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Br. Alan RIP

Mark Dohle

Well-Known Member
communitylife3.jpg


Br. Alan, RIP

Br. Alan went to the Lord (died) at 11:30 PM on Sunday night. Today (Tuesday) as is our custom, we will receive his body at 5:15 PM from the funeral home, and he will be laid out in our church until his funeral mass tomorrow at 7:30 AM, right after Lauds. The monks will take turns sitting with Br. Alan through the night.

I never have gotten used to receiving the body of a newly deceased member of our community. I guess we each experience the death of a community member differently, but for me, it is like a cold place opens up in my heart. I know this is caused by the absence of someone I care for and have been around for a very long time. The first time I experienced it, the receiving of a body, in 1972, at 23 years of age, it terrified me, for we do not use a casket, so the body was in full view. Since then, I have been through this, along with everyone else here, quite a few times.

Alan was 99 years old, and he was ready. However, he also told me that he wanted to live as well. Life is precious, and even though he had his ups and downs, he knew he was taken care of by men who loved him. We also have a doctor here, a canonical hermit who works a few hours in the morning in our Infirmary. She is a true blessing. Also, we have a C N A who lives in our retreat house who also does wonderful work. The monks fill in the other hours. I do five shifts a week and am very happy to do so. We all do our part. For in the last few months I have gotten to know Alan in ways that would be impossible before he had to be taken care of, so I guess the lockdown, does has its blessings.

I never have gotten used to receiving the body of a newly-deceased member of our community. I guess we each experience the death of a community member differently, but for me, it is like a cold place opens up in my heart. I know this is caused by the absence of someone I care for and have been around for a very long time. The first time I experienced it, the receiving of a body, in 1972, at 23 years of age, it terrified me, for we do not use a casket, so the body was in full view. Since then, I have been through this, along with everyone else here, quite a few times.

We also had some serious conversations. One was on the concept of time. He was trying to figure it out. We talked about the mystery of time for about an hour, and he could not wrap his mind around it. I think it was because as he looked over his long life, it did not seem long at all, but had a dream-like quality about it. He even thought that maybe we created it as we went along. I would think that many older men and women understand what I am referring to.

So I took him into the infirmary office, and we watched a YouTube video on ‘Time’. It was very interesting and he got absorbed in it. I asked him if he liked the presentation when it was over and he said, yes he did, but was not sure how much he understood. Well, I responded, if you enjoyed it, you probably understood more than you think you do. Otherwise, it would have bored you and you would have lost interest.

It hard to believe he is gone, but I go through this with all the monks who pass on. Each member of the community has their own way of dealing with loss. Just as every human being does. Like I said, to live with someone for 50 years, when they die, it will be noticed and felt.—Br.MD
 

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Br. Alan, RIP

Br. Alan went to the Lord (died) at 11:30 PM on Sunday night. Today (Tuesday) as is our custom, we will receive his body at 5:15 PM from the funeral home, and he will be laid out in our church until his funeral mass tomorrow at 7:30 AM, right after Lauds. The monks will take turns sitting with Br. Alan through the night.

I never have gotten used to receiving the body of a newly deceased member of our community. I guess we each experience the death of a community member differently, but for me, it is like a cold place opens up in my heart. I know this is caused by the absence of someone I care for and have been around for a very long time. The first time I experienced it, the receiving of a body, in 1972, at 23 years of age, it terrified me, for we do not use a casket, so the body was in full view. Since then, I have been through this, along with everyone else here, quite a few times.

Alan was 99 years old, and he was ready. However, he also told me that he wanted to live as well. Life is precious, and even though he had his ups and downs, he knew he was taken care of by men who loved him. We also have a doctor here, a canonical hermit who works a few hours in the morning in our Infirmary. She is a true blessing. Also, we have a C N A who lives in our retreat house who also does wonderful work. The monks fill in the other hours. I do five shifts a week and am very happy to do so. We all do our part. For in the last few months I have gotten to know Alan in ways that would be impossible before he had to be taken care of, so I guess the lockdown, does has its blessings.

I never have gotten used to receiving the body of a newly-deceased member of our community. I guess we each experience the death of a community member differently, but for me, it is like a cold place opens up in my heart. I know this is caused by the absence of someone I care for and have been around for a very long time. The first time I experienced it, the receiving of a body, in 1972, at 23 years of age, it terrified me, for we do not use a casket, so the body was in full view. Since then, I have been through this, along with everyone else here, quite a few times.

We also had some serious conversations. One was on the concept of time. He was trying to figure it out. We talked about the mystery of time for about an hour, and he could not wrap his mind around it. I think it was because as he looked over his long life, it did not seem long at all, but had a dream-like quality about it. He even thought that maybe we created it as we went along. I would think that many older men and women understand what I am referring to.

So I took him into the infirmary office, and we watched a YouTube video on ‘Time’. It was very interesting and he got absorbed in it. I asked him if he liked the presentation when it was over and he said, yes he did, but was not sure how much he understood. Well, I responded, if you enjoyed it, you probably understood more than you think you do. Otherwise, it would have bored you and you would have lost interest.

It hard to believe he is gone, but I go through this with all the monks who pass on. Each member of the community has their own way of dealing with loss. Just as every human being does. Like I said, to live with someone for 50 years, when they die, it will be noticed and felt.—Br.MD

I'm sorry for your loss, Br. Mark... You're in my prayers.
 
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