AMDG
The Wedding Portrait of Naomi & John Faro December 28, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio
In 2017 Naomi graduated as a freshly
minted nurse from Franciscan University of Steubenville. She was going to the big city…….Pittsburgh
and find herself a MAN…….no man from rural Gallia County was good enough for
her. She was hired for a nursing
position at Montefiore Hospital. Nicole
Baker, daughter of our wonderful neighbors next door and her close friend since
3rd grade, accompanied Naomi for her pre-employment physical. Nicole, called up one of her friends to join
them for lunch. A graduate in
Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, he was doing research in
Pittsburgh before applying to med school.
This guy later followed up and kept contact with
Naomi. They became friends and then
close friends. Naomi wanted to bring
this guy home for a visit. Where’s this
guy from? You guessed it! Gallia County of all places in this wide wide
world. So you can take the girl out of
Gallia County, but you can't take Gallia County out of the girl. They hardly knew each other at Gallia Academy
despite being in the same senior class.
He was right under her nose for 18 years and had to go all the way to
Pittsburgh to discover him. Dr. David
Faro, his father, was encouraging…… “She’s a keepher!” Keep her.
Indeed he did and he wouldn’t let go. May it always be that way!
So Naomi brought John Faro home to
introduce him to us. Now I’m not going
to let any guy date my daughter. He had
to pass a test. “Are you a Pirate fan?”
Check. Are you a Penguin fan? Check.
Are you a citizen of Steeler Nation?
You passed; you are welcome to date my daughter; you are welcome in this
house at any time.” At dinner my wife
Jaga fell in love with John more than Naomi did. It was love at first sight of her future
son-in-law.
Naomi loves to doodle. Remember grade school when the nuns or lay teachers would make us write lines, “I will behave; I will never pull Nicole’s
pig tails” 100 times. Naomi wrote
something else 100 times……. “Naomi Marie
Faro; Naomi Marie Faro; Naomi Marie Faro.”
And now guess what? She now is
Naomi Marie Faro! Yes!
In the Fall of 2018 John was accepted at the University of Cincinnati Medical School. Naomi quit her job and looked for another one in Cincinnati. It was the job of her dreams since grade school when she would watch births on the Life Channel. It was to be a Labor & Delivery Nurse. And that’s the position she got…….providential! As a little girl, she was my Naomi the mouse; then Naomi the Fish when she was a varsity swimmer at Franciscan University; now she’s Naomi the stork and before long she will be a baseball Mom. John was a catcher and later an outfielder for Gallia Academy. The people at the hospital just assumed that John and Naomi were living together. Naomi simply replied: “No we’re not.”
Naomi and John often would come for dinner; Jaga loves to cook; and John loves Jaga’s cooking. Perhaps it’s true…… “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”.
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And finally he proposed and she said “Yes” at the Bob Evans Pond in Rio Grande, Ohio. We'll have to put a monument there to mark the spot on the shores of the Bob Evans Farm Pond.
Finally, --I guess some three years since
they discovered each other in Pittsburgh--, Naomi began to wonder: “When is
John going to propose?” Finally that
summer they were over at our house and took a walk. I knew something was up because a week or two
earlier this third year medical student, like a true gentleman, asked me for
Naomi’s hand. They went all the way to
the pond on the Bob Evans Farm, a recent donation to the University of Rio
Grande. They came back excited,
particularly Naomi to tell us the big news.
He finally proposed! Now we’ll
have to put a monument on the spot on the banks of the Bob Evans Farm Pond
where John proposed to Naomi and Naomi said yes on June 20, 2020.
Medical School with its demanding
clinicals made a Fall 2020 or a Spring 2021 wedding impossible. However, since John had the between semesters
Christmas break, they set December 28, 2020 as the wedding date.
John had to leave his former apartment
because the lease was up in August.
Naomi found an apartment for the both of them, but could not occupy it
since John needed a place to live and they weren’t married yet. She found a Solomonic solution. Her cousin John & Ann Sebastian
graciously allowed her to stay with them for those few months before marriage
and their daughter Kate, away at school, let Naomi occupy her room. Thank you John and Naomi for doing it the
right way and waiting. You won’t regret
it. Thank you for being counter cultural
in our oversexed society.
