My Dear People of God,
As we began the month of July, we sadly came together, as family, to offer the solemn funeral liturgy for our beloved Bishop Emeritus, Stephen E. Blaire. The Cathedral of the Annunciation was the perfect setting for us to gather to worship and give thanks to God for Bishop Blaire.
Bishop Blaire was honored with three days of prayer. This triduum of prayer provided the faithful with an opportunity to express their heart-felt thanks and farewell to their servant-leader.
On Monday, July 1, the Parish of Our Lady of Fatima in Modesto opened its doors to the faithful and provided time for prayer and visitation.
On Tuesday, July 2, the body of Bishop Blaire was received at the Cathedral of the Annunciation. As successor to Bishop Blaire, the “Reception of the Body at the Church,” was a moving experience. A little over a year ago, on the eve of my installation as the sixth bishop of Stockton, I stood outside of the Cathedral waiting to be received by Bishop Blaire. As I knocked on the closed doors of the Cathedral, they slowly opened to permit me to cross its threshold and to be greeted by the Bishop, seated in a wheelchair, with the biggest smile of welcome on his face. Now, at this moment, with the reception of the body, something very moving was about to happen. As the casket bearing the body of Bishop Blaire arrived at the Cathedral, I found myself facing a different turn of events. Now, I found myself standing inside the Cathedral returning the gesture of welcome, but welcoming his body.
As the casket crossed the threshold into the sacred space of the church, I stood there as Msgr. Armistead officiated over the Rite. As he sprinkled the casket with holy water, he recalled the day Bishop Blaire was baptized. After the prayers, the casket, clothed with the white garment of the funeral pall, was moved in procession down the main aisle in anticipation for the evening’s Vigil Service.
On the third day, July 3, at the conclusion of the Mass of Christian Burial that was attended by an over-flowing crowd of the faithful, his mortal remains were transferred to his place of burial. It was at the gravesite, during the Committal Service, that the Paschal Mystery came into focus. As Bishop Blaire offered his life in faithful service in proclaiming the Gospel, and as he united his suffering with that of the crucified Jesus, we were reminded that life does not end at the grave. It was at the open grave, and as his body was being lowered, that we were reminded of the promise of Christ Jesus’ gift of eternal life.
Let us rejoice at the moment when Bishop Blaire’s soul crossed that “ultimate” threshold from this life to eternal life. It was at this “moment of crossing” that Our Lord Jesus welcomed and embraced Bishop Blaire, all the while assuring him of “the promise”- Resurrection! New Life!
Brothers and sisters, as we entrust Bishop Blaire’s soul to the Divine Mercy of Jesus, let us pray that his soul may rest in peace. May the prayers of Our Blessed Mother, the Mother of the Church, be our consolation. Amen.