surrealism and the keerie, in remembrance

The following is an excerpt written on November 10th, 2005, in the Mary Ward Chapel.

...Scant minutes after we'd gone our ways, I slipped through the Chapel door in search of solace. The scene was painfully stark, two boys and three girls, staring at their fingers as they murmered a plea to Our Lady.
"Hail Mary full of grace..." I joined them, each within our own reverie and linked by prayer.
"Merciful redeemer..." The rosary finished, we sat in silence. It was merciful indeed, that we had this chance, a choice. To gather in the twilight hours and pray to God for whatever His will may be. Slowly we drifted, and now I'm sitting here concealed a bit but writing out our tribute to him.
...Our Confirmation year was the most memorable- right from the first week of school he taught us about being Catholic- not Christian, Catholic. Throughout the year we learned about our faither and our church. He took us on tours, explaining the symbolism...we learned to usher and help at Mass. (Many of the Confirmandi from our year continue to do so today, myself included.) I watched for two years as hundreds of Confirmandi passed through his hands. I listened as he tried to recruit us, (the ushers) for the priesthood or convents. I can still remember the day he told us he was leaving for treatment, instructing us on the kids bulletins, showing us where everything was.
...I can still remember, and so we wait. We're all writing out our tributes now- Nisha smiling sadly, Camille as she sniffs back tears. I can hear the band faintly, the tune of "Follow the Fold" from drama, and the sounds of rehearsal. It isn't too long before I head there myself but today is a weak day, and it knows not the cold that lies here.

That was a little over a week ago. It's Saturday night, the news we waited for arrived this morning. Honestly, I had my mouth full of chocolate and was humming the tune of a new song I found sheet music for when the phone rang. It took a while. I passed the message on, as was my duty. It's still taking a while. I've returned from mass- which brings it all to reality. Not completely there yet, but still a little more real. The one thing at mass was that as ushers, we could run the mass the way he wanted while he wasn't here, but there was always the expectation of his return. Just hovering in the background, it was, the idea that his absence was temporary. Today I realized we'd never snap our mouths shut at the sound of his rosary, or see him standing at the alter, or listen carefully to his instructions. We learned to put out the kids bulletins, organize the Confirmandi, reserve seats, call Communion Ministers, put away the bag, check the collection schedule, grab the baskets, seat the people...everything in the past few months. And now comes the real test. Can POP RC survive without the man who did it all? I mean geez, we had to get a whole committee to replace his work with Confirmation, First Communion, and First Reconcilation candidates.

It isn't real yet. But it will be, soon. Silent comfort in your presence, spontaneous teenage prayer, quiet hugs, saddest eyes. With one look today, we communicated everything. I walked into the church and- one look. Donovan came- one look. It took that.

PS: On the right-hand navigation bar, you'll find a list of links. The third one is a link to The Power of WHAT? a blog created by The Group of Twelve. You'll find me, under the alias Aeriana Eve, (just like it is here) among with my cookie loving friends. Never of course forgetting, Samantha/Addy/Jeffrey who love muffins just as much. And Kaitlyn, who loves marshmallows. And Richard, who loves chocolate. And Lemon, who loves...Lemons! And I, who love it all.

Friar Guy Gartland, School Ministry, Franciscan. [never.Forgetten]