Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church in Jacksonville held funeral services for the Rev. Bernie Ahern on Wednesday and Thursday with internment at Saint Joseph’s Cemetery.

Ahern passed away at the age of 93 atJacksonville's Baptist South Hospital on July 31. The Rev. Sebastian George was with Ahern in his final moments and administered the sacraments, he said in a letter to the parish.

George also shared a video of Ahern’s May 30 homily in which Ahern recounted his being called to the congregation, his early days in the seminary, 25 years as a U.S. Navy chaplain and his time spent with the U.S. Marines during the Vietnam War. After retiring from the Navy, Ahern continued in the priesthood in New York, where he had begun his service as a priest, and eventually moving to Jacksonville in 1991.

Reflecting on his 29 years as a member of the Saint Joseph’s parish, Ahern said, “You good people are such a blessing for me, and from the bottom of my heart, I have to tell you that I love you. I really do.”