Peter Chase's Welcome

We are so grateful to Peter Chase for opening up his church and his heart to us after Stuart's death. His thoughtful, elegant prose brought just the right kind of spirituality to the service, and his words at the beginning and the end of the service provided just the right, subtle structure we sought. Here are the words of his welcome that day.

I am Peter Chase and serve as the rector of Saint Mary’s where I first met Stuart and Doug as they worked within this sanctuary in 1996.

Today you can see the results of their craftsmanship with the restoration of the lower facade as you entered the church, and now as you look at the altar and East wall, the gentle roundness of the arches, the strength and beauty of the columns. These are both reminders of Stuart’s appreciation for simplicity and grace.

Stuart once told me he felt at peace within this sacred space and I pray that we too may discover a sense of serenity as we remember him today. Stuart appreciated the beauty of life and he added to it with great skill and affection. This is a service to celebrate all that Stuart cared for, and all that he has meant to us. And we do this, not to be overwhelmed by our loss, but to meet the days ahead with hope and gratitude as we recall all that he loved and cherished.

Stuart possessed a genuine concern for the welfare of others and may we also carry that spirit with us. May we care for those things Stuart cared for and love those things he loved so that in our own lives, his life may live on.

There is a collect in The Book of Common Prayer which says that God knows our needs even before we have the need to ask. It says we do not need to invoke God's presence for God is already with us. And I believe this is true for us today as we remember Stuart.And may our presence here be of support to Karen, Ben and Alison, Doug, Betsy and their mother and all of the Whitla family. May all of us be knit together in kindness and respect for the fragility of life and the power of the Spirit.