Fleur Brennan RIP

Fleur (wearing a CND ring?) and Colin

A large congregation gathered at Holy Apostles, Pimlico last Monday for the Requiem Mass of a much-loved parishioner: Fleur Bridget Brennan, who died on 18 February 2026.T he Mass was celebrated by Canon Pat Browne, with Parish Priest Canon Chris Vipers and Fr Charles Soyombo. Nicholas Lane played beautiful organ music.

Matthew Wright read the following eulogy: "Fleur was born in 1941, at the height of the Second World War, in the Pennine Peak district. Her early childhood was shaped by war. Her father Godfrey worked in the fire service during the Blitz, and her mother Ann's two younger sisters, June and Zara were evacuees.

When Fleur was two, her baby sister Nina arrived, and when she was four, their mother said: 'The War is ending tomorrow.' Fleur asked: 'Why can't it end today, Mummy?' Fleur was never satisfied with the answer, and all her life both prayed and worked for peace and justice.

The family moved to Surrey, and Fleur became an apprentice reporter on The Esher News, then the Surrey Advertiser. When she was 21, she joined Pan American as an air stewardess.

After eighteen months, she tired of jet lag and mixing cocktails in the galley. She returned to the UK and got a job on Fleet Street, as a court reporter for the Press Association, and then as a news reporter on the Daily Express, driving her vintage blue 1934 Austin Seven to work every day.

She and the family holidayed in a seaside Irish farmhouse when she was a teenager; there she first met Colin, a student in Dublin. They got engaged, much to the delight of their families, who were already good friends.

In the early 1970s, they moved into a flat in New York where they both worked as freelance journalists, and continued to advocate for peace and justice.

Between partying and writing, they campaigned against the Vietnam war. Their daughter Zoe was born, closely followed by Malachy. They moved back to the UK, and Nora was born in a flat in Pimlico, while they did up their house on Warwick Way. This became their lifelong family home, and the hub of local activity. The Westminster branch of Amnesty International was set up in their dining room in 1976, and the house served as a place for meetings, letter writing appeals, and emergency accommodation for prisoners of conscience and refugees.

In 1982, Fleur and Colin took their family of three for a sabbatical in America, in a community for recently released prisoners in upstate New York. She and Colin also fought to get their son Malachy's needs met as they struggled with his profound autism. They proudly oversaw him take on his own home on the Harrow Road, supported by dedicated staff, while Zoe became a journalist and Nora a doctor.

In her 50s, as well as taking up ballet classes and cycling, Fleur retrained as a psychotherapist. She traveled with her beloved Colin through the Middle East including to Syria, and on pilgrimages with this church to the Holy Land. She brought her grandsons Milo and Linus on wonderful travels including to Jordan, Turkey and Jerusalem. She poured love into her three granddaughters, Ophelia, Indigo and Evelyn. Though she lately battled ill health, her spirit and sense of adventure was undimmed, in October she visited Geneva, to see the UN. She continued working for Peace, with contributions to Independent Catholic News, and anti-war activism with her large circle of friends."

In his homily Canon Pat Browne said: "It is over a year ago that Fleur planned her funeral with me. She chose the Readings we have listened to and the hymns we are singing. She also decided she would leave her body to medical science which is why it is not here today. She had the Sacrament of the Sick many times. Each time her health would take a knock she felt this might be the moment that she was being called to move on and she wanted to be ready, to keep her sights set on God and what comes next.

As I say, she chose the readings. Thinking about her in these last few days and looking at that picture of her, which has a very Caravaggio style about it - the light of her person shining through in the darkness, I would have chosen the gospel where Jesus says You are the Light of the World…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Or perhaps the story of Martha and Mary when Jesus visited them. Martha, the activist, getting things done. Mary the contemplative, the deep thinker. Fleur exhibited strongly both those traits. Outward Action, yes -but based on an inner relationship with God.

But Fleur chose the Beatitudes that we have just heard, which are dear to her heart and especially where it says Blessed are the Peacemakers. She thought about this line a lot and was heavily influenced and inspired by her friend Eileen Egan during her time in New York and another lady now on her way to sainthood, Dorothy Day. Colin and Fleur have tried to live out that longing for peace and tried to make it happen in our world, ever since I have known them.

I have known them both since 1977 when I came as a young priest to Westminster Cathedral. They were part of the Amnesty International Group and ensured that a candle surrounded by barbed wire had its place in one of the side chapels to remind all who visited that there are thousands of people worldwide who have committed no crime but are held in prison because of what they think - Prisoners of Conscience.

