In 1976 an enchanting couple arrived in High Legh – Katharine, an agnostic and Suria, a Buddhist. For me it was love at my first sight of Katharine. Here was a Guardian reading socialist, fellow English teacher, deeply interested in the Arts, with a delicious sense of humour and with the bonus of being a superb cook – our sons still remember the special Sunday lunch she made for us in the late Eighties.
We shared so much – Fun and frolics balanced with serious political discussion, too much to confide here, but especially glad rags and glorious music at ‘Clonter Opera’. It just seemed a pity that Katharine wasn’t a Christian, which for me, as a committed Catholic, would have made her a real soul mate. I needn’t have worried! Let her tell the story herself in an extract from a copy she gave me of a letter she wrote in 1992.
“We realised that one great blessing was our many friends. As we named them, almost as a litany, it somehow dawned on us that most of those we liked and admired were Christians… We had a particular sense of well-being when we were with Christians… their faith was a fundamental part of their daily lives, of who they were and how they lived and behaved towards others.” They decided to try going to church. They had ‘tasted’ Anglican churches at weddings, funerals, christenings etc., and started going to occasional Anglican cathedral services. “There” she says,” the dignity and reverence of the service, the sublime music and the palpable sense of a long, unbroken tradition affected us both deeply. So, when we decided to try going to church, it was to Anglican churches that we turned, not to the non- conformist church of my childhood……The very nature of religion is to be beyond or to transcend our physical, earth-bound being, so perhaps it is not surprising that the abstract expressions of music and architecture are successful in embodying spiritual meanings.”
She goes on to describe beginning to read the Bible, “I found myself struck, time and again, by its ring of truth.” That led to: ” The last strand that has woven itself into this rope of faith that I am now blessed to hold is prayer, because a great benefit of going to church again was relearning how to pray and the simple fact is that prayer became a source of great strength… Each day, as I prayed, I could feel myself being ‘topped up’ (it was almost a physical sensation) with the spiritual energy I needed to face what the day would bring.”
On a glorious day, 27th August in 1987, Suria was baptised and Katharine felt that renewing her baptismal vows that day was a dramatic, unique water shed for her. The photos show our communal joy. Their confirmation was equally uplifting. I share Katharine’s distaste for the modern overuse of the word ‘awesome’, but I feel she would have allowed it to describe that day!
We’re all bereft now – what a void Katharine’s death has left! I think words she spoke at a Lenten talk in 1997 might help: “We know that change makes people feel insecure. Stability and security is important for all of us. At the heart of the Christian faith there is a paradox. Its teaching is revolutionary and as Christians we are to be changed utterly, to be born again, to take up our cross. This could leave us floundering and insecure, and yet in all of life’s turmoil we have the promise of unchanging love from an unchanging God.” Yes, He will see us through, – albeit with our teeth gritted!
“May the choirs of angels come to greet you” Katharine, (although I doubt it will be better than your beloved choir at St. Mary’s!) ” May they speed you to Paradise. May the Lord enfold you in His mercy. May you find eternal life.”