In ancient times, if someone were missing for a year and a day, they were declared officially dead, lost to the world. A year and a day meant gone forever.

We have gone through a full year’s cycle now, without Fr Bill:
Without his humor, his enthusiasm,
without his challenge and advice-
without his wisdom, his surprises-
Without his travels (how the airline industry must have suffered this past year!),
or his meals and masses.

It might seem that he is farther from us now than ever, as the ancient custom would state.

But for us who are believers, the year has also been a liturgical year of renewal, of deepening, of reliving abiding mysteries. The advent season taught us again to keep our hope strong, even when we cannot see what we hope for. Christmas taught us how close God is to us….even sharing our human blood, our human heart. (These now can beat with God and for God, to transform the world). The reality of suffering and sacrifice were dramatically evident throughout Lent and Holy Week. And the Risen Christ shows us that nothing valuable to God is ever lost, not our spirits, nor our souls, nor even our wounds (Fr. Bill sure had his share of those).

Before a year and a day could pass, in fact just shy one day, we staged a protest against the thinking of the world. Anniversary masses were celebrated for Fr Bill at all our homes, on August 16. They were our deliberate attempt to show that he is present in our hearts and in our thinking, and in the mystery of God. We believe that the “Church in heaven”, the company of the faithful who have died, are united with us,” the Church on earth”, and that we make up one mystical body in Christ. We commune with those who have gone before us through prayer, and their spirits are very much present to us and influential in our lives. Fr Bill’s spirit is not at all lost to the world. Especially not to us.

It is worth noting that during the years before Christ died, his disciples showed remarkable weakness. They were, as we know, simple people of no special training: fishermen, tax collectors, and the like. They were sometimes ill tempered, ill mannered, errant in their attitude and thinking. Christ frequently challenged them publicly for this. When things got very painful and dangerous for Christ, and they had to “stand up and be counted”, they were scared to death and ran off in scattered abandonment.

Yet these same men were strangely quite something else after Christ died. Everything he had ever told them, any lesson he ever taught them, somehow became more fully understood than ever before. Now they saw his teachings as bold and dynamic truths. The example he had given them, over and over by his own life, came back to them with brilliant conviction. These timid, ordinary men, who were afraid for their skins, suddenly were guided by a force that carried them valiantly into the future and into the world. They became fully servants of the gospel of life: articulate, fearless, leading by example, travelling far and wide to spread the Word, even at great danger to themselves. They had formerly been afraid. Now they were willing to shed their blood while doing the work of God. Many of them did.

What changed them? What made the difference?

Simply put, the Spirit of Christ was even more present to them, more powerful in their lives, after his death than during his live. And this made all the difference in the world, and to the world.

We have had a year to adjust to an NPH that is ever larger, ever more complex, ever more needed in our world- and very much in need of keeping a strong spirit, and a right heart.

Fr Bill’s spirit was important while he was alive because he united it with the Spirit of the Risen Christ. His energy, intuition, wisdom and effectiveness came from his priestly openness to the will of God. This union is exactly what makes his spirit available to us today.

Our best way of remembering Fr Bill, our best way of maintaining his spirit, our best way of serving the mission he began and the children entrusted to us, is to do as he did: to pray, to trust God, and to act in faith.

Let’s pray together that, just as the disciples had more strength and momentum for mission after the death of Christ (even because of his death), that our energy and enthusiasm and commitment to Fr Bill’s mission increase in us with every passing year.

Rather than forgetting Fr Bill after a year and a day, he will be remembered forever and a day.

May he rest in peace.

Fr Rick Frechette CP