Father Faber F Rantifpit A

The F o u nder of The L ondo n O rat ory R FAB ER

H A LL—%ATCH

CA R DI N A L BO U R N E

’ BU R N S TE D 69 DA S , L T .

1 1 A 9 4

FATH ER FAB ER

B W H L - y . AL %ATCH Verger at the London Oratory

Wit h a F o re wo rd by

H i%Eminence CA R D IN A L B O U R N E

° B U R N S 69 O TES L T D . A , 28 OR CHARD STREET L OND ON W , 1 91 4

F O R EWO R D

H E na m e of F ath e r F ab e r is a ho u se hold wo r d am ong c E Catholi s in ngland , and his hym ns an d othe r writings are in gr ate fu l re m e m b ran c e wh e re ve r n u e Catholi c s u se t he English to g . B u t those still l e ft wh o kn e w him p e rsonally are now v e ry f e w ; the L ife w ritt e n soon afte r his de ath is e u the e not asily fo nd , and d tails of his int e re sting c a re e r and e difying e are r r e lif in dange of b e ing fo gott n . F or this re ason w e h e artily we l c om e this a c c o u nt of t he ﬁ rst S upe rio r

the L O r r c e of ondon ato y , whi h ow s so m u c h of its e v e r fru itful work to his inspi r ation and the t r aditions ’ a h e e e We b e G th t stablish d . g od s

e re r f o he m e r bl ssing and wa d r t c o pil .

F N I S N B O R E R A C CA R D I A L U N ,

e Archbishop of We stminst r .

ebruar tb 1 1 . F y 4 , 9 4 AL L that t he author desire s in this little Life of F ather Faber is to supply a demand to which he , in his position , has e his r peatedly had attention drawn , e e viz . , a small cheap book t lling som thing e about Fath r F aber . Most grateful thanks are offered to F ather Sebastian Bowden and to F athe r B e a e K . D . est for th ir kindly dvic , and the permission of the latter to use his ’ ” d poe m on Faber s Grave . An also to Fathe r R alph Kerr for permission to reproduce the pictures for the illustrations .

September 191 3 . LIST OF I LL U STRATIONS

Father Faber F rantifpit a

e - Facsimile of the MS . of Fath r F a n ”H m ’ Faber s most popular Hymn 29

The First London Oratory,

8 - St . 1 1 8 King William , 49 5 3 A R agged Congregation

The Old Oratory at Brompton

Th e New London Oratory

’ Father Fab er s Grave 5 5

REDER ICK WI LLIAMFABER on 2 8 1 8 1 F was born June , 4, the man who, under God , was des tined to do more for the revival of the Catholic Faith in England than any other during the short period of hi s life H is in the Church . grandfather was of incumbent Calverley, and at the Vicarage there Fre derick William Faber H e ﬁrst saw the light . was not baptized

at the church at Calverley, as might have been expected but w as taken to the f a o . church St Wilfrid , whose n me he aft erwards took and to whom he app ealed

Make us the missioners of Mary and of R ” ome .

’ As a child , the child of his mother s ” w as prayers , he a great favourite , and

e of is d scribed as an open disposition , e e ard nt and impulsiv , eager and deter on mined , generally looking any under taking which he had in hand as b eing of e the grea t st importance . F A T H E R F A B E R

’ H is parents Calvinistic views of n e c essit e t he t he h y inﬂuenc d mind of c ild , and we ﬁnd them expresse d from time

to time in his earlier years at Oxford . At the age of 1 I years he had been s ent to Shrewsbury School , afterwards going H to arrow , where he remained till his n B 1 8 2 matriculatio at Oxford ( alliol) in 3 , going into residence in 1 83 3 The description given of him at this time reads like a page from the life of his “ beloved father St . Philip Of pre e possessing appearance , with gr at con ver sat ion al te gifts , a general favouri , l of and leading a life ful joy, innocence and purity, which description may well e be used for t h whole of his life . H is father died the year of his going to e e Oxford , his moth r died four y ars before .

Indeed , the life of Faber can almost be n learned from his poems and hym s , which “ often read like a diary . I worship T e e of G od h e , Sw et Will was the refr ain which ran through the whole of H is his Short but busy life . poetical

2 F A T H E R F 4 B E R

e es e instincts early Showe d thems lv . Th impressions of his childhood and the beauty of the scenes in which his e arly years were passed neve r faded from his mind H ow wonderful Cre ation is The work that Thou didst bless An d T , O what then must hou be like , ” Eternal loveliness .

t oo Oxford , , made its deep impression e H o The R v . n him . John enry Newman ’ was then vicar of St . Mary s . Faber soon became what he called an acolyth” to the man who was d e stined to be his S u i of per or in the Congregation St . %hilip . In the year 1 83 3 began the great Move “T i ” ment known as the ractar an , for the revival of H igh Church principles ; and Faber ’s correspondence Shows the f on da of ef ect it had him . On the first y 1 834 we find him writing Tran sub st an t iat ion e n has b e bothering me , not that I le an to it ; but I have seen no ” of B u t refutation it . still the early e i H e influenc s preva led . feared that the 3 F A TH E R F A B E R

Tractarian Party would be led on to e e r extr mes , and almost resolved to r tu n to t he Evangelical tenets he formerly

