A Canadian soldier who was killed in Afghanistan was returned to Orangeville, Ont., in May. Cpl. Matthew McCully's funeral was held at Tweedsmuir Memorial Presbyterian Church, led by Rev. Harvey Self and Mjr. Doug Friesen, a CFB Petawawa chaplain. About 750 people paid their final respects.
“It's happening very close to home,” said Self, who served as a military chaplain in Petawawa for 10 years before joining Tweedsmuir. Self is also the chaplain for the local Royal Canadian Legion, which provided care for the McCully family after their loss. “Even though Matthew didn't go to our church, he was part of the community that our people are a part of.”
Self told the Record that McCully went to the high school that many church members' children also attend, and his sister lives just a block from the church.
The 25-year-old McCully, who joined the Canadian Forces five years ago and was based at CFB Petawawa, was killed by a bomb near Kandahar while training Afghan soldiers. He was the 55th Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan since 2002.
“What Matt was doing was what he believed was best for his country and family,” said Cpl. Sandy Gauthier, who served with McCully, as reported in The Orangeville Banner. “He had the ability to bring out the best in all of us as a soldier and as a friend.”
“It's a wonderful contribution when our church can work so closely with the community to offer support,” said Self. “There's a strong Presbyterian tradition of supporting our military's members, and I think that's important.” – AM
