A great send of for a great man

Yesterday we laid to rest a total gent in his final resting place. The two ceremonies,receiving him into the church and his funeral, were lovely. On Wednesday evening Fr Joe received Fr Willie into Tullamore church and we had evening prayer. It was so nice to see all the priests walk up with the coffin behind them, it was if they were bringing him home. Fr Willie spent 15 years in Tullamore, he loved the parish. This was evident from the fact that he kept connected with people from the parish throughout all his years in Mornington. He would have been 11 years in Mornington this September. 

On Wednesday night the Church was open all night. I thought this was a lovely gesture. It meant that Fr Willie was never on his own. The lid of the coffin was opened when we were finished evening prayer and it remained open for the night. Another lovely thing, it gave all who knew Fr Willie a chance to spend time with him, see him and say say a proper goodbye. I wanted to see him but found it difficult to go up before I went home after evening prayer. I knew I had to and am glad I did. I had asked a friend to accompany me up but when I got to the step I just couldn't. As much as I wanted him to accompany me I think it was something I had to do in my own time and I just wasn't ready when he was going up. But I went up, I cried and then I went home. I went back into the church at about 11.45. Going in I didn't really have a plan of how long I would stay. I spent a good bit of time in the church. When I first walked in I was blown away at the number of people in the church, because of the big church it looked like just a few but it was a good few. There was a steady stream of people coming and going while I was there. It was difficult to leave Fr Willie but I eventually did with a little push from the Lord, and another little push and another.

The funeral mass on Thursday was led by Bishop Smith, the homily was given by a friend of Fr Willie's. It was a lovely funeral mass, so prayerful. I was asked tonight if you can enjoy a funeral. I don't think you can actually enjoy it as such but I knew what he was saying, it was a lovely ceremony. A few of the choirs in the parish gathered in order to provide the music which I thought really added to the mass. After the mass we gathered in the churchyard for a little bit. This gave us the opportunity to meet others, chat, share stories and hug. Then it was off through the town up to the graveyard. Only a small number walked up but maybe that's just what I thought as I was near the front. On the way to the graveyard I could hear people share stories with each other, lovely to hear but somewhat difficult. I took out my Rosary beads and offered a Rosary up for my friend.We got to the graveyard and Fr Willie was laid to rest. It was hard to believe we it was all over and what I had tried to prepare myself for was finally here.

Over the course of the two days so many kind words were spoken about Fr Willie, by Fr Joe, the bishop and the priest who gave the homily. Other people also shared memories of him with me. A lady I knew came over to me Wednesday night/ Thursday morning and told me one story which really made me smile and laugh. A story I can't be sharing here but one I think will always make me smile. I'm delighted he got such a good send off, it was a real tribute to him.

As I sit here tonight I'm not sure it has really sank in. Fr Willie is dead. Even in the graveyard yesterday, knowing Gerry, Oliver, Jim and John were there a part of me thought Fr Willie was there in body too. We shouldn't have been gathered in the Graveyard to say goodbye to this wonderful man. Of all the people to die this man really didn't deserve it, he was just so good, a true man of God. He showed God to everyone he met by what he did and said. Fr Willie will be sadly missed.