My mum’s love letter to my dad…by John Smeaton, Voice of the Family co-founder

11 October 2014

I wish my mother and father were alive today to give witness at the Extraordinary Synod to the nature and meaning of the sacrament of marriage in Catholic teaching.

They died, God rest them, over a decade ago.

After they had both died, my family – that is my three sisters, my brother and I – discovered my mum’s love letter to my dad on the day he proposed to her. Clearly my mother recognized that Christ would be at the centre of their marriage which was, thus, an indissoluble union.

I don’t know how this will happen … but I am praying that all the Synod Fathers will read this love letter, written on 10th November 1939, 75 years ago:

My Dearest Jack,

This is indeed the happiest letter I have ever wanted to write, and even before I begin I have a feeling that I shall probably experience great difficulty in compressing all my joyous thoughts into a single letter and yet what does it matter for I now have a whole life-time in which to write and talk to you. I can scarcely realize even now the magnitude of the wonderful thing that has happened to me and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the great honour you have done me by asking me to spend my future life with you. I am praying now that I may be worthy of you and I shall always thank God for sending me your love.

My dearest Jack, I love you very much and I am so utterly happy to be able to tell you this. I cannot imagine life without you.

I feel we have so much to discuss and plan – everything to look forward to which our life together will offer. It as though a great barrier has been lifted between us and I am confident that our united prayers have brought us to this beautiful decision.

The knowledge that we share the same glorious Faith has always been a source of great joy to me and is even more so at this moment, particularly as it was our common faith which originally brought us together.

And now Jack I must bring my letter to a close. May God bless you and look after you always.

With all my love,

Margot