By the death of Dom Cuthbert Mercer the English Benedictine Congregation and his monastery at Ampleforth have lost a devoted monk, and the Diocese of Salford a worthy Apostolic Priest.
Peter Mercer was born in Preston on August 22nd, 1864. He received his early education in his native town and on passing through all his standards was employed in elementary teaching in Preston. In 1881 he went to Ampleforth with the desire and intention of becoming a Benedictine. He took his place in the middle of the School, and by hard and conscientious work passed through all the higher forms. In August, 1884, he went into the novitiate at Belmont and received the habit on September 3rd of that year. In spite of weakly health he went through all the spiritual, mental and physical discipline of the novitiate in a wholehearted spirit, and was admitted to Simple Vows on September 7th, 1885. His three years at Belmont were characterized by his earnest and strenuous sense of duty, and especially by his untiring devotion to sacred studies. He had little taste for games, and whatever physical exercise he needed was found in manual labour and in country walks. It can be most truly said that few have passed through Belmont with such an ardent spirit for ecclesiastical study. Seldom playing games, he passed much of his free time with his books. Dogmatic theology and the Fathers were his favourite study and he never seemed to tire in his research on the place of Our Blessed Lady in the economy of our Redemption. He had a beautiful and childlike devotion to the Mother of Our Lord, and delighted during country walks in impressing it upon the younger brethren.
Returning to Ampleforth in 1888 he displayed the same devotion to all ecclesiastical study and especially to sacred eloquence. In the School he was a painstaking master, but his leanings were for sacred studies. After his ordination he proceeded to St Anselmo's in Rome to follow the Post Graduate course in Theology and took his Doctorate in June, 1896. His health being weak he was appointed to St. Mary's, Warrington in 1897, and in 1905 was given charge of Lostock near Preston. There he did the big work of his life. He built a handsome Parochial Hall and Presbytery and later on a beautiful church which was dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes and St Gerard. By self-sacrificing hard work he got together a devoted and pious congregation which will cherish his memory and his untiring priestly work for 23 years till his death.
By disposition and temperament he was not fitted for public life. It was for his people that he lived and toiled. His was a somewhat hidden life among his people and for them, and all his spare moments were given to theological studies and the Fathers of the Church. This single-minded and earnest priest will long be remembered and revered by the faithful of Lostock. A long and painful illness afflicted him during the last years of his life, but in the summer of 1929 it was clear that recovery was impossible. He received the last Sacraments in August and after receiving Holy Viaticum for the last time said, 'I shall either die or be cured on Our Lady's Assumption.' He passed away peacefully after the last Mass on that Feast. R.I.P.
PETER CUTHBERT MERCER 15 August 1929
1864 22 Aug Born Preston
1881-84 Educ Ampleforth
1884 3 Sep Habit at Belmont
1885 7 Sep Simple Vows
1886 19 Sep Minor Orders
1889 12 Jan Solemn Vows Ampleforth
3 Mar Subdeacon
1891 11 May Deacon
1892 20 Mar Priest Bishop Lacy
1894 Jan to Jun 1896(?) Studied in Rome
1896 Jul Taught Theology at Ampleforth
1897 7 Oct Assistant at St Mary's Warrington
1906 27 Mar Incumbent at Tardy Sale (Lostock Hall)
1913 Built new church & parish-hall at Tardy Sale
1929 15 Aug Died at Tardy Sale
Buried at St Mary's Brownedge