CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF ALEXANDER JOSEPH KEANE MAURO....AUG. 22, 1989 - MAR. 3, 2010..........

The Funeral Mass for my former parishioner and pal, Alex Mauro tonight was concelebrated by 7 priests, Father Mike Carroll being the presider, and Presentation's current Pastor, Fr. Jeremy, retired Newman Center Director, Fr. Mike Newman, who baptized Alex; Fr. George Wanser, current CSUS Newman Center Director; Jesuit High School President Fr. Greg Bonfliglio, Fr. David , from Christ the King Retreat Center, and yours truly. Fr. Mike Newman received the remains in the remains in the church and blessed Alex's coffin with holy water and also opened and concluded the Prayers of the Faithful; Fr. Mike Carroll prayed over the placing of the Pall on Alex's casket by his Godparents, Steve and Teresa Lavell, and the Family Cross and Bible placed atop it by Alex's brother and sister, David and Stephanie; then Fr. Carroll led the Opening Prayer of the Mass, followed by the First Reading led by Alex's aunt, Joyce Keane, and then the Responsorial Psalm and the Verse Before The Gospel, led by the music ministers who were Mike Bobo and the Cooper Family; The Gospel Proclamation chosen by tthe Mauro Family, Matthew 5 :14-16; which I was asked to proclaim, reads -

"You are the light of the world. A city set upon a hill cannot be hidden.
No one after lighting a lamp puts it under a bushel basket,
but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.
In the same way, your light must shine before others so that
they may see goodness in your acts and give praise to your Heavenly Father".

A most appropriate Gospel passage describing Alex's life, for with his bright smiles and enthusiasm was the light of his family, school pals, his church faith community, and countless other persons who encountered him during his 20 years, 6 months, and 9 days, among us on earth. Both Fr. Carroll in his homily and Alex's father, Judge Louis Mauro, who both spoke with conviction and courage about Alex's disability and how he became God's instrument of awareness and compassion for others, being a, "candle lighting our lives" .
Fr. George, Fr. David, and Fr. Jeremy, shared solo parts of the Eucharistic Prayer. After the post Communion Memorial Reflection delivered by his father, a slide show showing the chronology of Alex's life was presented. At the conclusion of the Mass, Fr. Greg and Fr. David, led the Prayers of Final Commendation. Twelvve of Alex young cousins then served as Pallbearers leading his casket out of the church. Then all present were invited to Msgr. Higgins Hall for a meal celebrating the loving, impactful, life of son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, godson, neighbor, student, parishioner, and pal, our beloved, Alex Mauro.
The picture of Alex on the front of his Funeral Mass booklet with a broad and happy smile, is my constant experience of him over the past thirty nine months. It is the same kind of happy smile he had from that first Sunday Mass I celebrated in his presence at Presentation, until the Farewell Reception the parish hosted for me in January. And whenever, I think, pray, or remember, Alex and what he means to all of us in his circle, I will smile back at him for loving me and teaching all of what it means to be persons of compassion and love. I / WE LOVE YOU ALEX - NOW AND FOREVER..........Eternal Light + Love With Jesus, the Angels and the Saints, Fr. Troy