Today is the first anniversary of the death of Sarah Ward, my Grandmother (Nan). She was an Ulster (Northern Ireland) protestant, a methodist in fact. She had quite a hard life, moving a number of times as a small child, as her Father went in search of work.
I remember wondering how to tell her, at Christmas 1996, that I had just been Baptised as a Catholic the week before! I was not expecting it to go down too well, but while sitting in her flat in Cardiff thinking of what to say, she told me the most amazing thing. "I remember the Priest (Catholic) trying to come to our house in Kent when your Great Grandfather, my Dad, died. We told him to get back on his bike or we would throw a bucket of water at him!" I asked her why would the Catholic Priest come? And she told me that, "It was very sad, but Dad became a Catholic six months before he died, but he didn't have the chance to get the rest of us though!" I laughed, as I was so happy with the start of the story, and my Nan 'knew' then. She had spent 29 years telling me that I was just like my Great Grandfather! So I just said, "And me last week!" She replied, "I know, you're just like him".
She had mellowed over the years and was fine about it, to the point that when her Bible was stolen while in hospital, she asked me to get her a new one, knowing beyond doubt that it would be a Catholic Bible, and it was.
One of the last memories I have of my Nan, was arriving at the hospital a week or two before she died when no one else was there. Although she was 'totally out of it' I told her I was going to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for her, she said just two words after me at one point, 'Our Father'. Well I cried and carried on.
It is one of the hard things about being a convert, when someone dies on your side of the Family, very few Masses & prayers will be offered for the repose of their souls.
So do say a prayer for my Nan. Thanks.
I remember wondering how to tell her, at Christmas 1996, that I had just been Baptised as a Catholic the week before! I was not expecting it to go down too well, but while sitting in her flat in Cardiff thinking of what to say, she told me the most amazing thing. "I remember the Priest (Catholic) trying to come to our house in Kent when your Great Grandfather, my Dad, died. We told him to get back on his bike or we would throw a bucket of water at him!" I asked her why would the Catholic Priest come? And she told me that, "It was very sad, but Dad became a Catholic six months before he died, but he didn't have the chance to get the rest of us though!" I laughed, as I was so happy with the start of the story, and my Nan 'knew' then. She had spent 29 years telling me that I was just like my Great Grandfather! So I just said, "And me last week!" She replied, "I know, you're just like him".
She had mellowed over the years and was fine about it, to the point that when her Bible was stolen while in hospital, she asked me to get her a new one, knowing beyond doubt that it would be a Catholic Bible, and it was.
One of the last memories I have of my Nan, was arriving at the hospital a week or two before she died when no one else was there. Although she was 'totally out of it' I told her I was going to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for her, she said just two words after me at one point, 'Our Father'. Well I cried and carried on.
It is one of the hard things about being a convert, when someone dies on your side of the Family, very few Masses & prayers will be offered for the repose of their souls.
So do say a prayer for my Nan. Thanks.
3 comments:
Just came across this post - but November is a good month ! Will remember your Gran in my prayers.
Many thanks
I know that this comment comes rather late but I just came across this post. It is beautiful and touching. Thank you for sharing such a lovely family story. I will pray for your dear Nan. She must have been very proud of you.
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