Michigan couple: Priest, 'bully' coach ruined our son's funeral

[demmiblue]

They lost a teenage son to suicide, then sought compassion from their priest.

Yet, at the packed funeral on Dec. 8, the Rev. Don LaCuesta delivered words so hurtful that Catholic officials in Detroit apologized in a statement emailed to the Free Press.

Not good enough, the youth's parents said. They want their parish priest removed from his post in Monroe County, south of Detroit.

"Everybody seems to understand but the Catholic church," said Jeff Hullibarger, father of 18-year-old Maison, a straight-A student and outstanding athlete who ended his own life on Dec. 4. The priest told mourners at the funeral that the youth might be blocked from heaven because of how he died, the couple said.

Adding to the family's hurt was the appearance of their late son's high school football coach, who'd bullied him and their other sons, they said. Although Maison's mother, Linda Hullibarger, said she requested through a friend that coach Jeffrey Wood not attend the funeral, Wood showed up anyway, then was asked to leave.

He did so, only to post on social media a sneer at the family's tragedy. That act got the award-winning coach, with a record of 77-38, relieved of his duties by the school district's superintendent, according to a statement posted on the website of Bedford Community Schools.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/12/14/hullibarger-bedford-suicide-gofundme/2308094002/

Those poor parents.

The Detroit area also just lost a local meteorologist to suicide.

[If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24 hours a day at 800-273-8255.]

[MineralMan]

1. Ugly people do ugly things. That priest should be defrocked and

the coach fired at once. How anyone could do such things to a grieving family is completely beyond me.

[TexasBushwhacker]

3. Thankfully, the coach has been fired n/t

[MineralMan]

4. Good to hear!

[demmiblue]

8. It is unclear whether or not he was fired from his teaching position.

He should be.

[Generic Other]

2. The church has never been kind about suicide

They deny Christian burial for witches and those who commit suicide. That tells you how antiquated their policies are.

[Solly Mack]

5. SMH

Mean, cruel people

[brooklynite]

6. Who lets someone officiate at a funeral when they don't know what the message will be?

[demmiblue]

9. Here is something novel: try reading the article. n/t

[LiberalFighter]

7. Maybe there needs to be an investigation of the priest and coach.

Their behavior is fishy.

[Demovictory9]

10. ..

[frogmarch]

11. As if the grieving family didn't

have enough to deal with!

When my daughter-in-law's brother took his own life, the family told their Lutheran pastor they didn't want him to preach hellfire at the funeral. When he started to do just that anyway, everyone in attendance stood up and glared at him with clenched fists. He shut up about it pronto.