I copied AB’s ping list to send this to all of you to, I dunno....share this bit of craziness.
In one post on the talk show thread I’d written about having to go to a fellow choir member’s funeral, nice guy who lost his battle with cancer of the jaw.
So today was the funeral mass, choir is singing, sad, sad.
We hugged the widow, who is also in the choir, sang the prelude....on to communion. The priest was Father MArk, a great guy, gave a great homily in honor of Merle.
When I sing in the choir I sit in the front row pew directly in front of the priest. Father Mark blessed the bread and wine and was giving out commun ion.
Suddenly....BOOM! A loud noise. I look directly in front of me, so close I could reach out and touch him, laying on the floor...FATHER MARK DROPPED DEAD!!!!
All hell broke loose. A doctor came forth and gave him CPR. They tore off his vestments but I ain’t no doctor but I could see he was dead.
Somebody found a pair of shock paddles, shocked him....nope. father Mark was dead.
They found a priest from a nearby parish who came over to finish the mass but the Deacon sent him to the hospital to administer last rites. The Deacon finished the mass, they got a Eucharistic minister to finish the communion.
Paramedics came from all over the place....chaos, with me hanging on to Birdie, our choir conductor, sobbing. “Birdie he can’t be dead!” I kept sobbing.
“I’ve done CPR on many people and this man’s heart is NOT beating,” Birdie told me, hugging me tight.
Just got the text message that Father Mark was pronounced dead at shortly after noon today at Beebe Medical Center.
Just like that, no clutching of his heart for the pain, one long moan he made but somebody told me that was his chest letting out the air in the lungs.
I’ve known Father Mark for 12 years, since I’ve moved here.
And he died, dropped dead, right in front of me.
I’m a mess but I feel like I got to work this out of my psyche.
Just got the following by email:
It is with a heavy heart that we inform you of the passing of Father Mark Connelly this afternoon. Please keep Father Mark and his family in your prayers. When we have more information on his services we will inform everyone.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
The Staff at St. Jude The Apostle Church