TWELVE-YEAR-OLD Wiktor Chojecki, who died when the car he was driving collided head-on with a lorry last week, was “kindness” personified, his funeral mass today heard.

Wiktor, originally from Poland but living in Newcastle West, Co Limerick, who was driving his mother’s Nissan Qashqai, died at the scene of the fatal collision approximately 23km from his home.

A small shrine of teddy bears, candles, and floral tributes mark the scene of the fatal collision which occurred around 2am, on the N21, at Rineroe, on the outskirts of Adare.

Wiktor’s younger sister Julia held her mother Ewa’s hand as they walked together behind the coffin which was shouldered into and out of the church of the immaculate conception in Newcastle west by six pall bearers including Wiktor’s father Bart. The boy’s heartbroken mother gripped onto a framed photograph of her only son who the funeral mass heard had been taken from his family all too young.

Hundreds of mourners attended the poignant ceremony, which was concelebrated in both Polish and English, by Fr Krzysztof Tyburowski, Chaplin to the Polish Community in the Diocese of Limerick; Canon Frank Duhig, PP, Newcastle West; and Fr Dan Neenah, PP, Adare, who was called to the scene of the collision to administer the Last Rites and who prayed there with Wiktor’s parents.

Fr Duhig told Wiktor’s family the entire local community wanted to “convey sympathy” to them.

Addressing the boy’s parents, Fr Duhig said: “Ewa and Bart, I knew that your pain is great, but I cannot say that I know your pain. Only parents who have lost a child at such a young age can know the pain you are carrying at this time.”

“Ewa, only a mother who has tragically lost a child of her womb at such a young age knows your pain, and for me to say that I know your pain is to belittle that pain. Bart, you have lost the son you dreamed of seeing grow into manhood and carve out a successful career,” he added.

Fr Duhig said there was “great sadness” in the town, where last Sunday a vigil was held in memory of Wiktor and in support of his family in which coloured balloons were released into the sky.

“There is one word that I heard within an hour of hearing of Wiktor’s death, that has been repeated many times about him by those who knew him well, and that word is ‘kindness’. In Irish we say ‘cineáltas’, and, kindness is a deeply Christian virtue that marks Wiktor as a true child of god,” said Fr Duhig.

Fr Tyburowski told mourners: “It is a sad day, but with our prayer, and compassion and friendship, we embrace the family of Wiktor who left us too quickly in such a dramatic way. We thank god for the great gift of his young life and we pray for his happiness in eternity before god.”

“Wiktor was a Pole, a member of a great nation, and the great Polish community in the diocese of Limerick that has been created with our Irish brothers and sisters appreciate very much the presence of you Irish people in this sad (ceremony), during which we bid farewell to one of the sons of our Polish nation,” added Fr Tyburowski.

White floral bouquets were placed beside Wiktor’s oak coffin and members of Scoil Mhuire agus Ide secondary school, where Wiktor attended, sang hymns.

A bouquet of white lilies sent by the Polish Embassy in Dublin, included a card which read: “Deepest sympathy on the devastating loss of your son, Wiktor.”

A tribute printed and passed to mourners included a black and white photograph of Wiktor alongside a poem entitled Afterglow, which read: “I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one. I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done. I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways, of happy times and laughing times and bright sunny days. I’d like the tears of those who grieve, to dry before the sun; Of happy memories that I leave when life is done.”

Gardai are investigating the circumstances which led to the boy being behind the wheel of his mother’s car in the early hours of last Friday morning, and have appealed for information and witness who may have dash cam recordings to pass this onto gardai at Newcastle West (069-20650).

Wiktor, who is survived by his parents and sister, was laid to rest in Calvary Cemetery, in Newcastle West.