CHAPTER FIVE
My grandparents always kept the front door of their house closed
whenever a funeral cortege was passing through the Quarry. This
was a local custom. Even the doors of the local pub were closed
until the mourners had passed by.
Whenever one of the residents of the Quarry died, a large
funeral was guaranteed. But some of the local women would not go
with the mourners to the graveyard for the burial. After
attending the Mass for the dead, they went back to the home of
the deceased and prepared refreshments for those attending the
funeral. Usually, a few crates of Guinness had been bought in,
but most of the people who came back to the house were content
with the customary tea and barm brack. Others resorted to the
Quarry's local pub where, after a few drinks, they would
continually remind each other of the merits of the deceased. In
those days, ladies were not allowed to drink in the public bar,
so they would sip their beverages in the `snug', a small room off
the bar, complete with a serving hatch.
Most of the local housewives got their weekly groceries at
this pub - cum - grocery shop. Many of them got the messages 'on
the book.' The shopkeeper would write into a large ledger book an
account of all the groceries purchased during the week. Most of
the women had a little notebook, into which they wrote the
details of their daily purchases. Friday was pay - day, when the
men who were lucky enough to be employed got their wages, and
those who did not have jobs collected their subsistence
allowance. So, on Friday evenings, the housewives made their way
to the shop to pay the weekly bill.
In some homes, the atmosphere on Friday nights could be cut
with a knife. This was due to the fact that, when some of the
women had gone to the shop to pay their dues, they discovered
that their husbands had, unknown to them, been getting a few
pints of porter during the week, 'on the book', assuring the
publican that "the missus will fix up with you on
Friday!" By the time the groceries and the few pints of the
black stuff had been paid for, there was very little money left
in the woman's purse, so it was back to getting the groceries `on
the book' again on Saturday morning.
One of my grandparents' neighbours, Beth, had a husband who
loved his few pints of Guinness. But he had the bad habit of
getting very contrary after consuming a certain amount of the
stuff. His unfortunate wife was regularly seen wearing a home -
made sling on her arm, as a result of her husband's habit of
throwing her down the stairs if she dared complain about his
excessive drinking, and squandering of the money she needed to
feed and clothe their large family.
Beth's husband was just one of the many men from Thurles who,
shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, volunteered to
join the British Army, and fight with the Allies, for the freedom
of small nations. These men were instructed to travel by train
from Thurles to Dublin, from where they would set sail for
England. Then, after a short period of training, they would cross
the Channel to France. As the train was preparing to leave
Thurles Railway Station, Beth, along with the weeping wives and
children of the men who were leaving, was saying good - bye to
the brave volunteers. She was overheard saying to some of the
tearful women, "There is no need to cry, ladies, because if
my husband beats the Germans half as good as he beats me, the war
will be over in a fortnight."
Many of these brave men wore the Scapular, believing that by
so doing, they were guaranteed a place in Heaven. They believed
that, if they were to die in the war, at least they had Mary's
promise that she would ensure a place in Heaven for them. Others
wore the Miraculous Medal, and some carried a 'relic' with them.
The relic of Blessed Martin, a Roman Catholic monk, was the one
most commonly used at that time. This relic was a piece of cloth,
which had touched a bone of Blessed Martin, many years after his
death. It was believed the relics had miraculous powers, both to
heal, and to protect people. Because two miracles were attributed
to Blessed Martin's intercession after he died, the Roman
Catholic Church Canonised him a Saint.
Some of the men carried Rosary Beads with them on their
journey to France, and would have sought Our Lady's protection on
many occasions during their time in the trenches.
Back home in Thurles, their families depended upon the Blessed Virgin to look after their loved ones, and keep them safe. The Rosary was constantly said, both in the homes and in the Cathedral, for the protection of these gallant men from the town, who were willing to pay the ultimate price for freedom.
CHAPTER SIX
For many generations it has been considered to be of the utmost
importance that a person be wearing Mary's Brown Scapular when
they die. The Scapular is a piece of cloth, about one inch
square. Two of these pieces are joined together by strings, and
worn around the neck, with one piece on the chest, and the other
on the back. Everybody was encouraged to wear the Scapular. Some
of the literature highlighting the many benefits to the wearer
reads as follows; "Attach great importance to your Scapular.
It is an assurance of Salvation." ; "Whoever dies
clothed in this (Scapular) shall not suffer eternal fire."
("This is Mary's promise, made on July 16th., 1251, to Saint
Simon Stock.") ; "Your Scapular then should take on
deep meaning for you. It is a rich present brought down from
heaven by Our Lady Herself. 'Wear it devoutly and perseveringly',
she says to each soul. It is my garment. To be clothed in it
means you are continually thinking of me, and I in turn, am
always thinking of you and helping you to secure eternal
life.'"; "St. Alphonsus says, 'Just as men take pride
in having others wear their livery, so the most Holy Mary is
pleased when her servants wear her Scapular as a mark that they
have dedicated themselves to her service, and are members of the
Family of the Mother of God.'"
The words of a special prayer, addressed to Our Lady of Mount
Carmel, and which was to be said by all wearers of the Brown
Scapular, were also included in this literature. The prayer is as
follows:
"O most Blessed and Immaculate Virgin, ornament and
splendour of Carmel, you who regard with an eye of special
kindness those who wear your Blessed habit, look down in kindness
on me and cover me with your special protection. Strengthen my
weakness with your power; enlighten the darkness of my mind with
your wisdom; increase in me faith, hope and charity. Adorn my
soul with such graces and virtues as will ever be pleasing to
your Divine Son and to you. Assist me in life and console me in
death with your most amiable presence, and present me to the most
August Trinity as your devoted servant and child, that I may
eternally bless and praise you in heaven."
Pope John XX11., who lived in the 14th.Century, declared that the
Blessed Virgin had appeared to him and told him to instruct Roman
Catholics to wear the Scapular. He testified that Mary had
promised him that Catholics who were wearing it when they died
would be delivered from Purgatory.
Being assured that the wearer of the Brown Scapular was
guaranteed Salvation, and had Mary's own promise that they would
never suffer eternal fire, was certainly a great incentive to the
people to wear it. If somebody who was dying did not have a
Scapular, a family member could get one, and encourage the person
to put it on, reminding them of the eternal benefit of wearing it
when facing death.
But the wearing of the Scapular was not the only means of
protection, as far as many people were concerned. The completion
of the Double Great Novena was also deemed to be a guarantee of
immunity from eternal punishment.
Sister Maria Natalia of Hungary, a contemporary Mystic, has
stated that Devotion to His own Sacred Heart, and the Sacred
Heart of His Mother, is what Jesus asks through her. According to
Sr. Maria, the 'Double Great Novena' is the means the Lord has
chosen to establish devotion to the two Sacred Hearts. She said
that, among other things, God has promised that, "If parents
or other members of a family complete this Novena, nobody from
that family will be condemned to Hell. The dying will experience
tremendous longing for eternal life, thus they will surrender to
My will, and will depart from life in the arms of My Mother. They
will experience the extraordinary protection of My Mother at the
Last Judgement. The souls of those who complete this Novena will
be radiant like white lilies around the heart of My Mother in
eternity."
Many sincere people completed the 'Double Great Novena', hoping
it would save their family members from being condemned to Hell.
Click here to read the next 2 chapters