Reprinted from the "BOURNEMOUTH VISITORS' DIRECTORY," of April 6th 1901.
DEATH of the BARONESS PAULINE VON HUGEL
The announcement of the death of the Baroness Pauline Von Hugel, of Loreto, Christchurch road, Pokesdown, which occurred on Friday morning last, will be received with the deepest regret by all who knew her.
She was 43 years of age and was the daughter of a deceased Austrian Ambassador of remarkable ability. She was a fervent Catholic and devoted her time her wealth, and her ability to the furtherance of the interests of religion. She it was who gave the a Church of Corpus Christi the land on which it stands, and many other benefactions in furtherance of the cause of the Faith in Bournemouth. As musical directress of the services of the church she will long be remembered, the perfection to which she brought the choir, particularly since the acquisition of the new organ, being particularly noticeable.
The Baroness was distinctly an important figure in the church, and her accomplishments and her energy in all good works were duly appreciated by the clergy, from the Priest of the Mission (the Rev. Father de Lapasture, S.J.), downwards. She devoted herself energetically to the welfare of all the faithful of the flock, and has never spared herself in any direction to secure the due and adequate solemnity of the services of the church.
For some time past she has been an invalid, and her voice has been missed from the choir, but all the same she has devoted what energy she had left to the duties she had assumed, and the services at Corpus Christi, though seriously lacking her personal presence, were not seriously affected.
She died, as we have said, on Friday. On Sunday evening her remains were carried into the church which had been erected by her, and which she so loved, and lay there all night according to the Roman ritual. Holy Week had begun when a Requiem Mass was said for the repose of her soul.
The clergy of Corpus Christi was naturally in full force and were joined by the clergy of the Oratory of the Sacred Heart at Bournemouth. Catholic workers, Catholic helpers, members of the congregations of both churches came in large numbers to Pokesdown to testify their esteem for one who will for a long time be missed in this religious community.
At ten o'clock on Monday morning the usual service for the dead was performed in the form of a Requiem Mass, which was attended by more people than the church could conveniently accommodate. At its conclusion the remains were conveyed to the railway station and carried on to Downside, near Bath, where the commitment service was conducted by the Rt. Rev. Abbot Ford, O.S.B.
At the evening service on Sunday the Rev. Father de Lapasture preached an eloquent sermon from the text: `The work is great, for a house is prepared, not for man, but for God. And I, with all my ability, have prepared the expenses for the house of my God.- I. Chron, xxix., 1-2.
The rev. gentlemen said:
"To-night the mortal remains of one whom we have all known and cherished and reverenced will lie in this church that she loved so well; before the altar that it was her greatest delight to adorn; before the Blessed Sacrament that her soul worshipped with an intensity beyond words to express.
There she will be laid, a silent declaration of her own faith, and of our faith, the faith whereby we believe in the hidden presence of the Lamb of God upon the Altar, and look forward to the resurrection of the body, and the sight of the unveiled presence of the self-same Lamb of God, and of Him who sitteth upon the Throne. Oh, what a consolation it is to come to the obsequies of one whom we have known to be devoted to the service of God !
Our hearts are more inclined to triumph and praise the Lord, than to weep and be saddened. And the beautiful palms that Crown the Altar to-day, in remembrance of Him who triumphed over sin and death for our sakes, seem to be placed there to express also the victory of His departed servant, who followed in His footsteps, and by His merits triumphed over the concupiscence of the eyes and the concupiscence of the flesh and the pride of life. Yes, my dear brethren, Baroness Pauline von Hugel, who dwelt in our midst, whom we have watched and known so intimately, is, by common consent, judged by us all as deserving of the palm of victory.
Her life was one long course of triumph over Satan, the enemy of man, over the pride and ambition of the world. Born to high position, her father was the Baron Charles Von Hugel, one of the distinguished men of the century, an eminent diplomat, a man of great science, travel and research, remarkable for his botanical discoveries, and his written works, and still more honourable for his noble qualities of soul and heart, highly appreciated and esteemed by his Sovereign, the Emperor of Austria, and enjoying the noblest decorations and the highest distinctions for merit and fidelity.
