Margaret Schestopolov

Barry Anderson

An edited version of this story is in the book.

I have known Margaret Schestopolov for about 25 years. I met Margaret when she was doing some parish support work at St Canice’s in Elizabeth Bay in the 1980s and while I was with the St Vincent De Paul Society. We became friends and subsequently Marg introduced me to her long list of friends and acquaintances and also to Sr. Anne and Father Brian at Cana.

I have shared many birthdays and other celebrations with Margaret and we currently have a group of five of us, including two priests who met through Marg, who celebrate our birthdays together each year. Through all of life’s ups and downs Margaret has a strong will to survive and to be an active contributor to the Church with her reading at Mass and the Community wherever she is best able to do.

We share a long connection with the Sisters of Mercy at Stella Maris Hospital, Cronulla, where Marg gives a lot of her time and knitting expertise to making many a doll’s dress or other knitted items, scarves or beanies, which she had produced for individuals and for fund raising.

She showed great determination to battle on with injuries she sustained a few years ago when she was involved in a serious incident and detained in hospital for over a year. She has given a lot of joy and a few challenges, but we get to stop and have a cuppa together occasionally to rest and take a new breath to carry on.

I am blessed by all I have been given by meeting this lady who had a vision of me helping, along with her, the community she loves so much. God bless you and may the Cana family of ours flourish and bring us continual happiness in community.