Brian Smith - Messages of Condolence. 04-05-2003

Attached are messages of condolence received by Emmanuel Community since the death of

Brian.

Many other encouraging messages were received by fax, e-mail and personal telephone calls to

Brian and Lorraine assuring them both of their prayers during the months of his final illness.

MESSAGES OF CONDOLENCES – BRIAN SMITH

James Francis Card. Stafford, President, Pontifical Council for the Laity

We were very saddened in reading your fax with the news of the death of Brian Smith. The staff

and office personnel of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, united in prayer, share the great sorrow

of his family member, friends and co-workers who had the joy of being enriched by the witness and

ministry of this great member of the Catholic Church, leader of the Catholic Fraternity, and former

member of this dicastery. May he now rest in peace in the House of the Father, through the

intercession of Our Lady of the annunciation and of Saint Joseph.

Bishop Albert-Marie de Monleon, o.p., Bishop of Meaux and Spiritual Adviser to the Catholic

Fraternity

Thank you for your messages telling me of dear Brian’s death and funeral. I agree totally with you

about the “coincidence” of days – Saint Joseph and the Annunciation. Among many things I think

of the joy of Brian to see again his beloved daughter. Extend to Brian’s wife and family and to all

Emmanuel Community my love and prayer. May the Angels help you in all what is to be done in

this sad but peaceful and hopeful circumstance. This is a new stage for the Community, yourself

and also for the Catholic Fraternity, a stage in which we have to step with confidence that heaven is

at hand and that all our endeavours should aim at it. On this feast of Saint Joseph I was also grieved

by the sudden death of my elder brother and I recommend him, his wife and family to your prayer.

God bless you, your family and the community.

Bishop Mark Coleridge, Melbourne

Thanks for your message bearing the news of Brian’s death. It is the end of a long journey for

Brian, and it seemed to me strangely appropriate that he should finally depart at midday on the feast

of Saint Joseph, patron of the universal church. My prayers are very much with you and with all

who mourn Brian’s going. May our brother rest in peace and rise in glory.

Bishop Joe Grech, Melbourne

Peace and blessings. Thank you for informing me about Brian. My prayers are with you all.

Bishop John Lee, Diocese of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

It is with deep sorrow and loss that I learnt of the recent passing of Brian Smith, founder of ECC.

Brian had been a good friend to our diocese and had initiated the move to set up the Covenant

Communities in Sabah. Many families here have grown tremendously in their love for the Lord and

for the Church. Indeed Brian had been very much part of their journey. On behalf of the Clergy,

Religious and laity of this diocese, I wish to send my condolence to you in the moment of pain and

sorrow. I pray that the good Lord will give you the courage to move on, and may He grant Brian

eternal rest and happiness.

Father Tony Randazzo, Emmanuel Liaison Priest

Thanks for the news. Prayers for Brian are on the way, as well as for Lorraine, the family and of

course, Emmanuel.

Fr Renato Tisot, Allianza Dives in Misericordia e di Rinnovamento nello Spirito, Trento, Italy

It is a great loss for our Fraternity, but it is a great presence in the Heavenly Community: Brian

Smith has been a light and a fire for the whole Charismatic Renewal. As alleanza Dives in

Misericordia – RnS (Trento – Italy) we want to express our sorrow and we are in prayer for His soul

and for His family, especially Lorraine. In our church we are going to celebrate a solemn Mass on

Sunday 23rd and we all will be spiritually present on the day of Requiem Mass, March 25th.

Ignacio Cid, Comunidad Neuva Alianza, Mexico

It is with great sorrow that we received your email in which you informed us of our brother Brian’s

death. Since our meeting in Rome last November, we had in our community a period of praying for

Brian’s health. We are deeply grateful to the Lord for having had an opportunity to meet him and

also for his visit to our community in 1999. We are also grateful for having been witness to all the

blessings the Lord realized through him. We are praying for his eternal rest in our Father’s house.

Kevin Horgan, Bethel Covenant Community, Perth

Thank you for advising us and other Communities the news of Brian’s death. I extend to you on

behalf of myself, our Elders and all the Bethel Community our deepest sympathy and condolences.