They had big plans…….big wedding reception at
Rhinegeist, a Cincinnati brewery; and honeymoon in Cancún, a resort city on the
pacific coast of Mexico in the dead of winter.
However, the ugly monster, Covid-19 crawled onto the scene, eager to
destroy those big plans and dreams. Many
of those invited to the wedding did not “save the date”, December 28, 2020 for
fear of Covid. There was already a surge
that summer and another was expected during the Thanksgiving and Christmas
season. Even most of the relatives, who
attended Stephanie & Daniel’s wedding a year before in Dallas, sent their
regrets.
The
couple thus had to adapt and settle for a wedding only attended by immediate
family, the wedding party, and close friends.
Naomi canceled the brewery venue and fought for a refund of the
deposit. Since the medical school
forbade any of its students to leave the country, they had to cancel the
honeymoon in Cancún, but the agency insisted on only giving them credit for
another date before his internship and residency begin. Disneyworld served as a substitute. The honeymooners did make Cancún a second honeymoon during a break before their
May 1, 2022 graduation almost 16 months after their wedding, but we're getting ahead
of ourselves. Let’s get back to December
2020.
On December 24 Stephanie, the Maid of Honor, threw a bridal shower for her sister at our home in Rio Grande on the eastern side of the state of Ohio. With Covid dominating the world, it was just family. Uncle John, Aunt Kathleen, and Naomi’s cousins attended via Zoom from Chicago. Stephanie decorated our home with Elves from the movie, "A Christmas Story" as the theme.
Big brother, John-Paul and his mother, Jaga are conversing in the midst of the Bridal Shower of gifts. John Faro, the groom elf, and Naomi the bride to be elf are taking it all in on the recliner. It just happens to be Christmas Eve as well. Naomi and her three siblings grew up in this house.
Naomi's friends had a Bachelorette Party, socializing and playing games on the night before the wedding in an Air B & B.
Our family and spouses stayed at an Air B
& B that Naomi arranged. It
consisted of four bedrooms, one for each couple on the nights of December 27
& 28. It was the top floor of an old
mansion with a fridge and kitchen to cook meals.
Getting
ready. Big sister Stephanie,
representing Prince John, administers the test.
Will the glass slipper fit?
Great for the cover of Vogue Magazine!
The beautiful and large St. Mary’s Church in Cincinnati was the wedding site and the parish took care of the marriage preparation although a more thorough prep and wedding rehearsal would have been better. Naomi’s favorite uncle, Deacon John Sebastian would marry them. Despite being high risk for the disease, Covid or no Covid, both John and his wife Kathleen made it from Chicago just in time ……..reminiscent of the Broadway play, “My Fair Lady”………. “Get them to the church; get them to the church on time”. For fear of Covid which would have been very serious due to an underlying medical condition, Kathleen wouldn't let me hug her as a greeting.
Now that their day had come, I was asked to give my daughter away. Are you kidding me? No way. I wouldn’t give my daughter away to anybody. Anyhow, she’s not mine to give.
"John, I entrust Naomi to you........I
trust that you will give yourself completely to her and she will
reciprocate. I trust that you would be
willing to die for her. I trust that you
will always be faithful, you exclusively for her and she exclusively for
you. I trust that your Naomi & the
family that the Lord gives you will always be number one in your life over
career and avocations, even if you become a world renowned doctor and I think
that’s very possible. You are a
tremendously hard worker."
It was an honor to have my younger brother and Naomi’s favorite Uncle, Deacon John as the celebrant. Twenty years before little Naomi loved to play “Paddy Cake” with her Uncle John. Who would have dreamed at the time that Uncle John would someday be the celebrant at her wedding with another John? The Deacon smoothly went through the wedding ceremony and gave a beautiful homily. See the complete text in the appendix.
Now One as Man and Wife
We have been blessed with wonderful neighbors on both sides and back of us. Naomi would baby sit for the Shenks’ three cute daughters. Mother and daughters were dying to see their babysitter get married. Even though Naomi and John had to cut the invitations down to relatives and close friends, Amber and the girls still made it, driving three hours from the other side of the state near the Ohio River to our surprise and delight. Thank you so much for doing that, Amber.
