REV. FR. MARCELLUS (MALONE), C.P. On the morning of Saturday, July 5th, at St. John’s Nursing Home, Belfast, death came to Father Marcellus (Malone), C.P., and in its coming brought merciful relief from long months of suffering. Born in Edinburgh on March 20th, 1886, he was known in the world as Esmonde Walter Malone. From his early childhood, however, until his entry into the Passionist Congregation, his home was at Gorey, Co. Wexford. He received his early education at the famous English College of Prior Park, of which establishment he retained vivid and cherished memories. Entering the Passionist Novitiate in his twenty-first year, he was professed on November 15th, 1908, at St. Saviour’s Retreat, Broadway, Worcs., the Novitiate House of what was then the Anglo-Hibernian Province. Six years later, on March 8th, 1914, he was raised to the dignity of the Sacred Priesthood. After his ordination Father Marcellus spent many fruitful years at St. Mungo’s Retreat, Glasgow, where his name and work are still affectionately remembered. Many Glaswegian Passionists owe their vocation, under God, to his gentle guidance. In the early twenties Father Marcellus was transferred to Holy Cross Retreat Ardoyne, Belfast, where he remained until his death. During his early years at Holy. Cross, he was professor of Mathematics and Greek at our Juniorate, then situated at Wheatfield, Crumlin Road, Belfast. His past students there will ever remember him as a teacher who combined a deep knowledge of his subjects with a patience which never deserted him. For very many years Father Marcellus had been Spiritual Director of the Women’s Branch of the Confraternity of the Sacred Passion attached to Holy Cross Church. It was, perhaps, in this capacity that he accomplished the greatest amount of good amongst the Catholics of Belfast. Under his kindly direction, the Confraternity, already flourishing, attracted new members from every part of the city.. His crowded Confessional, too, bore witness to his unflagging zeal for the salvation of souls. Father Marcellus was well known as an accomplished musician, and, in the absence of the regular organist at Holy Cross, was always ready to take his place. Some months ago he fell victim to an incurable ailment, but even in the midst of pain there was no murmur of complaint from this patient son of St. Paul of the Cross. Nor did the prospect of approaching death dismay him. With complete serenity he received the Last Sacraments and made ready to meet his God. So great was his confidence in the Mercy of the Saviour that he could calmly discuss arrangements for his own obsequies. At Holy Cross Church, Ardoyne, on Tuesday, July 8th, Solemn Requiem Mass for the repose of the soul of Father Marcellus was celebrated by Very Rev. Father Fergus, C.P., Provincial. (The Cross, Vol. XLIX, 1958-59; p. 148.) J. X. P. FATHER MARCELLUS (MALONE) OF THE SACRED HEART In keeping with the family spirit so honoured amongst us, the passing of any of our Religious casts over the Retreat in which a death takes place the inevitable gloom coupled with the atmosphere of fraternal sorrow and loss. But it is no exaggeration to say that this was especially felt in the death, on July 5th, 1958, of Father Marcellus of the Sacred Heart – a member of the Community of Holy Cross Retreat, Belfast, where he had lived for well over thirty years. Father Marcellus’s secular name was Esmonde Walter Malone. He was born in Edinburgh on March 20th, 1886, but, from the days of his childhood, had his home at Gorey, Co. Wexford, and, consequently, regarded himself as “a Wexford man.” As a boy, ho received his education in .England at the well-known Prior Park College, Bath. When he first came amongst us, lie was in his twenty-first year, and thus a little older than most of his classmates. While he was one of the last to enter the old Novitiate of the Anglo-Hibernian Province at St. Saviour’s Retreat, Broadway, in Worcestershire, he had the unique distinction of being the first Passionist professed in Ireland – a distinction of which he was very legitimately proud and of which he loved to boast in his own emphatic and inimitable way. His Profession took place on November 15th, 1908, at St. Paul’s Retreat, Mount Argus – where our Novitiate was temporarily situated for almost a year between its transfer from St. Saviour’s Retre-at, Broadway, to the newly acquired Retreat of Blessed Gabriel at The Graan, Enniskillen, which has been the home of our novices since the Spring of 1909. After his Profession he remained in St. Paul’s Retreat as a student; and he was -ordained in Dublin on March 8th, 1914. His first years in the Sacred Ministry were spent at St. Mungo’s Retreat, Glasgow. Here he found many and varied outlets for his unbounded activity and unflagging zeal; and those who have since lived there .are happy to testify that, even twenty and thirty years after his departure from this scene of his early labours, his name has been, and still is, held in deep veneration and grateful memory. The instruction of converts, sympathy towards the sick, pastoral solicitude and success in parochial work, kindness in the confessional, popularity in the pulpit, love for little children, the promotion of religious vocations-, all these, as well as other unrecorded spiritual triumphs, were part of the harvest of his younger years. Before he