Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Lamented Death of Fr. N. A. Clack, P.P.
Community's Widespread Sympathy

In all parts of the diocese priests and laity sincerely regret the death of Rev. Norman Aloysius Clack,P.P., who passed to his eternal reward on Friday night, March 10, after a short illness. It was only within the past week or two that he returned after an extended holiday abroad, and the announcement of his death deeply grieved all who knew him and held him in affectionate regard. Few priests in the diocese were better known or had a wider circle of acquaintances throughout Australia. He was aged 52 years.

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REPRESENTATIVE CONGREGATION
There was a crowded and most representative congregation at the Solemn Office and Requiem Mass for the repose of the soul of Fr. Clack at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Monday morning, and it manifested the high regard in which he was held by all sections of the community. Among those present were members of different Orders of nuns and religious teaching Brothers, school children, and representatives of the Catholic War Veterans' Association and parish and other organisations, including Mr. R. E. Hodgkinson (Catholic Young Men's Society), Miss Hoy and Miss Sullivan (Catholic Women's Social Guild), and members of the Hibernian Society, Holy Name Society and the St. Vincent de Paul Society. The military authorities were represented at the Mass and funeral by Major-General J. L. Whitham, C.M.G., D.S.O., Commandant, 3rd District Base, and representatives of the Naval and Military Club were Brigadier-General P. Mc-Glinn (president), and Captain J. F.Shaw (secretary). Others were the Mayor of Box Hill (Cr. Hogan), and Rev. E. G. Barry, Church of England, Brighton.His Grace the Archbishop, Most Rev. Dr. Mannix, presided, and 200 religious and diocesan clergy and priests from other dioceses were present. They satin the sanctuary and nave of the Cathedral. Among the priests were Very Rev. Dr. P. F. Lyons, Adm.; Right Rev.Mgr. R. S. Benson (Geelong); Right Rev. Mgr. P. Mahony (Shepparton), and Very Rev. Dean T. F. Sullivan (Kyneton). Former military chaplains who attended were Very Rev. J. Hearn, S.J.; Rev. W. B. Mangan, and Rev. M. I.O'Brien. The assistants at the throne were Rev. J. H. O'Grady, Rev. J. Ellis, and Rev. T. Wallace (Sydney). The choir of priests, led by the cantors, Rev.J. F. Egan, Rev. P. O'Brien, Rev. W.Ebsworth and Rev. P. Egan, chanted the Office and Mass with impressiveness, and the Lessons of the Office were recited by Rev. E. Nowlan, Rev. K. Morrison and Rev. F. Molan. The celebrant of the Mass was Rev. T. Mc-Carthy; with Rev. J. Gorry, deacon; Rev. R. Doherty, sub-deacon; and Rev.L. Moran (assisted by the Cathedral sacristan, Mr. H. P. Cooney), master of ceremonies.

