Brother Matthew (McAvenna) of the Assumption 19th October, 1901 ; Province of St. Joseph. Brother Matthew was born in Co. Tyrone, Ireland in the year 1821. Bereft of both his parents by the terrible famine of 46/47, he was left with a large farm to manage and a numerous family of brothers and sisters, all younger than himself, to care for. He laboured hard for them during the dark and trying years that succeeded the cruel famine, until they were all settled in life and able to do for themselves. Having thus discharged the duties arising from family ties, he entered our novitiate in September 1860. A few years after his profession, viz: in the year 1865, he was the first lay brother sent for the opening of this St. Mungo’s Mission. So well suited did he prove himself for the arduous work of the place that his superiors allowed him to spend 37 years in the discharge of its onerous duties. Never so happy as when he had the most to do, he, for a long while, undertook at one and the same time the office of sacristan, cook, porter and infirmarian. He was ever gentle, cheerful, obedient and most obliging. He was beloved of priests and people. Full of years and after a long and holy preparation, he passed away, tranquil and resigned, to his eternal home on Oct, 29th 1901 in this retreat where he had spent so many years of his life. With strictest fidelity to truth we might sum up the life of “dear old Brother Matthew” (as everyone loved to call him) in one short sentence “Et panem odiosus non comedit”