OBITUARY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 49, 6 December 1900, Page 19

OBITUARY.

MR. JAMES GALLAOHER, KAIKOURA.

Mr. James Gallagher, of Kaikoura, whose health had been very indifferent for a long time, passed to his final rest on Tuesday, November 20. But death found this good man ready and prepared (writes a correspondent), and indeed his whole life may justly be said to be a preparation for the inevitable. Fortified by the last rites of Holy Church and aided by the pious prayers of his devoted children and faithful friends, he yielded up his soul to God. Not only Catholics but all who knew the deceased bear testimony to his sterling worth ; and not only the congregation he belonged to, but all Kaikoura is poorer to-day for his loss. Truthful — he indeed had ' forged his tongue on the anvil of truth ' — liberal to every good cause even beyond his means : faithful as became one who was bora in Gartan, the natal place of St. Columba of the Cells ; devoted to bis children in such wise as to be an example' and pattern for all parents ; devoted to his Church bo as to be an edification to all — such verily, and if more were said, was James Gallagher. A Donegal man like St. Columbkille, the famed Apostle of Caledonia, like him also he brought with him two great gifts, those of faith and fatherland. Truly James Gallagher was a man of Btrong, vivid, powerful faith, and his practice was in full conformity with his belief. Neither did long years away from dear Erin nor distance of many thousand miles diminish his love of fatherland. Hia love of God, of his Church, and of the land of his birth, was of the noblest and highest type. And being such a man, he was sure to be an excellent colonist and an honor to his adopted country. It might be here mentioned that he was a subscriber to the N,Z. Tablet from its start. He leaves a family of six children — one a professed Sister of the Mission in Christchurch and a son and four daughters at home. Truly these children have BUBtained a heavy loss, more especially as their mother has been dead for some years. But all have been care-

fully and religiously brought up, and are a credit to their parents and to their Churoh. A JRegwrm Mass was said on the 21st and also on the 22nd, large numbers of the faithful being present on each occasion. On the second morning, as the remains were in the church, the celebrant, Father Golden, referred feelingly to the life and edifying death of deceased. His death was a grout loss in all respects to the parish of Kaikoura ; but hiR name would never be forgotten by the present generation, and his (xainple would be a stimulant to all, the young as well as the ol 1. To show the reppect in which he was held, one member of the congregation had Mr.ss said for him the very morning of thp day of his doth, and another claimed for him the Maps on day following his demise It goes without saying that there was a representative funeral procession from the Church of the Sacred Heart to the cemetery. — Jt.l.J 1 .