On the Day of Fr. Sam Lupico's Funeral and a Stop in Front of St. Ann Church, Baltimore
Today after I left +Fr. Sam Lupico’s Funeral Mass at St. Matthew Church, Baltimore, I headed further into the city for some other commitments and, by chance and just coincidentally, I passed by the now “closed” St. Ann Church on Greenmount Avenue and 22nd Street.
For a few moments and very reflectively, I pulled over and stopped in front of Saint Ann (and while there snapped this photo of the church). +Fr. Sam was the Pastor of the parish from 1974 until 1982. I first met +Sam in 1983 when I first served at St. Ann as a diocesan seminarian (before my Franciscan days) under the mentorship of the then Pastor Fr. Joe Muth. Many years later, I followed Joe and +Sam (certainly nothing like the “giants” they were) as Pastor from 2015 until 2018.
While I served at St. Ann as Pastor, +Sam frequently called or texted me with encouraging words, lots of advice, and the promise of many prayers. During my time there, it was always a great pleasure and blessing to welcome +Sam (and Joe too) “home” to St. Ann for various occasions. I knew how much a great part of +Sam’s heart was there with that church family and with the diverse community of people in “East Baltimore Midway.” Without a doubt, he was a GREAT inspiration to me!
Today, as I sat in my car for those few moments in front of St. Ann, and for multiple reasons I don’t need to further explain, I felt a deep emptiness of heart, even great sadness . . .
Thank you +Sam for all you did for your parishioners, for me, for the people of Baltimore, for the forgotten, for the homeless, for the marginalized, for those who were misunderstood, for those struggling with addictions, for those left out in the cold, for the “lowly,” and for so many who otherwise were left behind without hope.
Rest in Peace Good and Faithful Servant–Your Good Works Go with You! 🙏
Praise God . . . 🙏
Friar Timothy
