“For those who love, we say goodbye with our eyes, but never with our hearts.”
—Fr. Paul Keenan, OFM
At St. Anthony Shrine, the Lazarus Ministry ensures that no one leaves this world unnoticed, no matter their circumstances in life. On March 3rd, a gathering of strangers became a family in faith as they came together to honor James Lund, a man whose name may not have been widely known, but whose life was still deserving of dignity and remembrance.
James, age 65, came to us through the Boston Medical Examiner’s Office. He was known by local homeless street outreach workers, but in his final moments, there was no family to claim him—no one to stand beside his casket. And yet, when his funeral began in the second-floor chapel of St. Anthony Shrine, the room was not empty.
Among those who came to pay their respects were students from Boston College High School and Ursuline Academy, who served as pallbearers and stood in silent reverence, bearing witness to a life that might have otherwise been forgotten. Their presence was a powerful act of love, a lesson in the Franciscan way of seeing each person as a brother or sister, regardless of their circumstances.
Fr. Paul Keenan, OFM, presided over the service, offering words of comfort and reflection. He reminded those in attendance that even though James may not have had close friends or family, his life had meaning. And in coming together to honor him, those present affirmed a fundamental truth: no one is ever truly alone.
During the service, Fr. Paul shared a story about James—a simple yet profound moment that revealed the depth of his heart. One day, while sitting by a window, James noticed a small bird fall from a tree. He became visibly unsettled, watching anxiously until he was certain the bird was okay.
This moment of quiet concern for one of God’s smallest creatures reflected a truth that St. Francis of Assisi himself taught: “If you have people who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have people who will deal likewise with their fellow human beings.”
James’ instinct to care, to notice, to worry for a tiny bird, was an unspoken testimony to his humanity. Though many in the room had never met him in life, his story resonated deeply. It reminded all present that the measure of a life is not in wealth or status, but in the kindness we extend to others.
After the Mass service James was laid to rest at New Calvary Cemetery, where a simple but dignified grave marker will bear his name. His funeral was not one of loneliness but of grace, of people who came together, not because they had to, but because they chose to.
Death is a universal passage, one that unites us all in the great cycle of life. The Lazarus Ministry exists to ensure that no one is forgotten in death.
James may have left this world, but his story, his care for the smallest creatures, and the love that gathered in his honor will remain.