B . held . In a letter to J . Morris , he says I am now never happy unless I am thinking , talking and writing respecting things ete rnal y et I have had none of those miraculous heart awakenings , none of those visible interfe re nces of the Spirit to pluck me as a brand from the H burning . owever , I suppose the power of religion acts in t en thousand diff erent in st ru ways , and by ten thousand various t he ments , according to constitutions and t e mperaments of those over whom its agency is to be exercised . Nevertheless , I must likewise confess that when I look f or of the fruits my faith , I cannot ” ﬁnd any . From now he is continually quoting m New an , at ﬁrst to criticise him In arranging my thoughts f or my Church A e e e e rticl , I hav be n thinking a gr at deal on t he merits and t endency of Newman i sm and I have b e com e more than eve r 4 F A T H E R F A B E R

Am I convince d of its falsehood . chime rical in anticipating quite as much danger from t he mysticisms of Newman as from the rationalities of What eley I sa e can most sincerely y , that aft r having been an unprejudic e d acolyth of New ’ of man s , an attentive reader his works , and a diligent attender at his Church , I found the impressive simplicities of the Bible irksome to me all its great con sol at ion s were knocked away from under me , and vague bodiless Platonic reveries were the food my soul craved for . Observe I kn ow that this is not the case with im Newman himself . I believe h to be an

- eminently pious , humble minded Chris tian , but I think that he has sat at the feet of the early contemplative philosophers with an unscriptural humility and that he has imbibed their notions . Of course it would be preposterous in me to charge upon Newman what was probably in a great me asure my own fault ; but still I think I may argue that t he t endency of ” e his syst m is bad . F A T H E R F A B E R

I n t he b eginning of 1 83 5 he we nt into e U resid nce at niversity College , having ee a b n elected Schol r in the autumn , and although he set himself to work hard at

his classics , felt very dubious as to the of H e b e probability taking honours . came a member of the Union debating n society, and Spoke often , gai ing a place in the front rank with men like Tait A (afterwards rchbishop) , Ideal Ward and Sir R ou n dell Palmer (afterwards H e Lord Chancellor) . also wrote maga zine articles and verses and competed e 1 8 for the Newdigat prize poem in 35 , The n of the subj ect being K ights St . ” w as John . Owing to illness he unable to sit for his Degree examination as he e d E T 1 8 had int nde ; in aster erm , 35 ; having withdrawn he we nt down f or e a short tim , and , during his absence heard that his poem had gained the e e e of cov t d priz , and that the thirty e in e s ven poems sent , non came into any t he The clos e rivalry with winner . 1 t h 1 8 6 e . r citation took place on June s , 3 6

II A great change occurred in F aber ’s of 1 8 Th e religious life in the spring 36 . reaction caused by the fear of the eff ects of T off the ractarian Party wore , and he of e became a close follower N wman , and a strong adherent of Anglican principles , in opposition to the claim of the Catholic Church , though we find him , all the same , quoting Dr . Wiseman from time to time . In a letter he writes at this time I have j ust come from a magnificen t lecture (by Newman against f ’ the Church o R ome) on St . Peter s H e prerogative . admits the text in its full literal completeness , and shows that it makes not on e iota for the jurisdiction R ” of the Bishop of ome . F or some four or five years the whole atmosphere of England had been full of ” R e form , not only of the constitution , t he but of Law and Church, and a general attack w as exp e cte d on the English e she Establishment . On party held that 8 F A T H E R F A B E R was a political body unde r the discipline she w as of the State, and the other that the succ e ssor of the Church of the f A . o postles In such a state chaos ,

earnest - minded men were searching li di gently for more light , amongst them — Newman and on the opposing side

A W . rnold , hose system was what J . S Mill called shilly - shally and in c on ” H e sistent . viewed the Church as an

ess entially Protestant establishment . The followers of Newman regarded her as e part of t h Church Catholic . No wonder “ Newman wrote Lead kindly light ” since he found himself in such a world

of mist and gloom . ’ Fab e r s introduction to Newman was brought about by the share he took in of f the translation the works o St . a H e Op t t u s. enceforth their nam s were

to be constantly associated . On August ’ 6 th 1 8 , 37 , Faber received Deacon s ’ orders at St . Wilfrid s Cathedral at R ipon , and at once started as an assistant A e e i i l e at mblesid , r ma n ng til his r turn 9 F A T H E R F A B E R “ to Oxford at the end of the long . 26 t h 1 8 h e On May , 39 was ordained by B the Anglican Bishop agot . Soon he published some tracts on Church matters which had a large circulation , and his e pr aching began to attract attention . H e still hung back from a too close con “ ” n e c t ion with the Tractarians but followed closely all that Newman wrote and said . I think you will be delighted ’ ” on with Newman s lectures , he writes “ March 3 1 . It supplied me with what I had long wanted—clear and positive ” statements of Anglican principles . At u 1 8 Cologne , in the aut mn of 39, he and a friend who was with him t he c e attended Divine O almost daily . We both of us got Mechlin Breviaries at Mechlin , he says , and he had pre vailed upon a priest whose acquaintance he had made to tutorise him in the ” Breviary . H is life was n ow an extremely busy on e ; his parochial work was re warded by the Church - att endance 10 F A T H E R F A B E R

H e being more than doubled . also l of published a small col ection poems . Towards the end of the year 1 840 it was rumoured that he was about to marry, ld R e o v . and he writes to his friend , the

B . J . Morris With regard to marriage, as on e does not like foolish reports to go sa e about , I may as well y that I hav no of prospect it , however remote ; and neither have nor have had , any engage ” e ment , adding that he honoured c li so e so bacy highly, and regard d it eminently t he ﬁttest way of life for a u Priest , that if Christ wo ld graciously enable me to learn to live alone, I e should pref r much , even with great self denials to live a virgin life , and to die a ” G od virgin as has kept me hitherto . Th e 1 8 1 year 4 was passed in travelling , and he was much struck in Dresden by the ” A r Lutheran Sunday . fte attending

Mass , he went through the town , and declared that he had never in any R oman Catholic capital Seen Sunday so fear ” ul e e e f ly profan d . I n v r saw a more B 2 I I F A T H E R F A B E R

e e e e a profan sc n . No p rson who h s not b een abroad and heard and seen and e e t he inv stigat d for himself, would credit extensive system of lying pursued by

E - nglish travel writers , tract compilers E e H e and xet r all Spe chmakers , respecting R T the oman Catholic abroad . hese dull s eekers scrape the sewers of England to roughcast the Church of R ome with e e deﬁlem en t s th ir pl ntiful .

