I remember that it was a beautiful summer day in July in Rowley, MA when I received a call from Florida from my niece Kathy telling me that my mother had been admitted to the hospital for a cardiac catheterization. She did not think that it was anything I should be alarmed about—but she wanted me to know that this procedure was taking place.
Yet, as only the Holy Spirit can do, I was prompted to buy an airline ticket and to go and to be with her.
Upon arrival at Mom's house I discovered that she was still in hospital and was in critical condition as during the cardiac catherization had run amuck and an abdominal blood clot was dislodged during the procedure severely restricting blood circulation and that there was nothing that could now be done. In fact, she was dying. Of course, I immediately went to the hospital to visit her which began a weeklong painful journey during which time I was constantly called to prayer in the form of a continuous rosary for my Mom.
A FAMILY NARRATIVE
AN AMAZING STORY OF GRACE
NEW LIFE, SALVATION, PURGATORY AND HEAVEN
Mom was conscious in the beginning and I could speak with her, but she was somewhat delusionary which deeply troubled me. Then, it seems, she was quite normal for a time during which all the visitations began from family members. Mom spoke with great joy about her impending death and her reunion with family members and meeting Jesus and His mother Mary. She remained, in her dying moments, the consummate evangelist exhorting and encouraging everyone. She even spoke to her attending doctors with joy and her transcendent peace amazed them.
At the end of each visit I would go back to her house to rest—remaining prayerful and often contacted the hospital for updates. On one of these occasions, very early in the morning, I received a call from the hospital stating that my mother was passing away and that I should come. I quickly left and upon arrival at the hospital I went to her room where she was lying unconscious and on life support. Saddened, I sat in a chair at the edge of her bed watching her shallow breathing while continuing to pray the rosary. While praying in this manner—at some point, I audibly heard the words "Hail, Holy Queen". So prompted, I then began to recite: "Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy --- ". As I began to say this prayer I then audibly heard: "She is gone now." I believe this word came from room speaker as she was being monitored remotely. But, honestly, I just don't know.
But, given the events, I did understand that Our Lady had just come with her angels to take Mom into the heavenly realm. For a time after this I just sat there emotionally depleted and exhausted, but comforted that this part of the journey was over. I knew that the rest of the journey, while difficult, would also be laced with joy because I knew Mom was home—now awaiting the arrival of her remaining children into the eternal realm of heaven.
Later in the morning, my sister Gail, who had flown in from CT to see Mom, visited the hospital with me to say her own good bye.
Although Mom died in Florida, she was to be buried in Connecticut in a grave site next to my stepfather back in CT and it would be necessary to fly her body home. However, before that, and because of the great love of the Catholic Christian community for her locally in Florida, there was to be a funeral service at the local funeral home giving her many friends the opportunity to pay their last respects. Both Gail and I looked forward to this event.
Literally, hundreds of her friends attended and there was a time of great fellowship and wonderful prayer. Following the service Gail and was scheduled to fly back to CT. Once there, she was to prepare for the funeral Mass and the reception for family members that would take place following the Mass.
Upon seeing this I said to my sister Gail: "Don't worry Gail, Mom is going to make it home just fine." In fact, Mom was placed on the same flight as my sister—something which was unanticipated and unplanned. Once back in Connecticut, the funeral service for Mom was a joyous event as death had long lost its sting.
Later, while cleaning out Mom's Florida home I found a journal she had been keeping and it contained many precious prayers and certain visions she had begun experiencing as a consequence of her “new birth”—which had unlocked her deep-seated spiritual gifting.
Following is one of her prayers as she wrote it this journal (probably sometime in 1993):
My Mother’s Death
Geraldine (Kelleher) Carpentier
Born: 
June 13, 1917
June 13, 1917(St. John's, Nova Scotia, Canada)
Deceased:July 23, 1994
July 23, 1994You would think that the story could not get any better. That it would now be rather simple. That is, a funeral and a burial. Yet, that was not to be the case whatsoever. Now it was the time for the miraculous!
At the end of the service in Florida my sister Gail began to express concern over the flight arrangements for Mom as her coffin was to be flown back to CT for the funeral service. She was beginning to become somewhat anxious regarding this.
As Mom's coffin was still open, I turned to look at it and saw standing at each end of her coffin Cherubim angels—one at her head and one at her feet. These angels appeared to be standing (as it were) on small puffy clouds with one of the Cherubim standing at her head looking directly at me. I was not able to fully see the second Cherubim standing at her feet. It also appeared to me that these Cherubim had a distinctly feminine character. The Cherubim angel I saw was dressed in white with blonde hair, perfectly beautiful, and full of joy and God's peace.
Father, Abba, you created a soul (mine);
You enclosed it in a body, whole, clean, and pure;
To be the temple of the Holy Spirit;
And, gave all of us two coins to start out life.
One was time, the other self-will;
You gave us eyes to see the beauty of your Creation;
Ears to hear the Word;
A mouth to proclaim all that You have done;
Hands to raise to You in praise;
And, feet to lead us in good directions.
But, I forgot You Oh Lord;
And thought that I was the ruler of my life.
I never asked You what I should do;
And did what I thought best.
But your words do not return to You empty.
Every mistake I made was turned to good by You.
How much better and easier,
Life would have been for all of us;
If I had the Grace to live with You,
For You,
And in You,
From the beginning.
I thank you for teaching me even now.
Your Love is so great and powerful;
I thank You for Your Mercy.
But, Friends, Mother had not yet completed the work the Lord had assigned her.
In a day and year to come, from the eternal realm,
I would once again heard her voice speak to me.
It was a day which would ultimately lead—
to the miraculous release of a soul from purgatorial existence—
Her husband—and my own stepfather.
