This morning I went to St. Pius X Church in Bowie around 11:15am. They were holding a wake there for Anne Kehoe, the daughter of Jim & Liz Kehoe from St. Bernard’s days. I had done a wake for Liz when she died last year and they asked me to help with this.
At 11:30 all the people sat down. There must have been about three hundred. I went to the pulpit and told them that what we were doing today was of long tradition for us Irish Catholic. I told them I had read a wonderful essay by the Jesuit priest, Dan Berrigan entitled: “Amusing antedote concerning the deceased were now in order” I suggested that people do some thinking about Ann and the many gifts she had and how she used them.
I told a story about how she never wanted to inconvience you and that driving to the restaurant after her Mom’s burial, she rode in my car. She was undergoing treatment for her cancer and at one point, she apologized but said she thought she was going to throw up. Fortunately, I had a bag from Mr. Donuts and I pulled the car over and she was ill. She kept saying how sorry she was and I and the rest of the people in the car kept assuring her it was not a problem. But she was a strong person who didn’t like to “give in” to the illnesses.
Then I invited people to speak. Her brother and her sister gave wonderful and more than amusing stories about their growing up together. Other friends spoke of her courage and one man, the father of a friend of her children told us how Anne joined him and some other parents in forming a rowing team. She wouldn’t let her illness slow her down.
Around noon, after a few others had spoken, we began Mass. The presider was Fr. Larry Swink, the associate at the parish, who took Communion to Anne and gave her the Sacrament of the Sick. I preached about the reading that the family had chosen. They were about eternal life and I reminded them of what Elizabeth Edwards had asked of her children – That they would not allow the press to say “she had lost her battle with cancer”; but rather that “her battle had been to live a full life and she had done that”. I said that Anne had done the same. Once I came to the house to see her and she wasn’t there. I visited with Karly, her daughter, and her grandson. When she came in she apologized for not being there but she said when she woke up that morning, she didn’t want to stay in bed and so she just went for a ride to the grocery store. I told her I didn’t mind at all as that what I wanted to hear.
It was a faithfilled celebration of a very wonderful family and community. At some point in the future, we will take Anne’s ashes to Arlington to be buried with Liz. Please keep them all in your prayers.
I had the 5:30pm Mass and preached on St. Joseph. This just man who loved Mary and bent his will and plans to the plan of God as soon as the angel came to him. What a goal to have: to always want to do what God’s will is.
Later this evening, I went to Sergio’s restaurant and met Fr. Jerry Trancone and Jim & Gail Battle. We had such a good time and laughed till I really thought they might ask us to leave. The Battles were great parishioners and friends from St. Bernard’s and I hadn’t seen them in a long time. It was fun to “catch up” even though they are now grandparents (and their wedding seems like only yesterday)!!
Advent has been such a good time to reflect on the wonderful people that God has “peppered” my life with. How good is the Good God!
Glad you ended your day with laughter!!! Burying the dead can take a lot out of us…..