Dear Friends,

One of my favorite human beings in the whole world was a lovely lady whom I first met when I was a young seminarian making an eight-day retreat at the old Jesuit seminary outside of Hillyard, Mount Saint Michael’s. It was a silent retreat, so none of us were talking, but one of the other participants was a Sister of Providence who kept giving me gentle smiles and the occasional wink of support. At the end, we actually had the opportunity to chat a bit and I discovered that this dear sister was Sister Dorothy Byrne. Our lives went in various directions, but we bumped into one another from time to time and out of that friendship born in prayerful retreat, there was a bond that always seemed very special indeed… and holy.

One of the delights of finding myself pastor of Sacred Heart six years ago was discovering that Sister Dorothy was one of our parishioners and our friendship blossomed anew. Visiting her at Emilie Court over these past years was a rich experience as she shared with me her resilient faith even as she wondered why God was leaving her to live so long with so little to do. We agreed her mission was to pray for the rest of us, which she did daily. She told me in each visit, “Oh Kevin, I pray for you every day by name!”
Dorothy also often told me that she loved Sacred Heart Parish and the people she served here for so many years, especially those she led into the Church through the RCIA. She counted her years as parish minister at Sacred Heart as some of the most rewarding of her life. 

I know she touched many of you as she touched me and that you will miss her as I miss her. She was a font of hope, grace, love, faith, and encouragement to so many of us. Gratitude was one of the marks of her character; she was so very grateful to God for the many blessings of her life across 97 years and resisted any hint of self-pity even as she aged and her body became more frail. She told me often that she was looking forward to the next chapter in her life when she would meet Jesus face-to-face and again greet her parents, brother, Father Joe, her dear friend, Sister Michelle, and many others.

After each visit, she would say, “Kevin, let us bless one another!” And she would stand, place her hands on my shoulders, and say a lovely blessing over me, then ask me for the same for her. Now, from her place in God’s Kingdom, I believe, Sister Dorothy places her hands on all of us and blesses us from above. We are grateful!

Father Kevin