Candidate for Fairhaven Select Board Richard “Rick” Trapilo Addresses His Opponent, Ms. Natalie Mello, and the Discussion on White Christian Nationalism
I have read and seen various explanations and rebranding’s of a meeting to be conducted by the Unitarian Universalist Society of Fairhaven. I find the messaging confusing and will simply let my fellow Fairhaven residents judge for themselves whether such divisive language further fractures our community.
My candidacy is solely based on my sincere commitment to bringing financial stability to our town and ending the divisions—both within our community and our town’s leadership—that have cost us untold thousands of dollars in legal fees. Enough is enough. We must work together for the future of our town. United we stand; divided we fail.
To be as transparent as possible in my desire to serve as your next Select Board member, I will share a homily I was invited to give to my fellow parishioners at St. Joseph’s Parish.
Sermon
Standing here today, I feel humbled—unworthy, even—to stand in the place where the good Father speaks. I am not a perfect man. Far from it. But when Father Mikey and Carol asked me to speak, I knew there was no possible way to say no. As a member of Saint Joseph Parish, this is not just a duty—it is an honor.
Yet, when I was asked to reflect on Saint Joseph as the patron saint of a happy death, I must admit—I was bewildered. I had never heard of this concept before. But rather than shy away, I embraced this as an opportunity—an opportunity for deep reflection on the path God has laid before me.
I tried to place myself in Saint Joseph’s shoes, imagining what it must have been like to be a young man in his time. Imagine, if you will, the Spirit of God revealing to him that the woman he loved—Mary—had already conceived a child, not just any child, but the Son of God. And he was to be His earthly father.
Can you fathom the weight of such a revelation?
How many of us—how many fathers today—would have the blind faith, the unwavering trust, to accept such a divine calling? To love, to nurture, to protect, without question or doubt?
Joseph’s task was the greatest and most humbling of all. He was called not just to be the husband of the Blessed Mother, but to be the earthly father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. And yet, he did it with grace, with humility, and with an unwavering faith that inspires us even today.
His reward? To have the two holiest people to ever walk this earth—his beloved Mary and his divine Son—by his bedside as he took his final breath.
That, my friends, is a happy death. A passing not filled with fear, but with love, peace, and the presence of God.
I know what it is to lose those dearest to me. I have lost my parents. I have lost my four brothers. And I was not given the gift of holding them, of saying goodbye, of reassuring them with love in their final moments. I carry that with me every day. And in their memory, I try—imperfectly, but sincerely—to honor them by living a life of goodness, by striving to be a better man than I was yesterday.
But I was given the privilege to witness what a happy death truly looks like.
My wife, Margaret’s mother—Gilda Cabral, or as we called her, Vavó—was a mother of eight beautiful children. She passed peacefully, surrounded by love, after receiving her last rites. All of her children, whether in person or through a video call, were there. The room was filled with tears, yes, but also with gratitude. Gratitude for the life she lived, for the sacrifices she made, for the love she poured into her family—love that will carry on through generations.
That was a happy death. That was a blessed passing.
So, thank you, Father Mikey, for this assignment. In the midst of our chaotic lives, it is a gift to pause, to reflect, and to remember what truly matters.
I walk away from this experience with a renewed commitment—to be a better husband, a better father, a better friend, and a better neighbor. To live each day with purpose, with love, and with faith.
And now, to honor Saint Joseph, the patron saint of a happy death, I would like to share a poem that speaks to the beauty of his life, his love, and his passing into God’s eternal embrace.