FR. FERGAL SMYTH Dear Father Provincial, We received a great shook on Sunday night when word was received here that Father Fergal had died at Mahalapye. From what we have learned since, it seems that he was having supper at 7 p.m. He intended going to the station to say goodbye to school children who were leaving Mahalapye for the convent at Mafeking. When he heard the train he proceeded to the station. At the railway crossing a train and one carriage was shunting slowly. Father Fergal was also travelling slowly but mistook the distance and hoped he would pass alright. A corner of the railway carriage got the side of the truck in which Father Fergal was travelling. In an effort to save himself Father must have jerked his head suddenly against the roof of the truck. The windscreen of the truck was broken and the bonnet had a slight dent. Father Fergal had no external injuries except a cut on his left wrist received from the broken glass . A telephonist was standing outside the Post Office at the time and immediately phoned the doctor who was with Father within a few minutes. Dr. Slump was a great friend of Father Fergal who recognised him and said ‘Doctor’ with some other words which the doctor could not catch. Father was taken to the doctor’s house where he became unconscious and died at 8.15 p.m. a half hour after the accident. The doctor and some nurses performed a post mortem and said that death was due to brain haemorrhage. Father Fergal was at Confession the previous day and was anointed by Father Oswald who arrived quickly from Serowe. The Monsignor and Father Killian arrived at Mahalapye at 1 a.m. Father Placid, Father Norbert and myself arrived on Monday evening with the coffin from Mafeking. We placed the body in the coffin at Dr. Slump’s house and went to St. Patrick’s mission for a short requiem service. The people in the small church were almost hysterical with crying. As the funeral passed through the town, the shops were closed. Everyone seemed to have been affected by his sudden death. Father Norbert and myself took the coffin and we were followed by the Monsignor, Father Placid, Father Killian and Father Oswald. Father Germanus took the death badly and was sent back to Francistown. We left Mahalapye at 5 p.m. and arrived at Khale at 8.30 p.m. All the other priests and sisters including their Mother General were there to receive the body. Solemn Requiem Mass was sung on Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. Celebrant was Father Thomas, Deacon Father Linus, and Subdeacon Father Oswald. Monsignor Murphy presided and I preached the panegyric. Priests and sisters from Mafeking and Zeerust were present as well as a large number of people who came by train from Mahalapye. After Mass the funeral took place and Father Fergal was buried beside Father Emmanuel. Two young Belfast priests lie buried together at Khale. May God’s Holy Will be done. Yours sincerely in Christ. Carthage C.P. On June 3rd, the Passionists in Bechuanaland suffered a grievous loss in the tragic death of Father Fergal (Smyth), C.P. Death came swiftly to this zealous young missionary when he was involved in a railway accident close to his mission station, St. Patrick’s, Mahalapye. There is a poignancy about the fact that he died at St. Patrick’s, since it was Father Fergal himself who had built that new outpost of the Faith. It would seem that the Lord was so anxious to recompense his priest, that He decided to reward him without long. years of delay. Known in the world as Lawrence Smyth, Father Fergal was born in Belfast in 1928. Having received his secondary education at St. Mary’s Christian Brothers’ School, he entered the Passionist Novitiate at St. Gabriel’s, The Graan, Enniskillen, in 1948, and took his vows on the 3rd February of the following year. On December 18th, 1954, he was raised to the sacred priesthood in Holy Cross Church, Clonliffe, Dublin, by Most Rev. John C. McQuaid, D.D., Archbishop of Dublin. For four years prior to his departure for Africa, Father Fergal laboured in Ireland and Scotland, where he showed great promise as a preacher of missions and retreats. But Bechuanaland was the scene of his most dedicated toil, and it was in the soil of Africa that God ordained his mortal remains should be laid to rest following the Solemn Obsequies sung by his Passionist brethren. To them and to the future generations, his memory will be an inspiration. Requiescat in pace. (The Cross, Vol. LIII, 1962-63; p. 68) In Memoriam Father Feargal, C.P. We received a great shock on Sunday night when word was received here that Father Feargal had died at Mahalapye. From what we have learned since, it seems that he was having supper at 7 p.m. He intended going to the station to say goodbye to school children who were leaving Mahalapye for the convent at Mafeking. When he heard the train he proceeded to the station. At the railway crossing a train and one carriage was shunting slowly. Father Feargal was also travelling slowly but mistook the distance and hoped he would pass alright. A corner of the railway carriage got the side of the truck in which Father Feargal was travelling. In an effort to save himself Father must have jerked his head suddenly against the roof of the truck. The windscreen of the truck was broken and the bonnet had a slight dent. Father Feargal had no external injuries except a cut on his left wrist received from the broken glass. A telephonist was standing outside the Post Office at the time and immediately phoned the doctor who was with Father within a few minutes. Dr. Slump was a great friend of Father Feargal who recognised him and said “Doctor” with some other words which the doctor could not catch. Father was taken to the doctor’s house where he became unconscious and died at 8.15 p.m. a half hour after the accident. The day previously Father Oswald had spent the day with Father Feargal at Mahalapye and as missionaries will, who see each other so infrequently he had taken the opportunity to go to confession. Next evening it was a stunned and heart-broken Father Oswald who hastened from his own mission at Serowe and anointed his brother priest. MONSIGNOR MURPHY and Father Killian arrived at Mahalapye at 1 a.m. Father Placid, Father Norbert and Father Carthage arrived on Monday evening with the coffin from Mafeking. We placed the body in the coffin at Dr. Slump’s house and went to St. Patrick’s mission for a short requiem service. The people in the small church were almost hysterical with crying. As the funeral passed through the town, the shops were closed. Everyone seemed to have been affected by his sudden death. FATHER NORBERT and myself took the coffin and we were followed by the Monsignor, Father Placid, Father Killian and Father Oswald. We arrived at Khale at 8.30 p.m. All the other priests and sisters including their Mother General were there to receive the remains. SOLEMN Requiem Mass was sung on Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. Celebrant was Father Thomas, Deacon Father Linus, and Subdeacon Father Oswald. Monsignor Murphy presided and Father Carthage preached the panegyric. Priests and sisters from Mafekin and Zeerust were present as well as a large number of people who came by train from Mahalapye. After Mass the funeral took place and Father Feargal was buried beside Father Emmanuel. Two young Belfast priests lie buried together at Khale. May God’s Holy Will be done. (The Cross, Vol. LIII, 1962-63; p. 117)