Stoke Newington resident reunites treasured lost book with Holloway owner

The missing MIssal was found by a member of St Mary's church in the gutter of Edgeware Road. Picture: Alexandra Hamit (Image: Alexandra Hamit)

The Catholic liturgical book, which contained prayers and memorials of relatives and friends now passed, was handed to Alexandra Hamit while she was volunteering at St Mary’s Church in Stoke Newington.

It was found in the gutter in Edgware Road in 2017 and Alexandra could tell it was of great sentimental value.

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John and Alexandra with the missing Missal. (Image: Courtesy of Alexandra Hamit)

Alexandra said: “It had a note from the owners mum inside, showing it was a gift from her for his confirmation in 1960. The receiver was John Driscoll.

“There was also an address inside but when I called at the house the current owners had lived there for 16 years and never heard of John.”

Alexandra said she kept the Missal in a plastic sealed bag on top of her fridge, looking at it everyday.

The message John's mother left in his Missal on the day of his confirmation. Picture: Alexandra Hamit (Image: Alexandra Hamit)

“I spent three years intermittently searching for the owner in various ways, calling all of the churches named on keepsakes in the Missal in England and Ireland. I contacted various Irish social clubs and venues, I tried searching Facebook, electoral rolls and family trees. Every search ended nowhere.”

Recently she started looking for John again and posted about it on her local Stokey Folks Facebook group.

“I thought that might be my best chance. It got shared multiple times and leads started to come in. Within just a few hours, I had been sent John’s contact details.”

The Missal was filled with memorial cards of relatives and friends who have pased away. Picture: Alexandra Hamit (Image: Alexandra Hamit)

The post had reached all the way to John’s family and friends in Ireland, where he was born.

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After making contact Alexandra went to the 74 year-old’s house, just “up the road” in Holloway, to return the missing book.

Alexandra posted about meeting John and thanked everyone who helped find him. Picture: Alexandra Hamit (Image: Alexandra Hamit)

John, who isn’t on the Internet, said he was “over the moon” when he received the treasured Missal.

“My cousin phoned me from Ireland and they were all talking round the neighbourhood and that’s how it got to where it did.

“It’s unbelievable! From the day I lost it I’ve never had it out of my mind but I never of thought I’d see it again. I thought if someone found it they were going to open it up, tear it up and throw it all away.”

The post on Stokey Folks' facebook page whcih helped find John. Picture: Alexandra Hamit (Image: Alexandra Hamit)

“It just shows what a small world we’re living in.”

Alexandra spent 3 years trying to find the owner of the missing book. Picture: Alexandra Hamit (Image: Alexandra Hamit)

John was recently reunited with the Missal book he lost in 2017. Picture: Alexandra Hamit (Image: Alexandra Hamit)

News of the missing Missal crossed the Irish sea and John's relatives in Ireland helped Alexandra get in contact. Picture: Alexandra Hamit (Image: Alexandra Hamit)