 |
| Mark
Mcqueen, headmaster at Ursuline Primary School in
Blundellsands, and godparent to Maddie's younger twin
brother Sean, |
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|
service, to be conducted by Father Paul Seddon, who
married the McCanns and baptised Madeleine |
 |
Huyton-born Kate McCann is a private lady. A fairly ordinary working
mother who cannot believe she is at the centre of world attention.
But, for the awful reasons documented elsewhere, that's where she
and her young family are sadly placed at the moment.
And while the glare of the media
on personal lives is frequently an unwelcome one, the McCann family
are nevertheless keen to have that beacon trained on them for as
long as possible. Why? They must keep their missing daughter's face
at the top of the news.
And so we were contacted today by
Mark McQueen, a close friend, with his wife, Linda, of Maddie
McCann's parents, Kate and Gerry.
Mark, headmaster at Ursuline
Primary School in Blundellsands, and godparent to Maddie's younger
twin brother Sean, is organising a vigil and service tomorrow night
(Thursday 10th) at Our Lady of Compassion in Formby. Liverpool
Catholic Archbishop Patrick Kelly will be attending and Mark asks
that we tell people it is happening.
“Kate and Gerry took great comfort
from a vigil back in the village where they live, Rothley (in
Leicestershire) the other night,” says Mark. “Kate's Uncle Jack and
Aunty Val live in Formby and the family are frequent visitors with
their three children, so we felt that it was an appropriate place
for people to come and think about Maddie and to pray for her.
“We are not fools,” he added. “It
is an impossible job, but we must try to improve Kate and Gerry's
spirits as much as is possible and we hope that they will take some
consolation from this service.”
Mark said that as far as the
family were aware – Kate's mother and father live in
Mossley Hill - there were no new
developments in locating the three-year-old who was abducted last
week from a hotel bedroom in Portugal.
“We are sharing her parents agony,” he said. “We know Maddie very
well. She is an adorable, glorious and funny three-year-old.”
Mark added that all denominations
or non-religious people were welcome to come to the service, to be
conducted by Father Paul Seddon, who married the McCanns and
baptised Madeleine, at 7.30pm. |
