Eternal Rest Grant unto him and may perpetual light shine upon him!

Father Robert Stanion, CFR, passed away on Monday, March 23, 2009, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was one of our founders and had been stationed at San Juan Diego Friary in Albuquerque, New Mexico. See his Obituary here.

Fr. Robert was born on April 1, 1947 in Boston, MA. He entered the Capuchins on March 18, 1966 and made his final profession on May 8, 1972. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 16, 1992. He was an expert on rocks, precious stones, herbs, flowers, cooking, saints, eastern Christianity and many other things. His holiness and Franciscan joy will always be remembered by those who knew him.We thank you for your prayers for Fr. Robert, and we ask you to continue praying for his family and the entire CFR community. God bless you. --the friars of San Juan Diego Friary.

Albuquerque memorial arrangements for Father Robert Stanion
You are invited to join the friars this Thursday (3/26/09) at San Jose Parish (2401 Broadway SE, ABQ, NM 87102) for a wake, Rosary, and memorial Mass in honor of Fr. Robert. The wake is from 2-6 PM, the Rosary is at 6 PM, and the memorial Mass is at 7 PM. A reception will be held after Mass in the parish hall of St. Francis Xavier Church (820 Broadway SE, ABQ, NM 87102).

Father Robert’s funeral Mass and burial will take place in Yonkers, New York. Please see www.franciscanfriars.com for the NY arrangements which will be posted soon.

There is a Secondary Reading in the office of the dead that is so comforting a section of a letter written by Saint Braulio, Bishop of Saragossa is below...

“Let the hope of resurrection encourage us, then, because we shall see again those whom we lose here below. Of course, we must continue to believe firmly in Christ; we must continue to obey His commandments. His power is so great that it is easier for Him to raise the dead to life that it is for us to arouse those who are sleeping, As we are saying all these things some unknown feeling causes us to burst into tears; some hidden feeling discourages the mind which tries to trust and to hope. Such is the sad human condition; without Christ all of life is utter emptiness.

“O death! You separate those who are joined to each other in marriage. You harshly and cruelly divide those whom friendship unites. But your power is broken. Your heinous yoke has been destroyed by the One Who sternly threatened you when Hosea cried out: ‘O death! I shall be your death!’ And with the words of the Apostle we, too, deride you: ‘O death! When is your victory? O death! Where is your sting!’”