Sunday, February 25, 2007

Point of No Return


In keeping with the Family Stories theme, I took an excursion to Cobh to visit the place where my grandparents sailed from Ireland. Particularly after spending time with my cousins last week and sharing stories of my grandparents, this trip to Cobh was memorable. Cobh is a seaside town not far from the Ballymaloe Cookery School. It has a naturally deep harbor, which makes it ideal for large ships. Over three million Irish emigrated from this port. There is a Heritage Museum which marks the history of the Irish travelers as well the tragedies of the Titanic and the Lusitania. The Titanic sank just days after its last port stop in Cobh in April of 1912 and the Lusitania was destroyed by German submarines in May of 1915 just off the coast of Cobh. As I walked to the top of the town to visit St. Coleman’s Cathedral I thought of the many people who must have had their last mass there. I was overwhelmed with emotion and yet reflected on the power of the Psalm reading for this week. It must have been a source of strength for many just as it is for me: “God, my refuge, my stronghold, in Him do I trust.”