大象传媒

ESCAPE FROM SINGAPORE

As a child, Fay Williams had a very eventful and miraculous journey. A journey that was to lead to her becoming a Catholic, a religious Sister, and eventually the Provincial, of the Missionaries of Mary, fondly known as the F.M.M鈥檚.

Fay was born to wealthy parents, who were both non-believers. Her father was a very talented Engineer and Inventor. Her mother, a beautiful women and socialite, in the 1920鈥檚 led a 鈥渃arefree life鈥� She was among the first women to appear on the front cover of Vogue.

In 1934 Fay started her education with the Sisters of the Holy Child in Mayfield, Sussex. She then went to Dames De St Maur. Fay loved the atmosphere there. When she was 6 陆 other girls in school said 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 strew the flowers in the Corpus Christi procession because you are not Catholic鈥� one of the nuns saw her crying she said the reason you are not strewing flowers is because you have got a very special job of ringing the bell to tell all the villagers to come. Fay rang the bell so hard her arms ached. This made a big impression on the little girl. Fay loved the convent and felt very at home there.

When the Japanese entered the war, Fay accompanied her father to Siam (Thailand). Her father was involved on Secret Service with the Admiralty, blocking Radar installations. The day after Pearl Harbour fays mother was in Bangkok. Captured by the Japanese, she was sent, together with other British women and twenty-six children and Americans, to a Prisoner of War camp were she was incarcerated for five years.

Fearing for Fay鈥檚 safety, her father put her into the care of friends who had a daughter of the same age. It was arranged that she would go with them by cargo boat to Bombay.

It was at this time in her life that Fay鈥檚 life was spared for the first time. They were due to board the ship very early in the morning. Unfortunately they did not hear the alarm clock and missed the boat. Later they learned that the boat was bombed losing all 300 passengers. They eventually boarded an un-seaworthy boat. It was decided that it would sail in the middle of five other ships for protection. The front and last boats were sunk and two other ships left them because they needed to move quickly. The engine of Fays boat gave out, leaving the boat to drift. They ran into a monsoon and could see a mine that they thought was going to hit them. It was with them for twenty-eight hours; at this point the skipper said if anyone believed in God they should get down on their hands and knees now. Fay remembers praying for herself and the other passengers, she realized then how often her life had been spared.

This was the start of her love of the Lord. Eventually she arrived at the Franciscan convent in India. After a few years there she longed to become a Catholic. Her father said 鈥淚f that is what you want, do it now before your mother is released, because she will never agree鈥� Fay became a Catholic and this was also the start of her great love of the Eucharist. Eventually the family were re-united after the American鈥檚 freed Fay鈥檚 mother.

Fay was sure she had a vocation to the religious life but her mother was totally against it and decided to take Fay travelling to get this silly idea out of her head. She took her to India, Singapore and Rangoon where, unknown to her mother, Fay worked in a Leper Colony. Her mother thought she was going out with boys and dancing. Later, when they visited London her mother took her to a party at the home of Douglas Fairbanks JNR. Rex Harrison was there. She asked them to make her beautiful daughter a film star. Fay was not amused.

On 15th September 1948 she entered the Novitiate of the F.M.M鈥檚 at Coldash in London. She trained as a teacher at Digby Stewart College and afterwards took her final vows. Her mother never visited or attended any ceremonies but Fay was happy in her vocation and life of service and prayer.

In 1954 she spent 8 months in Rome and then joined her fellow sisters to teach in India. In 1963 she was called back to the Mother House in London where she worked on promoting vocations. They had much support from Londoners, including the food markets who were very generous.

In 1972 she was allowed to go to nurse her parents, both ill with cancer and living in South Africa. At the age of 55 her mother was received into the Church. She had a very painful death but insisted on not having morphine, saying, 鈥淚 have broken all the commandments. I have not lived a good life and I want to do my suffering this side of heaven鈥� hours before she died she told Fay that she wished she had nine daughters like her and then said will you make my face up. I do not want to see my lord looking like this. Fay then continued to nurse her father. He was a kind and gentle man of integrity but he never came to Faith.

In 1976 Fay returned to London and became Mother Provincial of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales for 8years. She was then in charge of the London House for 6 years.

Fay is now in Coventry, in charge of four other retired Sisters. This happy band of Missionaries, though all retired, still work hard for others. They work with refugees, the homeless and anyone in need. One sister is a Hospital Chaplain, another runs the Baptism Course in the Parish and teaches English to Refugee children. Another sister works to educate women who have had little or no education. Each week the house is open to a Meditation Group. Monthly they have inter-faith meetings plus the Secular Order of St Francis.

They encourage friends of the F.M.M鈥檚 to carry on their mission for love and devotion to the Eucharist and the spirituality of St Francis with Our Lady as the patron. Fay has made the long journey from Bangkok to Coventry still serving the Lord with joy, a quiet dignity and much happiness.

This is a short synopsis of Fay鈥檚 story that she presented, as part of her vocation, at many venues throughout the West Midlands. Starting with the worldliness of her earlier years it is filled with pathos but much, much laughter. It takes an hour to tell.

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