Funeral hears the late Christian McCullagh 'is in our hearts, and will be forever'

A huge crowd packed into St Eunan's Church in Raphoe this morning for the funeral of young Christian McCullagh.

Seventeen-year-old Christian passed away following a short illness earlier this week. Members of Christian's family and his many friends, including classmates from both St Eunan's National School and Deele College, attended the service.

Christian's older sister Rocha also read a poignant poem in memory of her beloved little brother as part of the proceedings.

Raphoe Parish Priest Fr Eamonn Kelly said at the beginning of today's service that Christian was truly at the centre of his family and his community.

"While we wish it was different, we have to accept the reality of the sudden passing of this young man," Fr Kelly said. "Christian was the centre of the family, and while his passing is awful hard, he doesn't actually leave us. He's there in our hearts, and will be there forever."

Fr Kelly also told funeral attendants of the many medical battles Christian faced so admirably throughout his life during his homily.

"It is hard to understand why Christian was able to bring an abundance of joy and peace to the world. "He suffered so much over the years, but everyone tells very similar stories of the fun that we had, the peace that came from him, the laughter at the everyday things of life."

"All through his 17 years and six months, he was among us. He had to battle one illness after another, but when you listen to accounts of his life, they are about happiness in spite of the tubes, about glee, about the good moments, about joy in his company, and cheerful refreshment settling on many as he talked and shared and joked."

Young Christian's unbelievable positive impact on all around him was clear to see, said Fr Kelly.

"We hear of Christian's spirit lifting the spirits of others, of a room becoming a brighter place because Christian entered into it, or indeed a hospital ward being full of adventure, giggles, and an attitude of 'this is what life is throwing at us, so let us make the most of it.'"

"A simple question from Christian could change the atmosphere in a very positive way - 'are you blubbering again?' addressed to his sister, allowing laughter to break through the tears and lighten the heartache."

Fr Kelly also emphasised how the truly one-of-a-kind positive personality of Christian could also give us all a guide as to how we should lead our daily lives.

"Why he was given a unique type of personality is probably something we will not be able to answer. But we are fit to acknowledge the charm, the appeal, that wonderful smile, the wit, the good humour, the liveliness, and the attraction."

"Most of us are fed up, cranky and moody when we have for example a head cold. But for Christian with his many medical setbacks, life was what it was, and it was there to be lived, to be improved, it was there to survive it, and indeed in his own determined way ... to fight it."

"It is right for us to give thanks to God for the personality that Christian had, and the way he encouraged so many other people by living through the setbacks, the challenges and the obstacles that came his way."

"His attitude to life helps us have a better attitude ourselves. His attitude to life, and the problems that he met, was 'I will overcome.'"

Indeed, Christian did overcome incredible challenges every single day - proving many people wrong as often as he could.

"It is quite hard to understand just how much strength he had in his body... when other people said no, Christian said yes," Fr Kelly said.

"'You won't be able to read and write,' they told him. But we have his own copybooks now, where he expressed his thoughts and many of his ideas."

"'You will not be able to achieve much in life,' they said to him ... but we have a whole parish community where everyone testifies how he helped them to overcome in their lif their own difficulties."

"'You will not have much quality in life,' they told him ... and boy, Christian, you blew that idea out of the water."

"With the way you led your family to be so loving, the way you led your teachers to be so caring, the way you guided your nurses and doctors to be much more than professional medical people."

"Even though our hearts are cracking with pain, we thank you Christian for everything you were and are, as we let you go we hope you can hold onto the inspiration that you have given us, for you have made us better people.

"You gave inspired us to be better than we think we can be... to break down barriers of every kind, to see each other as ordinary fellow travellers along the way of life."

"We ask the lord Jesus to bring you to the highest place in Heaven, and to give you the fullness of peace and joy."

"We ask the same lord Jesus to bring consolation and peace upon your beloved family, who are sorely grieved in their loss, and also to your many friends, be it in St Eunans, the Deele, or wherever throughout this town and community."