Mary Therese Ray

The Mass of Christian Burial for Mary Therese Ray, infant daughter of Isaac and Martha Ray of Wadena, will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 18, at St. Ann Catholic Church in Wadena. Visitation will be at the church one hour prior to the Mass. A luncheon will follow in St. Ann's Parish Hall. Interment will be at St. Mathias Cemetery, Camp Ripley, MN. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The funeral service will be livestreamed on: Schuller Family Funeral Home's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/p/Schuller-Family-Funeral-Homes-Cremation-Services-100063798813543/ or YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9_jZx4o7kREPtz8aSI4tEw ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mary Therese Ray, born March 5, 2024, died on Sunday, July 7th, 2024 in rural Wadena where she lived with her parents and siblings, supported by Lakewood Hospice. We were blessed to have almost 18 weeks with Mary. Although she shared the same genetic metabolic disease as her brothers, hers was her own unique journey. Named after our Mama Mary and St. Therese of Lisieux, Mary showed us how to live and love in all the small, ordinary daily living. She helped us learn to surrender our own will, to give God our “fiat”. She was bold, forging her own way, arriving 9 weeks early. After confirming her metabolic deficiency, our goal for her was to receive the Sacraments and to come home so we could love her as a family with an added bonus if she could celebrate the Triduum and Easter with us. The fantastic team at the U of M Fairview made that happen and we came home in a snowstorm on Monday of Holy Week, after only 20 days in the NICU. On March 27th she was fully initiated into the Life of Christ, receiving Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, surrounded by family and friends. The Easter season was spent in joyous celebration of the Resurrection and of having Mary at home. She was able to meet extended family and many friends, celebrate her Grandparent’s 50th Anniversary and mourn her great-grandmother’s death. Mary continued to baffle us as well as the medical experts. We had to learn to trust in the day-to-day and be present without knowing what the next day would bring. (A good lesson for every life.) We spent the next months loving Mary and letting her lead us. And lead us she did. Because of her early arrival, Mary Therese received her name before her diagnosis. Divine Providence. God knew what he was doing when he placed these particular names on our hearts. We often think of these two women (Mama Mary and St. Therese) as humble, loving, and pious (as they most certainly are!). What we failed to recall was the amount of suffering that each endured and how they offered that to God as a sacrifice of love. The suffering they endured was not chosen, but graciously and humbly received. Mary did not choose to suffer and we did not choose it for her or for us. However, St. Therese is quoted that “Suffering is the very best gift He has to give us. He gives it only to His chosen friends.” It is with humble gratitude that we accept this gracious gift, knowing that God will be glorified through Mary’s life. Her impact on our family will ripple through eternity. Preceding Mary in death were her brothers, Renaldo, Gabriel. Eli and Benedict. She is survived by her parents, Isaac & Martha Ray (Shively), siblings Joseph, Dominic, Margaret, Louis, Maria and Mara; grandparents Scott and Ruthann Ray, of Pillager, Steve and Iris Shively of Brainerd, great-grandmother Frances Ray of Brainerd, along with aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Mary Therese Ray

March 5, 2024 - July 7, 2024