It’s so comforting to have family and friends close by at times like these. The calls, texts and notes are not just expressions of sympathy, but also expressions of support and love. 

I’ve only found a few condolence letters to my grandparents about Bud’s death. I’m sure there were more, but for some reason I can only find two and they are from the same person. 

The Toner family was close with the Byrnes’ in Stamford. Dick Toner was at the seminary in Rochester in late summer 1943. His first letter came upon hearing that Bud was missing in action. His second, when his death was confirmed. They are two of the most beautiful letters I’ve ever read. 

As Catholics, we believe in the Divine Wisdom of God. We believe “everything happens according to His plan”.  But as a parent, I think that would be a bit hard to swallow when facing the death of my child. Dick’s letter to my grandmother is incredibly comforting and I’ve read it twice as we are driving to Anna’s funeral. You can replace “Pat” with “Anna”, or anyone else’s name for that matter. 

God found Pat in his twenty-third year to be a finished product, a completed monument to His own glory and a fitting tribute to your guidance and faithful protection. And so God recalled Pat to Himself. I know that we wish that, if it had to be, it could’ve happened at home, but once again God chose the hard was for us – we won’t question His providence, will we? We will never forget Pat, will we?  We will be even more earnest in our prayers for him, won’t we? And God will rest his soul in that piece which the world cannot give. 

How comforting to think of Bud, and now Anna, as a finished product in God’s sight. It’s perfect.