In 1967 when I was still Sister Jeanne d'Arc my mother wrote to Ingrid Bergman during the run of More Stately Mansions. She, no doubt remided her of the fact that she had already sent me two nice letters. To her great surprise, Mom got a short note from Ingrid inviting us to meet her after the performance. It was the best Christmas gift I had ever received.

All during the show I was nervous and distracted considering what I would say to her. At last Mom and I proceeded to the backstage area only to find several impressive body-guards planted in front of the dressing room. I flashed my note and they swept aside. First, we could hear Ingrid talking to someone in the room about the fact that Colleen Dewhurst had inadvertantly left a hairpin in her hair during the first act. Ingrid related how she tried many times to signal to her to remove it. All within had a good laugh and suddenly the door opened and a lady with an arm full of costumes emerged. We knocked cautiously and Ingrid appeared in the same red gown that Mary Hutchings* remembers.

At first, SHE seemed nervous! That is what religious habits will do for you! Soon after we were chatting comfortably about, you guessed it, Joan of Arc. I told her how much her film had influenced me and she, for her part, remarked how impressed she had been when she had made the tour of various cities in France that Joan had made famous. Then she began to speak of one's home and homeland and how one never forgets it. It seemed sad to me as I considered how far Ingrid was from Sweden. You could see that as she spoke of Joan and Domremy, her native village, Ingrid completely forgot habits and nuns and everything. Then I caught her completely off gaurd by opening the box containing my Joan of Ard ring which is a dead ringer for the one that she wore in the film. (Hoe I managed to get it is a book in itself!) I witnessed a super-actress do a perfect and natural take. She looked truly shocked. I explained to her how I had gotten it and she put in wistfully, "I lost mine, you know." Well, I did not know. But I thought she was going to ask me next if I had found it!

At that point, she introduced Pia and her friend who had been waiting patiently as they surely must have been forced to do countless times. Ingrid turned to my mother and asked her how often she was able to visit with me in the convent. Mom thought a bit and answered, "Oh, about every month or so." "See that!", Ingrid jumped in quickly, and added something like, "Not every mother can be with their children all the time." Pia laughed graciously, but I don't remember if she replied.

Mom then asked Ingrid to pose for a picture of the two of us. Her original shyness came back as she glanced around the room nervously to find a suitable background. There were many Christmas cards hanging on one wall and she decided on that. Mom was a wreck considering how I would kill her if the picture did not come out. It did and it is beautiful!

I wish I could recall every word but it was a long time ago. As we were about to leave Ingrid smiled and then paused a bit, and then she leaned over and kissed me.

Later on when I looked at the ring I noticed that she had left the perfect impression of her finger on it. All the nuns teased me unmercifully and demanded to know if I had yet washed my face and if I ever intended to wipe off the ring.

I did wipe off the ring but never could I wipe out the memory of that day and the gracious and kind ladies who made it possible: my mom and Ingrid Bergman.

Margaret Walsh

* Read Mary Hutchings acounts of her meeting with Ingrid by clicking here.