1 2 III We now enter upon what may b e ’ called the last phase of Fab er s life as a 1 8 2 Protestant . In the autumn of 4 he f R E was o fered the ectorship of lton , and from then till November 1 845 his

life was one long Struggle , ending in his reception into the Fold of Peter on by Bishop Waring . It was his telling Wordsworth of his intention of going to “ E sa lton that he replied , I do not y ” E e you are wrong , but ngland loses a Po t . H e e determined , however , befor taking e up his duti s , to go once more through some of the Catholic countries and look more closely into the methods adopted by the Church in matters appertaining of H e to the cure souls . aving obtain d of e letters introduction from Dr . Wis A off man and Cardinal cton , he started ln t he r early Spring , stopping ﬁ st at R E e B ouen , ast ring in ordeaux, and after e es R e a stay in Mars ill , reaching om on t h B May 9 . y moonlight I have prayed I 3 F A T H E R F A B E R

t he T A m at omb of the postles , al ost alone in the metropolitan church of the ” whole world . H is diary and letters of this time reve al B his drawings to Catholicity . Dr . aggs , R of E who was ector the nglish College , soon put him in the way of seeing the workings of the various organs of R R charity and religion in ome . eferring to a visit to the room in which St . Philip sav used to Mass at the Chiesa Nuova , H ow he afterwards wrote little did I , a Protestant stranger in that room ye ars of t he ago, dream that I should ever be ’ or Saint s family, that the Oratorian Fat her who showed it to me Should in a few years be appointed by the Pope the novice master of the English Orato ” rians . On June 1 7th an audienc e of t he H oly Father is thus described On entering

I knelt down , and again when a few yards he from him , and lastly before him held his H e out . his hand , but I kissed foot ’ of n for spoke Dr . Pusey s suspe sion 14

IV From this time F aber was practically ’ convinced of t he truth of the Church s claim , and he was only kept in the Anglican Church by what he called the ” - A fear of self will . friend persuaded him into wearing a miraculous medal , which he kept as a souvenir of this eventful

H is ‘ journey . remaining in the Church of England was clearly due more to the his feelings for friends , and the inﬂuence of Newman and others to whom he looked as his leaders . A of T t 0 fter the publication rac 9 , and its subsequent censure , a letter was Un it/err sent to the , dated from Oxford , and describing the tendencies of the T of . followers Newman his letter, which was the joint work of D algairn s and Ward x e caused great e cit ment , and some The correspondence ensue d . conversion

of Sib t hor a n d p closely followed , caused a gre at d eal of comment among his 16 F A T H E R F A B E R

N Sib thor fellows . ewman , told by p that O sc ot t he was going to visit , enjoined T e ake care they do not ke p you there , and afterwards often warned his friends of monkeys who had lost their tails and e e T e wished all the rest to los th irs . h leader mistrusted what he considered u n

his . At e due haste in followers Littl more , where Lockhart expressed doubts of E the claim of the Church of ngland , he %ou replied , must agree to stay ” e three years or go at onc . This u n doubtedly inﬂuenced Faber . On his return from the tour already “ of e mentioned , he spoke being v ry, very, ” R H e se t very oman . at once to workat hi s E r e church at lton , dete min d to banish e all his doubts , and modell d the work of his parish on what he called the spirit of

. . Al Th e St Philip and St phonsus . result was that t he dissenting chapel close to the Church became almost empty, young men began to communicate frequently, e e even Confessions wer h ard , and exercise s on t he lines of those of the I 7 F A T H E R F A B E R

Little Oratory we re establishe d on T 1 . 8 Friday nights hen , in 45 , came the of conversion Newman himself , and ’ many of Faber s friends ; and w e ﬁnd him B writing to the Catholic ishop Waring, asking him how much of abjuration ’ would be involved in an Anglican s re R conciliation with the oman Church .

His Life of St . Wilfrid had caused the greatest irritation , owing to the liberality with which the Catholic spirit was expressed . Th e time was now at han d when F aber was to give up all h0pe of remaining in A the nglican Church ; and , during the of 1 8 last week October , 45 , he again wrote to Bishop Waring asking for enlightenment on certain points , and was only held back by his consideration of i ie others and some monetary di r cult s in B connection with his parish . y the of e generosity a fri nd , the latter obstacle ’ S of was removed , in pite the benefactor s

disapproval of conversions . 1 2t h R c e On Nov . , the e tor was call d 1 8 F A T H E R F A B E R at night to give Communion to a dying a w as man , and in ﬂash he felt that he no true priest and it w as only after some consideration that he was guided by St . Alphonsus to act on what he calle d a probable opinion . N 1 t he ov . 6 On Sunday, th , at evening A e service the ﬁnal wrench came . ft r a

few words by way of introduction , he said that he could no longer teach his hearers

of of E the doctrines the Church ngland , and that he felt convinced that he must t go where truth w as to be found . A the close of these few words he left the pulpit on hurriedly, threw his surplice to the ground and went at once into the R ectory . Some of his parishioners begged him

to remain , but , ﬁnding their appeal of e no avail , bade him a sorrowful far well . The E next morning he left lton , Mr .

