Early Friday morning we attended a funeral -- which, sadly, has become an all-too-frequent event on the calendar in the past few months.
The funeral Mass for "Bill" Hartsky was held at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Wilmington. He had ten children and many grandchildren, so there were lots of family members there, along with his fellow Knights of Columbus garbed in their suits, plumed hats and ceremonial swords.
The priest, the Rev. Joseph R. McMahon, was a plain-spoken, charming man who knew Mr. Hartsky very well and, with the help of jotted-down memories from the family, gave him an eloquent and moving sendoff. The priest said that sometimes when speaking at funerals he has trouble discerning how God had acted in someone's life, but not in this case: Mr. Hartsky had been instrumental in building the church's chapel and in raising funds for a multitude of church projects benefitting the poor, all the while supporting and nourishing his large family.
My favorite line was when Father McMahon spoke about the ultimate mystery of faith and the afterlife.
"Do I know? No. But I believe," he said. Then, gesturing toward his ornate, full-length robe, he said, "Would I wear these clothes in public if I didn't?"
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