On February 14, 1853...
Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O., wrote to a friend with sad news. One of the Fathers of the recently established Birmingham Oratory had gone to his reward:

I am just going to sing a solemn Mass for the soul of our dearest Father Joseph Gordon, the news of whose death came by telegraph at ten last night. You may think in what grief we all are ... God's will be done. It is quite taking away the Spring of our year, but St. Philip knows what he is about. When I was engaged in building this house, I kept saying "Now mind me, we shall have crosses to take up for so fine a place"—and we have had a succession so great, that we alone can understand them. We talked of the chance of bereavement—I think with dear Father Joseph—little thinking it would be he.