Marathon run for Oxford Oratory

Regina Lally

Regina Lally, a parishioner at the Oxford Oratory, ran the London Marathon yesterday, to raise funds towards their five million Reaffirmation and Renewal appeal. The church of St Aloysius is being restored to its Victorian splendour and a new chapel is to be built which will be the first dedicated to Cardinal Newman. Extended accommodation for the growing number of Oratorians, and a library to house Newman's works and other important manuscripts to be accessible to all, as well as a Chesterton library, are an important part of the redevelopment.

The plucky 30 year-old crossed the finishing line in five hours 36 minutes and was presented with a medal and a T-shirt with the slogan LonDONE .

”It was an amazing experience,” she said, “the crowd cheered me on and called out my name.”

Miss Lally works for the NHS and had to travel to Liverpool two hours after completing the run for a conference beginning on the Monday morning. “My legs and thighs are really aching, but I'm lucky to have only one blister!” she remarked.

“I wanted to raise as much as possible towards the Oxford Oratory appeal so that it can take its rightful place as a centre of pilgrimage, peace and prayer...it's my way of giving something back to the parish and to the community.”

Five years ago she ran the New York Marathon and has run several half marathons since then. This year she started training on New Years Day building up to twenty miles at Easter. So far she has raised sponsorship of over £1,300 for the church and also £900 towards Macmillan cancer fund, as her boyfriends' mother has stomach cancer.

Fr.Richard Duffield, former parish priest at Oxford; now Provost of Birmingham Oratory and responsible for organising the beatification of Cardinal Newman during the Pope's visit in September, rang to congratulate her on her magnificent achievement.

You can donate on line at: www.justgiving.com/regina-lally2010 or contact the Oxford Oratory to support the appeal.