Pat was the noon mass sacristan at our church in Boulder, Colorado. Sacristans are people who set up for mass and then put everything away. Priests love sacristans. We can show up at the last minute and all is set up for us. Sacristans spoil priests. That is their job, or so I think. Pat was my friend as well. She died recently. I think she wanted to die in a private way with just her and God. People sat with her into the night. Within an hour after everyone left, in the middle of the night, Pat died. She liked the one on one with God. I know that she prayed for me. She knew that I was imperfect but she had hopes for me. She even took me to lunch a time or two. She drove. I knew from the way she drove that God was taking care of her. The noon mass has never been the same since Pat stopped being the sacristan. I miss her. Taking care of the altar and its environs was her singular task. She was humble, but precise. Her way was best. I am a mere priest. She is a saint. I hope she is still praying for me.
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Fr Terry, I was blessed to have known Pat too. She asked me to help lector at the 12:10 in Boulder a couple of times a week. I was clueless but she was patient with me and I grew to love her so much. There are saints among us and she was one! She was a Kelly from St. Louis. God bless
ReplyDeleteI missed Pat's memorial mass yesterday but I did see her a couple of days before she died. She was very spiritual and such a humble soul. I feel that God introduced me to her when I needed her most and I am so grateful.
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