Even though we have all known and been kept well informed by yourself of Brian’s illness and

impending departure, it is a sad time and deep loss to you, the Emmanuel Community, all

Communities and especially Brian’s family. We in Perth have always held Brian in high esteem and

saw him as a great man of faith and spirituality. He also showed great courage of his convictions

and stepped our on many occasions throughout his life in matters of faith and leadership. Many of

us are personally and collectively greatly indebted to Brian, his beliefs, leadership and wisdom. He

will be sadly missed and I personally feel his loss greatly although I am happy for him that he has

gone to meet his beloved God and daughter Teresa. I was able to keep abreast of Brian’s progress

by, around, weekly phone calls and talking with him personally. This was also a very uplifting time

due to my conversations with his most faithful wife, Lorraine. She is an inspiration of Christian

faith and supportive wife and I have spoken with her personally to convey my and our condolences.

We have organized a special mass for this Sunday at 9.30 a.m. for the whole Community to gather

to celebrate Brian’s life and, spiritually and personally, accompany him on his way to Jesus and the

Father. Sr Rose Miriams will be in attendance. Unfortunately and sadly, due to circumstances and

commitments, I will not be in attendance at Brian’s funeral. Once again, please accept our

condolences and affirmation of Brian’s life and pass them onto the members of the Emmanuel

Community.

Expressions of sympathy from Jaime Talavera Ramirez, Comunidad Catolica de Alianza de

Veracruz “David”

Herve Marie & Martine Catta, Jean-Luc Moens, Dominique Vermersch, Emmanuel Community,

Paris

This is to tell you how close we are to you in this sad moment, and to assure you of our prayer. We

give thanks to the Lord for everything Brian has done for the Church and our communities, and

entrust him to the Virgin Mary whom he loved so much. Be sure of our support and prayer.

Mario Cappello,Glory of God Covenant Community, Rome, Italy

Thanks for informing all of us about Brian’s home going. Even though we were expecting it, when

it did come it brought tears to my eyes. Henry will be representing Glory of God at Brian’s funeral.

Fr Noel McKeown, O.P., Ireland

Many thanks for announcing Brian’s passing to the Lord. I can see his wonderful smile now in

heaven and I know he is pouring blessings on us all. The community and all his friends will miss

his presence and ministry. My special regards to Lorraine and family. If you think you are going to

miss his work, fear not. Saint Dominic told grieving friars before his death that he could do far more

in heaven than here on earth. So rejoice in the Lord and look forward to immense blessings every

day of your lives.

Tom & Mary Matasso

Thank you so very much for all the love and care you have provided for Brian during this time.

Thank you also for keeping us informed. Please give our love and prayers to Brian’s wife and

family. We will continue to pray for all of them. We are so very grateful for all that Brian’s life has

been for all of us and what a blessed day to be taken home to the Lord, the feast of Saint Joseph. We

will miss Brian but know that he will be working for all of us in his newfound and well deserved

home.

Pat & Maxine Callahan, Bethel Covenant Community, Perth

It is with great sadness but with a sense of peaceful joy that we heard about Brian’s death. I’m sure

he was looking forward to going home. Would you please convey our condolences to the Elders, the

Community and particularly to Lorraine and the family. We always held Brian in the highest esteem

and he had a great impact on the early formation of our Community. We are having a special

Community Mass at the Centre on Sunday morning in memory of Brian and will be praying for you

all.

Laure Krupp, Mt Zion Catholic Pastoral Center, Michigan USA

From the bottom of my heart do I send my sympathy at Brian’s death. Your relationship with him,

which was full of all the things of life, means that this moment must be particularly poignant for

you. My prayer is for Brian, his family and for you. I will be praying for wisdom and comfort for

you.

Francois Paget, Fondacio Community, Versailles

We thank the Lord for all the hard work Brian has done for Catholic Fraternity and Renewal. May

the Lord continue to lead you, the community and the Catholic Fraternity through His spirit.

Thanking again the Lord for the time given and the sense of service witnessed by Brian all his life

through. We assure you that we remain in communion and union of prayer.

