Rest in Peace, Sweet Miss Grace
My heart started to open about a year and a half ago to attending daily mass two blocks from my office building. I didn't know what to do or not do for Lent so decided the day of Ash Wednesday to go to daily mass and try to pick up one thing to focus on per day. Why not? The church was so close!
During that Lent there was a beautiful older woman who would be there before mass. She sat in the backrow with her salt and pepper hair in two braids. Colorful ribbons were woven into her hair. She loved large flower prints and clogs. Her name was Grace, Miss Grace. She had been a single little Filipino lady working for the government and had a massive stroke which made her a little more interesting. Miss Grace lost her job, her home, her benefits and began sleeping with other older women in a nice little house managed by Catholic Charities. Miss Grace never lost her composed calm demeanor and satisfied peaceful expression. I enjoyed seeing her each day.
Her funeral and internment will be tomorrow for anyone who can make it. No one deserves to be buried alone... The Benedictine Sisters are taking care of her arrangements.
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| Silentium encouraged so people can pray. |
During that Lent there was a beautiful older woman who would be there before mass. She sat in the backrow with her salt and pepper hair in two braids. Colorful ribbons were woven into her hair. She loved large flower prints and clogs. Her name was Grace, Miss Grace. She had been a single little Filipino lady working for the government and had a massive stroke which made her a little more interesting. Miss Grace lost her job, her home, her benefits and began sleeping with other older women in a nice little house managed by Catholic Charities. Miss Grace never lost her composed calm demeanor and satisfied peaceful expression. I enjoyed seeing her each day.
The months passed and after Lent my heart was beginning to become more in love and awed with to the mystery of love in having faith and intrigued by how Jesus presence in daily communion pulled my soul closer to Him, on hard moments they immersed into His wounds and buoyed in patience in being there each day. My mind opened to the Rosary's power as it unfolded in my hands. At each mass I would see Miss Grace as I entered, there she was quietly praying a rosary (she knew its power too) by the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe with a little scraggly notebook. She was never worried or anxious for her existence or where to stay. She knew her bed was at the Catholic Charities home for older women and the rest of her being counted only on being good to others. Several times she would bring in other older homeless women and hug them and patiently talk with them. Miss Grace had big attentive eyes that smiled and wrinkled when she looked at you. Her braids swayed with those colorful strands woven in between like a version of Frida Kahlo. One day as mass ended I was quietly leaving and found her standing at the entrance of the church. She was ready with a notebook. "What's your name so I can pray a rosary for you?" she questioned me like a prim teacher. I told her and she wrote it down.
There in her journal she prayed rosaries for people she met. It didn't matter if she didn't know them, she knew everyone could use a good rosary prayer. Every day, cold, hot or stormy Miss Grace was by the Virgin of Guadalupe with her journal open praying a rosary for someone on her list.
There in her journal she prayed rosaries for people she met. It didn't matter if she didn't know them, she knew everyone could use a good rosary prayer. Every day, cold, hot or stormy Miss Grace was by the Virgin of Guadalupe with her journal open praying a rosary for someone on her list.
A few weeks ago I noticed she was missing at mass. She was healthy and relatively young (maybe 65-70?) so I wondered where she was knowing that mass was her special place. Today the mass was for her memory....and our priest said that she would be deeply missed. I thought "This can't be little Miss Grace who has colorful braids!" After mass I hesitantly asked, was this our Miss Grace who died? Yes, yes it was. She was killed.
Miss Grace had gone to WalMart in a shady area in South East DC a few weeks ago. She was leaving and heading back to the women's shelter when she saw a fight and decided to intervene. The stroke had left her with less inhibition so she wasn't afraid. She went to stop them and one punched her in the face so strong she fell backwards and snapped her head on the concrete block. The ambulance arrived but Miss Grace was floating on to meet Jesus. She died in the ambulance.
The coroner found rumpled church bulletins in her purse and used that to contact Catholic Charities and the old priest to identify her. He was very sad as he had known Miss Grace for years. Miss Grace had no obituary, and her killers were not identified...
