{"id":7392,"date":"2023-10-02T21:52:13","date_gmt":"2023-10-02T21:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/?p=7392"},"modified":"2023-10-02T21:52:13","modified_gmt":"2023-10-02T21:52:13","slug":"stoneman-willie-readings-posthumous-celebrity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/stoneman-willie-readings-posthumous-celebrity\/","title":{"rendered":"“Stoneman Willie”, Reading’s Posthumous Celebrity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I ran across this item while checking my news feed today (Monday, October 2, 2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Pennsylvania mummy ‘Stoneman Willie’ to receive proper burial after 128 years<\/a>“
Kia Johnson, Reuters (October 2, 2023)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“A mummified man known as Stoneman Willie will receive a proper burial after being on display at a funeral home in Reading, Pennsylvania, for 128 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The unidentified man was an alcoholic who died of kidney failure in a local jail on Nov. 19, 1895. He was accidentally mummified by a mortician experimenting with new embalming techniques, according to Auman’s Funeral Home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Dressed in a suit with a bow tie, the gaunt man is displayed in a coffin with a red sash across his chest. His hair and teeth remain intact, and his skin has taken on a leathery appearance….”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

A couple of things jumped out at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, how could someone be “accidentally mummified”?! Although on second thought, maybe the experimental embalming technique wasn’t supposed to have that effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, how could someone be “unidentified” and<\/strong> “an alcoholic”? Unless an alcoholism diagnosis could be made without knowledge of a subject’s personal history back in 1895.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding answers to those and other questions would very likely take more time than I’m willing to spend. A quick check showed that I’d have to dig deep to find specifics about “Stoneman Willie”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He’s apparently famous in and around Reading, Pennsylvania: but has a next-to-nonexistent digital footprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I’ll be talking about something else for this week’s ‘Saturday’ post: at least two somethings, the way things are shaping up, and that’s another topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, that Reuters article says that “Stoneman Willie” was arrested for pick-pocketing back in 1895. He gave authorities a fake name, which probably accounts for his “anonymous” status: that, and his being known as one of those Irishmen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of my ancestral homelands is Ireland: so it’s nice, seeing a fellow-landsman being treated with a measure of dignity. Perhaps a bit delayed. But then, “Stoneman Willie” arguably had no pressing engagements during those 128 years. His body didn’t at any rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, a somewhat less leisurely timetable for his burial would have been nice. On the other hand, this way he’s getting as find a send-off as any son of the sod might expect. Or hope for, when it comes to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seriously, Though<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Since this is A Catholic<\/strong> Citizen in America, the posthumous career of “Stoneman Willie” brought a few points about being human to mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First off, human life is special, sacred. That’s “…because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end….” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2258)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s all<\/strong> human life. We’re all people: no matter who we are, who our ancestors are, or what we’ve done. (Genesis 1:26<\/a>–27<\/a>, 2:7<\/a>; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 355-357, 361, 369-370, 1700, 1730, 2268-2269, 1929, 2273-2274, 2276-2279)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve said that before, and probably will again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don’t know whether “Stoneman Willie” was caught picking someone’s pocket, or if he was just the first Irishman who turned up after a citizen noticed something missing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this time of day, it probably doesn’t matter. My guess is that the statute of limitations has long since passed, everyone involved is dead, and descendants of the pick-pocketed person are not overly fervent in their desire for restitution. I could be wrong about that, however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One more thing, and I’m done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giving “Stoneman Willie” what Reuters called a “proper burial” strikes me as a good idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s because respect for human life and dignity matters. (Catechism, 2258ff)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That includes respect for the dead and dying. (Catechism, 2299-2301)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s a great deal more I could say, but instead I’ll wrap this up with the usual sort-of-related links:<\/p>\n\n\n\n