The Hidden Devotion of My Father | Fr. Ripperger’s Requiem Sermon

About this sermon

At the Funeral Requiem Mass of his father, Charles Anthony Ripperger, Fr. Chad Ripperger delivers a deeply personal sermon about the father he loved—but only truly came to know near the end of his life. Father recalls Charles as an extraordinarily hardworking, patient, honest and modest man: a gifted athlete and craftsman, a fair disciplinarian, and a gentle father whose deepest natural desire was simply to live in a family whose members loved one another. Behind that quiet exterior was a hidden Catholic devotional life. From the age of ten, Charles prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary every day for 80 years. He regularly went to Confession, wore the scapular medal throughout his life, kept St. Christopher medals in his vehicles, prayed for his family and quietly turned to Our Lady whenever life became difficult. Fr. Ripperger reflects on his father’s suffering, perseverance, knowledge of Catholic moral teaching, devotion to Mary and preparation for death. Charles received Anointing on the day he died—the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel—after spending much of that day in prayer. Father also recounts arranging Gregorian Masses that would conclude on the Feast of the Assumption. This Requiem sermon is a moving tribute to Catholic fatherhood, final perseverance, a happy death and the quiet spiritual life that even one’s own family may never fully see. Please pray for the repose of the soul of Charles Anthony Ripperger. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. #FrRipperger #FatherRipperger #RequiemMass #CatholicFuneral #CatholicFatherhood #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #BrownScapular #HappyDeath #FinalPerseverance #CatholicTradition #SensusFidelium Fr. Ripperger's Press https://sentradpress.com/ Fr. Ripperger's order is found at https://dolorans.org/ For more by Fr. Ripperger & please visit http://sensustraditionis.org/ https://liberchristo.org/ https://montechristo.net/ (C) 2026 Sensus Fidelium 00:00 “You Can Know Someone Your Entire Life…” 00:31 The Father Few People Truly Knew 00:35 Baseball, Bowling & Remarkable Skill 01:46 Losing His Sight & the Resurrection 02:01 A Man of Profound Patience 02:33 Discovering His Father’s Gentle Heart 02:55 A Loving but Fair Disciplinarian 03:15 An Honest Mechanic & Moral Man 03:31 His Deepest Desire: A Loving Family 03:52 His Final Words to His Children 04:04 Modesty & a Lifetime of Hard Work 04:28 “What Else Are You Going to Do?” 05:17 The Hidden Depth of His Catholic Faith 06:00 Confession & the Scapular Medal 06:18 Praying to Our Lady Every Day for 80 Years 07:22 St. Christopher & a Quiet Devotional Life 07:41 Why He Kept His Marian Devotion Hidden 08:09 His Final Day of Prayer 08:40 Our Lady’s Special Love for His Father 09:07 What He Learned About Fatherhood 09:24 Why We Must Continue Praying for Him 09:43 Born on the Purification of Our Lady 10:08 The Scapular & Grace of a Happy Death 10:25 Gregorian Masses Ending on the Assumption 10:38 Three Prayers for His Father’s Death 10:47 Anointed on the Day He Died 11:29 Death on Our Lady of Mount Carmel 11:51 Our Lady as His Advocate 12:11 “I Only Began to Know My Father” 12:28 May Our Lady Keep Him Forever 12:45 Eternal Rest & Closing Prayer 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴

Topics

• Parenting
• Daily Devotionals