Archbishop Hannan always gets the last word

    Archbishop Aymond delivered the following remarks at Archbishop Hannan’s funeral Mass on Oct. 6 at St. Louis Cathedral:
    Today we say farewell to a great man.
    To the people of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, he was a shepherd, a bishop, a community leader, a father, a friend, a brother priest.
    The Church gives us this time for words of remembrance and for the opportunity to honor Archbishop Hannan and to thank God for his life.
    We thank God for Philip Matthew Hannan.
    He was a native of Washington, D.C., and he also made New Orleans his home for 46 years.
    He had the courage to jump from planes and risk his life in time of war, and he also jumped into challenging dangers for the sake of the Gospel.
    He whispered to God daily his hopes and dreams. He also spoke boldly for respect of the life of the unborn, the dying, the poor and those with disabilities.
    He celebrated Mass in great cathedrals around the world and on the hood of a Jeep.
    He fought for peace in the military and offered peace to refugees from Vietnam after the fall of 1975.
    He prayed for the poor. He also heard their cry and provided food, housing, care for the elderly and medical care.
    He sat at table with popes and President Kennedy; he also fed the homeless every Thanksgiving at Ozanam Inn.
    He certainly honored the saints in heaven, and he supported the Saints’ football team in New Orleans.
    He not only prayed for peace but also worked tirelessly to end racism in this local archdiocese.
    Philip Matthew Hannan taught us how to live, how to grow old gracefully and how to die in peace.
    He was a well-educated man, and he provided education for others, especially the poor.
    He loved his mother and his whole family. He also had a special love for the Blessed Mother.
    He lived 98 years as a disciple of Jesus, 71 years as a priest, 55 years as a bishop, 23 years as the archbishop of New Orleans and 23 years as the archbishop emeritus of New Orleans.
    His episcopal motto was, “Charity binds us to perfection.” He lived that charity.
    Archbishop Hannan, thank you. We will miss you. Please pray for us. We love you, and in many ways, you will always be our shepherd.
    Archbishop Hannan was never opposed to having the last word. I will read this quote from his autobiography:
    “From my perspective … I will accomplish in death what I could not in life because as priests we are most fully alive when we die. If we don’t feel that way, we certainly have not served the cause of Christ as we were meant to. In the final spiritual analysis, to fulfill the will of God, a priest must die in life as did his own Son. And when that time comes, with the grace of God, I am ready.”
    We know you were ready.