An admirable centenarian

Tomorrow is the funeral of Evelyn Rodgers, who has died at the age of 100. Evelyn was a member of the OCDS community in Wincanton in the last century. Wincanton had a Carmelite Priory back in the day, which was why it had an OCDS community. Evelyn then moved to Torbay, which had no OCDS presence, and she sought advice as to how to keep on living the Carmelite llife without the support of others. The answer was simple: 'Found a community in Torbay!' That community still flourishes and I have had two members staying with me over the weekend - one of whom likes to recall how in the year 2000 she heard that Fr Matt Blake OCD, our delegate from the Friars, was speaking about the Seculars in Torquay; she only heard about it on the very day he was due to give his talk. She was headed away from Torquay at that point but turned her car round and went to hear him. Twenty-four years later she is the president of the community.