Fr Joseph Peek's Wake March 17, 2016 at All Saints Catholic Church 2443 Mt Vernon Rd, Dunwoody, Georgia 30338

JMJ

My story with Fr Joseph Peek began when my dear cousin married one of his younger sisters and then evolved as we interacted on Facebook and more dramatically when he reached out to my husband after a traumatic skin cancer surgery to a good portion of his face and then deepened when he reached out to our son who is a seminarian in NJ. We had been praying for Fr Joe, so when I heard Fr Joe had passed away I felt compelled to fly down from Nj to pay my last respects. Being short notice it was stunning that I was able to find an available flight. I took it as a sign from God that he wanted me to be there. As the time got closer to leaving I started to panic about flying alone and fears began to overcome me. On the way from the parking lot the driver and I started chatting. He was from Ghana. I told him I was going to Fr Peek's funeral. He then told me one of his brothers was a Roman Catholic priest in Ghana! He went on to tell me excitedly that he was turned down for US citizenship a month ago and when he told his mother in Ghana she said she would pray. She assured him that she would get all the family members to pray and a week later he received 3 letters from immigration saying there had been a mistake. They reviewed his file and granted him citizenship. He said it was a miracle. The interesting thing is he had previously mentioned that the old people in his family were following the faith. I am praying that in telling him about the nature of my flight to Atlanta he would be encouraged to practice his faith too. But his story was uplifting as he excitedly share his miracle story!!! Then my plane was delayed and I ordered a takeout lunch at an airport restaurant. The waiter, also from Atlanta, but now living in Philadelphia asked why I was heading home to Atlanta and of course I told him and he said Fr Peek's death is sad but triumphant. Maybe my mission in traveling to Atlanta is to tell Fr Peek's story for God's glory?!!! Telling Fr Joe's story to total strangers helped me feel less nervous to travel alone. And then I began to get a glimpse of why God might have wanted me to fly to Atlanta; precisely to share Fr Joe's life story and continue his witness to life and service in Our Lord's name! I offer up these photo moments in humble gratitude to how he touched me and my own family!

Ad Maiorem Dei gloriam!

On Thursday Afternoon I flew down from NJ to attend Fr Joseph Peek's wake and funeral. My beloved Aunt Lourdes picked me up at the airport.

We stopped to visit my cousin Luli at work. It is always such a delight to see her! 

This is my favorite photo of my visit; with the three of us cracking up!

I was born in Atlanta and COMING HOME is a joy for me. Our Cuban relatives settled in Atlanta in 1957.

Every time we get together it's like we were last together yesterday!

Aunt Lourdes then took me to my kind and sweet cousin Elena's house. She was so gracious to let me stay with her during my 24 hour visit.

Elena used to live in Chicago and we met in Ohio several times, half way  between us to go camping together. We have so much in common like our deep faith and homeschooling!

4 of her beautiful 5 children

A quick meal together before we attend the wake.

Love these children!

So much fun!

This dress won't stop me from climbing up the tree!

The littlest one tries to keep up with the older siblings!

Beautiful All Saints Catholic Church 2443 Mt Vernon Rd, Dunwoody, Georgia 30338

Gorgeous grotto to Our Lady at All Saints Catholic CHurch

My beautiful cousin Cristina remembered to wear green on St Patrick's day, the day of Fr Joe's wake!

My favorite photo of the day of Fr Joseph's wake; bittersweet in a way between the sorrow of the hearse and the innocence of the little girls sitting along the curb!

The narthex of All Saints had four posters with photos of different times in Fr Peek's life.

This photo of Fr Joe and his brother Fr Kevin concelebrating mass was in the center of the narthex.

Fr Kevin stands next to the hearse before his brother's body is brought out of the hearse.

The pall bearers bring Fr Joe's body on to the altar.

My Cousin Mike is one of the pallbearers.

Msgr. Hugh Marren pastor at All Saints filmed some of the procession.

The Peek family arrives.

Fr Peek was one of 11 siblings.

Fr Kevin Peek begins the wake service.

Msgr Marren also spoke.

Fr Kevin Peek incenses Fr Joe Peek's casket.

The simple wood casket is opened for the viewing.

An incredibly moving moment when Fr Joe's father,  also Joseph, leans down and kisses his head.

Mary and Joseph Peek are an amazing witness to all of us, with a devotion to Our Lord and our Catholic Faith that is truly an inspiration!

The rosary was begun by one of the Peek sisters, Kathy and her sweet family.

Many reverent women wore veils at the wake and the funeral. An optional pious act that is truly beautiful!

The Knights of Columbus stood watch over Fr Joe's Peek's body all thru the night.
Their devotion was deeply felt by everyone present.

A table with Fr Peek's momentos were lovingly set next to the casket.

In a moment of inspiration, I touched my rosary to Fr Joe's constant companion, his breviary.

My cousin Mike and his wife Christina and another sister Elizabeth continued the rosary while the faithful paid their last respects at Fr Joe's side.

The reverence and devotion was both soothing and uplifting!

Fr Kevin took a moment to pray over my cousin Cristina before her surgery the following day. The beauty of this act of love was still another sign of the character of Fr Kevin as a man of service to others.

My cousin Mike lovingly embraced by his beautiful mother.

A powerful moment; a father and son embrace.

Fr Kevin comforts one of his sisters.

Some of the Garcia Carreras family!

One of the little cousins ran out to tell me that our family's photo was included in one of the four collages when we took Fr Joe out to breakfast on December 27, 2014 during our family visit to Atlanta from NJ. A month before, November 5, 2014 my husband was in surgery 7 hours while doctors removed more and more of his cheek during skin cancer surgery. As I posted the horror of the days escalating events on Facebook, Fr Joe called our home that evening to console my stunned and traumatized husband who felt he was now totally disfigured. HE spent over an hour and half talking to us about his own suffering. We did not know that he had an online ministry reaching out to others. Because of his great kindness and tenderness to us in such a traumatic moment we were eager to meet him in person upon our visit back to the land of my birth, the first time for my family to meet all their Cuban cousins!! It was a grace filled meeting, as he then encouraged our son, a seminarian, in his priestly vocation.

Our family visit with Fr Joe Peek December 27, 2014.