by OCMC Missionary, Georgia Gillman
This August 26th, the Liturgy was filled with a special grace. His Eminence Archbishop Anastasios of Albania remembered Lynette during the Liturgy and afterwards he said a few words, with much love, about Lynette to all the people before they started the memorial service.
After Raimonda and a few of us finished passing out the koliva, about 20 of us drove out to Shen Vlash where Lynette is buried. It is a lovely place. When I got there I was amazed by the grave stone. It stands taller than 6 feet. It has beautiful mosaics on both sides. On the back side is the Resurrection and I think it says "Une jam jeta dhe ngjallja" at the bottom. On the other side is St. Katherine with Lynette's name and the dates of her
birth and death beneath.
The Archbishop read the trisagion prayers, some in English and some in Albanian. He reminded us that St. John Chrysostom once said "You honor the martyrs and saints by becoming like them", and so he encouraged us
to remember Lynette's goodness and the depth of her spiritual life by trying to become like her.
Afterwards, we had lunch in Shen Vlash where the Archbishop invited us to share our own memories of Lynette. I told a story about how she had encouraged me and given me some wise words about loving the children at
the Protagonist School. People from the camps, the university, the women's group, Petrach, and some of the other missionaries also spoke.
The most beautiful words, however, were from Tefta. Tefta had gone to spend some time with her 2 days or so before she died. She said that in the last days of Lynette's life she was so sick and so weak that she couldn't talk very much. She and Lynette drank some water together.
After 12 cups without saying much, Lynette asked if Tefta was bored by just sitting and drinking water. "No of course not" said Tefta. After more silence Lynette asked, "Tefta, tell me, how did the Albanian mothers endure? So many of them were imprisoned and tortured. How did they endure that? I want to know how to endure like them." Tefta said that before answering she just sat there shocked. How could someone in so much pain be thinking about the suffering of others and see that suffering as greater than her own?
When Tefta's own brother died a few months later she told him. "It's ok you have a friend waiting for you there." Tefta said that she was able to face his death better because of the way she had seen Lynette die
with faith.
Archbishop Anastasios asked Isidori to collect all of the stories that were shared for a program on the radio. And he encouraged all of us to not only remember Lynette's deeds, but to continue her work and be willing to suffer as she did.
I miss Lynette very much. She really was peaceful and God-bearing in a way that is hard to explain, but could be easily felt. May God grant us all to have her peace and strength.
Please join us in praying for the Hoppe family as we remember the one-year anniversary of Lynette's passing. For more information about OCMC Missionaries serving abroad or the remarkable life of Lynette Hoppe, please contact Fr. David Rucker by phone at 877-GO-FORTH (463-6784), or by e-mail at missionaries@ocmc.org. For more information about OCMC please visit http://www.ocmc.org/.
