By Katie Vasquez
Bagpipes and drums were outside St. Gregory the Great Church in Bellerose, Queens on Sept. 20 as family and friends said their goodbyes to Frank and Maureen Olton, long time parishioners.
The church’s pastor, Father Edward Kachurka, says the couple were married for decades and had a love of travel.
“I’m assuming they appreciated the gift of God’s creation, going out and seeing it,” he told Currents News. “Whether it was somewhere in Europe or Asia, or somewhere just across the United States, to go out and see what God created.”
Police say the husband and wife were tortured for hours after they let a man who asked to make a phone call into their home. He then killed them and set fire to their Bellerose home. The crime shocked the tight knit community.
“Stunned, shocked,” said Father Kachurka,“it was very tragic.”
Outside their boarded-up home, there are flowers and candles to express their condolences for a family that was deeply involved in the community.
“They were very nurturing to their sons and to their grandchildren, and they were good to their neighbors,” added Father Kachurka. “As a matter of fact, if I remember correctly, Frank was also one time president of the civic association here. So they were really involved with the life of the community and people in general.”
Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated the funeral Mass on Saturday, reminding people in the pews that Frank and Maureen were the bright spot in a cruel world.
“The fact of the matter is, we do have to live in a dark world, and we do need signs of hope,” he aid. “And so when we see bad things happening, we realize that there are a lot of good people out there doing a lot of very good things. And this couple, Frank and Maureen were great examples of signs of hope and bringing that light to other people.”
Now those who knew the pair are looking for ways to move on after their death.
“Our faith tells us that through the death and resurrection of Jesus, sin and death are not the final answer,” explained Bishop Brennan. “There’s life, that faith, hope, and love give us those signs that we need in this tough part of the journey.”