Death of Archbishop Faulkner

[BarbTherese]

Our previous archbishop, Archbishop Faulkner, went from this earth to his reward yesterday 

http://cathnews.com/cathnews/31971-archbishop-faulkner-dies-aged-91

I knew Archbishop Faulkner when he was a young priest and simply Fr. Faulkner and I was in college.  He befriended me very closely when my bipolar disorder (we came across each other quite by accident) was still very active and I was in and out of a psychiatric ward or hospital.......and more often in than out.  Archbishop Faulkner and I exchanged letters not often but regularly including after his retirement and from his personal residence.  He really liked my cartoo0ns although most often they took a bit of a swipe at the heirarchy of The Church, pointing out absurdities........well, to me they were absurdities. 

Please say a pray for him and to him asking him to pray for The Church here on earth, which he deeply loved and totally unflinchingly and unselfishly served while here on earth ... although my total and absolute conviction is that he went immediately to Heaven.  He was an outstanding human being and priest, bishop and archbishop.  He suffered deeply here on earth. He was totally humble in every way so much so that the distance between us with him as a dignitary of The Church and me just a very poor psychiatric patient stumbling along was erased and it was he without a word that erased that distance.  In him I experienced reflected those beautiful words of St Paul about the attitude of Christ in the letter to the Philippians Ch2: " did not consider equality with God something to cling to, 7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant".

We are called to put on the Mind of Christ and for me Archbishop Faulkner certainly had the Mind and Heart of Christ.

I am a bit sad he has gone from this earth but overriding that is absolute Joy and happiness that he at last has his eternal reward after what he endured here on earth - and me not the least of it.

Edited May 7, 2018 by BarbaraTherese