“My good friend,
Bishop Peplowski went to heaven on Friday. Last Sunday, I visited him last
Sunday at McAuley Hospice in Buffalo. He was in the hallway on his lounger
dosing off. I didn’t want to wake him but I whispered in his ear, “Bishop you
have a visitor.” In a few minutes, he woke up and smiled “oh, it’s father.”
Bishop was always a grateful soul. I looked around and saw other family members
sitting next to their loved ones. Not much conversation, but people let their
loved ones know that someone was near. I told Bishop that we prayed for him at
Mass and he said, “that’s nice.” Not much conversation, he looked drained but
his eyes perked up as he gazed at the TV across the hall. I asked him if he was
in pain and he said, “No pain.” In past visits, I shared photos of our parish
kids bringing toys to St. Nicholas and the Nativity Play. This time, I brought
along a slideshow that showed the different seasons of the year on our farm. He
gazed at the computer screen with its images of flowers and streams, deer and
trees during the different seasons. Once again, he kindly whispered “that was
very nice.”
Then I heard that
lunch was on the way and I would stay to help him with his meal. The aide
brought him his tray that had chicken, peas and noodles. Before he began to
eat, he humbly made the sign of the cross across his chest and blessed his
food. Bishop was a humble man who was grateful to God for his life and his
ministry as a priest for 50 years. I handed the Bishop his fork and he said
that he liked chicken. Very slowly he would take the fork and spear the bits of
chicken meat onto his fork that found their way into his mouth. I asked him if
he had a cook and he said the name of a Polish woman who would make him his
meals in the rectory. He ate all the chicken and I said: “what about the green
peas” and he said that he liked his vegetables so I gave him a spoon that made
it easier for him to eat and he ate all his peas. I noticed on his meal ticket
that vanilla pudding was circled but there was no pudding on the tray. Did he
want dessert and he kindly said: I’m not fuzzy.”
I heard from his
sister Helen that he was hallucinating and he told his sister that he saw his
parents. He shared their names were John and Sophie and they had 13 kids in
which he was the last living boy and the baby at 81. I brought communion and
asked if he wanted to receive and with a smile he said, “yes.” With open hands,
he took the host and then I anointed this gentle soul. What a privilege to
offer a healing prayer that God would give him comfort and peace. A week
earlier someone gave me healing waters from Lourdes. When I ask if he wanted to
drink these healing waters, he said: “he prefer something stronger.” He was a
man of joy and had a wonderful dry sense of humor. He made everyone feel
special and accepted. I told him that the people of Holy Family loved him and
prayed for him and were thankful for helping them reopen their parish after it
was closed. He would smile and said tell
them that “I love them.”
On the day of his
resurrection to heaven, I happened to be outback crawling through a foot of snow
taking pictures of winter scenes. Helen, his sister, called me to share that her
brother had died at 4am on Friday morning with her at his side. I reassured her
of your love and prayers. At that moment, I decided to take a few more photos
and when I got back home put together a slideshow that expressed the pain in my
heart losing such a good spiritual mentor. On my way to church, I cried tears
and thanked God for bringing this man into my life and inviting me to serve in
this parish as his gift to me. You see you are a gift and the Bishop was a gift
to many families throughout the world for 30 years as Bishop of the
Buffalo-Pittsburg Diocese and a priest for over 50 years. May he rest in peace
and may we as a faith community continue his saving work.
Lord, I pray
for all my Sonshine Friends and thank you for bringing Bishop into our homes
and this community. For his priestly ministry, we give you thanks and may he
rest in eternal peace.
