SR. BRENDA
Sr. Brenda of Jesus (Brenda Willard) was born in Barrow in 1934, the fourth of five children. Her father died while she was a baby and her mother worked as a theatre-sister while bringing up the five children. During the war their house was bombed, and the family was re-housed.
As a teenager, Brenda was a member of the Salvation Army and tried various denominations before finally becoming a Catholic. In her thirties she entered Preston Carmel and got as far as first Profession, but then left and worked awhile as a priest 's housekeeper. But the call to Carmel persisted and she returned as an Extern Sister, later asking to be received as a Choir Sister, and never looked back.
Sr. Brenda was a very keen scripture scholar and was devoted to the works of Raymond Brown and the gospel of St. John. She filled many offices in Carmel and, at the time of her death, was Sub-prioress, Portress and altar-bread despatcher. Sister had always suffered from circulatory problems, and even as a teenager suffered a thrombosis. Nevertheless she was always active and did not let her health problems hold her back, so it came as a great shock when she died so suddenly on 10th September.
Her funeral on 20th September was very well attended by family and many friends. Our Bishop was chief Celebrant. Among the dozen or so other priests special mention must perhaps be made of Bishop Ambrose Griffiths, and of Monsignor O'Dea, who received Sr. Brenda into the Church many years ago. The sermon was preached by Fr. Eugene McCaffrey O.C.D. Among her many friends from Barrow were Fr. Manny Gribben, who played the organ and led the singing, and Brother Bernard from Belmont Abbey, who served. Fr. Luiz Ruscillo could not be there, but had performed the Reception Ceremony the evening before. Our dear Sister will be sorely missed, but she did have a grand send-off. May she rest in peace.

FR. VINCENT SMITH
[Last month we carried a few brief notes about Fr Smith, issued by the Bishop’s Office as part of the official notification of death issued when any priest dies. It seems that unusually, the notice contained errors. We apologise for any distress caused to Vin’s family and friends, but we were merely publishing the information passed to us from Bishop’s Office and cannot be entirely to blame.]

Here we provide further material on Vin’s life sent to us by a former parishioner and by Fr Gerry Dunne who preached at his funeral.

Former parishioner, Mary Hind:
When Fr Smith was our Parish Priest at Sts Peter & Paul, Preston, you had to get there early for Mass, it was standing room only otherwise. People came from miles around to hear his sermons. Children loved him as much as adults. Everyone found him interesting. He had his silver jubilee while he was with us and we gave him a car as a gift.

Fr Dunne:
Vin lived out his life in the hope and belief that comes from the resurrection of Jesus. In word, in sacrament, in mission, in life, he preached and celebrated the powerful love of his risen Lord. Vin shared his faith readily with others. People, old and young, warmed to him. There are priests in this diocese who would say that Vin’s pastoral ministry influenced them in their vocation. Now that he has died we need to remind ourselves of these things.
He loved the hills of the Lake District. His Wainwright’s Guide’s were well annotated. Recently as his strength failed, his walks became horizontal rather than vertical, though jut a couple of weeks ago we did manage a walk (toddle might be a better word) along Longridge Fell.
Last weekend he belatedly celebrated the Golden Jubilee of his priesthood with family members and parishioners who came from far and wide. It was a joyous occasion. Vin loved his family and was proud of their achievements. He loved his home town of Fleetwood and marvellously was able to revisit his old haunts there only last week.
One brilliant, crisp, winter’s morning just a few years ago, we were together on Farleton Fell. There had been a light fall of snow and the frost was hard. In the clear brilliant sunshine, the whole place sparkled like diamonds. “Like heaven” said Vin, and as I remember it now, I cannot but recall how like Vin it was to say so.