Katharine Myers & Rebecca Mays

Home › News & Events › Reception Honoring Mary Morrison & Katharine Myers

On March 2, Pendle Hill held a reception to express gratitude for the generous endowed scholarship for the Resident Program given by Katharine Myers in honor of Mary Morrison. (Read more about Katharine Myers, Mary Morrison and the Scholarship here)

Morrison Family Members

The reception was attended by many members of the Morrison family, by one of Kathy Myers' daughters, by numerous friends, and by Pendle Hill students, staff, and community members.

Marian Fuson and Mary Wood

Katharine Myers shared that it was a "joy" to be "honoring both Mary Morrison and Pendle Hill, both of whom have so enriched my life." She recalled her friendship with Mary Morrison, who was a "spiritual mentor" as well as a friend. In her early 30s Kathy attended Mary's Bible study at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Swarthmore, "building blocks of my faith for the rest of my life." The friendship continued over the years, with luncheons, tea, and visits when Mary moved to Kendal in Kennett Square . Kathy noted that Mary was "the most quoted individual in Kendal." Mary wrote columns that appeared first in a Presbyterian magazine, then an Episcopalian publication; Kathy hopes that they will be published again in a collection. Mary was wise, grounded in everyday reality, and often expressed a subtle humor.

Suzi Morrison and Barbara Parsons

It was Mary's suggestion that led Kathy to come to Pendle Hill. She needed "a respite from the bombardments on all sides from the exterior world" in a setting which could provide that respite to "let the fragmented pieces regroup into a new whole." Two people told her that her main problem at Pendle Hill would be to make choices. Friends wrote to her, envying her retreat into quiet contemplation. She recalled walking on a clear winter night when the ground was covered with snow, feeling her energy rising.

Bill and Fran Taber were "the wise Quaker elders," a "centering presence" during that period. Bill described Pendle Hill as a "giant greenhouse," a "safe place for growth and new behavior," adding that the "staff turns cartwheels to enable it to happen." Kathy found that Pendle Hill met the varying needs of individuals. She got to know a prison chaplain from California , a Catholic priest from Chile , a Jungian therapist sojourning while writing a book, a recent retiree in a transition year, and a man taking a sabbatical to focus on deepening his Quaker faith.

For Kathy, essential learning occurred in her course with Sandra Cronk, an introduction to the mystical tradition within different faiths. She saw the unity underlying different faiths' experience of God. She recalled how in middle school she had heard a rabbi: "All those from many faiths if they truly live out their faith will meet at the top of the mountain." She was also influenced by John Yungblut "with his trio of Jesus, Teilhard de Chardin, and Carl Jung." This course "provided grounding for the spiritual journey in the second half of life." Kathy noted that her focus in her personal MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) work over the past 20 years "has been Jung's model of lifelong development which he saw as a spiritual journey."

Kathy expressed gratitude for "the sense of community" at Pendle Hill and the support it provides, and also for lasting friendships. She mentioned many friendships she made at Pendle Hill that continue into the present. She had the opportunity to make a contribution while she lived at Pendle Hill as well as later, including through the MBTI program. She mentioned a "special bonus" - her student, Caroline Jones, became "an expert practitioner in type and spirituality."

Why did Katharine Myers decide to give a grant specifically for the Resident Program? She said, "To me the Resident Program is the core soul of Pendle Hill and what is unique from other conference centers and religious retreat places." Noting that it does not pay for itself - just like most liberal arts colleges - she wanted to support it "in appreciation of its value so that others could experience and gain as I did." She hopes that her experience will be "a mustard seed" for others.