Homily for the Funeral Mass of

 Father Daniel McKenna, OMI

Fr. Dan McKenna died at his parish in Alvin, TX, on Thanksgiving morning, November 28, 2002.  This homily was given at the Oblate Chapel in San Antonio, TX, on December 2, 2002 by Fr. Richard Houlahan, OMI

My dear sisters and brothers in faith.  We are gathered at this Eucharistic memorial to CELEBRATE, GIVE THANKS and BID FAREWELL to Father Dan McKenna, priest confrere, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, pastor, friend.

 We celebrate Dan's journey from life through death to the fullness of life in the Lord.

 We celebrate his priesthood.  In the Old Testament, second book of Samuel, we read, "  I WILL RAISE UP FOR MYSELF A FAITHFUL PRIEST, HE WILL DO WHAT IS IN MY HEART AND IN MY MIND, SAYS THE LORD.  And so it came to pass.

 From all eternity, before his very birth, the gift of a priestly vocation was destined for Dan.  In the book of Isaiah we read, "THE LORD CALLED ME FROM BIRTH, FROM MY MOTHER'S WOMB HE GAVE ME MY NAME.  HE MADE ME A SHARP -EDGED SWORD AND CONCEALED ME IN THE SHADOW OF HIS ARM.  YOU ARE MY SERVANT, HE SAID TO ME, THROUGH WHOM I SHOW MY GLORY.  And so it came to pass,

 In John's gospel we read, "THE LORD SAYS, I HAVE CHOSEN YOU FROM THE WORLD TO GO AND BEAR FRUIT THAT WILL LAST."  And so it came to pass.

 Dan left the comfort of home and family to embrace the religious community of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

 In the Constitution and Rules of the Oblates, we read, "WHOEVER WISHES TO BECOME ONE OF US MUST HAVE AN ARDENT DESIRE FOR HIS OWN PERFECTION AND BE INFLAMED WITH LOVE FOR OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH AND A BURNING ZEAL FOR THE SALVATION OF SOULS."  And so it came to pass.

 Dan took perpetual vows.

 In the Book of Psalms we read, "I WILL BE A WITNESS TO YOU IN THE WORLD, O LORD.  I WILL SPREAD THE KNOWLEDGE OF YOUR NAME AMONG MY BROTHERS."  And so it came to pass.

 Dan was ordained

 In Luke's gospel we read, "THE SPIRIT OF GOD IS UPON ME: HE HAS ANOINTED ME.  HE SENT ME TO BRING GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR AND TO HEAL THE BROKEN HEARTED."

And so it came to pass.

 Dan brought the Good News of the gospel to many places in South Texas and West Texas, including, Kingsville, Mission, Laredo, Midland, the Texas Prison System, Pearland, and Alvin.

 We celebrate the priesthood of Jesus Christ and we celebrate Dan's call to that priesthood.

 Additionally, we are THANKFUL for our humanness and the virtues and foibles that make us real persons.  We are thankful for knowing Dan, a man who among other things, liked order and organization, private time, writing out homilies, sending in surplus, the solitude of long road trips, out-dated typewriters, Spanish colloquialisms, crossword puzzles, paper back novels, pipe tobacco, V- Eight Juice, cheese enchiladas, chopped sirloins, gin martinis, siestas, guayaveras, poker games, Broadway Musicals, bowling, the Chicago Bears, the Bulls, the White Sox, Notre Dame, and the South Side of Chicago.

 And so it came to pass.

 We celebrate, we are thankful and we bid farewell.  Earlier we heard read in the book of Revelation, "HAPPY NOW ARE THE DEAD WHO DIE IN THE LORD.  YES, THEY SHALL FIND REST FROM THEIR LABORS, FOR THEIR GOOD WORKS ACCOMPANY THEM."

 And we read in St. Matthews's gospel, "COME, YOU WHOM MY FATHER HAS BLESSED.  INHERIT THE KINGDOM PREPARED FOR YOU SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD."

 May our priestly confrere, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, pastor and friend rest in the peace and comfort of the Lord.

 And so it came to pass!