Cathal BarryCathal Barry takes a look at the life of a Dubliner bound for sainthood
We live in an age of addictions more sophisticated than ever before. Addictions to substances such as alcohol and other drugs soft and hard, prescription and illegal, addictions to gambling, the internet, work, money and power. All these have the ability to destroy our lives and often end up eating away at our very souls as well.
Matt Talbot gradually came to this awareness and from the time of his conversion as a young man of 28, he spent the rest of his life living to a heroic extent the Christian virtues through prayer, spiritual reading, work and acts of charity.
His life is a witness to the fact that people can, by God's grace and their own self acceptance, say no to that which leads to addiction or addictive behaviours.
Matt’s story
Matt Talbot was born on the May 2, 1856 at 13 Aldborough Court, Dublin, the second eldest of twelve children of Charles and Elizabeth Talbot, a poor family in the North Strand area.
Typical of his era, Matt spent just one year at school. He entered the workforce at age twelve, employed by E & J Burke, a beer bottling firm. His drinking began with taking the dregs from the bottom of bottles that had been returned.
By the age of sixteen Matt was a confirmed alcoholic. His only interest in life was drink and the more he could get the better. However, at the age of twenty-eight, he decided enough was enough and resolved to take the pledge to abstain from alcohol for three months.
The 90 days that ensued were sheer hell. Matt had no one to share his suffering — the hallucination, the depression and nausea. But he had an iron will, a rock-like stubbornness that stood him well down through the years.
To find the strength to remain sober he decided to attend Mass every morning before work and to receive Holy Communion. At the end of three months, Matt decided to abstain from alcohol for another six months and finally took the pledge for life.
For the seven years after his conversion, the portrait of Matt that emerges is one of a man intent on humbling and hiding himself, a man mindful of his soul and its progress, a working man diligent and faithful in both his spiritual and temporal employments.
As Matt's spiritual life deepened, he began to study early Irish monasticism and became profoundly influenced by Celtic spirituality, rising at 2am to pray, attending Mass at 5am before returning home for a small breakfast of dry bread and a mixture of tea and cocoa. His bed was a plank and he slept on a wooden pillow concealed by a sheet and one thin blanket, again following the example of the early Irish monks.
Matt has been described as an urban ascetic; living out the ascetic life in the midst of the hussle and bussle of urban life.
The story of Matt’s life came to light after his sudden death from a heart attack in Granby Lane on the way to Mass on Sunday, June 7, 1925.
When his body was undressed, three chains were discovered wrapped around it. Inquiries disclosed that he practiced a devotion known as the slavery to Mary. The underlying idea was that a person who considered himself a spiritual slave to the Mother of God would remain close to her and to Jesus, her son. The devotion included wearing one fine, loose chain. It was typical of Matt Talbot to wear three.
His story went on to inspire the hearts of the nation, and eventually, the world. Such was the demand from the faithful that in 1931, Archbishop Edward J Byrne of Dublin, opened the Informative Process for the Beatification of Matt Talbot.
In 1949, as part of the normal process towards beatification the second inquiry began and on June 29, 1952 the remains of the ‘Servant of God’ was exhumed and removed from the grave where he had been buried to a vault in the central circle of Glasnevin Cemetery beneath the O'Connell monument.
Matt's remains were once again removed in 1972, this time to be placed in a purpose built shrine of Wicklow granite in the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Sean McDermott Street, the parish in which Matt had lived.
He was declared ‘venerable’ by Pope Paul VI on October 3, 1975.
Matt sets before us a radical example which demonstrates that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. When he found sobriety through prayer, his desire for drink was replaced by a desire for Christian perfection.
‘The ultimate layman’
As mentioned, the Informative Process for the Beatification of Matt Talbot was opened in 1931 by the then Archbishop of Dublin, Edward J Byrne. The Church subsequently recognised Talbot as ‘Servant of God’ and on October 3, 1975, he was declared ‘Venerable’ by Pope Paul VI.
So, where is Matt’s cause at now? Fr Brain Lawless, Vice Postulator for the Cause of Canonisation of Matt Talbot provided The Irish Catholic with an update.
Speaking to this newspaper, Fr Lawless made it clear that the hierarchy “should be pushing for Matt Talbot to be canonised”.
“Matt was a poor working man from Dublin. He wasn’t a member of a religious order and he doesn’t have the big machinery behind him that the Franciscans or the Jesuits have to get their saints through. That’s why he cause is so important and needs support,” he pleaded.
