I bring this up because within the last few days I have either become aware of people that I have known who have died or whom I shared a funeral liturgy with that I include in that prayer from Eucharistic Prayer II. Let me share a few thoughts on each.
On the 19th of January Archbishop Giovanni De Andrea, a retired Vatican diplomat and officer of the Holy See, died in Rome. I met him a few times and visited his apartment in Rome and had dinner with him. The reason that I know him is that he is the brother of one of our priests who went on to also join the Vatican Diplomatic Corp - retired Archbishop Giuseppe "Joe" De Andrea. How Father Joe came to Greensburg fro Italy in the late '50's is unknown to me, but he was a good and friendly brother priest before returning to Italy and the Vatican. John and Joe served the Vatican in some really interesting places - John as Apostolic Delegate to Angola, Pro-Nuncio to Iran, Algeria and Tunisia and Delegate to Libya (all between 1975 - 1989) before being appointed as Vice-President of the Labour Office of the Holy See ... and Joe as Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait, Bahrain, Yemen and Qatar before retiring. John was 83+ years old, a priest for nearly 61 years, and a bishop for almost 37 years. Like his brother Joe, he was a kind, friendly and generous man. May he rest in peace.
On the 21st, on an icy morning, I buried Mary Ann Madden from our church. While a member of Corpus Christi parish in the neighboring town of McKeesport, she attended here regularly and many of her family belong here. I remember her as a lovely woman, just a few years older than myself. Despite the cold outside, there was great warmth in that family.
Monday evening at a blessing service at the funeral home I buried a man two years younger than myself - Daniel J. Chakey. He had no regular church that he called home, so I was asked to lead the prayer. Again, his brothers David and Dennis shared their love of their brother with those gathered to remember him.
Yesterday I returned to my former parish in Scottdale for the funeral of Paul Haas, 94. He and his wife Thelma have been married for over 72 years! They were a good team - Paul, a little gruff at times and very outspoken and Thelma, sweet and carefree. She will miss him.
And this week the loss of two Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill that I knew well - Sister Barbara Koval (originally of Saint John the Baptist in Scottdale) who was buried today and Sister Francis de Sales Joyce, who served in this Diocese in the Office of Education and who I knew also through my involvement in the Charismatic Renewal. Both are great women of Faith. We offer prayers for them and their Religious Family at Seton Hill.
Lord, welcome them all into the light of your face!
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