We woke to a beautiful warm day. Pat led the devotional.
First stop was Church of the Holy Redeemer in Clonard.
We attedended Mass. It was the feast of St. Athanasius, Doctor of the Church from Alexandria. We met Edward, lay deacon for a Church tour and later tea, coffee and biscuits in the monastery. Edward and Sister Gill explained the origin of the trouble which started when Parishioners were burnt out of their homes and the church itself was threatened. Ed explained the role of Father Gerry and how he originated the Unity of the Pilgrims, Unity of All. It started as a solitary effort of a lone priest who, one Sunday, went to a Protestant service in the spirit of unity of Christ’s disciples. We went into a lovely garden. Cheryl and Paula marveled at the symbol of the clematis overpowering the barbed wire of the wall.
Skainos was our next destination. Sandy, Yvonne, Billy, and Kathy addressed us. Kathy took us on a comprehensive tour of the modern facility. They house the homeless, ,feed the shut-ins, manage 11 charity shops, AA meetings, a nursery, a Stepping Stones program and much more including a homeless soccer league! The center provided a delicious lunch in the café. Then we met Mike and toured the ReFrurb center. The ravenous pack next went to the Crown for a dinner and desert. Judy met us and provided a tour of the historic area and pubs.
Submitted by Cheryl Brandt
At Clonard with Ed Petersen
At Skainos
At the Refurb Center
Tour of Belfast
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