Little Francis: In Memory

Editor's note: Please join me in prayer for Cathy and her family during this difficult time. May God richly bless them and my Francis' precious soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. LMH

Little Francis

This month I present to you a little write-up about a little guy who lived in this world a relatively little time. We miss him terribly. But with some mysterious Grace and a dose of imperfect faith and hope in the Paschal Mystery, we understand that only through death comes true lasting Abundance. The hope of my husband and myself is that we continue to embrace the Abundance that is our family life.

Eulogy for Francis Craig Penner: 27 October 2011 – 10 October 2012

Presented by Lynden Penner, Francis’ father, at the Funeral Mass, Holy Rosary Cathedral, Regina, SK, 13 October 2012

Mission accomplished by a special little guy

Thank-you Father Lorne and thank-you to all family and friends for being here with us today.

I’d like to share a few words with you about our dear Francis.

Francis is the seventh of our children, being born on October 27, 2011, one day after his dad’s 50^th birthday.

Even before he was born we knew Francis had some issues with his heart, so we were grateful for the birth of an otherwise healthy full-term baby. After an initial stay at the Stollery Children’s hospital in Edmonton immediately after birth, Francis enjoyed a happy life with his family. Because of his complex heart condition we knew his life would likely be shortened but expected many years with him. He was a very content, delightful baby – wonderful to hold and cuddle, never really cried or fussed as Cathy cared for him tenderly and met his every need as she has with all of our children, and the rest of the family anxiously waited for their turn to hold him and give him their loving attention.

By faith we know that none of us is here by accident, and that we all have a special purpose that only we can fulfill. Some have many years to discover and fulfill their mission and others only a short time. During his short time with us, and even before he was born, Francis put is in contact with many people and situations we would never have experienced without him; he gave us an opportunity to love and care for him; he drew us close as a family and closer to extended family and friends; and he gave other people opportunities to fulfill what they have been called to do. We are grateful to all those that have supported us, especially family and friends that have often dropped everything at a moments notice to help when we called.

We thought and hoped Francis would be with us much longer, and we miss him dearly, but we are grateful for the gift of his life and the beauty, love and joy he brought us. Peace be with our special little guy.