Father Marc Tilia

This is guest post written by my dad.

It was an overcast, humid Monday afternoon and I was driving south on a major avenue in Overland Park, Kansas.  I noticed an older white haired man dressed in black walking on the sidewalk going in my same direction.  As I was passing him, I noticed that it was Father Marc Tilia, a visiting missionary priest who for 41 years would come to our parish at Holy Cross to spend a week or two sharing his work and asking for our prayers and financial help.  As I passed him, I asked myself, “Why was he still here and why is he walking in this extreme heat 25 blocks from our church where he was staying?”  At the first opportunity, I turned around, pulled up beside him, and asked if he needed a ride.  He enthusiastically replied, “Yes.  I do.”

Father Marc was born in Iowa, was ordained a priest after studying in a seminary in Ava, Missouri, and through a series of unusual events was assigned to the archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.  He never served in this area, but instead, gave his life and devotion to the poorest of the poor in a small village in Brazil.  The town was founded in 1730 and never had a priest residing in it.  He said his first mass, in English, to a congregation of six people.  Gradually, he learned the Portuguese language and became loved as a family member.  Today, hundreds of the faithful attend mass regularly and this village now has a church and a school.  This humble, soft spoken man has truly lived the gospel and has introduced Christ to the multitudes.

After getting in my car, I asked Father Marc why he was walking down the busy road in the brutal heat 25 blocks from the Holy Cross rectory.  He said he was dropped off at a rental car establishment and his plan was to rent an automobile for two days so he could buy a couple of small items and drive around one last time in the United States.  Father Marc has decided to spend his last years in Brazil and never return to this country.  One of the actions he took was to cancel his seldom used credit card.  Unbeknownst to him, when he arrived at the rental car building, he was informed that he needed a credit card to rent a vehicle.  Not having one, he walked out, got turned around, and walked several blocks in the wrong direction before he realized he was getting farther away from the rectory.  It is when he turned around and headed back that I discovered him.  I took him to Holy Cross and asked when he would be leaving us.  He said the day after tomorrow, but he would say mass the next day at our church.  I promised him, and myself, that I would attend the Eucharist celebrated by this Godly priest.  

The next morning my mother in law and I attended this mass.  What an honor and a privilege it was to participate in a mass celebrated by this holy man.  In his homily, Father Marc concluded by saying, “Until we meet again.”  I knew what he meant.

After mass, my mother in law alertly asked Father Marc if he still needed a car for a day.  He joyfully said, “Yes. I do.”  So we drove him back to our home and gave him the keys to one of our cars.  I told him I would pick the car up later that evening.  Instead, around 4 in the afternoon, he arrived at our door and said he had finished running his errands.  For one last time, I visited with him as I drove him back to the rectory.  He left a beautiful cardand note to us with a picture of him praying the rosary.  As I was pulling away, he turned back toward me and waved his hands above his head and gave me a final blessing.  That scene will be forever etched in my memory.  I will see you in heaven, Father Marc!