Judith Freeman, City of the Lord

Thank you for the prompt news of Brian’s death. It is so gracious of the Lord to have taken him

home on the Feast of Saint Joseph. Although it has been a long vigil for all of you, I’m sure it must

still be a time of mixed sorrow and joy for the community and especially his family. Know that we

keep you all in our prayers.

Maria Emmir,Comunidade Catolica Shalom, Brasil

This is to say I am united with you in my prayers and in the Eucharist in this moment of suffering

and pain. God bless.

Eddie Russell, Steve Peake and all Members of Flame Ministries International (Perth W.A.)

We at FMI do not know Brian’s family, so we send our sincere condolences and prayer through you

that you might express our love and gratitude for Brian’s inspiration and service to the Church

through Charismatic Renewal. We certainly must acknowledge his incomparable contribution for

the blessings to so many throughout the Church in so many places. May he rest in peace and receive

his exceeding great reward in the presence of his Lord and God.

Moyses Azevedo Filho, Comunidade Catolica Shalom, Brasil

This is to assure you and the Emmanuel Community of our friendship and prayer in this moment of

pain and hope.

Vi Bezner, Community of God’s Delight, Dallas, USA

How very sorry when the news came that Brian had gone to be with the Lord! Of course, we all

know that death is our ultimate goal, but humanly speaking it is very difficult to lose someone we

loved so much. Our sincere condolences from the Community of God’s Delight in Dallas, Texas.

Our founder, Bobbie J. Cavnar, has also gone to be with the Lord. They were brothers here on earth,

now they are celebrating the ultimate, with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Diego O’Neill, Comunidad Misionera de Cristo Resucitado, Uruguay

As you may understand, it will be impossible for me to go to Australia to Brian’s burial, but I will

be there in spirit. We feel that our brother Brian was a gift of God for all of us, and I am grateful for

his friendship. We would like to express to you and to all the Emmanuel Community members our

love and close friendship.

Fr Sandrino Bocchin, Koinonia John the Baptist, Italy

From Rome I would like to express these simple words that arose in my heart as I heard about the

news of our dear brother Brian Smith who departed for the House of the Father: An angel has been

added to the number of the chosen ones, A brother with the heart of Jesus, Who was able to forgive

and lay down his life for his friends.

Gordon, Martha and Heidi Krupp, Mt Zion Catholic Pastoral Center, Michigan USA

Please accept our deepest heartfelt sympathies to you and all of the community. Be assured of our

prayers and support. We will dedicate our prayer tonight for your community. On a personal note, I

wish there were words to express all that is in our heart. I am sure that you must feel the burden of

leading your family and friends through this loss. You are in my prayers.

Tony Hanna, Family of God Community,Ireland.

Deepest sympathy to all of you who mourn Brian. We will cherish his memory as a wonderful

ambassador for Christ and one of the chief architects of the Catholic Fraternity. Prayers, blessings

and heartfelt commiserations.

Enrico & Ivana Massari, Communita “Eccomi Signore Manda Me!”, Ragusa, Italy.

The Community “Eccomi, Manda Me!” sends you our sympathy and deep admiration for the loss of

Brian. He was a pivotal figure in many of our lives and we are grateful to the Lord that we met him.

May the Lord give peace to his soul and extend His loving embrace to Lorraine and all the family.

Mike Wagner, Interim Lead Coordinator, Community of God’s Delight, Dallas, Texas USA.

I was joyfully saddened by the news of Brian’s passing. Our brothers and sisters in the Emmanuel

Community are in our prayers. We rejoice at Brian’s victory and at the same time are saddened by

his passing only because we will miss him.

Adrian Commadeur, CCR, Melbourne

My sincere condolences at the death of Brian. I feel his loss greatly.

Fr Sandrino Bocchin, Koinonia Giovanni Battista Community, Italy

The Lord’s love has now fully embraced and filled our dear Brian. Our community is praying for

the love and comfort of the Holy Spirit to overwhelm you all, to console you and give you a future

full of hope.

Bread of Life Catholic Charismatic Covenant Community, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

With deepest sorrow in our hearts we accept the Lord’s calling of Brother Brian Smith home in

heaven where every tear will be wiped away. Jesus, our Lord is faithful and without injustice, good

and gracious is He. In Him we trust and pray for the repose of the soul of our dearest Brother Brian.

