Good Afternoon Beloved Family of Fr. O’Flaherty, Bishop Galeone, Father Jason and our pastor, Fr. Tetlow, Religious, Friends and Fellow Parishioners of SMDM

How do we begin to put into words, the heartfelt emotions that are felt by everyone in the congregation today?  We do it using our beloved Fr. O’Flaherty’s own words, which he spoke to us on October 22, 2000 when he dedicated this beautiful church to our Blessed Mother, “My heart is filled with appreciation to all of you who helped get us to this glorious day and with love for Our Lord, who brings us together.  One thing continuously makes the difference ~ the people.”  Well Fr. John, your people are gathered here today to celebrate your life.  We pray that you are smiling down on us from above.

We all hope that during our lifetime, we will be able to make a difference in this world.  The difference that Fr. John O’Flaherty made is evident in the eyes of each and every one of us gathered here today.  From the young children to whom he taught religious education, to the senior citizens he comforted during the later years of their lives, Father made a difference in the lives of those with whom he came in contact – his legacy is evident in our hearts and in this beautiful place of worship in which we celebrate our faith.  Your legacy is a beautiful one Fr. John and we are grateful to have had you in our lives.

Fr. John O’Flaherty was born in County Kerry, Ireland on June 29, 1937.  The son of Timothy and Mary Anne he was fortunate to have 6loving sisters, Kathleen, Josie, Theresa, Deborah, Maura and Nora (deceased) and 2 brothers, Michael and Thomas.  The Holy Spirit was at work in the O’Flaherty home as they were blest with four sisters entering the convent and Fr. John answering the call to the priesthood.  From his early beginnings attending school at Moyvane National School and working on the family farm, to his high school years at Rockewell College High School and his religious education at St. Kieran’s Seminary in Kilkenny, Fr. O’Flaherty was always a determined and focused man.  His strong hands and inner convictions served him well as he studied diligently and enjoyed a football career second to none.  He was tough to beat – both on the field and off!

Father O’Flaherty’s response to God’s call became official at his ordination on June 4, 1961.  He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Dunne, at the Cathedral in Kilkenny.  I use to tell him that I’d always remember how long he’d been a priest, because he was ordained the day after I was born, to which he’d respond, “And don’t you forget that!”

Emigrating from Ireland to Florida on August 25, 1961, Fr. John began his stateside work as assistant pastor at St. Paul’s Parish and a teacher at Bishop Kenny High School. He loved to tell stories of the children he taught and how he enjoyed working with them. In 1968, he was named assistant pastor of the Cathedral-Basilica and director of The Shrine and mission del Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine.  He served as director of the Shrine until 1977, when he was named pastor of San Sebastian Parish in St. Augustine.  During this period in St. Augustine, he was also priest-director of the Catholic Charities office in the city.  He always said he was a “priest and a businessman” and that he knew how to raise money.  He was right!  One of his additional assignments from the Bishop was to purchase real estate along the coastline for future churches – he loved the art of negotiation, and no doubt got the Diocese “a good deal”.

In the late 70’s, he was appointed pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Jacksonville where he continued to spread the good news and build his reputation as a “let’s get it done” priest.  That was Fr. John – “out of my way” he’d say, and you knew that you had better “get with the program” or step aside.

When Santa Maria Del Mar was fortunate to have Fr. John assigned by Bishop Snyder to our little Flagler Beach parish in 1990, one of his first endeavors was to renovate the church building.  He did that within one year of joining us.  SMDM grew from a small beachside chapel that held a few hundred, to an expanded church, with the altar in the middle of the congregation.  He eventually moved the altar to the East side of the church and made room for close to 400.  Even when the renovations caused us to move out of the church and into the Wickline Building in “downtown” Flagler Beach, Father’s parishioners still followed.  There was something about that Priest with the quick Irish wit and dry sense of humor.  Maybe it was the way he tended to God’s flock, or maybe it was the way he reached out to children.  It could have been the way he let you know he appreciated you or the way he just assumed that everyone would pitch in – because it was the right thing to do.

Not only did he take care of the needs of SMDM, but he also tended to the flock of our sister church St. Mary’s of Korona.  Oh, how they loved him there as well.  He looked after them and worked hard to add the wonderful addition so that even more of the Catholic faithful would have a place to worship.  Only Fr. John could say a 4:00 mass in Korona, enjoy a sampling of the dinner items on the menu for the Saturday night event, and make it to Flagler Beach for the 6:00PM mass.  We’re not quite sure how he avoided traffic tickets – it must have had something to do with those “back roads” he would take.  He and our former organist, who is also in heaven, would race to see who would get back to Flagler first.

He was the catalyst that established the first Knights of Columbus organization in this area in 1990.  He quickly made it known that St. Mary’s and SMDM were the parishioners’ church and that everyone needed to be active.  He was the beloved chaplain to our Faith formation program, spending time in each class every weekend and providing answers to all questions.  He truly loved the children, believing it was important to impart a commitment to the faith at a young age – even if it meant combining teaching with ice cream and pizza parties.  Father’s efforts to grow our church continued as he established the Men’s and Ladies’ clubs, coordinated a Singles Group and encouraged the development of a music ministry that once had only 12 members and a run down organ.  I’m sure our members of the singles group have lots of Fr. O stories that they could share – many a meeting, he found himself surrounded by “the ladies” as he would say.

It was that bottom line approach that gave Fr. O’Flaherty the confidence to tackle the construction of our beautiful church that we have here today.  In 1997, he started the campaign.  His slogan….”You Build It…I’ll Fill It” and fill it he did.  SMDM now has standing room only liturgies when the snowbirds are here during the winter months.  He predicted the growth and knew that the only way to ensure a comfortable and large enough place of worship was to step out in faith.  The doors opened with a dedication on October 22, 2000 and they’ve been receiving the faith filled community of Flagler Beach and surrounding areas for the past four years.

