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Growth
In the month following their wedding, Seamus and Kathleen were as happy as any couple could possibly be. They stayed at home in Port Costa, but did make several trips into San Francisco to enjoy the sights and sounds of what Seamus still thought must be the very center of the world. Seamus did promise her that some day they would have a proper honeymoon, but that right now they could not afford it. This was of little concern to Kathleen, however. She was just pleased to have found the perfect husband.
One thing that she did learn about her husband was that as perfect as he might have been in other areas, he was not always the most prompt person in the world. Once, when she reminded him of this small defect, he said,
"But Kathleen, remember the gift that Father Murphy gave me for the wedding! The gold Lord Elgin pocket watch! With that I surely will be on time!"
"If you remember to wear it!"
Feeling duly chastised by his beloved wife, Seamus resolved then and there that he would never be without his pocket watch. In later years, when he purchased a small glass-domed holder for the watch and placed it next to the stone from Dromid Church, Seamus was never without a timepiece of one kind or another. He may have been late in his youth, but that was the past.
Towards the end of January when Kathleen started to go into Oakland for classes at Holy Names College, Seamus returned to work at Saint Dominic's. He first went up to the new cemetery to see how it looked. It had been almost a month since he had been up on Hillcrest, but he was pleased to see that none of the trees or plants had died, though he did notice what seemed to be evidence of deer coming into the cemetery looking for a meal.
"Well, I suppose that they have to eat too."
As he headed down the hill towards the Church, he felt a new confidence growing inside himself. Even though he had been married for a few short weeks, marriage had been good to him and he was on top of the world.
Heading towards Father Murphy's office, he noticed a quiet in the priory that was unusual. Just as he was going to knock on the door, Father Murphy opened it and, seeing Seamus, said,
"Ah, good, you've come just in time. Come inside."
Father Murphy shut the door behind him and sitting behind his desk, said,
"Seamus, I need you to go up to the cemetery and prepare a grave. Brother Robert is dying. In fact, the doctors say that he will not live through the night. So, we need to get ready."
"What about the coffin, Father? I don't think that I have the time to build one. I mean, there's not enough wood out in the shop and I don't know if the lumber store would have what I need. What'll we do?"
"Don't worry about that lumber store. Remember the clerk there doesn't understand these things anyway."
Seamus nodded his head and said,
"I remember, but what are we going to use for Brother Robert. We can't just wrap him in an old sheet and toss him in the ground. I remember talking with him a few times and he seemed to be a wonderful person. But what about a coffin?"
"You know the undertakers over in Martinez, Connelley's? One of their people just opened an undertaking business here Benicia that is called "Higgin's." I have already contacted them and they are bringing a coffin over here. I'm sure it won't be as fine as yours, but we just don't have time. So, will you please go and dig Brother Robert his grave right next to Brother Louis' grave?"
"I'm off, Father."
With that Seamus headed out to the shop to find s wheelbarrow and some shovels. With these things in hand, he headed up the hill towards the cemetery. Going up the flat section of Fifth Street was easy enough, but once he got to the hill portion, Seamus found it very difficult to either push or pull the wheelbarrow. Something would have to be done about this. Once he got to the cemetery, he pushed the wheelbarrow down the grand entrance towards the circle. He looked over to the noticing the small grove of trees near the fence on the far right side. This would be the perfect spot where he could build a shed, perhaps one like his father had built for Paul Walsh back home. They could store the necessary tools there and have them ready at hand when needed. He would have to talk to Father Murphy about this.
It took the rest of the morning to dig Brother Robert's grave and part of the afternoon. Even though it was fairly cool, Seamus removed his jacket and worked in his shirtsleeves. It was hard work, digging deeper and deeper, until he had the right length, width, and depth. He wished that there was an easier way to do this, but what that way could be, he had no idea.
Brother Robert lingered several more days, but when he finally died, Seamus noticed something in the attitude of the priests and brothers at Saint Dominic's. They were relieved that Brother Robert had died, but they were not sad. It was as though they knew they had lost a friend who had gone home to God. Like he felt about his father, they knew he was with God in heaven.
Seamus went to the storage room near the kitchen to bring the coffin to the room in the infirmary where Brother Robert had died. Since it was still in a box, Seamus took all of the cardboard off and began to polish the wood. It was nice enough, but he did notice that there was a mistake on the right rear corner. The corner molding was clearly upside down. A small palm tree had been carved on each molding, but on this one the tree's roots were up in the air instead of being on the ground..
"Good grief, I can do better than this."
Annoyed that he would have to fix what should have been a better prepared coffin, Seamus went off to get the necessary tools. Coming back, he carefully removed the molding and pulled the used nails out. Finding the right size of nail, he held the molding in place and tapped the nails back into the coffin. Luckily he was able to cover up most of the evidence of his work. But he did think to himself,
"I'm going to have to tell those people at Higgin's about this. They may be new, but they can surely do better than this."
