By  Mary Stadnyk | Associate Editor

In the familiar setting of the church where she had grown up as a young Catholic, gotten married to her husband, Arthur, and raised and educated her four sons, Mrs. June Eleanor O’Connell was remembered as a woman of deep faith during a Mass of Christian Burial July 28.

To read the full obituary on Mrs. O'Connell, click here.

Hundreds of congregants – including family members, friends and well-wishers – filled Our Lady of Grace Church, Pendel, Pa., to take part in the Mass for Mrs. O’Connell, which was celebrated by her son, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. Among the more than 100 concelebrants were priests who traveled from across the region, including 70 from the Trenton Diocese and 30 from the Philadelphia and Harrisburg Dioceses as well as from the Vincentian community. Joining the Bishop on the altar were Auxiliary Bishop Michael J. Fitzgerald, Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and Bishop William Francis Malooly, Diocese of Wilmington.

Mrs. O’Connell died July 22 at the age of 89 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. In his remarks, Bishop O’Connell recalled the many roles in which his mother faithfully served throughout the course of her lifetime: that of daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, cousin, friend, neighbor and parishioner. Harkening back to the day, some 89 years ago, when June Eleanor was baptized, Bishop O’Connell said that this mother “lived every moment believing that the Lord Jesus would call her home.”

Though Alzheimer’s Disease had “robbed” his mother of many lifetime memories, Bishop O’Connell said that he and his three brothers – Arthur John Jr., Dennis Raymond and Daniel Timothy – did their best to “keep the memories alive for her.”

“And we will continue to do so in the years ahead. We will live in thankfulness to God for her life and gifts and the memories she gave to us,” said Bishop O’Connell.

The Bishop shared how the “dreaded” day had arrived when he and his brothers would have to say goodbye to their beloved mother. Yet, in their grief, the four sons and their families would take great comfort in knowing that she was going home to be with Jesus and to live with him forever in heaven.

For the O’Connell family, a source of comfort was also found in the obituary prepared that told of how she was a graduate of Langhorne-Middletown High School, a high school volunteer with residents of The Wood School, meeting the “love of her life,” Arthur O’Connell and how they married upon his return from naval service in the Pacific Campaign during World War II.

Also heartening for the family were reading the many condolence messages conveyed through social media.

“Eternal rest grant to her O Lord and may the perpetual light shine on her,” wrote John Klapouchy in a Facebook post.

“My sympathy to Bishop O’Connell and his family. She now has her eternal rest,” posted Sharon Olexy Brdlik.

“God bless her soul,” El Mason shared.

In his stirring homily, Bishop O’Connell reflected on the First Reading proclaimed by Daniel Timothy O’Connell and the Second Reading proclaimed by Mrs. O’Connell’s daughter-in-law, Kathleen, and spoke of how both convey messages of having hope in the midst of grief. Other family members who participated in the Mass were Mrs. O'Connell's granddaughters. Shannon O'Connell read the Prayers of the Faithful and Shannon also joined in the presentation the gifts along with Heather Quartucci and Kelly Sacramone.

“We are a people of faith, a people of hope,” Bishop O’Connell asserted. “I can’t imagine what life would be like and facing death if we did not have that faith…Life has changed, but it has not ended. That is what Mom believed and that is what she taught her sons.”

Looking to the Gospel story of the Raising of Lazarus that was proclaimed by Msgr. Thomas Baddick of the Diocese of Allentown and a lifelong friend of the Bishop, Bishop O’Connell referenced the poignant moment when Jesus showed that he was both fully human and fully divine. In his humanity, he wept over the death of his beloved friend, Lazarus. Jesus then shows his divinity by raising Lazarus from the dead and bringing him back to life.

Reiterating Jesus’ saying to the bystanders near the tomb to untie Lazarus and let him go free, Bishop O’Connell said, “Jesus called Mom to new life and the time has come for us to untie her and let her go free.”

In his homily, Bishop O'Connell spoke of his mother as being a "great lady" and that he and his brothers "loved her very much." "We know she is in the Lord's hands," he said.