As Fr. O’Sullivan said last night, Fr. John always spoke the truth – whatever he was feeling – he was an original version, never a rerun.  From his “If I won the lottery, I’d probably get married”, to his asking three parishioners standing together what each of them were having for dinner, and then pointing to the one that sounded the best and saying – I’ll be there, Fr. John was definitely an original.

From the “I want YOU to make a donation to the building fund campaign”, to the quiet nights praying to our Heavenly Father to guide his steps, Father O’Flaherty lived his faith in all that he did.  No matter what the request, if there was someone in need he would make sure they were taken care of – if not by himself, by one of his faithful servants – and you know who you are!
There are too many people gathered here today to mention all by name and I would not want to leave anyone out.  You know who you are - those lucky few, who were privileged to gain close access to the private life of Fr. John, whether it be as friends, caregivers, parish personnel, golfing buddies, football watching fans, or committee members, he appreciated you. He appreciated everyone. And he always seemed humbled by the generosity and love of his parishioners.  “They’re good people” he would say when anyone would ask him about “his parishioners”, He loved laughing with us, supporting us, teaching us and encouraging us to grow as a parish, keeping the love of Christ alive and well in this beachside community we call home.

He also loved the time he was able to spend with his family abroad – whether the anticipation of a trip overseas to Ireland, or a holiday in New York, Father would come back and share his adventures with a smile on his face and a love for his family that was evident. Many of us remember one of Father’s trips to Ireland, when he relied solely on his charm and wit to help him leave the country, fly across the ocean and return to his homeland, all without the passport he left on in Flagler Beach.  Who else but Fr. John, and his gift of Irish charm could accomplish that?

However strong the love was for his family and parishioners, that love was only surpassed by the love he had for his faith.  As our Most Reverend Bishop Galeone mentioned last night, “Only a few select are asked to join in carrying the cross with Jesus”, and the past several months, Fr. O’Flaherty was asked to do just that – He wouldn’t complain, and when asked how he was getting through it, he would say, I Pray.

Whether he was meditating in his hospital bed, in the small house/parish office, that was once situated in the middle of our current parking lot, or in the spacious parish house a few blocks north, or in the quietness of an empty chapel, Fr. John O’Flaherty truly loved his faith and worked hard to impart that love to all of us.  Whether through his brief, yet to the point homilies, his commitment to offering reconciliation wherever, and whenever he was asked, or the moments when he’d throw a question at you from left field to see what your response would be, Fr. O’Flaherty loved challenging us to think.  Sure, he liked the short cuts once in awhile especially on those Saturday nights with the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame were playing - but everyone knew that his duty to his church and her parishioners came first.

“Father O’Flaherty stories” have been shared continuously over the past several days and they are too numerous to count.  His “sampling of the sweets” during parish events, his last minute requests for special songs at mass, his magnificent golf stories, his leaving a $10 tip for a cup of coffee because he believed that waitressing was a hard job, his flick of the wrist and a quick “be gone” when you knew he was ready to move on to something else… these are memories that so many of us share.

No doubt there are dozens of personal stories that are surely coming to mind for many of you right now, as we celebrate the life of Fr. John.  In addition to the humorous stories, we also remember the more spiritual side of our former pastor, who was willing to give whatever was in need to anyone who asked –paying a bill or offering his own money to a stranger on the street, rushing to a parishioner’s home in the middle of the night when a loved one had passed away, blessing a new house for someone who just moved into our community or baptizing one of our newborns,  Fr. John O’Flaherty truly made a difference. We can only imagine that when Fr. John answered the call to the Holy Priesthood, he probably did so with the words of what would be his favorite song here in Flagler Beach- Lord, have you need of my labor, hands for service, a heart made for loving, two arms for lifting the poor and broken he knew in his heart, that God would be sending him to distant shores to tend to His flock. And tend his flock he did.

How fortunate we were to have Fr. O’Flaherty rejoin us during his retirement years – giving us an opportunity to continue our friendships with him.  And how grateful we are to our current pastor, Fr. John Tetlow for his understanding and open arms as we embraced Fr. O’Flaherty’s return.  It was comforting to the parishioners of SMDM to have their two beloved Fr. Johns bringing the gift of the Holy Eucharist to the parish faithful. How blest we are to have two Fr. Johns’, in our lives - one watching over us from heaven and the other guiding our steps along life’s journey as members of Santa Maria Del Mar.

Every time someone drives by or enters the doors of SMDM or St. Mary’s, they will remember the Priest with a vision, who brought us to believe if “we built it, he’d fill it”…when you watch a Notre Dame Football game, you’ll remember the smile that would light up when a dedicated Irishman spoke of his team…when you say your prayers at night and ask God to watch over all of our priests and religious, you’ll say and especially Fr. John O’Flaherty, that he may be rejoicing in Your Heavenly Kingdom in one of your many mansions that has a view of the 18th fairway.

Fr. liked it simple – he loved his family, his faith, his homeland, his golfing, his football, his friends and the parishioners he served during his 43 years as a priest. And we all loved him. Whether on the shores of Ireland, in the town of Jacksonville, or on the shores of Flagler Beach, a faith-filled Irishman, who responded to a Divine call, will live in our hearts forever.  There might not have been time today for all of gathered here to individually honor the life of Fr. O’Flaherty, but we can collectively celebrate it with one of his favorite songs – please turn to hymn number 551 and let us join in singing Lord, When You Came To The Seashore.  We Love You Fr. John!

And now, his sister Theresa would like to speak to us.