CHAPTER XV.
DEATH OF FATHER CHARLES NEALE
Since Father Neale had crossed the Atlantic with his little colony of Carmelite Sisters, more than thirty years had elapsed. He had lived and suffered with his little community, and had the satisfaction of beholding it increase in merit and in numbers. No less than twenty-eight sisters had been added to it, the last one to enter during his lifetime being Sister Gertrude of the Visitation, Bradburn. Two of those who had come with him from Europe, and four other sisters had preceded him to the grave. During the thirty years he had been at Mount Carmel, great events had transpired both at home and abroad. The French Revolution with all its horrors had swept over a great part of Europe; the parent communities of Antwerp and Hoogstraeten had been removed to England; the French Empire had suddenly risen; the Pope had been led away into captivity; Napoleon Bonaparte had triumphed for a time, but had been humbled at Waterloo and sent to pass the remainder of his years in captivity at St. Helena, and the French monarchy had been restored. At home Father Neale had witnessed the erection of several dioceses in the United States and the rapid progress of Catholicity. The Society of Jesus had been restored and he himself reunited to it. War had been waged and terminated between the United States and England, and the Republic was now increasing in prosperity. Archbishops Carroll and Neale had gone from earthly scenes to a better world beyond the skies,
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and there remained now for Father Charles Neale only to look forward to his own dissolution.
Two years before his death, the following letter was received by the Carmelites from Sister Mary Clare at Dalton, England, formerly of the Community of Lierre:
“Your Reverence finds that at length Bonaparte is no more. What a subject of deep meditation to reflect, that he who seemed to command nations, is now numbered among the dead! However, it is a comfort that he died in the bosom of the true Church, after receiving all the rites. The good Pope sent two ecclesiastics to assist him, thus acting like a true pastor and Father of the flock of Christ. How different a character through life was his saintly niece, Carlotta Bonaparte, with whom I was in an intimate, friendly correspondence! She earnestly wished to be a Carmelite with us during my term, but I never gave her any encouragement. I ever felt that the family name would be a prejudice to us. This poor young lady had much to suffer when young from her powerful uncle and her aunt, the then queen of Naples; refused to be the queen of Spain, and in fine rejected all honours and preferments. In fine, we regarded her justly as a saint. On her quitting Thorngrove she sent me authentic relicks of her great patroness, our Holy Mother, the holy Cross and St. Ildefonsus. On returning to Rome she was happily married to the nephew of Cardinal Gabrielli, and we hear is the edification of all Rome. I beg a remembrance for her in your holy prayers."1
Father Neale had now attained his seventy-third year, and was gradually sinking under his infirmities. In 1821 he had again been appointed superior of the Society in America, and
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1Charlotte Bonaparte was the daughter of Lucien Bonaparte, prince of Canino, and Christine Eleanor Boyer. She shared her father's exile in England, and lived with him at Thorngrove. Having returned to Rome she married in 1815 Prince Mario Gabrielli, and after his death, she became in 1842 the wife of the Roman physician, Centamori. She died in Rome, May 6th, 1865.
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remained in office until his death. During his life he had given an example of great virtue. His poverty was edifying; be was poorly clad; he slept upon a straw bed, with woolen sheets, and he made use of a very plain diet. During his whole life be suffered from a complication of diseases: gout, hemorrhoids, gravel and an asthmatic affection, all of which be bore with great patience and cheerfulness, even showing a desire of suffering. He would never complain, but in all his losses and trials would exclaim: “God's holy Will be done!” He appeared to be penetrated with the love of God, and absorbed in His divine presence; and all his thoughts, words and actions seemed to tend to the greater glory of God and the good of souls. He kept his last hour before his eyes, and was wont to prepare for death, when retiring at night, by making the Sign of the Cross with Holy Water upon his five senses, in imitation of the last anointing. Every Mass he said as his Viaticum. Once when the sisters were assembled together he humbly asked pardon of them for his faults, told them he would soon die, and begged them to pray for him and shorten his purgatory. He added: “If you do what I have recommended to you, and what you came to religion for, you will soon enjoy God."
On the 15th of February, 1823, he heard for the last time the confessions of the community, and on the 18th said his last Mass with great difficulty. On the 21st of March he received the last Rites of the Holy Church. His brother, Father Francis Neale, and Father Benedict Fenwick, both of the Society of Jesus, attended him on the occasion. The Blessed Sacrament being brought into his room, he expressed his love and gratitude by aspirations of charity and an act of conformity and resignation to God's Holy Will; he then made an act of contrition, saying: “O my Jesus! you have redeemed me by your bitter death and passion, I expect eternal salvation and the pardon of all my sins through your bitter passion. I place myself at the foot of your cross, that your sacred blood may wash away all the sins of my life past,
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and make me pleasing to you, my Jesus and Redeemer. O my Jesus! have mercy and pardon me all I have done contrary to your holy law."
