PassionistsGlasgow
  • Welcome To Saint Mungo's
  • Parish Newsletter
  • Parish Office / Visiting Saint Mungo's
  • Passionists Young Team
  • Universalis Mass Readings for Today
  • Website Links
  • St.Paul of the Cross
  • St. Paul of the Cross for Children
  • St.Charles of Mount Argus
  • St Mungo Patron Saint of Glasgow
  • St. Mungo's Parish
  • Safeguarding (Updated Oct 24)
  • Photo Album
  • Archdiocese Privacy Notice
  • Father Franks Log
  • Fr Justinian CP (RIP)
  • Synodal Path
  • Pope Francis
  • Welcome To Saint Mungo's
  • Parish Newsletter
  • Parish Office / Visiting Saint Mungo's
  • Passionists Young Team
  • Universalis Mass Readings for Today
  • Website Links
  • St.Paul of the Cross
  • St. Paul of the Cross for Children
  • St.Charles of Mount Argus
  • St Mungo Patron Saint of Glasgow
  • St. Mungo's Parish
  • Safeguarding (Updated Oct 24)
  • Photo Album
  • Archdiocese Privacy Notice
  • Father Franks Log
  • Fr Justinian CP (RIP)
  • Synodal Path
  • Pope Francis
  PassionistsGlasgow

father frank's log...

22/2/2020

1 Comment

 
FATHER FRANK’S LOG: 16th – 23rd FEBRUARY 2020
​

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a Passionist who had died in our English Province, a man whom I had known since my student days and who, despite the very different paths our lives took as Passionists, he going down the worker-priest route, and me taking a more traditional Passionist ministry pathway, I had the greatest respect and admiration for. I also found him to be a very engaging and enjoyable companion whenever our paths crossed. When I finished that log, I went into my emails to send a copy to the person who uploads it to the parish website. No sooner had I done that than an incoming email popped up from the Provincial of the Passionists in England, giving details of this man’s funeral, which was to take place in the Passionist Monastery at Minsteracres on the Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. My immediate thought was that this was not coincidence, but providence, and that I should go to this funeral, which I duly cleared my schedule to be able to do.
 
The day of travelling didn’t start too well. Storm Chiara had passed but storm Dennis was still lingering, and I decided to get on the road early, so as to take the journey slowly and carefully. Before getting on the road, however, I had to get some shopping in for my brother, for whom I am the primary carer. I left his house after delivering the shopping but then, just as I was leaving the Clydeside Expressway to get on to the M8, an orange light appeared on the dashboard of the car, clearly warning me of something untoward. I didn’t think it was anything too much to worry about as it was a fairly new car that had just been through its first service, but equally I didn’t fancy embarking on a long journey with an orange light showing, and so I diverted to St. Mungo’s where I asked Father Gareth if he would swap cars with me and, being a very obliging man, he duly agreed. I swapped my things over into the boot of the other car and got on the road again, but then, before I reached the turn-off for the M73 to head south, I realised I had left my mobile phone on the front seat of the first car. Not wanting to be without it for two days, in case any emergencies arose, I turned back to St. Mungo’s yet again. By this time, Father Gareth had gone to the bank with the Sunday collections. We tried phoning him numerous times from the office but he wasn’t answering. Our receptionist said that when he left for the bank, he had said he wouldn’t be back that day. We both knew, however, that his pattern was often to head into ASDA after the bank for an all-day breakfast, so I decided that I would head for ASDA to see if he was still in the café. I got there quite quickly but there was no sign of him. I had a look in the bank, but I knew he would have gone from there. Without much hope, I decided to take a walk through the shopping centre in case he was having a mooch. Hardly had I entered the centre when I saw the unmistakeable figure of Father Gareth, surveying the world around him, and eating a big tub of ice-cream – his dessert after the all-day breakfast. I’m always glad to see Father Gareth, but even more so on this occasion. I retrieved my phone from his car and began the journey south once again, about an hour and a half later than intended.
 
I still arrived in Minsteracres in good time for the removal. I paid a visit to the monastery cemetery to visit the graves of old friends from my time there, 1992-96, and whose funerals I hadn’t been able to get to when I was living in Dublin. The removal was well done, with a moving reflection from a man from CAPS (Catholics for Aids Prevention and Support) to whom my friend had given years of service, standing at the foot of the cross as he saw it. Afterwards, over food and drinks, I enjoyed good conversations with old friends, before retiring, exhausted from the day, for an early night. The Mass next day was also a fitting tribute, with a fellow Passionist worker-priest rendering a beautiful homily. After the burial in the monastery cemetery, at which I thought I was going to freeze to death, I didn’t linger too long at the buffet meal, but got back on the road to Glasgow, hoping to get through the relentless downpour, before rush hour. It was a horrible journey, but thankfully I made it back safely, and I was very glad I had made the effort to say farewell to a fine Passionist. R.I.P.

1 Comment
Jim lusk
29/2/2020 03:04:51 pm

Hi Father.

Sounds like a frustrating but worthwhile journey

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    FATHER FRANK KEEVINS C.P.

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.