A great Friend of the Mission… already in the “other side”. 

I thought it simpler to just copy my condolences email to the Zignego Family. 

Dearest Zignego Family, 

Loosing Dan, believe me, the Mission lost one of its greatest friends. And I would like that at his funeral eulogy, someone mention that. Today, thanks to your generosity (the Zignego Family), but mainly Dan’s, 325 children in Africa receive a beautiful Catholic education. Two years ago, when we were struggling and not knowing if we could open the school that year or not, we got a generous surprise check in the mail from Dan with these beautiful and unpretentious words “money was just sitting in the bank… what for? Let it go to good use.” It was his investment into Heaven. He bought his ticket Home that day. The fact is that today, St. Francis de Sales exists because of Dan. 80 children will receive Baptism and First Communion this coming Easter because of Dan. So all the children of the school gathered Wednesday to pray for the good soul of their loving benefactor. I said yesterday’s Mass for his good soul, today’s Mass as well, and will say tomorrow’s. Three Masses. Our gratitude to Dan is immense. He will be remembered, missed, and definitely have a memorial at our Mission. Most importantly, I/we lost a wonderful friend. Last time we met, I believe, we were up on a tree stand for 3 hours on the last day of hunting season. I will never forget the conversation we had up there. We said the rosary and he asked me to hear his confession. Oh… I miss him! True friends come few and far apart in life. Dan was always there in that category. Anyway… don’t know what more to say. Or rather… have so much to say. But tears flow from my eyes so abundant right now… I guess I’m experiencing for the first time what it is to lose a brother. 

Please receive, dear Lisa, dear Zignego Family, my most sincere and prayerful condolences. 

God bless you always. 

Cn. Fragelli