With Mother Mary we bow our knees before our Almighty Saviour for mercy and grace. Our

hearts’ memory of dearest Brother Brian Smith is a treasure of love and kindness so lovingly shared

by him.

Jude Muscat, National Coordinator, CCR, Malta

It was with great sorrow that on the feast day of St Joseph we received the sad news that a dear

brother and spiritual father of the Renewal in Malta was called to eternal life. On behalf of all

brothers and sisters involved in the CCR, Malta, I would like to express my deepest condolences for

the loss of a great man of God, a great husband and father. Although most of the people involved in

the Charismatic Renewal in Malta today do not know the beginnings and how God in his love and

wisdom used his humble servant, Brian, to start a wave of conversions in Catholic Malta, up to this

very day,. We are still benefiting from the work started some 30 years ago. May God bless you

abundantly for sharing your great gift with us.

Ivan & Louise Laferla, Coordinators of Bread of Life Community, Malta (part of the Glory of God

Community)

On our behalf and on behalf of my community, I would like to send you our deepest sympathy on

the death of Brian. Many of us know Brian as an example, a model and a father. He was the

instrument God used to bring the Charismatic Renewal on our island, he greatly helped our

community in its initial stages. He remains in our hearts as a true Man of God. May God’s

everlasting peace rest in your heart.

Dominic Osei-Kofi, ICPE Ghana Mission Centre

Please take consolation in the words of God that say ‘everything works for the good of those who

trust in God’. Brian has been a blessing to many and we trust his efforts will be richly rewarded. We

want to assure you of our love and prayer support. We are with you in spirit in this difficult

moment.

John & Monica Haughey, Christchurch

We express our deep sympathy to Lorraine & family & also Emmanuel on the passing of Brian.

May he rest in peace.

Steve Clark, USA

We will pray for you all that the funeral will be a time of reconciliation and strengthening. May the

Lord give you wisdom.

Comunidad Catolica de Alianza John 17,21, Tijuana, B.C. Mexico

We know that this must be a difficult moment as you say goodbye physically to Brian and struggle

with dwelling his departure, but also with the hope and joy of knowing that he is now in paradise,

enjoying the complete presence of the Lord. Our community was constantly praying for Brian. He

was a wonderful leader & brother who always was concerned with our life in the faith. We knew

that he was a wonderful friend to our Mexican communities and is well within our hearts. We are

sure that he continues to pray for us in unity with the saints and angels in heaven. We pray that the

Lord may strengthen you as a family and may you receive grace upon grace in everything you do.

May His face shine upon you and may you always be blessed by his everlasting love. “Thou

therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus”. 2 Tim 2:1.

Jim Jones, City of the Lord Community, USA

Please convey my deepest sympathy to Lorraine and her family over the death of our dear brother,

Brian. Due to my own walking handicap, I’m no longer able to travel great distances but will attend

Mass tomorrow for Brian and his family. I have many fond memories of our journey together in

serving the Lord in many parts of the world. Brian was a faithful and diligent servant of the Lord

whom I last saw at Bobbie Cavnar’s funeral last March – he was in great pain but came anyway to

honor Bobbie and convey his sorrow to the Cavnar family. Another great warrior gone to the Lord –

may the Angels sing with joy upon Brian’s entrance into heaven. May the good Lord bring

abundant blessings to Lorraine, the Emmanuel Community and all the work you’ve done in

Australia and Oceania. God bless you and yours.

Herve Marie Catta, Emmanuel Community, Paris

Tomorrow, on the Peniche, the boat of Emmanuel, we shall have the mass for Brian. At this

occasion we thank the Lord especially for the life of Brian and all he gave to his family, his

community and the spread of the good news to others. We are still praying him now for the blessing

of the Fraternity and to ask through his intercession to the Lord to renew for all our communities

charism and spirit of evangelization. I assure you we are in communion with you in these days.

