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Windle was both exhausted and humiliated by the manner in which his campaign failed to free UCC from the bondage of the NUI. He had been abandoned by the British government and he had faced subversion of his plans from within the gates of UCC. However, the collapse of the campaign helped finally to lift the burden from his shoulders of feeling that he had to remain as president of UCC in order to fulfil a divine plan. On 17 June, he wrote: ‘very worried about whether to go or not – so much both ways – must leave it to God but would that He could make it clear to me what He desires.’ Windle had not entirely left the matter in God’s hands. His dissatisfaction with UCC, the NUI and Ireland had been known to his friends and to the authorities in Dublin Castle for quite some time. News of his unsettled state had even reached the wider Catholic world where his academic reputation was highly esteemed in many centres of learning. Therefore, it was not surprising for him to receive an offer to teach for an extended period from one such institution. On 21 June, Windle received a letter from St Michael’s College, University of Toronto, ‘offering £500 and passages for Edith and self for three months’lectures. Cabled acceptance. alea jacta est [the die has been cast].’ What began as a commitment to a short lecture series would turn into a permanent move toToronto where – but for one short return trip to England in 1921 – he remained until his death in 1929, occupying the twin positions of Professor of Anthropology in the Philosophy Department of St Michael’s College and Special Lecturer in Ethnology at the University of Toronto. The prime mover behind the offer was Fr Henry Carr CSB (1880–1963), a leader of Catholic education in Canada, the founder of St Michael’s College and co-founder of the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, University of Toronto. Later, both Windle and Carr became the firmest of friends. On 24 June, Windle wrote to a close friend, Mgr Parkinson: ‘Do CHAPTER 9 ‘Years of Harvesting’: Canada, 1920–1929 257 258 Bertram Windle not mention it to anyone except (if you wish) the two archbishops – but I am leaving here at the end of the year and am going to deliver an annual three months course of lectures on science and Christian philosophy in St Michael’s College, Toronto. The rest of the year I shall live near or in London – The state of religion – under the surface – is lamentable in this country and [it is a] real severe trial to Faith, for one gets tired of saying that the Church’s treasure is sometimes in earthen vessels.’1 Windle could hardly contain his anger when, the previous day, he had written in his diary about the growth of lawlessness in the province and in the country.That day, the IRA had shot dead in Thurles, County Tipperary, an RIC district inspector, Michael Hunt, who was returning from a local race meeting. ‘Bishops protest against English rule,’he wrote on 25 June, ‘but say not a word about murders especially the poor D.I. shot atThurles. What a gang and how can this country have any blessing.’In the circumstances , he was relieved to receive on 18 July a further letter from a group inToronto asking him to give an after lunch talk on 7 January 1920.Windle received a letter on 29 July from Gasquet who was very conscious of the fact that his friend was having a very unpleasant time in Ireland: ‘What an extraordinary state of affairs! The Government seem to be letting everything drift and how is it going to end?’The cardinal told him that he was ‘very glad’ to hear that he had accepted the offer to go to Toronto: ‘To secure a man of your importance and ability is a great move and I wish you every success.’2 Windle received further good news from Canada on 4 August: ‘Then most satisfactory letter from Toronto – the clearest possible to which replied. It certainly seems a most clear door opened by God and how thankful I shall be to go through it.’ He received another incentive to leave when, in Listarkin on 8 August, he wrote: ‘Outrages on police and constabulary [?] and not ONE word from our bishops or clergy – what a gang!’The shortcomings of Irish Catholicism, as...

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