“How much sorrow can Paul’s family suffer?” Father Mahoney asked in his homily.

“Unfortunately, pain is all too often a part of the life of firefighters and their families...but we always struggle through it.”

“There are very few professions, if any, whose job description calls for running into danger, not away from it,” Father Mahoney continued. “May St. Florian, the firefighter’s patron saint, welcome our latest shining knight and shining light -- Firefighter Paul Cahill -- into the halls of heaven.”

Cahill is survived by his wife Anne Cahill, and three children Brendan, Adam and Shauna.

“Today we share your grief,” Engine 30 Captain Stephen Keogh, one of the several speakers who offered their reflections during the funeral Mass, told the surviving family.

“Paul was a good man, a kind man, always smiling, telling funny stories. He took great pleasure in making people laugh. He would do anything for anybody. It was impossible not to like him,” Keogh said.

“Paul loved being a firefighter. Paul loved this job and it showed in every task he performed,” he added.

“Paul and Warren made the ultimate sacrifice, and I’m here to tell you that sacrifice was not in vain,” stated Edward Kelly, president of Firefighters Local 718.

Kelly spoke of Cahill’s love of fighting fires, and his tenacity in the face of danger.

“Paul, may your soul rest in peace, and may your spirit live forever,” said Kelly.

Following the conclusion of the Mass, Cahill’s casket was again placed on Engine 30 for the journey to Forest Hills Cemetery in Jamaica Plain.