FATHER FRANK’S LOG: 14th – 21st APRIL 2024
Welcome back to the log. My trip to Ireland for meetings the week before Holy Week was relatively uneventful, in the sense that I experienced none of the travel disasters I seem to attract whenever I embark on any kind of long journey. I set out for the Cairnryan ferry on a beautiful spring day. I was making such good time that I decided to stop in Girvan and get myself a haircut, so as to look at least semi-respectable for the approaching Easter ceremonies. I parked the car down by the seafront, near to where Father Justinian’s family had run a little hotel in years gone by, attracting lots of visitors during the holiday season from Glasgow, including a goodly number of priests. As a youngster, before entering the Passionists, his role in the family business was to make the chips for dining guests, and to this day he knows how to make a good chip. Father Justinian turned 93 last Monday and is still the healthiest man in the community. Who said chips were bad for you?
From the sea front, I walked up towards the main street and entered the first hairdressers I came across. There was one person being attended to, and two more in a queue and so, conscious of time restraints, I left to see if there was another place I could find. All in all, I counted eight hairdressers on the main street in Girvan. A couple of them were closed, and I wasn’t sure if that was just for the day, or if they were permanently closed, but still and all, it seemed like a lot of hairdressers for one little town. I had more trouble finding a place to sit down for a coffee and a hot roll, so I ended up getting something from Gregg’s and taking it down to a bench on the sea front and enjoying it there, basking in the sun and soaking in the vitamin D, before continuing on my journey to the ferry. I only encountered one set of road works, with just a small delay, and the notice to “Wait for the Light” seemed appropriate with Easter drawing near.
The meeting took place in our Passionist Retreat Centre at Crossgar in County Down, about a 30-minute drive from the ferry port in Belfast. As always it was good to see the other members of the council, arriving from the various places in Ireland and England, with only myself coming from Scotland. It was also good to catch up on our younger province members. We have one novice and one student in Crossgar at present. We also have our senior student who is staying with us in Bishopbriggs at present, and gaining good pastoral experience both in St Mungo’s and St Roch’s parishes before, God willing, being ordained a deacon, perhaps later this year, and then a Passionists priest, hopefully sometime next year. Three young people in formation is a small enough number, but every new member is a blessing from God in these times. Our main task at these meetings is to prepare the way for our next Provincial Chapter which will take place in June 2025, which entails reviewing our vision, our ministries, our locations, and our personnel. With every passing Chapter this task becomes more challenging as our age profile increases, and our manpower decreases.
The journey back was also pleasant and unhampered. I was happy to be able to drive the coastal road from Cairnryan to Girvan in daylight as there are still some hairpin bends on that route that would qualify as chicanes on a difficult Formula One racing track. Safely home, it was time to focus all attention on Holy Week. All went well, but we were all exhausted at the end of it, and glad of a wee breather during Easter Week to restore our energies. Easter day dinner consisted of lamb shank with lots of vegetables, prepared by Brother Conor and Father John, under the supervision of Father Justinian. It was delicious. We had considered going out for a meal on Easter Monday but, as Father Gareth was leaving early that morning to head down to Wales to see his mum, we have postponed that until another day. He safely returned last night. Wishing you all a very happy Easter season and all the blessings of the Risen Lord.
As ever, protect yourself, your loved ones and others, and protect Christ in your lives.
Welcome back to the log. My trip to Ireland for meetings the week before Holy Week was relatively uneventful, in the sense that I experienced none of the travel disasters I seem to attract whenever I embark on any kind of long journey. I set out for the Cairnryan ferry on a beautiful spring day. I was making such good time that I decided to stop in Girvan and get myself a haircut, so as to look at least semi-respectable for the approaching Easter ceremonies. I parked the car down by the seafront, near to where Father Justinian’s family had run a little hotel in years gone by, attracting lots of visitors during the holiday season from Glasgow, including a goodly number of priests. As a youngster, before entering the Passionists, his role in the family business was to make the chips for dining guests, and to this day he knows how to make a good chip. Father Justinian turned 93 last Monday and is still the healthiest man in the community. Who said chips were bad for you?
From the sea front, I walked up towards the main street and entered the first hairdressers I came across. There was one person being attended to, and two more in a queue and so, conscious of time restraints, I left to see if there was another place I could find. All in all, I counted eight hairdressers on the main street in Girvan. A couple of them were closed, and I wasn’t sure if that was just for the day, or if they were permanently closed, but still and all, it seemed like a lot of hairdressers for one little town. I had more trouble finding a place to sit down for a coffee and a hot roll, so I ended up getting something from Gregg’s and taking it down to a bench on the sea front and enjoying it there, basking in the sun and soaking in the vitamin D, before continuing on my journey to the ferry. I only encountered one set of road works, with just a small delay, and the notice to “Wait for the Light” seemed appropriate with Easter drawing near.
The meeting took place in our Passionist Retreat Centre at Crossgar in County Down, about a 30-minute drive from the ferry port in Belfast. As always it was good to see the other members of the council, arriving from the various places in Ireland and England, with only myself coming from Scotland. It was also good to catch up on our younger province members. We have one novice and one student in Crossgar at present. We also have our senior student who is staying with us in Bishopbriggs at present, and gaining good pastoral experience both in St Mungo’s and St Roch’s parishes before, God willing, being ordained a deacon, perhaps later this year, and then a Passionists priest, hopefully sometime next year. Three young people in formation is a small enough number, but every new member is a blessing from God in these times. Our main task at these meetings is to prepare the way for our next Provincial Chapter which will take place in June 2025, which entails reviewing our vision, our ministries, our locations, and our personnel. With every passing Chapter this task becomes more challenging as our age profile increases, and our manpower decreases.
The journey back was also pleasant and unhampered. I was happy to be able to drive the coastal road from Cairnryan to Girvan in daylight as there are still some hairpin bends on that route that would qualify as chicanes on a difficult Formula One racing track. Safely home, it was time to focus all attention on Holy Week. All went well, but we were all exhausted at the end of it, and glad of a wee breather during Easter Week to restore our energies. Easter day dinner consisted of lamb shank with lots of vegetables, prepared by Brother Conor and Father John, under the supervision of Father Justinian. It was delicious. We had considered going out for a meal on Easter Monday but, as Father Gareth was leaving early that morning to head down to Wales to see his mum, we have postponed that until another day. He safely returned last night. Wishing you all a very happy Easter season and all the blessings of the Risen Lord.
As ever, protect yourself, your loved ones and others, and protect Christ in your lives.
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