THE ARCHBISHOP'S PANEGYRIC
The panegyric was delivered by his Grace the Archbishop. His Grace said: "The prayers of the priests and people are earnestly requested for the eternal repose of the soul of Fr. Norman Clack. The priests will remember him not merely today, but especially in their Masses, which the clergy of the diocese are expected to say for a departed colleague. The people, too, will remember him, I am sure, in their Masses and prayers, and at their Communions for many days. This crowded congregation is a wonderful demonstration of the esteem and affection in which Fr. Clack has been held. Priests have come from far and wide, and the laity have come in their numbers to show their sympathy for the members of Fr. Clack's family, and to pay their last tribute to a departed colleague and friend. The suddenness and tragedy of Fr. Clack's passing has caused a great wave of sympathy from the whole of the community. It is only the other day that Fr. Clack returned from a tour of the old world, parts of which had been very familiar to him in the wartime. After his return to his own country—he was glad to come back, as every Australian is--almost the first thing that he did was to join himself up again with the military, and go out to the military camp. In a few days he was in hospital, and in another few days his case was hopeless. Today we gather round his lifeless body before this altar. No wonder that the people should be moved with sympathy for those who have lost a friend; for relatives who have lost one whom they valued most, and for the priests who have lost one of their most esteemed and valued colleagues.-"I remember well when I first met Fr. Clack. I was but a short time myself in Australia, and he was probably the first Australian ecclesiastical student that I met when I saw him at his old college at Manly. He made an impression on me that has never since been wiped out. I recognised in him a man amongst men, and a born leader; and, though he was only a student then, I could see that he.was different from all the students that I had ever come across. There was something in him that seemed to show that he would be of great value to the diocese in the days to come. At all events, he made an impression upon my mind that has never been effaced. And thus began, I venture to say, a bond of understanding, sympathy and even affection, which continued to grow with the years. I was not disappointed with Fr. Clack, nor was anybody disappointed. Every duty that was assigned to him was perfectly accomplished. He threw himself whole heartedly into any work which he was put to do; he was incapable of anything small or unworthy, and he put all his heart and his great indomitable energy into anything he was called upon to do. You will remember, as I do, with much gratitude, how he worked for the establishment of Corpus Christi College. He was a student of Manly College, and loved his alma mater, and his love for it continued to grow, with the years. Yet Fr. Clack gave himself whole-heartedly and enthusiastically to the establishment of Corpus Christi College as if he had been associated with no other college. When the full tragedy of the war came we had to look about for priests to attend to the spiritual interests of the soldiers when training in camp, and at the other side of the world, and one of those called upon was Fr. Clack. I should say that nobody amongst all the war chaplains did better work during the dreadful years than Fr. Clack. He was manly and efficient, and his kindliness and considerate ness for everybody won for him the close affection of all the men with whom he came into contact. When he returned after the war he continued to take an interest in the returned men, and each succeeding Anzac Day, when so many assembled in this Cathedral to pay a tribute to the men who did not come back and to pray for God's mercy upon their souls, Fr.Clack was always the centre of the function. Fr. Clack was never absent from the functions of the returned men, unless the ill-advised action of some people made it impossible sometimes for him to attend through certain religious barriers. If Fr. Clack were everabsent it was not his fault. He loved the returned soldiers and worked for them to the very end; his last public appearance was to attend at the training camp. If it did not bring about his death, it very probably accelerated it."This Cathedral is crowded to-day with priests, and there is not one of them, I should say, who has not received many acts of kindness and brotherly help from Fr. Clack. There is ho man in the whole of the Archdiocese who is just fitted to take Fr.Clack's place in the ecclesiastical community. We have as good and efficient priests as can be found anywhere in Australia, and probably. in the world, and yet, I say it with confidence,there is not one just as fit to fill the place left vacant by Fr.Clack. I regret his death more than I can say in words. Not merely was he a kindly, upright and generous man, but he was truly a man of God as well. There was nothing soft or sentimental, especially externally, in him; he was rigid and unbending to duty, but he was ready and obedient almost to a fault. He was anxious not merely to do whatever he was asked to do, but he was anxious to do it well. It was a joy to him to do all things well and perfectly; if anybody got on his nerves—I do not think he was ever tempted to lose his temper—it would be when such a person would be satisfied with second place. He wanted everything done perfectly. This Cathedral has special reason to be grateful to him for the zeal and efficiency he displayed in organising the functions for the Eucharistic Congress in Melbourne a few years ago. The great success of the Congress would not have been achieved were it not for the tremendous energy and the great organising ability of Fr. Clack, who put us under an obligation to him that we can never repay. As a famous organiser, and as a great outstanding priest on that and other occasions, he became known far beyond Melbourne and Australia, and even in other parts of the world. Wherever Fr. Clack went on his recent tour he met friends and admirers, who had either seen his ability displayed here or heard of him. So it was when he went to Ireland he spent the Christmastime with Cardinal MacRory, who had honoured us on the occasion of the Congress in Melbourne."I was absent when Fr. Clack came back. I was anxious to see him and hear an account of all his travels, and of the marvellous things he had seen. Unfortunately, it was not to be. When I came back from my vacation, Fr.Clack was a dying man. He recognised me when I called at the hospital, but not one word fell from his lips. We have lost a great man and a great priest, and we will remember him in our prayers. Melbourne and Australia have reason to be grateful to him. May God, in His great goodness, have mercy upon his soul. He endeavoured to serve his Master faithfully here, and I have no doubt at all that his Master, knowing his work even better than we do, has already rewarded him for the long life of service he has rendered Australia and the Catholic Church in the fifty odd years of his life."His Grace gave the final absolution at the catafalque, and at the close of the ceremonies the Cathedral organist (Mr. Lewis Coad) played the "Dead March in Saul." The last prayers were said by Rev. Frs. J. Gorry and L. Moran as the coffin was carried out of the Cathedral.The funeral left the Cathedral for the Melbourne General Cemetery, Carlton. The hearse was preceded by a car in which were seated his Grace the Archbishop, Very Rev. Dr. P. F. Lyons, Adm., and Rev. M. Beovich, D.D. The boys of the Christian Brothers'College, East Melbourne (where Fr. Clack received his early education), headed the procession for some distance, and then formed into double lines as a guard of honour until the cortege of cars passed. His Grace,Very Rev. Dr. Lyons, and other priests assisted in the prayers at the cemetery.R.I.P. The firm of Alfred Allison directed the funeral arrangements.

Advocate Thursday 16 March 1939 page 7