Now Married
The Sebastian Family has increased by one with the addition of John Faro for a total of nine. From left to right are Joseph, John-Paul and his wife Elizabeth, The bride and the groom (Naomi and John) are flanked by Paul, the father of the bride and Jaga, her mother. Daniel and his wife Stephanie are on the extreme right.
The Faro Family has increased by one with the addition of Naomi Sebastian Faro for a total of eight. Soon it will be nine with the addition of Sachel now fiancé of DJ. From left to right are DJ, Kim, Dr. David Faro and his new daughter (in-law) Naomi, the groom John, his mother Beverly, Josh, and Jacob.
One new extended family all together. Naomi and John are the links which make the Faros and the Sebastians one grand extended family. On the extreme right are Sachel, DJ’s fiancé then and wife now and Allison who, since a little girl, was like a member of the Faro family.
Let us not forget the members of the extended families who preceded Naomi and John. Surely they have had a significant influence on the lives of both. Let us recognize them through the wedding photos of the parents of Naomi and John.
Three people in this August 13, 1988 wedding photo of Naomi's’s parents Paul & Jaga Sebastian are no longer with us, but were present at the wedding of John and Naomi in spirit. Many of the invited extended family did not attend because of a Covid surge towards the end of the year, but were also there in spirit. From left to right are Nicole Sebastian Peeney, Frederyka Kasprowicz Gajda (Jaga’s mother, now deceased), John Sebastian (Paul’s younger brother), Dr. Stephanie Mihalich Sebastian (Naomi’s grandmother, now deceased), John Victor Sebastian II, Mark Sebastian, Jaga & Paul Sebastian, Michelle Sebastian Gleason, Frederick Sebastian (Paul’s youngest brother who never married, now deceased), and Kathleen Marks Sebastian (John’s wife). Josef Gajda, Jaga's father could not make it and Dr. John J.S. Sebastian, Paul's father had died nine years earlier in 1979. Among the fruits of the marriage of Paul and Jaga is the beautiful bride, Naomi. We are looking forward to the fruits of the marriage of Naomi and John. Look who has the grey hair now. Time marches on until we’re all together again for that big party in Heaven. You’re all invited; MAKE SURE YOU GET THERE.
The
Byrnes side of the newly extended Faro family after the wedding of John's parents, Dr. David &
Beverly Faro in 1989. In the front row from left to right
are Leo Leslie, Ken Byrnes, Mark
Diffendal, Shirley Fleming, Michelle Raubach, Tim Byrnes II, Beverly Salamon, and
Chris Faro. In the back row are Steve Faro, Joyce (Joy) Ward, Beverly Faro, David Faro, Lynn King, Tim Byrnes, Sarah Faro. The names in bold are deceased. May they rest in peace.
The
Faro side of the newly extended Faro family after the wedding of John's parents, Dr. David &
Beverly Faro in 1989. In the front row from left to
right are Chris Faro, Kathy Faro, Lorraine Ramey, Steve Faro. The back row
includes Norman Faro, Dianne Faro,
Beverly Faro, David Faro, Sarah Faro. The
names in bold are deceased. May they
rest in peace.
Nicole Baker Love became the girl
next door when her family moved to Rio Grande in about 2003. They have been wonderful neighbors. Naomi and Nicole were about nine years old
and immediately became lifelong friends.
They would play with their dolls and play school. Nicole would be the teacher. They were enterprising too.......opening up a
lemonade stand in front of the Baker home on State Route 588. I was one of their first customers. They were very cute little girls then and
look at them now. Wow! Oh what God can do!
The Reception
The
reception was at Carlo & Johnny's, a more intimate setting
with family, wedding party, and close friends.
Those who attended knew most of the others. We had a great time. All in all, it was a unique and most
memorable wedding that no one among us will ever forget. For some interviews of those who attended go
to
Starting
off a great mother and son-in-law relationship with a kiss during the bread and
salt ritual. She fell in love with John
before Naomi did.......just kidding.
They hit it off beautifully when Naomi first brought him home.
A wedding isn't a wedding without a tall sugary calorie filled cake and there it is.
