The Burial Ceremony Of A Dedicated Catholic Altar Server

It was a big shock to me and everyone who's an altar server in Portharcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria when we heard about the death of our loving brother Iwejor Modestus Okechukwu. We didn't expect this at all just the way nobody expects death. Modestus has being a very dedicated altar server, he has always been up and doing even at his personal tight schedule.

One of the Saturdays in March we heard he is dead. My friend told me about it and I was heart broken. Alot of us didn't want to believe it, we decided to call him through his phone and it was his elder brother that picked the call, most of us that didn't believe then, came to realize everything was real after we spoke with his elder brother. He has done so much to die now but anyway death doesn't care about what you have done on earth, once is your turn to die you die for real.

We heard he was sick but he never told any of us and he was sending and replying to messages in the diocesan Whatsapp group of the association. I could remember how he sent a message in the group 12pm on Friday that week and the we were informed it was the next day Saturday morning that he died. He has always been a role model to alot of us in the association.

They wanted to bury him immediately but the decision was changed and his burial day was planned to be 21st March 2025. If you go back and check your calendar you will know that it was on a Friday he was buried. Most burials do take place on Fridays. Contributions were made for our own addition to the family's contribution to buy his casket.

Alot of us paid some amount of money to the displayed account and I was very happy that alot of people were complying or cooperating, we all love him and it was a way of showing our last respect. I actually wasn't able to contribute though but I was aware of most of the operations. It was very important that alot of altar servers from Portharcourt diocese should attend the burial and fully pay our last respect to him.

People started making contributions again for the coastal bus they will be hiring to the deceased village. Alot of people compiled again and some people also said they can't be able to attend the burial due to some circumstances. Some of this same people who said they won't be able to attend the burial, contributed for the sake of those who wish to attend but they have no money for the contribution.

On his burial day has casket was covered with a white and also an oxblood material with another slim material which I don't really know which association has that material. The Reverend Fathers were also said, they prayed for his soul to rest in peace. After the burial mass in which four altar servers were standing at the four corners of the casket, the casket was carried to the spot where he will be buried. The Reverend Fathers said some prayers before the casket was finally kept inside the deep grave.

I thank God the weather wasn't bad in that village that day of the burial because it would have distracted alot of things. The grave was covered after some more prayers and everybody departed the site. Nobody was smiling at all, his parents are still alive and they were so sad about this too, including his siblings and friends.

This young man was 36 years old and I know he had alot to plans for life but death took them away from him. I never knew he is even up to 32 years not to talk of 36 years. I keep on wondering why he didn't even get married at that age.

Perhaps I think the reason is because of the current situation in Nigeria, alot of people are always looking for guys with a huge amount of time. Bro. Modestus was one of our best executives in the diocese and we will before forget him.

When the burial ended most of the altar servers that attended the burial went home that same day. They were so happy that he was successfully buried. One of the corporal works of mercy in the catholic church is to Bury the dead I think there are up to 7 corporal works of mercy and these things are done to lessen the suffering of human beings on earth.

MAY BRO IWEJOR MODESTUS OKECHUKWU'S SOUL REST IN PEACE, AMEN. 🙏