Hermogenes Carrion
1894-07-19 1968-06-01
July 19th, 1894 - June 1st, 1968
The strong and faithful patriarch of the Carrion family. Together, he and his wife Pilar created the "14 Strong".
Please click the Obituary link below to view the Eulogy delivered by Father Kevin Nugent at the funeral mass of Hermogenes Carrion on June 29, 1968.
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The strong and faithful patriarch of the Carrion family. Together, he and his wife Pilar created the "14 Strong".
Please click the Obituary link below to view the Eulogy delivered by Father Kevin Nugent at the funeral mass of Hermogenes Carrion on June 29, 1968.
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The words of Father Kevin Nugent, M.S.Ss.T., on the occasion of the Mass and Funeral of Hermogenes Carrion.
June 29, 1968
The Gospel According to Saint John - Chapter 5
“My beloved: for everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” – We can undoubtedly apply these words to Don Hermogenes.
Today we celebrate the feast of the Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The Universal Church also ends its year of faith today. It is very fitting for us that the feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul is today, and it’s very meaningful that the Mass that we offer for our brother Hermogenes is regarding these two apostles whom he imitated so much. And I say fitting because during his entire life he practiced the same faith for which these apostles died for.
Faith – this supernatural gift that we acquire through Baptism; that gives us the power to believe in the word of God, which gives us the strength to say: I believe in the truths that God has given us. For example: the Holy Trinity, three people in one God; the Incarnation of the Son of God, made man in the bosom of the Virgin Mary, - Redemption – This Son of God dying to redeem us from sin. The seven Sacraments, conduits or sources of divine life for our souls, among them the Holiest of Sacraments – the Eucharist - Christ offering himself in the Holy Mass – nourishing us in the Communion – waiting for us in the Sanctuary and saying to us: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (Saint John - 54)
Another sacrament – penance – or in other words, the confession, through which we are able to confess and receive forgiveness for our sins – confessing to the Priest – a man with a special vocation, who has received this authority from Christ himself. “Receive the Holy Spirit – If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained. I have mentioned these divine truths to you because in the life of our brother Hermogenes these were the most vital things.
Through the Sacrament of Baptism he received the mustard seed. During his days of youth, through the example of his parents Melchor and Felipa; in the fields of San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico; Hermogenes witnessed a life of prayer and sacrifice. This made his mustard seed grow and transform into a robust tree, which has been a shelter, not only for his family but for all of us who have experienced through this good brother a live portrait of Christ himself, whom he loved so much.
The evident proof we have of the love that Hermogenes had for Christ, is here with us in his family who is present here this morning. Dona Pilar and Don Hermogenes procreated fourteen children. His family, this is, his wife and children show us that our brother, notwithstanding today’s environment against having large families – gave the utmost importance to the words of our Principal Brother Christ: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”. These children belonging to Don Hermogenes and Dona Pilar, incorporated in Christ through baptism, and strengthened throughout their life by the other sacraments and prayer are going to have the joy of being with their father in the presence of God…¡fourteen children! ¿Could there be a more beautiful gift than giving these lives to God as an offering?
Allow me to mention a tremendous fact about the life of our brother and this is his devotion, his faithfulness, his love towards the Sisters, fellow believers and especially towards the Priests. We should all remember that Priests are people, human, with the same nature of all men and that we are to continuously work to grow in our friendship with Christ. So many times I heard him speak with reverent love about the Priests in his town of San Lorenzo!! I could speak extensively about his loyalty as I recall that during the moments of crisis of our parish, when our Priests were affected by criticism; our faithful Hermogenes – like David against Goliath – would stand up and defend the Priests in such an eloquent way that everyone, once he was done, would remain convinced of his words.
Father Tomas Agustin Judge has told us that the supernatural man is guided by faith, therefore he uses things that are temporary to obtain those that are eternal. Our brother Hermogenes without much schooling possessed divine wisdom. His life of prayer, of meditation, of contemplation put him in touch with Christ and Christ himself illuminated his intelligence and gave him the strength to follow his example – in other words – the example of Christ.
During his entire life Don Hermogenes drank from the water that Christ spoke about to the Samaritan woman when he said: “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” (John 3 – 10)
Our brother in faith, Hermogenes, has already received his award. He, who for so many years was a pilgrim – a stranger to this world, like Saint Paul has told us, who has walked for Christ, towards the Father driven by the Holy Spirit, with the help of Mary and all of the Saints, is right now in the presence of the Celestial Court.
I am certain that if he had written a letter during his last days of life on this earth, he would have written it like this:
Dear family – Pilar and children –
Please forgive any upsets that I may have caused you. I give thanks to God for the years I have spent amongst you. I ask that you practice your faith with all your strength; that you give your children the same example that I received from my parents and that Pilar and I have tried to give all of you. I bestow upon all of you my paternal blessing.
And to my brothers in Christ from the Capilla del Sagrado Corazon I also ask you to forgive me for any wrongdoing that I may have done to you. I recommend that, as the fathers and mothers of your families, you put in first place the extension of the Kingdom of Christ. Participate in the Holy Mass as frequently as possible remembering the words that we have heard so many times:
“Mass is the great encounter between God our Savior and the saved man through Christ, Priest of the new alliance. Collect the sacrifices of this day, the sins of your people, the wants of your family, the desires of Humanity as a whole, and LIVE YOUR MASS.”
I trust in the Holy Heart of Jesus and in our Lady of the Rosary that I will see you in heaven.
In Christ,
Hermogenes Carrion
Post-script.
Other words that have given me a lot of strength in these last days are: “Christ and I are an overwhelming majority”.
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Here in attendance, Father Gerard, Father Tim, Father Bruce, Father Antonio, Father Eduardo, Father Domingo, Brother Cyprian, the Sisters and Brothers who are visiting, and your servant, want to express our deepest condolences to the Carrion Family. I want to do the same on behalf of the entire Parish. At the same time I want to give you the certainty that this brave man waits for us in Christ.