Evelyn Leonard's Funeral Mass

Evelyn - the Angel of the North! (atop a hill in Northumberland)

Further to my previous post, the funeral Mass was today celebrated with a packed church - there were probably approaching two hundred people present. The majority would have been Anglicans (Evelyn was only received into the Catholic two years ago). Two were anglican ministers (there would have been a third but he had been misinformed as to the time.)

The choir did a grand job with the music. Hymns were "Praise my soul," "The angel Gabriel," "O come all ye faithful," "May the choirs of angels." In addition they sang the Kyrie, Sanctus, Agnus Dei and Lux aeterna from the Missa pro defunctis and a setting of Psalm 22(23) "The Lord is my shepherd" from The Complete Responsorial Psalm Psalter. The coffin was, as usual, removed accompanied with the singing of the In paradisum.

My homily can be read here. A tribute from the family (which was not read out but made available for people to take as they left the church) can be read here.

Evelyn Leonard RIP

A very much loved parishioner, Evelyn finally yielded her soul to the Lord on 26th December, feast of St Stephen. She was 59.

Evelyn was received into the full Communion of the Catholic Church on 16th December 2005. She was known for her great faith in the Blessed Sacrament - finding the Real Presence of our Lord truly present in our church when she first came to announce that she wanted to become a Catholic. She had a deep love of the Blessed Virgin and, overall, a great trust in God.

This trust was exercised most fully when she was once again diagnosed with cancer in March this year. In spite of increasing disability, she hardly ever failed to make it to Sunday Mass together with her daughter Elizabeth who was received into the Church at Easter 2006.

In her final days in hospital, she was able to receive Holy Communion daily, and for the last time on Christmas Day.

Her body will be received into the church this Thursday at 4.30pm and the funeral Mass will be on Friday at 1.30pm.

Evelyn is survived by her husband Peter, and her children Peter, James, John and Elizabeth.

May she rest in peace.