For those of you unlucky enough to have missed the last outing to Rostrevor, here’s a quick recap of just some of the activities that formed a fun and informative weekend!
We started with a drive through the wild and majestic Mournes in the early morning sunlight, on our way to Slieve Patrick, where we meditated on specially composed Stations of the Cross as we ascended the hill to St Patrick’s monument at the summit.
From there we proceeded to Castle Ward, a mansion with an eccentric history overlooking Strangford Lough. In a shady nook of the extensive grounds we were given a lesson in archery and lost no time in making a (friendly!) competition of it which gave us ample appetite for our picnic on the banks of the lough.
On our tour of the mansion we discovered its eclectic mix of architectural styles along with some of the colourful history of its owners.
Back on the road again, we visited the resting place of Ireland’s three greatest saints, Patrick, Brigid and Columcille in Downpatrick, on our way to Newry for Holy Mass and the Rosary. This was followed by an insightful conference from Father Griego which centred on the principles of Catholic Action and how to live those principles in everyday life; reminding us that to truly help our neighbour we must first learn to sanctify ourselves, so that even the smallest act can become apostolic.
Even then the day’s activities were not done as after dinner, we still had time for an entertaining presentation on one pilgrim’s experience of the ancient pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostella, followed by a quiz to test our knowledge of the Faith which was enthusiastically entered into!
After Sunday Mass at Newry followed by a breezy breakfast on Omeath pier, we made our way into the hills yet again to take in the magnificent scenery and some of the local history from Flagstaff Point.
A wonderful weekend was rounded off with a tour of the quaint medieval town of Carlingford and a sunlit lunch overlooking the beautiful Strangford Lough.
We hope you can all join us for the next one which promises to be equally enjoyable!
Kathryn