Funeral congregation hear Chloe had 'a smile that could light up a room'

Chloe Gallagher Fanneran was recalled at her Funeral Mass as a young selfless woman with a heart of gold who had a smile that could light up a room. 

The 18-year-old lost her life in a road traffic accident on Wednesday night. Her Funeral Mass took place in St Eunan's Cathedral this morning, Saturday. 

Father Damian Negad described Chloe as a 'popular girl' at the begining of the Funeral Mass saying that  many, many young people had been in attendance at the wake. 

He welcomed her family, her extended family and her many friends to the Funeral Mass. He gave a special welcome to staff and students from Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál where Chloe had been a pupil. He said their attendance was also to support Chloe's sister, Natalia, who is presently in fourth class at the Letterkenny-based school. 

Chloe was from  Leitir Beag, Crievesmith, Letterkenny. 

Father Damian Negad said it is hard to know what to say when you meet a family that has lost someone so young.

He said: "My hope for you, is that over time, you will get to a place where you have peace in your heart. I want you to have peace in your heart about Chloe and the whole situation. I would love you to reach a place, you are never going to forget her that is for sure, but that you will have this hope in your heart that in the end that everything is going to be okay, that everything is going to be transformed."

He spoke of a very special saint, Saint Therese of the little flower, Saint Therese of Lisieux, he said he was bringing this saint to the congregation's attention because she is a very popular saint, a saint who has a special affiliation with St Eunan's Cathedral in Letterkenny. 

He said: "There is a lot of reasons that people have devotion to Saint Therese. One of them is that she is proving to be very powerful when people have requests."

The priest said that the saint said in her book that life is full of suffering, pain and that life can be very difficult. 

"But she said this when we get to heaven in the most incredible way God is going to make everything good - he is actually going to make everything perfect," Father Negad said. 

He said that in the end we will see Chloe again. He encouraged people to pray to Saint Therese and to be very definite about what you ask from the saint. He said that God will fulfill what you want in your heart. 

"God will do amazing things during this time that you are parted from Chloe. God will bring so many different blessings into your life. You are never going to forget Chloe and all the memories you have of her. You are always going to love her. The plan of God is that you will one day all be reunited together in heaven but it is now that you need God to help you," he said. 

He told those gathered that Saint Therese put so much emphasis in the rosary. "She said that if you are prepared to work on this prayer it will do unbelievable things in your life." 

He said that if you work on the rosary you will feel help in your heart. He asked young people to look at Youtube and start by listening to the rosary and feel the gradual and positive effect it will have on their lives.

Speaking about Chloe, he said: "She was a mammy's girl through and through. She was described as a tomboy - someone with a heart of gold. She was stubborn, she was selfless and caring. She adored her little sister Natalia, she loved to annoy her older brother Ryan. Chloe was always taking her sister Keisha's stuff, this was in order to annoy her. Keisha was like a second mammy to Chloe and I am told that Chloe was as sassy as they come."

He said Chloe had a smile that could light up any room. He said Chloe was car mad like her father Gerard. She loved the Donegal rally weekend and loved Lexus cars. 

"She had an unbreakable bond with her grandmother Nora whom she loved very much," he said. 

The congregation heard that she could make friends easily. He said that Chloe and her best friend Amy had been childhood friends and you could never be certain what kind of trouble you would find them in. Chloe had a kind heart and loved animals especially her two dogs. 

She had a great love of Lilo and Stitch, those gathered heard. 

"Chloe loved nothing more than lying in a room watching movies with her wee best friend Rhianna," he said. 

He told everyone to continue praying for her and that one day everyone would be united once again.