T . . F Knox, two servants and about l of his e ha f a dozen parishion rs , who had also decided to be received into the t o A t o . he Church with him , going mong I 9 F A TH E R F A B E R

r . numbe was Mr William Pitts , who afterwards became organist of the Lon don Oratory . Writing to him from R e 1 8 6 ou n in February, 4 , Faber says What does Elton seem as we look back upon it Those gettings up at t he cold on midnight , the teasing hair girdles

Wednesdays and Fridays , the harsh l e discip in at midnight , the long , long ’ vigil of the Saints days , what do you think of them now To me they see m et like heaven , although we were not y ” Catholics .

. F God bless you , Mr aber where ever you go was the cry from the poor as the party passed through the village in the early morning . Free %the joyous light of H eaven ” Comes with full and fair release . Faber and his friends were received that night by Bishop Waring and Father Kennedy at the church at

‘ e Northampton , and th re made their e e F irst Communion and wer conﬁrm d . 20 F A TH E R F A B E R

O sc ot t Monsignor Wiseman, then at , w as deeply int erested in the welfare of the Converts , and they felt an attraction to be near him . Faber , therefore , being as he said , homeless and unsettled , gladly accepted an invitation to stay at ’ a St . Chad s in Bir m ln gh m until his ff is le d a airs were settled . H humility him to refuse the offer made by the Bishop to admit him to Priest ’s Orders and e start him at work . H lost no opp ort u n it r of y , howeve , trying to convert any A nglican friends who consulted him . Dr . Wiseman decided it would be a good thing if he and his little party could b e

formed into a small Community, and ,

as . a so j ust St Philip worked as a laym n ,

’ H e did Faber . writes I hope by the end of next week to get all my de ar monks around me in a little hovel here how we are to be supported I do not know ; mutual love is next door to vic t u als and drink , and it is some comfort to me that I shall be simply on a level ”

t e . wi h them , and live lik a poor man 2 1 F A T H E R F A B E R

The house they obtained was a very

on e small , at 77 Charlotte Street , and

contained scarcely any furniture , the

chapel , an upstairs room , was absolutely

—1110 bare altar , only a cruciﬁx on the wall . The dormitories had no bedsteads , the on The mattresses resting the ﬂoor .

refectory was the best furnished , and

that contained a chair for each one , and a

long deal table , some knives , forks and pewt e r Spoons (stamped with the tem e ra c e p n pledge) and a mug apiece . On t he round table stood a cruciﬁx brought

by F aber from Elton . From this it can be seen that the of view life was an ascetic one , but e the community was joyful . Th S u strain , however , soon told on the

on perior , and brought headaches which prostrated him . They could n ot go on without ext ernal help and Faber decided to go to R ome in t he hopes of getting someone t o e be inter sted in the little community . The fﬁ w as di culty how to get there, and 22

T e so e F e hings b ing arrang d , ab r starte d for Italy at t he b egrn m ng of e 18 6 e F bruary, 4 , accompani d by Mr . H utchison , a convert who afterwards The A joined the Oratory . rchbishop of Lyons had issued a pastoral directing that thanksgiving should be made for the con e versions which had given the N wmans , t he k t he Oa leys , and the Fabers to T e e Church . his caus d the two neophyt s R e great amusement to read . eaching R om just b efore H oly Week they put up at the E e nglish Coll ge , Father Grant having e e ff e e g n rously o r d them hospitality, and they made their ﬁrst Easter Communion e H in t h H oly City . Mr . utchison now aske d to be taken into the new Com H is e e e m unity . adh r nce would have be n e F e let of great h lp , but ab r would not

so e c . him arly ommit himself Dr . Grant t he ff however urged him to accept o er, H ’ and ﬁnally Mr . utchison s proposal was e e e i he acc pt d , and it was d c ded should e e E join on th ir r turn to ngland . On 2 4 F A T H E R F A B E R

e ask r turning, Faber intended to Newman to receive him and his followers at Mary

vale when he was there , and also to ask the Bishop to direct his studies that he

might be ﬁtted f or the priesthood . The Protestant Bishop of Gibraltar was R in ome at this time for conﬁrmation , and a great dispute arose among the High and Low Church Party whethe r e he should have a cross carried b fore him . R e Certain omans were much annoy d , ” but the Pope chuckled hugely, and said that he had only just found out that R ome was in the diocese of Gib ral tar H is H oliness recei ved Faber and H e n d utchison very graciously , and at the

of the interview gave them his blessing , and told them to go back to England and convert as many of their friends as e they might . Just at this tim some copies “ of his pamphlet , Grounds for remaining ” t he A in nglican Communion , reached R e ome ; and the authoriti s , naturally e e e deceiv d by the title , suppr ss d them ; a e et mistak that was soon s right . 25 VI

The return to Birmingham was made h l ot 1 8 6 . on May , 4 Faber brought with him some books of devotion unknown in E u se ngland , at any rate not in , and also introduced the Seven Dolour R osary which , through constant use at the

Oratory, has Since become well known . 26t h F of . On the east St Philip , May , 1846 (it is noteworthy how many events ’ of F ab e r s e life occurr d on this day, when as yet there was no thought of his being an Oratorian) the Community moved Colm ore T to another home at errace , e which has b en obtained for them by Mr . R e Watts uss ll . It consisted at this time of four Choir - brothers and nine Lay of B of brothers , all them rothers the ” f The Will o God . rule was an austere

