The Funeral Mass for the late Stella Gallagher RIP will take place at 11.00am today in Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Ballinlough, Cork. The chief celebrant for the Mass will be Monsignor Gearóid Dullea, Co-PP Ballinlough, a priest of the Diocese of Cork and Ross.
This Mass will be livestreamed on https://www.churchservices.tv/ballinloughlourdes
Media restriction
Please be advised that, out of respect for the solemnity of the Mass and sensitivity towards the bereaved, media cameras and photo-journalists are not permitted within the Church, or on the Church grounds, before or during the Mass. Thank you in advance for your cooperation at this time of mourning.
An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD, will be represented by his Aide de Camp, Commandant Joe Glennon.
Music during the Mass
Singing during the Mass will be lead by Caroline Fraher. The SHEP Singers, of which Stella was a member, will also sing during the funeral.
A eulogy will be given by Alan Gallagher.
Symbols presented will be
Apples – representing her love of gardening
Sourdough – representing her love of baking
Sheet music – representing her love of music
Gift box – representing her generous and giving nature
- Beginning of Mass
The Liturgy of the Word
The First Reading from Wisdom 4:7-10; 13-15 will be read by Anne Gallagher.
Responsorial Psalm sung by Caroline Fraher.
Second Reading from Revelation 14:13 will be read by Charlene Griffin.
Gospel Luke 24:13-16; 28-35 will be proclaimed by Monsignor Dullea.
Homily delivered by Monsignor Dullea
Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ.
When we are confronted with death we experience a maelstrom of emotions. We are frightened, broken-hearted, confused, angry, bewildered, paralysed, lonely, even traumatised. The death of Stella last Monday night has left us with all these reactions, and many more, as well as leaving us with questions, aching and pleadings in our hearts. Therefore, we turn to our faith in Jesus Christ and to the power of His Cross and resurrection in order to pick our way through the awful experience of Stella’s tragic death, so that we might have the strength to go on but also to accompany her with the love of our prayers.
Yet Stella’s shocking death has brought a great pall of darkness, not only over the Gallagher and Griffin families, but also on so many others – Stella’s colleagues from her work in Eli Lilly, the local communities in Ballinlough and Ballinspittle, her friends and the Togher Community Garden and her fellow singers in the SHEP choir. Stella’s death has shocked us, stunned us and shaken us.
There is a line in the gospel passage that we’ve listened to that says about the two disciples on the road to Emmaus that, “something prevented them from recognising him”, from recognising Jesus who was in fact walking with them. I suspect that what we are going through at the moment in the aftermath of Stella’s death is something very similar to what prevented the disciples from recognising Jesus.
So, we ask, what changed? What enabled them to recognise Jesus and to pick up the pieces following the death of someone so loved? The gospel says quite simply, “They recognised him at the breaking of bread”.
This explains why we have gathered in the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Ballinlough this morning to offer this Requiem Mass for Stella – the term “breaking of bread” being one of the early descriptions of what happens at Mass. By offering this Mass for Stella and by continuing to hold her and her family in prayer, we hope that we might recognise Jesus who is here with us, in the pain and sadness around us and within us.
Stella was deeply loved as wife, as mother, as sister, as daughter-in-law, as sister-in-law, as aunt, as cousin, as friend. She was a positive person, often humming a song, with a quiet religious faith. In fact her family mentioned that a recent book she dipped into was about Saint Teresa, one of the greatest saints to teach us how to trust in God implicitly, even when there is darkness all around us, a bit like a small child putting its hand into its parent’s hand for strength, for guidance, for reassurance, for safety and for love.
Today, at Stella’s Funeral Mass, let us be like that small child trusting ourselves over to God asking Him to bring Stella to Heaven, to His kingdom of light, refreshment and peace, and to help us who remain to continue in life with hope, healing and His strengthening grace.
Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen.
Prayer of the Faithful
Read by Michelle Gallagher, Róisín Griffin, Mary Gallagher, Mary Ryan, Ciara Gallagher.
ENDS