had reached his fortieth year, Father Marcellus was transferred to Holy Cross Retreat – where he spent the remainder of his life. For some years after his coming to Belfast, he was Lector – having as his main subjects Mathematics and Greek – at our Alumniate then situated, from its acquisition in the last months of 1923, at Wheatfield, Crumlin Road; but, while thus engaged, Father Marcellus remained resident at Holy Cross and went for a few hours daily to the Alumniate for his classes. Those who were then Postulants – most of them now Passionists – retain the happiest and most grateful memories of his time amongst them. He had the facility or knack of combining devotedness to duty with an almost extreme or excessive leniency; so much so that he was often mildly, but not unaffectionately, criticised for “spoiling” his pupils or, as the saying gees, “killing them with, kindness.” Nevertheless, his work was well done as evidenced in successful examination results, Also in the earlier years of his long residence at Holy Cross, he was the popular and devoted Director of the Women’s Branch of .the Confraternity of the Sacred Passion. Its then enormous membership, composed of hundreds from every part of Belfast was the legacy left by the late Father Patrick of the Blessed Sacrament. Father Marcellus laid no claim to the original enrolment of the vast numbers assembled week after week but to the latter must go the credit of fully maintaining these record attendances during his Directorship. A musician of unquestionable standing, he had ample scope for the exercise of this accomplishment at the famous organ in our church – said to be one of the finest modern installations of its kind and period in the North of Ireland. It is no exaggeration to say that he could make it ”talk”, so to speak. He regarded it as his own care and concern, constantly tuning and tending it. His love of liturgical music also made him often the celebrant of Solemn Mass and, till the year before his death, he officiated unfailingly at the Sacred Ceraonies of Holy Saturday or Easter Eve. Perhaps the apostolic spirit of this worthy Passionist was pre-eminently evidenced in his untiring devotion as a confessor. Throughout the years at Ardoyne, every Thursday – which was his day ‘on duty’ – brought large numbers to his confessional, while again on Saturdays, morning as well as evening, he was always there; ever patient, kindly and cheerful. And when, in his later years, the Rector had to insist that a day’s work of well-nigh twelve hours, with but short breaks for the meagre meals that he took, was too great for his uncomplaining willingness and zeal, he begged, despite a slight deafness, to be still allowed the consolation of this priestly work from the last Mass till well into the afternoon. On the fore-noon of every Saturday scores of little children, by whom he was loved, flocked to “the top box on the left” – as his confessional was familiarly known -where they ware greeted with a smiling salutation and genially dismissed in happy sinlessness. He was also the much-sought confessor of large numbers of the diocesan clergy who had grateful experience of his kindly counsel and spiritual help, while unnumbered Belfast laymen – mainly of the business and professional class -looked for but one name when they came for Confession – that of “wee Father Marcellus.” We are often inclined, understandably and pardonably no doubt, to overstress the axiom or spiritual adage; “Nihil de mortuis nisi bonum” in our charitable reference to our dear dead, but there is no such inclination or temptation in writing these lines to the memory of one whom the present generation at Ardoyne will never cease to miss and mourn. We sum up by saying that the virtues and achievements of the late Father Marcellus number many more than those herein recorded. We who lived with him could speak of his obligingness, his constant readiness to step into any breach, his humility, his quaint wit and the good humour born of inner contentment, his simplicity and guilelessness, and not least of all his gentleness and gent1nemanliness. Roughness and rudeness were utterly foreign to him, and his strongest exclamation -or even imprecation – was “rOh, help!” During the last weeks of his incurable illness we saw him suffer with a serenity seldom surpassed. For him, oncoming death, of which he was well aware, seemed to hold no terrors. He spoke of it calmly and with no distress or dread. With his rector’s ready consent he chose the site of his grave in our little cemetery under the sheltering branches of a nearby tree. He even alluded jocularly to details connected with his funeral! And maybe the brightest gem in his crown was has simple and deep devotion to Our Blessed Lady. During the last long night prior to his death after dawn, he recited Rosary after Rosary, and Mary’s Beads were still warm in his fingers at his last breath. And surely it was but a fitting reward that this devoted son of Saint Paul of the Cross, who had dispensed grace and brought peace to countless souls, had God’s Priest at his bedside throughout that last night of his life on this earth, and that it was only a matter of more minutes after his last reception of Holy Viaticum that his good soul left this world! May he rest in Peace. (ALEXIS OF THE MOTHER OF SORROWS) Holy Cross Retreat, Rector. Belfast.