The f or - one . time rising was half past

ﬁve , and at six was followed by Mass at ’ St . Chad s , then breakfast taken stand t e a ing, dry bread and without sugar . Aft e r breakfast there was another visit 2 6 F A T H E R F A B E R

t he - to Chapel , then work till half past A twelve . fter Vespers and Compline on e of B came dinner , the rothers reading some Spiritual book the while ; then e came recreation , when silenc was broken

’ m e At f or the ﬁrst t i . ﬁve in the evening Matins and Lauds preceded tea and R recreation , instruction in chapel , osary of the Seven Dolours and night prayers . ” The Wilf ridian s habit worn by the , k as they were called , was the blac

D . R oman cassock with the letters V . n and a cross betwee , all in red cloth , R a cape, a leather girdle and a osary . At the back of the house was a large B e garden , and the rothers us d to invite the poor Catholic boys of the neighbour hood to come and play there in th e Th e evening . day always closed with the of Litany Our Lady, sung in procession , and a candle continually lit before her A picture at the ngelus hour . Th e converts at this time had a great many to c on f en d with from the Protestants around them . Some of 27 F A T H E R F A B E R the Catholics also regarded with suspicion the idea of Oxford Protestants having T real Catholic sympathies . hey regarded them as only half Catholic , opposed as new - fangled all their attempts to popularise the devotion they had seen R in ome , and in many other ways showe d their dislike to any idea of what might be called coming out of the e sh ll in which , for two hundred years , he E t Catholics of ngland had to hide . saw n Wiseman this , and k ew that the only way to make things smoother would be to get the stamp of authority H e on . placed their work decided , ow n therefore , that Newman and his intimate companions should go to R ome T and there remain for a time . his they

did , and took up their abode at the

College of Propaganda . Meanwhile t he Wilf ridian s suff ered A similar annoyances . lthough the work set e th m to do went on steadily, mistrust of their behaviour resulting almost daily in the visit of strange priests who 2 8

F A T H E R F A B E R Bishop Walsh urged his acceptance of this noble gift , as he was afraid that the Brothers would break down if too

soon put into the work of the diocese ,

Birm in while , on the other hand , the g ham clergy were unwilling to lose such

willing helpers . Th e f o . church St Giles at Cheadle , also the gift of the good Lord Shrews on bury, was solemnly dedicated Sep — tember I st . Faber now Brother Wil — frid and two or three of the others were asked to stay at Alton Towers for the ceremony ; and now they removed to Cotton H all and kept their ﬁrst Feast of the H oly Name of Mary in their new home . ’ On St . Wilfrid s Day Faber received Minor Orders from Bishop Walsh and afterwards was laid the ﬁrst stone of ’ of St . Wilfrid s church , which Pugin (himself it s architect) said It will be E the only perfect church in ngland , with

an east window I could die for . ’ Father Cobb gave a ten days R etre at 30 F A T H E R F A B E R

B e e to the rothers , who were to r ceiv Orders but the long silence and hours of solitary meditation enjoined proved t oo f or B much rother Wilfrid himself , exhausted as he was by long months of H e on anxiety . had a nervous fever , and , All of E Saints Day, the sacrament xtreme as H e Unction w administered . made his of Profession Faith , bade farewell to the Community and received the last blessing B and Papal Indulgence , the rothers , like ’ St . Philip s sons , kneeling round his bed ’ praying for their Father s life . It pleased

God to spare him , and in a Short time he was able to resume with enthusiasm the work that came to his hand . A school for boys was opened , and , on

Sundays , Catechism classes were held in e the Chapel . Again vil thoughts and w ’ tongues ere at work , as in St . Philip s e time . I am said to have strangled on ” of . Mrs R my monks . . came to see me ’ at St . Wilfrid s , and glared at me in silence like a tigress . She told Lady Shrewsbury and Lady Arundell that I 3 1 F A T H E R F A B E R

e she was just capabl of all heard , and that ” H e her faith in it was established . wrote ld o . to his college friend , Mr Watts R ussell % An d a Scotchman who had come to inspect said of me that I was ‘an ambitious villain and a hellish

l t h of 1 8 6 On the g December , 4 , he received the Order of sub - deacon ; on i 1 8 the Saturday before Pass on Sunday, 47 , he was made deacon , and was ordained H Priest on the oly Saturday following , at once receiving the sole charge of the

Mission . On his return he began work in the confessional , and he said his first Mass H is that Easter Sunday . preaching at E once began , as at lton , to draw large Th e congregations . Parish Church emp tied . We have converted the pew opener , leaving the parson only, his clerk, and two drunken men , as his ” of regular communicants . One his brothers in St . Philip , who remembers him , speaking of his preaching says H e used but little gesture , satisfied 3 2 F A T H E R F A B E R with inflections of a voice which was most beautiful , clear and musical and in its %silver tone like the voice of Pius I . Father Faber used to preach in his habit , and always wore his crucifix , even T of hi . w le preaching in the street his , H e course, met with great Opposition . how on on e used to tell , occasion , a minister forced his way into a sick room when he was about to hear a man ’s confession , and refused to leave , until the penitent implored him repeatedly to H e so . do , however , wished even then to enter into an argument on points of doctrine , and challenged Father Faber on to a formal discussion , insisting using E of B the nglish version the ible only .

