Fulfilling a Wedding Wish

Ana and Eric Villaflor could have gotten married anywhere, but they chose the chapel at CommonSpirit - St. Luke's Hospital - Vintage.

They did so to fulfill the wish of a beloved family member who died that very same day.

“It was perfect,” Ana said as the couple reflected on a day that began in grief and ended in joy.

Eric's grandfather, Edward, had received treatment for kidney failure for two years before his condition declined. Eric was Edward’s principal caregiver, and the 89-year-old retired architect looked forward to the day when the couple would end their eight years of courtship and finally marry. He repeatedly urged them to tie the knot. “It was his dying wish that we get married,” Ana said.

With Edward’s health failing, the couple planned to marry at his bedside. “It was a Friday and I told him that we were going to get married that Sunday no matter what. He held my hand really tight. I know that he wanted to hear that from me,” Ana said.

Edward died Sunday morning before the bedside ceremony could happen. Eric remained determined to fulfill his grandfather’s wish.

Humankindess in Action

In those grieving hours after Edward's death, Eric kept thinking of his grandfather's favorite Bible passage, Proverbs 3:6 – “In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”  It inspired him to ask for permission to marry Ana in the hospital’s chapel.

The request was a first for Chaplains Jill Baine and Dale Pfefferkorn. While they never had a patient’s family member ask to marry in the chapel they felt it was in keeping with CommonSpirit’s commitment to making the healing presence of God known to the people it serves.   

“I feel absolutely blessed to have been in Christ's hands in this juxtaposition of the death of a dear one, but yet the joy of a new journey of marriage,” Jill said. She and Dale worked together to make the ceremony as spiritual and meaningful as possible. Jill officiated and delivered a homily while Dale took photos.

“So often in life we’re given opportunities that we commit to God and something happens and they’re not fulfilled-humanly speaking. But that doesn’t mean that in God’s eyes it was not accomplished. It means it was realized by His will and according to His purposes. So don’t think for a minute that Edward died without knowing that this was going to come to fruition,” Jill told the couple and their family members during the ceremony.

Eric said the ceremony was just as his grandfather would have wanted. “I know that he was rejoicing in heaven. It was so intimate, and we really felt God's presence.” 

“I know Edward was there, spiritually,” Ana said. “It was such a bittersweet day. We cried when we lost Edward, but then there was joy, and after the wedding, we danced. It was a blessing to get married at the Vintage chapel.” 

Learn about the care and services available at CommonSpirit - St. Luke's Hospital - Vintage.