The events of our 2018 early-Summer outing unfolded by an early start to the Southern capital: Cork... “Seek first the Kingdom of God” quoted Fr. Ockerse during his sermon at Our Lady of the Rosary church, Shanakiel on Saturday morning. This reminded us of the vitality of Holy Mass and the sacraments for the salvation of our souls and to use the week-end to think about our purpose here on earth, as we all take a break from daily routine. The lunch menu was chorizo sandwiches from one of our Longford members. Before we set sail for Oysterhaven, Fr. Ockerse gave an 8-minute talk to help us gather our thoughts on “the reasons why we do what we do”, getting us to think about concepts such as: Why the Latin Mass, Why do other Latin Mass groups exist and Why we need to Teach the Truth. This introduction would be followed up later over dinner. Thankfully our WhatsApp pins were working efficiently (for those that don’t know North, South, East and West) and everyone was delighted to take part in a kayaking adventure. With two teams, the group was spilt up and mastered the art of a paddle board and sit-on-top kayaks, with two guides from the activity centre. Whilst Sarah almost lost her flip flops, she learnt how the tide is the rise and fall of the earth’s ocean! Everyone returned feeling salty and windblown. Whilst concluding our Rosary at the Carmelite Friary (Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel) in Kinsale with the “Come Holy Ghost” prayer, we remembered Tommy O’Hart as he will be ordained to the priesthood on Friday 22 June 2018. Sundays ice-cream and coffee bar was our next stop for a 50’s style ice-cream before enjoying a BBQ prepared by Brighid at Charles Fort with Sean being our Master Chef. An interesting discussion followed on society today and some members of the group voiced concern over current moral issues surrounding their daily lives and how to combat same. These discussions always bear great fruits and it would be fair to say each of us benefitted from the open discussion. On departure, Sarah and I met a young girl who seemed interested in joining a Catholic group; perhaps we will have gained a new member for the Vessel of Salvation! Corrin Hill, Fermoy, fairly woke us up on Sunday morning after a night spent under Liam's hospitable roof with a hill walk of the Stations of the Cross which we offered in reparation for the results of the recent referendum, before Sunday Mass where Fr. Ockerse spoke about the three elements of our group's mission: prayer, study and be a missionary! With the company of some crows, we enjoyed a picnic lunch in Fota Gardens, derived from the Irish “Fód te” meaning ‘warm soil’ and then visited St. Colman’s cathedral, Cobh, before the week-end closed on the Cobh promenade. We were delighted to welcome some new members to our Cork outing and hope that there will be many more to help spread the true faith and strengthen our existing efforts to restore all things in Christ. Remember to keep 13th & 14th July free for our Co. Mayo week-end – West is Best!
Chronicle by Catherine McKeown.