Rev. Father Oswald (Donnelly), C.P. Early in November a notification was received in various Passionist Retreats requesting prayers for Fr. Oswald (Donnelly), C.P.. who was seriously ill. This was the first intimation that the career of this well-known Passionist was approaching its close. The inevitable ending was not long delayed, for about a week later, the laconic telegram which announces the death of a religious of the Passionist Congregation was received, bearing the sad news Father Oswald died on Saturday. Born on April 24th, 1870, Gerald Joseph Donnelly (the name by which Fr. Oswald was known before his entry into religion) was a native of Belfast, a city which has given many distinguished Passionists to the Congregation in these countries. At the age of nineteen, he entered the novitiate of the Anglo-Hibernian Province, then established at St. Saviour’s Retreat, Broadway, Worcs., where he made his religious profession on June 17th, 1890. Whilst still pursuing his ecclesiastical studies, his Superiors judged that his remarkable qualities rendered him suitable to assist his brethren overseas. Accordingly, he set out for Australia, and in that distant land, he was raised to the priesthood in 1896. After some years in Australia, at the call of obedience he entered the Bulgarian mission-field, and for many years laboured strenuously in the Diocese of Nicopolis, which is entrusted to the Passionist Fathers. Many and varied were the experiences which he met with in the course of his missionary career in Bulgaria; and often in latter years, he would entertain his hearers with his reminiscences of work in the Near East. Fr. Oswald acted as secretary to Mgr. Doulcet, C.P., Bishop of Nicopolis, and accompanied him on many of his episcopal visitations, in the course of which he traversed many hundreds of miles, and travelled throughout the length and breadth of Bulgaria. In 1911, he returned once more to the home countries, and was attached at various times to the communities at Carmarthen, Sutton, Dublin, and Glasgow. On more than one occasion he acted as Lector, a position for which his well-stocked mind and wide experience particularly suited him. The last years of his life were spent at St. Anne’s Retreat, Sutton, Lanes. In many ways, the late Fr. Oswald was a very remarkable man. An accomplished linguist, his, long missionary experience in Bulgaria had given him a fluent knowledge of the many languages commonly used by the polyglot population of that little-known country. In the scant leisure from his apostolic labours, he found time to make translations from the Bulgarian, both prose and poetry; and it is of interest to recall that the earlier volumes of The Cross contain more than one contribution from his pen. He also published a memoir of Mgr. Francis Ferreri, C.P., First Bishop of Nicopolis, and Vicar-Apostolic of Wallachia (1782-1813), which is a useful contribution to the almost unexplored field of ecclesiastical history in Bulgaria. Fr. Oswald always left a lasting impression upon those with whom he came in contact. His long residence in foreign lands had left its mark upon him. He moved with slow and deliberate gait; his voice was measured and impressive; a gifted conversationalist, he excelled as a raconteur, regaling his audience with experiences taken from his wide and varied career. Never one to suffer fools gladly, his patience was often sorely tried by importunate callers; yet with great urbanity of manner, and not a little unconscious humour, he never failed to extricate himself from such awkward situations. His judgments on contemporary affairs were marked with great acuteness, and he possessed the knack of summing-up a situation in a few words, delivering his final opinion as a devastating climax. Some weeks before his death, on the advice of his doctor, he was removed to a nursing home in Liverpool. In spite of the most devoted attention, his malady had reached such an advanced stage that little hope could be entertained for his recovery. He received the Last Sacraments with edifying resignation, and passed to his eternal reward on Saturday, November 9th. R. I. P. (The Cross, Vol. XXVI, 1935-36; p. 319) To those who were unaware of the failing health of Fr Oswald Donnelly, C.P. the news of his death must have come as something of a shock. A man of apparently good health and strong constitution, it seemed as though many years of priestly life were before him. He had, however, for some time complained of pains, and a general feeling of ill-health. Early in October, his condition worsened, and in spite of every medical attention he was obliged to keep to his room. Towards the end of that month he was removed to the Park House Nursing Home, at Waterloo, Liverpool, and a specialist was called in, but he gradually weakened into a state of coma, from which he emerged only at short intervals. Although during the later stages of his illness he had suffered considerable pain, his death, which occurred last Saturday night November 9th, was a peaceful one. R.I.P. Gerald Joseph Donnelly was born in Belfast on April 24 1870. As a boy, he was of a quiet and reserved disposition. He came of an artistic family, his father having collaborated with the better known Vere Foster in restoring Irish ornamentation. He was educated at St Malachy’s Christian Brothers School Belfast, where he gave early signs of an intellectual capacity beyond the ordinary. Entering the Passionist Novitiate at the age of 19, he was professed on June 17 1890 taking the name of “Oswald of Jesus Agonising” . As a student, he showed great delicacy of health, and his superiors sent him to Australia. There, whilst a subdeacon, he began to teach philosophy, and afterwards theology. His teaching was often interrupted when he was a priest, by giving missions and retreats. In 1899, he volunteered for the Passionist mission in the Near East, where for many years he laboured for souls in Bulgaria. There are, perhaps, but few priest who had careers so fruitful, varied and picturesque in character, extending their work over so many and such distant places, faced with problems almost insurmountable in character, and overcoming them with such indomitable courage. Fr Oswald made many converts, and when at length he returned to these countries, he was entrusted with the duty of teaching the students at Sutton – a duty which he performed with wisdom, experience, patience and fairness. He was an erudite scholar, and frequently contributed articles to English and Irish reviews and periodicals. Of aquiline features, he had a firm determination in his eyes, and downrightness of manner, which told of a strength of character beyond the ordinary. He could not bear to see things done which in his estimation were wrong, and doubtless his very zeal to see things righted would at times cause those who failed to understand his spirit an impression unjust to his true motive. Yet he never failed to receive willingly all who sought his advice or help, and his work in the confessional and the pulpit will be long remembered. He showed at all times a great interest in the students, and during the years of his lectureship willingly gave them of his best. He had few worldly interests, and was rarely to be seen outside the grounds of the retreat where he lived. He found great pleasure in preaching the word of God, and always prepared his sermons with great care. Up to the very last, he was filled with zeal for spreading abroad the knowledge of the Faith, by word and by pen, and was laying plans, destined never to be fulfilled, of once again going to distant lands and engaging there in work for God. Fr Oswald gave 45 years of his life to the Passionist Order, during which time he lived in most of the retreats in England and Ireland. His outstanding gifts made him a remarkable personality, and he will be remembered by Passionists for many years as one who laboured long and laboured well for souls.