Bruce Wirtz, Resurrection House - and hospitality
Bruce’s death is a hard blow to so many. Not least to his partner of 15 years, Ben. And Bruce’s wonderful children, (and I mean wonderful), Nelson, Katie, Andrew and Eunice, together with their families.
Two years ago I officiated at Nelson’s marriage on Cape Cod to Meredith, and then six weeks later, the four children and I were together at St. Luke’s Church in Worcester for the Requiem for their mother, Mary Virginia, at which I presided.
Now Bruce has passed. We’d been friends for 31 years. He was a wonderful Priest in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. Bruce had a marvelous gift for hospitality, and we would joke that every person he met, even in the supermarket, would get an invitation to dinner at the home he shared with Ben in SRQ.
I’d see Bruce and Ben during their annual trips to New England, and they would urge “visit us in Florida”.
“Florida”, I would exclaim, “I hate Florida”.
But at Nelson and Meredith’s wedding I promised that I would visit. That I did in early 2006, and the rest, as they say, is history.
I came to SRQ, stayed with Bruce and Ben; met many of their friends; re-united with Barbara and Kay, (parishioners in Pittsfield - retired to Bradenton); and was enchanted and delighted .
Within six months I had retired here! During my first four weeks, Ben and Bruce checked in with me by ‘phone or in person every day. That wonderful gift of hospitality again!
Now Bruce has died, and I am sore. I will reflect a bit on death and grief tomorrow.
It stinks.
After a year in retirement I found a niche as a volunteer at Resurrection House, a wonderful day shelter for homeless people. I’d been inspired to this ministry by Debbie Little of Common Cathedral in Boston.
http://www.ecclesia-ministries.org/
At Resurrection House I “shoot the breeze” with homeless people; take in laundry; assign showers and once a week facilitate a prayer service in the Chapel. (It’s Bruce’s gift of hospitality all over again).
(Two other volunteers who love the poor, and who pray with us each week, are “Sisters of the Epiphany” a part of the very right wing Ave Maria group founded by the owner of Domino's Pizza. Oh go figure will you - I cannot!).
Common Cathedral has created wonderful crosses which I give away at Resurrection House (see illustration).
Forty of them arrived in the mail today, and I drove down to Resurrection House today to keep them safe in my mail box.
Near to the House I encountered D….. H…… a regular guest at the House. He was peddling his under-sized bicycle like a bat out of hell. I tooted my horn and he made a U turn and came back to me.
“Padre Miguel” he exclaimed. We chatted. I asked if he had work. “Yes” he said, “just for today. I have to be there at two o‘clock, what time is it now?”.
“Three o’clock” I replied. Off he shot. But as he did so he called “I love you Pastor Michael”.
Oh the gifts we receive.
Thank you Bruce. Thank you Debbie. Thank you D….. H……
Two years ago I officiated at Nelson’s marriage on Cape Cod to Meredith, and then six weeks later, the four children and I were together at St. Luke’s Church in Worcester for the Requiem for their mother, Mary Virginia, at which I presided.
Now Bruce has passed. We’d been friends for 31 years. He was a wonderful Priest in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. Bruce had a marvelous gift for hospitality, and we would joke that every person he met, even in the supermarket, would get an invitation to dinner at the home he shared with Ben in SRQ.
I’d see Bruce and Ben during their annual trips to New England, and they would urge “visit us in Florida”.
“Florida”, I would exclaim, “I hate Florida”.
But at Nelson and Meredith’s wedding I promised that I would visit. That I did in early 2006, and the rest, as they say, is history.
I came to SRQ, stayed with Bruce and Ben; met many of their friends; re-united with Barbara and Kay, (parishioners in Pittsfield - retired to Bradenton); and was enchanted and delighted .
Within six months I had retired here! During my first four weeks, Ben and Bruce checked in with me by ‘phone or in person every day. That wonderful gift of hospitality again!
Now Bruce has died, and I am sore. I will reflect a bit on death and grief tomorrow.
It stinks.
After a year in retirement I found a niche as a volunteer at Resurrection House, a wonderful day shelter for homeless people. I’d been inspired to this ministry by Debbie Little of Common Cathedral in Boston.
http://www.ecclesia-ministries.org/
At Resurrection House I “shoot the breeze” with homeless people; take in laundry; assign showers and once a week facilitate a prayer service in the Chapel. (It’s Bruce’s gift of hospitality all over again).
(Two other volunteers who love the poor, and who pray with us each week, are “Sisters of the Epiphany” a part of the very right wing Ave Maria group founded by the owner of Domino's Pizza. Oh go figure will you - I cannot!).
Common Cathedral has created wonderful crosses which I give away at Resurrection House (see illustration).
Forty of them arrived in the mail today, and I drove down to Resurrection House today to keep them safe in my mail box.
Near to the House I encountered D….. H…… a regular guest at the House. He was peddling his under-sized bicycle like a bat out of hell. I tooted my horn and he made a U turn and came back to me.
“Padre Miguel” he exclaimed. We chatted. I asked if he had work. “Yes” he said, “just for today. I have to be there at two o‘clock, what time is it now?”.
“Three o’clock” I replied. Off he shot. But as he did so he called “I love you Pastor Michael”.
Oh the gifts we receive.
Thank you Bruce. Thank you Debbie. Thank you D….. H……
Michael -- I was sad to read about Bruce's death, and even more sad that we were not able to meet him. It sounds like he was a blessing in many people's lives.
ReplyDeleteI remember Bruce and Mary Virginia very fondly from the days when I was the cook at Bement and then in Worcester at St. Matthews where Bruce baptized our first son. We've been living the last 22 years in Germany and had lost all contact with Bruce, but now I think I understand why he so suddenly left St. Matthews. I was also nixed for sponsorship to seminary in 1982.
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