(From my Sermon fifteen years ago this week February 4, 2004)
Friday my wife and I drove to Fargo to participate in a prayer service for an acquaintance who died on Wednesday. As we pulled into one of the last parking spaces in the main parking we noticed cars were already lining up to get into the overflow parking.
The coffin was of wood, obviously handcrafted, with a cloth lining, likewise made by hand. The body in the coffin was that of a short man, maybe 5'4" with dark suit and sandals.While it was obvious that his spirit was not there in the coffin it was not so clear that he had left the room. As I passed among the mourners and overheard the conversations I sensed that he had an impact on many-many lives.
By the time the prayer service began about two hundred filled the pews. The small choir was made up of nieces and nephews of the deceased who sang his favorite folk hymns and psalms for the service. Among these “Amazing Grace” for the gathering hymn and “Soon and Very Soon” at the end.
Whether the soul of the deceased was present I cannot say but if it were possible, he was there. You see, Richard was known for attending funerals. Judging from the conversations overheard at the service he must have attended every funeral in the Fargo-Moorhead area in recent years. He was at the funeral of every relative of mine that I attended recently but I also know that he didn’t restrict himself to Fargo-Moorhead. A few years ago I attended the funeral of an aged cousin at the Monastery of St Benedict in Crookston. He was there.
He seemed to know that grief and recovery from grief is a matter of grace and that “presence”, the binding together of the mourners present is the first step in opening the door to God’s healing grace. He also knew that for the hungry funerals were a special blessing and at this time of year a blessing also for the cold. In response to those who would ask him about attending so many funerals he would hide his real mission of presence behind a joke about attending for the food. The homeless knew that as far as they were concerned he wasn’t joking.
The Pastor started the service standing beside the wooden coffin. After the opening prayers he came to the altar. Richard’s sister Jeanne read from the Prophet Jeremiah giving us God’s word:
“When you call me, when you pray to me, I will listen to you. When you look for me, you will find me. Yes when you seek me with all your heart, you will find me with you.”
Our first reading today is also from Jeremiah and it also reminds me of Richard’s life.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.”
Richard was born in October of 1925 to a Catholic Farm family in North Dakota. From his earliest days he began to reflect the faith and love exhibited by his parents and family. Today’s reading from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is his famous letter about love.
“If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing symbol.”
Richard spoke mostly in human tongues. Often he spoke the truth to the wrong people, people who didn’t want to hear it, but never came off as a gong because he always spoke with love. His life decisions always appeared to be made out of love and at times approached a transparency through which God’s love itself could be seen. His priority to love (as Saint Paul recommends) combined with what many perceived as a lack of common sense, often got him in trouble with authorities of all kinds.
The Pastor read the Gospel from Luke Chapter 4 (the one we have heard at mass the past two weeks and continued today) about Jesus reading from the prophecy of Isaiah:
“He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free.”
In the Homily the Pastor pointed out that Richard had a special role in the body of Christ as a servant of the oppressed and the captive. He had become widely known as an activist for refugees in the 70s and 80s. One day in 1968 he appeared at the gates of the INS detention camp in El Centro, California and proceeded to obtain the release of 2000 refugees by paying their bail. In the 80s he was often arrested while transporting Central American Refugees through the US, where they were unwelcome, to Canada where they were welcome.
Following the homily a number of those present shared their memories of Richard and his life. Among them were those who obviously would vote for his sainthood tomorrow and those more aware of his shortcomings. Catholics, Atheists and Protestants, Peace Activists and Veterans, men and women, former refugees, all testified to the impact of this man on their lives.
Among those who spoke were a US Congressman and a former Governor. The latter being Richard’s brother George. Time available for the prayer service ran out before all had their say.
At this point two young women came forward and explained that they were Richard’s nieces and that a couple of years before he had asked them to dance at his funeral. They proceeded to do just that accompanied by the family choir singing , among other tunes, “Swing Low Sweet Chariot.”
Richard sensed a calling from God at a young age and went off to the seminary as a teenager. He was Ordained at St Mary’s Cathedral in Fargo in 1952. One of the eulogists said that in a real sense Father Richard was God’s fool. I had the same thought myself in recalling what I knew of his life when I saw the front page article about his death in the Fargo Forum on Thursday.
I know that some of you knew him and some may remember him when he was pastor at our neighboring parish of Kent for 5 years in the 1970s. He came to our diocese after being relieved of Pastoral duties by his bishop. During this period he also served in Duluth and as a Prison Chaplin
in Arizona. He returned home in 1983 to work in his brother’s campaign for Governor.
As is true of many of God’s Fools he rattled a few cages. Obviously his bishop had one of them.
While scanning the Internet for additional information about him I found him listed among “Heretics and Dissenters claiming to be Catholic.” He was on this list because be was in an organization known as the “North Dakota Peace Coalition.”
His efforts for peace included opposing the war in Vietnam and protesting the nuclear missile silos being placed in North Dakota.One of the things that Fr Richard and his fellow peace protestors did was to plant Spruce trees at each nuclear missile site on the North Dakota Prairie. Today those trees stand tall, pointing towards heaven while the missiles and the bombs are gone.
Perhaps some aspects of Father Richard’s spirituality would recommend themselves to us and our own spiritual journeys. One of these was a love of celebration, especially celebrating in song. No matter what event he would show up at he would suggest it was time to sing.
One of the first times we encountered him was years ago during a brief visit to our families in Fargo. Nancy, her mother, grandmother (both non-Catholics) and I had gone out for supper, leaving the kids with my mother.We went to Shakey’s Pizza downtown near city hall. During the meal a young priest came over to our table and introduced himself. As soon as he heard our name he sat down and told us about organizing “hootenannys” with my brother. When he discover that we were involved in music ministry in our home parish he suggested we sing some of his favorite songs. He led off immediately singing loudly and we somewhat sheepishly joined in. Soon, however, he had most of the people in the restaurant singing along. A folk song was followed by a spiritual, followed by another favorite and soon a good hour elapsed in this impromptu hootenanny.
Over the years I had many encounters with him and I became aware of another aspect of his spirituality. One of the eulogists communicated it well in a little story about a very recent encounter with Father Richard. The speaker had gone to the Senior Housing Complex where Father Richard lived on some business. Noting that the daily Mass for the residents was about to begin he took the to opportunity attend, slipping into a vacant pew. He became aware that the small man in the pew ahead was Father Richard.He was aware that the priest’s health had been deteriorating recently. In fact it was just days before the stroke that would send Father to the hospital and result in his death this past Wednesday.
During the consecration the man heard a muted sound. He soon determined that the sound was coming from the man in front of him. He thought perhaps Father was having trouble breathing. He bent closer to hear better the sound and perhaps offer assistance. As he got closer he understood that the sound he heard was not a breathing problem it was Father Richard’s whispered prayer,
“Thank You Lord, Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord.”
The Mass and the Blessed Sacrament had nourished him for over seventy years from his First Communion in Casselton to his final days with us this week. He now has the opportunity to thank the Lord Face to Face.
When you or I get to experience that Great Eucharist with the Lord described in the Book of Revelation listen carefully. One of the multitude will be singing just a little louder.
Thank you Lord, for your gift of Father Richard.
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