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From Archbishop Donoghue|
Funeral Mass for Father Calhoun |
[See Georgia Bulletin account] My brothers and sisters, This is a day of strong and heart-felt emotions for all the friends of Father William Calhoun, who have gathered here, to take their leave of his earthly remains, and to consign him to that rest which waits upon the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And while it is true to say that we rejoice over the entry of our friend, Father Calhoun, into heavenly life, it is also true to say that we are all sad to say good-bye, and to know that we will never know his company again, on this side of the grave. And although for a long time, he was not able to move among or to communicate freely with his many friends, and his brother priests, we have always known, we have always felt, that he was praying for us daily, and that his caring nature remained loyal to us, to his brothers and sisters in the local Church. Many who grieved at his misfortune, and many who felt the pain of losing his company and companionship, came to understand that perhaps, in his suffering, Father Calhoun was able to become a better friend to us than he had ever been before - and those who knew his great love of prayer, of contemplation, and his great love for Jesus Christ, were able to comfort themselves with the belief that because of his suffering, he had become even closer to God, and even more effective in His work for God's Church here on earth. And this is a comforting thought. But let us also not forget, that for most of his life, Father Calhoun knew good health, and the blessing of God on his personal endeavors. And if we consider the work that he did, and survey the entire span of his mature years, we see clearly that his life was illumined and invigorated by the example of Jesus Christ - for though he was a most humble and self-effacing man, his was a spiritual strength that only a few can justly claim. It is in considering how Father Calhoun came to be like Christ, that we bring true meaning to the friendship we all honor today, and to the rites we celebrate - for I believe, and I know you believe with me, that in the end, all that matters about our life, is how much we are able to love God, and how we are able to pour that same love out upon our brothers and sisters, our friends and families, and upon those who have made themselves our enemies. We all share this responsibility that Christ has given us, the responsibility to love - but priests share it in a very special way. And this is what Christ meant, when He asked God to bless His Apostles, His first priests, and He said:
Christ truly lived in our brother, who, when he was a young man, like the Lord, came to the Temple and knew that the Temple was where he should be. Christ gave His life to God, and to the work God had sent Him to do, and so did our brother, turning his life over to the service of the Catholic Church in North Georgia, as a priest and teacher, as a comforter and a faithful friend. And as he grew in years, he also grew in stature - a fisher of men, who did his duty to his country as a chaplain, and a shepherd of souls, who answered the call of his bishop, and with forceful modesty, became one of North Georgia's most beloved and welcome pastors. But, my brothers and sisters, Christ's life was broken in the Garden and on the Cross, and our friend, and brother, and son, also took the cup of suffering when it was passed to him, and for the last years of his life, endured what for most of us seems unendurable - and yet, now, in retrospect, we must thank Father Calhoun, and admire him, for by enduring, he certainly achieved a more intimate union with the Lord than most of us will ever know during this life. Our brother now joins the family of God, and we pray for the repose of his soul, and the souls of all he goes to join - our former bishops, our priests, our deacons and sisters, and all the good men and women who have walked the path of Jesus Christ here in North Georgia, and who now pray, especially for us, from their place in eternity. My brothers and sisters, we bless his going, even as the angels and saints bless his coming, for at this moment of our commendation, we see the circle of life brought full round, and we are able, in joy, to accept Father Calhoun's last gift to us - the mysterious closure that comes when heaven meets earth, when life meets death, when all things speak of the resurrection of God's friends, and the keeping of the promise given by Jesus Christ:
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