THE GRAVESITE

I visited Father Carr’s gravesite this morning. Since I have been director of Father Carr’s Place 2B, it’s something I have been wanting to do. I tried a few weeks ago, but was unsuccessful locating it. Riverside Cemetery is vast! After a few clues from someone who knew where it was, I found it among the other thousands of tombstones.  I wasn’t sure what type of monument to expect. Father Carr was larger than life. He had a big personality, so part of me was expecting a big stone. But it isn’t. It’s a simple ground level plate with his name, birth, ordination and death dates inscribed on it. Modest, which makes sense. He made his life about others, not himself.

 It was cold out, so I sat in the car next to the gravesite. I talked to Father a bit, asked him some questions, seeked some encouragement, strength and courage to continue his ministry. I then prayed a rosary for his soul, our volunteers, donors and those who come to us for help. It was the peaceful, serene moment I had hoped for.

It was important for me to do this. Since I have been director, I have heard so many wonderful and powerful stories about who Father Carr was. Truly, a day does not go by where someone doesn’t have a story about the man. It almost makes me feel guilty I did not know him. How can I lead this cause without even personally knowing the man who started it all? How can I fill this unfortunate internal void I feel, to not have known Father Carr? He has gone to eternal rest. If I feel this way not knowing him, what about the community the Place 2B serves? How do the people of Oshkosh, who didn’t know him, get to?

It has to be the stories. Those who lived with Father Carr, the ones who knew him personally and best, need to share their stories with us. Father Carr’s Place 2B is starting its 50^th year. Father Carr himself was called home to our Lord in 2007, almost 17 years ago. This Catholic priest who started his ministry, that has helped tens of thousands of people over 50 years, must stay alive in our minds and hearts. We need to share these stories.

If you have a story to tell, please send it to us. Best practice would be to video yourself telling it. If you are bashful or don’t have the means to record it, type it up and email it to us. We will tell it for you. The goal is to inform those like me, who did not know Father Carr, about the type of person he was. He was an icon of the community, let’s keep him there.

And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’    Matthew Chapter 25 vs 40

The videos or typed stories can be sent to fathercarrstory@gmail.com

Pax Christi,

Jim