Father Faber decided that , to prevent t he any question as to translation , it would be best to use the original Greek %This the combatant was not pre f or l re pared and , after some insu ting

marks retired from the discussion . Several e conversions followed the controv rsy . 3 3 e R wrot to Watts ussell .

34 VII

The idea of founding an Oratory in England was suggested to the H oly

1 8 . H e Father in February , 47 was

delighted at the idea , and at once gave Newman and his companions in R ome a house and an Oratorian Father to

instruct them in the rule , suggesting that they should serve a short novitiate and then all return home together at the end of R the year . Wiseman went to ome in

July, and had an interview with Newman T respecting the scheme . hey were now

settled at Santa Croce as novices . New man was appointed by the Pope as the B ﬁrst Superior , and ishop Wiseman , who was now Administrator Of the London

District , was desirous that the Oratory should be started in Lon don and invited a his Newman to m ke foundation here . B irmingham , however , was named in the % B apal brief , and to irmingham he went , e e taking a house in Alc ster Str et . ’ At on once Father Newman s return , 35 F A T H E R F A B E R

Faber again Off ered himself and his Com The ff munity to him as novices . o er , however , was not made without a great E struggle . lton was to come over again ; the will of G od was to hunt me out of ” my new home , to snap all ties . Father Faber and Father H utchison were called to London by Bishop Wise T man to consider their position . hey ar rived just after Father Stanton , the ﬁrst E Oratorian to land in ngland , who was b wearing his ha it . Faber talked over his idea of j oining the Oratory with the B ishop , who solemnly approved , and so T pronounced that it was to be . his ,

Of course , entailed his giving up the position Of Superior , which he had held since the foundation of the Com munity, and becoming a novice . It also f ’ o . meant the giving up St Wilfrid s , which he describes as uprooting one ” e of altogether from the earth . Sp aking t o SO going Maryvale , he says away Elt on ian goes home, church , flock, t he children and all . Certainly 36

F A TH E R F A B E R

e e At nov lti s , and were Opposed . that time there existe d but on e statue of Our ’ B Of lessed Lady in London . Faber s Life

St . Philip , like other lives in the Oratorian e e e To s ri s , was severely criticis d . all , was added the outburst of Prote stant indignation at the restoration of the H ierarchy and the appointment of Cardinal Wiseman as Archbishop of he Time% Westminster . T printed a leader of h R full such p rases as oman bondage , Of daring assumption power , acts which the laws of this country will never e r cognise . The converts who had joined the Oratory had n ow increased to such numbers that it was decided t o open a

house in London , and it was eventually settled that Father Newman should re main in Birmingham and F ather Faber R f The be ector o the London house . ﬁrst Mass in the London Oratory he said on f the feast of t he Patronage o St . Joseph The in 1 849. chapel consisted of a large S 2 2 room at the back Of NO . 4 and 5 38

F A T H E R F A B E R

King William Street , Strand the altar , which was for about forty years in u se at the Little Oratory and is now in ’ S . Philip s Church , Sydenham , had been procured from t he Old Portuguese Th e Chapel . day appointed for the 1 st Opening was May 3 , and as , a month w as earlier , there practically no furniture of for the chapel , the amount work to be got through may be easily imagined . a on In fact , chaos ppeared to reign

May 3oth , porters hurrying here and there with benches and chairs ; organ builders and tuners hard at work, with t organ pipes all round hem , the altar of being ﬁtted up by some the Fathers . B u t , by the time appointed , next day, as B all w ready . ishop Wiseman ponti ﬁ c at e d and preached , also assisting at

Vespers , when Father Newman preached . The Community then consisted of e D al airn s Fath rs Faber , g , Stanton (who as already stated was the ﬁrst Oratorian E H to land in ngland) utchison , Knox e and Alban Wells . With thes were two 39 F A T H E R F A B E R

novices , Father Gordon , who was after wards Superior for many years , and B Father John owden , to whose Life of Faber the present writer is indebted f or e most of the facts here s t forth . Soon com after , there came among them , to let e p his education , a youth who had lived with them at Maryvale , Charles H B enry owden , who never left them , l of becoming a priest , we l beloved the e poor and d stitute , and well remem bered by all frequenters of the Oratory for his ﬁne voice and his happy coun a e B t e n n c . ishop Wiseman , who was a R brother of the little Oratory in ome , was delighted to have his scheme brought

to fulﬁlment , and the Fathers always

found in him a kind friend and protector . That they were the ﬁrst R eligious Community to serve a church in London was again a cause of grievance to some of the more old - fashioned among the Th e Secular clergy . Oratorians from the

ﬁrst wore the habit publicly, and this

too was looked upon with suspicion , as 40 F A TH E R F A B E R

also were the devotions , which were e t called methodistical . % the evening services soon became a favourite form of devotion ; good numbers attended them , and Shortly other priests used ’ ab er s F hymns , which had mostly been set to music by Father Wells . E St . Philip had come to ngland , and was doing his work as he had done it in

R ome . Converts were pouring pell ” f mell into the church . Men o nearly all professions and of none came to the

Oratory for instruction ; doctors , law y e rs and soldiers were being received weekly ; the Communions reached ﬁve hundred a week, which , for a London so church lately established , was a very large number in those days . With September came a call f or priests to go to the hop - ﬁ elds to help the poor ff su erers from the cholera , and at once Father Faber and two of his Fathers H went to Farleigh , where enry Wilber R force , the ector , was to be the witness Of a charity that brought hi m and hi s family into the Church . t h 1 8 0 On October the 9 , 5 , the Oratory in London was made indep endent Of ’

