*London heroine says Catholic faith inspired her

 May 26, 2013

A London mother of two who calmly confronted the Woolwich attackers last Wednesday has attributed her courage to her Catholic faith, reports The Catholic Herald.

Ingrid Loyau-Kennet, a practising Catholic, told the UK Daily Telegraph: “I live my life as a Christian. I believe in thinking about others and loving thy neighbour. We all have a duty to look after each other. A whole group of people walking towards those guys would have found it easy to take those weapons out of their hands. But me, on my own, I couldn’t.”

Mrs Loyau-Kennet was travelling on the Number 53 bus through Woolwich in south east London on Wednesday afternoon when she saw a man lying in the road. She immediately got out to help him.

She said: “I took his arm to feel his pulse. There was blood on the pavement where he had been dragged and blood was pouring out of him. Suddenly this excited black man came up to me and said: ‘Get away from the body; don’t touch it.’ I looked up and I could see red hands, a bloodied revolver, bloodied meat cleaver and a butcher’s knife. OK, I thought, this is bad.”

After speaking to the first suspect, Mrs Loyau-Kennett asked the second suspect “if he wanted to sit down and give me what he had in his hands”.

Mrs Loyau-Kennet remained with the soldier, identified yesterday as Drummer Lee Rigby, despite an onlooker advising her to move away. She said: “I told her I wasn’t leaving; as long as I don’t see professionals here, I’m staying. He knows me; he knows I’m calm. I’m not afraid whatsoever. I’ll stay until something happens.”

In a statement on behalf of the Bishops of England and Wales on Thursday, Archbishop Emeritus Kevin McDonald of Southwark said: “The events in Woolwich yesterday have shocked us all. First and foremost, our prayers are with Lee Rigby, his family and friends.

FULL STORY Woolwich heroine says Catholic faith inspired her to confront attackers (Catholic Herald)