Bernard Healey
Father Bernard A. Healey, Catholic priest and Executive Director of the Rhode Island Catholic Conference since 1999; pastor of St. Ambrose Church in Lincoln, Rhode Island
1
APPEARANCES
1
PODCASTS
Jul 14, 2026
Jane MacSorleyHOST
Father Healey started preparing a memorial mass for Nicholas, as requested by widow Louise.
Bernard HealeyGUEST
Um, and then she called back and said she'd be emailing me some of the things she wanted done, and then there was a long list of music.
Bernard HealeyGUEST
They were very elaborate classical pieces, you know, from Beethoven and Bach.
Bernard HealeyGUEST
Now, I have an organist who probably could play a lot of this, but there was nobody gonna hire a symphony orchestra, certainly not Our Lady of Mercy Parish.
Jane MacSorleyHOST
At the time, Father Healey thinks these outlandish requests are just the eccentricities of a young grieving widow called Louise.
Bernard HealeyGUEST
And then a few days later, I received a call from a detective in the Rhode Island State Police telling me that I shouldn't celebrate the memorial mass.
Bernard HealeyGUEST
Then I said, "Well, what's the problem with having a memorial?" He said, "Well, he's not really dead.