Miss Grace didn't have any formal family. But Miss Grace had love through a host of friends and strangers who she befriended through the link of her daily prayers and her loyalty to them.
I hope the Holy Mother held her softly and comforted her spirit in her last moments and that she left this world where she was alone to a place where she could smile in the company of angels. Miss Grace was compassionate and filled with a love of her faith that radiated the moment you saw her sweet peaceful face. This song, Even Unto Death, is perfect for Miss Grace. Even Unto Death she quietly stood up for compassion. She was tiny. She was a little hero for peace.
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| Goodbye Miss Grace. I wasn't expecting this... I'll miss seeing you. |
Miss Grace had gone to WalMart in a shady area in South East DC a few weeks ago. She was leaving and heading back to the women's shelter when she saw a fight and decided to intervene. The stroke had left her with less inhibition so she wasn't afraid. She went to stop them and one punched her in the face so strong she fell backwards and snapped her head on the concrete block. The ambulance arrived but Miss Grace was floating on to meet Jesus. She died in the ambulance.
The coroner found rumpled church bulletins in her purse and used that to contact Catholic Charities and the old priest to identify her. He was very sad as he had known Miss Grace for years. Miss Grace had no obituary, and her killers were not identified...
Miss Grace didn't have any formal family. But Miss Grace had love through a host of friends and strangers who she befriended through the link of her daily prayers and her loyalty to them.
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| Steel meets tree. They befriend in unlikely circumstances. |
I hope the Holy Mother held her softly and comforted her spirit in her last moments and that she left this world where she was alone to a place where she could smile in the company of angels. Miss Grace was compassionate and filled with a love of her faith that radiated the moment you saw her sweet peaceful face. This song, Even Unto Death, is perfect for Miss Grace. Even Unto Death she quietly stood up for compassion. She was tiny. She was a little hero for peace.
"In my darkest hour, in humiliation I will wait for you, I am not forsaken. Though I loose my life, though my breath be taken, I will wait for you. I am not forsaken. One thing I desire, to see you in your beauty. Lover of my soul, even unto death, with my every breath I will love you..."
As I drove to work this morning I prayed a rosary for her....the Sorrowful Mysteries. Also very fitting for what happened: the Agony of Jesus in the garden, His condemnation to die, humiliation, carrying the cross...dying for us...I thought of Miss Grace and lifted up her soul in prayer.
I also prayed for other old homeless ladies I know and for their safety: Ol'Mama who is in her late 80's and loves feeding the birds, Miss Grace's friend who was handicapped and can't come to mass on her own...Miss Valerie who has a tumor on her cheek and sleeps in the sandwhich shop when they let her. All sweet flowers needing grace and protection....
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| Ave Maria gratia plena, Dominus tecum... |
I also prayed for other old homeless ladies I know and for their safety: Ol'Mama who is in her late 80's and loves feeding the birds, Miss Grace's friend who was handicapped and can't come to mass on her own...Miss Valerie who has a tumor on her cheek and sleeps in the sandwhich shop when they let her. All sweet flowers needing grace and protection....
For Miss Grace...
Pater Noster (Our Father)
Pater Noster, qui es in caelis,
Sanctificetur nomen tuum.
Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas
tua, sicut in caelo et in terra.
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie,
et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus
debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in
tentationem, sed liberanos a malo. Amen.
Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)
Salve, Regina, Mater Misercordia
Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamamus exules filii Eva,
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia, ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos
misericordes oculos ad nos converte;
El Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemes, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.
Ave Maria (Hail Mary)
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus
fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis
peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen
Her funeral and internment will be tomorrow for anyone who can make it. No one deserves to be buried alone... The Benedictine Sisters are taking care of her arrangements.
Grace: Funeral services and Interment
Saturday, March 17, 2018 - 11 A.M.
Place of Peace Columbarium
Benedictine Sisters of Virginia
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| Sensitive Bentley quietly sat and watched while I drew. He is such a good cat. |
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