Sue Ryder (Lady Ryder of Warsaw) is well known in the UK for charity shops on high streets, hospices and neurological care centres.

However, less well known is the fact she started her work for the sick and disadvantaged in the aftermath of the Second World War, visiting people who were displaced from their homes. In 1953 she set up the Sue Ryder Foundation as a ‘Living Memorial’ to those who had died in the two world wars and to those who continue to suffer today.

It was her strong Christian faith which sustained her throughout her life.  The work of looking after the sick and disadvanted was founded on faith.  It was her wish that prayer would continue to be the “powerhouse” for the work to continue and, to this end, the Sue Ryder Prayer Fellowship began in 1984 (initially with staff and volunteers from Sue Ryder Homes and Shops in the UK), meeting initially in Walsingham, Norfolk and then transferring to St Katharine’s, Parmoor.

Sue Ryder 1924 – 2000

Sue Ryder often quoted the Reverend Mother Stuart (Superior General of the Society of the Sacred Heart from 1911-14) and this really summarises her own wish for her work to continue:

We have to prepare for the future, and yet we do not know what it will bring.
We have to find a standing ground so firm that nothing unexpected can disturb us,
and so broad that it will carry any undertaking that we may have to base upon it,
and so satisfying that it will take the place of all other satisfactions.
There is only one thing that answers to this and that is the Will of God.

Fast forward nearly 40 years:

What does the Sue Ryder Prayer Fellowship do today?

  • It owns and runs St Katharine’s Retreat House, Parmoor – a Christian retreat house open to those of all faiths or none, offering led retreats and quiets days as well as space for individuals and groups to meet.Alongside the house is the Lady Ryder Memorial Garden, a walled garden run by volunteers to provide produce for the house and to provide opportunities to people with disabilities.
  • The Prayer Fellowship holds 2 retreats each year at St Katharine’s, in the Spring and Autumn and this is specifically for Fellowship members. These include a led Quiet Day alongside time together for fellowship and to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the house and gardens.
  • Each month we hold an online prayer meeting by Zoom where we pray for the staff and work of St Katharine’s as well as any prayer requests from members. We also remember the work being carried on throughout the world bearing the name of Sue Ryder – in Poland, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Belgium, Macedonia, France (at Lourdes), Italy and Malawi. Also, for the work of the Ryder-Cheshire Foundation in India, Timor-Leste, Australia and New Zealand.

How do I join the Sue Ryder Prayer Fellowship?

Please send an email to St Katharine’s – fellowship@srpf.org.uk – including the information requested below:

Membership Form

Name ……………………………………………………………………………..

Address …………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………………………..

Email address ………………………………………………………………….Telephone……………………………………………………………………….

Your details will be held for the sole purpose of being able to let you know of news and information about the Sue Ryder Prayer Fellowship.

Please keep me informed by      □  Post      □  Email

There is an annual membership fee of £10. Cheques should be made payable to Sue Ryder Prayer Fellowship (and sent to the address at the foot of this page) or a BACS payment can be made using the following details:

Account Name:            Community of the Sue Ryder Prayer Fellowship
Sort Code:                      30-94-55
Account Number:      0098 3307
Ref:                                     [Your name]

Thank you so much for everything that you and your team did for our family yesterday. Everything went so smoothly and everyone said what a wonderful venue St Katharine's was both in terms of food and venue. Your team were absolutely outstanding and made the day very easy for us.

CM - Feb 2020

Thank you for a wonderful stay. It was perfect. The memorial garden is wonderful and so good to have time to sit and appreciate the atmosphere.

Rosemary

Just wanted to thank you for the lovely day we spent on Saturday. I felt very welcome, the food was delicious and the grounds were so peaceful. It was really good to get away from the hustle and bustle for a few hours. Please convey my thanks to all who were involved. May God bless you all

J.K. London 2022

Stunning house and gardens both are beautifully cared for. Staff were wonderful and vegan food was delicious. Thank you for a wonderful day.

Melissa - Sept 2022

Just a short note of thanks for my wonderful day at St. Katherine's yesterday. It was such a fruitful and blessed time with God. Please pass on my thanks for the warmth of the welcome. I look forward to booking another day with you in the future and will be in touch then.

Sheila - April 2022

I just wanted to say thank you to you and your staff for a wonderful retreat weekend. Everything was just lovely - the location, the accommodation and the food. It was a truly refreshing time and having everything arranged so perfectly meant that there were no distractions to relaxing and hearing from God

Rachel - April 2022

Just wanted to thank you for the lovely day we spent on Saturday. I felt very welcome, the food was delicious and the grounds were so peaceful. It was really good to get away from the hustle and bustle for a few hours.

Jenny - March 2022

Many thanks to all those who made our retreat such a success. Peaceful surroundings with ideal facilities and great hospitality made for a memorable time.

VW - Nov 22

We had a marvellous time last week. The house is so clean and tidy and beautifully supportive of quiet yet productive prayer. It is a credit to you all.

LD - Nov 22

I was with you today for the Deanery Retreat Day and it was so lovely to be there, and we were so well looked after – thank you so much!

JD - Nov 22

It was a WONDERFUL venue and we very much enjoyed meeting you, and were blessed by the amazing hospitality by you and your team. Thank you so much.

DH - Dec 2022

Please pass on my thanks and appreciation for my two day stay last week. The meals were all great and my stay was a real help to me and I hope to be coming back again in the next few months.

TP - Feb 2023

Thanks for letting us use St Katherine's this last couple of days. We had a lovely time and were very well looked after. The ladies really loved being there and felt very much that they had got away from the stresses of everyday life.

RM - March 2023

Thank you for a super day on Saturday. There has only been positive feedback from everyone. We were well looked after by your catering team. The Prayer Room worked well - and the sun came out in the afternoon, so the team up top also doing marvellous work.

LW - March 2023

A huge thanks for a WONDERFUL time at our men's weekend away.

SB - March 2023

We had a wonderful day in so many ways. Loved the food and the setting, the sense of space and peace there is so tangible.

SW - May 2023