The quote of Mother Lucille’s printed on the inside of the funeral program is from a month ago when she first found out of her diagnosis of terminal Leukemia. As the sisters shed some tears, she was radiant with an other-worldly joy as if she had just received the call she had been eagerly waiting her whole life for: Jesus was, at long last, calling her home to heaven!! “When I see Jesus, my first words will be, ‘Thank you!, thank you!, thank you!!’”
This spirit of joyful gratitude and deep faith was characteristic of Mother Lucille and continued to the end of her life, --thanking the priests coming to minister the sacraments to her, the sisters and nurses for caring for her, and God for everything! She said to me in her last days, beaming amidst her sufferings, “This is a great life, but the best is yet to come!”
How grateful we CFR Sisters are for her persevering yes and faithfulness in living and imparting our charism to us over the past 36 years. She wasn’t perfect, but she did the best she could and left the rest to God, firmly trusting in Romans 8—that God works for good all things for those who love Him. And she taught us the same. If we were being too hard on ourselves about some mistake we made, she would say to us, as her spiritual director Fr. Walter Ciszek had lovingly said to her years ago—"Were you in the state of grace? Did you do the best you could? Then be at peace!” Yes, she deeply knew how loving and merciful our God is, and how really powerfully present Jesus is in the Sacraments of the Catholic Church. She joyfully spent her life to the very end sharing that good news with as many people as possible and encouraging us sisters to do the same!
I know Mother Lucille would have been very surprised to be having her Funeral Mass here at St. Patrick’s Cathedral—Thank you so much, Cardinal Dolan, for this incredible honor! She would have felt unworthy no doubt, but I do know that she would also have been delighted!! She loved coming to this Cathedral for Mass, especially to show her support for you, Your Eminence, and for Holy Church. As a true Franciscan, she was a devoted daughter of the Church.
So, on behalf of the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal and the family of Mother Lucille, and on behalf of Mother Lucille herself, I thank you, Cardinal Dolan, all the bishops and priests, our CFR Friars, all our fellow religious sisters, and so many good friends, for joining us today in prayer for her dear soul. I thank you for your friendship and many kindnesses shown. Please continue to pray for Mother Lucille, and be assured of her solicitude for your intentions, even more so now than she already was on earth.
In all things, may God be praised!
Mother Francis, CFR