THE PARENTS of a teenager who took his own life have condemned a priest they say used their son’s funeral ‘to tell everybody what he thought of suicide’.
Jeff and Linda Hullibarger from Temperance, Michigan, said they went over the details of their son Maison’s homily with Rev. Don LaCuesta.
The 18-year-old straight-A student took his own life on December 4.
However the couple told the Detroit Free Press that Fr LaCuesta told mourners the teenager may not get into heaven and tried to prevent the couple from eulogising their son.
The parish priest from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Temperance has now been removed from funeral duties.
Disbelief
“We wanted him to celebrate how Maison lived, not how he died,” said Maison’s mother.
However despite taking notes from the parents in a meeting ahead of the service, the funeral did not go as planned.
“It was his time to tell everybody what he thought of suicide, [and] we couldn’t believe what he was saying," said Maison’s father.
“He was up there condemning our son, pretty much calling him a sinner.
“He wondered if he had repented enough to make it to heaven.
“He said ‘suicide’ upwards of six times.”
Mr Hullibarger added that some of Maison’s friends left the church in tears, while Fr LaCuesta ignored his requests to stop and then tried to end the Mass before they could eulogise their son.
In a statement to the Detroit Free Press, the Archdiocese of Detroit apologised, saying that Fr La Cuesta had failed in his duty to bring comfort during a time of great pain.
It added that Fr LaCuesta would not be presiding over funerals for the considerable future and will have his other homilies reviewed by a mentor.
The Hillibargers want Fr LaCuesta removed from his post in Monroe County.
