On Sunday 28 September 2025, the Secretary-General and Second Second Secretary were honoured to attend St. Boniface, Antwerp to present the Edith Cavell award to Patricia Deckmyn Norman.

This award is named in honour of a true Anglican heroine who lived in Belgium during the First World War and whose faith embodied the principles of faith, selfless-service and sacrifice prior to her execution by the German army. As part of the Central Committee’s celebrations of 150 years of legal recognition, the Edith Cavell award was established to recognise those who offer these qualities of faith, service and sacrifice in the Anglican Church in Belgium today. The award was presented in the presence of Pat’s family and her church family of St. Bonficace.

Pat was nominated to the Central Committee by her parish in recognition of her many years of faithful service. The Central Committee was impressed to learn about Pat’s commitment to ecumenism, teaching Sunday school for many years, as a faithful member of the choir, and arranging flowers each week. Pat has been an active member of the Ladies Guild and has offered pastoral care for many people and visited the sick. One member wrote, “[Pat] thinks of her input as ‘just what I do’ but it goes above and beyond people’s care for their fellow parishioners.”

We give thanks to God for the examples of faith from people like Edith Cavell and Pat. Congratulations!

(Thank you to Bob Turner for the photos of the special occasion)