The Irish standard., 1905-06-17
HIS OWN FUNERAL SERMON,
Touching Message Of the Late Father
koerdt to His People.

Before leaving for California, the
late Rev. Ferdinand koerdt, pastor of
ST. Peters, Fort Wayne, Ind, placed
the following document with his last
will and testament, expecting that it
would be found and read Immediately
after his death. 1t was found only
after the funeral, however, and was
read to st. Peters congregation on
Sunday, May 81, says the Catholic Co.
lumbar. 1t was as follows:
My funeral sermon to be read at
my funeral instead of any other SER
mon
In the name of the most holy and
indivisible Trinity, the Father, the Son
and the Holy Ghost Amen.
u, Ferdinand Koerdt, resign my soul
into the hands of it's Creator and Re-
deemer: my body return to the earth
out of which it was formed; willingly
renounce all earthly goods, honors and
pleasures. Thou alone, my God, and
my Lord, art my desire.
From my heart am sorry for my
sins, solely because by them l have
despised Thee, my God, the sovereign
good, my best Father and most anna
BILE Redeemer, whom 1 love above all
things. With Thy assistance 1 most
earnestly promise amendment and sat
isfaction. Readily I pardon all in
juries received, humbly praying that
the same pardon be granted to me.
1 believe all the Catholic church
proposes to my belief. I hope to re-
ceive, o Lord, from Thy infinite mer.
cy, according to Thy faithful prom
Uses, through the merits of Jesus
Christ, the fullest pardon of my sins
and life everlasting. Thee, my true,
triune God, my sovereign good, I love
with my whole heart. Gratefully ac-
cept evil and good from Thy hand; to
Thy divine Providence, to Thy most
holy will, to Thy merciful judgment
resign myself entirely.
To confirm this my will by your ties.
timony and to strengthen it with
your assistance, I invoke you, o most
Blessed Virgin Mary, my dear Moth.
er, st. Joseph, my holy guardian an
gel, and all you my heavenly patrons,
Receive the desires and promises of
your servant and present them before
the face Of my Lord, Redeemer and
Judge. Amen.
My Dear Practitioners:
My voice in your midst has been
silenced; l am in eternity, whittier
YOU also will soon follow me to be
again united with me. 1 adjure you
do not forget ME in your prayers; pray
a great deal, for one must be very
just to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Do not content yourselves to say: 20,
he died the death of the just" "They
shall be praised where they are no
more" says st. Augustine, "and they
shall be tormented where they are"
Pray, o, pray! ask you for it. When
l shall be in heaven I shall return it
to you hundredfold.
Pardon whatever, through human
frailty, l may have omitted to do for
your salvation. Take to heart the
good advices and examples which
those will give you who will come af-
ter ME, better than I. Oh, do not lose
your souls. What doth it profit a
man If he gain the whole world and
suffer the loss of his own soul?" May
it be granted to me, as often as one
of you shall be called before the judg-
ment seat of God. to say to the Lord:
Lord, behold this soul Thou hadst
entrusted to me: it has remained
faithful; receive it into Thy everlast-
ing dwellings," and when the last soul
arrives, may be able to add: None
of those. o Lord, whom Thou hadst
given to me is lost" Amen. Amen.
Amen. +. KOERDT, Pastor.