Anne Murphy's Memories
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Anne Murphy Transcription recorded on 30/01/2023.
Present: Mike Allen (MA), Anne Murphy (AM) and Kiara Quimby (KQ)
00:00:03 MA: What is your full name?
00:00:04 AM: Anne Maria Murphy.
00:00:07 MA: Do I have permission to record this interview, Anne?
00:00:09 AM: You do.
00:00:11 MA: Anne, where and when were you born?
00:00:14 AM: I was born in 1961 in Cardiff, and we moved to Haverfordwest when I was, I think 6. So that would have been 1966/67.
00:00:30 MA: And how did you meet Fr. Sartori?
00:00:33 AM: Well, my both my parents are from silent from just outside Wexford Carol Crow. So of course, the Roman Catholic. And we went to the Roman Catholic Church, St Davids and Saint Patrick's in Haverfordwest. And that's where we were going, and I went to Mary Immaculate School and Paul Sartori was, became the priest there.
00:00:57 MA: So, what, what is your earliest memory of Fr. Sartori?
00:01:03 AM: Probably when I was a teenager, when I was younger, the only thing I can remember really well is that when we used to go into mass on a Sunday, I go back a step, I, at 10 years of age we moved up to Llwynbedw, Clynderwen. So, we used to drive in on a Sunday evening to go to mass. Not in the day and when we'd go in and we'd sit there in the evening. If I saw Father John Coffey, it was like (tuts) my bum is going to be sore, but when we saw Paul Satori, it was like your ears picked up because he talked to you. Even as a, a 10-year-old you know what I mean? It was fun. It was interesting. It was “my God. This is God!” But you know, he wasn't a, a die-hard character. He was actually a nice person, and that's how he made me feel as a 10-year-old.
00:01:54 MA: So how would you describe Father Satori?
00:02:01 AM: Young and fun.
00:02:03 MA: Young and fun? Do you have any favourite stories about Fr. Sartori?
00:02:10-00:03:56 AM: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Probably more when I became more of a teenager, and we used to come in. Like I said, we would come into mass because we were going to school up in Llwynbedw and of course it wasn't a Catholic school. We used to come in on a Sunday and he arranged for the nuns from Saint Mary Immaculate to meet us after in the presbytery, and we'd have Holy Communion classes so we could get out, be prepared for our communion.
And then, uh, my parents then would go to the Labour Club, of course and then we go back to the car and then my mum would come out with some coke and crisps and Paul Sartori then would be in the Labour Club. Then having a few drinks with my parents. So, I remember that, I remember my communion, my brothers communion, which I've given you photos of and the most. The more I can remember, it's more. When I was a, 18/19 I decided to go nursing.
So, we had to have a character reference from, at the time it was either a doctor or a priest or somebody you know like that. So, my parents and I approached, Paul Sartori and asked him for a reference, and I can remember, he turned to me, and he went. “Hmm, how would you going to pay me? And how much do I have to lie?” So, “Ooooh ooh oo! I’m a good girl and you know that!”. So, he was laughing. And later on, when my mother came back, and we were driving home, and she turned around to me and she said, “In the Labour club, he said that you're going to be a good nurse, Anne, you’d be a good nurse.” I said “Awh, thanks mum.” Feew!
but I have approached the people who hold my records to see if there's a copy of that letter in my records after 42 years, so I'm trying to find it and if there is then I'll send you a copy but yeah.
00:04:04 MA: Did, did, I mean you, you’ve already given us some idea, but did Father Satori impact your life in any other way?
00:04:15- 00:06:33 AM: It's more the foundation. What he's left behind has impacted my life in another way because where I live is right on the border between Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, but I've worked 42 years in Wythybush Hospital so when my dad was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, it was actually Paul Satori (Foundation), who became my link and my support and I'm a nurse myself. So, I took six months or three months out for my dad, when he was diagnosed, and his health deteriorated to nurse him at home and Paul Sartori (Foundation) came in to support me.
But I, being a nurse and looking after your family, there's, you want it done your way. And what I found was the district nurses were very hard to work with because it was that you do it this way or don't. Paul Sartori (Foundation) was like, “what do you want us, Anne? How do you want us to help you do what you want for your dad?” I mean, I was up 24 hours a day I had a, a baby monitor with him and things like that. And when it got to the stage where I literally couldn't cope.
9:00 o'clock one morning I got on the phone, and I just said I can't manage 27 turns in 24 hours. I can't manage it on my own. That night there was somebody there. Friday, Saturday, Sunday. I slept 3 nights, and it was like, but they were my core link and he his health got to a stage where he needed, I need an electric bed because I couldn't manage him on the big double bed anymore. Contacted District, Nurse District nurse contacted their suppliers in Carmarthen 13 weeks.
13 weeks he'd be dead by then, so I phoned Paul Satori (Foundation) and they were there at 1:00 o'clock that day with the bed. Huh?
So even after he'd gone, he'd supported my family. To an exceptional level, don't mean I, I, I couldn't thank the Paul Sartori (Foundation) team enough, but ultimately, it's, it's his foundation. So, he helped me become a nurse and he helped me nurse my parents in their final hours. So yeah.
00:06:34 MA: You could sum up Fr. Sartori three words Anne, what would they be?
00:06:41 AM: Warm, fun and caring.
00:06:46 MA: And is there anything else, you would like to mention?
00:06:53-00:07:58 AM: I know it sounds funny, but with, I don't know. Did you ever know John Coffey? Yeah. Look at the parallels between them. One was so young, and one seemed so old, woun’it? and what a contradiction in terms but they worked so well together.
And that's, when I reflect back at the time you don't notice it but thinking back and I think my God.
He worked well with any age group, didn't he? But yeah, yeah, even today I think about him. Listen And he was like, and I mean, maybe I shouldn't say, but after he went, there wasn't the same heart in the church and I found it difficult.
I have worked with some of the other priests since then, like especially when my dad, when he died and things and they came for the last rites and stuff but there wasn't the warmth. There it was. It was. Yeah, yeah.
00:07:59 MA: Yeah, big shoes to fill on big shoes to fill. Well Anne, thank you very much for your, for your contribution. Thank you.
00:08:08 AM: Thank you.