Spotlight - "The Power of Prayer" the story of Menhal Kassir-Howell
Menhal was born in Iraq in 1950. Her parents were financially comfortable and educated land owners from Mosul in the Northern region of Iraq. They were Syrian Orthodox when Iraq was a kingdom (in 1958 it became republic) and Menhal remembers visiting a monastery north of Mosul as a child. She used to sit with the monks and have breakfast. At the age of 3 she was christened in Lebanon.
Menhal wanted to be a doctor but it was her brothers who followed this career. After studying for several years in Germany one is now a neurosurgeon and the other a paediatrician. Menhal did not follow this medical path but studied English literature. She was accepted into Northampton University and moved to England in 1971, she was then 21yrs old. Her parents supported her financially through her 7 years in Northampton and continued that support during her research in London. Menhal attended Queen Mary University for a post grad in Shakespeare and later went on to Stratford upon Avon to study his plays. She then took a degree in Primary teaching at North London Uni. Back in London a friend witnessed a theft and was required to attend court as a witness. Her friend could not speak English and an interpreter was not assigned to him. Menhal went with him and under the instruction of the court interpreted the case. The Magistrate was quite impressed with her translation ability and suggested to Menhal that she may consider a career in this field and was willing to recommend her. In no time, Menhal was interpreting for people involved in cases liaising between them and the Metropolitan Police . She also went to America to represent a client where she was again asked to join the equivalent of the Met' there. However she preferred to be near her brothers and politely refused the job. Menhal also worked for the Home Office Immigration Service.
Menhal recalls an incident when she was attacked on her door step. It came about when she was helping the police with a case. The man charged with the offence was eventually found guilty and one of his mates somehow blamed her. Menhal was taking a bath when the door bell went. She thought it may be the police who were due to ask her to interpret for another person in a future case. She opened the door in her dressing gown and was stabbed in the leg. She then realised that this was not the career for her.
Menhal worked for 3 years at the Language school in Oxford Street. Then in 1991 began her career as a teacher in Perivale. She went on to teach in Brent, then Ealing where she teaches to this day.
Menhal met Bill Howell in 1998, it was love at first sight (poor girl). She says, "I loved his sexy voice". They got married in 2003 at Fulham Town Hall and were blessed at St Andrew's by Father Gavin. Bill had been a close friend of Father David and helped out in the church where he could (emptying the poor box and getting a good price on roof lead when no one was looking).
Menhal has been attending St Andrew's since 1998.
On 7th September 2007 Menhal was diagnosed with liposarcoma (cancer of the fat cells). The tumour covered the left side - kidney, colon and ovary. Menhal says, "Although I put on a brave face, I was frightened and Bill was very upset." Her doctor arranged for a team of five surgeons to operate including a kidney specialist, gynaecologist, vascular surgeon and a colon specialist. On 21st September Father Martin helped them to re-take their marriage vows and blessed Menhal and Bill and on 22 September Menhal went into hospital to undergo the operation. Clutching her rosary she was under the knife for 6 hours. When she regained consciousness, the consultant told her that the operation had been a success. She was in hospital for a total of 10 days. Father Martin and all those attending morning and evening prayer, prayed for Menhal. I know that many other members of St Andrew's also prayed for her and her name was read out each Sunday morning during intersession. Intense Prayer is a powerful thing. Menhal walked through the doors of St Andrew's 3 weeks after her surgery, she was in remission. It seemed like a miracle to Janet and myself, I could hardly believe that I was sitting next to her at Morning Prayer. We had so much to thank God for that morning.
Although Menhal has nerve problems in her left leg and will have to undergo more tests and another operation, she is very positive about her future. She often attends Morning Prayer and coffee morning and is a regular volunteer at the St Andrew's project for the homeless.
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