Woman mourns RC priest Spence who died during her anniversary mass

Pamela Punch, left, and her daughter Allison Punch give a tribute at a mass to celebrate the life of Msgr Kenneth Spence. - Yvonne Webb

WHEN Pamela Punch asked Monsignor Kenneth Spence to preside at a special thanksgiving mass to celebrate her 60th wedding anniversary on August 21, she did not think it would have turned into a day of sorrow.

What was supposed to be a day of celebration turned on its head when the officiant collapsed during the service and later died.

At the Office of the Dead evening prayer in loving memory of Msgr Spence at Our Lady of Perpetual Help RC Church, San Fernando, on August 27, Punch, a retired principal of Holy Faith Convent, Couva, recalled that dreadful moment.

Supported by her daughter Allison, who was also present when the incident occurred, she said Spence, 75, collapsed just after administering the Holy Communion at the St Theresa’s RC Church, Woodbrook, during the morning mass.

"He finished everything for me."

In disbelief, she sat frozen on the pew as others gathered around to assist Spence. She said asked God what was happening and appealed for calm.

The priest was taken to the St Clair Medical Centre where he died around 1.15 pm that same day.

Reliving that heart-wrenching moment, she began her tribute by saying he had gone to prepare a place for them and ended by thanking him for his love, friendship and support over the decades.

Sharing her grief with the congregation, she recalled that Spence had also celebrated masses for her 40th and 50th anniversaries, and once again agreed to preside over the 60th.

“I live at Couva, but we got married at St Theresa’s RC Church, Port of Spain, so that’s where the mass was held."

She said his sole request was that she provide transportation for him to and from the venue.

"There are not too many words I can say. I just know that I had to be here and to say thank you Father for the many years we have known you and come to love you. Rest in peace and prepare a place for those of us who are left behind, not knowing how and where and when that time would be, but you have shown us the way. Thank you.”

She said she was unable to attend the funeral at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Port of Spain, on August 28.

In a brief interview with the Newsday, she recalled that although he had been sweating during the service, they attributed it to the lack of air-conditioning in the church.

“We had no inkling he was ailing,” she said. Her daughter added, “Looking back at the photographs, he appeared normal. Someone even said he looked peaceful.”

Asked whether she believed he had a premonition of death, Punch said she could not make that assessment but added that copies of his final homily would be shared with family and friends.

Vicar General Martin Sirju, offering condolences on behalf of Archbishop Jason Gordon who is in Greece, described Spence as “a very holy man, but at the same time one who knew how to enjoy the good things in life. He was not fat by accident. He loved to eat and loved to drink. He loved chocolate, cheesecake and soft drinks.”

He added that Spence’s appetite for reading, travelling and pilgrimage had deepened his understanding of life and faith. “As men of the cloth who traverse the two islands of Trinidad and Tobago, parishioners become family, and I thank you for your love, kindness and all that you do for us.”

The floor was opened and parishioners from Toco to Tobago, Pointe-a-Pierre, Mon Repos where he last served, remembered him as a priest who combined holiness with warmth, humour and compassion, and recalled the impact of his four decades of ministry.

He was credited with starting the Good Friday Walk (stations of the cross) when he was the priest at St Benedict’s Church.

Recalling Spence’s compassion and humility, one woman remembered how every Good Friday, when preaching on the crucifixion, “he wept unashamedly.”

She said twice for the year he would treat the workers of the church, personally serving them a meal with the finest of cutlery, tablecloths and napkins.

Another recalled, “When you were down and Fr Spence hugged you, that gave you the courage to go another step.”

A parishioner, Kyle, credited him for instilling an appreciation of the sacrament of reconciliation, “forgiveness and healing.”

Tiffany, a young woman, described how he guided her through many milestones, “from passing for my first-choice school, to getting my first job, to buying my first car. He was always a phone call or message away.”

Fr Matthew, who co-officiated, expressed regret that seminarians were not present to hear these testimonies which underscored the transformative power of the priesthood. He said men needed to know the power and importance of the ministry and how they touch lives. He shared a memory of a seminarian who, 25 years ago, left, believing that as a priest he would die without anyone to mourn him.

“He wanted someone to cry for him when he died.”

After the touching tributes, Fr Matthew said Spence would have vanquished that thought as he is deeply mourned.