Nelson, Lucia & brothers and sisters from Rio de Janeiro

Thank you for your attention in informing us about our lovely Brian. It was a sad notice because

Brian, as you dear Shayne, is part of our family, more than a blood brother. Brian was a man full of

the Spirit of the Lord, a man of Pentecost, a man guided by the Holy Spirit, completely devoted to

the Lord and the Church. A man that many times has been taken to the cross, in short: an Apostle

from Queensland to the world, and a gift from the Lord to His people. We may say that we have

part of our hearts in Brisbane. It was a sad notice, but we have the consolation of knowing that he is

with the Lord. Since last November, after arriving from Rome when we heard about his health, we

had permanently prayed for him and his name was in the tabernacle, on the feet of The Almighty,

having daily masses. In any way, we give thanks to the Lord for Brian’s life, his strong witness of

life, his faith and total dedication to serve the Lord. Brian’s life was a victorious life in the presence

of the Lord and serving Him. And it is a sign and comfort that the Lord called him in the day of

Saint Joseph, the patron of the good dead. We would like to express, dear Shayne, our condolences

and please let Lorraine and his family know about our pain, our love and our prayers. I would like

to express also my condolences to you dear brother, because, in a certain way, we, - as you I am

sure – are feeling as orphans.

Clement Samuel, Light of God Covenant Community, Malaysia

It is with deep sadness we received the news of the demise of Brian Smith. Please do convey our

deepest sympathy and prayers to Lorraine and family and members of Emmanuel Covenant

community. God be with you in this time of great loss.

Theresa Anwar, Pakistan

Please kindly accept my deepest sympathy on the sad demise of Brian Smith. I, Theresa Anwar, ex

council member of ICCRS, pray for his soul that God may give him eternal rest in his heavenly

home. Also pray for his family members that God may give them strength to bear this loss.

Ed Wilmowski, City of the Lord, USA

Please know that the prayers and sympathy of the brothers and sisters in City of the Lord are with

you, personally, and all those in Emmanuel, who must be experiencing a great sorrow at the loss of

Brian. What a blessing that his burial Mass could be celebrated on the Feast of the Annunciation.

Our prayers will certainly be joined with all those around the world being celebrated on that day.

Though geographically separated, we will most certainly be united with you all in prayer. We are

deeply indebted to Brian for his tremendous contribution to the life of our communities and the

Church through his service to the Catholic Fraternity. Our continued prayers for all in Emmanuel.

David and Jo Peterman, Community of God’s Delight, Dallas, USA

I deeply regret the loss of our brother Brian. I know from living through Bobbie’s death that it was

hard on all of you. At least we can take solace in knowing that he is already with our Lord in

paradise. We now have another saint to pray for us as we continue to struggle and hope to receive

our reward. We in Dallas held Brian in a very special place in our hearts and will miss him. But we

have so many fond memories to console us until hopefully we meet again in heaven. I had planned

to come for the funeral with Mike, but it seems like the Lord had other plans. I am very sorry I will

not be able to be there to say goodbye. Please know that I am with you all in spirit if not in flesh.

Please give my regards t Lorraine and the family as well as all our brothers and sisters of

Emmanuel.

Joe Aquilina, Malta

God bless Brian with the gift of the fullest possible openness to the spirit of life who will show him

all the beauty of a life interwoven by his action. May the Spirit provide him face to face with all the

answers to all life’s imponderables. May Jesus reward his labours … especially the push he gave to

the Renewal in Malta.

Ricardo Garcia Fernandez, Argentina

I learnt through Diego about the pass into Eternal life of Brian. I would like to give you and all his

Australian friends my sincere condolences and I also join your prayer of thanksgiving to God for

Brian’s life and for his witness of Christian life. A big abrazo.

Expressions of sympathy from Comunita di Gesu, Torino, Italy

Brian and Denise Mills,

On behalf of the Focolare Movement, Australia.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal on the departure of Brian

Smith for Paradise. We are very much with his family in this time of suffering but we live in the joy

of knowing how he will be welcomed in Heaven by Mary our Mother.

With his extraordinary life of living the New Evangelization we can ask him to talk to Jesus about

all of us here in Australia so that the design of God for our country will come about.

Tomorrow morning Fr. Bruno will celebrate mass together with the Focolare community for the

repose of his soul, for his family and for all those who loved him.