Sheriff
Jim Byrnes and his beautiful daughter Josephine made it all the way from
California.
What makes this wedding feast so special was the people who did come, Covid or no Covid. Were it not for Covid, we would have family and friends coming from all over the country. Still Sheriff Jim Byrnes and his lovely daughter Josephine made it all the way from the left coast.
Despite all of the obstacles, it was a beautiful
wedding. A surprising number of people
attended, but some excused themselves from the reception because of Covid fears.
Beverly Faro, the groom’s mother, had been fighting cancer for two years now and WINNING! She’s here too with her husband, Dr. David Faro. That woman is unsinkable. Thank you all so much for coming! You know……with all of that fear of Covid, not one person who attended the wedding came down with Covid. Thank you, Lord!
The fact that you are here entails some sacrifice,
some risk of bad weather, and that monster, Covid. Thank you so much for being here.
Many more would have come if they could and they are here in spirit. And we know that our deceased loved ones in the Faro, Byrnes, Gajda, and Sebastian extended families are here very much in spirit such as Grandpa & Grandma Sebastian and Dziadek & Babcia Gajda. I loved Babcia Gajda; she taught Baby Stephanie how to walk and treated us like royalty in Poland. Babcia was the ideal mother-in-law. She spoke no English and I spoke no Polish and we got along great!
In her old age Grandma Sebastian wanted no part of any nursing home. So Jaga, the bride’s mother, took care of her. She was happy living with us and watching her four grandchildren run around from her observation post at the kitchen table by the window. She died in our living room, practically in Jaga’s arms at the age of 97. The money she saved because of Jaga’s care is financing this wedding reception. Without Jaga she would have been wiped out financially in a nursing home. So consider Grandma Sebastian as the co-hostess of this feast along with Jaga.
Give this couple, John & Naomi Faro a lot of credit for handling adversity, and bouncing with the punches. They had to be flexible and resilient. They made plans for a big wedding and a honeymoon on the beach in Cancún, México. Since so many relatives on both sides backed out, Naomi and John had to cancel the original reception. Dealing with such adversity is great training for life.
See the appendix for the complete texts of the toasts and comments with photos which will be posted shortly.
For an excellent overall video, go to
For an album of pictures, click on
https://olgapolo.passgallery.com/-johnnaomi/gallery
If you haven't had enough of weddings, You might want to take another look at the weddings of our daughter Stephanie & Daniel Spiotta and our son John-Paul & Elizabeth. Go to
(218) Stephanie Mary Sebastian + Daniel Joseph Spiotta: United as One in a Beautiful Traditional Yet Unique Marriage in a Latin Mass Roman Catholic Church (A link to all wedding photos are included.)
https://paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com/2019/02/218-stephanie-mary-sebastian-daniel.html
and
(246) John-Paul Sebastian + Elizabeth Herrera: A Man of Polish Heritage and a Woman of Latin American Heritage Blend Into One.
