Joyful celebration as cousins are christened together

Before her volunteering journey, she worked as a teacher for 40 years, primarily at the Newlands FCJ School, on the site of the current Trinity Catholic College in Middlesbrough.

Susan, who is also a Eucharistic minister at St Bernadette’s in Nunthorpe, offers Holy Communion at every opportunity to any faithful Catholics in the hospital. Besides shining a spiritual light in the lives of our patients, she is also the president of the local unit of the Society of St Vincent de Paul, the international Christian voluntary network dedicated to tackling poverty in all its forms, including loneliness and bereavement.

She leads a group of volunteers who strive to foster diverse and inclusive connections while supporting individuals and families.

Susan added: “Volunteering is an opportunity to convert concerns into real actions and bring something positive to the person being helped.”

Two cousins born in the same hospital just five hours apart were baptised together in a beautiful service at St Gabriel’s in Ormesby, Middlesbrough.

Aurora Mary Gardner was first to put in an appearance when mum Christianne gave birth in Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital at 12.53am on March 27. Zephaniah Andrew came into the world at 5.28am the same morning to mum Eloïse, Christianne’s sister.

The two newborns were soon sleeping alongside each other in the same sideward. They were christened by Father Peter Ryan, assisted by parish priest Father James Benfield.

Christianne teaches at St Edward’s Catholic Primary School in Middlesbrough and her husband, Andrew, is lead chaplain at Carmel College, Darlington. Aurora is Latin for dawn and has been linked to Our Lady in writings by St Bonaventure and Venerable Mary of Agreda.

Eloïse, who is married to Ryan Hall, is a sister in the A&E department of the hospital where the babies were born.

Zephaniah’s middle name is in honour of Christianne and Eloïse’s father, Andrew Lombard, who passed away in November 2021.

Father Peter said: "Our circle is incomplete, but Andrew is there praying you into your future."

All four parents are dedicated members of our Lourdes Hospitalité team and the Middlesbrough Catholic Fellowship.

From the Archives

40 Years Ago

(From August 1983 Catholic Voice)

Lourdes: a youngster remembers.

The best thing was going to church and seeing the Grotto and Our Lady. I saw lots of crutches and a little waterfall. I liked lighting the candles. I got my picture taken with Bishop O’Brien, that was the best thing. I loved the tweety song that we sang every night. I’ve brought my Nana some holy water and a Mary that lights up in the dark.

A.H. Whinney Banks, Middlesbrough

100 Years Ago

(From St Mary’s Cathedral Notice Book, August 5 1923)

In connection with the Cathedral Boys’ Club, it is proposed to organize a Cadet Corps. A meeting of all the boys of the parish between 14 and 20 yrs for this purpose will be held at St Mary’s School today (Sunday) at 6 p.m.

David Smallwood