FUNERAL MASS FR CHARLES HEEREY

30 April 2017

 

The story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus is one Fr Charlie would have used at many of the funeral Masses he celebrated in the course of his long, and very fruitful ministry.   I think he would be very happy to have it used at his own.

We meet these two disciples on the Sunday after Good Friday. Jesus had been shamefully executed on a cross two days earlier. They are bereaved, devastated by the loss of one they loved and admired and had set their hopes on. The hopes he had raised in them of a glorious future in God’s Kingdom have been dashed.  You can see their grief in their body language – their faces were downcast. You can hear it in their words. When the stranger asks what’s wrong they tell him the story of Jesus in a few sentences and they finish by saying: We had hoped that he would be the one to set Israel free. We had hoped – but Jesus is dead and their hopes are dashed.

We are those disciples on the Road to Emmaus today. Our faces are downcast as we grieve the loss of a much loved family member, a wonderful priest and a greatly valued friend. I know that Pat and Carmel, Jack and Kay, Barney and Margaret and your families will miss him very much. You will all miss his presence on so many occasions, the holidays shared,  his regular Sunday afternoon visits in Maudabawn, his stories and jokes, arguments and anecdotes. You will miss his presence at all the family celebrations and his prayerful support in times of sickness and difficulty.  All of us who were privileged to know him will miss his warmth, his friendship, and his love.

Fr Charlie began his ministry in Killargue after his ordination in 1966. From there he went to St. Patrick’s College, where he was to spend the best part of twenty years, successively as bursar, dean and spiritual director. He had a deep spirituality and a genuine gift for relating to young people. His wise advice and counsel helped many students to find their way through the turbulent times of adolescence and to grow in wisdom and grace as they grew in age. I know that his gentle encouragement got many young lads to give serious consideration to becoming priests, and many of them did.

After that it was back to County Leitrim, this time as curate in Augnasheelin. That was followed by a term as parish priest of Carrigallen, and then back to Ballinamore as Parish Priest,  in the year 2000. When he came close to the age of retirement a few years ago, he was happy to leave down the burden of parish administration and become curate in Belturbet. In all those appointments his dedication and generosity, his outgoing personality, his capacity for friendship, his sense of humour and his deep spirituality enabled him to reach out to people old and young, educated or not, rich or poor. He was a people’s priest and we thank God today for his rich and fruitful ministry for 51 years in our diocese. We also thank the family and community which nourished his faith and vocation, and we pray that some of our young people will answer God’s call with the joy and generosity that he did.

Fr Charlie really enjoyed his last appointment here in Belturbet where he felt completely free to do what he did best, pray, celebrate the sacraments, talk to people in their homes or chat to them in the street, visit the schools and meet the pupils and teachers. The children and the teachers loved to see him coming and taking an interest in what they were doing or learning and letting them talk about it. Age was no barrier to his communication with the children. He was relaxed and natural with them. They loved him for it and he loved them.

Charlie looked quite frail in recent years, but despite that he enjoyed good health until his final illness came suddenly and unexpectedly a few weeks ago. Though he grew old in body, he never grew old in mind or ministry. He was always thinking, reading and open to new ideas.  He was always searching for better ways to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to others. He loved the Church and could be critical of it,  but always in  positive, constructive ways. He wanted it to be a better witness to the love and mercy of God in the world. And he certainly played his part in giving that loving witness in his own life.

So today, as we take our leave of him, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus we grieve at his death. Our hopes, like theirs, were dashed. It looked for a while like he might recover, but it was not to be. We are comforted today by the hope that Jesus brought to his disciples on Easter Sunday. We are strengthened by the message of the Gospel – the message the women brought from the tomb – he is alive.  Our hearts are warmed by the presence of the Risen Christ among us as we break the bread of the Eucharist. We believe that Charlie now shares in the new life of glory with the risen Lord. Our Christian faith give us the hope, the assurance that one day we too will share fully in that new life and be united with Charlie and will all our loved ones who have gone before us, in the glory of the resurrection.

On my own behalf and on behalf of all of us, I offer to Pat and Carmel, Jack and Kay, Barney and Margaret and their families, and to all Fr Charlie’s relations and friends, parishioners past and present, deepest sympathy. May he rest in peace.