May they rest in the peace of Christ


Torch of The Faith News on Thursday 11 December 2008 - 14:04:16 | by admin

frances.jpgTwo lovely friends have died in recent days.

Above, is Frances Egan a beautiful soul from Bootle on Merseyside. Frances went to Holy Mass every day for many years at St. Robert Bellarmine's in Bootle with her husband Terry (where she also enjoyed singing up in the choir loft on Sundays).
 
We first met Frances about 10 years ago when she gave much loving support to our family during a painful trial through which we were then passing.
 
She loved God and her Catholic Faith very deeply indeed.
 
Her last day on this earth had been a very happy one; during which she had sung in the choir and been on good form at the parish coffee morning. Frances would have celebrated her 81st birthday in February. Please pray for her and for Terry, her children, family and friends.

parish2bfamily.jpgWe were also deeply shocked to learn of the sudden death from a heart attack of Peter Burton at St. Theresa's in Chester.

Peter worked with us during 2007/8 on a Seekers team at Pantasaph; during which time we visited all the houses in St. Clare's parish in Chester to invite people to a day in the church hall to find out more about the Catholic faith.

Peter was a lovely man; gentle, kind, always full of fun, and blessed with a remarkable singing voice. He was a keen librarian and was strongly motivated by a desire to evangelise and bring people to the Lord Jesus Christ. As such he had been a long term member of the Sion Community; before splitting his time in recent years between St. Theresa's in Chester and the Franciscan friary at Pantasaph. 

Peter had only recently written the opening column in the Winter 2008 edition of the Message of Hope magazine from Pantasaph friary. His words, under the title The Challenge at Christmas describe the feelings he experienced many years ago about the secularisation of Christmas, and speak most eloquently of the ways of his heart;

I decided I would dedicate some time to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament to intercede for those who did not understand the real meaning of Christmas and to enable me to be more receptive to the Christian message and the mystery of God becoming man. That day before the Blessed Sacrament all those years ago was a turning point for me. It helped me to put my friendship with Jesus Christ into perspective. I knew Him, and believed in Him, and from that time I really wanted to tell others about Him, and about the message He came to bring each one of us...

...I would like to give you a challenge this Christmas... Take some time out, to reflect, to pray and to think about the gift of Christ. Think also about how much time you give to Him in prayer and how much time you actually allow Him to shape and mould you... I promise you, if you give Him this time. You will not be disappointed! The real meaning of Christmas will find a home in you, and you can then share that with your family and friends.

We thank the Lord for the blessing of having known these two lovely friends and commend them to His infinite Divine Mercy and love.

Eternal rest grant unto Frances and Peter O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them and may they rest in peace.
Amen.


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