|
|
|
…And Create Peace – Rev. Kathryn A. Barley
She was a woman of profound faith, courage and conviction whose life was changed by a unique, metaphysical request from Mary, the Divine Mother. Yes, I do mean that Mary. In 1991, while traveling in Medjugorje, the Blessed Mother appeared to Kathryn and asked her to be her hands and heart on earth. It is inconceivable for any of us to actually get it – but it happened. In the years since and up until her passing, many – myself included – were lucky enough to receive healing and prayers from Kathryn. We experienced something beyond this physical world. For me, divine love is the phrase that best describes Kathryn’s healing presence. The “lucky ones”, numbering in the thousands throughout the world, received miraculous healing of grieving hearts, chronic illness, infertility and even pernicious tumors. More than once, baffled and confused medical providers would scratch their heads as they viewed clear x-rays that had been indicators of cancer, with no explanation for the healing. Such miracles became common once Kathryn accepted the path offered to her by Mary. Mary had given Kathryn a choice to refuse and she could have concontinued living a manageable and reasonable life. Fortunately for many, Kathryn accepted and took on a life dedicated to Mary’s healing mission.
To effect the work of Mary’s purpose, Kathryn and her twin sister, Connie, founded the Sanctuary of Peace and Harmony, Inc., in 1995, a not-for-profit organization with the mission of healing the world to peace. For many, that mission seemed a monumental task, fanciful in fact, but for the Barley twins, it became their life. Connie is also a healer as well as an astrologer. Together they conducted Reiki trainings, seasonal healing nights, group and private healing sessions and provided plush teddy bears infused with love and magic for ill children. Kathryn also led spirit sojourns to Sedona, Egypt, Tibet and Nepal. In 1997, the Sanctuary started a ministerial school for interfaith ministers. Kathryn’s death was unexpected and has left her family and community in a state of shock. Her life’s teachings reverberate heartily as most grapple with and process their grief. Many I have spoken with, sense her spirit profoundly, as she is present and encouraging us to love and continue the mission: Creating peace by being peaceful. As Connie steps to the helm of the Sanctuary, she has more than 60 ordained ministers charged with upholding and forwarding Kathryn Barley’s peace mission.
|
||||||||||||||
Create peace by being
peaceful,” she said.
I did, and my world
changed forever. So did the
lives of thousands of others
who received her simple and
elegant request. If she touched
your life, suffering diminished.
Such was the heart and soul of
Reverend Kathryn A. Barley.
I met Kathryn in 2001,
after being referred to the
Sanctuary’s ministerial
school. I arrived with a list
of questions as part of my
due diligence in shopping
for a ministers’ program.
My first question was,
“What is your understanding
of darkness, and what do
you do about it?” She gazed at
me, sizing up something about
me, (I was ignorant of Mary’s
visitation at the time), she
took a soft satisfying breath and
smiled in a way that I would
learn to love for years to come,
the smile that preceded a pearl
of wisdom. She said, “Oh my
dear one, the nature of light
is to embrace darkness. You
do not need to be afraid, just
remember that the flame of a
little candle lights the darkness
– just by being itself.”
To be with her was to feel
a softening of the heart and an assurance
that everything would be okay – even when
that didn’t mean all troubles would dissolve.
Although, sometimes they did.