Sunday, May 22, 2005
Witnessed: Visiting Priest From Holland Collapses During 10.30am Mass At OLPS and Dies Later!!!!
In Venice
Mass began punctually at 10.30am on the 22nd of May, Sunday, with the entrance hymn. The priest, Father Gregory(parish priest) and Father Luke Van(visiting priest) entered the church with the wardens and altar servers. As the entrance hymn ended, father Greg introduced Father Luke to the congregation by starting up with a little joke. He said that Fr. Luke was his uncle as his father's name had a "Van" in it too. Then he said it was a joke. Fr. Luke laughed together with the congregation. The mass began and continued as per normal with Fr. Greg celebrating it and starting with the opening prayer. Towards the end of the homily, i was feeling kinda bored. Then, it went on into the Responsorial Psalm. The woman saying it was pausing many times. After the 3rd or 4th response, Fr. Luke collapsed hitting his head. Many people gasped and one woman even screamed with shock. Fr. Greg who was nearest to him came to his aid 1st. Soon after, the altar was filled with wardens trying to carry Fr. Luke's unconcious body to the Secrecy, the room behind the altar where the priest and altar servers changed before the mass. I was suddenly awaken fromthe boredom i had earlier. Everyone too. Mass continued. Fr. Greg's voice had a sudden change. From happy voice to a worried one. He made up another Responsorial Psalm praying for Fr. Luke. Wardens and some other people called for the ambulance which came half an hour later towards the end of the mass.Upon the end of mass, the concluding hymn was shortened. As we were exiting the church, Fr. Paul, another parish priest, came to the altar to announce that Fr. Luke Van's heart had stopped beating and that they gave him his final rights. It was my 1st ever experience seeing 1stly someone dying at the altar, secondly, someone even dying, lastly, someone dying from a heart attack. When i reached down, i saw some paramedics, wardens and Fr.Luke Fong(another parish priest) carrying Fr. Luke Van on a strecher down the stairs. Everyone was just staring at them. Father Luke Fong was carrying his priest outfit to his waist while rolling the body on the strecher to the ambulance. Everyone just crowded the foyer, walking behind the strecher. Fr. Luke Van was sent to Changi General Hospital. The routine for an ambulance must be changed as it took half an hour for the journey from Changi to Siglap which is a bit absurd.It was truly a memorial experience and hopefully, the church will realise that the car park has to be improved drastically as it was difficult for the ambulance to enter the church grounds with so many cars around it.