26.5 F
Saint Paul
Friday, March 29, 2024

Moe family, killed in Dec. 26 car accident, remembered as active parishioners

Little more than a week after a tragic, Christmas weekend automobile accident took the lives of an involved parish family of four, Father Daniel Griffith began Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Church Jan. 3 remembering Christopher and Rae Anne Moe and their children, Samantha and Anthony.

“Our hearts are still heavy,” Father Griffith, Our Lady of Lourdes pastor said at the 11 a.m. Mass at the northeast Minneapolis church.

He asked parishioners to keep the family in their prayers.

“There’s a heaviness, a real sadness,” Father Griffith told The Catholic Spirit after Mass.

“At a small parish like ours, all of these people know each other and know each other by name. There’s a real sense of family and community,” he said.

The Moes were an active part of that parish family, he added.

- Advertisement -

“Chris was a eucharistic minister and an usher when we needed him to be,” Father Griffith recalled. “This fall he was a catechist for the first time. He was a little nervous about doing it, but he end up doing great at it.”

The priest called Rae Anne “a great mom,” and members of the family were involved this November in Our Lady of Lourdes sale of “tourtieres,” French meat pies, the well-known fundraiser in which all generations of parishioners help out.

Samantha, 14, and Anthony, 12, were altar servers at Mass on Christmas Day, the day before the accident.

The Moes, who lived in Columbia Heights, were killed Dec. 26 when their vehicle slid into oncoming traffic on a snowy Hwy. 65 near McGrath. Christopher was 45; Rae Ann was 40.

Father Griffith said it’s important for him to address all the various ages and groups who are mourning the family, including children and classmates as well as family.

“At times such as this people often question why does a good and gracious God allow things like this to happen,” Father Griffith said.

He said he makes the point that life is fragile and that God doesn’t cause tragedies such as the one that claimed the lives of the Moe family. “But God certainly is present in the midst of our suffering,” Father Griffith said Alluding to the promise of life everlasting in heaven, he said, “Despite the acute sadness, we’re an Easter people.”

A Mass of Christian Burial was offered Jan. 4 at Our Lady of Lourdes.

 


Related Articles

SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

Trending

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
12,743FansLike
1,478FollowersFollow
6,479FollowersFollow
35,922FollowersFollow
583SubscribersSubscribe
- Advertisement -