REST IN PEACE, CRISTINA MARIE

It has been a rather sad week.  Tuesday morning, as I was the on-call chaplain for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, I got a call just as I arrived at work, asking if I could accompany one of the sheriff's on a death notification call.  The sister of another deputy had been "found unconscious and unresponsive in her car" (this later turned out to be not quite an accurate statement of events) and taken to the hospital where she had died.  Meeting up with the sheriff's lieutenant, we went to the parents' house. The police officer son had only just gotten off the night shift and hadn't been contacted. Of course, the parents initially thought it had something to do with their son, but their concern quickly turned into horrible grief as the reality behind our visit began to sink in.  We tried to console, as best we could, the mother and father.  A younger brother was present, as well, who tried to be strong and in control.  This was, without a doubt, the worst thing I've had to do in my life! 

We had been with the family for about an hour when the older brother showed up.  It was at that point that I finally put two and two together (deputy's name, and the district in which he worked) and realized that I knew him, he was one of H2's best friends.  This only made the tragedy of the whole situation hit that much closer to home!

If you are reading this, please pray for the repose of the soul of the young lady, and for her family.  And may God have mercy on the "friends" whose actions contributed to her untimely death!