Faith, the Brave Little Church Cat of WWII

In September, when I shared stories of some cats from World War II, I promised to share the story of a special cat who deserved a post of her own! Her touching story brought a tear to my eye.

On Watling Street in London at St. Augustine's and St. Faith's rectory, Fr. Henry Ross had an unexpected visitor. A thin little cat had followed the aroma of breakfast to the second floor. Ther verger (one who takes care of the sanctuary and order of service) tried to throw the persistent feline out for the third time. Henry was concerned the cat looked thin and cold. The verger's wife liked cats and Henry asked if she would bring a box for the little feline along with some bowls for feeding her.

Used with permission from
http://www.purr-n-fur.org.uk/famous/faith.html
article: "Faith, the Church Cat"

After no one in the congregation answered Henry’s message in the church bulletin, attempting to find the cat’s true home, he happily made her the church cat and thought that the name “Faith” would fit, since she hadn’t given up on finding a home in the church. Faith enjoyed the full range of the church and mice to catch. She grew fatter and even attended services. She curled up at Fr. Ross’ feet as he preached. When he wasn’t the celebrant, she sat on the front pew. The little cat became a well-loved fixture in the church.

In 1940 she’d grown plumper than usual and it was discovered she was expecting. One August morning, Henry found she’d given birth to a male kitten. Due to his black and white markings he was named “Panda.”

On September 6, Faith somehow communicated to Henry to follow her all the way from the second floor down to the basement door. She persisted until he opened it for her. Faith made her way down to the basement and Henry left the door open for her. Later, she transported her kitten, Panda, down to the cold, musty basement.

When Faith's basket stayed empty. Henry found them in the basement both between two piles of retired sheet music. He brought Panda back upstairs to where the two cats would be warmer while Faith followed. 

Lucka97, 2011,(CC) from Wikimedia Commons.
Perhaps, with his black ears and tail, and
white body, Panda looked a little like this kitten.

Henry went to lead a church service, but Faith didn’t attend that time. Instead, he later found she had taken Panda back to the basement. He brought the kitten up again. This happened a few times before he decided to consult the verger’s wife and some of the other church ladies. They seemed to believe that Faith felt her kitten was in some sort of danger.

On September 9, Henry rode his bike to Westminster for business. When he was returning later that day, the air raid sirens had begun. He was forced to spend the night in a shelter. The next day, amidst the destruction he made his way back to Watling Street. Though the church tower still stood, most of the church was a twisted mess.

A fireman warned Henry that what was left of the roof could collapse at any moment. Still, Father Ross searched determinedly through the rubble for his beloved feline companions. He called to Faith until he heard a faint mew. He finally found her under the old singed sheet music, nursing her kitten, while surrounded by the smoking rubble.

St. Augustine's, Watling Street
London, by ChrisO, current photo,
from Wikipedia.org (CC)

Henry, overjoyed, moved them to safety before the roof collapsed. The verger and his wife invited him and the cats to stay with them until the rectory would again be inhabitable.

In 1945, Faith was given an honorary Dickin medal and citation for her bravery, even though she wasn’t a military cat. The Archbishop of Canterbury even attended the ceremony at St. Augustine’s! Even across the pond, the Greenwich Village Humane League in New York had gotten wind of her story and made sure her story was printed and shared.

Panda grew up into a handsome tom and eventually went to become the in-residence cat at a nursing home, where I’m guessing he brought joy to many of the residents. Then one morning in 1948, after Henry gave Faith her breakfast, she laid down in front of the fireplace for a nap and peacefully passed away.

She was buried near the churchyard gate and was remembered by the congregation in a service. After her act of bravery to protect her kitten during the Luftwaffe bombing, her photograph was placed on a chapel wall with this tribute below it:

Photo from Popular Social Science article "The Cats that
Fought WWII: The Allies"

"Faith"

Our dear little church cat of St. Augustine and St. Faith.

The bravest cat in the world. On Monday, September 9th, 1940, 

she endured horrors and perils beyond the power of words to tell.

Shielding her kitten in a sort of recess in the house (a spot

she selected three days before the tragedy occurred), she

sat the whole frightful night of bombing and fire, guarding her

little kitten. The roofs and masonry exploded. The whole house

blazed. Four floors fell through in front of her. Fire and water

and ruin all round her.Yet she stayed calm and steadfast and 

waited for help.We rescued her in the early morning while the

place was still burning, and By the mercy of Almighty God, she and

her kitten were not only saved, but unhurt. God be praised and

thanked for His goodness and mercy to our dear little pet.

