Hundreds gather at funeral for young shooting victim

BENTON, Mo. -- Those closest to Kaden Robert filled the small chapel at St. Denis Catholic Church on Saturday as more than 200 others watched the funeral Mass on a projector in the adjacent gymnasium.

They filed past a table with pictures of the smiling 15-year-old Kelly High School student and sat quietly in folding chairs or on the bleachers. The size of the audience stood as a testament to the shock caused by Robert's death in the surrounding community. The accidental fatal shooting of the boy earlier in the week probably left a question looming in their collective consciousness: Why did this have to happen?

But the Rev. Michael Casteel's homily reminded those gathered not to dwell on unanswerable questions. He encouraged the congregation to acknowledge the tragic nature of Kaden's death, and to do so as a way to begin the healing process.

"We gather as God's people not to make sense of it, not to find a reason in it, but to comfort, to console and to pray," he said. "To remember the blessing that Kaden has been and to plead for the grace necessary to heal broken hearts."

He spoke of the day Kaden was baptized in that same church in 1999, whereby he received a promise of eternal life. He spoke of Kaden's pride at his first communion and later at his confirmation in February.

"At his confirmation, Kaden received the gifts of the Holy Spirit," he said. "But Kaden already had a considerable number of gifts."

Casteel cited Kaden's many nicknames as proof he was endeared to an array of people. Recalling Kaden's green-eyed mischievousness, he coaxed a knowing chuckle from the crowd, which to that point had watched in silence.

Then, looking out at the hundreds of people who had been touched by Kaden's life, he asked a question.

"How many people will be touched for generations because of him? An 8-year-old has a new liver because of Kaden's generosity. A 54-year-old woman has a new heart. A 15-year-old girl has new lungs," Casteel said, referring to the donation of Kaden's organs upon his death.

Casteel returned to a message of hope and healing.

"Things like this are not supposed to happen," he said. "But they do. We can't change it, so what do we do now?"

He urged young people to realize their lives are "remarkable, remarkable gifts." He urged parents and grandparents to remember to hug their children and not take a single day for granted. He explained that Kaden's memory, kept in heart, serves as an impetus for loving kindness and a tribute to an extraordinary young man.

He said though it may seem to many as if a light has gone out, it's only because he has now, through his gifts and his legacy, become a part of a brilliant new sunrise.

tgraef@semissourian.com