Mgr. David GEMMELL (54),Administrator of the St. Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, has died, (6 March 2008).
A school friend of his Emailed me to look at the Cathedral Website of Tributes.
I was grateful to her for letting me know and impressed at the wide spontanious response already made. An amazing number of Tributes to this much loved friend and priest can be read and personal pictures viewed. To date there are some 70 heart rending messages of condolence. The Cardinal's Personal Tribute expresses how closely he worked and served the Church together with David.
We are immediately aware of just how indispensable Mgr. Gemmell had become to the his people. Thought of the needs of the Archdiocese, of the burdens of the Cardinal, may seem to outweigh the memory of the one who has gone to the Lord.
There is the story of the elderly Abbot showing special guests around the monastery. At some point he would come to the monastic cemetery and he would point to the graves saying, "This place is full of indispensable people". It is a reminder that the Lord calls in God's time. One is never more indispensable than to the Lord when he calls us to Himself.
Abbot Raymond and the community at Nunraw were greatly saddened by the news of David’s sudden death.
At the Archdiocesan Justice & Peace Lent Retreat at Nunraw on Saturday 8th March, our sorrow at David's passing was shared by those present, and prayers were offered for his soul. We remenbered his sorrowing mother and extend our sympathy to her and his brothers and sisters.
May he rest in peace.
