In Loving Memory of Father John Mark Hannon

God called home a guardian Angel this morning with the sudden passing of Rev John Mark Hannon, a priest who spent many, many years serving the community of St. Joseph The Worker Parish. Father Mark was the man who baptized my son. He was the man who consoled my family through the sickness and passing of my Aunty Kate and my Grammy Lyons. He was the man who I drove two towns over every Sunday when I lived in Halifax (passing other Churches along the way) to celebrate Mass with because I admired his view points on both life and religion. Every Sunday he would greet his parish with the same question "How are you everybody"...to which he expected us to answer "I'm wonderful, God loves me"....and if we didn't answer with enough enthusiasm, he would ask us again.  He was not one of those priests that provoked "Catholic guilt", he did not teach us to feel shame for our sins...instead he reinforced the notion that we are just not perfect and that is OK. He taught us to embrace the gifts that God gave us, and he reminded us to always help our neighbors. The community that he led at St. Joseph was one of welcoming and comfort. He had humor, he was humble, he was sincere, he was friendly, he was kind, he was compassionate about his faith. He was a great man, and my heart broke today when I heard the news that he is no longer with us.

Father Mark was a huge proponent of evangelizing. At the end of every Mass he would have us all kneel back down and say 3 Hail Mary's in an effort to pray that more people would start going to Church. It was apparent on the slow weekends how sad he was when the pews were not filled in and he asked us to ask our family and neighbors if they would join us next weekend.  When First Communions were scheduled he would ask his regular parishioners beforehand to make sure we were extra friendly and welcoming when the non-regulars were in for the children's Communions in hopes that it would encourage the folks to come more often. 

I have never been one to pursue my Catholic duty of evangelizing, but in memory and honor of the beloved Father Mark I will leave you with these words.  I know there are several reasons why people stop going to Church....it is inconvenient, the sex-scandal, monetary pushing, stopped believing, too lazy, think its boring, bad experiences, political view points. For those that stopped going due to bad experiences within one parish, I encourage you to look around for one that will offer you better guidance...after all, each Church and parish are individual entities, not all of them are run the same way and they all have their own personalities, some are more friendly and welcoming than others.  The reason why I go to Church is because it helps me to hone in on my prayers and focus on what I am hoping to get out of my relationship with God. I don't agree with everything the Catholic Church preaches, and I have not read or memorized the Bible, but I do feel comforted knowing that I have God with me at all times. On those mornings when I pull into the garage at work and I struggle to open the door, I ask God for the strength to help me get through the day...and knowing that I am not just talking to my steering wheel helps me to open that door with a stronger arm.  The way I see it, having a relationship with God is like having a best friend that is with me throughout every day. He is not someone I fear, but someone that comforts me during hard times.  I do not try to push my beliefs on anyone, as a relationship with God is something that the individual must want for him/herself. However, I am also not shy or ashamed or embarrassed about my faith either. My door is always open if anyone ever wants to have a religious discussion and on Sunday mornings at either 10:00 am or 11:30 am I will be sitting in one of pews at the Church down the street, you are more than welcome to join me.

Rest in Peace Father Mark, I will remember you always.....