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Brother Aidan's Extracts


MARCELLINUS, BROTHER (Thomas Kinsella) July 29, 1914

"Assistant prefect, Senior Department, Notre Dame." (1871)

"Rector of Junior Department" (1873)

"Brother Marcellinus was President of the Examining committee, which met in South Bend a few weeks ago to examine the candidates for admission to the Military Academy at West Point. The fortunate competitor will probably enter Notre Dame to prepare for the final examination next June."

-- Scholastic September 12, 1885

"Upon the invitation of Frank McErlain, Brother Marcellinus spent Thursday hunting 8 miles north. The report that no game is left in the state is without foundation, as is also the one that 13 pheasants and 9 rabbits committed suicide upon hearing that Brother Marcellinus was on the grounds. They were the lawful bag of a good day's sport, as were several squirrels, a young fox and 2 blue-jays."

-- Scholastic December 20, 1886

(See: "Football, 1889")

"Brother Marcellinus, for a number of years the genial Dean of the Commercial Department of Notre Dame, has been appointed Superior of St. Columbkille's School, Chicago." Scholastic 26:11 (1892)

"Brother Marcellinus, who for years was head of the Commercial Department at Notre Dame, and who is now director of St. Columbkille's School, Chicago, celebrated on last Monday, (19th) the Silver Jubilee of his entrance into the Congregation of Holy Cross. For 25 years he has been identified with the cause of education, and few instructors have met with greater success...." Scholastic March 24, 1894

"Old students of the University will be interested in knowing that Brother Marcellinus, a veteran and much-admired professor of the University in the 'good old days' has been recently appointed principal of the new high school recently founded in Fort Wayne, and placed in charge of the Brothers of Holy Cross. There are few teachers who were better rememberedthan Brother Marcellinus."

-- Scholastic, 43:30

"Brother Marcellinus, one of the ablest and best known teaching Brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross, died Wednesday morning at Notre Dame. To scores of Fort Wayne friends and particularly the students of Central Catholic High School, the announcement of his demise will be received with profound regret. Brother Marcellinus was for four years superior of the Central High School after its establishment under the patronage of Bishop Alerding, and his administration was one of the ones noted for its marked success.

"Shortly prior to the 70th anniversary commencement at the University of Notre Dame this year, Brother Marcellinus was stricken with apoplexy of the brain and since that time his condition had been critical. for the past week his death had been hourly expected; the final summons came on Wednesday when he passed away at the Community House, where he had been making his home for a year....Owing to his long service as a teacher, over forty years, Brother Marcellinus remained at Notre Dame and during the past year since his retirement from Fort Wayne taught classes in the Commercial Department. His duties were not heavy and he appeared in his usual health until stricken in June. The beloved teacher was about 67 years of age and throughout his long career in the classroom was eminently successful in his activities.

"He taught at practically all the higher educational institutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross and was a religious of keen intellectual capacity and administrative ability. A number of Chicago's leading business and professional men were students of Brother Marcellinus and so popular was he with the Chicago Notre Dame Alumni that no reunion was deemed complete unless he was in attendance. His death is a distinct loss to the great Community of which he was a devoted and exemplary member. He was a member of the General Chapter of the Holy Cross Order and participated in all the deliberations of that body for many years."

-- Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, by Helen May Irwin July 30, 1914

"Brother Marcellinus, one of the best loved and best known members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, passed away at Notre Dame, on the morning of July 29, after an illness of about two months. He was born at St. Joseph, Iowa, in 1847 and entered the Community in 1869.

"Gifted with an unusual talent, he had a distinguished career, both as teacher and director of schools. At St. Columbkille's , Chicago, he left behind him, not only golden memories, but a superb company of young men, many of them priests, to cherish his name. At Fort Wayne he established the new C.C.H.S. and saw its first class graduate. At Watertown, Wisconsin and Austin, Texas, he did notable work as a teacher. For many years he was a favorite professor at Notre Dame, to which he returned last year for a second career all too short.

"Apart from his general scholastic equipment, Brother Marcellinus had a special gift of fluent and distinguished speech, which, united to his exquisite sense and faculty of humor, made him a special favorite at alumni meetings and indeed wherever men had gathered. He was, as Father Carroll said, in his strange and sympathetic sermon, 'in every way a manly man'.

"The Requiem was celebrated in the College Church by the Reverend Father Provincial Morrissey, a lifelong friend of the deceased.

"Altogether the funeral was an appropriate tribute to a singularly fine and lovable religious." Scholastic September 19, 1914


‹— Brother Aidan's Extracts —›