The Face of Death

Death is no stranger to the Rev. Julius Busse, onetime superior of Detroit's Monastery of St. Paul of the Cross. As chaplain with the 7th Division, through five invasions in the South Pacific during World War II, Kansas-born Father Busse was wounded once and several times had bullets rip his clothes. One day he gave the last rites to 60 Roman Catholic soldiers. When the war was over, Major Busse had a Silver Star and a Bronze Star for gallantry.

Last week gallant Father Busse lay dying of cancer in Mercy Hospital at Parsons, Kans. When a newspaperman came around to see him, he talked about what was going to happen with as matter-of-fact an air as if he were being assigned to a new post. "I consider it a privilege to die of cancer," he said. "You see, with cancer, you have time to prepare for death. With something like a heart attack, you may go too quickly to make your final preparations.

"I would be 47 in March, but I don't think I'll make it ... It isn't the certainty of death that men fear. It is the uncertainty of death. The soldiers I saw weren't frightened any longer after they knew for sure they were going to die.

When you are sure death is at hand, there is no reason to be afraid.

"Our ultimate home is Heaven, and who would want to postpone homecoming merely because of his age?"

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.