Marion Mazzoli Wake
Rom 8: 31b-35, 37-39, 6-10; Jn 6:37-40
Deacon Larry Brockman
Marion Mazzoli was a very special person in the lives of all of us. She had so many spiritual gifts, and shared them with all of us. She loved the Lord, and had an abiding and intimate relationship with Him from a very early age. She saw things; she sensed things; she knew things; things that most of us are unable to see and sense and know, because the Lord shared them with this very special person.
She became a Spiritual Director, trained in the Diocese of New York by none other than Fr. Apostole , Fr. Grochell, and other well-known persons. Marion helped so many through this very special talent and ministry- some of them here today.
But Marion didn’t just know Christ; she lived the life of Christ. She started in her mid-20’s by gathering homeless children off the streets for St. Agatha’s Orphanage in New York. And then, for 30 years, she operated a preschool, the Tall Pines Enrichment Center. She did all this while raising a family. Yet that was very difficult for her, because Marion had a problem having children. She suffered through many, many miscarriages, and so Tom and Marion adopted their first child. But Tom and Marion persevered, and were blessed with two natural children as well.
Tom and Marion took care of Marion’s parents Mary and Perry in their old age; even helping Perry realize his dream to operate a movie theatre. In recent years, Tom and Marion have taken care of their Grandchildren after school. They are kind and loving parents and grandparents; family has always been a top priority for them. Marion’s passing was just 2 days before her 57th anniversary.
For many years, Tom and Marion visited Florida for a few days after they took Cruises. They bought a time share in Florida in 1988, but then moved to a Town House near Fort Lauderdale in 1998 when they semi-retired in Florida. New York’s loss was Florida’s great gain! They moved to Orlando around the year 2000.
Marion was instrumental in the formation of the Women of Wisdom Organization at Holy Family, encouraging women to meet and talk about their faith. Marion and Tom also helped with Building Households of Faith for a while, our Parish’s former Marriage Preparation Program.
Marion was struck with tongue cancer some 20 years ago, apparently the consequence of too much X-ray radiation from dental work. This disease is usually fatal in just a year or two, but Marion’s case was one for the books because, thanks to family prayer and devotion, the disease went into remission for almost 20 years, something unheard of in the medical field. But it returned about 2 years ago, and spread to her jaw. Doctors tell me that it is one of the most painful cancers known. And yet, Marion bore that pain and suffering with incredible dignity and resolve. Marion truly shared in the sufferings of Christ.
As our first reading proclaimed, nothing can separate us who believe from the love of Christ. And as our Gospel tells us, Jesus will raise up everyone who sees the Son of Man and believes in him. Marion saw and believed.
All of us will miss her love and her spiritual insight. But all of us can rejoice in her new life in the Kingdom of God.