Hi there, everyone! Thank you for all the prayers & support at the passing of my dad. On behalf of my mom, my 2 brothers & me, my dad’s sisters, & our entire family, thank you!
Dad passed away just about 2 hours after I got home on July 10th, & was surrounded by his entire family. Last Saturday, the 17th, we had a beautiful Funeral Mass at our home parish in Twinsburg. It was the toughest Funeral Mass that I’ve ever celebrated, but I was blessed to be able to have done it. After all that my dad did for me it was the least that I could do for him.
I am slowly going to be working my way back into parish life. I was originally scheduled to take vacation this coming week, but as I write this I am debating on pushing those dates back a few weeks & taking a few more days than I had originally planned. I’ll probably also be taking a little lighter than usual schedule for a week or so as I’ve been so consumed with all the details of arranging & planning the Funeral that I want to take some time to just be & process my thoughts & emotions.
So far I have found my emotions changing almost hour by hour. One moment I feel like I'm sleepwalking through the day & the next, everything is normal. I know that this is all part of the grieving process, but it is all new to me, so please be patient. If I seem lethargic or don't respond with my normal enthusiasm, please be patient & understanding. Dad's birthday would have been July 31st so these will be a rough first few weeks. It sucks to lose him, but I find comfort, hope, & joy in trusting that he's now rejoicing in the arms of our God.
One separate note, continue to watch for plans for our 100th anniversary! Our Social Committee is working on some great plans including a breakfast following the anniversary Mass on Sept. 26th @ 9:30 am.
Have a Blessed Week!
Fr. John