https://paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com/2020/12/246-john-paul-sebastian-elizabeth-lee.html
Appendix I
A WEDDING TOAST BY THE FATHER OF THE GROOM
By Dr. David J. Faro During the Rehearsal Dinner at the Buca di Beppo Restaurant in Cincinnati December 27, 2020
I wonder as I stand
What are the words that I can say
To bless this happy couple
And to start them on their way
What insights can I offer
During a year that's so bizarre
To help them understand
How really fortunate they are
Every wedding day is special
But this one's special plenty
It will be a mark of pride
To say you wed in 2020
When he said that love was patient
As he said that love was kind
This must have been the kind of
year
That St. Paul had in mind
And because you've shown so much
patience
There's a promise we can make
The challenges of wedded life
Will be a piece of cake
And the care you give your patients
To the young and to the old
A grateful God will give to you
Twenty-twenty fold
Mexico is lovely
The water crystal clear
But Ohio or Orlando can be magical
Any time of year
And speaking of romantic
People think of France or Rome
But that real special place Rio
Is a lot closer to home
The longest-lasting marriages
Get their light and heat
Where the mighty Allegheny
And the Monongahela meet
And your Mom and I are smiling
'Cause we're tickled through and
through
That fate would have you meet
In the place where we met, too
I'm sorry that tomorrow
Won't be quite the big affair
With all those happy people
Whose affection that you share
Now, I'm certain that you know this
But I want you kids to hear it
Everyone you love (or have loved)
Is with you here in spirit
Son, I need to thank you
For all the fun we've had
It was a gift from God
When I got to be your Dad
To see you set yourself a goal
To focus and believe it
To find your place in medicine
And press on to achieve it
I promise I'll go to the gym
You know my spirit's willing
But seeing you develop
Is even more fulfilling
I know that in the next few years
We'll see you less and less
Working seven days a week
Can cause a little stress
But here's a little benefit
We can be thankful for
Now that you are man and wife
We'll see Naomi more
Thank you, Dear Naomi
For the happiness you've brought
him
For all your tender wisdom
And everything you've taught him
For the way Naomi smiles
And the way Naomi cares
Shows that she's the answer
To these parents' special prayers
May you find the
understanding
Which surpasses any knowing
And the love that you think perfect
now
Amazingly, keep growing
May affection keep you near us
Ambition, take you far
May you, when the time comes,
Learn what a blessing children are
May you always live in
gratitude
For how God's goodness found you
And share your love of living
With everyone around you
May your futures be rewarded
With countless celebrations
And tomorrow only be the first
Of many great occasions
Now, stand and raise a glass with
me
Dear friends who fill this room
To Naomi and John
The happy bride and groom
Appendix II
THE MARRIAGE HOMILY
By the Bride's Uncle Deacon John Sebastian
I want to begin by asking you to think about this question: what is marriage?
Some say marriage is a contract. Well, that’s true enough. After this ceremony, I will sign John and Naomi’s wedding license sealing the validity of the contract. But you know the definition of a contract these days, don’t you? It’s a piece of paper that parties to the contract adhere to unless they became unhappy. Then a contract is something you get out of.
In the church, marriage is much stronger than a contract. It’s a bond, a covenant, a solemn promise made before God and all of you. It’s so important and profound an event that, in the Catholic Church, the wedding must take place in a consecrated church before the altar of the Lord and witnesses. In our Christian faith, this promise, this bond between Naomi and John, is unconditional; it is non-cancellable; it is irrevocable; it is life- long.
In the Old Testament, marriage is compared to the covenant between God and His chosen people. In the New Testament, the gospels and epistles, like St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, make it perfectly clear that the bond between husband and wife is like the bond between Christ and His Church. It will never be broken. The love that Naomi and John have for each other is compared to the love that Our Father in Heaven through Jesus Christ Our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, have for each other and for us, for you.
John and Naomi, as you know, this has been a very strange and sad year up to today. The events of 2020, a polarized electorate, bitter racial tensions, and Covid have been unnerving. But, I’ve got to tell you that there have been many years in history when events have been worse, far worse than 2020. Let me give you an example.
I want to tell you a true story about love, commitment, and marriage.
Ford Callis was caught up in patriotic fervor following the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the declaration of war against Japan and Nazi Germany. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and prepared for boot camp and deployment overseas. But, before he did that, Ford asked his girlfriend, Daisy, to marry him, which she did. He promised her that he would make it through this horrible war. She promised to be faithful and pray for his safe return.
After military training, Ford was sent to war with the 36th Infantry Division. His battalion made its way to the French Alps where a substantially larger force of Nazi soldiers surrounded the battalion and began starving them out. Following failed rescue attempts by two other battalions of the 36th Infantry, they became known as the Lost Battalion.
For eight days the battalion was without food and water and stuck in foxholes eating worms for food and pond water for drink. They held their positions despite constant bombardment. Finally, Ford’s unit was liberated on the 9th day of the siege. After Ford recovered from his wounds, he came home to Daisy. While in his foxhole, he drew courage from his faith and his commitment to come home to Daisy.
We advance forward 75 years and Ford and Daisy are now well into their 90s. Daisy suffers from dementia and Ford is determined to take care of her. One night, Ford heard Daisy scream from his bedroom, and in his haste to come to her aid, he fell out of bed, hit his head against the nightstand, broke several bones around his eye and severely injured his shoulder and chest as he fell to the floor. He tried to crawl to the phone as he had crawled to his foxhole as a soldier, but was unable to get there. He lay there for many hours until a daughter came over to see why he wasn’t answering the phone.
