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BY RITA McINERNEY
Special To The Bulletin
ATLANTA--Walter Moore’s home was the Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception and on Aug. 15 his large family of fellow parishioners, volunteers
at the church shelter and soup kitchen, and homeless people filled the historic
church for his wake and Mass of Christian Burial.
A lifelong member of the parish, Mr. Moore, known to everyone as Walter, had
been church custodian since 1984, taking over after his father, Walter Moore
Sr., died. He remained until illness made it impossible for him to continue his
work for and with parishioners, the sick and the poor.
He died of kidney failure Aug. 12 at Haven House, a hospice for people
needing skilled care. He was 51. At his request he was buried in the brown
habit of the secular Franciscans, the order’s scapular fastened on his
breast.
Father John Adamski, Shrine pastor for 12 years until he was named pastor of
Our Lady of Lourdes Church in June, celebrated the Mass. In his homily, he
spoke of Walter’s love for God and how he understood so well the
Lord’s command to always be of help to someone.
“I am just trying to do what the book says--what God says--to love our
neighbors,” he told the priest after someone he helped had let him down.
All of his kindnesses came “from his heart of gold. His way was from
the heart,” Father Adamski said. He understood the Gospel command:
“Love the Lord our God with all our hearts and our neighbors as
ourselves.”
Walter was an example, the priest said, “to those of us who rationalize
and organize. Many times I wanted to say to him ‘use your head,’ but
he modeled on Jesus, always with his heart. His motivation was love.”
He encouraged the congregation to “remember Walter’s example,
‘More is always better.’ Now he is with God who has given us
everything and who has taken Walter home.”
Concelebrants were Father John Murphy, pastor at the Shrine; Father T.J.
Meehan, formerly in residence at the Shrine and now pastor of St.
Anthony’s Church, Atlanta; Father Edward Branch, campus minister at the
Atlanta University Center, and Father Melvin Shorter, CP, pastor of St. Paul of
the Cross Church, Atlanta. Deacon Bill Payne proclaimed the Gospel. Scripture
readings were given by David Coleman, Cindy Carson, co-director of the Order of
Christian Initiation of Adults at the Shrine, and Carrie Przybilla.
The parish choir and congregation sang “Lift Every Voice and
Sing,” “There Is a Balm in Gilead,” “Ave Maria,” and
“Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” Jeffrey McIntyre directs the choir.
After Mass, the reception prepared by Walter’s “family” was a
bountiful extension of many meals he had prepared or inspired over the years.
Feeding people, whether it was parishioners or the homeless, was just one of
the ways he expressed caring.
Another was in giving gifts. At the Christmas reception held each year after
midnight Mass, Marilyn Smith recalled, “the best gift to Walter was toys
he could give to poor children.”
Smith and her husband, Tom, were his close friends and coworkers at St.
Francis Table for years. “We were partners for a long time … It was
impossible for him not to give and give more. Everything I ever did with him
was easy.”
When he was not able to continue full-time duties at the church, she said,
he would walk there from his apartment and help however he was able. “His
life was this church and the people from all over Atlanta,” who attended
church there.
In his final weeks he was in and out of the hospital weakened by the
dialysis and its side effects.
Often, his medical care was provided by the clinic at Central Presbyterian
Church, the Shrine’s good neighbor, Smith said. “People who feed the
hungry work hand in hand.” Members of Central Presbyterian and workers
from the Atlanta Food Bank attended the funeral.
Walter didn’t drive. Smith used to take him to her home on holidays or
weekdays. He was one of the family, a favorite of grandchildren who like to
attend Sunday Mass at the Shrine. They knew Walter would be cooking his special
sausage and biscuits afterward.
In the final week of his life, she was often at his bedside. She was there
when Father Meehan came to anoint him and give him Communion.
Walter enjoyed making ceramics to give to people. His specialty was angels.
After his death someone gave Smith a small black angel he had made. She
treasures it.
Parishioners Tom Brassington and Brad DeCell saw to it that he had rides to
the hospital, to dialysis, anywhere he needed to be.
Brassington said his “ministry was to take care of Walter.” The
two friends shared a secret. When Brassington believed death was near for
Walter he promised to tell him it was “Ave Maria time.” Finally he
did so and “a tear came down his cheek.”
“It’s hard to lose somebody who is so rich. Walter could never say
‘no’ to the people who were in need. He was always there to reach out
with food, clothing or Christmas gifts for children. He understood those who
were most in need among his sisters and brothers,” Brassington said.
“The Mass was representative of people he ministered to, rich, poor,
homeless.”
“He called me one of his sons,” DeCell said. His “sons”
were of all ages and colors. After Walter’s death a man from the Food Bank
told him, “Even though our father has passed, we are still brothers.”
“We worked closely with the Food Bank,” DeCell added.
“That’s where I came into the picture. Driving Mr. Moore, not Miss
Daisy.”
Sister Margaret McAnoy, IHM, co-director of OCIA at the Shrine and
co-director of Cursillo in the archdiocese, said he made the pitchers and bowls
used for the washing of feet during the Holy Thursday liturgy.
She remembers his generosity. “Like any cursillista, he would always
ask, ‘Do you need anything?’” and open his cupboard.
“He was a stable person, always there every Sunday. We are really,
truly going to miss him.”
One longtime friend who prefers her name not be used said she would call him
every Sunday at 4:30 a.m. and each in their own houses would watch the
televised Mass at 5 a.m. before meeting at the church at 6:30 a.m. to prepare
for Sunday at the Shrine.
David Coleman became a Shrine parishioner about 1986 after a job transfer
from Miami. He volunteered for St. Francis Table and Tuesday Nights at the
Shrine, a dinner for AIDS and HIV patients.
Coleman says Walter kept track of him and wouldn’t hesitate to ask,
“Son, where you been for the last few weeks?” if he didn’t see
him at Sunday Mass. The young man started telling him in advance when he would
be out of town on the weekend.
Coleman and his wife, Doris, were married at the historic church and he
credits Walter with “making sure everything went OK.”
Mary K. Gleason said she and Walter worked together “about 15 hours a
day” during the Olympics when the Shrine provided open-door hospitality to
international visitors. “I knew if he could do anything for me, he
would.” And he knew, she said, she would do the same for him. Her last act
for him was helping with details of his funeral Mass and burial at Westview
Cemetery in Atlanta.
Walter’s friends never let him down.
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