Padre Pio Chapel benefit

I love going out to the new Padre Pio Chapel here in the Diocese of Rochester. It's a quiet place to pray and reflect.

Now, it is providing a potential benefit for my wife's family.

One of my wife's aunts had left the Catholic Church years ago. She later joined a very active Protestant church. She recently died, was cremated, and her cremains divided among family members. No Catholic burial. No interment. No grave.

Her siblings and other relatives who have remained Catholic are grieving for her, and for not having a place to go to honor and remember her according to their traditions.

The Padre Pio Chapel has a "Tree of Life." On it there are leaves with names engraved on them - individuals, couples, families.

My wife's family is now considering buying a leaf in the aunt's memory to help support the Chapel, and to give them a place to go to remember her and pray for her soul.

I hope this comes true.

I'm grateful for the Chapel being there, and for the Diocese of Rochester giving its blessing to this private effort (the Chancellor of the Diocese is even on the board that oversees the Chapel).