Dear Mike,
Here are some emails that I received with tributes to Fr. Bill. Post them on the blog if you wish. Blessings,
Fr. Tom Welbers
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Dear Fr. Welbers,
I loved Msgr Barry and knew him all my life. It would be great if the OLA website could include a blog or space where parishioners present and past could post comments on this wonderful and holy man. Everybody has a story about him.
I belong to a Jesuit parish here in New York City; the priests are all very cerebral and gifted in their own way, but none exude the bubbly joy that Fr. Barry did. I miss that most. He had a rare gift. As priests go, he was kind of a rock star.
Gina Ryan
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Fr. Tom,
I'm Mimi Cummins Anderson, Fr. Bill's youngest first cousin. My father,
Walter was Fr. Bill's mother Mary's youngest brother. We had the pleasure of
seeing Fr. Bill several times over the last 10 years - for both sad and
happy occasions - mostly the latter. And he indeed was, fun-fun-fun. He also
looked and sounded remarkably like my late father, Walter - making his loss
a little harder. Having been comforted by Fr. Bill through earlier losses,
though, the sadness is brief. He's now exactly where he was meant to be.
Fr. Bill loved your parish deeply, as I'm sure you know. His loving, sweet
demeanor will be sorely missed by all of us in the family. Please know that
those of us who cannot attend the funeral will be there in spirit with you
and your parishioners.
Much love and many blessings,
Mimi Cummins Anderson
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Hi Father Tom,
I was very fortunate like many , many others to know Monsignor Barry as a mentor. I attented OLA and graduated 1970. He was very worried about our 8th grade graduating class from OLA. He instigated a Freshman High School club for us. The students were all OLA graduates but we were spread among the varying high schools, from public to private.
He encouraged monthly get togethers for the 9th graders to keep in touch. I will never forget his positive encouragement !
I haven't seen him for many years. He counseled my husband and I before our 1980 wedding. My family has always been in touch with him. How happy they were to see Father Barry in Rome, when they were on vacation with the Duncans.
I haven't lived in Claremont for a very long time. I will always be indebted to this man for being the living example of true religion.
When you celebrate his life on Friday at Mass, please know that there are many of us old OLAers, that will continue to celebrate Monsignor Barry, our friend and mentor.
Sincerely,
Maureen Maloney Gorski
OLA Graduate 1970
St. Lucy Graduate 1974
Boston College Graduate 1978
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Dear Fr. Tom:
I heard this morning of Fr. Barry's death. I also heard from Fr. Tran that the funeral is scheduled for Friday. I know that I have not been actively involved in parish matters for many years, but I would like to offer any assistance that I can to help ensure that the funeral is a fitting tribute to him.
I am sure you will receive many communications about Bill Barry this week. I hope that you will take the time to read my ruminations in considering the most suitable celebration of his excellent life, not because it is part of my story, but the fact that my experience illustrates the extent to which he impacted a tremendous number of people. I hope that the celebration is conducted in a manner that allows as many as possible to pay their respects to his memory.
I had the privilege of knowing Fr. Barry since the first Sunday he was introduced to OLA by Msgr. Strange, about 46 years ago. He was a slender, dark haired dynamo with those steel blue eyes and a memory for names that was unbelievable (he would meet a "C&E" Catholic in front of church on Easter and call him by name the next time he saw him on Christmas).
On a personal basis, I mourn him as he was instrumental in virtually all aspects of my life. He was instrumental in my education, my early social life, and of course, my continuing spiritual journey. Like many of our parishoners, I can say that he married me, baptized my children, and more recently, pulled strings to get my daughter into St. Lucy's High School, an effort that I am convinced has completely transformed her life. Of course, I have many fond memories and some funny stories about him, some of which include a trip to the Greek Theatre to see the Temptations in 1967, his notorious penchant for speeding (and using his collar to talk himself out of the tickets), and sailing in later years.
But unlike many of our parishoners, I can say that I saw him on almost a daily basis from about 1966 until he retired. He basically had only one message, and it was love. He preached it and lived it. His love was contageous and it infected his flock. From the beginning, he embraced the changes introduced by Vatican II. He brought in one of the most memorable characters we ever had in the parish, the great Chester Johnson, who introduced the parish to congregational singing (and gave me organ lessons). He nurtured folk music, and we have Brian Carlson due to his encouragement. He brought in young priests who were working on graduate degrees to help with the daily masses (think a young Tony Campbell and Peter Albano). Of course, I could go on and on, but you are busy and I will spare you the details.
After he retired, he and I figured that we had done over 1,500 weddings alone together at OLA, not to mention funerals and thousands of other masses. Through those experiences, I came to appreciate to some degree the true extent to which he affected a multitude of lives. He didn't just "influence lives", and that cliche' is totally inadequate to describe his impact. He changed lives, and a lot of them, usually through his subtle but persistent pressure to move in a better direction, always delivered with with his unique combination of grace and humor.
His inspirational influence is still with us, even though he has been in retirement. I know that plans must be made immediately, and hope that his funeral will be planned in a manner that will give the greatest number of the people who learned from him a better way to love to have the opportunity to celebrate his life. Please let me know if I can help with anything.
Best regards,
Jim Stoneman
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