LEARNING of Rosemary Goldie’s death and reading of her achievements as such an outstanding woman in the life and organisation of the growth of the lay apostolate in the Church, I recall my impressions of her as a ‘Grail Lady’ when I belonged to the Grail movement in my youthful days of the 1940s.
I believe that all of us who knew Rosemary not so many years older than ourselves at that time would agree with me she made the most outstanding impression on our formative years and as such contributed to a positive turning point in our lives.
Rosemary’s influence created in us a depth of perception and resilience that carried us forward and developed throughout our lives.
We were drawn to Rosemary and recognised her dynamic and at the same time caring personality that came across as a sort of joyful recognition of each of us for what we were just as we were.
I will never forget being with her at those initial Grail meetings in Sydney where while she laughed with us she also appraised and encouraged our individual talents and interests.
Her smallness of stature was a drawcard adding to her dynamism in as much as it made her seem unique.
Now looking back I am well able to understand her ability and its ensuing achievement of the recognition of the role of the laity in the Church, resulting as it did in her appointment as one of the two undersecretaries of the Pontifical Council for the Laity – the highest position ever held by a woman at the Vatican.
When Rosemary left Australia to take up her work in Rome many of us were “grown up”, marrying and moving into lives that did not include belonging to The Grail Movement.
All the same, we kept up some friendships formed there for many years and always remembered and spoke of Rosemary who had generated that sense of the worthwhile in us.
I hope there are still some left who will read this – throughout Queensland and beyond – who will recall those times.
Women such as myself after reading The Catholic Leader story (7/3/10) will be thanking Rosemary in our hearts and minds for encouraging us by her outstanding example and sense of empathy to uphold her way of “dignity and responsibility” such as we needed to practise throughout our lives.
Truly we are able to say of Rosemary Goldie in the words of Shakespeare with all it’s connotations – “Rosemary for Remembrance.”
BARBARA O’BRIEN
Croydon, Vic
