Brother Charlie, RIP

Fr. Charles Repole, whose story I shared previously here, died last night at the age of 96 at Queen of Peace Residence in Queens Village, NY. The arrangements for his wake and funeral are pending.

Brother Charlie died peacefully in his sleep. He lived his last day making his usual rounds among the nursing home residents and staff. None of us suspected he was, to borrow an expression of a priest friend of mine, "on the edge of eternity." The brothers in my household noted that he is mercifully reunited with his brother, Celsus, who was also a Capuchin. The aching that Brother Charlie felt for his brother in blood and spirit, a pain this world could not diminish, has now been relieved.

We are all glad we had the opportunity last month to see our brother, whose simple presence impressed upon you the living history of our tradition and the reality of our communion with the saints who, though so far away, are so near to us. There is no doubt the brothers of this province will gather one more time, as they did in September, out of love for a friar whose journey has now taken its ultimate turn from life in this world to life in the world everlasting.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May his and the souls of all the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Postscript: You can view photos of Brother Charlie in this Facebook album of the New York Correction History Society. He was for many years chaplain at the city jail complex on Rikers Island. As we remember the work Brother Charlie did for all the souls suffering in prison, let us work and pray for the day when there will be no more incarcerations. We must stop bestializing the poor, criminalizing their souls, undermining their families, and confining their neighborhoods. Retribution will yield to the more perfect way of restoration. The love of God will unharden our stony hearts. The power of God will smash our prison walls to pieces.