On an August day in 2007 I contacted St. Mary’s Catholic Church in downtown Fort Wayne to sign up for Catechumen classes. It was truly a new experience for me, and one that I will always cherish.
My experience would lead me to meet Bishop D’Arcy. He was kind and he was a man who truly understood new parishioners. He presided over our Rite of Election of Catechumen.
During the ceremony I was extremely nervous to say the least, but Bishop D’Arcy had a way of putting you at ease. It was a cold March day. After the service we went to the Grand Wayne Center for a reception. You would think he would be the kind of person you may not be able to approach. That was the farthest thing from the truth. He had a wicked sense of humor, and I mean that in the purest form. He knew how to make you laugh.
We had one thing in common: We were both from Boston — go Red Sox. When I heard he had passed away, there was a true sense of sadness. I shivered knowing this world is a little bit colder without this loving presence. He was a kind and gentle soul who had dedicated his life to his heavenly father. He loved everyone, and he never met a stranger. I had sent him a get-well card, and what amazed me, he remembered my name. He literally met thousands of people each year, and he remembered our names — amazing, to say the least.
So to you, my friend, I bid you farewell. Your journey is done, you have pleased your heavenly father. So as they say in the end of Mass, go in peace.
Charles A. Sizemore
