When Debby McConnell got back into town last Sunday after attending her grandfather's funeral, she had an urgent message to call St. James' Episcopal Church. Since McConnell is the church's music director, it wasn't unusual for the church to be calling; it was unusual for the message to be urgent.
The urgency resulted from the recent decision by the church to hold the service for Vernon James Doe, the body of the baby found in a pond at Mount Vernon Country Club.
As music director, she was called upon to put together the music for the service.
"I selected Amazing Grace and Morning Has Broken because that seemed appropriate for a child," she said. "I also liked Breathe on Me, Breath of God."
McConnell sang and played the organ for the service which was attended by about 100 people. Several members of the Fairfax County Police Department were present at the funeral; members of the Alexandria City Police Department assisted in helping escort the remains from Demaine Funeral Home to St. James.
Rev. Huey J. Sevier, rector of St. James and lay minister Patricia Rowell presided over the short service. In his homily, Sevier said that he was angry.
"I grieve, but I am angry," he said. "Usually at this point, I address the family and express to the family the grief we feel."
There was, of course, no family, and so he used the gospel of Matthew to make his point.
"I'm angry because of a stumbling block," he said. "In this throw-away society, we don't even recycle well. It is beyond me how a human being could discard a human child."
SEVIER WEN ON to say that it was a good thing that he wasn't God, inferring that unlike Jesus, he wasn't sure if he could forgive.
"We pray for this innocent child and know that all the riches of heaven will be his."
He closed by saying, "Even in the most dire circumstances, God will help, save and sustain; he will even forgive."
Sevier thanked the Fairfax County Police Department, especially Fairfax County Homicide Detective Chester Toney, for making this happen.
Toney was the one who helped coordinate the funeral and prior to the service, Toney said that he was pleased that so many officers came. "As a department, it was our duty to do it. The community stepped up. St. James and Demaine did an outstanding job. I'm still hoping that somebody out there will give us a call."
Demaine Funeral Home's General Manager Diana Lerro was there to coordinate the service and said that the funeral home donated their services for cremation and burial. Windsor Demaine said that the funeral home has a policy of providing services for fire and police officers killed in the line of duty; they have also performed services for hardship cases. He also said that while the funeral home hasn't provided services for an unnamed person in recent history; that Demaine has buried the remains of unnamed bodies at Bethel Cemetery in the past.
Anyone with information about the baby should call 703-246-7856.