Bishop Emeritus Vaopunimatagi John Quinn Weitzel, who served as the first Bishop of the local Catholic Diocese, was laid to rest in his home town near Chicago yesterday.
Cultural ceremonies were observed during his Requiem Mass at the parish of River Forest, Illinois. A finely woven fine mat covered his casket, a Samoan hymn was sung while an ie tele and ulas were presented during the offertory.
The Mass was led by Bishop Peter Brown, who replaced Bishop Quinn as head of the Diocese of Samoa-Pago Pago in 2013.
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Among those attending were Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata, Mrs. Ivona Mauga who served as chancellor during Bishop Quinn’s tenure, and former members of the local diocese, who now reside in different parts of the U.S. mainland and Hawaii.
Relatives of Bishop Quinn said, it was the most moving and memorable funeral mass they have witnessed with the cultural ceremonies and outpouring of love for their brother, uncle and mentor. Bishop Quinn was 94.
