Please pray for the repose of the soul of Anna Baidoun, who died this morning.

Anna was a Lay Dominican of the Oxford Fraternity, who served as President of the fraternity, and also as secretary to the Lay Provincial Council.

Anna’s funeral will take place at Blackfriars on Tuesday 10th October at 11.00 am. The burial will take place, immediately afterwards, at Wolvercote cemetery.

Anna was living in a residential care home, Oxenford House in Cumnor, for a few month after a severe illness.

She lived many lives, growing up on Boars Hill, working in archaeology in Palestine, then in Canada and eventually back to Oxford where she worked with Fr. Fergus Kerr on New Blackfriars. Anna fell in love with the Dominicans, becoming a Lay Dominican (she was president of the Oxford Lay Dominican Fraternity for several years) and joining Dominican Peace Action. She frequently invited the brothers for dinner parties at her home; would lend them her car; and sewed habits for them and scapulars for the Lay Dominicans.

She was an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, did fund raising for Christian Palestinians, and even went sky-diving when she turned 70 and raised £2000 by doing a parachute jump (see pic) for good causes including CAFOD. Quite an amazing and generous woman!

Anna received the Benemerenti medal for her service to the Dominicans. This a medal awarded by Master of the Order to members of the clergy and laity for service to the Catholic Church

May she rest in peace and rise in glory.

Gigi Horsfield