Kathleen helped Agnes Mclaren discover her father

I am writing to let you know about something that happened in my life following my visit to the grave of Kathleen Kilbane whilst on a parish pilgrimage to Knock, Ireland in October 2018.

We took a day to visit Kathleen’s grave and whilst travelling there I was handed a book about her life of which I only had time to read a few pages, but I immediately felt an affinity with her due to similar occurrences in our lives.

When I stood at her grave I silently spoke to her, telling her how I had lost my Daddy at the age of 4 from the same dreadful illness that had claimed her life. I told her how I had never known him and how I always longed to know him, always asking questions about him.

I told her she would now know him and to tell him I said hello. I then asked her to speak to Our Blessed Lady for all my family and their needs. I had a very strong feeling of not wanting to leave the grave, I did not want to leave her and had a great feeling of peace there.

I had never even known what my Daddy looked like as there were no pictures of him until one day my sister found a picture of my parents wedding among old photos my uncle had. So now at least I could put a face to him. Nothing else existed of him, probably due to having had Tuberculosis, as everything must have been destroyed due to the stigma attached to it. In fact, I was an adult before I knew it was TB he died of. My Mammy always said we didn’t need to know, all we had to do was pray for him.

I got home from Ireland and the following day I received a large envelope in the post from the daughter of my cousin who had died just 5 months previously. It contained various items, birth and death certificates of my Daddy’s father. Pictures of his sisters as little girls and a copy of a letter with a note attached telling me it was found among her Grandmothers items. (my Daddy’s sister) It was a copy of a letter my Daddy had written to his sister just months before he died in 1941, I could not take it in, here in my hands was my Daddy’s handwriting, it was over 70 years old, written in pencil and can still be read easily. Never in all the years I asked about him or talked of him did anyone mention its existence. I cannot look at it without thinking of Kathleen. I know this is not what people would call a miracle but I also know that little miracles that may not rock the world do and have happened to me in my life throughout the years and that Kathleen spoke for me to Our Blessed Mother and this letter came to my hands. I will continue to speak to Kathleen for the rest of my life and know she will speak to our Mother for me and my family.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and my God Bless you.

Yours Sincerely,

Agnes McLaren