To the Band of Brothers: February 1, 2021

Good morning!

 

On many, many occasions the Belen Jesuit community has given me reasons to be proud and appreciative of being a part of it.  Few times have I experienced all of that to the degree I did on Friday when we celebrated the funeral Mass in the central patio for our brother Anthony Parodi ’23. For five years we accompanied Anthony and his family through the difficult and arduous journey of his illness, until Friday when we laid him to rest.

 

For those who were blessed to be present and for those who were able to watch on YouTube, what we experienced was a community in mourning who gathered around the altar of God to offer the most powerful prayer we have. Everything from the procession into the central patio to the Salve Regina and procession out was filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit. Witnessing 175 sophomores in their gala uniforms adorned with an orange ribbon standing silently as they lined the path their brother’s casket would take to the foot of the altar was an expression of solidarity and love like few I have witnessed before. The altar servers, the music, the readers, the priests, the whole congregation offered prayers of thanksgiving and shared a profound moment of pain.

 

Thank God we are not alone. Thank God we can depend on each other and take comfort in the fact we truly are a band of brothers that have each other’s backs. It makes the whole experience a little easier to handle. It is that expression of brotherhood, of family, that also offered great comfort to the Parodi family. In the midst of their great sorrow, it was the sophomore class, Anthony’s class, that offered them the greatest and most uplifting sense of peace. No doubt it is the peace of God, but a peace manifested through each and every one of those young men.

 

I want to thank everyone who worked so hard and was so committed to making sure the Mass happened. The administration, the faculty, the staff, the maintenance crew, the parents, Campus Ministry, the Jesuits, the musicians, all worked in unison to assure the most powerful prayer possible. I am very proud of all of you and I thank you most sincerely.

 

As we move on through this second semester, we will continue to remember Anthony and ask now that he prays and intercedes for us. We, the Belen Jesuit community, must continue to offer our prayers for Tony, Sonia, Noella, and J.J. They continue to journey through a difficult time of healing. It will not be easy, but like the five years before, we will continue to be there for them.

 

Our Lady of Belen… pray for us.

 

Auspice Maria