Lisbeth’s death came as a shock to us - she was frail,  but she somehow had inner strength to keep going.  She died very suddenly, unexpectedly, quickly and  peacefully and we give thanks for that.

 

Lisbeth was Swedish through and through - she just loved Sweden and its customs and its mountains and all things Swedish.  She was delighted when Deacon Kerstin from the Swedish Church in London visited her here and they were able to sing and pray together in Swedish.  She also enjoyed the Swedish cinnamon buns Kerstin brought.

 

Lisbeth came to England in her early 20’s  first of all as an ‘au pair’, partly to continue learning the language - which like most Swedes I think - she managed with excellence.  In Sweden, she had been part of a deaconess community.    She visited our Convent, which was then in Malvern, Worcestershire and  felt called to the life of the sisters and their dedication to the Name of Jesus and she joined the community in 1961.     Lisbeth made her vows in the community in  1964.  In October last year she had completed and celebrated 60 years as a sister  - but, sadly she didn’t really celebrate as by then her dementia had  set in -so we, her sisters, celebrated for her.

 

So - what of those 60 years? - lots of praying, both privately on her own and with the community as she took her part in our services day by day - she spent time in our branch house in Torquay and at the Retreat House in Chester.  But most of her early years in community were spent at the Convent in Malvern - working in the kitchen, laundry, and guest house at various times. She was always very conscientious.  She returned to Sweden several times - for holidays with her family and also  to work at the retreat centre in Rattvik at the invitation of the Swedish Church.

 

Lisbeth trained to be a nurse in Bristol  in the 1970’s and came back to Malvern to be Infirmarian.   She was involved in prayer counselling but began to sense a calling to the solitary life, living first in a caravan in the grounds of a convent near Monmouth and then in her own little cottage near Caernarfon in North Wales.  She often said these were the happiest days and years of her life and initially she did seem to flourish there - with a succession of dogs and cats as companions.

Lisbeth was always very creative -  cooking, needlework, drawing, gardening, making pictures and cards, and (as I discovered only the other day) writing poetry.

 

Lisbeth’s niece Kristina came to university in London and was able to go and stay with Lisbeth in North Wales - she found her aunt a quiet, caring person, always very sincere.  Lisbeth  provided her with a well-needed space to breathe during some rather stressful years. They  had so many good conversations as they  hiked the hills with her dogs.

 

Lisbeth spent a few weeks in India, accompanying one of the Welsh clergy who was visiting a humanitarian charity he had founded.

 

Lisbeth became increasingly disabled with lupus and, after several falls and broken bones, needed to return to the convent - which was now in  Derby.  This was very difficult for her, as was our move to Hessle in 2021.

 

There was often a sadness around Lisbeth and more so after she began to show signs of dementia.  She moved to Bluebell Care Home 18 months ago, very reluctantly. She was very well cared for in spite of her demands to return to the convent or to Sweden and her sometimes aggressive behaviour.  But the dementia did seem to have an ‘upward side’ and Lisbeth became more interested in other people and would like to share any goodies  we brought for her with the other residents - banana, chocolate, biscuits and even the Communion bread.

 

Lisbeth was very aware of the darkness in her life - this was among her writings -

 

Darkness was even unto death,

Fear, abysmal terror, paralysing guilt

Into the centre, tall figure of Christ

I AM

 

Dust of death transformed now living stone,

 twisted branch made whole

One with the Tree of Life

 

Reconciled .. Forgiven….Free

Long before darkness was ..

And it is light.

 

AMEN