Thank you to all who have listened to this podcast or read my posts. It has been greatly appreciated. Even after over three years of completing this project, I still continue to get negative feedback from family members about it. I have decided to take the podcast down from iTunes and Stitcher. You can still download the episodes from the website. Thank you for understanding.
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Today we say good-bye and celebrate the life of an amazing individual that I have been priviledged to have in my life for 18 years. All of those gathered here – former music directors, choir members, lectors, parishioners, family and friends – have suffered a great loss in their lives with the passing of Pat Jakus.
When anyone comes to St. Aloysius, I think they can immediately sense that this is a special place. When I came here in 7th Grade in 1993, it didn’t take me long to get involved as an altar server and youth choir member. I loved being part of these ministries and grew so much as a young person.
In 1995, I started high school and began my ministry with the adult choir. That was a sad year for the choir because we learned that Pat had been in a terrible fire in her home. Months later when Pat was able to return to the choir I was so amazed by her. She sacrified her life to save her cats and because of that she also sacrificied her singing voice (going from a soprano to a tenor voice) and had a lot of skin damage. I was so young then, but I remember that I was very inspired by her and her story.
Over the years of our friendship and work together in ministry, I continued to be inspired by her. Despite the physical pain she had the last few years, she was present at every choir rehearsal and mass. Nothing would stop her from doing this important work. She also joined the choir in high school and has been there for every music director and pastor ever since – over 60 years. I went from being a choir member, to director, to member and back to director since then and she has constantly been there. Her death is devasting for all of us and she leaves a huge hole in our parish.
Whenever I needed anything, she was there to help. When I accidently locked myself out of the rectory a few weeks ago, I called her. She was about to sit down for breakfast but said “what do you need?” That was always her immediate response.
She did so much for our parish. She was the lector coordinator – scheduling and training the lectors – parish trustee (treasurer), number one parish festival volunteer (Pokerino) and so much more. The whole parish was affected by her and her dedication to St. Aloysius. It is so appropriate that she died here with her parish family after doing her duty as lector. She was not home alone or driving for Interfaith; she was here.
St. Aloysius will never be ther same and neither will I.
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