Jane Crone: A Champion for CAFOD in East Anglia

As he prepares to take over from Jane Crone as CAFOD Community Participation Coordinator for East Anglia, Chris Gallagher pays tribute to her nine years of dedicated service, celebrating her faith, leadership and lasting impact on parishes, schools and communities across the Diocese.

It is a great privilege and honour for me to write a few words of thanks and appreciation to Jane Crone, CAFOD Community Participation Coordinator (CPC) for the Diocese of East Anglia for the past nine years. I am very conscious that I cannot do justice to all that Jane has achieved on behalf of the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development in our Diocese. Many of you will have your own stories to tell of Jane’s inspiration, kindness and enthusiasm for CAFOD as she has worked with you in your parishes, schools, communities, Live Simply Groups, justice and peace commissions, campaigning activities and so much more. Hopefully, the following words will convey the thanks, appreciation and gratitude that many of us wish to express to Jane.

Last September, Jane kindly invited me to attend a CAFOD training day at the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, Sawston, with the aim of “learning from an expert CPC”. One could not help but be touched by the warm welcome, kindness and generosity of spirit that Jane extended to everyone in the hall. The way she gently introduced strangers to one another and then simply stepped back, allowing bridges to be built, connections established and friendships formed, was remarkable.

There was, naturally, an inspiring talk delivered by one of CAFOD’s directors, Jo Kitterick, but none of this would have been possible without Jane’s hard work and dedication. I am confident that my first experience of Jane’s meticulous organisation will be familiar to many of you reading this article. Over the last nine years, she has worked with countless parishes such as Sawston and inspired people throughout the Diocese to become actively engaged in CAFOD’s mission.

There are many admirable qualities that make Jane such an inspirational CAFOD CPC, so I wanted to share some reflections from colleagues who have known her for much longer than I have. First and foremost, everyone spoke of her deep faith and the importance of spirituality in her life, both as an individual and as a CAFOD employee. Jane is a gifted leader of prayer, drawing on a wide range of resources including music, art, poetry, silence, reflection and her extensive knowledge of Scripture. Through her own initiative, she also leads CAFOD colleagues in weekly prayer.

Many also highlighted Jane’s kindness, calmness and compassion. She is always among the first to offer help, support and guidance, something to which I can personally testify as a relatively new member of staff at CAFOD. One of CAFOD’s directors commented that Jane exemplifies the message of James Chapter 2, where faith and action work hand in hand, writing: “Thank you, Jane, for inviting others to play their part and always working to connect our actions to God’s Kingdom.”

Theology is another of Jane’s great passions. Not a lofty or abstract theology, but one that is practical, lived and capable of making a real difference in people’s lives. Jane has a first-class knowledge of Catholic Social Teaching, often described as the Church’s best-kept secret, and no doubt will be among the first to have read and studied Pope Leo’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas. Any parish looking for an engaging and inspiring speaker on Catholic theology would do well to contact Jane.

However, this is not the end of Jane’s relationship with CAFOD, as she will be returning to the wonderful work of volunteering in schools. Thank you, Jane, for all that you have achieved over the last nine years. Your service, commitment and dedication to CAFOD’s vision have inspired many people across the Diocese of East Anglia, and your contribution will be remembered with gratitude for years to come.

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