From
the Pastor
As you know, my father, Vincent McEvoy, passed away on September 21. We celebrated his wake and funeral at St. Joseph's Church this past Sunday and Monday. Dad was a member of our Catholic community in Leavenworth for over ninety years, having been baptized at Sacred Heart Church in Kickapoo in 1915, and being a member of St. Joseph Parish for over fifty years.
Certainly God's greatest personal blessing to me as a Carmelite priest these past five years has been the joy of serving in my home parish and being with my parents at this time in our lives. My dad was a wonderful father and a man of strong Christian faith. He was a man of great joy and contentment and had much to teach me. He constantly affirmed and supported me. He would compliment my homilies - even those that seemed to provide him with a little nap!
Nothing pushes us to embrace the paschal mystery of Jesus' during and rising as much as the death of someone we love very much. As St. Paul told the ancient community of Corinthian Christians: "We walk by faith and not by sight."
On behalf of my mother, Frances, my brothers, Tom and Tim, and all our family, I want to thank all of you who extended so many acts of kindness to us during our time of loss. Each and every gesture of support was deeply appreciated and healing for us.
We were blessed by the presence of Archbishop Keleher during the Sunday visitation and Archbishop Naumann at Monday's funeral. Six of my brother Carmelites from New York, Chicago, and Houston came to join us. I was most appreciative of Fr. David Simpson presiding at all the Masses for me last weekend; for Fr. Quinn Conner's presence at the Sunday Benediction at Sacred Heart, Kickapoo; and Fr. Greg Houck presiding at our daily Masses on Monday and Tuesday. Twenty Carmelite, Jesuit, Passionist, and Archdiocesan priests helped to celebrate my father's funeral liturgy. We were truly grateful.
A special thank-you to Theresa Vitt and the combined choirs of Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph for their beautiful music and also to the Altar Societies of both parishes for hosting the funeral luncheon at Miege Hall. I will never forget your kindness to us.
God bless you always!
