Some brief notes:
- A future post will deal more expansively with the passing in 1914, as remarked upon below by Sir Francis, of Mgr Robert Hugh Benson, the priestly author, whose considerable literary legacy is still widely appreciated today, not least through the strong impression that at least one of his works (Lord of the World) has made upon both the reigning pontiff, His Holiness Pope Francis, and his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
- We would also draw attention to the editor's reference to this "most troublous time" in connection, clearly, with the outbreak of World War I in the latter part of that year, a comment of his which informed our earlier post, concerning the surely tasking final months of the production period of the 1915 Year Book. Again, what Sir Francis and Co. achieved in those final stages of 1914, when producing the 1915 volume, should not go unrecognised - even a century later. For who knows how many fallen souls from the early weeks of World War I benefited from the prayers directly prompted by having their names listed in the 1915 Year Book so shortly after their deaths!
Let it continue to be so. And let us continue to pray for – and indeed to, as the case may be! – the souls of all those who are duly name-checked below.
Requiescant in pace.
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{styled as per the original; any images and captions, or (bracketed Christian name insertions), or cross-reference annotations [*], and obviously links, inserted by ourselves}
PREFACE
BY SIR F. C. BURNAND
When the First Christmas was heralded by the Angelic Choir the whole world was at peace. Now, on its nineteen-hundred-and-fourteenth anniversary, well nigh the whole world is at war.
* * * * * *
Only within the last six months of 1914, many, whose names we proudly record in these pages, have laid down their lives in service of their King and Country. That is our Legion of Honour.
* * * * * *
In the month of August, 1914, within a few weeks of the rising of the curtain on the first scene of the World's Tragedy, the Chair of Peter became vacant. Pope Pius the Tenth had passed away.
" Poveri figli ! Poveri figli ! "
Sighing forth these words, that rose from the depth of his paternal heart, overflowing with charity for all, but especially for his children of the household of Faith, our Chief Pastor passed, through the gates of death on earth, to life eternal in heaven.
* * * * * *
Then in the first week of September, 1914, the Catholic Church, all over the world, acknowledged as her Chief Pastor on earth, the two-hundred-and-fifty-ninth successor of St Peter, Prince of the Apostles, under the style and title of His Holiness Benedict the Fifteenth, Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, and "Servus Servorum"
"Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini".
* * * * * *
Catholics everywhere, especially English Catholics, and, it may be added, a vast number of non-Catholics, united in the month of May to congratulate Abbot (Francis Aidan) Gasquet, President of the English Benedictines, on his elevation to the Cardinalate. To him the Cardinal's hat was a fitting mark of recognition for his most excellent, painstaking and notably successful labours, still continuing, and, let us hope, to be continued for many years to come.
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| Abbot Francis Aidan Gasquet O.S.B |
* * * * * *
But if, on the one hand, we have to record a great gain, we must sadly acknowledge an irretrievable loss in the death of Monsignor (Robert Hugh) Benson. He died, in the prime of life, aged only forty-three, at the height of his fame as preacher and writer, but, above all, to quote Bishop Vaughan's [*] apt description of him, "as a man of God, upright, honest and full of supernatural energy." What was his own testimony of himself? "Every single day of my life," said Monsignor Benson, "I thank God, more and more, that I am a Catholic."
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| Mgr Robert Hugh Benson |
* * * * * *
In this most troublous time, the Catholic public cannot but feel that a grateful tribute is due to the energy and painstaking care with which the compilers of our "Catholic Who's Who" have carried out their onerous task. Strict accuracy of detail, as far as possible, has been achieved throughout.
* * * * * *
Honour to our King and Queen whose care is for all their subjects.
* * * * * *
So passes 1914 into the Land of Memories.
Then, in a second, wonderingly, prayerfully and humbly, we take our first step forward on the unknown land of
1915
" Domine dirige nos "
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[*] we conclude that the non-specific reference, by process of elimination, must be to Rt Rev. John Stephen Vaughan D.D., Auxiliary in the Diocese of Salford, 1909-25, who was brother to:
• Fr Bernard Vaughan S.J.;
• the 2nd Archbishop (of Sydney), Most Rev. Roger Vaughan O.S.B.;
and
• His Eminence, Herbert Alfred Cardinal Vaughan
