Death of Rev. Brother Mark, Auckland

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 43, 27 October 1904, Page 6

Death of Rev. Brother Mark, Auckland

(From our own correspondent.) Shortly alter nine o'clock on Tuesday morning Rev. Brother Mark, Director of the Sacred Heart College, Ponsonby, died suddenly. A little more than a fortnight ago ho had a very sudden attack of illness, and was 1 con ( > alcsuent when he met with this second and fatal attack. He had risen early in the mornimg and had had breakfast with the other Brothers. On going u,pstairs to ins room after breakfast he fell, and in a very short time was dead. Dr. Bedford, who attended him in his recent illness, was telephoned for immediately, but on arriving a few minutes later found that his patient was no more The students were in school when the sad e-vent occurred. The Brothers conducted them to the college chapel immediately, and there the Very Rev Dr Kg*an, m a few tourhin'e; woids, told tthem what had happened, and asked them to ]oin witih him in' pi ay ing fpr the repose of the soul of Btother Mariv. It is close on a quarter of a century since Brother Mark joined the Order of the Marist Brothers. He was bom in County Waterford, Ireland, his family name being Lenihan. As a youth he thought he had a vocation for the priesthood, and after undergoing a coMegnate training, went to Mount Mclleray Serainary to pursue his higher studies. Many of his tlash-mates there are now engaged in their priestly labors in difiercnt parts of Australia, and, in the person of the'Vcn. Archpricst Walsh, of Westport, we have in New Zealand ono who always held Brother Mark in the highest esteem. After spending two or three years at Mount Mclleray, he became convin'cd that God had not called him to the priesthood, and, leaving the Seminary emigrated to New Soiuth Wales, w;horo 'he settled down to teaching, having previ.ou.-dy fittqd himself for tho profession in the great training school at Fort street, Sydney. He entered the service of the New South Wales Education Department, and 5.00,n rose to be head of a Softool After he had rleen some years engaged in teaching he entered the Marist Brothers' Society, and, after undergoing the customary training in the Novitiate, was appointed Director of St Frame is- school, Haymaiket. In 1886 he was appointed to the Directorship of the mo^t mipoitant Brothers' school m New Zealand then, that of Wellington Who can tell the amount, of good he accomplished, during the many years he spent there 7 On the afternoon of his death and the whole of the following day numerous telegrams were received at the College from Wellington, expressing 1 the sympathy of the senders with the Brothers on the loss they had sustained. One of the first telegrams received was from one o£ Bother Marie's oldest friends, the Von Archdeacon Devov. Messages of condolence wcS'e als>r> received from the Very Rev. Fatheu Lewis, Rev. Father Holley, Very Rev. Father Keogh (Rector of St Patrick's College) , Rev Father Kimbell, Rev. 11. Van Sta.Ve.ren (.Jewish Rabbi), and many others. Cables were received from his Lordship, Bishop Lcinihan, from Melbourne, and from the Rev. Father O'Shea, at present in Sydney. About six years ae;o Brother Mark was an/pointed Vi&itor. td the Brothers' schools in New Zealand All the Brothers in the Colony, who have known him, will loiti'pj treasure his memory. He was the most seltf-saeii-ficing and self-forgetful of men. In him the Marist Brothers' hxve lost one of their Most successful teachers, one of their ablest administrators, and one of their best and most zealous members. After Rcqfuiem Mass, which "was celebrated in the Collage Chapel by the Very Rev. Dr. Egajn, the funeral lefti on Wednesday morning for Pannure The procossiton was headed by the pupils of the Marist Brothers' parochial school, Pitt street, followed b<v tc^e College boys, and vehicles containing the local clergy* the Brothers, and friends of the deceased At Prinmure the funeral was met by tihe Rev. Father o'llara The "Very Roy. Dr. Kgan read the burial service, arid the remains of the late Brother Mark were laid to rest beside, those 'of hits late eotnrreie. Brother Joseph, whose siildldon death in Auckland some ten years ago caused similar expressions of deen sympathy as were rceenved on tins occasion from diflerent parts of the Colony. Among the

dongy present at tho grave were the Rev. Fathers Patterson, Holbrook, McMillan, Duffy, McGuinness, Buckley, and Sheridan.— R.l. P.