B . irmingham , this being St Philip s 4 2

F A T H E R F A B E R

’

on . rule , and St Wilfrid s Day, Father

Faber was elected its Provost . r e — When , owing to the establishment of H E the ierarchy in ngland , the greatest agitation prevailed , disputes arose upon various subjects , among them the zeal displayed by the new Cardinal Wiseman , which was called by the Old - fashioned “ ” he party love of power . T Cardinal felt that the R eligious Orders in a country like ours , ought to take an active part T in the missionarywork . his , they pleaded was not allowed by their rule , and on 2 t h 1 8 2 October 7 , 5 , he wrote to Father Faber stating the case and almost appealed ff for help . Faber at once O ered the services of his church and Fathers for missionary work, an offer at ﬁrst de li e d H c n . l owever , Father Faber app ied to R ome for such dispensations of the he rule as would permit of this plan . T e Cardinal was deeply grat ful for this , and , about a year later , the London Ora tory undertook the regular mission which has been carried on ever Since . On St . 43 F A TH E R F A B E R

’ 1 8 6 e Philip s Day, 5 , Wiseman preach d in the London Oratory a panegyric of the

Saint , in which he compared the work of St . Philip at Chiesa Nuova with that B at rompton . In 1 85 1 Father F aber and Father H utchison opened a school for poor R boys and girls in ose Street , Covent

Garden , which a few months after ’ wards , was moved to Dunn s Passage , on e H olborn . More than thousand

children attended these schools , before they were moved later to Charles

Street , Drury Lane, where , in spite Of B the great distance from rompton , and increased work occasioned by the mission

work, they were maintained by the 1 86 Fathers till 3 , when they were made

over to the diocese . ’ of 1 8 1 In the winter 5 , Father Faber s H e health again broke down . was ordered R to travel and , in ome once m%ore , he of I . obtained an audience Pius , and then Obtained the daily Plenary I n d ul h gence for the Churc of the Oratory . 44

F A TH E R F A B E R

1 8 2 In June , 5 , came the proclamation forbidding Catholic priests to wear the of habit their Order , and the Fathers therefore discontinued the practice . ’ During the next month, St . Mary s , of Sydenham , a house rest for the an d A community, was ﬁnished , on ugust

2n d B , the lessed Sacrament was reserved f or on l ot h there the ﬁrst time , and the a visit was paid by Prince Massimi of the family mentioned in the Life Of ou r

H oly Father St . Philip in connection with the miracle worked on Paolo de Massimi .

of 1 8 In the March 5 3 , work was begun f or the buildi ng of the Oratory on the site of the present on e and completed

within the year . Meantime , the work was going on at King William Street and ’ Dunn s Passage , the people being called together by the ringing of a hand bell and gathered into R osary rooms which had been hired in the lowest of slums Drury Lane , where instructions r R we e given , hymns sung and the osary he said . T indiff erence of the p e ople once 45 F A TH E R F A B E R wrung from Father Faber the following on Speech . Falling his knees in the pulpit he cried H ow can I touch your hearts 3 I have prayed t o Jesus ; I have prayed to Mary ; whom shall I ou e pray to next I will pray to y , my d ar on Irish children , to have mercy your ” he eff ow n souls . T ect was truly won d e rf ul , the whole congregation knelt and for a time no sound could be heard but

their sobs and prayers . e e i H was v ry l ke St . Philip in f of others O his sayings . One the Fathers remarking t he neatness of %ou his room , he replied , know, son my , the napkin was folded in the ” A sepulchre . gain someone remarked the talent displaye d in getting through T ” so . much literary work alent , he said “ m son of . Nonsense , y , it is the fear God One can well imagine the sort of tale hi St . P lip would have told young Paolo de Massimi had he asked hi m for a fairy tale ; in response to a Similar re que st from t he daught e r Of a noble 46

F A T H E R F A B E R

” The of Creature , Foot the Cross , ” B e ethlehem , Spiritual Conf rences , ” H of Poems and ymns , and a part The B Precious lood , and a second f ” volume o Spiritual Exercises . One of his favourite recreations was to ’ se e the children at St . Wilfrid s Convent ” whom he called his grandchildren , and to whom his visits were always a source of j oy— remembered now by some who still talk of him with full hearts , as a saint . Father Faber would allow of nothing A but the best for the service of the ltar, and the decorum Observed by even the small boys who sometimes assist at Bene hi diction is remarked even to t s day . It was not till the year 1 86 1 that ’ t he Father s work was seriously inter f e re d with by his long and complicated H e on All illness . preached sermons Souls

Day and on the Feast of St . Charles B at ayswater ; and , shortly after , had a severe attack of bronchitis and r inﬂammation Of the lungs . F o a time 48 F A T H E R F A B E R

great anxiety was felt , for his heart also B 8 of was affected . y the th December , A however , he had returned from rundel The where he had been recruiting . Fathers prevailed upon him to refrain his from some of labours , and he spent f ’ o . most the summer at St Mary s , n Syde ham , where he had frequent H e a attacks . used to s y that pain was a f precious gift O God .