Moments later four of the brothers carried the coffin off to Brother Robert's room and from there brought it into the Church where it was laid between the choir, surrounded with the now familiar six orange candles. Seamus watched the ceremonies taking place up in the sanctuary from with great interest. He did not understand the Latin that was being both said and sung, so he finally knelt down and began to pray the Rosary for Brother Robert.
The next morning the Funeral Mass began at 9 O'clock and by 10 O'clock they were heading up Fifth towards the cemetery. In later years they would use a cart to bring the coffin on this last journey, or even when they were invented, a motor car. But this day, the brother carried Brother Robert the entire distance. As they carried their precious load up the street, one of the young brothers told Seamus how Brother Robert was one of the most beloved people to live at Saint Dominic's. He would always be ready to help anyone. He had started out studying for the priesthood, but by his own admission books were not the strong point of his life. He much preferred to repair things and so he became a lay brother instead. For years he had kept the priory and church in good working order and when he was no longer able to work like that, he would answer the door, sweep the halls, or trim the rose bushes that grew where the old cemetery had been located outside of the church. Listening to these stories of Brother Robert's life, Seamus wishes that he had been able to know him better.
After the Burial Service, Seamus returned with the priests and brothers to the Church where they had a special lunch in the refectory. Father Murphy said "Gaudeamus" and instead of a resounding "Deo Gratias," the priests and brothers immediately began to laugh and tell stories about Brother Robert. Seamus was a little shocked when he heard some of the brothers imitating Brother Robert's manner and voice. Since it was done with great love, he figured that this must be ok. He just hoped that Brother Robert was laughing up in heaven at the way they were laughing down here on earth. Seamus sensed that there was too much love for Brother Robert in the stories and imitations for there to be any malice.
While they were eating their meal, a welcome letter arrived in the morning post. Napa Marble and Granite Works announced that in two weeks time they would come to Benicia and install the granite Cross, outdoor altar, and new white gravestones on the graves. This pleased Seamus very much. At long last he would be able to see exactly how the cemetery would look for years, even centuries to come. While taking care of come tasks at the church, Seamus went several times up to the cemetery to prepare for the arrival of Napa Marble and Granite.
When Mr. Simich arrived with several lorries containing the cross and other stonework for the cemetery Seamus was there to watch what they were doing. He wanted to learn as much as he could because, "You never know when you need to know something!"
It took Mr. Simich's team of workers almost six days to complete their work, but when they were finished Seamus could barely contain his approval. He asked Mr. Simich to wait while he went down and asked Father Murphy to come up to the cemetery. He would not tell Father Murphy why he had to come, he simply insisted that Father Murphy drop what he was doing and come up the hill.
When they turned into the cemetery Father Murphy's eyes opened wide and he cried out,
"Fantastic! This is fantastic! It is magnificent!"
Mr. Simich stepped over to Father Murphy and asked,
"Are you pleased, Father?"
"Am I pleased? Don't be foolish! The work is outstanding. Now we can finally have to consecrated by the archbishop. Thank you very much."
Once the cemetery was cleaned up, Seamus returned to the Saint Dominic's where Father Murphy told him that he was going to ask the archbishop to come from San Francisco to consecrate the cemetery as soon as it was convenient. He was hoping that he would be able to come right after Easter, if nothing prevented him.
It was two weeks before they heard back from the archbishop in San Francisco who said that he would come and consecrate the new cemetery on the Saturday after Easter. The Mass would be at 10 O'clock in the morning. The archbishop also suggested that at that time he might make a canonical visitation of the parish, "as long as I am coming that far, it seems reasonable to do two things at once."
During the time before the consecration of the cemetery, Seamus not only continued his work at the Church, but he also spent as much time as he could with his beloved Kathleen. He wondered how he had ever been able to live without her. While he was over in Benicia, she would go into Oakland on the train and take classes at Holy Names College. She was still nursing her desire to become a teacher. Even though Seamus felt a little awkward when she talked about her schoolwork, he never mentioned it to Kathleen. She did not seem to be concerned that Seamus had not finished school. He had a good job and took good care of her. What more could she ask for?
That Easter Seamus did not go to Mass at Saint Patrick's. Rather, he rented a room at the Benicia Hotel, and told Kathleen that they were going to spend Easter weekend over in Benicia and they would go to Mass at Saint Dominic's. According to the custom of the time, the Easter Mass was celebrated Saturday morning, which made no sense to Seamus, but all of the priests and brothers seemed to think that this was quite normal. The one part of the Mass that Seamus especially enjoyed was during the singing of the Gloria the entire Dominican Community removed the black capes that they were wearing and threw them onto the floor in the middle of the choir, right where Brother Robert's coffin had so recently rested. Easter Sunday morning Kathleen and Seamus went to the early Mass and then they walked back to their hotel and had a nice leisurely breakfast in the hotel restaurant. After spending the afternoon walking along the waterfront, they caught the last ferry of the day and return, exhausted, to their home and immediately fell asleep.
