![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/56\/2013\/08\/P1010004.jpg\" "\\"P1010004\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nWell, it\u2019s over.<\/p>\n
Msgr. Joseph Funaro<\/a><\/strong>, my pastor emeritus, has been to sent to his rest.<\/p>\n The funeral Mass this morning was beautiful. On a glorious summer Saturday, the church in Forest Hills<\/a><\/strong> was packed: two bishops, a couple dozen priests, throngs of friends and family, a small army of altar servers. \u00a0Music ranged from \u201cAlleluia, Sing to Jesus\u201d for the entrance, \u201cAt the Breaking of the Bread\u201d for the offertory, and \u201cAve Verum\u201d for the communion meditation. Msgr. Funaro, I\u2019m sure, was pleased and proud.<\/p>\n The gospel was the Beatitudes. His longtime friend Fr. Phil Pizzo preached a funny and affectionate homily about Joe Funaro, the good priest, regaling us with how much he loved music and musicals from his days directing the Theater Guild. \u00a0\u201cWe\u2019d go on retreat as we did every year,\u201d Phil explained, \u201cand we\u2019d get in the car. And he\u2019d start singing. \u00a0For six hours<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n He mentioned something many people didn\u2019t know: Joe\u2019s first career, working as an artist at Paramount, where he drew Casper the Friendly Ghost. \u201cHe loved that,\u201d Phil said. \u201cYears later, he\u2019d draw Casper on napkins, scrap paper, anything.\u201d<\/p>\n Phil captured the essence of the man perfectly. \u00a0There was no one else like him. \u00a0Talking with friends, family and parishioners over the last few days, you\u2019d hear the same phrases. \u00a0\u201cLarger than life.\u201d \u00a0\u201cA memorable man.\u201d \u00a0\u201cA real character.\u201d \u00a0\u201cHe left a void that will never filled.\u201d<\/p>\n But you\u2019d also hear this same theme again and again\u2014the point Phil drove home so beautifully in his homily: Joe Funaro was a man who loved his priesthood, loved his people, and loved serving God.<\/p>\n He left an enduring legacy at my parish<\/a><\/strong>. He took a huge place that was in dire trouble,\u00a0haunted by financial scandal,<\/a><\/strong> and brought it back, Lazarus-like, to new life. \u00a0Some thought it couldn\u2019t be done. But he did it. Because, of course, nothing is impossible with God.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n I remember one telling moment from my Mass of Thanksgiving six years ago. The crippling neuropathy that limited his mobility had advanced to the point where he almost never processed down the long aisle of the church. By that time, he was forced to celebrate Mass seated, from an elevated chair. But that morning, he insisted on processing in. \u00a0And he insisted on something else. \u00a0\u201cDeacon,\u201d he said, nodding to my wife as we lined up for the procession, \u00a0\u201cThis morning, I think, Siobhain should walk beside you.\u201d \u00a0She was lector for the Mass, and would be in the procession anyway.<\/p>\n And so it was that, on that particular morning, for the first time in my life, I carried in the Book of the Gospels into Mass. And for that one Mass, my wife walked at my side. Msgr. Funaro, who had mentored me through my five years of formation\u2014years that weren\u2019t always easy for him or for me\u2014walked behind us every step of the way.<\/p>\n I know it was difficult for him. But he wanted to make that effort for me\u2014a gesture of support, and brotherhood, and love. \u00a0Symbolically, in that procession, I was taking my place in the clergy of the parish. He wanted to take his place, as well.<\/p>\n As the years went on, and his health failed, he called upon me more and more to preach for him at Sunday Mass. After a while, he \u00a0stopped asking; it was just understood that I\u2019d preach his Masses every weekend. The experience was challenging, and sometimes daunting. But it was invaluable.<\/p>\n More than a few times, I\u2019ve found myself asking lately, \u201cWWJD?\u201d \u00a0What would Joe do?<\/p>\n Answering that may be one way to keep his legacy alive, and lead me to a deeper appreciation of what it means to be\u2014as Joe Funaro assuredly was\u2014a faithful servant of the people of God.<\/p>\n God be with you, Joe Funaro. And thank you for helping make me the deacon I am today.<\/p>\n UPDATE:<\/strong> Other posts on this subject:<\/p>\n Well, it\u2019s over. Msgr. Joseph Funaro, my pastor emeritus, has been to sent to his rest. The funeral Mass this morning was beautiful. On a glorious summer Saturday, the church in Forest Hills was packed: two bishops, a couple dozen priests, throngs of friends and family, a small army of altar servers. \u00a0Music ranged from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,33,37,42,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-deacons","category-my-world-and-welcome-to-it","category-parish-life","category-priests","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n