Katy🙏🏻❤️

‘We must always remember that God does everything well, although we may not see the reason of what He does’. (St. Philip Neri)

                                                            B/L - Chris, Jer, Agnes, Anne.

                                                            F/L - Katy, Mai, Bridget, Josephine.

Mine the heart-rending task of letting my seven siblings know that our beloved beautiful Katy is gone to God. Chris simply uttered: ‘Do you mean our own Katy?’. Poor Mai who has endured epilepsy most of her life, stuck in traffic with her husband when I called: ‘I can’t hear you Bridge’, she said. My heart screamed silently: ‘How I wish with all my heart that you might never hear what I’m about to tell you, dear Mai’.  

We siblings would oftentimes remind one another how fortunate we were to be alive and well, all eight of us. Today, despite our searing grief, we are exceedingly grateful to God for countless graces and blessings up and down the long years. Gratitude lightens our load, pilgrims are we, so we keep our eyes on Jesus, He is the example for us to get to our destination Heaven.

Katy, delivering Christmas presents to the home of a good friend when she literally fell out of her stand, one week ago today. Donal, her heartbroken husband, could but look on in shocked disbelief as he sat waiting in their car. Poor man is in deep trauma and will be for quite a while.

I had the privilege of encountering the young girl who did everything in her power to resuscitate my sister. I got to share my prayer with her and now she has a special place in all our heart and prayer. Agnes’s son Sean too deserves special mention. Living nearby he got there quickly and witnessing his special aunty lying there on the cold ground asked the Guard on duty if he could pray with her.🙏🏻

I sang at my dear Katy’s Funeral Mass. Church organist Kevin seamlessly accommodating. Growing up together, oftentimes she would ask me to sing for her. Singing at her Funeral Holy Mass was both natural and heartbreaking. I am so glad I could do it. 

Singing ‘Silent night’ from Church gallery as dear Katy was being taken for burial will remain with me forever.

Young baker guy in SuperValu who searched everywhere for Church Organist’s number, told me as he accepted my prayer: ‘Two weeks ago I was involved in a horrific car accident. I should not be alive but I am. I will pray this prayer every morning now’.

Katy’s bereft husband Donal and their two desolate dogs spent Christmas Day with us. Poor Bertie and Sheeba, grief stricken and confused just as all of us are. 

‘Let us love the Cross and let us remember that we are not alone in carrying it. God is helping us and in God who is comforting us, as St. Paul says, we can do anything’. (St. Gianna Molla)

‘Shanagh guys’ in Kerry. 🐕 🐕