Justin Hibbard, the mission administrator at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Heber City, Utah, had an idea — a special mass in connection with the death of President Russell M. Nelson.
With their weekly Mass usually drawing 25-30 people, Hibbard thought “maybe we’ll get a few more people — like 50 or so" as they put out an “open invitation” to anyone in the area to attend, “especially our LDS neighbors.”
The response shocked him, with more than 250 people showing up at the smaller church Thursday morning.
“I mean, we were setting up chairs every which way, in places where we normally don’t set up chairs,” Hibbard said. Every seat in the pews was full, with people standing across the back, along the sides, out in the hallway, into overflow rooms, and even standing in the stairs.
“It was wild,” he said.
Reciprocal grief and affection
Catholic leaders in Utah issued statements soon after President Nelson’s death last weekend, including a message from Bishop Oscar A. Solis of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake, and another from the Rev. Christopher Gray, rector of the Cathedral of the Madeleine.
“Earlier this year, President Nelson gave us words of comfort at the passing of Pope Francis,” wrote the Rev. Gray. “Today, with a heavy heart, I express my gratitude for his lifetime of dedication, faith, and service, and I thank our LDS neighbors for generously sharing his teaching with us.”
Hibbard told the Catholic News Agency that the Catholic community in Heber Valley has a “great relationship with our LDS neighbors here.”
“We are grateful for President Nelson’s kindness to the Catholic community especially in Utah,” the St. Lawrence invitation read later that Sunday. “Just a handful of months ago, President Nelson offered healing words when Pope Francis passed away. In solidarity, we extend our heartfelt condolences to our neighbors of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
As the service Thursday began, the Rev. Kenneth Ray Parsad greeted attendees with “good morning! We are joined today by many of our brothers and sisters from the LDS Church as we offer this Holy Mass for President Russell Nelson.”
Among those attending was Marjorie Lowder, one of President Nelson’s nine daughters. The Rev. Parsad said the congregation was “humbled and thankful” she would take time to join them.
‘Completely overwhelmed by the kindness’
“Every minute of it was just so precious,” Lowder reflected afterward. “The service was uplifting and thoughtful, the music was wonderful, the words were so heartfelt, and everyone was so kind. We just felt so blessed to have been there.”
Lowder said it was kind of the congregation to extend the invitation for Latter-day Saints to join them in honor of her father. “I just felt very humbled and honored that they would do that.”
“We felt completely overwhelmed by the kindness and love of our Catholic neighbors,” said Brad Lowder, Marjorie Lowder’s husband. It was a “beautiful, generous act of kindness and solidarity in a world that’s so divided and fractured.”
Hibbard called the Mass for the repose of the soul of Russell M. Nelson “a unique way of praying for somebody, because it brings together the whole congregation.” This involved local Catholics praying a rosary for President Nelson before the Mass began — reflecting the faith’s practice to ask God to grant grace to the recently deceased in a special prayer. (Guidance was provided for how non-Catholics could participate in the prayer if they wanted).
“It was very emotional for both our congregations,” Hibbard said. “People came out with tears in their eyes,” with some commenting to him “that was one of the most amazing Masses we’ve ever been to.”
‘An act of love’
“I just can’t say enough about the Rev. Parsad and his staff and his entire congregation, how warm and welcoming they were,” Brad Lowder said, remarking that “the way he spoke of President Nelson was so loving and kind.
“It could easily have been something more scripted,” he added, before emphasizing how “personal and meaningful” the Catholic leader’s words were.
During that homily, the Rev. Parsad taught about the Catholic belief in guardian angels, while quoting President Nelson’s own teachings about God sending angels to assist his followers as an “interesting point of similarity.”
After describing long conversations and meals he enjoyed with Latter-day Saints, and even some help to find his grandfather on a family history app, the Rev. Parsad said of President Nelson, “I don’t know him personally, but I can say that I know him vicariously through the wonderful LDS people that I have encountered.”
“It was clear that this special Mass for President Nelson wasn’t a token gesture,” Brad Lowder said. “It was literally an act of love, and we were so moved by that. We felt completely loved and accepted by our Catholic friends to be in their space, worshipping with them.”
Hibbard noted how music director Christina Hemphill picked music that would be familiar to both faith communities, beginning with “Amazing Grace.” During the final song, “How Great thou Art,” Marjorie Lowder said the “windows were almost shaking. It was so loud and beautiful and so sweet.”
‘Felt like we were all just one’
“Our hearts were all warmed by that whole community coming together,” Marjorie Lowder said. “It really lifted our hearts.” “It was just lovely to see everyone come together. It just felt like we were all just one ... people just expressing their love and faith.”
Referring to her father, President Nelson, she said, “it is exactly what he would love to see.”
Arriving early, Leslie Mower, a lifelong Catholic from Utah on the Parrish Council, had to park three blocks down the road. “There was a line of people just patiently waiting,” she said.
Having grown up in the state, Mower has many Latter-day Saint friends and has gone to missionary homecomings and funerals in their chapels. She described a “feeling of awe” to walk in there and see so many of her own personal friends together worshipping at her church.
“It’s honestly a beautiful sight to see an overflowing church,” Mower said. ”There’s just nothing better."
After the Mass, Mower appreciated how people stayed to talk and visit.
“I honestly couldn’t stop talking about yesterday all day long,” she said. “I called my mom, I called my sister. I was telling my kids, and my one daughter was like, ‘do I have to hear about this again?’”
“It was just really beautiful ... I will never forget it.”
A healing moment
The gesture attracted positive comments online, including from Sen. Mike Lee.
“(President Nelson) would be so happy to see God’s children coming together in this way!” wrote Heather Campbell Fife on St. Lawrence Mission’s Facebook page.
“I am deeply touched by the special Mass and the gesture of unity and kindness it represents,” added Rebecca Rice Birkin.
When asked why he thought the event struck a chord, Hibbard responded, “it’s very emotional when you lose your leader” — like losing a “father figure for us,” in reference to the pope’s death. “And I think that’s probably the way it feels (for Latter-day Saints) … it still leaves a little bit of an emptiness and a hole, and certainly some uncertainty. You know, what’s next for us as a community?”
Hibbard also mentioned the recent attack on a Latter-day Saint meetinghouse in Grand Blanc, Michigan, as traumatizing for people — hoping that the Mass added another “moment of healing.”
“It’s got us thinking about how do we bring the community back together?” Hibbard said. “Maybe around some of the holidays, like Advent and Christmas or Holy Week.”
“I hope it can be a catalyst for more of these kinds of unifying experiences in our community,” Brad Lowder agreed, “and become a model of what can be.”
“It was a beautiful thing to see in this fractured world, how people can come together in love and kindness ... it was really healing for Marjorie and me.”