(Used with permission from: 
http://www.purr-n-fur.org.uk/famous/faith.html)

For a more complete story of Faith, go to: Purr-n-Fur UK for the article "Faith, the Church Cat", by Patrick Roberts, where much of this information was found and you can find more delightful stories about famous felines!

Kathleen Rouser is the award-winning author of Rumors and Promises, her first novel about the people of fictional Stone Creek, Michigan. She is a longtime member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Kathleen longs to create characters who resonate with readers and realize the need for a transforming Savior in their everyday lives. She lives in Michigan with her hero and husband, and the sassy tail-less cat who found a home in their empty nest. Connect with Kathleen on her website at kathleenrouser.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kathleenerouser/, and on Twitter @KathleenRouser

The Estate at Stourhead

When I was blessed with an opportunity to visit my niece for a week in England, I had high hopes of visiting Highclere Castle, the real life setting of Downton Abbey, but distance and time did not permit this. I asked my niece if we could visit an estate which had belonged to nobility and so she took me to Stourhead!

Detail of painted glass in the library.

Indeed, visiting the grounds and Palladian-style mansion (based on the ideas of Venetian architect, Andrea Palladio) and very spacious grounds makes a visitor feel as though they’ve entered the production site of a BBC period drama. The Palladian bridge and Temple of Apollo are actually seen in the 2005 movie, Pride and Prejudice, and the gardens were used in the 1975 Academy award winning movie, Barry Lyndon.

One of many beautiful and sumptuously decorated rooms in
Stourhead.

Henry Hoare I, the son of wealthy banker, Richard Hoare, who’d been knighted in 1702 by Queen Anne, bought the Stourhead estate, which had been in the family of the Barons of Stourton for over 500 years, in 1717. The old manor house was demolished to make way for the new, which was completed in 1725 after four years, and designed by Colen Campbell, a Scottish architect. Sadly, Henry Hoare I died the same year the house was completed, but it was passed onto his son, Henry Hoare II.

Rhododendrons in the garden. 

Henry II, successful in his own right, furnished the Palladian mansion with beautiful artwork. He was also instrumental in the design of the classical gardens around a lake. The path around the lake is supposed to recreate the different stages of Aeneas’s visit to the underworld, a mythological tale found in the Aeneid. This includes a Pantheon, a temple of Apollo (added later), and a grotto with a statue of a nymph.

The Pantheon. 

Nymoh in the grotto.

Yet, there is nothing that seems it’s from the underworld in this beautiful place. The gardens were also created to provide a lively, colorful landscape, evoking images in paintings. The gardens and buildings were a status symbol for the inhabitants of Stourhead, proclaiming their wealth.

Grotto text. 

Henry II’s grandson, Sir Richard Colt Hoare, added both the picture gallery and Regency library, which are both a feast for the eyes, and the temple of Apollo in the garden as well. Succeeding heirs made changes and additions over more than a century. 

Looking out of the grotto.

Then late in the 19^th century, Sir Henry Hugh Arthur Hoare took over Stourhead after his uncle left. He and his wife, Lady Alda Hoare, devoted themselves to the restoration and care of Stouhead, preserving it for their son, Harry. They even endured further repairs after a fire in 1902.

Sadly, Harry died in battle during World War I in 1917. Sir Henry and Lady Alda were the last residents of Stourhead and the estate was given over to the National Trust in 1947. To this day, Stourhead the historic estate and gardens, in Mere, Wiltshire, England, truly remains a national treasure, preserving the elegance of days gone by.

 Kathleen Rouser (above, by the lake at Stourhead) has loved making up stories since she was a little girl and wanted to be a writer before she could even read. She desires to create characters who resonate with readers and realize the need for a transforming Savior in their everyday lives. She is a long time member in good standing of ACFW and a former board member of its Great Lakes Chapter. Kathleen has been published in anthologies, including the Amazon bestseller, Christmas Treasures, as well as in both print and online magazines. Her debut full-length novel, Rumors and Promises, was recently published by Heritage Beacon Fiction in April, 2016.

Previously a home-school mom of three, she has more recently been a college student and a mild-mannered dental assistant. Along with her sassy tail-less cat, she lives in Michigan with her hero and husband of nearly 35 years, who not only listens to her stories, but also cooks for her.

Find her online at: Website: kathleenrouser.com
Facebook: facebook.com/kathleenrouser/

Twitter: @KathleenRouser

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7427871.Kathleen_Rouser