“It’s a meaningful death, not a loss of life.” http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/666334/ Pope Francis was quoting the father, Paulino when he condoled with him
personally on the death of her daughter, Kristel Mae Padasas after the Papal
Mass at the Tacloban International Airport last January 17 on the third day of
his Papal Visit to the Philippines.
Today
(January 27, 2015, Tuesday) was the funeral Mass at the Sto. Niño de Taguig Parish (Signal Village, Taguig
City) then burial at theHeritageMemorial Park in
Taguig also, of Kristel Mae Padasas, 27-year old volunteer. Seven of our Sisters represented the
Philippine Province at thefuneral Mass, then burial. We arrived a few minutes before 1:00 pm,
schedule for the Funeral Mass. We had
barely made ourselves comfortable in our front row seats when the familiar
strains of Shepherd of my soul, I give
you full control … was intoned by the full Parish Choir. It was the entrance hymn for the Holy
Eucharist presided over by Archbishop Guiseppe Pinto, Apostolic Nuncio to the
Philippines and Most Rev. Mylo Hubert Vergara, Archbishop of Pasig which
includes Pateros and Taguig within its ecclesiastical territory. Archbishop Vergara was the head of the
coordinating committee on Media for the Papal Visit. The two were joined by seven priests who
concelebrated the Mass.
To
start the Mass there was the preparatory rite: the white cloth, symbolizing
Kristel’s baptism which was laid in place by her relatives; then the Holy Bible
was carried by Judith, the mother, followed by Paulino, the father with the crucifix. Then the incensing and blessing of the body.
The readings were the usual from the
Mass for a funeral, but under the circumstances and the special situation of
her death, they all seemed so meaningful and consoling for the family. In particular the responsorial psalm which
was so well led by a member of the choir and picked up by the whole
assembly: Sa Diyos lamang mapapanatag ang aking kaluluwa. (In God alone is my
soul at rest. Psalm 62:1)
The
homily was delivered by Archbishop Mylo, who expounded on an apparent
dichotomy, this being a Mass for the Burial of Kristel at the same time a
thanksgiving. He admits there is sorrow
in everyone’s heart, especially in that of the family, but still we do thank
the Lord for such a beautiful life and a meaningful death. He cited from many
of the comments on social media extolling, how even as a young student, she did
not celebrate her birthday so she could save the expenses for a celebration,
instead to buy supplies for young students from a poor area where she was
involved.
After
Communion the Papal Nuncio relayed a Papal blessing to Kristel's family. He
recalled how Pope Francis thought of her. "In the Eucharistic presence
of Jesus, he remembered Kristel Mae Padasas, innocent victim of the collapse of
a structure, toppled by the wind; he thought of her parents Paulino and Judy
and he invoked the love of Christ crucified on a family left without a
child," the Nuncio said. "Dear Kristel, in your faith and your
generosity you were one with us. By your service to the Church and especially
to the poor, you followed the example of Mary, who went in haste to the
mountains, to be with her cousin Elizabeth," the Nuncio concluded.
After
the concluding rites of the Mass, a motorcade followed to the Heritage Memorial
Park. At the park, she was given full
military honors which included a contingent from the Philippine National
Police, the flag draped over the coffin was then folded and given to the
mother, the taps was sounded. To
conclude the rites her close relatives released butterflies into the air while
one of her nephews read a farewell poem on butterflies.
Sister Tarcila Abaño, RGS
together with Sisters
Arabella Balingao,
Rosario Battung,
Ofelia Endaya,
Bernadette Guzman,
Veronica Nobleza,
Anne Yago.