Just over a hundred people attended the memorial meeting for Katherine Chauhan at Lorne on Sunday 5 June. Some friends and relations had come from across the water and south of the border. Roughly half of those present were Bahá'ís. People were invited using Katherine's own address book, so it was as if she herself organised the get-together. It brought together people who had lost touch with each other. The result was a wonderful atmosphere of joy and happiness celebrating and remembering her life, far from being the sad occasion that some had expected.
Music sung and played by family and friends created a beautiful atmosphere for the programme, a repeat of the funeral in Australia, with prayers and readings from Bahá'í, Hindu and Buddhist scriptures, and Irish and Aboriginal Australian poems. There followed a poem by Tahirih of which Katherine was very fond, memories of Katherine sent by her husband Ashok and a biography of Katherine by her daughter Asha, originally written as a school project. One of those there wrote "What a roller-coaster of emotions have run through our hearts"
Katherine's brother Garry brought the house down with a story about how Katherine swept away prejudice in rural Northumberland by arriving at a little Folk Club with a blind Moroccan lute player who played bewitching music, and singing 'Old Macdonald had a farm' in Sinhala (the language of Sri Lanka), where all the animals make different noises! One of Katherine's school friends, an epileptic, became very moved as she described how Katherine had befriended her at school and supported her through all the ups and downs of her life. Another of Katherine's friends, from Australia, spoke of Katherine's capacity for forgiveness.
The programme was followed by socialising with the help of delicious home-made food prepared by the 'family team', and friends. The very diverse group of people enjoyed meeting each other. Some groups met up with people they hadn't seen for years, others met up with new kindred spirits. Meanwhile a valiant team of helpers tackled the washing' up, and special thanks are due to them.
One visitor spoke for many when she wrote: "That was a wonderful gathering...to remember and pay tribute to Katherine, so many friendly, interesting people. I am not a Bahá'í as you know, but I was very impressed especially by the second reading about love. Than you all very much for inviting me to join you on what was a memorable and inspiring occasion".
SL
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