49 %

During the L e nt of 1 86 3 Father Faber t o on decided preach the Sundays , and actually did SO on the ﬁrst four ; but illness prevented him completing the H is course . last sermon was preached on

Passion Sunday, and in a very few days it w as found necessary to call in Special as medical advice , his illness was assuming a much more serious aspect , and he himself declared I do not se e how I can recover now . The community, however , were still hopeful , and could not bring themselves to realise that they were soon to lose At their Father . this time they consisted of - of twenty seven members , whom all save four had been guided by him to ’ S . Philip s H ouse . When the news of his of serious condition got abroad , letters inquiry and condolence came from all quarters , and prayers , Masses and Novenas were everywhere Off ered for e on him . H said his ow n last Mass the 5 0

F A TH E R F A B E R

anniversary of the foundation Of the of ﬁrst London Oratory, the Feast

the Patronage of St . Joseph . H e e on grew rapidly wors , and June the 16th H , the oly Viaticum was carried E to hi m in solemn procession . xtreme

Unction was afterwards administered . To the questions put he answered clearly l and ﬁrm y, even adding a few words to

e . To D O th m the question , you for ’ %e s God s sake forgive your enemies , ” “ % ou I do ; I never had any . Again Do y now from your heart ask pardon Of every %“ %c . i one , he answered I do , especially of every member of the Community i u n I have been proud , unchar table , ask f o . observant , and I pardon all I ” A wish I had been more kind . lthough his there were no hopes of recovery, he on e e lingered for some w eks , and was abl Old to receive Cardinal Wiseman , his is and faithful friend . H suff erings were now very great and it sometimes hap p ened he could not ﬁnd words to express e his m aning, although his mind was SI F A T H E R F A B E R

so perfectly clear , great was the pain he endured . A visit from Father Newman towards the end of July cheered hi m considerably .

Matters remained much the same , with occasional signs of improvement , till September , when he had grown

terribly weak and had some delirium . On the 1 5 th a change appeared ; he on was in bed , and his eyes ﬁxed a large e cruciﬁx at the foot of the bed . H was t told hat the end was near , and G od he replied most fervently, be praised At midnight the Community

was assembled , and the commendation f H e o his soul was made . seemed to get a little better and the Fathers went back

t - six to their rooms . A half past the next morning Father R owe came into his room and told him he was just going to say f r e o . H Mass him looked his thanks , being

unable to speak ; and , just as the Mass

was ﬁnished , he turned Slightly and , ul with a clear bright look, gave his so

back to its Creator . 5 2

F A TH E R F A B E R

hi w ther , only two months before , his re at f rie n d A g and follower , Father nthony H utchison had preceded him . Large numbers followed on foot and saw the body Of the man who had been to many of them the guide into the ways of Of peace , and to the fold Peter , laid f n at the foot o the co secration Cross . H ere lies his dust , waiting till the ﬁnal

call shall unite it to the soul , which we

trust is before the throne Of God , not far from the feet of his Dear and Blessed so on e Lady whom he dearly loved arth .

B eati m r tui ui m D omino oriun ur o q m t .

’ F a t her F ab er s G ra ve I n th e Ce m e tery o f t he O ra t oria n s a t Sy de n ha m FATH ER FABER ’S GRAVE

B E e . T. By F ath r K D . S

E % %T . %% . B T. . (O II VI S , MDCCCL III ' %I n r % i zt A nna; . n Co V V x %LI g . .

’ Thousands who mourne d at F ab er s death Ask for his resting place Even poor strangers to the faith

Come , as if drawn by grace .

Where is he buried We are come e Not to the Po t or Sage , B ut to the Priest of God whose tomb e o r e M rits u pilgrimag .

Where is he burie d H e who wrot e H ymns that he might have heard e Chanted in heaven , whose echo d note

Sounds in each holy word .

H e SO Where is he buried true , T G od e rue to his and cre d , ’ T n ew rue to the treasure Old and , T e t he ee ru to Church in n d . 55 F A TH E R F A B E R

Where is he buried H ave ye made R oom f or your noble dead H e e ere , in the church where he pr ach d

and prayed , H ere , where his Mass was said

U ul nder that altar he sho d be , F aithful and watchful found se a Sailors are buried near their ,

Soldiers on battle ground .

Where is he buried Thus they ask

Eagerly day by day . n ot Piety shrinks from its task, Well does love know the way

H ere is he buried look around , All is j ust as he planned B Garden , lawns , and urial Ground , hi s Drawn by own dear hand .

H ere is he buried se e the trees T hen , only nursling plants ,

Now, they make dirges in the breeze ’ e During t h robin s chants . 56 F A TH E R F A B E R

H ere is he buried skylarks Sing U sk p in the clear blue y , Ere they descend on loving wing

Down to the nest hard by .

H ere is he buried cypress trees , R oses in endless bloom , Lead the heart ’s faithful memories B ’ ack to Christ s garden tomb .

ort - F y nine years from birth till death , A Death in the utumn days , Fifteen with Philip—the grave - stone saith O N other word of praise .

H ere is he buried others too Sleep here—God ’s will be done n ew Some of the graves are green , some R on e anged round this central .

’ H on ark to y City s ceaseless roar, R eaching these quiet graves — Life calls death B ut the Silent Shore H eeds not the senseless waves . F A TH E R F A B E R

T e here they fulﬁlled their priestly lif , T here bravely fought the ﬁght ,

Finding here , after toil and strife ,

R e - est and the long d for night .

A sking assistance to be brave , H e elp to endure ach loss , Often we come to our Father ’s grave

Close to the holy Cross .

Sweet is it ever to se e that Sign Shedding by day and night B eautiful blessings , peace divine ,

Shadows more loved than light .

’ Tis B l not the De Profundis el , ’ Tis R not the equiem Mass , ’ B u t it is H eaven s sacred Spell

Laid on the dewy grass .

H see ere is he buried the mound , Lowly yet ever blest ’

T . hus , in St Mary s holy ground ,

F athe r and Brethre n rest .

5 8