“Part of his charm and endearment is that Matt is just like one of us. But that also goes against him to a certain extent. That’s why I’m batting for Matt. He’s one of the little guys,” he said.
Fr Lawless, a Dublin native who is responsible for eliciting a miracle that could lead to the beatification and eventual canonisation of Matt Talbot, claims a “physical miracle” is needed now for his cause to progress to the next stage.
“We need a miracle now that is not explainable by science, which is more or less instantaneous, and one that would verify that Matt enjoys the same devotion and regard in Heaven as he does here on earth.”
Fr Lawless is adamant, however, that if the process was based on moral miracles alone, Talbot “would been made a saint years ago”.
“There is still every chance that Matt Talbot could be made a saint in our life time. It’s just a matter of building up interest and momentum.
“At this time, when so many of our communities are affected by the scourge of alcohol and substance misuse, God has chosen Matt as a model of temperance and a source of strength and support to all who suffer from addiction or additive behaviours.”
Fr Lawless considers Matt “the ultimate lay man”. “He was very much part of this world. He got up early for mass, he did his days’ work and spent a lot of his time in prayer. He was able to live his day to day life and develop his spiritual life and faith in an urban setting.
“Matt has had a profound effect on the many people whose lives he has touched, particularly those who suffer from addiction. He truly lived the Christian virtues to a heroic extent, and that’s why he should be made a saint,” he said.
In turn, Fr Lawless openly admits Talbot has had “a deep and profound effect” on his own life as well.
“To see how an ordinary person can do extraordinary things and how the grace of God can work in a person’s life to raise them above the ordinary and bring them to great heights is a great example for all of us.
“It would mean a lot to me and to the ordinary people of Dublin if Matt were to be made a saint. It would be recognition of Matt’s generation and of their faith.
“It would also be a reminder to us that as we live in a more affluent and sophisticated society that, like Matt, we too can also develop our spiritual lives through prayer despite our busy and hectic schedules.”
“Surely, if faith is important to us, we, like matt, can make some time during the day for the lord,” Fr Lawless said.
The Annual Matt Talbot Mass will take place July 6, 2014 in Christ the King church, Cabra, in Dublin and will be celebrated byBishop Eamonn Walsh.
‘Matt Talbot changed my life’
When introduced to addiction counsellor Michael Murphy, the last impression you get of the man is that of a recovering alcoholic.
Michael, who is now of the owner of the Co. Louth based Matt Talbot Counselling & Education Service, first heard of the ‘venerable’ Dub at the age of 11, when preparing for his Confirmation.
He recalls the local parish priest giving a talk on the life of Matt Talbot, the importance of ‘taking the pledge’ and abstaining from alcohol until the age of consent.
The Matt Talbot, however, was not to come back into Michael’s life again until he entered a treatment centre in September of 1996 for alcoholism; one of the loneliest times of his life.
“I had lost my way in life, both mentally and spiritually over the previous 28 years,” he told The Irish Catholic.
“In that time everything that was dear to me, my family, and friends my home and my job was slipping away, all due to my alcohol abuse. It also became one of my darkest times with thoughts of suicide, with even a plan to take my own life,” he said.
Before being admitted to the treatment centre, Michael’s wife Noeleen gave him a copy of the Diary of Saint Faustina with a Matt Talbot relic card tucked into the pages.
“She was hoping that I might get some guidance from them both, but I really had no interest in them as my faith had long gone and my belief in God diminished over the years through the pain and hurt of addiction,” he said.
After just one week into his six-week treatment, Michael had enough. When gathering his belongings and getting ready to check himself out, he accidentally knocked the diary off his bedside locker and the Matt Talbot relic card fell out onto the ground.
“I picked it up, sat on the side of my bed and looked at the picture of Matt and all of the memories of my school days came back to me about Matt Talbot’s life, and how he had stopped and overcame alcoholism through prayer and turning his life and will over to God.”
Michael began praying to Matt for his intercession to assist him through the rest of his treatment.
Two years later, Michael was still alcohol free, and soon came to the belief that Matt Talbot had interceded and helped in his journey of recovery.
“The piece that was missing was my relationship with God; I always believed but did not know how to practice properly,” he reasoned.
Michael has since graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a Diploma in Addiction Studies gone on to set up his own successful counselling service which he named after Matt Talbot.
“Matt has not only walked with me in my journey of recovery from addiction but has also helped me in regaining my faith and my love of God. Matt Talbot changed my life,” he said.