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Funeral Liturgy for Dessie Teggart
Celebrant: Very Reverend Gerald Powell PP
On behalf of Eleanor, Paul and Suzanne and the extended Teggart family I welcome you to this funeral Mass for Dessie.
We all come here to remember Dessie, to give thanks, even in our grief, for his life, to offer each other, and especially all those who will most miss him, the consolation of our love and our presence with you today; and to offer also the promise of eternal life.
Our consolation will be the happy memories we have of Dessie; our sadness is that he has gone from us.
Our sure Christian hope is that the Lord our God will welcome him home and that one day we will be united together in heaven. In the depth of our loss and hope we now pray and offer this Eucharist for Dessie.
We come to God, knowing we need his mercy and forgiveness, and so in preparing to celebrate the Mass we call to mind our sins.
A sad occasion like this today is an occasion to reminisce and to allow the mind to linger on moments from the past. Memories flood back of childhood experiences of being cared for, encouraged and loved by a loving husband, father, granda and brother. This is a time when gratitude for a loving person wells up in your hearts for a “job well done”. It is a time of awakening to an appreciation of the gifts and blessings received. It is only in hindsight that the gift becomes clear. Life is lived going forwards but understood looking backwards.
Dessie is a part of you and will always remain so.
Home we all know is where the heart is and today the heart is not at home. The heart has gone to a different place. For it is true that today home is joined to heaven in a more profound way.
So we give thanks to God for his life and it is with confidence that we pray to the same God to give him eternal rest after all his suffering.
We remember a lovely person, a gentleman who was a treasure to you all. Letting go of him today is not going to be easy for Dessie was a great lover of family, people and life itself. Today then we bid farewell to Dessie. Despite your sense of loss, you will face the future with courage and hope, knowing that that is what Dessie would want you to do. We comfort one another in the sure confidence that for Dessie life has changed, not ended. We also derive comfort from the conviction that he is at peace with God after all his suffering.
But if we are sad today, there is also much to be thankful for. We are grateful for the life he did have, grateful for all the joy he brought into our lives. For you his loving family there’s the comfort of knowing that you were able to show Dessie throughout his life how much you all loved him and appreciated him. You knew that time was precious in recent times. All that you could have done for him, you did. There are no regrets.
It is only to God we can turn at this time to try to find some meaning, some consolation; some hope in the situation we find ourselves in. Prayer will bring us through this time.
All of us gathered here today we just want to say how sorry we are for your great loss – to Dessie’s family and very large extended family you are all in our prayers and we extend to you our deepest sympathy - May his gentle soul rest in peace.
Dessie was born on the 4th of August 1947, the 4th child in a family of 17 children of Joe and Susan Teggart.
Living originally at Reid’s Hill, the family moved to the family home at Knocknagore in 1957, when Dessie was 10 years old.
He attended Bann Primary School in Laurencetown before moving to St. Patrick’s College in Banbridge. It was at St. Patrick’s that he met his childhood sweetheart, Eleanor Fitzpatrick, 50 years ago! Five years later they were married here in this church on 7th March 1970.
After their marriage they set up home in Ann Street and in 1985, they built their present home on Castle Hill. Dessie was a very proud father to Paul and Suzanne, a doting grandfather to Rebecca, Rachel and Jessica and great grandchildren to Oscar and Ivy.
A man of deep faith, Dessie was a regular attender at daily Mass here in St. John’s. When his father Joe died in 1976, Dessie became very protective of his mother Susan and, after her death, carried on her devotion to Saint Martin. Dessie and his mother were extremely close.
After his diagnosis, Dessie went to Lourdes as part of the parish pilgrimage and, as expected, did everything he could for the Lourdes committee on his return.
He was chairman of the parish Senior Citizen’s Committee in the 1970’s and his hard work was legendary. Dessie had such enthusiasm he energised all who worked around him.
After leaving school, Dessie trained as a joiner with White’s firm before moving to King Packaging where he continued his employment until ill health took its toll 12 years ago. It was testimony to Dessie that so many of his workmates continued to visit him right up until his death. Dessie was a loyal friend and his friends, too numerous to mention, were extremely loyal to him.
Like all the Teggart boys, Dessie loved cars! The faster the better. He also had a great interest in model cars, boats and helicopters.
In latter years he developed a keen interest in photography and became a member of Banbridge Camera Club. It wasn’t enough for Dessie to take photos at an event – the next day he would arrive back with all the photos on CDs for everybody!
