CATHERINE Rondol was a contemporary of Christmas Evans, the great Welsh preacher, and would on every possible occasion go to hear him. She was never married, and lived in a small “cabin” not far from Amlwch, in Anglesey. Her conversion was very remarkable. In her early years she led a most ungodly life but the Lord changed her in her state and nature. When standing one day in the street at Amlwch a young man of her acquaintance said something to her that greatly irritated her. She retorted by saying: “Be thou silent, thou art worse than Jack the Barber.” The local barber was evidently noted for his wickedness. Owing to how loud she spoke the barber overheard her. “Her words, like an arrow, went straight to his heart,” her biographer says, “and he was stricken with fear by hearing such a character censuring his ungodliness.” This was the Most High’s way of convincing him of the enormity of his sins. The circumstances affected him so much that he began to seek deliverance at the hands of the Lord, the offended One. He afterwards became a confirmed believer and, in turn, a preacher of the gospel. This man’s name was John Jones of Edeym. Those of our readers who are acquainted with the Welsh Ecclesiastical history will find his name among the gifted preachers of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists. Having heard that the barber had become a preacher, Catherine went to hear him the first opportunity she got, and her intention was to mock her old acquaintance. Instead of mocking him as she intended, “she was so thoroughly changed by listening to him, that she never from that day onward was the same as she was before.” It is said, “that Catherine, on that eventful night, not only realized her lost condition, but also the glory of the Redeemer, to such an extent that she went on her way rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God. Thus a wonderful change had taken place in both Jack the Barber and Catherine Rondol. They were before noted in the community for their ungodliness, but now they were to be noted for their godliness. How wonderful are the ways of God! “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Is. lv. 8-9). Catherine, who probably had no church connection before, identified herself with the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists. She was exceedingly fond of the preaching of Christmas Evans, “his evangelical and powerful sermons would always greatly affect her,” her biographer continues. Catherine was, however, a bit eccentric and when carried away by her favourite preachers she would make loud responses. A deacon of her own denomination once rebuked her sharply for her loud responses in the congregation. Her only answer was: “were they not to preach my dear Christ, I would be silent.” Christmas Evans himself once offered her a pair of boots on condition that she would remain silent during the sermon. Catherine accepted the offer, with the purpose of endeavouring to keep the terms of the bargain. But when listening to the seraphic Evans she was so moved and excited to such an extent that she shouted out at the pitch of her voice, in the middle of the sermon, “the boots for thee, Christmas, and Christ for me, blessed be God!” It is stated that on another occasion she was among a gathering of five or six thousand people at Llangefni listening to John Elias, one of the great Welsh evangelical preachers. John Elias was a Hyper-Calvinist and like all Hyper-Calvinists he did not preach the free offer of the gospel. His text on this occasion was: “And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (I. John, ii. 2). In the course of his sermon he laid great stress on the pronoun our—”our sins!” “And He is the propitiation for our sins.” He was continually repeating this part of the verse. Catherine, who believed in the free offer of the gospel, was getting impatient at his not quoting the whole verse, at length shouted out: “Yes, Elias, ‘and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.'” This was not the first time that John Elias came in contact with Catherine and he knew well who he had. Her native wit and ready answers were well known to him.
She was in the habit of following the means of grace from place to place as was customary in our own Highlands. Whenever she would hear there was to be a service anywhere within reach, off she would go, and would generally be first at the place of worship, such was her hunger for the bread of life. Two preachers once came to the Island of Anglesey, where she resided, and she followed them for several days and was present at every service. At last one of them began to feel that he was too much of a common-place preacher to have such a one as Catherine listening to him always. In the end the other also shared his feelings. However, as they were leaving the Island and making for the ferry, where the Menai Bridge now stands, and fearing that Catherine would follow them to Bangor, the town on the opposite side of the straits, they gave the ferry-men a shilling with strict orders that if a woman of a certain description wanted across to Bangor they were to prevent her. Soon after the men had crossed, who should come up to the ferry but Catherine Rondol. The men made several excuses in order to prevent her from crossing, but all in vain. She told them that she had as much right to get across as anyone else, adding, that she would go to see the magistrate about the matter and that they would have to abide the consequences. “Besides,” said she, “I must go; for two men who have just crossed have my things with them.” The boatmen then decided to row her across. When the preachers got to the church at Bangor, to their amazement, they saw Catherine sitting in a pew close to the pulpit. One of them gave out, as his text, the words: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (I. Tim. i. 15) On this being done Catherine exclaimed: “Thanks, Lord, I am now having my things.”
Her biographer continues: “Though Catherine was peculiar and eccentric in many respects yet there were many noble qualities in her, and her piety was above suspicion. Although she spent her early days in ungodliness and sin, yet after her conversion, she was helped to live in the fear of the Lord to the end of her days. She died as she lived in believing confidence in Jesus Christ.” The minister of Amyweh, William Roberts to name, called to see her during her last illness and asked how she felt in her great affliction. Her reply was—”I am very comfortable, thank you; I have learned lately the Lord’s prayer tolerably well.” “Dear me, Catherine,” said Mr. Roberts, “couldn’t you say the Lord’s prayer before now?” “No, indeed, William,” said she, “and there are many, I am afraid, who can’t say it. But I can say very truly now, ‘Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.’ I have no will, there is only one will between God and myself; mine is His, I leave Him to do as He willeth and I am very comfortable.” She died in 1830. Though she had no private means she was never in want; friends provided for her in life and in death. A man of means, out of respect for her, defrayed all her funeral expenses.—A. B.