the passing of Leann Smith...

It was just three weeks ago, when I got a call from my Mom up in Chicago. She was crying and trying hard to tell me something. "Patrick, it's your Uncle Ed..." she said. My heart sank. My Uncle Ed was 59 and loved to hike in his hometown of Colorado Springs. He had gotten up early, left the house at 5am, and hit the trail at first light. He reached the summit of Stove-top Mountain around 8:45am and called my Uncle John to tell them that he'd made it. He sat down, at a hershey bar, drank some water, and then headed down the trail. there had been some dew that morning and as he walked across a steep part of the trail, he slipped and fell forwards. He skidded on his face and hands for a few feet and then dropped off a 40' cliff and fell to his death. Family immediately came to Colorado to pay our respects and hold one another from CA, OH, PA, IL, WI, NC, and MT.
There is no such thing as a good time to have someone suddenly taken away. While my own grief was intense, I had my faith in Christ to prop me up. I had a sure knowledge that my Uncle was swept up into the arms of Jesus at the bottom of that rocky cliff. Others in my family were not so sure. Some are even self professed Atheists, and they seemed to have the most trouble of all.
When I first came to KCHS, Leann was a person that I met immediately. She was the person that I received all the tax forms to fill out. She was very gentle and kind to me and answered my many questions about how to fill out my paperwork. She always called out my name as I walked by in the hallway outside her office; she made sure I said Hello daily and thanked me for what I was doing at the school. I know that many of you have had much closer relationships with Leann than myself...
We teach the students at Catholic all kinds of subjects, but the most important things we try to share with everyone is our deep love for Christ who is at the center of our school. All of the millions in college scholarships our students receive each year pale in comparison to just one student entering into heaven that might not have gotten there because of a conversation with a religion teacher, the making of a good confession, or something Fr. Orr said in a homily. Leann was surrounded by people of faith in the offices at KCHS and hen she felt poorly, she reached out to another KCHS friend to ask for help. This is a testament to what we have at Catholic; good friends, good faith, good times, and good memories, all centered on our risen Lord. May the faithful soul of Leann Smith rest in peace, and may we take each moment we have and give thanks for our time here on earth. Deacon patrick