PHOTO BY KAREN A. AVITABILE Some members of the Arimathean ministry group at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury are, front row, left to right: Rochelle Rinaldi, Karen McCormick and Karen Kish. In the back row are Frank McKane, left, and Gery Jachimowski. The group is praying before the start of a funeral in the Basilica.
Story by Karen A. Avitabile
They call themselves “Arimatheans,” and out of love for their brothers and sisters, they pray for deceased parishioners – usually people they have never met – at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury.
“This is important,” Arimathean Rochelle Rinaldi says. “When it was presented, it was something that resonated with me. We have to pray for the repose of the soul of people.”
The Arimatheans make up a ministry to attend funerals or memorial services at the Basilica, and to keep the deceased in their prayers. It is one of the most important (and easiest) ministries, says Father James Sullivan, pastor, because many of its members are already attending Mass daily.
“I did a funeral Mass once and there was only one person there,” Father Sullivan says. “Some people have no one to remember them, have very few people in their lives and have no one to pray for them after they have died.”
The reasons for this, he adds, are twofold: many people may have not had children, or parishioners may be living longer so their family and friends may have passed.
“It is one of the spiritual works of mercy to pray for the living and the dead,” Father Sullivan says of the ministry. “It’s a gift the parishioners give to people out of love for our brothers and sisters.”
Parishioners Barbara and Frank McKane of Oxford, who spend a lot of time in Florida, learned about this ministry while attending a church in Venice. They spoke to Father Sullivan about starting a group at the Basilica.
The name “Arimathean” was chosen because Joseph of Arimathea, a follower of Jesus, asked Pilate to take Jesus off the cross after his crucifixion, and then prepare his body for burial in his tomb, the priest says.
“Someone has to pray for people,” says Frank McKane says, an Arimathean with his wife at the Basilica and in Florida.
Last July, Waterbury resident Karen McCormick, who attends Mass daily, began coordinating Arimatheans to attend funerals at the Basilica. She texts and calls the 10 members when funerals are scheduled.
“I think we should be praying for all these people,” says McCormick, who continues praying for the deceased long after the funerals. “I do like to keep them in prayer.”
Gery Jachimowski lives in Ansonia but commutes to Waterbury daily for work. He read about the Arimatheans in the Basilica bulletin and decided to participate.
“We hold our Catholic faith to a high value,” he says. “Some people have very little family, or don’t want to come to church anymore. We come to church to pray and light candles, for everyone in the Archdiocese.”
A retired nurse from the Visiting Nurses Association, Karen Kish of Waterbury understands the value of prayer for all people – living and dead – who do not have family or friends.
“It’s like when people die, we don’t want them to die alone,” she says of her experience as a nurse.
During Basilica funerals, Rinaldi says she enjoys hearing homilies and eulogies about the deceased and always prays the St. Gertrude the Great prayer.
According to popular belief, it was reported that Jesus in visions gave St. Gertrude a prayer and a promise – each time it was prayed, 1,000 souls from purgatory would be released.
“I always pray for the souls in purgatory,” Rinaldi adds.
The Arimatheans arrive early to funerals to begin their silent prayers. More Arimatheans are needed. To become an Arimathean, call Karen McCormick at 203.444.0171.