Mourners told of beautiful motherof-two - Stephanie “our hero” “This is not goodbye, it is see you later,” heartbroken congregation told at funeral of young mum Stephanie Sweeney
“IF we were to write a life story about you Steph, we would be here forever. Love you.
“You played a big part in each and every one of our lives, so it is not goodbye, it is see you later.
“Our Steph, you will always be in our hearts,” were just some of the beautiful words movingly delivered by a friend of young mum Stephanie Sweeney at Stephanie’s funeral mass on Saturday last.
Stephanie, a wonderful mum to Joe and Travis, was showered with love by her friend Victoria whose moving eulogy captured the very essence of Stephanie. The words were spoken calmly, emotionally, lovingly as she explained to the congregation that she was doing so on behalf of Stephanie’s heartbroken parents, Paddy and Mary Teresa.
Mass of the Resurrection for Stephanie at Sligo Cathedral on Saturday was celebrated by Rev Victor Samugana MSP, assisted by Fr Franklin Nkopi who gave the homily.
The mass was interspersed with beautiful music and song, Stephanie’s remains rested in a stunning white coffin, around the coffin were images of Stephanie and messages of love.
A huge congregation watched as family and friends, among them her young memories shared within it:
“I’m reading this on behalf of Stephanie’s mother and father, Paddy and Mary Teresa.
“Paddy and Mary Teresa had six children; Stephanie was their second born. The doctors told Mary Teresa and Paddy before she was born that Stephanie was going to be a very small baby.
“On the way home from the hospital a song came on the radio with the name Stephanie in. Paddy turned to Mary Teresa and said, ‘that’s going to be her name’, and that’s how Stephanie claimed her name.
“She was born on January 19, 1998, at ten past two in the afternoon. She had the most beautiful blue eyes and blond hair.
“When it came to sons Joe and Travis, brought symbols of Stephanie’s first day Stephanie’s life to the Altar at the start at school Mary Teresa of mass. walked her up to the school
Those symbols included a memory gates and brought her into box, for her little daughter Bella Mia the class to her teacher. who passed away just two hours after her Stephanie, at first, was all birth, with that memory box rosary beads excited with her little pigtails were brought forward, Makeup and a in her hair and her little stylish handbag to represent Stephanie’s school bag and thought beauty, two yellow roses offered by Mary Teresa could stay. her sons Joe and Travis to signify their “That all quickly unconditional love for their mum, a vintage changed when Stephanie mirror and a golden stemmed rose realised that Mary Teresa to symbolise Stephanie’s great taste in couldn’t stay and all war clothes and her style, were all brought to kicked off; she kicked and the Altar. screamed and roared ‘no
In his homily Fr Franklin Nkopi said it mammy, I’m going home was with deep sadness and sorrow that with you’. From that day they had gathered around the Altar of on Mary Teresa realised God to pray for Stephanie. He welcomed that she had a fighter on all those who were attending and those her hands. who had travelled long distances to be “Stephanie had two sisters with the family. He said it was a particularly and three brothers sad and difficult time for the family. that she loved so much,
He extended sympathy to the friends just as much as they loved and family of Stephanie on his own her. behalf and his brother priests and the “She was the most funny, whole parish community. “Our prayers loving daughter and sister. today are very much that God would create “Stephanie was all about a space for her in Heaven, that she family and would have will share the company of God with the defended her family to the angels and saints,” he said. last.
Addressing the immediate family and “Stephanie went on to all who loved her, he offered his sincere have a beautiful little family prayers for Stephanie asking that the of her own, she had Lord will comfort Travis, her beautiful baby them in their boy who was the apple of moments of grief her eye, then her angel and grant them baby Bella Mia, who lived the strength to get for two hours. She was through these very heartbroken over losing difficult times. her. She then went on to
After Holy have baby Joe, and what Communion, she used to say was he was Victoria offered a her little birdie. hugely thoughtful “She was the best eulogy which mother in the whole world we publish today to her two little boys. She largely in full, such dressed them like two royals was the depth of each and every day. feeling, the sincerity Stephanie was so particular and beauty about Joe and Travis, of so many of the especially when it came to the haircuts! She had been nearly barred from every barber shop in Sligo who she would tell they didn’t know how to cut her boy’s hair! They were her pride and joy and you would only have to look at them to know it.
“Joe used to call her his ‘Mi Mi’, their eyes would light up every time she entered the room. She used to tell Joe and Travis how beautiful they were and how much she loved them, and they would tell her how much they loved her too.
“Stephanie had two sisters, Bridget and Marguerite. They weren’t just sisters; they were best friends. Their bond was unbreakable and only the three of them would know how much they meant to each other, there was no stronger bond than a sister’s bond, they laughed together, they cried together, they fought together, and they would always make up two minutes later.
“She used to call Marguerite her baby. Bridget was ‘the big little sis’ because Stephanie was taller than her.
“Stephanie had three brothers, John Patrick, Mark and Morching. She loved each and every one of them. She was their older sister, if there was ever anything she could do for them, she would do it for them.
“If we were to write a life story about you Steph, we would be here forever. Love you.
“You played a big part in each and every one of our lives, so it is not goodbye, it is see you later.
“Our Steph, you will always be in our hearts.
“When your mother got sick a few months ago, you said, ‘mummy you are my hero’, and now Stephanie we would love to tell you that you are our hero, our beautiful model, our queen. There will never be another like you.
“Your mother and father want you to know that you may have grown up, became a mother of your own, but to them, you always were and forever will be their beautiful baby girl.”
Victoria concluded, her voice breaking with emotion, by asking all in the congregation to be upstanding and give a round of applause for “our Stephanie, our beautiful model”.
A powerful and sustained round of applause echoed around the cathedral as the congregation responded to Victoria’s eulogy.
Following the eulogy and appreciation Nora was invited to sing a very special song for Stephanie called ‘(Without You) What Do I Do With Me’ which received sustained applause. Written by David Chamberlain/L. David Lewis/Royce Porter, a popular version by Tanya Tucker can be found on YouTube, but Nora made it her own as she stood at the top of a packed cathedral. Lyrics include: “What do I do now that I'm on my own? What we did together beats anything I've done alone; Since the day that you left, I've been asking myself is this how it's gonna be; Without you what do I do with me?”
Stephanie Sweeney, Seaville, Finisklin Road, Sligo Town, Sligo died suddenly, on December 22, 2023. She is predeceased by her grandparents Morch and Bridget Sweeney, uncles John Sweeney and David Sweeney and aunt Mary McCarthy.
Dearly loved and loving mother of Travis and Joe and the late baby Bella Mia, daughter of Patrick (Paddy) and Mary Teresa and sister of Bridget, John Patrick, Mark, Marguerite and Morching. Sadly missed by her loving family, grandparents John and Anne, aunts, uncles, cousins, relatives, neighbours and many friends.
Following Saturday’s Mass of the Resurrection, Stephanie was interred in Sligo Cemetery.