Every night at Mass I watch with great pleasure as Mrs Cushanan makes her entrance. She is 96 years old , is bent double with curvature of the spine and walks slowly and quite painfully with the aid of a stout pair of walking sticks and the aid of one or two ladies who drive her up to Mass at night. Entrance it is for usually someone or other talks to her or say hello for she is quite something in the parish. I recall her when I was a child going round the doors collecting money for the nuns, though she had quite a large family of her own. Now I know she has quite a large collection of children, grand children and great grandchildren...and I suppose for all I know great, great grandchildren. In 1965 she formed a rosary group that met at five every afternoon for over fifty years and though it died of a little towards the end still if necessary Mrs Cushanan would sit there on her own proudly blaring out the 'Hail Mary's 'and the response. The only thing that stopped her a couple of years ago was when, sadly. they knocked the old Church down. I had the pleasure once or twice to leave her up and down to Mass myself when none of her regular assistants was about. I always kind of held my breath with her it was such a struggle for her to walk at all and she seemed in such pain. The great English writer and convert GK Chesterton once wrote that it is the old ladies of the Church that hold it together, that are the Churches true foundation, not the Bishops, or Cardinals or priests. I believe this to be so and without them the Church would collapse almost at once. I have only to look at Mrs Cushanan as she creeps slowly and oh so painfully down the aisle to the very front pew at Mass each night to know in my heart that this is so.
Padraig, what a delightful story. I believe it's the little old ladies who are the glue as well. We had one, Gloria, she died last December. She was hispanic, beautiful, kind, loving, but tough as nails if you showed up for the Rosary late. When the church was open, there was Gloria. We all swear she's still with us sometimes.
This lady reminds me of my mother in law who is 97 and until recently walked to mass every day. She still goes a few days a week if she can . her knees have kind of given up. She reared 11 children and lived through very difficult times and 2 of her children died in tragic circumstances. She has a brilliant sense of hunor and loves watching football as well as constantly praying for her extended family. She endures constant pain but you would never know it. She always has a humourous story or a joke to share. These elderly people are a real inspiration. Mary
