Scottish Catholic Observer

 By Amanda Connelly

Fr John Eagers of St James’ Church, Renfrew, is a descendant of Scottish Lieutenant Patrick Joseph McCusker, who died in 1916.

Lt McCusker, an alumnus of Stonyhurst College in Lancashire, where he was taught by the Jesuits, was born on March 24 1894 in Neilston, East Renfrewshire.

He returned to Scotland to study medicine at the University of Glasgow before being called up. He was killed on November 13 1916 at the age of 22, during the Battle of the Ancre, the last large British attack of the Battle of the Somme.

A number of his relatives gathered at his grave exactly 100 years after his death, with some travelling from as far afield as Australia to be there at the reunion and commemoration.

Fr Eagers celebrated Mass on Remembrance Sunday at the grave of Lt McCusker—a touching tribute of remembrance to his Catholic Faith.

Upon his death, his company commander, a Catholic officer, wrote to his parents: “I feel his loss immensely, as do all officers in the company. He died in the grace of God. He and I were at Confession two days before the battle, and I think he was at Holy Communion on the following morning… Sympathising with you in your loss.”

In his sermon, Fr Eagers said: “Paddy was one of more than 1.2 million men—British, French and Germans—killed between the July 1 and November 18 during the Battle of the Somme.

“Today we come to commemorate his short life and to pray for him and all whose lives were lost during this horrific battle and throughout the First World War. In our prayers we also ask that such a horrific event may never occur again.

“I have been asking myself why God would allow such an event as the Battle of the Somme to take place, or any event which displays man’s inhumanity to man.

“My conclusion is what we see is not God’s will but the consequences of what happens when we stop listening to God; when we decide that we no longer need God or that God does not exist and we make ourselves into gods.

“This cemetery is, though, not only a witness to the horror of war, but also of hope.

“For as far as we can see there are white crosses reminding us of the Cross, the Cross on which Christ died for us, and the promise that even when we turn away from God, his love does not diminish nor his promise of salvation, nor his desire for our ultimate happiness, both in the here and now of our lives, and in his presence for all eternity; the happiness that we hope that Paddy and all our deceased relatives now experience.

“As family gathered together to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Paddy McCusker, we pray for him and for all members of our families that have died that they may experience perfect happiness in God’s presence; and for ourselves that we will continually seek the happiness that Christ promises throughout our lives.”

—This story ran in full in the December 2 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.