Sharing the chance to say goodbye

The words of the hymn ‘I’ll go where you want me to go … ’ were dear to the late Pastor Paul Albers. They were played in a photo presentation at his funeral recently in suburban Adelaide.

His son-in-law, Pastor Avito da Costa, shared, ‘Dad Albers had organised everything about his funeral. The funeral was prepaid and he would be committed next to his beloved wife Erna. There was even a note that said, “I haven’t paid for the refreshments yet”.’

The funeral, however, did not proceed as originally planned, due to COVID-19 restrictions meaning just 10 people could attend.

Paul’s daughter Anna da Costa said the situation was ‘very distressing’. ‘Interstate relatives and friends had to cancel flights and accommodation’, she said. ‘Sadly, two of my siblings were unable to attend the funeral.’

Emails and phone calls were hurriedly sent and made and, thanks to Concordia Lutheran Church, Loxton – where Pastor Paul attended in the 1990s and where the da Costa’s live – an In Memoriam page was added to their website including the obituary, service order and Pastor Chris Gallasch’s sermon.

Born in 1924 in Illinois in the US, Pastor Paul answered the call to serve in Australia from 1960, with the Great Commission as his personal mission. Now he was a lover of chips, nuts and popcorn. So Anna bought small packets of each snack to the committal and, while maintaining physical distancing, the small family group celebrated Paul’s life, with his favourite refreshments, and the knowledge that Christ’s mission, for Paul, was accomplished.

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