The Malta Independent on Sunday
A change of scene
for their Norman work. In the last few years these old churches have been partially restored for safety reasons by a few loving hands.
One church we entered, beautiful in all it’s simplicity and the patina of age very evident, had a few lit candles and neat pieces of paper with messages to God. One said, ‘Please don’t let my grandfather live much longer as he is suffering so.’ I hope God heard her prayer.
*** I love the community spirit in these parts. I was invited to lunch on the village green organized to raise funds for the Anglican church nearby. The food was entirely taken care of by the locals, many of whom only come down to spend the weekend. Catholics, Anglicans and possibly agnostics too all worked hard and enthusiastically.
*** Prosecuted, persecuted and penalized, the survival of the Catholics in Britain is the triumph of more than simple faith. It is thevictory of moral and spiritual unbending certainty.
Successive Protestant kings, queens and ministers may have deployed every weapon at their disposal – spies, penal taxation, exclusion from public life and gory, staged executions – to force Catholics on pain of destitution and death to conform to the new national religion, but they failed to impose their will. But the cost of survival was enormous. Anti catholic hysteria was a reality. So many lost their lives. I well remember the stories in our school library, of priests in hidden priest holes and secret chapels.
*** Gardening is taken seriously and there is pride in gardens and hours of work are spent making them beautiful. And they are. There is even a snowdrop expert giving them tips Judith told me.
The garden of the Duvivier cottage is reminiscent of Mr McGregor’s garden in Beatrix Potter’s classic story The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Judith who takes care of it with some help from a gardener who comes for a few hours regularly, reminds me of Vita Sackville West except that Judith is so much better looking and doesn’t have Vita’s vices.
*** An enormous thank you to those who made my stay such a pleasure and who went out of their way to do so. You know who you are. mbenoit@independent.com.mt