Pauline Von Hugel was born in the year 1857, when her father was living in great affluence and as Ambassador at the Grand Ducal of Florence. Afterwards she was brought up in a similar manner at the Court of Brussels, and dwelt in the midst of luxury. Yet in all these surroundings of her early childhood there was One Who watched over her, and never permitted her heart to be led away from his love - Jesus, her Saviour and her God. And so she continued, ever faithful to Him Who had called her through childhood and early youth
Later on when her education was completed, she lived in London during the season and was presented at the Court of St. James'. There, especially, was the world most attractive to her externally. She had every quality combined which would naturally have led her to love this life. Possessed of exceptional talents, remarkable elegance and beauty, riches in sufficient abundance, and all that money could procure of attire and jewels, and graced by many gifts and accomplishments, she was an object of admiration to all that approached her.
Moreover, she had a wonderful ascendancy over others, and the greatest and best ladies of the land became her devoted friends and ardent admirers. How earnestly her presence was sought to grace the brightest homes in England?
How eagerly those who were talented sought her correspondence? And yet she was still the same as in her childhood. Her heart was unsullied, her love was not for the things of this world, but for God, and therefore she resolutely withdrew from pleasure, from society, from all worldly associations and began ever more and more to give herself up to prayer, to study, to usefulness, to writing articles and stories of tender piety, and to working for the service of the Altar. As was to be expected, this oneness of purpose, this singular devotedness to God alone, necessarily drew her to the thought of religious life, the contemplative life of the Benedictines.
But circumstances showed that this was not possible for her, that it was not her vocation in the designs of God's providence; consequently, instead of entering the cloister she resolved to do that which must have been designed for her by Almighty-God. She resolved to lead the life of a religious in her own home, to practise the prayers and meditations of religious life, abnegation of self, angelic chastity, and absolute poverty, as far as it is possible out of the cloister.
Therefore for the last 16 years or more she became such as you have known her. Personal appearance, the charms of ornament and dress, were altogether laid aside, and she studied rather what was unbecoming; and unattractive to the eye than what was ornamental and pleasing. She denied herself everything that she could in food, in raiment, and amusement. Devoted as she was to music and the arts, she never allowed herself any relaxation ; never did she go to any public festival or concert - she lived only to deny herself and mortify every appetite and pleasure.
And then what became of her money? It was all devoted to good works. What did she do with her time? It was all given in like manner. What did she do with her talents? They were hidden away - nothing for herself or for the world - everything for God and her neighbour. And this not for a time only, but for the whole year round, to the end of her life, all day and every day.
My brethren, do you wonder that I say the palms on the altar are the fitting emblem of a life so crowned with victory over self. And, next, do you wonder that she effected so much good? Her money, her time, her extraordinary energy and indefatigable labour, her winning words and charitable, loving ways spoke victory upon victory. Who can count the number of sinners she gently brought back to the way of virtue, the number of non-Catholics she led into the Church, and herself instructed?
The number of poor she helped in their miseries of sick and distressed whom she comforted And of those who were good whom she encouraged to better things and higher ways, using for this end, not only her individual efforts, but also of those who would second and assist her, as, for instance, the Children of Mary, of whom she was President.
The bare enumeration of her good works would be enough to fill our time this evening, without entering into details of the manner in which she carried them out. or giving examples. I cannot attempt the task. And therefore I pass on to speak of what you know best, her zeal for the glory of God's house, her intense love for the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.
This beautiful church, so complete in all its details and so admirably adorned and furnished with sacred vessels and vestments, and all that is necessary for the carrying oil of a permanent and increasingly missionary district ; the Presbytery, the grounds, and all that you can see appertaining to the worship of God, and if I may mention something in particular, the organ, and the direction of the choir and decoration of the altar, all were her work. She spent herself on these things with more than wearying, with even killing, zeal and labour, day after day, and month after month, and year after year. (continued)
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