Roy was Catholic, always without a home or a bed, to be seen or found sleeping in doorways in Brighton no matter what time of year it was.
He would often come into St Mary Magdalen and light a candle for those he knew and loved who had died on the streets of Brighton. He always had a smile for everyone and a great deal of love for people he met. This time last year, he asked me to take his intentions with me to Walsingham and to pray for a dear deceased friend of his. I'll remember him again this year.
His funeral will take place on Wednesday. Having no possessions, I do not believe he left behind any express intentions for his funeral and I've been told the State is already 'taking care of it'.
I'm sure in the old days, things were different and the Church could claim those She knew were her own.
Saints of God, come to his aid, Angels of the Lord, receive his soul and present him to God, the Most High. May angels lead you into Paradise; may the martyrs receive you at your coming and lead you to the holy city of Jerusalem. May a choir of angels receive you, and with Lazarus, who once was poor, may you have eternal rest.
May his soul and the souls of all the Faithful departed, rest in peace.
5 comments:
You can still ask fr a Requiem Mass to be offered for the repose of his soul.
The EF is particularly good for Requiems of this sort because there is provision for "absolutions at the catafalque" where the body isn't present, but everything is set up as if it is. We regularly have requiems of this sort at Blackfen, praying for the repose of the souls of previous Parish Priests on their anniversaries...
Lord Jesus, please bring Roy to his continuing city, prepared for him, by your life, death and resurrection, to be with you, for all eternity. Amen.
I believe the Church has a duty in these circumstances to give this Catholic man a Catholic funeral Mass and burial. May he rest in peace.
'Eternal rest give unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him' Thank you Laurence for your charity.
I presume that the local Catholic priest made sure that he officiated at the funeral service for this man. The 'State' will have made provision for this. Hand-wringing is no substitute for positive action.
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