I have learned that the English writer Stratford Caldecott is dying. He has end-stage cancer. I know that you will, in your goodness, pray for him and for his.
Sad news, but there is a Just Too Cool element.
At the blog Unam Sanctam I read that two of the stars of the movies of Marvel’s Avengers sent messages and the movie company has stepped up.
His daughter Sophie, from Unam Sanctam …
Sophie goes on to speak of her father’s love for Marvel comics since boyhood, and more recently, the Marvel films. Apparently, they went to see the last Marvel film in the cinema, but he was too sick to be able to make it to see the latest Captain America film.
This is where Sophie goes to the social media:We’re going to try and get in touch with Marvel to ask if they can fulfil dad’s dying wish by sending us a copy of the film for him to watch at home. But I think we can go further than that. We’re also going to tweet the Avengers actors and see if they will take a picture of themselves holding a sign saying ‘Captain America/Thor/Iron Man [insert name of character here] for Strat!’ so that we can surprise him with their messages of support and encouragement.The response has been pretty amazing, both on the side of Marvel, as well as on the side of the actors and other people of good will, as you can see:
Since the doctors estimate Stratford has only 12 weeks to live, the Marvel Studio has confirmed that they will offer an advanced private screening of Captain America: The Winter Soldier in the Caldecott home next week.
There’s more over there. Check it out. And THIS
Kudos to many.
Kudos to the people who are taking care of our dying brother.
Kudos to the actors.
Kudos to the company.
UPDATE:
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How very heartwarming! Such kindness and generosity, and kudos and thanks to Marvel for being a corporation with such a huge heart. I loved Marvel comics as well, and spent many happy hours reading about my favorite superheroes. They were 12 cents then. The big ones were 25 cents. That and a hamburger and fries from our local hamburger joint meant a happy hour for me. May God help this poor sick man and his family. Cancer is horrible.
I am praying! He is a prince of a fellow!
I had the honor of giving him the campus tour of Marquette University more than a decade ago.
He is a brilliant Tolkien scholar and a very gracious human being.
I had no idea Caldecott was so popular.
My prayers are with him.
I was privileged to meet both he and Leonie when I lived in Oxford in 2001, and their beautiful (and LITTLE then) kids. I’m so sorry to hear he is dying, but I will pray for him.
His books have helped me in my teaching. I will be praying also.
I met Stratford Caldecott, perhaps seven or eight years ago. He was already a very old man, and it was inspiring to see him walking steadily on the campus of St. Thomas Aquinas University in St. Paul, MN.
We were at the Annual Conference of the American Chesterton Society. Caldecott is a beloved Chestertonian and a British Distributist since long before Distributism was was cool. We were conversing outside of the conference — enjoying the beautiful weather, watching as mommies entertained their babies on blankets under the shade trees, young children were playing tag and teenagers were throwing Frisbees. My own teen-son was practicing at his new mandolin, and the strumming of chords wafted over the courtyard.
Stratford Caldecott was quite moved by the scene. I recall his words: “This is what a Chesterton Conference should be like! Not just a bunch of talks in a stuffy hall (although that is important), but a gathering of families like this! Outside, and light-hearted! And alive, so very alive. This is good!”
I’m going to come out and say the obvious:
Obviously, it would be possible to get an unauthorized copy of the movie over the Internet or in other ways. But obviously, it’s important not to do anything even the least bit slimy or involve a dying person in anything that might be bad.
Sometimes it seems like people forget to have higher standards when caring for loved ones about to pass away, or even try to drag them into new sins out of a misguided sense of fun. It’s final exam time, so it would be better to help them cram good stuff.
Also, it’s virtuous to give other people a chance to help and to be edified. Here are some Hollywood people and some normal people on Twitter who may or may not find chances to visit the sick or comfort the dying. A corporation doesn’t have a soul, but the people in that corporation do. This is a little something; but it’s something.