On Wednesday, September 25, the clergy and faithful of Atlanta, GA gathered at St. Mary of Egypt Church to bid farewell to Matushka Barbara Townsend, who reposed the Monday prior.

Leading the service was Archpriest John Townsend, Matushka’s husband and rector of the parish. Co-serving with Fr. John were eight priests and two deacons. The church was filled with worshippers, who despite the weekday came to pray for the repose of their "Matushka Brigid" (as she was known).

Hieromonk Alexander (Lisnichuk; parish cleric) delivered the sermon. Though he spoke about the need to pray for Matushka’s repose, he also pointed out that she was an exemplary Christian, whose life and boundless love should serve to inspire others. She was always loving and welcome, and she and Fr. John had taken Fr. Alexander into their home when he was still a young man – to them, just a stranger from Ukraine.

For the past ten years, Matushka had been blind. And yet she never lost hope; she redoubled her prayers, and Fr. Alexander said she spent two hours every day just praying for the reposed by name. She would take time to call shut-ins, and would cry whenever circumstances prevented her from calling and comforting these lonely people. Fr. Alexander noted (and others would later agree) that, in all the time he had known her, Matushka Barbara had never gossiped or said a bad word about anyone.

After the service, everyone traveled just over one hour away to Glorious Ascension Monastery in Resaca, GA, where the burial took place. At the top of a small hill, Matushka Barbara Townsend was buried next to her adopted son David, who died in a car accident in 1988 when he was only 16 years old. Rather than limit themselves to the customary handful of dirt, parishioners showed their love for this wonderful woman by completing the burial with their own hands and just two shovels, and then laying out all of the flowers on her new gravesite.

A lenten memorial repast was offered at St. Mary of Egypt Church afterward, during which the faithful shared their reminiscences about Matushka Barbara.

Memory Eternal to the newly reposed handmaiden of God Barbara!