WITNESS TALK - Cheryl Leonard

I would like to tell you first what Sacred Heart Church and the Parish Community mean to me. In 1917 my grandparents, Blanche and William Scanlon were married in this church. When my father was a young boy, his mother would drop him off at morning Mass each day, as school did not start until one hour after she had to be at to work. In an age when day care did not exist, she entrusted her children to God's care in her absence. This was the foundation of a lifelong dedication to attending daily Mass for my father, and the seeds of my faith were sown long before I was born. At the end of WW II my parents, John and Mary Scanlon were married in Sacred Heart Church. Quite naturally, my husband Brad and I were married here as well. Our children were married in Sacred Heart Church. Four generations of my family have been baptized in this church. Five generations of my family have celebrated our sacramental lives here and sought consolation in our deepest sorrow. This church is both a place of gladness and joy, as well as a place of healing and comfort.

That being said, I can now tell you what my faith means to me. First and foremost my parents were the instruments of my belief system, not only by their teachings, but also by their example. Together with Sacred Heart Church and the many special priests over the years, they have done more than influence my life; they have nurtured my faith to become the very essence of who I am.

This past year has been very difficult for me. Having lost my mother ten years ago, my father had been our family's anchor. As a deeply spiritual man he devoted himself every day to saving, not only his soul, but our souls as well. "Alone we can do nothing, with God's help we can do anything". That was the mantra of our lives. His death last year was a devastating loss. My faith allows me to know with certainty that he is with me every day. And his faith was strong enough to continue to reach me after death in many deeply spiritual ways and experiences. I am compelled to embrace my faith in ways that I never have before.

I would like to share with you a recent example of the power of faith, the presence of the Holy Spirit and my father's continued presence in my life. Shortly before Easter, I was asked to participate in the Holy Thursday Procession and present the Holy Oils to the priest and the congregation. I was not very receptive to this request, expressing my discomfort in such a public display. While my father had always been very open and expressive about his faith, I was much more private about mine, much more like my mother. I was asked to at least think about it over night. I agreed to do that and I did. I don't think I slept well, as I pondered late into the night. It seemed a compelling request, but it was just way out of my comfort zone. I couldn't get myself to "yes" no matter how hard I tried. Yet something kept telling me that this was something I was supposed to do. I did not know why, I just had an overwhelming sense that I was supposed to do it. For me this would be really difficult, I was not at all sure I could. As promised, Mary Gallagher called the next day. We chatted briefly and I told her that I was really sorry but I had to say no. I was honored that I had been asked but I couldn't see myself being able to do that before such a crowd. Yet still, there was this nagging sense that I was being called to do this for some reason I did not yet understand. Just as we were hanging up the phone, some voice, apparently my own, blurted out "I'll do it".

I actually knew very little about the Holy Thursday service as I had never before attended it. At the information session, I learned that there were not one, but three Holy Oils being presented and I would be presenting the Holy Oil for the Sacrament of the Sick. This same Holy Oil from the previous year was used for my father in his illness. Now I was beginning to see some sense of purpose in my participation. For 16 weeks my brothers and sisters and I provided round the clock care to keep my Dad at home in his final days. Because of my more flexible schedule and my refusal to leave his side, I became his primary caregiver. It was an honor, and a privilege, the last and most beautiful gift that we could each give the other. I have no doubt that my father continues to pull me in the direction of God, opening me to the presence of the Holy Spirit being expressed in this Parish Community. As I presented the Holy Oil, much to my surprise, I had no nervousness at all. Instead it was a very powerful spiritual experience.

Also at this same service was the Washing of the Feet. This too is a bit uncomfortable for most people, myself included, but again I knew with equal certainty that it was something I was supposed to do. The Washing of the Feet began with several chairs being set up on the altar. Each priest, the deacon and the readers took a seat and there was one vacant seat. I kept waiting for the seat to be filled. I assumed that someone in the sanctuary would take it and then the congregation would join in. But no one stepped up. The seat remained empty. Once again, I felt I was being called. I was certain that it was intended for me. I rose and took the seat. As Mary Gallagher washed my feet, she looked directly into my eyes and whispered "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." - My father's exact words to me over and over during the many weeks of his final illness, as I washed his feet; the same directness, the same intensity. I returned to my seat that Holy Thursday and my husband leaned over and asked if I felt my father's presence. When I responded that I did, he told me that during the whole service all he heard in his head was my father's voice saying "Thank you Thank you Thank you." He did not know that Mary had just spoken those very same words to me. "With the love and the help and the grace of God", as my father would so often say to us, I will find the courage to move beyond my comfort zone, to express my faith more openly and serve God more fully. As I return to my seat today, I know my father sits beside me in his usual place encouraging me to share my faith and the presence of the Holy Spirit in this Parish Community with the sincere hope that you will do the same.