Committal Rite for Joseph Hennessey, World War 11 Veteran at Sarasota Memorial Cemetery on April 28, 2021, Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP

 Committal Rite for Joseph Hennessey, 

(The American Legion conducted a full honors funeral for Joseph Hennessey, aWorld War 11 Veteran who spent 75 days in a fox hole at the Battle of the Bulge. After this ceremony concluded, I led the prayers of committal.)

April 28, 2021 

Sarasota Memorial Cemetery 

by Rev. Bridget Mary Meehan 

Opening Prayer: 

We gather with deep gratitude and affection for the gift of Joe Hennessey’s life as we commit his ashes to the earth.  

We believe that one day we shall joyfully greet Joe again in the love of Christ, which conquers all things, even death itself.   

Into your hands, Loving God, we entrust our beloved Joe.  In life, You embraced him with love and now you offer him eternal rest in your loving presence. 

May the angels come to meet him and the saints come to greet him, as You  welcome him to the Table of Divine Love, where there is no sorrow, no weeping, and no pain, but only the fullness of joy and peace. We pray in Jesus’ name…Amen.

Blessing

May the God of love fill us with peace.

May the God of consolation comfort us.  

May the God of tenderness embrace us up during times of sadness. 

May the God of  strength give us courage in the midst of our grief.

May Christ who wept when Lazarus died, be with June and all Joe’s family in their time of loss. .

May Christ who sent Mary Magdalene to proclaim the Resurrection help us to be messengers of  the good news that, with Joe and all our beloved deceased,  we too will rise from the dead.

Committal Prayer:

 May the God of Love embrace you, Joe as we commit your ashes to the earth. We love you. We thank you. We bless you, Joe. 

All: Eternal rest, grant to Joe, O God,  and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and all the souls of the faithfully departed rest in peace.   Amen.