FATHER FRANK’S LOG: 23rd – 30th JUNE 2024
Last Monday morning, after celebrating the 10 o’clock Mass in St Roch’s, Father Gareth, Brother Conor and myself set off for our Passionist Retreat Centre at Crossgar, County Down, in Northern Ireland. The purpose of our journey was to attend an assembly of our province, the main thrust of which would be the launch of a rather extensive review process which will be unfolding between now and our Provincial Chapter, which is scheduled to take place in June 2025. Father Gareth assumed the driving responsibilities as we made our way to Cairnryan for the Stena Line ferry to Belfast. We were making good time and so, rather than be there too early, we stopped off in Girvan. It was a beautiful day, so we had a stroll along the seafront, and then found ourselves a little café where we could sit in and have some refreshments. We then continued the journey and got ourselves checked in at the terminal.
At one point, as we relaxed in the terminal, waiting to be called back to our vehicle, I decided to take a walk outside, just to stretch my legs and get a breath of fresh air. It was obvious that the ferry was going to be very busy as the lanes of cars, vans and lorries waiting to board were all jam packed. There is just a very narrow lane, principally designated for dog walkers, which offers the opportunity to take a stroll, and so I walked along there as far as I could go, and then turned to walk back again. Suddenly, a man approached me from between the cars, and asked me if I was Father Frank Keevins. When I responded in the affirmative, uncertain of what was to come next, he told me that he had recognized me from my picture in the Flourish while reading my log the day before, for the very first time, having picked up a copy from the church in which he and his wife had attended Mass whilst visiting their daughter, who was living in Glasgow. It turned out that his wife was the daughter of the man who, for many years, had been my dentist in Dublin, during my student days in Mount Argus in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. When I started the parish folk group in Mount Argus in 1976, two of his daughters and one of his sons became members, and so I got to know the family quite well. Whenever I would make an appointment to see the dentist, I would always be scheduled in for the last appointment before lunch, and he would then insist that I accompany him across the road to his house for a bowl of soup and a sandwich with him and his dear wife. He would insist on this, even though my mouth would still have been numb from the injection that preceded any treatment, and so, that usually meant that I was slurring the soup down my chin, with more of it going on to my jumper than into my mouth. He would then go back to the surgery, and I would go back to the monastery, clean my chin, and throw my jumper in the wash. He was such a good, decent and friendly man, and always full of chat. When I was in the dentist’s chair, he would always try to drill into me the benefits of dental floss (no pun intended), but when I was in his home, the chat would be about family, faith, and his many memories and anecdotes of Mount Argus. He is long dead now, God rest him, but it was such a delight to be then brought over to their car to meet his daughter, and to catch up with her on all the other family members whom I had known so well back in the day.
I returned to my colleagues, only to discover that another Passionist, Father Frank Trias, was also booked on this ferry, having been home in Glasgow over the weekend with the sacristan from Holy Cross, Ardoyne, where Father Frank now ministers. The main reason for their trip was to attend a big wrestling event in the Hydro, but of course Father Frank was also taking the opportunity to visit his mum. The ferry journey passed very pleasantly with lots of good chat, and of course we would meet up with Fater Frank again the next day at the assembly. The assembly went very well. Brother Conor was staying on in Crossgar, and so Father Gareth and myself set off on the Tuesday evening for the ferry back to Cairnryan. We arrived back to Bishopbriggs around half past midnight, tired but safe, and ready for work next day.
As ever, protect yourself, your loved ones and others, and protect Christ in your lives.
Last Monday morning, after celebrating the 10 o’clock Mass in St Roch’s, Father Gareth, Brother Conor and myself set off for our Passionist Retreat Centre at Crossgar, County Down, in Northern Ireland. The purpose of our journey was to attend an assembly of our province, the main thrust of which would be the launch of a rather extensive review process which will be unfolding between now and our Provincial Chapter, which is scheduled to take place in June 2025. Father Gareth assumed the driving responsibilities as we made our way to Cairnryan for the Stena Line ferry to Belfast. We were making good time and so, rather than be there too early, we stopped off in Girvan. It was a beautiful day, so we had a stroll along the seafront, and then found ourselves a little café where we could sit in and have some refreshments. We then continued the journey and got ourselves checked in at the terminal.
At one point, as we relaxed in the terminal, waiting to be called back to our vehicle, I decided to take a walk outside, just to stretch my legs and get a breath of fresh air. It was obvious that the ferry was going to be very busy as the lanes of cars, vans and lorries waiting to board were all jam packed. There is just a very narrow lane, principally designated for dog walkers, which offers the opportunity to take a stroll, and so I walked along there as far as I could go, and then turned to walk back again. Suddenly, a man approached me from between the cars, and asked me if I was Father Frank Keevins. When I responded in the affirmative, uncertain of what was to come next, he told me that he had recognized me from my picture in the Flourish while reading my log the day before, for the very first time, having picked up a copy from the church in which he and his wife had attended Mass whilst visiting their daughter, who was living in Glasgow. It turned out that his wife was the daughter of the man who, for many years, had been my dentist in Dublin, during my student days in Mount Argus in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. When I started the parish folk group in Mount Argus in 1976, two of his daughters and one of his sons became members, and so I got to know the family quite well. Whenever I would make an appointment to see the dentist, I would always be scheduled in for the last appointment before lunch, and he would then insist that I accompany him across the road to his house for a bowl of soup and a sandwich with him and his dear wife. He would insist on this, even though my mouth would still have been numb from the injection that preceded any treatment, and so, that usually meant that I was slurring the soup down my chin, with more of it going on to my jumper than into my mouth. He would then go back to the surgery, and I would go back to the monastery, clean my chin, and throw my jumper in the wash. He was such a good, decent and friendly man, and always full of chat. When I was in the dentist’s chair, he would always try to drill into me the benefits of dental floss (no pun intended), but when I was in his home, the chat would be about family, faith, and his many memories and anecdotes of Mount Argus. He is long dead now, God rest him, but it was such a delight to be then brought over to their car to meet his daughter, and to catch up with her on all the other family members whom I had known so well back in the day.
I returned to my colleagues, only to discover that another Passionist, Father Frank Trias, was also booked on this ferry, having been home in Glasgow over the weekend with the sacristan from Holy Cross, Ardoyne, where Father Frank now ministers. The main reason for their trip was to attend a big wrestling event in the Hydro, but of course Father Frank was also taking the opportunity to visit his mum. The ferry journey passed very pleasantly with lots of good chat, and of course we would meet up with Fater Frank again the next day at the assembly. The assembly went very well. Brother Conor was staying on in Crossgar, and so Father Gareth and myself set off on the Tuesday evening for the ferry back to Cairnryan. We arrived back to Bishopbriggs around half past midnight, tired but safe, and ready for work next day.
As ever, protect yourself, your loved ones and others, and protect Christ in your lives.
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