Glasgow – St. Mungo’s. – Death of Father Romuald (Marlowe), C.P. – Considering that he had only entered on his 38th year, it is no marvel that the news of the death of Father Romuald of the Seven Dolours at Glasgow on 15th January came as a startling surprise to all who knew him. A victim of the deadly epidemic, that has been so unsparing in its ravages during the past year, death supervened pneumonia which had followed an attack of influenza. Father Romuald, whose name in the world was Richard Marlowe, belonged to a well?known Dublin family, was born on 3rd December. 1881. His early studies were made at Belvidere College, and, having entered the Passionist Congregation, his profession took place at St. Saviour’s Retreat, Worcestershire, on 5th December, 1900. He made his philosophical and theological studies at Mount Argus, and was ordained by Most Rev. Dr. Donnelly at Clonliffe College in June, 1906. For four or five years he occupied the position of the Vice?Master of Novices at the Graan, Enniskillen, and was also stationed at Sutton (St. Helen’s), Broadway, and finally at Glasgow. Father Romuald, possessing a genial and gentle disposition. was exceedingly popular wherever he laboured. Singularly edifying as a religious, he devoted himself with untiring attention to the arduous duties of the ministry in Glasgow, where hospital and parochial work made such a. large demand upon his time and taxed his strength so much. To the poor and sick he was a devoted friend whose heart ever beat in sympathy for the afflicted. Gifted as a preacher and kind and painstaking as a confessor, Father Romuald has within the comparatively short space of his priestly life achieved great work for the salvation of souls. His fellow religious will sadly miss such a beloved companion, and the Catholic community of Glasgow will deeply feel the loss of a priest whose self-sacrificing activities brought countless blessings to the people amongst whom he laboured with such apostolic zeal. (Cross, Vol. IX, 1918-19; pp. 297f.) Fr. Romuald Marlowe, C.P. It has been said that, in the midst of a busy life, the busiest agent is death. Daily reminded of this solemn truth, it comes before us with greater emphasis from time to time: even so, of late, it has been strikingly brought home to us so recently, Fr. Romuald’s fellow-priests. co-labourers and brethren in the Congregation of the Most Holy Cross and Passion. This while back. death has been unusually busy in our midst: and that, too, not amongst the aged and venerable, but amongst the young and promising members of our Congregation. Only three months since – in the month of October last – we learned of the death of Fr. Damien, a young man only just ordained. In the following month came the sad tidings of the untimely death of Fr. Stanislaus: and now, little more than a month since, our Congregation is left the poorer by the death of Fr. Romuald, another of its youthful members, who. after a brief illness, passed away, at St. Andrew’s Nursing Home, Glasgow, on the morning of the 15th January. Fr. Romuald, known in the world, as Richard Marlowe, was born in Dublin on 3rd December, 1881, which would leave him only in his thirty-eight year when he died. His education, as a boy, was entrusted to the Jesuit Fathers, under whose influence he came for many years at Belvedere College, Dublin. Living in the vicinity of our Retreat in Dublin, Richard Marlowe was early brought into touch with the Passionists, and early attracted and enamoured of their life work. Evincing in time the usual signs of a religious and priestly vocation, his application to be admitted into the Order was favourably heard, and. crossing over to England, he entered upon his novitiate in November, 1899, at St. Saviours Retreat, Broadway, Worscs. On expiry of his year’s novitiate, he made his religious profession on 5th December, 1900. Returning to his native city he now began his studies for the priesthood at St. Paul’s Retreat, Mount Argus, and seven years later was ordained by the Most. Rev. Dr. Donnelly, in the Diocesan College of Holy Cross, Clonliffe, Dublin, on 23rd September, 1907. Transferred in all the sacred works, proper to his calling, Fr. Romuald was successfully engaged first, in our Retreat of St. Anne’s, Sutton: then, shortly after the foundation of that Retreat, in Blessed Gabriel’s, The Graan, Enniskillen, where, as Vice-Master, he did valuable work for two years in the interests of his Order. Transferred from Enniskillen to Broadway, Fr. Romuald remained there but a short while, when he was again transferred, and this time, to St. Mungo’s Retreat, Glasgow. Coming here in July, 1913, the remainder of his priestly career was spent amongst the people of St. Mungo’s Parish, to whose interest and welfare were ungrudgingly devoted the last five years of his zealous and fruitful ministry, or, until God, in His Providence, saw fit to take him to himself. Known invariably to his brethren as an exemplary religious, prompt and zealous in the discharge of all the observances of his holy state, and known to all with whom he came in contact as a hard working, sympathetic and devoted priest, as might hence be expected, Fr. Romuald’s death was in keeping with his life. It was a worthy sequence to a life given unsparingly to God’s glory and service. “For what things” says the Apostle, ” a man shall sow, the same also shall he reap” (Gal. VI.8). The truth of these words is well born out in the cause of death, which generally assumes its character from one’s previous life. Always zealous, before all else, for his personal sanctification, his spiritual and eternal interests, this trait of character in Fr. Romuald came into striking evidence during his last illness. Stricken down with pneumonia, all that medical skill and science could do to pull him through was done : but beyond submitting resignedly to the assiduous attention of the doctors and nurses, from the outset, he himself seemed less concerned about his recovery, than anxious to crowd into those last few precious days of his life all the additional merits he could accumulate. And this, God in His loving providence, singularly enabled him to do; for, strangely enough, considering the malady from which he died, Fr. Romuald retained, throughout his illness. the consciousness of all his faculties and was clear-minded to the end. Some short while before breathing his last, he again requested to have Hoy Viaticum administered to him; and long will those present cherish, as an inspiration, the memory of his lively faith and ardent fervour, with which, for the last time, he received, in the Sacrament of His Love, the same Lord whom he once chose to be his portion and his inheritance for ever. The last words he was heard to utter, before closing his eyes in death, gave expression to his tender love for that crucified Lord and Master he had vowed to serve, in becoming a Passionist. While taking to heart the lesson his example bequeathed to us – a lesson, to make life a preparation for death: to live well if you would die well – let us, at the same time, not forget the duty of charity, perhaps even of gratitude, we owe to Fr. Romuald’s memory: to pray that his soul, with all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, may rest in peace.