IN MEMORY OF ALICJE CORNELISSEN
Alicje CornelissenBorn
The 13 Day of May, 1959
Cornwall Ontario
Died
The 12th Day of December, 2005
Ottawa, Ontario
Age
46
Funeral Service
St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church
Williamstown, Ontario
Friday, December 16, 2005
11:00a.m.
Clergy
Father Robert MacDonald
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Obituary Notice as it appeared in the Cornwall Stardard-Freeholder
Peacefully, on December 12 at the Ottawa General Hospital from complications related to lupus. Alicje was born in Cornwall, Ont. on May 13, 1959, and grew up on a dairy farm in Williamstown. Alicje leaves hehind her beloved husband, Rory Gooderham, her cherished children, Maaike Tess and Willem Ross, her dear parents, Francis and Maria Cornelissen, two brothers Adrian and Frans, five sisters Marian, Jeanette, Therese, Cily, and Johanna. Alicje received a Bachelor of Science from Bishop’s University in Lennoxville, Quebec and a Master of Science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute ourside of Boston, Massachusetts. She became an expert in fire protection engineering and devoted to her career, which took her around the world, to fire safety and building code development. Over her 24 year fight with lupus she proved wrong those who thought her illness would prevent her from achieving the professional success she enjoyed and from having two beautiful children who became the light of her life.
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Approaching the Last Sunday of Advent and then Christmas, we can feel the pain in Maaike’s heart, as she suffers the loss of her mother.
As a tribute to her mother who cherished, and was fascinated by color and light, Maaike wrote this little poem about a Christmas Tree:
A star twinkles on the top,
Do not drop
A Chrimas tree decoration,
Baby Jesus born that night,
All the shepherds came for the sight,
When an Angel said,
Go to Bethlehem a baby rests his head.
Maaike Gooderham December, 2005
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THE LIGHT WILL OVERCOME THE DARKNESS
Most, if not all of us, experience the darkness, as did the prophets of old.
“Releive the anguish of my heart and set me free from my distress.”
(psalm 22)
“O Lord hear my voice when I call, have mercy and answer…hide not your face.”
(psalm 28)
“Why are you cast down my soul, why groan within me.”
(psalm 42)
“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord, Lord hear my voice.”
(psalm 129)
Lord make haste and answer, for my spirit fails within me.
(psalm 142)
Christmas is almost here. The day Our Creator, the light, became one like us. We can never forget Jesus painful cry (and hear our own cry) as he died on the Cross:
“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.”
(Matt: 15)
Yet Just a few hours before he had begged his Father to help, but was determined to do his Father’s will!
“How my soul is troubled. What shall I say. Father save me from this hour. But it was for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father glorify your name. And a voice cam from heaven. I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
(John: 12)
After Jesus was buried, three women came to the tomb to anoint his body. Worried that they would not be able to roll back the stone at the entrance to the tomb, they discovered that it had already been rolled back. Sitting inside the tomb was a young man in a white robe, and he said to them:
“There is no need for alarm. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: he has risen, he is not here. See, here is the place where they laid him.”
(Mark: 16)
After this Jesus appeared numerous times to his disciples before he ascended to the Father and sent the Spirit into the world.
God is always faithful to a promise. The Light will overcome the darkness! Let us pray for Alicje, her family, and for one another, as we continue our Advent journey to Christmas. Let our faith be our consolation, and eternal life our Hope:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house; If there were not, I would have told you. I am going now to prepare a place for you. And after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you with me; so that where I am, you may be too.” (John 14)
I am the resurrection. If anyone believes in me, even though he dies, he will live.’
