ANN Speed’s prayers have been answered by Archbishop John Bathersby’s recent personal invitation to “Come and Celebrate Christmas”.
The Carseldine Gardens Retirement Village resident was on of the more than 300 respondents to the archbishop’s recent invitation to join in Christmas celebrations.
Ann, who has an artificial hip and can no longer drive, was desperately trying to find a way to get to Sunday Mass at St Dymphna’s Aspley.
Her response to the Brisbane archdiocesan print media campaign in December last year led to a contact that has now solved her problem.
And funnily enough she discovered the answer was right on her doorstep.
That’s because Jan Ramsden, a volunteer with Aspley Care and Concern sent to help Ann, actually lives in the Carseldine Gardens Retirement Village as well.
What Ann calls “a remarkable answer to prayer” started with a phone call from her daughter Lisa Leahy, a parishioner at St William’s, Grovely.
“Lisa asked me had I seen the archbishop’s invitation to ‘come and celebrate Christmas’ in a newspaper advertisement.
“I said I hadn’t and she said it could be a chance to find someone to give me a lift to Mass on Sundays.”
Ann immediately contacted the archdiocesan contact person listed in the newspaper advertisement.
“I was then put in touch with Jan.”
