This weekend, my sister Joan’s family marked her passing with a family reunion in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a reception vigil in her memory, her Requiem Mass at St. Patrick’s Church, and a luncheon. She must have loved every minute of it. I know I did, even from here in Seattle. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, and the kindness of my nieces and nephews, they made sure those of us in Seattle could share in the events, too.
As part of the activities, her children had compiled a video made up of an interview with Joan by my husband Gene during one of her and her husband Tommy’s visits with us, and heartfelt, endearing stories about her by her children Chris, Tim, Jeff, Rene and Denise. They played it at the vigil. You can watch it here.
The Requiem Mass was celebrated at Saint Patrick’s Church in Cedar Rapids. The church is breathtakingly beautiful today, but it wasn’t always this way. The church has been at its present location on the west side in Cedar Rapids since 1892 when it was founded to serve the growing Irish immigrant population. Those were hard times and cosmetically, the church’s facilities were more humble than they are today, but they were exceedingly important in our everyday lives.
The altar you’ll be seeing in this video of the Mass is the same altar where nearly everybody in Joan’s and my family and my husband’s family were baptised, received First Communion, Confirmation, were graduated from Kindergarten through 12th grade, and for some, were married by either of our three priests – Father (Msgr) Lenihan, Father Peters, or Father Derga, and where most of those who have died – such as Joan – had their Requiem Mass. For me, watching the quiet dignity of Joan’s Mass was like coming home.
You can access the URL for the Mass on niece Chris’s Facebook account below. You’ll see Chris giving the Book of Revelations reading, and my nephew-in-law deacon Dan Melchior – niece Rene’s husband – giving the beautiful eulogy. And you’ll see glimpses of more of our treasured family, too.
https://www.facebook.com/cmmilner
It was beautiful, Joan. I will love you forever. Requiescat in Pace!
Wow, talk about a tear jerker. The video links were so special. I love seeing the inside of the church that connected the family for so many generations. The tribute video was also so insightful and touching. Thank you for sharing them.
Aunt Joanne was a sweet and magical person. So thoughtful and so loving… I also loved to hear her sing and she also washed my hair in her kitchen sink when Gretchen and I visited Cedar Rapids when we were teenagers. She made sure we had such a lot of fun that summer!
Hoo, I cried and cried (and laughed, too). What primed the pump for me was the surprise of hearing Dad’s voice right at the top. Then I was done for.
My aunt is a rockstar! We use to make jokes about her having a video camera permanently attached to her shoulder, and sometimes would groan about being filmed, but thanks to her passion we were able to have both of our parents present to share their wisdom at their own memorials. We can never thank you enough for having the foresight to capture precious moments for us. Thank you and much love always. 💕