Simon Marsh

 

JOAN BARKER WAS A MOST DEVOTED SACRISTAN when I was the Vicar of Ringway. Joan died, peacefully, earlier this year, after a long illness. And I have been thinking of her a great deal because of her lifelong devotion to St Anthony of Padua, whose Memorial the Church keeps today. Along with many thousands of others Joan would pray, through St Anthony, for the return of lost things. St Anthony once prayed for the return of his own stolen psalter (of incalcuable value to him in pre-printing days) and knew the joy of its being returned. Joan, too, was rarely disappointed through the years. I often witnessed the return of small items she’d reckoned lost, together with her ready, cheerful, gratitude to St Anthony. And though I’m not myself altogether convinced that the great Saint would be all that interested in my lost collar studs and fountain pens I bless Joan’s memory as I recall that, delighting in the Gospel reading for today, (Matthew 5.13-16 – “but if salt loses its taste …”) she would beg of St Anthony “to help restore the salt-taste in Our Lord’s beloved Church again”. Bless her. I expect that Joan will be a light set upon a mountain-top today!