Celebrating Our Family Gone Before Us: 2015

Gregory and Sr Margaret Kerry
in front of the Sacred Heart in their
parent's home on Pensacola Beach.

Gregory Joseph, my brother, discovered he had a brain tumor on the seventh anniversary of our dad's death. On June 23, 2014, he was stopped by police for erratic driving. One of the policemen was also a nurse. What are the odds? He recognized that Gregory had a medical condition and called his mom, Angela. The next day he went for an MRI and was found to have a frontal lobe tumor. He was operated on right away. The operation was successful. So many prayers surrounded him and the surgeon. Following chemotherapy and radiation Gregory returned for another MRI sixth months later. The tumor had almost grown back to the original size. He inquired about other ways to cure the glioblastoma multiforme. He was not able to apply for any clinical trials and decided to change his diet as a possible way to heal. He also changed all his priorities to prayer, Eucharistic Adoration, Healing Masses, the sacraments, and forgiveness. Spiritual healing began. Greg wanted to avoid purgatory at all cost. He also wanted to go "gently into that night" and not rail against it. He offered his prayers for others and took a job as a CNA for Carolyn who had Parkinson's disease. He worked at her home each day and befriended her husband Richard. He worked until a week before he could no longer walk. Later we found that he had put the money aside for his burial.

Here is the miracle. Gregory prayed for a peaceful death without seizures and all hospice said would occur. He didn't want his death to be difficult for the family. In the end he didn't have bed sores, seizures, agitation, or anxiety; he didn't have hypoxia, excess secretions that he might choke on, or sleep apnea. His pain was minimal, so that he only required
basic pain medication. He communicated to us with a “thumbs up” when he wanted to show appreciation for our care. Though he couldn't move or talk, he was aware when he received the sacrament of the sick and the Eucharist. Mom and I were present when he went “gently into the night” earlier than anyone expected. How did all this come about?

As I prepared to drive to Pensacola, Florida from Charleston, South Carolina, a week before Greg’s death, St. Charbel Makloof, the Lebanese Hermit, made himself known to me three times. The first way was Sr. Mary Thecla mentioning Charbel's name. She arrived back from retreat and that night said, “I won’t pray to St. Martin DePorres because I hear you see a mouse during his novena, and I won’t pray to St. Charbel because I hear he appears to you during his novena.” Afterwards I went upstairs to pack. The second invitation came when a prayer-card fell out of book I picked up. It was a beautiful icon of Charbel. I asked, “Do you want to come with me?” Then I prayed the prayer on it for Greg and put the card back in the book and the book on the shelf. The third time, the day before I left, Charbel's relic fell out of my bible. Then I knew Charbel wanted to come with me. As soon as I arrived I placed the relic on Gregory.

When a friend, Jody, came to visit, she told me that Charbel's feast was in July. I looked it up. The first date Google gave me was July 17th, the day I found the relic. The next time I double checked for Charbel’s feast it was celebrated on July 24th. Gregory began the dying process on the 22^nd of July. Hospice thought he had a few more days to a week. I thought that maybe Charbel would be there to welcome him on his feast day and intercede for a peaceful death.

St. Charbel Makloof, Pray for us!

That night mom slept in an armchair near him and I slept on the floor. Mom woke up when the street light outside grew brighter and then went out. She went to check Greg. He had just breathed his last breath. She woke me up. We called the family. It was 12:45 A.M. July 23rd.

Since St. Charbel's feast was July 24th in the Roman calendar I asked Charbel, "Why didn't Greg die on your feast day? You wanted to be here for a reason." The answer I received was: "Wait, there is more."

Later that morning Greg's niece Maria came over to tell Greg that she had a dream at about 1:00 A.M. Mom told her that Gregory had already gone. In her dream family and friends were gathered around Greg and our dad, Joe Kerry, was singing Amazing Grace to him. This was such a consoling sign for us. Greg had truly experienced God's amazing grace during this journey.

Still I wondered why Gregory missed the feast of St. Charbel as his birthday to eternal life.

Later that afternoon our Maronite cousin Fr. George called to say he was praying to St. Charbel for Gregory since it was the feast of St. Charbel in the Maronite Church - July 23rd!

St. Charbel had come to assist us without us even asking. Perhaps my dad asked Charbel to be with Gregory. Perhaps someone else did. Or perhaps it was saintly magnanimous intercession on the part of a very holy hermit. Because of St. Charbel's miraculous presence family and friends received consolation. We knew that Gregory’s prayers and our prayers had been answered. We were again reminded that the communion of saints is alive and active and beyond our understanding. As my niece Liz said, St. Charbel's actions in our time of need helped her realize this is how Gregory's life was to be fulfilled. It was not a mistake or a tragedy. Gregory was caught up in God's love.

St. Charbel, pray for us!