Today, we celebrated a Requiem Mass for Geraldo Vergara, a fellow parishioner at St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church, Hollywood. I saw Geraldo (aka Gerry) routinely at the 8 am Sunday Mass, which is the one Ray and I usually prefer. Gerry served as an usher at many early morning Masses and always greeted us with a big smile and a warm hug.

Gerry’s partner Chris was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago and then early in 2023, Gerry was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, a deadly form of brain cancer. He said one day to me, “Chris and I would never have expected in a million years that we’d both come down with cancer at the same time. But they did, and several months ago, Chris died. Gerry kept up with his treatment regime like a champ, but over time, the disease was just too virulent. He died in early October. He was only 61. Ironically, his birthday was today, the day we celebrated his Requiem Mass.

In all the time I knew Gerry, I never heard him say a negative word about anyone. He was kind, soft-spoken, and humble. Even while in the middle of his treatment, Gerry came to church to usher. He was upbeat and positive every time I saw him, which was his natural approach to life. His memorial service was lovely and I had the honor of serving as the thurifer, the person carrying the thurible full of incense. The service was a High Mass, which is common for St. Thomas. Gerry’s friend sang all of the music while accompanied by a cello, flute, and guitar.

May light perpetual shine upon your soul, dear Gerry. I will miss seeing your smiling face and being wrapped in your warm hugs. May you and Chris revel in the peace and glory of heaven, now and forever, Amen.

Here is a link to Gerry’s Requiem Mass if you’re interested. The service is one hour and starts 10 minutes in, so simply move the cursor to 10.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=913472816964849

A Photo of Gerry