Farewell to a Few Faith-Filled Fellows

by Linda Olsen

On this 5^th anniversary of the passing of Deacon Ken Oles, who served our parish for 40 years, we are reprinting an article of 7-7-2019 written by our rectory receptionist as she honored Deacon Ken, long-time St. Mary parishioner Joe Lorusso, and her father.

Farewell to a Few Faith-Filled Fellows

When I got the call that June 6^th morning that my father had passed, I was a bit surprised that despite feeling very sad, I was also quite at peace about this loss. My father had brushed with death many times over the past 4 years, with ICU admissions, a post-surgical stroke and even a life flight in a helicopter after a fall. But for the past 1 ½ years he laid in a bed in my parents’ living room, awakening to eat, but mostly just sleeping. Although we loved having him around for so long (he turned 96 on his last birthday!), we also knew that he was nearing the end of his earthly life. Our prayers as a family were focused on dad’s comfort while on earth and for his blessed passage to God when that time came.

On that same June 6^th morning , Joe Lorusso, a 93 year old Wrentham resident and parishioner of St. Mary’s, also died. And just a few weeks before that, our beloved Deacon Ken Oles was taken to heaven as well. These three faith-filled men spent their final days on hospice in their homes, but each had spent their purposeful lives making a difference for others.

I met Mr. Lorusso (he always said ‘call me Joe’) soon after I began my job at the St. Mary rectory. He loved to take Fr. Joe and Fr. Bill to lunch, so I frequently coordinated the date and time of those outings. What priest wouldn’t open their schedule for a free lunch at Luciano’s?! I was frequently struck by Mr. Lorusso’s incredible generosity. He contributed significantly to the ramp project at St. Mary’s and to the purchase of a new organ for the church. He told me that the financial success of his business was a blessing from God and he was happy to share his good fortune. Mr. Lorusso talked frequently of his faith and enjoyed the 9:30 family Mass, especially the music!

Deacon Ken was a gem. He reminded me a bit of my father as he favored the “old school” traditions of Catholicism. I admired how devoted he was to all things related to our faith. You could see his conviction as he stood proudly on the altar proclaiming the Word of God and delivering his heart felt homilies. It was a grace from our Lord that Deacon Ken marked his 40^th year of ordination the week of his passing. He was my mentor when I began coordinating baptism arrangements for our collaborative. Anyone who has baptized over 1,200 children is definitely the expert on that sacrament! In addition to his work within our parishes, Deacon Ken was incredibly active in the community. He fed the hungry of Wrentham through his Harvests from the Heart gardening and he served the military of our area as the Veterans Service Agent.

Like Deacon Ken, my father also toiled the land to produce food for others. We nicknamed him “Pa Tater” because of his bounteous potato crops. He and my mom delivered Meals on Wheels in their Ohio community for 17 years and attended daily Mass for the 14 years prior to dad’s health decline. My father entered World War II on Christmas Eve of 1942 and, like Deacon Ken, was always proud of his tenure in the navy. A beautiful patriotic quilt was given to my dad on this Memorial Day in appreciation of his service in the war and it was covering him two weeks later when he died on the 75^th anniversary of D-Day.

As I reflect on the legacy of Deacon Ken, Mr. Lorusso and my dad, I am struck by how they each lived for something greater than themselves: Faith in God, love of family, and service to others. They embraced these areas of their life with great conviction and when the time came to leave, they did so with a strong belief in a glorious life everlasting. As was read from the Second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy at my father’s funeral: “..the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me…”
I shall miss these three men who taught me a lot about faith, service and generosity. I hope that I, and all who knew and loved them, will strive to keep their spirit and good works alive so that we too can be remembered for contributions that made the world a better place.