Nothing was ever too much trouble for Dessie and you just had to mention you were looking for something and he had it for you.
One of Dessie’s greatest traits was his positivity – whenever you asked him how he was, he always said ‘not too bad’ – he never complained through all his suffering and was willing to try anything new – any drug trials or tablets, Dessie was willing to give it a go. No wonder he was on first name terms with Professor Joe O’Sullivan – they became great friends!
Unassuming was another trait – never comfortable with a compliment – if you admired his work, whether in joinery or cars or photography, he just shrugged his shoulders and smiled.
And Dessie was always smiling.
Dessie is a part of you and will always remain so.
Home we all know is where the heart is and today the heart is not at home. The heart has gone to a different place. For it is true that today home is joined to heaven in a more profound way.
So we give thanks to God for his life and it is with confidence that we pray to the same God to give him eternal rest after all his suffering.
We remember a lovely person, a gentleman who was a treasure to you all. Letting go of him today is not going to be easy for Dessie was a great lover of family, people and life itself. Today then we bid farewell to Dessie. Despite your sense of loss, you will face the future with courage and hope, knowing that that is what Dessie would want you to do. We comfort one another in the sure confidence that for Dessie life has changed, not ended. We also derive comfort from the conviction that he is at peace with God after all his suffering.
But if we are sad today, there is also much to be thankful for. We are grateful for the life he did have, grateful for all the joy he brought into our lives. For you his loving family there’s the comfort of knowing that you were able to show Dessie throughout his life how much you all loved him and appreciated him. You knew that time was precious in recent times. All that you could have done for him, you did. There are no regrets.
It is only to God we can turn at this time to try to find some meaning, some consolation; some hope in the situation we find ourselves in. Prayer will bring us through this time.
All of us gathered here today we just want to say how sorry we are for your great loss – to Dessie’s family, His wife Eleanor, his son Paul, daughter Suzanne, daughter-in-law Jane, grandchildren and great grandchildren, his siblings Eileen, Molly, Robbie, Kay, Ann, Rosemary, Frankie, Marie, Jackie, Pauline, Gerald, Terence, Dermot, Vivienne, Bernadette, Martin and th very large extended family - you are all in our prayers and we extend to you our deepest sympathy - May his gentle soul rest in peace.
Prayer of the Faithful
Priest: As we stand before the mystery of death, Christ stands among us and says tous, ‘Courage! Do not be afraid.” With confidence let us place our prayers before him knowing that he will hear our plea.
Response: Lord, graciously hear us.
1. For Dessie, who now shares in the joy of the kingdom where pain and suffering have no home. Lord, hear us.
2.For all who mourn for Dessie, especially his wife Eleanor, son Paul, daughter Suzanne, daughter-in-law Jane, grandchildren and great grandchildren, his brothers and sisters and we remember especially his brother Frankie who cannot be with us today, and all the family circle. May they find comfort through their faith in God. Lord, hear us.
3.That we may let Dessie go with love and trust into the hands of God.
Lord, hear us.
4.For all who cared for Dessie especially Dr. Logan and the staff of Gilford Health Centre, Anne’s Home Care team, Professor Joe O’Sullivan and the staff of Belfast City Hospital. May the Lord reward them for their kind hearts and gentle hands. Lord, hear us.
5.We pray for all our relatives and friends who have died. We remember especially Dessie’s parents Joe and Susan. May they enjoy the peace and happiness of eternal life. Lord, hear us.
6.We now pray for our own special needs and intentions. …. Lord, hear us.
Priest: Lord, may you support us all day long, till the shadows lengthen and evening falls, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done; then in your mercy, Lord, grant us a safe lodging, a holy rest, and peace at last. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen
Entrance Hymn
Holy Ground
Responsorial Psalm
The Cloud's Veil
Offertory Hymn
The Lord’s my Shepherd
Communion Hymns
Be still for the Presence of the Lord
In the Quiet
Communion Reflection
"A True Friend" read by Declan Stewart
Recessional Hymn
There is a Place
His Journey's Just Begun
Don't think of him as gone away
his journey's just begun,
life holds so many facets
this earth is only one.
Just think of him as resting
from the sorrows and the tears
in a place of warmth and comfort
where there are no days and years.
Think how he must be wishing
that we could know today
how nothing but our sadness
can really pass away.
And think of him as living
in the hearts of those he touched...
for nothing loved is ever lost
and he was loved so much.
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