A deathbed conversion

My grandfather Charles Stanley (CS) was born an Anglican. In 1924, he married Engracia Nonis, who was a Catholic. Their children were brought up as Catholics and whether in Negombo, Colombo, Wennappuwa, Matale or Jaffna, they attended Catholic schools.

CS is buried in the Anglican Section of Negombo's General Cemetery. But I had heard that he died a Catholic, having been converted on his deathbed at the insistence of his children. I now know the full story, thanks to a clipping from the Catholic Messenger dated 5 March 1944. (CS died on Feb. 11, 1944). Aunty B had saved the clipping.

The brief article is written by a Catholic priest, going by XYZ. He does not identify CS by name (only as Mr. X, an Englishman) nor does he even mention the town where the incident occurred.

The priest begins by saying that he "was summoned to the bedside of a 'very probably unconcious' Anglican. His wife and children were Catholics. On several occasions and umpteen times they they had entreated, begged of him to come to their faith but he had resolutely refused. Now he was dying. For the past five days he had been unconscious with but intermittent and faint signs of consciousness. Mr. X was an Englishman and in the house of Anglicans. I was summoned by his daughter and son."

When the priest reaches the house, he "could hardly step out of the car when the Anglican party rushed up to me and one of them, an elderly lady whom I presumed to be a sister of Mr. X taking my hand, very politely told me 'Look here Father, Mr. X has already expressed his desire to remain and die an Anglican. We brought our minister this morning. He has administered the last rites. Mr. X is now dying. In about 10 minutes he will be dead. Don't disturb the patient. He is also unconscious. We only ask of you to attend the funeral as a sort of consolation to his Catholic wife and children.' 

All the time the children were beckoning me to rush in to the
room before it was too late; but the lady was holding my hand.

'Look here' I replied. 'I sympathize with you. What your minister has done is right. But now that I have come let me just see the patient . If he is unconscious I can do nothing.'.

She replied 'He will be dead. You need not disturb him. Only at his funeral.'

I was bold. I plucked up courage. Saying 'His children want me' I rushed into the room. There was Mr. X breathing his last, surrounded by his weeping children.

'Mr. X' I called into his ear 'the Catholic priest is come. The Roman Catholic priest is here. He is speaking to you.' He looked at me. For the first time since that attack of his malady, he was fully conscious. I continued. 'Mr. X, do you wish to die in the faith of your beloved wife and children. Do you wish to be Catholic?' Faintly, he answered  (the first word he spoke in 5 days) 'Yes' - as he bowed his assent. His children almost shouted for joy.

'Mr. X' I went on 'do you abjure your Protestant faith?' Once more with labored breathing, bowing his head in assent, he replied 'yes'".

The priest gives CS the Extreme Unction followed by the Papal blessing. CS soon loses consciousness.

The Priest continues "I decided to remain with the dying man. To keep myself occupied to help the agonizing soul, and to drown the murmurs and complaints of those outside, I took a prayer book and recited loud in English the prayers for the dying." The priest says that "Mr. X died almost in his arms". He concludes "May Mr. X rest in peace and work out from heaven the conversion of his non-Catholic friends and relatives". (!) Note: The exclamation is mine.

And all for the same God.