Each of us naturally fears death, but a priest can approach death with an unusual calm because he knows that is the fulfillment of God’s will. Fr Larry Richards says that his only desire for years was to celebrate one mass, and for the first few days after he was ordained, he wasn’t sure if God was just going to take him right away.
A priest who lived his death well was Fr Eugene Hamilton: a young man who wanted nothing more than to be a priest, and a priest who died before his first Mass.
As he went through the seminary, his cancer got worse and worse but he kept on studying. When he could no longer attend class, a friend would bring him summaries of the courses and he would use them to pass the exams. Finally, as it looked like he would not be able to finish his studies before the cancer engulfed his body, the bishop sent to Rome for permission for an early ordination.
The ordination was planned with mass in his home: Deaconate on Monday and Priesthood the following Saturday. But early on Friday afternoon, he began a descent into oblivion. He could barely breathe, he couldn’t focus, the paramedics came, the parish priest administered last rites, and the bishop was called.
About 4 pm Bishop O’Brien came in the side door and ordained him a deacon and a priest forgoing the usual form. Fr Eugene spoke not a word after he was ordained, making a cross on another’s hand was all he could do. He couldn’t even repeat the name of Jesus his mom kept whispering in his ear. At 7:04 he stopped breathing – a priest for 3 hours.
His dad wrote, “His life and death were a priestly sacrifice united to that one perfect sacrifice of Jesus. He was a priest in this most important essence. He was both victim and priest, as was Jesus.”
He is my parish priest when I am anywhere without an earthly parish, and I pray for his intercession for every cancer patient I know, which currently includes my 85 year old mother with terminal lymphoma. I am filled with hope, and trust in the will of God.