Bishop Lennon- Due Respect- Beliefs- The Dead and Calvary Cemetery Lorain

Speech can segregate you from everyone - Chris Ritchey

Part One–
Part Two

Decorations by Lombardi (Vyka etc. )and Company

NOTE: As you read this letter I would ask you to remember that the name on the “designer headstone” is RITCHEY– I would also remind you that being the case it is to this family RITCHEY that people are addressing their complaints of beer cans and tacky decorations as they visit their loved ones at Calvary Catholic Cemetery and are under the ERRONEOUS impression WE are in fact the “decorators“.

I have informed those that have contacted me of the truth of the matter and that I am as disgusted as they are at the lack of respect.

My previous post I was somewhat “disrespectful to Bishop Lennon- on purpose- – I ridiculed ( tamely as it happens) a man of the cloth- probably didn’t go down well with some of my readers – BUT disrespectful behaviour towards my family and my dead son is being enabled by that same “man” and parishioners of his diocese.

What makes “their beliefs” more important than the beliefs of Chris’ family- why should those that gave him life, substance and culture have their beliefs negated with his death by those not of his culture and beliefs newly come into his life.

Think about that please and how would you like it?

Accountability????? ( next post)

Reverend Richard Lennon
Bishop of Cleveland
1027 Superior Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
January 9th 2011

Sir,

It has been exactly one year since my last correspondence to you, and since neither yourself or Reverend Divis thought to respond, I , as you are well aware, wrote to Archbishop Foley at the Vatican who did reply and cc that reply to yourself.

Bishop Lennon Lorain

It has been one year and still my family and the “blood kin ” of Christopher David Ritchey have been without any closure, in our faith , thanks to the “breaking of one’s word and a verbal contract” by the Lombardi family and their daughter Angela Marie( Lombardi) Ritchey. Being without closure means just that – for us there has been no goodbye in our way and no closure for his family. We are still raw in our grief.

You, Reverend Lennon or Reverend Divis could NEVER know the pain of losing a child from a “mothers perspective or even a parent’s perspective”. I, unfortunately do not have the talent to convey to you the heart wrenching pain this causes those who love unconditionally and without thought of self!

YOU CAN NEVER EXPERIENCE the blackness of despair of the loss of one who shared your body, whose souls combined as he rested beneath your heart, fed by your own body as he was given life. I wish you could -for you and your priest would not have enabled such pain to be visited upon a parent. On top of that most powerful of emotion, that of utter grief , your church and your employee, Father Divis, have added to that misery by enabling the taking our son to your place of interment , your faith and your culture- denying his family.

This place of so- called respect and reverence (Calvary Cemetery , Lorain Ohio) has become in and of itself the icon for disrespect with regard to my son.

Chris’s family, already negated by the machinations of Angela Lombardi Ritchey, her family, and your priest, as though we didn’t even exist, had our son, brother and grandchild interred without knowledge of kith or kin( as mentioned in my previous letter) had that insult compounded 10 fold.

What remains of my son in that place has become a” Papish picnic table for vermin”. The past 12 months has found that place of deceit that binds my son to the earth , as it heaves with decay and decomposing remains decorated with balloons, tacky plastic flowers , flags, Halloween decorations, pumpkins , even the odd slice of birthday cake which was then augmented with ants and the attracting of small rodents to his remains, more balloons and chocolate candies.

On December 25 ,2010– this past Christmas day – I received a phone call that low and behold a half empty beer can of Bud Light was placed above his ashes. His family does not visit this place where his ashes are interred; it is more than we could bear to see how Chris is disgraced and decorated.

I still cannot think of my son’s remains and the acts of deceit that placed him there without anger, grief and confusion but the mere fact his remains are so decorated makes the bile rise in my throat. This is compassion, love and “honoring” my son?

I am incensed that your church, purportedly founded upon love and compassion, allows such disrespect. Your own policy through the Catholic Cemeteries Association is being flouted but I am not surprised since obviously the teachings of your church have also been flouted and in your own words

The Church has always treated burial as a religious rite and as a corporal work of mercy.
Mercy? I find that as absent as any compassion or consideration for Chris’s “family” as this act was perpetrated on Chris’ family- no phone call, no outreach and no mercy from the Rev. Divis or Mary Mother of God, Lorain Ohio as they took from us our closure.

Since my last correspondence I have found those who profess such great faith and are “pillars” of the congregation have continued their diatribe of control – I have written in the past year hundreds of thousands of words detailing our pain –

https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/category/chris-ritchey/

This extensive category also contains

https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/an-open-letter-mama-sue-lombardi/
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2010/12/11/december-11th-the-beginning-of-the-beginning/
I have written about the “IGNOR – stance” of the Roman Catholic Church a six part series :

https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/ignorestance-and-the-roman-catholic-church/https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2010/06/24/ignore-stance-and-the-roman-catholic-church-part-two/https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2010/06/25/ignore-stance-and-the-roman-catholic-church-part-three/https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/ignorestance-and-the-roman-catholic-church-part-4/https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/ignorestance-and-the-roman-catholic-church-part-5/https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2010/07/01/ignorestance-and-the-roman-catholic-church-part-6/
This series was picked up by numerous Catholic Websites. The writings bring me some comfort as I discover “truths” and hypocrisy – compassion and selfishness- and a deeper understanding of religion.

The ripple effect of your enabling the taking of my son to a place not of his belief, not of his culture continues to do great disservice to the memory and life of a wonderful, talented and much-loved son, brother , nephew , uncle and grandchild.

By taking my son from us,interring him in a place of your faith, surrounded by a family plot that has none of his kith or kin , in a place that is against his own beliefs -you are then held responsible for , in his family eyes at least, TO RESPECT THAT WHICH YOU HAVE “TAKEN” from those who would have had their closure and given him the love and respect he so deserved.

The argument given by his bride of a year and bit that it is what Chris would have wanted is false and a selfish justification – Chris would not have wanted his family caused such pain and anguish, being locked away in the cold toxic ground-

Who I am by Christopher D. Ritchey

he loved his freedom as well as his family and protected them. Chris’s last written words to us stated:

“I love you both so very much more than I could ever express”
Chris would no more have wanted this than he wanted to die!

I am perplexed by the continued lack of respect and disgusted by the actions of your number. I would suggest you remember that as you pray to another mother and think of her pain you ask forgiveness for the pain caused to another of her sisterhood.- one who lost her son to disease and again to deceit and control and yet again the dishonor perpetrated by those that decorate with cake, beer and balloons enabled by your church.

Loraine Ritchey

http://www.thatwoman.wordpress.com

CC.
Archbishop Foley
Rev. Divis- Mary Mother of God, Lorain Oh
Catholic Cemeteries Association

TO BE CONTINUED :Bishop Lennon / Calvary Cemetery/ The rules unless you are the rulee — Ignore them at your will