Ciara Nicole Scheets

complications of the heart. Born in Atlanta, Georgia on September 24 (the feast day of Our Lady of

Ransom), 1995, she spent most of her childhood living in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. After living briefly on Long Beach Island, NJ, she continued to vacation there in her family home. She also visited Medjugorje and Croatia several times, as well as Mexico, the Grand Cayman Islands, Haiti and Jamaica. As an adult, she resided in Jacksonville, Florida, but traveled quite a bit, spending time in various states. She is survived by her parents Phil and Susan Scheets, and her five siblings Krysten, Gabriella (Dominic Cotroneo), Nolan, Nathaniel, and Liam, as well as her young nephew Sage, and many cherished extended family members and friends, all of whom enjoyed her quick wit, sense of humor, and highly-animated presence.

Ciara was baptized into the Catholic Church at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Moorestown, NJ, and then spent most of her childhood attending St. Peter Roman Catholic Church in Merchantville, NJ. She was homeschooled until high school when she attended Merion Mercy Academy in Merion, PA, continuing to play soccer, primarily as a goalie. In later years, she spent time living with Comunità Cenacolo in Florida.

Ciara had a deep faith in God and an immense love for people, particularly her siblings. She had a

special concern for the most forgotten of the world, the ostracized and suffering, and had a great

appreciation for the individuality, equality, and dignity of all humans. As a musician with a beautiful

voice, she often wrote, performed, and recorded songs with strong messages. She loved nature and

animals, especially dogs. She spent much of her time reading and writing, and was in the process of

writing her first book.

For as much as these important details defined herself and life, Ciara was unique and carved her own path that never quite fit within anyone’s neatly formed box. In fact, she detested labels. It is best to let her speak for herself. Ciara posted this online in October of 2023. In it, she discusses a recent song she wrote with a dear, now deceased, friend. It is only slightly edited for brevity and clarity:

“The song was written to be a dialogue between God and someone who is running away – in

whatever sense that might mean to someone listening. I wanted very much to clearly portray the idea of God as a ‘jealous lover,’ whose love is personal and pure and intimate and who chases us in love like a ‘Hound of Heaven.’ I wanted someone to listen to the final draft of this and feel special to God, to believe that God loves this person uniquely and personally as if they were the only human who existed.

We are so often told through religion that it must be us who chases God, who falls at God's feet, who loves God undyingly. But I had come to believe very strongly that it is really God who chases us. He falls at one's feet to declare his undying, humbling, almost desperate love for us. This belief is the foundation of my spirituality, a belief that I could never in a million years have become a follower of Christ the Lord until I came to know that Christ the Lover is a follower of me.

‘All which I took from thee I did but take,

Not for thy harms,

But just that thou might’st seek it in My arms.

All which thy child’s mistake

Fancies as lost, I have stored for thee at home:

Rise, clasp My hand, and come!’ (Francis Thompson, The Hound of Heaven)”

Please join us for Ciara’s funeral Mass at Assumption Church, 2403 Atlantic Blvd in Jacksonville,

Florida at noon on Monday, April 1, 2024. This will be preceded in the church by a visitation and

prayers around Ciara from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM. After the Mass, all are invited to Kohl’s Hall on the

church premises for a reception.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Jacksonville L’Arche Community, a community

Ciara lived with as an assistant and loved very much. https://www.larchejacksonville.org/support-us/

SUB TUUM PRAESIDIUM CONFUGIMUS, SANCTA DEI GENETRIX