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~f.arkThomas
Printed in US.A.
A Prayer
if
Saint francis if.Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon,
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is despair, hope,
Where there is darkness, light,
and where there is sadness, joy.
oDivine Master, grant that
I may not so much seek
to be consoled, as to console;
To be understood,
as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is inpardoning
that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying
that we are born to eternal life.
In Loving
Memory
Ylyrit Pawn Mifljqp
April Dawn Millsap of Armada died Thursday, J uly 24,2014 at
the age of 14years.
April was born J anuary 2, 2000 in Wise County, Virginia. She
completed the 8th grade at Armada Middle School and was readyto
start her freshman year at Armada High School. April was
confirmed on May 20, 2014 at St. Mary Mystical Rose Catholic
Church in Armada, where she was active in the youth group and
continued to grow in her faith. She loved reading, writing poetry
and short stories, and animals. April was a lovinggirl, always there
to helpothers.
She is survived by her beloved mother, J ennifer Millsap of
Armada; dear father, Bobby Millsap of Anderson, Indiana; loving
grandparents, Dennis (J ackie) LeVans of Florida and Bob (Linda)
Millsap of Virginia; half sister, Amber Millsap of Virginia;
stepfather, David Lichtenfelt and stepmother, Shelli Toombs; Aunt
Melissa, Uncle Anthony LeVans, Uncle Michael LeVans, Aunt J ill
LeVans and Aunt J eanne Zeitlyn; many cousins; and boyfriend,
Austin Albertson.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at IIa.m. on August 1,2014
at St. Mary Mystical Rose Catholic Church, 24040 Armada Ridge
Road, Armada with the Rev. Fr. Chris Talbot, Rev. Fr. Bradley
Forintos and Rev. Fr. Peter Siliako, celebrants.
Visitation will take place on Thursday, J uly 31, 2014 at Tiffany-
Young and Hauss Funeral Home, 73919 North Avenue, Armada
from2p.m. to 8p.m. with a 7p.m. Scriptureservice.
Memorial tributes would beappreciated for April's family.
www.haussfoneralhomes.com
Funeral homily for April Millsap
For those of you who don't know me, Iam Fr. Brad Forintos, a former pastor of this church. On Sunday
evening the current pastor, Fr. Siaosi Patua, knowing my connection to this community called me and
asked if Iwould preside at this funeral Mass. He explained that he had to leave the following day to
return to Samoa, where he was born, in the hope of seeing one last time, his brother who is dying of
pancreatic cancer. Itold him Iwould be honored to celebrate this Mass for April.
Iask for you to join with me in praying for Fr. Siaosi and for his dying brother. Iknow, even though he is
half way around the world from us here, Fr. Siaosi is praying for us as at this moment as we gather to
mourn the loss of April.
There is a J ewish saying, "The person who saves one life, saves the world entire."
It is a beautiful expression of the importance and significance of every human life. Every person in
his/her own way makes an impact upon this world we live in. The large number of people gathered here
today bears testimony to the fact that April, in the brief 14 years she walked this earth, made a
profound and positive impact in the world.
Iwould add as an addendum to the J ewish saying Iquoted, "The person who takes one life, diminishes
the world entire,'
Our lives are diminished by the loss of April. She was a beautiful loving girl who was, as her family
expressed in her obituarv, "always there to help others." Testimony to what we heard proclaimed in our
second reading from St. Paul's letter to the Romans: "None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for
oneself. For if we live, we live for the lord, and if we die, we die for the lord." St. Paul concludes by
stating: "So then each of us shall give an account of himself to God."
We know April is giving a good account of herself to God. She loved all members of God's creation,
especially its four legged ones like Penny. For April, the Sacrament of Confirmation she received on May
zo", meant more to her than "just going through a ceremony." For her it meant living her life in genuine
service to God through her service to others. She was looking forward to sharing the love of her faith
with the children of this parish as a catechist, beginning this Fall. She was looking forward to helping at
the parish food booth at the Armada fair, serving up food to its visitors.
Being a teenager, Iam sure she had her not so generous and loving moments as well; if she was human.
Iam also sure God is inclined, as we are, not to allow such moments to weigh heavily in the account she
is making before Him now.
Our lives are diminished by no longer being able to enjoy her smile and being able to read the verses of
poetry she would write, or the stories she wrote and was willing to share. Our lives are diminished
knowing there is poetry and stories that will remain unwritten.
J commend April's family for choosing.as the first reading today the passa~e from the Book of
Ecclesiastes. It is one of the few passages in the entire Bible that is true poetry. Iam sure April was
guiding you in your selection.
It begins by stating: "There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the
heavens."
Eachverse of the poem begins with the words: "A time to..." and then ~oes on to reveal contrasting
times in our lives. Times that are happy and joyful. Times that are sad and painful. And the first of these
contrasts is "A time to be born, and a time to die."
We are reminded by this passage that God shares in all the times of our lives the good and the bad. And
God is with us at this time. Yes, we wish we could have had April with us for a much longer time but now
is the time for us to entrust her to God, who is timeless.
Yes, our lives are diminished by the loss of this one life, but a half a world away in Samoa, so too are the
lives of the people there. Because Iam sure Fr. Siaosi has shared with them the story of the life and
death of April. And Iam willing to bet that at this moment, in churches there, people are lighting
candles for the soul of April. They share in our sense of loss because, 'The loss of one life diminishes the
world entire."
At the beginning of this Mass Isprinkled holy water over April's casket. Before doing so Isaid, "In the
waters of Baptism April died with Christ and rose with Him to new life."
That is why Iwanted to share the Gospel passage from St. Mark with you. It describes the death of J esus
on the cross. On it He cries out, liMy God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
On the cross J esus truly united himself with us. Since learning a week ago today of April's death, how
many of us have asked the question, "My God, why?"
J esus understands our question because, on the cross, He raised the question himself. But He trusted
that His Heavenly Father would ultimately answer it.
For the story of J esus didn't end there at Calvary with Him left hanging with His question.
God answered in a big way.
You notice the story continues with the women going. to the tomb expectingto find J esus buried there.
When they arrive they find the tomb opened and J esus gone, and they learn that "He has been raised;
He is not here."
J esus' resurrection is God's answer. Through the power of the resurrection the story of J esus Christ
continues. Through the power of the resurrection J esus' death does not "Diminish" the world entire.
Instead, through it, He enhances and renews the world.
April believed in the resurrection. April loved to write, and through the power of the resurrection is
writing her greatest work.
Because now she is being loving embraced by our Resurrected lord and Savior - J esus Christ - who is
saying, "April, come and join in my continuing story. Together let us write a new chapter in life."