1 /5 Suzanne Sowada: The building is beautiful but we were there for my sister’s funeral. I don’t know if she had attended prior to her passing or not.
I have been to pre-Vatican II churches before (my sister’s wedding, my mother’s funeral) in Denver and they were beautiful.
However, this funeral added to our grief. The priest greeted me in the parking lot with “I can see your knees.” I specifically bought a modest dress and it hit the middle of my knees. I wished he had said something else, like “Sorry for your loss.”
The Mass was in Latin and the homily was in English. Sadly, it mentioned “fear of death,” “suffering,” and “suffering now in purgatory until our prayers release her.” Wow. Sad. How about “now comforted in the arms of Jesus”? Or “her suffering is now complete and she is joyfully reunited with the dearly departed”? It’s been a week and I’m still haunted by the strict rituals that brought us no comfort.
It concluded gravesite where the priest instructed my niece to put a cover over her shoulders. It was 91 degrees and yes, her shoulders were bare.
On reflection, I wonder if the priest has a neurological condition that prevents him from empathy and compassion. I had about 100 people praying for family members who have fallen from the faith in hopes they would fall in love with Jesus during these services. It would take a miracle to see Jesus in the gloom in this ceremony.
My mother-in-law is a strong 86-year-old lifetime Catholic and my story broke her heart. She spoke with her priest and apparently there are other pre-Vatican II Catholic Churches near Brooksville. I wished we had used one of those. I’m sorry to even write this but I’m still shaking from grief added to grief.