The Irish standard., 1909-08-07

hcuseless and homeless. tn, holy monks
were 10th to move into such a place Of
barrenness, dreariness, desolation and
death. But Father Vincent, assured
that the undertaking was the will Of
God, declared that it would grow,
multiply and remain.
On the last day Of. the month this
saviour Of his people said Mass for
the first time on the. hillside of scra-
han, in tiny cabin which has long
since crumbled. to dust.
Those early days on the mountain
were days Of great privations for the
brethren. Their food consisted of po-
tatoes and sour milk. The roof and
the walls of the house offered little
protection against. the snow. the wind,
and the rain. and the angry blasts
of the winter.
But at length Father Queally, of
Modeligo, appealed to his flock on be-
half of the monks. In response to his
appeal. 400 men with spades and
shovels assembled at the church, and,
headed by their curate. marched in q
body up the mountain to erect the
mcnastic boundary.
Soon parish Wed with perish in the
number Of willing hands it sent to
labor, and by the end of September,
1882, the enclosure was complete. A
house was next erected-a plain build
ing of 12o feet in length, containing
chapel. dormitory and refectory.
This. however, was to he but tenn
rorary structure; and in the spring
following the monks began to make
ready for an erection on en- extensive
scale. The first stone. blessed by the
Most Rev. DR.. Alb aham, was laid by
Sir Richard Keape. landlord Of the
property, on the 2oth of August, 1888,
in the presence of vast concourse of
fully 10000 people.
In 1885, when he Monastery was
but half finished, Father Vincent was
raised to the dignity Of Abbot in the
Chapel of the Bishop of the Diocese.
Two years later the. community was
transfeffed from Baltimore, and the
place handed SACK rs IT'S former pro-
prietor. :.
Is on the .2oth ofs.,August. 1888. the
great o'Connell paid visit. to MELEE
ray He was joyously rece,1 ed by the
whole house and led in procession
with music and song to the, Chapter
Room, where he was .,sprssented with
an address. Two months afterwards
the Monastery was finished at the end
of six long years IF trial and trouble.
In the following year the. Abbot
turned his attention to the education
Of youth, and through the help Of be-
quests and the exertions IF the breth-
rem and friends, a modest beginning
soon developed into an institution
known and revered in simost every
land beneath the sun, for it's mission
ers are scattered far and wide. wher-
ever there is a harvest OF souls to be
saved ...
In 1912 the King of Sardinia begged
the Abbot to found a house in his do
minions. And Father Vincent after
several interviews with his Majesty,
went to the island to view the position
offered. The negotiations. however,
bore no fruit, while the lcng winter
journey had serious effect on the
health of the holy monk.
Thenceforth suffering. he never
complained, and at last on the 9th Of
December, 1s45, he passed calmly and
peacefully to his reward, in the 57th
year of his age.
His successor was a namesake, :Fa-
ther Mary Joseph Ryan, who became
Abbott in 1886, but resigned some two
years later. 49,.
The next Abbot was Fa'her Bruno
Fitzpatrick, who ruled wisely and
well lOT Llc 1OIlS Span VI 1OTty-uV0
years. dying on tue 4th uf December.
1893 1t was during his Abbacy that
new house was establish ed at Du-
buque, U. S. A.. in 1850, with a second
at Roscrea, in 1873, through the NUM-
ficence Of the late Count Moore.
So. today the heather is gone from
scrahan, and the furze and the bould-
ers. In their stead are the sheltered
fields, some filled with nocks and herds;
others yellow with the ripening corn;
pleasant walks, blossoming shrubs
tall trees, gardens rich with the t,il
Of years.
And outside, in place Of ire dead sill
ence Of hygone years. one listens with
delight to the simple melodies of tn.
birds in the grove; while inside one
hears naught save the voices Of the
religious as they rise long tefore ths
GUNNER dawn to chant the praises of