Fr. Dan Riley's Homily at the Mass for Peace

Mass For Peace
Tuesday, June 27, 2023
Homily Given by Fr. Dan Riley

"The shocking deaths of Lucia, Bruno and Jill are an enormous loss. Those of you who are close family and friends have lost not one, but three people, who have been such a loving and important part of your lives. Christina, Bruno, Anna, other family members, and close friends – we are so sorry. On behalf of everyone, including Cardinal Sean and Pope Francis who in a meeting in Rome today prayed together for you, and Mayor Ruthanne Fuller who called to express her sorrow, I want to extend our love, care and sympathy.

Among our feelings are shock, loss and painful grief. While most deeply felt by those closest to Jill, Bruno and Lucia, the neighborhood, and Our Lady’s parish, as extended family – we are all feeling shock, loss and grief.

We are grieving, and at the same time we are not hopeless. We have confidence about the future based on the fact that Jesus is risen. Because Jesus is risen, Jill, Bruno and Lucia are now alive in Heaven, where there is no violence. Because Jesus is risen, they are in Heaven, where everyone gets along. Because Jesus is risen, they are in Heaven where the joy is so great it exceeds even the joy of the little ones in the family opening presents on Christmas morning. Because Jesus is risen, they are in Heaven, where even the beauty of the flowers Jill arranged for Our Lady’s, or joy from the taste of Bruno’s Limoncello, is surpassed. They are alive and serenely happy.

In addition, because Jesus is risen – he is alive and with us here, especially in this extremely difficult time. Jesus is with us in the warmth, embraces, phone calls and other acts of mutual love and support being shared. Jesus is with us as we receive him in Holy Communion, through which he tenderly caresses our wounded hearts. Jesus is with us, as our best friend, always at our side, always loving us, always helping us.

This horrible tragedy has shown what we knew already: that you are people who care about each other, and express that care with words and actions of kindness. You embrace each other, listen compassionately, and are not afraid to say to each other: “I love you.” And I know this love and support will live on long after the media coverage fades. God’s love is tender and never ending, and so is your love.

A great act of humble love that is too easily overlooked in tragedy, is the love you have shown in allowing yourself to receive love. You have allowed trained professionals to help you deal with the trauma. You have allowed me and the staff to support your Catholic faith. You have allowed friends to feed you and listen to you. You do this, so that you can be the best version of yourselves in order to be at your best in helping each other.

Allow me to close with four expressions of confidence. First, I am confident that you, the family and friends of Jill, Bruno and Lucia have the right stuff – the good hearts, the strength of character and the depth of faith, to get through this. Second, I have confidence in the bonds of love and support in the family, the neighborhood, and in Our Lady’s parish. Third, I have confidence that Jesus is tenderly loving us. Fourth and finally, I have confidence that Jill, Bruno and Lucia are alive in Heaven."


First Reading – Galatians 6: 2, 9-10 Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ. Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up. So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all, but especially to those who belong to the family of the faith.

Gospel – Mark 16: 1-7 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him. Very early when the sun had risen, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb. They were saying to one another, “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back; it was very large. On entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were utterly amazed. He said to them, “Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him. But go and tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.’”