Funeral Mass of Kathleen Curran

Celebrated by Reverend Fr. McDonagh

Homily

An object lost assumes an exaggerated value. It seems more important than all the things we still possess.
For instance, if you lose a key to your to your house, suddenly that key becomes the most important object you own.  Without it you are cut off from what you own. It seems that you will not be able to live without it. We never value what we have until we lost it.

How much truer this is when it is not an object that we lose, but a person and when the loss is irretrievable as in death.

It is impossible to describe the feeling that comes over one at such a time – the feeling that somehow, in an instant, everything is changed and nothing will be quite the same again. Tomorrow will never be like yesterday. In losing a mother, we feel like orphans.

Many lives are shattered in the death of Kathleen. Since her sudden death in hospital last Monday evening, her loved ones and the people of Laurencetown are suspended in shock and disbelief. What a shock to her daughter Bridget – they were so much part of each other’s lives. Her granddaughter, Linsey - whom she babysat for years while her mother worked- must be very upset.  Our sympathies go out to all Kathleen’s brothers and sisters, relations and friends.

Kathleen was blessed with a long life. She was born in the environment of Laurencetown and lived her life there. She worked at Hazelbank and Gilford Mills and in the ‘Optical Factory’ in Lurgan.
Kathleen was a life-long fan of the County Down G.A.A. team and Manchester United Soccer team.
She played Camogie side by side with her sister Annie. She was a valuable player and played at club level for Tullylish and county level for Armagh. Such was her valuable contribution to the game that the local clergy provided transport to ensure that she was able to get to the matches, There is a photo of the Tullylish Camogie Team on which she played available on the parish website.

She was a woman of strong faith – a regular at Mass and made pilgrimage to the Holy Land once and to Knock frequently. Our prayer today is that “Our Lady of Knock”, who appeared at Knock on this day 21^st August 1879 may intercede for Kathleen and welcome her into eternal life. May Mary be a source of comfort for all who mourn for Kathleen today.

Our loss is tempered by our faith. Only in faith we can say “there is a time to be born and a time to die” and believe it. It is a great consolation to know that God guides and sustains everything as we need in the First reading from Ecclesiastes.

As we read again the story of the “Good Shepherd”, we find there a great sense of Hope and Consolation in having Jesus, so caring for each one of us. He loves and died for each of us.  We outht not to take our faith and each other for granted.

It is said “you will never miss the shelter of the bush until it is gone”. In the song “Goodbyte Johnny dear” we sing, “you will never miss your mother’s love until she is buried beneath the clay”

Kathleen will be missed much by her family and friends and from the back seat in this church where she worshipped with this community.

The Resurrection of Jesus and the Assumption of Mary are symbols of Hope for all who die in Christ. That hope may not fill the emptiness we experience now, but it will give us strength to cope with our loss.

“We hold you close within our hearts
and there you shall remain
To walk with us throughout our loss
Until we meet again”.

May she rest in peace.