[Magdalen] Prayers needed

[Susan Hutchinson]

… for my friend and former parishioner, Margaret and her family. Margaret is a holy woman, and I know you are not supposed to have favourite parishioners, but I can unabashedly say that Margaret was and is one of mine.

When I arrived in Gaspé in early 2000, her family was in crisis. Her husband, Weston, was in the final stages of a long battle with lung cancer. All the problems of distance and language that make health care access so difficult in rural parts of Canada were in play. Her family's response? They fought it at every turn, and then, when it was done and we had buried Weston, they set up a community foundation to make sure that others would never have to go through what they did. We are not talking about educated, high income, powerful people here. No, hard scrabble, smart, creative and hard working people who run a diner and a snow ploughing business. Despite all this, even in face of all this, they gathered me into their family and trusted this newly minted deacon with their very souls. I was so honoured. They are family, even now, a decade after I left the parish.

Margaret is the matriarch. Not the kind that makes a priest's life hell, but the kind who stands by you, prays for and with you, and smoothes the way when conflict threatens. And she feeds you -- she makes the best moose stew going!

Margaret has heart trouble that has been getting worse over the last several months, the local docs are doing their best to get her up the list for care at the Université Laval Hospital in Quebec City (very high quality), but it is taking time. Her family is worried. Her daughter emailed me, asking for my prayers. I know things are bad when Margaret sends Holly (the daughter) to me for prayers. Margaret is a school for prayer unto herself.

I've promised her the golden hammock, folks, please help!

love and blessings
Susan

The Rev. Susan Hutchinson
604-319-7148
shutchinsonca at gmail.com