Ford was rushed to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center not far from his home outside Nashville. In the ICU, physicians noted that, in addition to his injuries, Ford’s kidneys had shut down, he had a bleeding stress ulcer, and a blood clot in his leg, all of which led them to surmise that he was going to die.
It took some days, but incredibly, Ford survived. When Ford finally awakened in the ICU, his first sentence was “Doctor, I need you to get me home to my Daisy as soon as you can.” Because of his marriage, Ford had undergone the type of change in his soul that no personal injury or earthly event like war, could undo. He told his doctor, “Having someone believe in me and waiting for me back home gave me purpose. I am more than myself because of our marriage. I hope people won’t give up on their marriage either--even when the sparks of romance seem distant.”
Ford eventually regained color and strength, and on the morning of his hospital discharge he told staffers, “You know, it takes three people to stay married: Daisy, me, and God. We are one, and nothing will ever change that, nothing.”
The German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was writing to his niece before her wedding. This is what he wrote from his Nazi prison cell: Marriage is more than your love for each other. In your love you only see the heaven of your own happiness, but in marriage you are placed in a post of responsibility toward the world and mankind. Your love is your own private possession, but marriage is more than something personal—it is a mission, an office—a duty.” The story of Ford and Daisy generated lots of discussion around the hospital for a long time.
Their covenant liberated their souls and gave them a higher purpose. This is Christian love. We are at our best when we serve one another. I will close with this line, also attributed to Bonhoeffer: “It is not your love that sustains your marriage, but from now on, the marriage that sustains your love.” It is not your love that sustains your marriage but marriage that sustains your love. May God bless you, John and Naomi. May you be inspired by the story of Ford and Daisy to dedicate your lives to God and to each other.
Appendix III
MAID OF HONOR TOAST TO NAOMI & JOHN
By Stephanie Sebastian Spiotta, Older Sister of the Bride
Having known Naomi for 26 years, I’ve been able to observe the development of her particular, lovable qualities, dear to us, and indeed, dear to John.
From a little girl Naomi was smiley, cute, and easy to play with (except for the occasional pinch), up for just about anything her friends and siblings wanted to do. Her distinctive and important quirky quality that would become more pronounced later I can still see latently in her childhood the time she voluntarily carried out John-Paul’s idea to sign a relative’s birthday card, “P.S. I have small teeth.”
Several years later her quirkiness flowed out in her voice in an interesting and original exclamation, the “pachow, pachow.” It was a strange, but ultimately cheerful, sound and part of her good humor: “pachow, pachow, pachow, pachow.”
By the time Naomi was spending time with, and gaining interest in, John, she was fully and confidently quirky as to wonder, “Is John weird enough for me?” They soon discovered many proofs of the precious “mutual quirkiness” which they professedly enjoy together.
One manifestation of this kindred quality to onlookers was notably the time Naomi and John found an adult onesie poop costume at St. Vincent de Paul’s. They showed up to a party as the dynamic doo-doo, ehem, duo, of poop and toilet and paper. Maybe it was a Halloween party; I’m not clear on that detail. Maybe they’re just that quirky.
A propos of all this, I told Naomi that I thought it would be fitting if I prepared a scatologically themed speech. Only half joking, I thought I wouldn’t be able to hold it in, but I wasn’t quite able to get it down on paper, was pretty wiped out by the effort, and flushed just thinking about it. I decided not to be a party pooper and just do my duty. You’re welcome.
Naomi, I’m so glad you’ve found your quirky best friend, but that joy would be short-lived if John weren’t also a good man, and a good man is hard to find: one who’s a gentleman, who is respectful and gracious, who is happiest when those around him are happy, who especially makes it his business to make you happy.
I’m glad you’ve found a family man, someone who has been one of his mother’s greatest supports in her battle against cancer, who thinks ahead to would yield the most time with his wife and children as he chooses his medical specialty. Who already is getting you into the habit of only using the back burners when cooking so your future children won’t burn themselves. You are blessed to have John as the head of your family.
