Two of our monks went to the funeral today of a friend of our community. Kathryn was 34 and leaves a husband a baby, and two other young children. Fr Gordon -a monk of Ampleforth and Kathryn’s parish priest – preached a splendid sermon pointing to the cross as the key to understanding the mystery of Kathryn’s life.

St Benedict tells us that monks should have death ‘ever before their eyes’. He doesn’t mean this in a morbid way but exactly in the way which Kathryn’s young widower spoke of today. Once death is the focus of our vision then all accessories are relegated to their rightful place and what is central is seen in its proper perspective.

We give thanks to almighty God for the life of Kathryn and we ask the Lord to have mercy on her soul, to sustain her husband and to bless her children. And we monks thank her for the lesson she has taught us about our monastic vocation in these last eighteen months of her life.

Requiescat in pace!