St. Anne’s 🏥

This afternoon in St. Anne’s, as I was walking the long corridor to Marina’s brand new room, I spied Bridie. That same Bridie, who prayed aloud; ‘Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you....’ at the end of our St. Anne’s Holy Rosary every day until Corona arrived in our world calling a halt to our ‘Holy Huddle’. 

Sitting on her chair blind and deaf, locked in her own world, almost two years have passed since our last Holy Rosary together. Kneeling at her feet, I prayed aloud the Our Father and Hail Mary prayers, she answered word perfect. I began her favourite prayer; ‘Let nothing...’, she took over, calling it out flawlessly, word for beautiful word.  Overjoyed  I could have cried with joy and gratitude to God for such a precious privilege. 

From now on I have permission to visit with Bridie. We will pray Holy Rosary together. She will call out her favourite prayer at the end, like she always did. We will sing her favourite hymn: ‘Hail Queen of Heaven’. Maybe ‘Amazing Grace’  too.

For Bridie of course, business as usual, she won’t find it strange that it will be just the two of us. Blindness and deafness having been her lot for many a long day, Bridie never knew how many of us were in the Dayroom praying Holy Rosary before Lockdown. 

To get to pray with Bridie once again beyond my wildest dreams. Sublime Divine appointment from wonderful Father God.

Dear Marina is finding her new pristine room strange. It will take her a while to get used to it but in time she will, please God. Old habits die hard. Thank God she has Lesley (cuddly toy) keeping her company.

Spending time in St. Anne’s, enlarges my heart like nothing else can. Soothing safe haven from the storms of life in this our day and time, little slice of Heaven.

‘As our hearts become larger and larger and larger, they are more capable of wonder and awe. In that process of opening up to wonder and awe, we come to see more clearly the Face of God’.                           (Restoration Newspaper)