A litany for Pat

Patricia Bousignac, wife of Rev Paul Bousignac, died March 8. Her funeral Mass was celebrated March 16 at Santa Rosa RC Church, Arima. In lieu of a eulogy, daughter Christa-Dawnn delivered a Litany of Praise and Thanksgiving. It has been edited for length.

Almighty Father, we your children gather here today to praise you and thank you for the gift of your daughter, our sister, Patricia.

Response: We give you thanks.

For her childhood in Gordon Street, San Fernando (R).

For her parents, Hacinta and Irving Woods (R).

For her sisters and brother (R).

For the children, grandson and son-in-law of her sisters (R).

For her many aunts, uncles and cousins (R).

For the home in which she learnt the Catholic faith and came to a knowledge of your son, Jesus Christ (R).

Response: We thank you, O Lord.

For her years as a student at Miss Brown’s Private School and St Gabriel’s Girls’ RC School, (R).

For her years as a student at Beacon College and at Howell Paul Secretarial School (R).

For her time in the Southern Light Orchestra and Choir of Pointe-à-Pierre (R).

Response: Thank you, Father.

For Mum’s co-workers and bosses at the Hotel School, the Industrial Development Corporation and at Cathedral Credit Union (R).

For her 14 years as an instructor at Servol (R).

For the adolescents whose lives she impacted at Servol through the Adolescent Development Programme (R).

Response: We praise you, O God.

For Mum’s wedding on July 4, 1976 (R).

For a marriage of 42 years and 8 months (R).

For the blessing of a husband who loved God first (R).

For the blessing of a husband who was faithful and a good provider throughout their marriage (R).

For the blessing of a husband who was her spiritual teacher (R).

For the blessing of a kind, loving, attentive husband (R).

For the blessing of her husband’s family who warmly embraced her (R).

For giving Mum the grace to be a faithful and supportive wife (R).

For giving her the grace to be a prayerful and praiseful wife (R).

For her love for and pride in her three children (R).

For her commitment to her family (R).

For giving her the grace to be contented with the path her children’s lives had taken (R).

Response: Praise you, Lord

For the impact the Charismatic Renewal had on Mum and her spiritual development (R).

For the brothers and sisters she met in the Renewal (R).

For the families of Precious Blood Prayer Group and Precious Daughters of the Beloved (R).

For the family of People of Praise Community and her special love for them (R).

For the family of the Santa Rosa Heights Prayer Group (R).

For her many experiences of your love, O Father, through the members of these prayer groups (R).

For the friendships she enjoyed till the very end (R).

For the relationship Mum enjoys with you, O Father (R).

For her faith in you, especially during our lean years (R).

For giving her the grace to be patient in her physical sufferings (R).

For giving her the grace to praise and thank you God, always, everywhere and for everything (R).

For placing in her the gift of delivering positive, uplifting words to all of us (R).

Response: Praise God

For the angels in the guise of relatives and friends who helped Daddy take care of Mummy while warded at Mt Hope in September of last year (R).

For giving her the strength to rally so that we could have her for a few more months (R).

For blessing her with such a gentle and kind carer (R).

For blessing her with attentive, caring medical personnel at the Mt Hope Hospital in the last week of her life (R).

Response: Thank you, Lord

For giving Mum the experience of your healing power so that she could accept your holy will and so surrender (R).

For placing in her heart the gift of everlasting gratitude till the very end (R).

For giving her the prescience of the end of her earthly life which allowed her to make her goodbyes (R).

For giving her the grace to easily surrender to peaceful sleep in the arms of Jesus, your son (R).