Two are better than one, but best is when two become one in a mysterious union sanctioned by God in the holy sacrament of matrimony. I pray that together you draw deeply from the graces available to you in this sacrament and let the Lord knit your hearts closer and closer your whole life’s journey.
Appendix IV
A WEDDING TOAST BY THE BEST MAN
By Dr. David J. Faro, older brother of the groom
Hi everyone! I’m Dave, John’s oldest brother, best man, and our parents favorite son. I appreciate everyone for being here today, and those who are here in spirit during these crazy times.
- Body
Many people believe that
there is one perfect person for everyone. And while I can’t speak about
everyone, I do know about john and Naomi. Fate has brought them together, and
there couldn't be a more perfect match.
Anyone who knows these two
knows how much love they share for each other. They also both share
a similar sense of humor, and their laughter will surely brighten each others
lives in the coming years. In honor of that, now seems like a good a moment to
share a few of the funnier moments from John’s past.
Some of you here today may
remember John by his former stage name: Debra peaches jalapeño, when
he acted as one of green elementary’s most infamous drag queens.
My favorite John story was
from back in our wrestling days in Jr.high: where he somehow managed to
convince half the team that not only was he adopted, but that he was in fact a
refugee from Bolivia. Despite not knowing a word of
Spanish.
In all
seriousness: the John hasn’t always been the hard working, ambitious
medical student he is today. John has always been quick witted, and
quicker with a laugh and a smile. And that smile has never been
brighter than it has been with Naomi. She has truly brought out the joy in
him.
We all had the opportunity
to witness that first hand last year when Naomi joined us for the holidays. It
was clear then that she felt right at home with our family, and it seemed as
clear then as it does now that they would have many holidays together ahead-of
them.
- Thanks/wrap up
- I appreciate everyone’s patience with me while I keep you from enjoying your wine glasses this evening. Without further ado, i’d like to propose a toast: to John and Naomi, the newly weds.
Appendix V
You know? I feel like I’m at Cana. Let’s all imagine that we all are at the
wedding feast of Cana. Our Lord is here
and indeed He is and Mary is here too.
John, if we run out of wine, go to Mary and do what He tells you. When in trouble, run to Mother Mary and do
what our Lord tells you. What a great
rule for one’s life!
In 2017 Naomi graduated as a freshly minted nurse from
Franciscan University of Steubenville.
She was going to the big city…….Pittsburgh and find herself a MAN…….nobody
from Gallia County was good enough for her.
She was hired for a nursing position at Montefiore Hospital. Nicole Baker, daughter of our wonderful
neighbors and her close friend since 3rd grade, accompanied Naomi for
her Physical. Nicole, called up one of
her friends to join them. He was doing research
in Pittsburgh before applying to med school.
This guy later followed up and kept contact with Naomi. They became friends and then close
friends. Naomi wanted to bring this guy
home for a visit. Where’s this guy
from? You guessed it! Gallia County of all places in this wide wide
world. They hardly knew each other at
Gallia Academy. Dr. David Faro, his
father, was encouraging…… “She’s a keepher!”
Keep her. And indeed he did.
So Naomi brought John Faro home to introduce him to
us. Now I’m not going to let any guy
date my daughter. He had to pass a
test. “Are you a Pirate fan?”
Check. Are you a Penguin fan? Check.
Are you a citizen of Steeler Nation?
You passed; you are welcome to date my daughter; you are welcome in this
house at any time.” At dinner Jaga fell
in love with John more than Naomi did.
Naomi loves to doodle.
Remember grade school when the nuns or lay teacher would make us write lines,
“I will behave; I will never pull Nicole’s pig tails” 100 times. Naomi wrote something else 100 times……. “Naomi Marie Faro; Naomi Marie Faro; Naomi
Marie Faro.” And now guess what? She now is Naomi Marie Faro! Yes!
In the Fall of 2018 John was accepted at the University of
Cincinnati Medical School. Naomi quit
her job and looked for another one in Cincinnati. It was the job of her dreams since grade
school when she would watch births on the Life Channel. It was to be a labor & Delivery
Nurse. And that’s the position she
got…….providential. Before she was my
Naomi the mouse; then Naomi the Fish when she was a college varsity swimmer;
now she’s Naomi the stork and before long she will be a baseball Mom. The people at the hospital just assumed that
John and Naomi were living together.
