Death of Father Francis of the Sacred Heart. It is my painful duty to have to record another death amongst our Religious, which took place on 20 March, at St. Paul’s Retreat, Mt. Argus. Father Francis of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, alias Henry Francis Bamber, was born in Manchester, England, on 29 March, 1826. Was clothed with our holy habit at Broadway, on 2 March, 1862. Made his profession on the 3rd of the same month of the following year, and died on 20 March, 1883. Before giving the article which we find in the newspaper, I will give some particulars of his exemplary life as a Passionist. First, he became a Passionist, being already priest. He was a cousin of Father Aloysius of Jesus (Bamber) who died in the Retreat of St. Joseph, Paris, on 30 March, 1869. (See Annals, volume 2nd, page 335.) Father Francis has been Vice Rector in the Retreat of St. Joseph, Paris, for several years. He was there during the bombardment of Paris, 1870, and wrote a long and interesting diary about the siege of Paris etc. (See volume 2nd, page 399, to page 422.) He had been elected Master of novices, but in his humility resigned the honour. Later on he was appointed Director of the alumni in Mt. Argus, which, although with great repugnance, he was obliged to accept it. Besides being the Director of the alumni, he was appointed also to teach them the French and Italian languages. He was always most exacting in the observance of the Holy Rules, and most edifying and exact in everything. He was also very quiet and unassuming, keeping himself always in the background, and so without knowing it he was a more respected by all, and especially by his pupils, but let us hear the Tablet, who thus writes about our saintly Father. “It is our painful duty to record the death of the Rev. Father Francis Bamber, of the Order of the Passion, which took place at Mt. Argus, Dublin, on Tuesday the 20th instant. Short and simple are the annals of the poor, devoted religious, but their deeds are recorded in heaven, and whatever their humility has not been able to conceal, is always edifying, and claims our admiration. It was so with this good priest. Sprung from an ancient Lancashire family, which glories in having suffered for the faith, and possessing a martyr in the family, in the person of the Rev. Edward Bamber, executed in 1647, Father Francis was always remarkable as a child for his modesty, piety, and docility. At an early age he was sent to Sedgely Park, and thence to St. Edmunds Old Hall Green, where he studied for the priesthood under the presidency of the Very Rev. Dr Cox. At the college his gentleness and goodness of heart endeared him to all of his companions, whilst his diligence and attention to every duty secured him the favour of his Superiors. In 1852 he was ordained priest, and stationed at St. Aloysius Somers Town. Here at once showed his great piety and zeal, especially by his attention to the sick, and suffering poor. He seemed to spend all his time in the midst of them. On one occasion a poor woman, speaking of his attention to her sick daughter, said: “Oh the dear saintly man, he came to comfort her, every day except Sunday, during the long weeks she lay lingering till her death” and she added with great emotion “I would adore the ground upon which he trod.” “Afterwards he was appointed to the chaplaincy of the Convent at Chelsea, and to perform the burial service at the cemetery. But this duty did not satisfy his zeal; he therefore offered himself to the parish priest to attend the sick-calls which he might desire. From that day he might be seen in the courts amongst the sick poor, whose blessing he secured. In this way this young priest prepared himself for the sacrifice which he designed to make, to dedicate himself more closely to God, in Religion. “It was after a delay of over two years, during which time he was assisting in the missionary work at Brentwood, that the late Cardinal Wiseman, with great reluctance, consented to part with him. Then he made his sacrifice complete, and joined the severe order of the Passionists, among whom, after the usual preparation, he made his solemn vows. He was at first employed in the Novitiate at Broadway, where he edified his brethren by his humility and fervour. But he was soon sent to a more active life. He was appointed to the newly founded House in Paris, for the benefit of the English-speaking residents. “Father Francis remained here over sixteen years, devoting all his energies, and spending himself in the service of others. During the two sieges which Paris underwent in 1871, he remained at his post, attending the sick, and going out in disguise to carry relief to them at imminent peril. On one occasion in these errands of charity, a shell burst in the street through which he was passing. On another day, whilst he was celebrating mass, a shot entered the church and passed through the opposite window. The people rose up startled, but seeing that the danger was past they knelt down again to their prayer, and the priest at the altar, seemingly unaffected, went on to the end of Mass, as if nothing had happened. “During his long stay in Paris, he gained the affection of all, both English and French. It is incredible what duties he got through in the confessional, which was always crowded during the appointed hours. His sermons, simple and beautiful, full of practical piety, were most effective. But his health began gradually to decay. Whether it was through the hardships endured during the sieges, living upon horse-flesh, and other loathsome food, or his unremitting attention to his duties, and the observance of a severe rule, the fatal disorder, “consumption” began to manifest itself, and his Superiors determined to remove him to England. When this became known to his numerous spiritual children, there was one universal wail of grief, and nothing could exceed the regrets with which they took leave of their devoted Father. He was sent for a short time to Highgate, and then removed to Mt. Argus, Dublin, where he seemed at first to be regaining his health; but the disease baffled every attempt to arrest it, and he at length succumbed to it. He died as he had lived, gentle, peaceful, full of taith and fervour. During the last week of his life he seemed to think of nothing but death, which he regarded as a penalty necessary to be endured for sin, but at the same time the gate of life, heavenly and eternal life. He received the last sacraments with great fervour, and soon after lost consciousness, and at last breathed forth his happy soul in peace. R.I.P. Father Francis was a younger brother of the Very Rev. Canon Bamber (Thorndon) and the Very Rev. Father Bamber, pro-president of the English College, Lisbon.