The Community living at the Convent, 6 Parkwood Rd, continue to play an important part in the life of Corpus Christ! Parish, we are fortunate to have them here.

Sr. Frances Lottina, the Superior, went to Spain on 14th November, for the Golden Jubilee of Sister Consuelo, to whom we send our congratulations.

LOFTUS ( NORAH ) 4.3.1925 TO 11.8.2005

The sudden death on 11th August, in Cameroon, of SISTER MARY AGNES LOFTUS (NORAH) saddened us all. SISTER MAY MAGENIS kindly'phoned from the Isle of Wight to tell us the news, and BROTHER RALPH LOFTUS rang that evening too.

I asked for it to be announced at Corpus Christ, Our Lady Queen of Peace and St. Thomas More Churches, and e-mailed those for whom I had an address. Monsignor Hishon, from the latter church, knew her in Cameroon.

BROTHER RALPH has been so thoughtful and helpful to us. He produced a very special Memorial Card of his sister, photos of Sr. Mary Agnes throughout various stages of her religious life. I have been able to give copies to several people who wanted one.

The funeral was held in Cameroon on 20th August, we have a very descriptive account from SISTER CATHERINE MORTON. A Memorial Mass was held in St. Joseph's Church, Havant, Hants to celebrate a wonderful life.

TOMMY BROWNING took MARGARET SIMPSON (ATKINS), MARY BROOKS (BROWNING) AND MERVILLE PIDGEON, mother of GERALDINE ELLIOTT, to Havant, and we were able to join with Brother Ralph, his sister Nelly, Sr. Mary Agnes's Sisters in Christ and many friends to celebrate the life of this much loved and remarkable lady.

SISTER MARGUERITE COWERD gave a heartwarming and frequently amusing tribute, as well as leading the singing. SISTER RUTH BROWN composed and read the very apt Bidding Prayers.

SISTERS MAY & JOAN were over from the isle of Wight together with several others of The Sisters of Christ After the Mass we gathered in the Hall for refreshments and the opportunity to talk with others about Sister Mary Agnes.

A husband & wife with 2 little sons and another lady, all from Cameroon, came from Southampton with their bongo drums and calabash, resplendent in national dress, and sang a tribute to Sr. Mary Agnes, whom they had known when the wife was a student at the Convent out there.

She had been in touch by 'phone during the funeral ceremony. We felt privileged to be part of such an occasion.

The Past Pupils Association asked for a Mass to be celebrated for Sr. Mary Agnes and were fortunate to be able to have it on 14th September, the Feast of The Exaltation of The Cross, a day well remembered by Past Pupils of The Religious of the Cross days at the Convent. It was also the 61st Anniversary of her entry into the religious life.

So many people have happy memories of her as a pupil and as a teacher in Boscombe, both at Holy Cross School, now Corpus Christi, and at the Convent, as well as in other communities. She worked in Cameroon, West Africa for about 25 years.

Nelly Chester, sister of Sr. Mary Agnes, sent me an Obituary from a Portsmouth newspaper, which she had been asked to supply. In the article SISTER RUTH is quoted as saying, " I will always remember her as a sort of pied piper - wherever she was she would be followed by lots of adoring children."

Happily Sr. Mary Agnes had been home the previous year, her Diamond Jubilee. The family had been able to be together before she returned to her much loved home in Africa.