Dear Fr. John,
Words cannot even begin to express my sorrow on your passing on. My heart bleed and I am drowned in my own tears at your loss. Your death remains one of the most difficult things that I have to deal with. Your life enriched so many, Fr John. You have left a legend of great joy but your death has challenged me and humbled me to accepting that our paths are never certain. I can only get through the traumatic journey of your passing on by hanging on to the memories of your rich life. Come to think of it Fr John, you lived life to the fullest, voting time out to enjoy the beauty of God's creation and rendering His creation happy. You gave your all to the Eudist community and friends and never got bothered of any human reward in return. This is how you found peace, satisfaction and joy in everything you did. Looking back in time, images and memories of our life back in Solana Beach easily flood my mind; you remain the social icon with that tantalising aura that always surrounded you after biking with friends. You dragged me into that rock and roll frenzy that has become my stock in trade. I spent little, very deep moments of conversation but with big memories, in your house at 744 Sonrisa St. Your positive spirit has had a strong positive effect on me and those who were close to you and now it helps us to confirm how rich your life was. I am strengthened by your commitments to charity that has challenged me to create a better version of my being daily. Grief rends my heart when I recount these points about you in the past tense. I shudder to imagine the cold hands of death closing your eyes full of life thousand of miles away from me. Days and weeks have gone by and my heart still won't heal from the horrifying circumstances of your death. I sob in agony but I am consoled by memories of the company I had with you in 2018 and 2019 summer. Something more than rarity compels me to think that there was a special bond between you and I. I still jealousy keep all the gifts you surprised me with during my _sèjours_ at Solana Beach. We were making plans on printing my book on biomedical ethics, a new area of research I am engaging in this summer. Helas, life played a fast one on you, as you must have discovered only in the land beyond that you checked out of this world the same day I was hospitalized. God's ways are truly not ours. Dear Fr John, your Lord and Master laughs at our grieving for you are well hidden in the warmth of His bosom where pain and anguish will never touch you again.
I wish you peace and happiness in your Lord and Master whom you served here on earth passionately. May our Blessed Mother, together with St John Eudes conduct you to God's bosom. May He draw near to the family you have left behind and lift them up into His arms of love and comfort them during this period of pain and grief as He has promised. Rest in perfect peace, Fr John.
Fr. Edward Siani
(Cameroon - Africa)
