BURIAL MASS OF THE LATE MR. PETER KOBINA HANSON (March 22, 1936 – February 21, 2026)
AT ST JOHN BOSCO CATHOLIC CHURCH, GOLF CITY
ON APRIL 9, 2026
HOMILY BY BISHOP JOHN KOBINA LOUIS
THEME: A LIFE BUILT WITH FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY
READINGS: Romans 8:19-25 & John 11:17-27
INTRODUCTION
Beloved in Christ, we gather today with sorrow, yet with gratitude to God for the life of Mr. Peter Kobina Hanson. We are thankful for the gift of almost 90 years of age, and a life well lived as a devout Catholic, hardworking man, loving husband, caring father, beloved grandfather and kind neighbour.
As a carpenter and builder, he understood that every lasting structure must be carefully planned and constructed — from the foundation to the roof. Today, we reflect on his life as a spiritual building. Hence, the theme: “A Life Built with Faith, Hope and Charity”.
1. THE FOUNDATION: CHRIST THE SOLID ROCK
Every building rests on a foundation, and for the Christian, that foundation is Jesus Christ: “No one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11).
Some houses which were once cherished by their deceased owners have been demolished and their foundations excavated to make way for new and high-rise buildings. However, Jesus Christ “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25), because He has conquered death and lives forever, is the same foundation yesterday, today and forever (cf. Heb. 13:8). This is the unshakable foundation upon which Mr. Hanson built his life.
Mr. Hanson anchored his life on Christ — through his devotion to the Church, his prayer life, and his quiet fidelity. His life was not built on wealth or prestige, but on a relationship with Christ.
2. THE PILLARS: A LIFE STRENGTHENED BY FAITH
Pillars connect the rest of the building with its foundation. They hold a building upright; and they give it strength and stability. In Mr. Hanson’s life, those pillars were his faith.
In today’s gospel reading, Martha expressed great faith in Christ in several ways. Let us consider two of them. First, even when her brother, Lazarus, was dead and already buried, Martha believed that Christ could still do something about it: “Lord, … But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of Him” (John 11:21-22). This is certainly an expression of extraordinary faith in Christ at a moment when most people would have given up.
Secondly, after our Lord had said to her: “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live” (John 11:25), and asked her, “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26), she responded with faith, “Yes, Lord, I believe …” (John 11:27).
Like Martha, Mr. Hanson built his life with a faith which was active and alive. He allowed his faith in Christ to shape his daily living, even in the most difficult moments of his life.
His faith kept him steady, like pillars that do not collapse under pressure.
He transmitted this faith to his children, and today we see the fruits — in his son, Rev. Fr. Ebenezer Hanson, and his grandson Joseph, preparing for priesthood.
Faith, for him, was not abstract — it was lived.
3. THE WALLS: A LIFE FORMED BY CHARITY
A building with pillars but no walls looks like a skeleton. Walls give shape and character to it. Similarly, charity gave shape to Mr. Hanson’s life.
He was not only fascinated by the parable of Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46, but he made its primary lesson — “whatever you did to the least of my brethren you did unto me” (Matt. 25:40) — a key principle of his life.
So, Mr. Hanson loved deeply and served humbly. He practiced kindness in simple, everyday ways.
4. THE ROOF: A LIFE CROWNED BY HOPE
A roof completes the building. It covers it, protects everything beneath it, and brings the whole structure to its fulfillment. In Mr. Hanson’s life, hope was that crown and covering.
St. Paul, in the first reading, reminds us: “For in hope we were saved… we wait for it with patience” (Rom. 8:24-25). Christian hope is not mere wishful thinking; it is confident expectation in God’s promises. Mr. Hanson lived with this hope — the hope of eternal life, the hope that sustained him even in old age and illness.
Today, as we mourn, we do not grieve as those without hope. We believe that just as Christ called Lazarus from the tomb (cf. John 11:43), He will also call Mr. Hanson to eternal life.
Hope now covers him like a roof — not a temporary shelter, but an eternal dwelling in the house of the Father.
CONCLUSION
Beloved in Christ, today we celebrate not just the end of a life, but the enduring strength of a life well built.
Mr. Hanson built wisely:
- on Christ, the solid foundation
- with faith
- shaped by charity
- and crowned with hope.
And because his life was so well constructed, his house still stands.
- It stands in his children and grandchildren.
- It stands in the faith he handed on.
- It stands in the priesthood of his son, Rev. Fr. Ebenezer Hanson,
and in the vocation of his grandson, Joseph.
- It stands in every life he touched through his humility, kindness, and quiet witness.
His legacy is not made of wood or concrete — but of faith-filled lives that will continue long after him.
As we commend him to the Lord, let us also ask ourselves: What are we building, and on what foundation?
May his example inspire us to build on Christ, to live faithfully, to hope steadfastly, to love generously, and to persevere to the end — so that one day, we too may enter the eternal home prepared for us.
May the gentle soul of Mr. Hanson rest in the heavenly dwelling God has constructed for him.
Amen.
