[Dialogue] Charles Moore

[RICHARD HOWIE via Dialogue]

Thank You Louise, for your thoughtfulness in telling us more of  
Charles' journey,  It has brought solace to me.
Love to all,
Ellen
On Jul 7, 2014, at 7:46 PM, Louise Singleton via Dialogue wrote:

> Greetings:
>
>  I am very distressed to hear of Charles Moore’s death, and very  
> sad for his family.
>
>  He was my prior for four weeks in Summer ’71.  I had little  
> knowledge of EI except for an RS-I in George Yost’s church in  
> February, and no context for being there except for the  
> enthusiastic recruitment of Tim Lush – this is a chance to change  
> the world.
>
>
>  My first contact with Charles was on the falling-off-the-wall  
> porch of South House where John and I were trying to decide whether  
> to stay at Summer ’71 or decamp for home. I had been assigned to a  
> women’s dorm on the fourth floor next to the central atrium in this  
> falling down, wooden building; John to a men’s. No responsible  
> mother of four would stay with that risk of fire. I was in tears  
> (not all that usual for me) when Charles happened by and asked what  
> was the problem.  I let him have it.  He said to wait here.  In a  
> few minutes he was back with a new room assignment for both John  
> and me: the room off the porch over the kitchen. I later learned it  
> was his and Pat’s room.
>
>
>  Summer ’71 was a major shock to my system, and Charles was both a  
> patient and inspiring prior, with a wonderful wry humor.  He  
> suggested at one point, that at the age of 39 I should pick up my  
> bed and walk, the instructions given another woman of that age by  
> Jesus. From him I learned that I too, perhaps, could be a spirit  
> woman.
>
>
> We kept in touch.  He called one day in the late 70’s from Grand  
> Saline to say that he was very depressed and had been unable to get  
> out of bed for two weeks.  I suggested he come to Denver.  He was  
> talking then of self-immolation.  I think he always thought of  
> himself as a monk and the monks in Tibet were very visible in their  
> fiery protests.
>
>  John set up an appointment for Charles with a psychiatrist at the  
> medical school and he was admitted to Denver General Hospital  
> Psychiatric Ward.  He was angry with me, but accepted library  
> books, etc.  I called on the next Friday to tell him that John and  
> I were going to San Antonio for the weekend to see my brother.  He  
> was not there.  He had just walked out, left no message.  We went  
> to the airport to catch our flight and came home because I felt I  
> needed to know what had happened.  John called DG and they said,  
> yes, he had left.  No, the doctor did not think he was in imminent  
> danger.  He had left the bag of library book for me to return.
>
>
>  We lost touch over time, but I was very happy to hear that he had  
> married and had a church in Texas.  I wish he had chosen other ways  
> to be the very powerful spirit that he was.  However, I am not  
> totally surprised that he would take this step.  He had been  
> thinking about it a long time.
>
>
>  I regret that I did not talk with him about our journey with our  
> gay son Will.  He married his partner of twelve years in August  
> 2012 in upstate New York.  Ken Barley a one-time Order member, past  
> minister of Montview Church, and friend, was celebrant. I would  
> have liked to tell Charles about that extraordinary event.  It  
> would have given him hope.
>
>
>  I was talking to my pastor today about the Institute and Charles,  
> and said that in 1972, EI had made the turn to the world because of  
> the belief that great social change would happen through secular  
> structure, not through the church.  That seems to be the case with  
> acceptance of homosexuality.  The Presbyterians are just putting  
> their toe in the water to change their stand.  We’ll see how all  
> those Presbyteries vote.
>
>
> I am clear that if it were not for Charles, I would not have been  
> associated with ICA for over forty years – a blessing indeed.
>
>
> Thank you, Charles, for being a great spirit and for being part of  
> my life.
>
>
> Louise
>
>
>
> Louise R. Singleton MSPH
> 4 Calle Aguila
> Santa Fe, NM  87503
> Tel: 505-983-7077
>
>
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