Msgr. Memorial

WRITING A EULOGY IS NEVER EASY. I PONDERED WHAT I WOULD SAY ABOUT MY
COUSIN LARRY, MONSIGNOR AUDA. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO BEGIN WRITING, I FINALLY
ASKED HIM TO JUST HELP ME GET STARTED AS HE WAS SUCH A MASTER OF HIS SHORT AND
POWERFUL HOMILIES. HOURS LATER THE INSPIRATION CAME.
IT WAS AS IF I COULD HEAR HIM SAYING “PLEASE THANK MY PARISHIONERS AND TELL THEM
HOW MUCH THEY MEANT TO ME – AND DO IT IN 3-5 MINUTES!”
IF HE WERE WRITING THIS, THIS IS WHAT I THINK HE WOULD SAY …
THANK YOU FOR WELCOMING ME AND MY MOTHER SO WARMLY 30 YEARS AGO.
THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD YOU BROUGHT US, ESPECIALLY THE DESSERTS! HE DID LOVE
DESSERTS AS THE BENLD AND GILLESPIE ALTAR SOCIETIES KNOW.
THANK YOU FOR KEEPING UP THE CHURCHES GARDEN AND FOR DECORATING THE CHURCH ON
SPECIAL OCCASIONS.
AND ONCE THE ILLNESS BECAME A PART OF ME, THANK YOU FOR WALKING ME TO CHURCH
EACH MORNING TO BE SURE I DIDN’T FORGET ABOUT SAYING MASS.
THANK YOU FOR PICKING ME UP WHEN I WAS WALKING ON THE ROAD TO THE NURSING
HOME TO VISIT MY MOTHER.
THANK TONY AND ANTHONY FOR COMING TO PICK ME UP FOR VISITATIONS AND FUNERALS TO
BE SURE I WAS THERE.
THANK MY PARISHIONERS FOR THEIR MANY PRAYERS AND FOR VISITING ME IN THE NURSING
HOME.
THANK/EVERYONE AT THE NURSING HOME FOR TAKING SUCH GOOD CARE OF ME AND FOR
BRINGING ME ICE CREAM CUPS.
AND DON’T FORGET TO THANK THE BISHOP FOR HIS MANY ACTS OF KINDNESS, ESPECIALLY FOR
ALLOWING ME TO REMAIN IN THE RECTORY UNTIL IT WAS NO LONGER POSSIBLE SO I COULD
STILL ASSIST MY PARISHIONERS.
MAG ROLANDO WAS FATHER’S ASSISTANT FOR MANY YEARS. THEY BECAME
MORE LIKE BROTHER AND SISTER AS THE YEARS PASSED. SHE TOOK HIM TO DOCTOR’S
APPOINTMENTS, GROCERY SHOPPED FOR HIM TO BE SURE HE WAS GETTING THE PROPER
NUTRITION. MAG TOOK COMMUNION TO LARRY EVERY DAY AND SOMETIMES EVEN VISITED
HIM TWICE A DAY, SHE KEPT ME INFORMED ABOUT HOW HE WAS DOING AND WHAT HE
NEEDED, AND ACCOMPANIED US FOR CONFERENCES AT THE NURSING HOME TO BE SURE THAT
HIS NEEDS WERE MET.BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, MAG TRULY CARED ABOUT HIM AND COULD
MAKE HIM SMILE EVEN ON HIS WORSE DAYS. THANK YOU MAG.
LARRY HAD 4 LOVES …
1. GOD
2. THE BLESSED VIGIN MARY
3. HIS FAMILY, ESPECIALLY HIS MOTHER WHO WAS WIDOWED YOUNG SO SHE LIVED
WITH HIM AND WAS HIS HOUSEKEEPER AND, OF COURSE,
4. YOU, HIS PARISHIONERS
HE WAS YOUR PRIEST FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS. DURING THAT TIME HE TOUCHED COUNTLESS
LIVES AS I’VE LEARNED FROM MANY OF YOU OVER THESE PAST FEW DAYS. BUT YOU ALSO
TOUCHED HIS.
FATHER WAS A HUMBLE MAN WHO ALWAYS DROVE A SMALL BLUE CAR WITH LICENSE PLATES
THAT READ BVM WHICH REPRESENTED HIS DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.
HE KNEW EARLY ON THAT HE WANTED TO DEVOTE HIS LIFE TO GOD. MY AUNT TOLD ME THAT
HE LOVED GOING TO CATECHISM CLASSES AT A YOUNG AGE AND WHEN HE WAS A TEENAGER,
WOULD WALK FROM BENLD TO GILLESPIE TO STUDY RELIGION WITH SISTER MARY LORENZO.
LARRY HAD A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR. AFTER MY DAD DIED WHO USED TO WASH HIS CAR
FOR HIM, I ASKED WHAT HE WOULD DO NOW. HIS REPSPONSE WAS “WHEN IT RAINS, I’LL JUST
BACK THE CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE AND LET OUR LADY OF THE RAIN WASH IT.”
EVEN WHEN HE WAS IN THE NURSING HOME, A PARISHIONER TOLD ME THAT SHE ASKED HIM
TO HEAR HER CONFESSION. HE QUICKLY RESPONDED” SURE, ,AND BY THE WAY, I’M A GREAT
PRIEST TO HEAR YOUR CONFESSION BECAUSE I WON’T REMEMBER A THING YOU TELL ME.”
ON BEHALF OF MONSIGNOR’S FAMILY, PLEASE ACCEPT OUR DEEP AND HEARTFELT GRATITUDE
FOR ALL YOU DID FOR HIM, EVEN UP TO THE DAY HE PASSED INTO GLORY.
LARRY IS HOME NOW. HOME WITH HIS GOD, THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, HIS OM AND DAD,
RELATIVES AND PARISHIONERS WHO HAVE BEEN LAID TO REST BEFORE HIM.
SO GOOD BYE MY SWEET COUSIN. WE’LL ALL MISS YOU AND WILL
REMEMBER YOU AS A HUMBLE, CARING, NONJUDGEMENTAL SERVANT OF GO WHO
TOUCHED US IN WAYS WE WILL NEVER FORGET.
AS THE POET MAYA ANGELOU WROTE …
I’VE LEARNED THAT PEOPLE WILL FORGET WHAT YOU SAID
PEOPLE WILL FORGET WHAT YOU DID
BUT THEY WILL NEVER FORGET HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEl.
THANKS LARRY FOR MAKING US ALL FEEL SPECIAl.