Colin and I were governors together at St Vincent De Paul Primary School beside the cathedral and I remember doing a house Mass in the front room of their home in Warwick Way when Malachy would have been only about 7 or 8 years old. - 45 years ago! I gave Zoe her First Communion. I officiated at both girls marriages and I have baptised all Fleur's grandchildren except maybe one.

And now here today as family and friends we come to mark Fleur's departure from us to her lasting home in heaven.

When God gives us life he expects us to use it well. To become the best version of ourselves. To shun evil and build relationships of peace that are life-giving for others and for ourselves - and that bring joy. That was Fleur's mission in everything she did. She had a wonderful capacity for friendship and for keeping in touch with people. Only in the last few weeks, I've met a number of people who I didn't even know she knew, telling me about her kindness to them.

And what a partner God gave her in Colin. Could two people be so different temperamentally and so at one in how they complemented each other. How did that work? They had similar values. That I believe is the secret of their relationship. It was very emotional for everyone present on parish pilgrimages to see them renew their marriage vows at Cana in Galilee, not once, but twice. You know Colin, Fleur even in her 80's it was evident by the ways she talked about you in your absence how much she loved you. You were a great team together.

And as a mother, she was a lioness protecting her cubs. You girls would have experienced that in a different way from Malachy by her ambition for you and determination to see you get onto a sturdy rung on the ladder of life, as you have done.

For Malachy it had to be different. There is a line in the editorial of The Tablet this week talking about children with special needs. It says: "The level of support given to children with autism or special needs in our society is too often determined by how hard their families will fight for them or how much money their families can spend. It is a fractious and adversarial process setting the parents against the system, where success usually goes to those with the sharpest elbows. Fleur had such elbows. She took on the system. and as a result Malachy is well cared for by the his team of carers led by Tony to whom Fleur and the family are so grateful.

Fleur is going to be greatly missed in the Pimlico parish community. She attended Mass in person every day and more recently when she couldn't, she joined online - still ensuring that the community would live up to its commitment to justice and peace matters in particular.

Fr Chris has only been with us since September but as recently as just 8 weeks ago Fleur was chasing him up to ensure that Peace Sunday was acknowledged and prayed about in the parish, a collection was taken up for Pax Christi and an art exhibition done by the children happened. Chris you endeared yourself to her not by that alone but also by your pastoral care and your visits to her in recent weeks.

And now Fleur it is time to rest from your labours in the warm embrace of our God. You are guaranteed that embrace because, as Jesus told us earlier in the gospel -

Blessed are the peacemakers. They shall be called the children of God.

Fleur, As his child may you rest in Peace and rise in glory."

In her personal reflection at the end of the Mass, her daughter Norah said: "I think it's fair to say that everyone here knows the Fleur was an amazing woman. The phrase used to us by so many people to describe her this week was that she was an irrepressible force of nature - bright, light and beautiful and full of energy and love. she meant so much to so many people and it is truly wonderful to be surrounded by you all today.

We heard earlier about Fleur's career and her activism - which were amazing- but I would like to take a few moments now to give thanks for what a wonderful mother she was to me. Zoe and Malachy. We were very lucky to have so many years of her and to know how much she loved us and how much we loved her. She taught us to live our lives as she did with fearlessness, compassion and strength and we have so many wonderful memories of joyous times together. however Malachy was truly her life's work. He was at the centre of her life and she never stopped battling to ensure that despite his profound difficulties, he has a wonderful and happy life. Colin has asked that we have with us the red rose which is the international symbol of autism. We would like to take a moment to hold in our hearts all families battling for their loved ones with profound disabilities and autism.

Mum had a serious illness in 2020 and it seemed that she might not survive however she did and she fought her way back to health. We think of the years since then as the bonus years. She used this time to continue to pour love and support into her grandchildren and to fight for the causes so important to her. She also used this time to make it clear on a daily basis how much she loved and valued Colin and their wonderful marriage. Their different characters brought a balance and symmetry to the relationship. But it was the obvious devotion and appreciation they had for each other that made them such an inspirational couple to be around.

We are all particularly thinking of Mum and Dad's adventures in the Middle East - often with their little grandchildren in tow. We know how much the people they met across the middle East would have been in mums thoughts today.

Colin's loss at this time is difficult for any of us to imagine but I know he is incredibly thankful to have had Fleur in his life for so many wonderful years..

Mum's death last week was sudden and a huge shock to all of us, but I draw comfort from knowing that she lived life fully until the moment she didn't. She was not in any pain or distress we were with her and her final hours.

Even in death she continued to think of others and has donated her body to medical studies.

It is hard to think of the world without her. We are profoundly grateful to have had her in our lives, and to always have her as our guiding light, and in our hearts."