Father Benedict Fenwick attended him from Holy Saturday, the 29th of March, until his death, which took place on the fourth Sunday after Easter, April 27th, 1823. He had labored forty-three years in promoting the welfare of the Carmelites; ten years he had been director of the English Carmelites at Antwerp, and thirty-three years of those of Maryland. He had relinquished all his patrimony in favor of the monastery of Mount Carmel, reserving nothing to himself. A few days before his death, Father Neale recommended the community to Father Fenwick, and begged him to do all in his power for the benefit of his dear children. Father Fenwick endeavored in every way to comfort and assist the sisters, and on their return from the grave of their lamented Father, he delivered to them a consoling discourse. A month later he performed solemn funeral services for the repose of the soul of Father Neale. A perpetual Anniversary Mass is offered for Father Neale in the Carmelite Chapel.1
Archbishop Maréchal, having been informed of the death of Father Neale, wrote the following letter to the Sisters:
BALTIMORE, 10th May, 1823.
Revd Mother,
I was already informed of the death of the Revd Ch. Neale when on my return from Emmetsburg to Balto, I found on my table your letter containing the details of the edifying circumstances of his last moments. The loss of such a Director is unquestionably one of the severest which you could experience. But although it be calculated to excite in your community a profound grief, yet there is reason to bless Div. Providence that he has lived so long & has proved so eminently useful to the spiritual & temporal interests of your saintly house. The last time I had the consolation of visiting Mt. Carmel, I recollect you mentioned
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1The bones of Father Neale repose, with the remains of the Carmelites, at Bonnie Brae Cemetery, in Baltimore .
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to me that you wished, in case you should lose F. Ch. Neale, to have for his successor a member of the Society. I have no difficulty whatever in making such an appointment.
Were F. Franc. Neale willing to accept of the office, it would give me great satisfaction. But I am afraid he has still the same natural repugnance he manifested to me, some years ago, for the direction of a religious community. Father Edelen likewise would do very well. Besides his piety and great prudence, he might be, by his experience, extremely useful to you in the management of your temporal concerns. The last time he came to Balte I offered him the post. It seems to me that his state of health would improve by breathing the pure air of Mount Carmel; whilst if he remains at New Town, I fear he will not be long in this world. Will you have the goodness, Revd & Dr Mother, to converse with F. Fr. Neale on this subject & to let me know the result of your conversation in a letter which I beg you to direct to the Visitation in G. T., where I expect to go in the course of the next week?
Thousand blessings to your good & fervent daughters! I recommend myself to your pious prayers & remain with great respect,
Revd & Dr Mother,
Your obt humb. servt
+ Amb., Arch. Balt.
Father Fenwick left Mount Carmel on Thursday, the octave of Corpus Christi, June 5th, 1823, by order of his superior, Father Francis Neale, regretted by the sisters and the inhabitants of the neighborhood. A short time after, the following letter of Father Francis Neale reached Mount Carmel:
GEORGETOWN COLLEGE , June 18th, 1823.
Rev. Mother of Mt. Carmel,
I have just now received a letter written by the Mother Sub-Prioress mentioning your great wants & mortification. I have been sensible of all this, & have been frequently deprived of rest in the night & comforts in the day considering these evils which I could not hinder, nor can I put an entire stop to them at present; I have desired Revd B. Fenwick to go & remain some short time at your Convent, and will speak to you on this subject when I return down.—I have written to the ArchBp. for faculties for
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him while at the Convent. He is to attend while he there remains the Congen of Pomphret.1 My Compliments to all; although they have thought very hard of me for not being able to do impossibilities.
I remain affectionately yours,
FRANCIS NEALE.P. S.—Revd B. Fenwick cannot be with you before Monday next.—F. N.
Father Fenwick now became the successor of Father C. Neale, in the direction of the convent. He was a native of Leonardtown, St. Mary's Co., Maryland, and descended from an old and honored Maryland Catholic family, the founder of which came from England, as a member of the original band of pilgrims sent out by Lord Baltimore. He entered Georgetown College in 1792. In 1805 he began his theological studies in the Seminary of St. Sulpice at Baltimore, and the following year entered the Society of Jesus. He was ordained in 1808, and some time after went on the New York missions with Father Anthony Kohlman, S. J. They took charge of St. Peter's Church, New York. After the death of Bishop Concanen, Father Fenwick became administrator of the diocese of New York, where he labored zealously until 1817, when be was made President of Georgetown College. The following year he was sent as Vicar-General to Charleston, S. C. He returned to Georgetown in May, 1822.2 He became, as we have seen, confessor of the Carmelites in 1823. The daughters of St. Teresa found in his prudence and ability all they could desire to compensate them for the loss of their respected founder.
He was most kind to the community, attended to their spiritual and temporal affairs, and did all he could to cheer and comfort the nuns, who were naturally greatly grieved for
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1A small mission station.
2 O’Kane-Murray.
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the loss of their venerable Father and Founder. He was wont to compose verses for their little feasts, and also wrote out exercises of a Retreat for the guidance of the religious. The nuns, greatly desiring to build a regular monastery, having for a long time relied on the money promised by Mr. de Villegas, Father Fenwick drew the plan for them. He left his children of Mount Carmel a memento, in the shape of a curious sugar-bowl, made of a cocoanut, and beautifully carved by the Indians of South Carolina. It was mounted in silver, and had been presented to him in Charleston, whilst he was acting pastor there, about the year 1818.