That week after Easter was as busy time around Saint Dominic's, both at the Church and up at the cemetery. Everyone wanted nothing short of perfection for the visit of the archbishop. When Archbishop Riordan arrived on the ferry from Martinez, several of the fathers were there to meet him. After taking a few minutes to clean up in the priory, the community processed up to the Cemetery where the Consecration Mass was to begin. Since it was a Saturday, Kathleen did not have to go into Oakland for school. She joined Seamus and many parishioners of Saint Dominic's Parish who had come up to the cemetery for this Mass.
Seamus still did not understand very much of the Latin that was sung, but it didn't matter. Seamus knew that God was blessing his work and that was all that mattered. When it came time for Archbishop Riordan to walk around the cemetery and sprinkle holy water at the outer limits, Seamus noticed that the archbishop pointedly did not sprinkle holy water around the far left corner of the cemetery. When he asked Father Murphy about it afterwards, he was told that people who committed suicide could not be buried in consecrated ground. So, just in case they ever needed it, one section of Saint Dominic's Cemetery was not consecrated.
Father Murphy made the Sign of the Cross and prayed,
"I hope to God that we never need to use that area!"
Not one week after Saint Dominic's Cemetery was consecrated Seamus was called into Father Murphy's office.
"Seamus, there are tow things that I need to talk with you about. Please be seated. First, go to the lumber store and get to work on building a shed at the cemetery. However, make it more like a tiny house, with several rooms. You'll be needing it up there."
"I'll be needing it?"
Pointing at him, Father Murphy said,
"Yes, Seamus, you'll be needing it up there. Because, and this is the second thing that I want to talk with you about. Ever since we moved the graves of the priests up there and the people watched the consecration of the new cemetery, people have been coming to me in droves. You've laid out such a magnificent cemetery that the parish no longer wants to be buried at the City Cemetery. People now tell me that the City Cemetery is ugly, but our new cemetery has character, that it is a place of beauty and peace. They say that this is where they want to be buried. So, last night the Chapter met and decided that Saint Dominic's Cemetery will not serve, not just the priests and brothers and nuns from Saint Catherine's, but the entire Catholic Community. The Chapter has been pleased with your work and so you have been named superintendent of the cemetery.
Seamus was both surprised and pleased to listen to Father Murphy. He had hoped from the beginning that Saint Dominic's Cemetery would be a place where everyone could learn something about their faith and why Catholics take special care of their dead. Amazed at how quickly he could think of things, he remembered how the clerk at the ,umber store wanted throw the dead out and not worry about them. After a moment's silence, Seamus finally spoke up,
"Father, back home my Da is buried in Old Dromid Cemetery. Dromid Church used to be Catholic, but they tried to make it Protestant, but I always heard how the people in those days told the minister to leave, that they didn't need him to tell them how to pray. They kept the old faith, the true faith. Even when the authorities put a fence around the church, the people always knew that this was a holy place and it was theirs. They knew that this was where their dead would rest in peace until the day of resurrection. My Da lies buried very near the grave of the first old man that was buried there. They had to climb over the fence in the dark of night to bury him so that the authorities would not know what was happening. After that, the church fell into ruin and the fence was finally torn down and Dromid Church became Dromid Cemetery. My Uncle Henry is buried inside the church, right where I think that altar must have been. So, Father, I guess that I can understand why people want to be buried up there with the Father and the Nuns. That's holy ground up there, Father, and even though it will be many years from now, that is where I want to rest in peace, if I may."
Father Murphy looked at Seamus for several minutes. When he at long last spoke, he said,
"My boy, you can have a grave up there. Find a plot for yourself and your Kathleen and make a record of it. You're in charge now and you better get moving! There's a lot of work to do so that you will be ready for the people from the parish. I suspect that we are going to have to move some graves from the City Cemetery and you will have to help the people with that. Come up with an idea of how the areas for the people will be arranged and how much the charge for burial should be. Maybe you can go over to Saint Mary's in Oakland and Holy Cross in San Francisco and see what they charge. Father Collins is in charge of the cemeteries for the Archdiocese. I will get in touch with him so that you can learn from him how to run a proper cemetery."
As Seamus walked wordlessly out of Father Murphy's office, all he could think about was how good God had been to him. He came from Ireland with nothing and now he had a home, a wife, and a good job. What more could he ask for? Father Murphy was amused to see Seamus leave the priory and immediately punch his hands together and cry out, "YES!"
"Well, as long as he pays attention to that watch I gave him, I don't need to worry about the boy."