Ampleforth mourns the death of a distinguished member of its monastic family in the person of Dom James Benedict McLaughlin. He had been ill for some months, with serious heart trouble and its accompaniments, and not all the resolution of a specially determined spirit could prevail, at seventy-two, over the ravages of disease. Up to a very few days before his death he was still counting on recovery and on resuming work, but that was not to be. In the morning of Sunday, August 28th, the disease took a critical turn; Father Prior was summoned and gave him all the Last Sacraments; he died peacefully that same evening. He was buried at Ampleforth, after Solemn Dirge and Requiem, on Wednesday, August 31st.
James McLaughlin was born at Carlisle, February 23rd, 1866. He was educated at the Catholic Institute, Liverpool, and subsequently obtained the degree of Bachelor of Arts from the University of London. He came to Ampleforth first as a laymaster, but after a very few years of teaching in the school, sought admission into the Community. He took the Benedictine habit at Belmont, September 3rd, 1893, made his Simple Profession there in the following year and was solemnly professed at Ampleforth on March 27th, 1898. He was ordained priest on March 10th, 1900. For ten years, as junior and priest, he taught classics in the school. From 1903 to 1907 he was also master of juniors and professor of dogmatic theology. In the year 1907 he left Ampleforth to become an assistant priest, first at St. Mary's, Warrington, and afterwards (1909) at Dowlais. In November, 1912, he accompanied Fr Basil Clarkson to Canada and shared with him the difficulties and hardships of the abortive foundation in the city of Calgary. When that enterprise had perforce to be abandoned, he returned (March, 1914) to England and resumed work as an assistant priest, doing brief duty at St Anne's, Liverpool, Warwick Bridge, Parbold and Cardiff until in July, 1918, he became incumbent of Goosnargh. After three years in that position he returned to the status of assistant at Brindle, at Merthyr Tydfil, and finally (July, 1921) at Warwick Bridge, where he remained until this year. His last months were spent near his monastery, at Stillington Hall, under the devoted care of the Alexian Brothers.
Father Benedict was very decidedly a man of an original personality. He was original in mind, never adopting any ready-made view, but thinking every matter out for himself and then presenting his conclusions with a characteristic incisiveness and lucidity. He was original in his manner and in his forms of speech, even to the point of eccentricity. He was original finally in his appearance. He was short of stature with a massive head and features which might fairly be described as irregular. These characteristics naturally attracted the attention of his pupils and gave a special handle to the schoolboy's proclivity towards nicknames. When he was expounding Plato's Apology to an interested class and took occasion to describe the appearance of Socrates and to give that philosopher's witty justification of his own exceptional features, his pupils could not but draw a parallel between himself and Socrates. Yet he never failed to command respect and attention, and out of class hours, in the walks which were part of the regime of those distant days, he was an excellent companion, full of country lore and acquainted with every tree and the rarest wild-flowers. He was moreover something of a poet in his own right, and stimulated in others an interest in poetry, especially in the poetry of the great Victorians. As a master of juniors his conferences were original and interesting and not ineffective. As professor of theology he was content with none of the usual manuals, but would regularly make his appearance with a folio volume of St Thomas.
In his missionary work, though he might be original in his methods, he was always devoted and exemplary. His sermons were thoughtful and well-constructed, but he had neither the physical powers nor the temperament of a great preacher. He was more suited for the conference room than the pulpit. To his active work in church and parish he added a literary apostolate. He had already, while at Ampleforth, been a regular contributor of poems and literary essays to the pages of this Journal. In later life he turned his attention towards sociology and apologetics and became the author of several well-known pamphlets. His most substantive work in this field is the book entitled The Immortal Encyclical, a careful exposition of the Rerum Novarum of Pope Leo XIII. Besides this book he published also Catechism Theology, a lucid explanation of the fundamental doctrines of the Catholic Faith, St Anthony the Hermit (from the Greek of St Athanasius), and the volume on Purgatory in the 'Treasury of the Faith' series. All that he wrote was characterised by lucidity of thought and a special felicity of accurate diction. To the domestic 'Butler' controversy of the years 1918-20 he contributed a pamphlet (A Study of Bulls) which displayed these gifts of his in a special degree. He was pre-eminently a logical and lucid writer, and could present his points with a telling cogency. To his very last days he was interested in this literary apostolate, so that it may almost be said that he died writing.
Behind all his activities lay a very resolute spirit, undaunted by intermittent ill-health and profoundly concentrated on the duties of his religious vocation. He was not one who wore his heart on his sleeve, and there is no doubt that many of those who came into touch with him found him not only an odd, but also a rather enigmatic personality. But, if his heart was very definitely in the ordinary place, there is no question that it was given wholly to the service of God. His manner was serious and recollected, suggesting a special thoughtfulness and a genuine depth of interior life. With all his activity of mind and wide interests, his chief preoccupation was with God and His service. We may pray confidently that he will now receive the reward of a life of singular simplicity of aim and untiring devotion. May he rest in peace.
JAMES BENEDICT MCLAUGHLIN 28 August 1938
1866 23 Feb Born
1891 About then came to Ampleforth as a lay master
1893 3 Sep Habit at Belmont
1894 6 Sep Simple Vows
1895 2 Jun Minor Orders
1898 27 Mar Solemn Vows Ampleforth
29 Jun Subdeacon
1899 19 Mar Deacon
1900 10 Mar Priest
Teaching staff at Ampleforth
1903 Junior master & Professor of Theology
1907 11 May$$ to Sept 1919 ?1909 Assistant at St Mary's Warrington
1909-12 Dowlais
1912 Nov to March 1914 in Calgary Canada trying to make a foundation that in the end failed
Served for a short period at St Anne's Liverpool
Warwick Bridge
Parbold
$$ Ganton
1915 Incumbent at Goosnargh
1918 Parish priest at St Alban's Warrington
1919 Assistant at Brindle & Merthyr
1921 Nov Went sick at Ampleforth
1922 Jul Assistant at Warwick Bridge where he remained till he became a complete invalid
1938 Jan Went to the Alexian Brothers at Stillington Hall
28 Aug Died at Stllington Hall
Buried at Ampleforth