Many who have been cansoled, advised and comforted in the 50 years of his life will grieve to have lost their kind friend, Dillon MacCarthy, the chairman of Ladyeholme Association, who died last week.
He wrote beautifully, and he wrote with his heart's blood. lie never stinted time for others, leaving himself little even to eat. He often worked 18 hours on end, breaking his fast and thirst after many hours work and prayer, leading a life more simple and austere than even most strict contemplatives.
We who have welcomed, housed and comforted countless children and homeless families, have found Dillon a tower of strength in our demanding work. He was forever seeking more ways to help us. to defend us, to get us better known and understood, and thus supported financially and otherwise, and thereby more and more souls helped.
He wrote wonderful sonnets: Westminster Abbey plan to have them read aloud in Poets' Corner and have asked to be sure to be allowed to have sight of them.
His beautiful psalms expressed a very deep spirit of prayer. Dillon was recently delighted to receive a letter from Archbishop Benelli, Substitute Secretary of State at the Vatican, stating that Pope Paul loves his psalms. They are also admired by leading representatives of all world Faiths for their sublime expression of the reality of God and man's relation to Him.
Edith Laura Urch 68 Warwick Way, London, S.W.1.