extended family that he found the inspiration and support to reach out and serve others particularly those who were struggling or in difficulty.

Transcription

1 The Bishop of Saginaw in the USA, Ken Untener, wrote a reflection in 1979 to be read at a memorial service for deceased priests. It includes the following lines: 1 This is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water the seeds already planted knowing that they hold future promise We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing this. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results We are prophets of a future not our own. This reflection fits perfectly with the theme of today s gospel as we gather to celebrate this funeral Mass for Deacon Damien Kivlehan. It is usual at a funeral Mass to select a gospel passage dealing specifically with the promise of resurrection but this gospel is the gospel reading for today (Friday in the Third Week of Ordinary Time). I thought it was particularly appropriate as we celebrate the life of one who chose, as Damien did, the ministry of service that is the Diaconate. To take on such a ministry of service is to trust wholeheartedly in the Lord, and in the future he has mapped out for us, and not to become too anxious about that future. The ministry of the bishop, priest, deacon or religious is not always a quantifiable one. It can sometimes be very difficult to measure progress or see results. The business of evangelisation is, as the gospel reminds us, akin to scattering seeds on the ground and waiting patiently for the Lord to bring about the end product. In horticulture it is often the most insignificant of seeds, such as the Mustard seed, that produces the best and longest lasting results and so too our casual words and actions, as a witness to Christ, can often leave the most lasting impression on others. I sense

2 that Damien understood this concept and he took care to look after the small and simple things well. He knew the importance of a chat, of giving a helping hand or even just a smile, as these things often bring Christ s presence into the midst of everyday life and activities. 2 In an interview which he gave to the Anglo-Celt shortly before his ordination as a Permanent Deacon, on Rosary Sunday the 5 th of October 2014, Damien talked about his life up to that point and on how life was a journey that took many different directions. He had from an early age a feeling of being called to serve the Lord in some form of ministry and he even went from Strandhill, in Co. Sligo, where he grew up, to boarding school in Dublin to follow that calling. The route he took, however, didn t follow a straight path or take him to his destination immediately. Damien, however, was glad of that because he reckoned that the experiences he had and the people he encountered along the way were all part of an ongoing learning process for him. His experience of life gave him a deeper determination and commitment to be of service to others and of the church. The route he took through life involved a long period of time as a member of Ireland s defence forces first with the Navy based in Haulbowline, Co. Cork, and then for 27 years with the army where he served as a medic. Damien had a great fondness for life in the forces and he made many lasting friends and connections there. It was remarkable when he first came to St. Anne s in Bailieborough how many people recognised him, and how many he recognised in turn, from his army days. But of course above and before all else Damien was family man and it was in the closeness of a loving relationship with his wife Margaret, whom he married in 1973, his daughters Connie, Carrie and Norrie, his sons Richard, Damian, Adrian, Keith and Garth, his mother Norrie who is with us here today, his brothers and sisters and all his

3 extended family that he found the inspiration and support to reach out and serve others particularly those who were struggling or in difficulty. 3 Damien as you know was committed also to the wider family that is community and was very involved in many local organisations especially the Society of Saint Vincent De Paul, but also the Senior Citizens Committee, the Senior Helpline, the GAA, the Board of Management of the Local National School and the Tidy Towns Committee to name but a few. He was also devoted to the Damian House Prayer and Retreat centre in Tanagh. He spent countless hours, over many years, helping the priests and brothers of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart s to build and develop the centre so much so that I overheard Father Michael Ruddy apologising last Wednesday night to Margaret for all the time he spent there. But Fr. Michael acknowledged that without his contribution Damien House, and particularly the oratory there, would not be what it is today. Damien was also very notably involved in local politics. He was elected to the Cootehill Town council and served as its Chairperson in In his acceptance speech as he took on that position he said he intended to be fair and honest in his new role and expressed the view that the councillors have a duty to do what they can for the less well-off in the community and to bring the concerns of these people to the table. His stated priority was for the old and vulnerable in society and he encouraged the development of an even greater community spirit here in Cootehill to help overcome any obstacles that may be encountered in reaching that goal. Damien brought that same priority and attitude to his work in Bailieborough as a permanent deacon. His role as a deacon was a new departure not only for him but for all of us in the parish and the diocese. Its newness and novelty has brought its own pressures and difficulties for newly ordained deacons in Ireland. Damien however

4 never let that bother him and his friendly and warm approach to people helped him to make an impression immediately. 4 On Tuesday afternoon a parishioner in Bailieborough contacted me when he heard about Damien's untimely death. He was shocked and saddened and offered his condolences at the passing of a man he described as an absolute gentleman. He went on to tell me that when he met him at a social event recently Damien knew him immediately because he had stayed in the same house as him on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje over 20 years ago. In the ensuing conversation Damien was able to tell this man things he had told him at the time and things that had happened on that trip all those years ago. Damien has been to Medjugorje several times over the years and had met thousands of people while there but yet he hadn't forgotten this one individual. This little encounter said a lot about Damien as a person. People were important to him. He had a great interest in them and their story and he took the time to talk and relate to them and to their lives. Another parishioner also expressed her sadness to me as she said that Damien always said yes in his life to God and to others. He never said no. There was always a solution and nothing was too much trouble or a burden to him. In the short time that was given to Damien as a Deacon in St. Anne's Church in Bailieborough this was his strongest point and it helped him to establish himself in the 14 months that he ministered there. Assisting at the altar at weekend Masses, ministering to the residents of Fairlawns Nursing Home and looking after the baptisms on Saturday afternoons were the main focus of his ministry there. He attended the baptismal preparation course in recent months and always made sure to be present for Pastoral Council meetings. In Fairlawns he was very well regarded by both the residents and the staff. He took his time with them, chatted to all the residents and wanted to find out all about their story. In turn he also took great encouragement from each of them and the example that they gave with their strong faith and patience.

5 Damien was crucially a man of prayer who loved to pray with and for others. He had as part of his spiritual armoury a great devotion to the saints who were his friends and part of the family. It is, I think, fitting that last Tuesday, the day that he passed from this life to eternal life, was the feast of Saint Timothy and Titus, who were disciples, trusted companions and helpers of St. Paul. The gospel reading at Mass that morning was the story of Jesus sending out the 72 disciples on mission to proclaim that the kingdom of God was near. This was the same gospel that was read in the Cathedral on the day that Damien was ordained. Bishop Leo in a sermon that day encouraged Damien and his fellow deacon Andy Brady to go out and to remind people that God was not a distant God and to help them to come closer to him. 5 This I believe fitted very well into Damien s own understanding and relationship with God and he took that instruction seriously. It was his guiding principle in the short time that he served as a deacon and as such he humbly planted a seed of God s kingdom in the hearts of those who encountered him in his ministry and in the hearts of his family and friends to whom he ministered all his life. And so the seed is planted and Damien has returned to the Father. And even though he was, as the opening reflection stated, the prophet of a future not his own, we pray today as we say farewell that the fruits of his life s work will continue to grow abundantly in his family, in this community here in Cootehill that he loved so much, and in Bailieborough where his ministry was all too short. May we in turn learn from the example of his positivity and his enthusiasm for the gospel and be as prepared, as he was, to say yes to God s will especially in the ordinary and mundane events of everyday life. May he rest in peace.