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Fr Peter Latham
25 February 1931 - 17 August 2005
Let
us thank God for Peter's ministry and especially for his spiritual
leadership of the Society over so many years. Peter told me on several
occasions that it was Cardinal Hume's request that he (Peter) remained
with the Society after Westminster started its own separate pilgrimage as
a sort of a link; a request, by the way, that Peter was happy to comply
with.
For myself I have one delightful story which I know I've got right because
oftentimes I would introduce it and ask Peter to tell it. He often had the
graciousness to say: "No, you continue with it!"
It concerns the time when Peter was Parish Priest of Wembley and he had
the privilege of welcoming Pope John Paul II, of happy memory, to St.
Joseph's parish during the visit of 1982 for the great Wembley Stadium
Mass. Peter was introduced to The Holy Father and greeted and welcomed
him and then asked the Pope for his "Celebret". Now 'celebret' means
literally 'he may celebrate' and refers to a document which priests are
meant to carry to show that they are legitimate, bona fide priests in good
standing with the Church and their diocese or order of origin. It's meant
to prevent fraudsters passing themselves off as priests. It used to be
considered a serious duty of Parish Priests to have sight of these
documents before allowing a priest to say Mass within the boundaries of
his parish.
I
think Peter with his laconic sense of humour must be the only Parish
Priest in the world to have requested the Pope to produce his Celebret!
Well, of course, the Holy Father did not carry such a document, but JP2
saw the humour of the situation and shrugged his shoulders and grinned at
Peter.
After the great Mass, when Peter was taking his leave of Pope Wojtyla the
Holy Father, wagging his finger grinned at Peter again and said to him:
"Father Peter, I must report you to the Congregation for the Sacraments
because you allowed the Holy Father to celebrate Mass in your parish when
he was not able to produce his Celebret!"
So the Pope turned the tables on Peter! Each of them had a refined sense
of humour. How appropriate that our Heavenly Father should call them back
home to Himself in the same year!
We will miss dear Peter, but he will always be part of the long history of
the Society of Our Lady of Lourdes.
"Peter, may the angels lead you into Paradise. May a choir of angels
welcome you and there, where Lazarus is poor no longer, may you have
eternal happiness."
ETERNAL REST GRANT UNTO HIM, O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON
HIM. MAY HE REST IN PEACE. AMEN
Our
Lady of Lourdes......pray for him.
St. Bernadette..............pray for him
(From
Fr. Michael Fewell, C.M.F.)
Maureen Anne Lowe
Handmaid Maureen sadly passed away on
the 26th November 2004. She worked hard as a long standing stagiaire first
becoming a Titular member of the Hospitalité N.D. de Lourdes in
April 1990. She visited Lourdes twice yearly in April and July each
year. She will be sadly missed by her daughter (Mrs S Dennett).
James Joseph (Joe) McGrath
1925 - 2004
Many will remember Joe who died on the
18th May last age 79. He was a remarkable, outstanding, highly
compassionate yet modest gentleman and a longstanding ardent member of
SOLL. He travelled 26 consecutive years with our pilgrimage as a
brancardier and he would always give it his all.
Joe had earned all Society medals and
stars plus in 1982 was presented with a Bene Merenti medal from the Pope,
this latter perhaps in recognition also of his deep involvement as a St
Vincent De Paul Society member of some 40 years. He would pedal
cycle 3 miles from his neighbouring parish of Kenton (part of the route
along an unlit highway) thereby saving the conference from going into
abeyance. Later he was President at Kenton, then did a stint as
Harrow & Brent District Council President. He would also fundraise for the
St Joseph's Centre for people with learning difficulties.
Seven years ago Joe suffered several
strokes and was lovingly nursed by his devoted wife Mary. The last
14 months his condition so deteriorated that he had to be permanently in
Mount Vernon Hospital. He was quite unable to speak or swallow and was on
a peg feed yet looking into his eyes one could perceive recognition.
Gangrene also had taken its toll on one foot. Mary would visit him
daily.
His requiem, attended by some 200
people, was held at Sacred Heart, Ruislip and his remains interred at
Northwood cemetery.
Joe is mourned by so many yet we all
know he has to be up there being heartily embraced by both Our Blessed
Lady and St Vincent.
May his soul RIP and may he be
comforted and have a well earned rest.
Please God there be more Joe McGraphs.
Gary Remedios
December 1976 - July 2003
 Gary always looked forward to Lourdes. It was the highlight of the year
for four years after 1998.
Gary was born on 22nd December 1976. He went to the All Souls play group,
Kenton, then went on to St. Bernadette's, Kenton, the Salvatorian College
in Wealdstone and St. Dominic's. He ended up doing his GNVQ at Weald
College.
He was healthy and strong until the age of 18, when he had a grand mal
attack which left him wheelchair bound. From then on his health
deteriorated and he was housebound. His father Reg had to give up work to
care for Gary. Meanwhile his mother Viv carried on working locally for
British Telecom at Colindale.
Gary was always cheerful and happy, and enjoyed watching all types of
sports and movies on TV. He was a Liverpool supporter, and never missed
watching them play. He would insist on wearing his Liverpool gear each
time they played.
In 2002 we decided to put Gary in sheltered accommodation (John Grooms,
Edgware), so that he could be independent and meet other people. He
enjoyed entertaining his guests.
Gary spent a lot of time at the Royal Free Hospital, and when he went in
on 14 February, St. Valentine's Day 2003, he never came out again. He
gradually went downhill, but enjoyed the laughter and care of the
marvellous nurses there. His face always lit up at the young nurses, and
he never complained of his pain.
We started going to Lourdes in 1998 to pray for healing. The friendship,
support and love from everyone there kept us going through difficult
times. The power of prayer gave us the courage and strength to see Gary
enduring his suffering. Sharon, his sister, was a tremendous help,
especially when Gary was hospitalised. She fondly cared for him.
We all miss Gary very much: his presence and his mischievous smile. But we
are sure he is caring and praying for us now!
Viv Remedios
Bernadette Mary Parker
20 Dec 1912 - 11 Feb 2004
 Bernadette
Parker was a life member of the Society of Our Lady of Lourdes and a
benefactor. Most appropriately for one who bore the name of Bernadette,
she died on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, 2004. She grew up in a
strictly Catholic family with Victorian values. She joined the Children of
Mary, and in January 1939, the Society of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Miss Parker worked for most of her life at Kodak. A close friend, Veronica
Finch, writes: "She was the quietest, most modest and self-effacing person
one could hope to meet. These qualities were fundamental during her years
at Kodak. Her sense of fairness with colleagues, attention to detail with
the film inspection she supervised and knew to be so important during the
war years, and her uncomplicated ability to accept people, endeared her to
all……Wherever she went, she invariably had time for a friendly word for
everyone, and was always ready to help someone in need".
Though in later years she had no known family, a friend, Christine
Burne-Cronshaw, writes most warmly of her "dear Honorary Aunt Dettie. She
spent most of her life caring for other people, including her life-long
friend, my father's partially blind half-sister, Lucie". Veronica Finch
adds, "They both had high hopes and great plans for their retirement
years". It was not to be. Miss Parker's life-long friend endured a long,
painful terminal illness., throughout which Miss Parker nursed her with
great love and devotion.
She made several pilgrimages to Lourdes with the Society, and throughout
her long association with Lourdes saw many changes. It remained for her a
much loved place of pilgrimage. May she rest in peace.
Those who die in
grace go no further from us than to God and God is very near.
May they rest in
peace
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