters, I have no fear that you will be unmindful of her. Your holy rule steps in to prevent that. Blessed are the merciful Sisters of Mercy, for they shall obtain •mercy for her. How uiilike those thoughtless children of nature who break out into loud lamentations over their dead, who sigh and weep for days together over their loss, and yet never once think to utter a prayer for the repose of the poor souls who cry out to them night and day from the depths, " Have pity on me, have pity on mo at least you my friends." Dear sisters, you are the children of grace. You have gone out from Egypt, from which God in his mercy delivered yon ; you have gone out from the Babylon of the world; but you have carried your hearts with you, and they are as tender and sympathetic as ever, or rather more so than ever, for they have been trained in the school of Jesus Christ. _ If, therefore, your hcartshave become more sensitive, they have also become more sensible. And hence I am assured that your affection for your late sister will bo proved by the fervor and frequency of your prayers for the repose of her poor soul. And now they are going to take away from you all that remains of her in'

this world. But you are not like those who have no hope. You know that this very body encased in this very bier will one day rise enveloped in glory ; that those limbs now stiffened in death will one day resume their more than wonted vigor ; that this face, now overspread by deadly pallor, will one day recover its former flush and rose of health; and whilst your grief is tinged by a hope like this, we all join in expressing the same hope,—the hope of seeing you reunited to her and enjoyirig the glory and happiness which I trust, my brethren, will be ours also.

The service over, a procession was formed to the graveyard. The Hibernian Society, the Young Men's Catholic Benefit Society, the Christian Brothers, the Sisters of the Convent, and the children attending the schools, were all present. Further services were held at the grave. ~ •