TO THE EDITOR:
Mattie Ross, in the movie True Grit, says of her father, who was shot down in the street, that his spirit had flown. Shot down by cancer, Father Ray Kehew’s spirit has flown but not the memory of his presence among us.
Ray was an exceptional human being and an extraordinary man of the cloth. With ease, he balanced a human persona marked by a quick smile on a face that said, "I'll be your friend," with an aura of spirituality that shown forth each time he put on priestly garb and preached to the people.
With the same ease, he balanced his roles as pastor and professor; he brought humility and mirth to the former and only allowed the professor's depth of knowledge and experience to surface when he delivered a homily. Thank God for that.
Ray's personality was not complex; on the contrary, he displayed a positive and open demeanor that made it easy to accept him as a man of God. He was very approachable, a good listener, sympathetic and understanding to all who sought his counsel. He had a beguiling smile that gave confidence to a listener while subtly suggesting that he or she come to church to learn more.
Without his Roman collar, Ray could easily be mistaken for an Irish politician; he knew everybody, knew how to work a crowd, remembered names and family members. He had a knack of knowing when and what to say or ask: "and how is you daughter doing at college?" or "I'm sorry for your loss, I'll pray for him."
Ray's passing has created sadness and a void, neither of which will last. Time heals and soon our thoughts of Ray shall be memories that make us sigh and smile. Good-bye old friend, we'll not forget you. Pray for us.
Jack Lynch
Block Island
Editor’s note: The above letter was excerpted from a submission by Lynch, a parishioner of St. Andrew Parish, where Father Ray Kehew served as pastor from 1988-2004.
