An E-mail from Sister Rose Pacatte, F.S.P.

*I received this e-mail from Sister Rose and post it here with her permission. Please remember Sister Rose and her family in your prayers.*

Dear Sisters, Friends and Family,

The Paradise (CA) Post came out today with the obituary for my nephew Gabriel Harry Mordecai. You can read it here and sign the guest book if you would like.

OBITUARY for Sr. Rose's nephew Click here

We also received the official finding for the cause of death: asyphyxiation by hanging: accident. Gabe did fall off of the top bunk, but he had a rope around his neck. However, it was not suicide. He was trying to get high - and he had done it before. Another kid taught Gabe and his twin how to do it.

I wondered if I should draw your attention to the cause of death - but if it might help parents become aware of what their kids are doing, they can help them. Therefore, I decided to share this with you as sad and distasteful as it is. Risky behavior has always accompanied adolescence.

For some of you this may be a whole new aspect of life that you have no wish to explore, and I respect that - but we need to know the reality of adolescence, the choices kids are making and why: one of the behaviors that is killing them. These are the people of God to whom we are sent to communicate God's love. I keep asking myself: what more could I have done? I was lucky if I saw my sister and her children every other year or so; we are such a large family; could I have called more? Been more "prsent"? All my siblings are asking the same questions. However, the bigger question for me is: Gabe, his brother, and maybe the other kids in the story were and are familiar with God's Word - did it mean anything to him at 13 years of age? Did anyone teach about risky behavior in Bible study, homilies, religious education, in regular school? How can we help to bring faith and life closer in a meaningful way, so that faith can inform the decisions ! and lives of children, teens, young adults, parents? The eternal question... I am the first to admit it is very, very hard to speak publically about what has happened to my nephew, but if we do not speak of it, how do we prevent it from happening again?

I think my sister went so public with this because she wants to prevent this from happening to another family. Professionals are telling her that doing something positive would help her know that others could be helped by this devastating death of her child - who was messing around as kids will do, but in a very dangerous, risky way. We were told that a few days before Gabe was brought in to the hospital, another boy, the same age, died the same way.

News article about "Asphyxiation" as thrill seeking Click here

Thank you for your messages of prayer for our family; they mean a lot.

Blessings to you and your families. May God enlighten parents and caregivers everywhere to "see" on time and respond to their children in ways that respect the body and life.

Sincerely,
Sr Rose