Naomi simply replied: “No we’re not.”
Thank you both for doing it the right way and waiting. You won’t regret it. Thank you for being counter cultural in our
oversexed society. They often would come
for dinner; Jaga loves to cook; and John loves Jaga’s cooking.
Finally, I guess well over a year ago, Naomi began to
wonder: “When is John going to propose?”
Finally last June, they were over at our house and took a walk. I knew something was up because a week or two
earlier John, like a true gentleman, asked me for Naomi’s hand. They went all the way to the pond on the Bob
Evans Farm, now the University of Rio Grande.
They came back excited, particularly Naomi to tell us the news. He finally proposed. Now we’ll have to put a monument on the spot
on the banks of the Bob Evans Farm Pond where John proposed to Naomi and Naomi
said yes on June 20, 2020.
You know what makes
this wedding feast so special? You! Every one of you. Were it not for Covid, we would have family
and friends coming from all over the country.
Still Sheriff Jim Byrnes and his- lovely daughter Josephine made it all
the way from the left coast. But because
of Covid, most backed out. It looks like
the Faro side won in attendance. We’re
going to make the best out of this and still have a good time. Whether 25,000 people attend or only 25, Mr.
and Mrs. Faro are married and that’s the bottom line! It’s going to be a great marriage! Yes?
Absolutely YES! Let’s hear
it. YES! The fact that you are here entails some
sacrifice and some risk of bad weather and that monster, Covid. Beverly Faro, the groom’s mother, has been
fighting cancer for two years now and is WINNING! She’s here too. That woman is unsinkable. Thank you all so much for coming!
Many more would have come if they could and they are here in spirit. And we know that our deceased loved ones in the Faro, Byrnes, Gajda, and Sebastian extended families are here very much in spirit such as Grandpa & Grandma Sebastian and Dziadek & Babcia Gajda. I loved Babcia Gajda; she taught Baby Stephanie how to walk and treated us like royalty in Poland. Babcia was the ideal mother-in-law. She spoke no English and I spoke no Polish and we got along great! In her old age Grandma Sebastian wanted no part of any nursing home. So Jaga, the bride’s mother, took care of her. She was happy living with us and watching her four grandchildren run around from her observation post at the kitchen table by the window. She died in our living room, practically in Jaga’s arms at the age of 97. The money she saved because of Jaga’s care is financing this wedding reception. Without Jaga she would have been wiped out in a nursing home. So consider Grandma Sebastian as the cohostess of this feast along with Jaga.
Give this couple, John & Naomi a lot of credit for flexibility, handling adversity, and bouncing with the punches.. They made plans for a big wedding and a honeymoon on the beach in Cancún, México. So many relatives on both sides backed out that Naomi and John had to cancel the reception and fight to get their deposit back. They had to cancel Cancún because the Medical School would not allow John to leave the country. Such adversity and flexibility is great training for life.
Now that their day has come, I was asked to give my daughter away. Are you kidding me? No way! I wouldn't give my duaghter away to anybody. Anyhow, she's not mine to give. Yes, John, I entrust Naomi to you.......I trust that you will gave yourself completely to her and she will reciprocate. I trust that you would be willing to die for her. I trust that you will always be faithful, you exclusively for her and she exclusively for you. I trust that your Naomi and the family that the Lord gives you will always be number one in your life over career and avocations, even if you become a world renowned doctor and I think that's very possible. You are very intelligent and a tremendously hard worker.
Yesterday was the Feast of the Holy Family. May the Holy Family be your model; may your home be a true domestic church with Jesus Christ at the center of your home with daily family prayer. May your family culture revolve around our Lord and His Church, always faithful to God and to each other. May your marriage be a witness in our divorce happy society as to what a Christian marriage should be. May your family be a witness as to what a holy family should be, even in the face of ridicule. When the inevitable bumps in the road come along, tap the graces of the beautiful sacrament of Matrimony. Keep the faith and may the Lord richly bless your marriage and future family. Amen!
