Page 43 - The Old Ratcliffian 2012

The Old Ratclifan 2012 | IntroductionThe Old Ratclifan 2012 | Obituaries As a Cabinet Minister, he used to sit at the far end of the Cabinet table and it was quite frequent that there would be an eruption of laughter from that quarter at something he said. That used to annoy the Prime Minister, but Norman had the great skill of being able to rephrase a joke to make it sound wholly innocuous.” Lord Tebbit, a former Conservative Party chairman, said: “He did a great deal as a clear and outspoken advocate in government for the arts.” The Conservative Leader of the Lords, Lord Strathclyde, said: “He was a great parliamentarian and will be missed Lord St John of Fawsley with Margaret Thatcher by all who knew him in both houses of Parliament. He was a colourful, deeply spiritual and wise figure whose In 2010, having sold his country seat in Fawsley, greatest legacy to the House of Commons remains the Northamptonshire, Norman returned the original Pugin Select Committee, which he created in 1979 as leader of altar and tabernacle from the Clergy’s Oratory at Ratcliffe the House.” which Fr Claude Leetham (15) had given to him many years earlier. This has now been installed in the Chapel at Former Conservative Chancellor Lord Lamont of Lerwick, who began his government career as parliamentary aide the Rosmini Centre. Norman was a collector of religious to Lord St John, said: “Norman St John-Stevas brought artefacts and donated a white cassock and various other wit, style, elegance and colour to politics. But behind the items of clothing of Pope Pius IX which are also on display light-hearted exterior there was a razor-sharp mind, firm in the Rosmini Centre. principles and deeply-held convictions. He was a notable Lord St John of Fawsley died after a short illness in his parliamentarian and, as leader of the House, introduced London home. many important reforms.” Jackie Bennett Editor Thanksgiving Service for the Life of The Right Honourable Lord St John of Fawsley Thursday 17th May 2012 – Westminster Cathedral I did not know Lord St John well, royal family, politics, the arts and to Norman. One anecdote that the having only met him on two occasions academia. Lord St John was a great Cardinal related concerned a nun when I was active in the Conservative ecumenist and the clergy procession of the Westminster Diocese who Party, but I had always admired him included Anglican prelates, a Greek distributed communion to elderly and as a standard bearer of the ‘One Orthodox bishop and obviously infirm clergy. About two days before Nation’ brand of conservatism, a several distinguished Catholic clergy, he died, she visited Lord St John. He champion of the arts and a liberal, including Cardinal Cormack Murphy was in bed, and forgetting that he was with a well-informed Catholic and O’Connor. not a priest, as she was leaving she Christian conscience. said, ‘Goodbye, Father’, to which he The devotions and prayers embodied So it was that I went with my eldest the best of the Christian tradition and opened one eye and whispered, ‘Sister son, Rupert, and old friend, John altogether it was a joyous service. It – Monsignor, please, I have been Hanrahan, to the church of the was wonderful that this magnificent promoted’. Mother of Parliaments, St Margaret’s church should resound to the sound Lord St John kept us entertained to Westminster, for his memorial of Elgar, Mozart and Handel but also, the end as befitted a bird of bright service, representing as we were the in the two excellent addresses given plumage and I am so glad we went. Rosminian, Benedictine and Jesuit by Lord Lamont and the Cardinal, to strands of Catholic public school the sound of generous laughter when Also attending among others were Fr education. various aspects of his life and his wit David Myers (60), Provincial of the Rosminian Order and Mr Tony Jewell It is always interesting to see who were recalled. Particular reference (54). attends memorial services and was made to his relationship with this was no exception, being a Mrs Thatcher, who, if she had a Philip A Jones (59) people watcher’s paradise, with sense of humour, kept it firmly to distinguished representatives of the herself, which was in marked contrast 43 Register o 43 Register online at www.ratclifanassociation.co.uknline at www.ratclifanassociation.co.uk