Karla Dorweiler | Special to The Michigan Catholic



Detroit — On a sunny day in October, while their classmates were hitting the books at school, six University of Detroit Jesuit High School students carried the casket of a man they never met at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly.

The young men served as pallbearers for the funerals of three United States military veterans who had gone unclaimed upon death.

The veterans laid to rest that day were Melvin R. Wilbourn, 77, Air Force; Ronald Lee LaValley, 69, Army; and Joseph Fitryk, 67, Marines. No family was present at their funerals; instead, women with the Blue Star Mothers of America and 150 Patriot Guard Riders were there to pay respects.

The boys’ effort was the first for the newly formed St. Joseph of Arimathea Pallbearer Ministry at U of D Jesuit. The ministry is a sub-group of the Ignatian Service Corps, the Christian service group at the Catholic all-boys high school.

“This all started a couple years ago, when the students read a story about unclaimed men and women in the Wayne County morgue,” said Tom Wilson, director of service at U of D Jesuit who oversees the group. “They wanted to do something.”

After the students learned of a Jesuit high school in Cleveland that started its own pallbearer ministry,  several U of D Jesuit students visited the Cleveland school to observe a funeral and receive training.

Last summer, three seniors worked to get the program off the ground.

“The name of the ministry comes from St. Joseph of Arimathea because he was essentially the pallbearer for Jesus and took Him to His final resting place,” said senior pallbearer Tom Lennon. “We’re carrying out that same work.”

The group received training and guidance from John Desmond of A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Directors, himself a U of D Jesuit graduate. On training day, the leadership team expected 15 students to attend, but roughly 50 junior and senior boys came.  So many others have since expressed interest that another training session is being planned.

“I wasn’t surprised that U of D wanted to do this because it fits so well with the mission there,” said Desmond. “It’s an outreach by students who recognize that they are privileged in their academic opportunities and in their families, and who want to help carry the casket of an abandoned soul who didn’t have the same situation. It’s an active extension of their faith.”

 

The first funeral

Before the first three funerals, which were held the same day, the boys met at school for a prayer service in the chapel. They learned the names of the deceased and were given time for personal reflection to pray for the men. After the funerals, they reconvened for written reflection and prayer.

“I was nervous but also excited because we’ve been working toward this for so long and I wanted to do well for these veterans,” said senior Joshua Gonzalez. “Once we started carrying the casket, I felt really moved that I was given this honor.”

Junior Noah Tylutki also served as pallbearer for the first funeral and was inspired by Pope Francis to sign up for the ministry.

“In September, I was chosen to go on a papal pilgrimage with U of D to see Pope Francis,” Tylutki said.  “When he was in Philadelphia, he visited a prison and talked about human dignity and how we need to treat one another with love and compassion. That really motivated me to be a pallbearer because we can ensure that these veterans are laid to rest with dignity and compassion.”

The funerals have left an impression on the young men. Lennon says he sees the world differently as a result of having served.

“The other night I was writing an essay for a college application and the question was, ‘What’s broken and how would you fix it?’” Lennon said. “It was the easiest essay I’ve ever written. I had just come from the funerals and I had strong feelings to answer the question.”



The Ignatian Service Corps is one of the largest and most active clubs in the school, whose motto is “Men for Others.” As part of the school’s curriculum, seniors spend their Wednesday mornings serving at a homeless shelter, soup kitchen, hospice center, school or hospital in Detroit to which they are assigned for the entire school year.

“Academics are very important here, but faith and service are right behind that. We’re asking these boys, ‘How are you going to impact others?’” Wilson said. “By the time they leave here, it’s who they are. That message is engrained in them.”

Senior Leonard Froehlich believes the pallbearer ministry is a good fit for the school.

“Not only was this a great opportunity to serve our community, it goes perfectly with what we do at our school and how we try to live,” said Froehlich.

Fr. Karl Kiser, SJ, the school’s president, says that service is a hallmark of a Jesuit education.

“Our mission to form ‘Men for Others,’ at its heart, is not really about being nice and kind to others,” said Fr. Kiser. “While those things are laudable and good, ‘Men for Others’ means being men who care for those who are somehow forgotten, marginalized, or in need. The pallbearer ministry is all about saying these individuals’ lives mattered. They were children of God, no less than anyone else.”

Senior Nick Benedetto agrees.

“I see (the pallbearer ministry) as just another way we’re trying to be men for others,” he said. “We’re always trying to help people at U of D.”