Fr Robert Placid died on 30 September 1912, and was buried at Ampleforth Abbey on October 3. He was fifty-eight years of age, in the thirty-eighth year of his religious profession, and in the thirty-first of his priesthood. In Liverpool he was a well-known figure, for eighteen years labouring at St Peter’s, Seel Street. He was first appointed to that mission twenty-five years ago, but for four years he was away, returning to Ampleforth Abbey to take the office of Subprior. The first years after his ordination he passed at Cleator, in Cumberland, and then at Warrington, and the last three years of his life were spent at Leyland, near Preston, but St Peter’s was chiefly his home since he left the monastery as a young priest. For eight years he was a curate with Fr Anderson; for ten years he was rector. His heart was entirely in the place; his life was simple and devoted to it. He did much to beautify the church; much to improve the schools; and under his management their reputation rose to high-water mark. He endeared himself to the people, and they were dear to him. It took long months for him to recover from his distress at leaving them. How much his life had become interwoven with theirs was manifest when the solemn Requiem Mass was sung for the repose of his soul. He had left nearly three years, but the founts of sorrow were fresh as if he had died amongst his old flock. At Leyland, too, the grief of his parishioners showed that affection had there taken deep root.
His death was so sudden and in such circumstances that it came as a great shock. He was returning from his holiday, and was on board ship in the Channel. On the Sunday night he was in the best of spirits and alive with all that exuberance of humour which characterized him. On the Monday morning he arose, took his bath and returned to his cabin. There he was found later by the steward, unconscious. His fellow-priests were called; he was anointed, and died. Doctors were in attendance, but heart-failure was beyond their skill to touch.
His body was conveyed to Ampleforth, and rested before the altar in the monastery church where he had made his vows, where he had been ordained and said his first Mass; where, as a boy, he had prayed and received the Holy Sacraments often. The Dirge was chanted in the evening. On the Thursday morning a solemn Requiem was sung by his brethren, and then he was laid in the ground to sleep in the quiet cemetery on the hill-side, in the midst of all those scenes wherein the years of his boyhood and early manhood had been passed: scenes that had been dear to him and wrought into his life many gracious and happy days. God rest the soul of an unworldly man and a good priest.
Robert PLACID Corlett 30 September 1912 1854 21 Dec Born 1873 Clothed 1874 Professed 1881 Priest 1882 Cleator 1886 St Mary's Warrington 1887 St Peter's Liverpool 1910 Leyland 1912 30 Sep died