Echos of the Faith

The Lantern Vol. 44

Upon entering churches lately, I have been disheartened by both the lack of faithful and especially the lack of family’s at weekly mass. Our churches are far from capacity and the responses of the faithful sound as if the spiritual life has been drained from them. These past two years have witnessed such a lack of faith and trust in God, most notably by our religious leadership. As I approach communion with the song “Be Not Afraid” being played, fear is what I usually see in the eyes of our priests.

Yet today, I heard the echoes of the faith. My wife and I attended a funeral for a friend’s father who passed after a long life of faithful witness.

Like many people in their older years, their friends have passed before them. So It is not unusual to see a church of empty pews at these funerals, but this was not the case today. The Church was more filled than most Sunday masses I attend. What was more gratifying, it was filled with practicing Catholics. How would I know? When the priest said, “peace be with you”. the church resounded with “and with your spirit” as if filled to overflowing.

It was then I heard and witnessed the echoes of the faithful. Charles ”Skip” Wissinger was a man whose life left an imprint and echo of faithfulness. He was a faithful husband and father of five girls. As a father of just two girls, I cannot fathom the emotional and spiritual roller coaster that five young girls would take you on. In the wake of this journey, he left 6 beautiful women including his wife. I knew Skip as my basketball coach in grade school. His patience and goodness were apparent. I was one child who did not possess the skill sets of basketball. Skip Wissinger was the type of coach that understood his mission. It was developing souls, not just bodies. He helped coach grade school and high school children for 32 years. Although he had not coached in some time the high school coach brought the basketball team to the mass. I saw this couch understood dedication. As I grew older and started my own family I saw Skip sing faithfully in our church choir until the sunset of his life. He participated in numerous church-related groups. It was his example as a father, coach, choir member, and person, that I now heard resound so loudly today. His witness to our faith in his life was a song played out for his family and friends. Now, that song echoed through the voices of those who came to see Skip laid to rest in the arms of our blessed mother and her Son our Lord. It was not just the whispered responses of those attending but rather the strong voices of believers who shared a passion with Skip. Young and old, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, people influenced by his witness now echoed His faith, our faith.

In our lives today we face many adversities and tragedies yet there is nothing more beautiful as the witness of a man devoted to the faith and family. The witness may seem quiet and reserved hidden in the trails and trials of family life. Today however it echoed. All present were touched by it, by

the power of Christ in His simple follower.

I pray that all of us can make such a beautiful sacrifice and witness, so like Skip, our witness echos in the world even after our voices are silent.