Page 41 - The Gonzaga Record 1994
P. 41
The level of participation added greatly (Senior 2A) side,
to the Second Year footballing bonanza Basketball was also organised at lunch-
during the spring tournam ent. Great time for enthusiastic Second Years eager
commitment and dedication was to show their skills on the court and fight
dem onstrated by all sides. Paul for the title of Number One Basketball
M cCarthy’s (Senior 2S) side came Player,
through to take the honours after a tough
final encounter against Ray B arry’s Keith Hyland (Senior 6)
THE LOURDES PILGRIMAGE 1993
Had I to say which event in all my six pilgrimage is a celebration of the human
years in Gonzaga made the greatest spirit and of our power to overcome
impact on me or affected me the most, I disability. For thirteen hours a day we
would have no hesitation in naming the helped those who could not help
Lourdes Pilgrimage of September 1993. I themselves and we felt great that we were
can confidently say that it was also an able to. If nothing else, we came away
excellent way to start Sixth Year and the from Lourdes knowing that despite the
most uplifting experience I have ever had evil reported daily in the media, there is
on a school trip! good in the world.
From 7-12 September, a group of eight We worked from between 06.00 and
of us and Mr John O'Connor had the 07.00 to 22.30 with little more than an
chance to take part in the Dublin hour or two off, though there were many
Diocesan Pilgrim age 1993 as lulls in the day. The easiest, and arguably
brancardiers. We were: David Batt, Ian most important, part of our work was
Brennan, Robert Conan, Daniel Fennelly, talking to the invalids. We had been told
Brian Horkan, Colm Rafferty, Paul before leaving that about half of the 160
Sheahan and Patrick Stephenson. We invalids were terminally ill but that fact
were part of a group of about 70 slipped from our minds as we helped
volunteers who, with trained nurses and them, cared for them, talked to them and
doctors, helped the 160 invalids of the as our friendships with them grew over
1500-strong Dublin Pilgrimage. the six days.
We eight were part of a 30-strong youth Since returning, a common question has
group comprising pupils and past pupils been whether the mental and physical
of Gonzaga, Muckross Park, Loreto on disabilities of the invalids were unsettling
the Green, St Mary's and Belvedere. Four or strained the relationships we formed
Gonzaga past pupils were in evidence last with them, but the answer to both these
Septem ber - Kevin Gallagher, Jim queries is no. It very quickly became
Gallagher, Eamonn Carney and Ronan evident to us on our first day that we were
White. dealing with people who were no less
All volunteer helpers, nurses and human and certainly no less deserving of
invalids wore nam e-tags in Lourdes our love and friendship than the able-
making it very easy to make new friends bodied. merely less fortunate than us.
and to talk to those who have nobody to In case anybody may get the impression
talk to. Such is the atm osphere of that Lourdes is all work, even if highly
camaraderie and friendliness between rewarding, I should add that we also had
pilgrims of all nationalities in Lourdes our fair share of fun. I don’t think we got
that, regardless of the strength of the even six hours of sleep per night. It was
religious faith of those who go to not unusual to hit the bed at 01.00 a.m.
Lourdes, it is impossible not to come after two hours of downing French beer
away feeling that the six-day long and singing rugby songs and the choruses
33
to the Second Year footballing bonanza Basketball was also organised at lunch-
during the spring tournam ent. Great time for enthusiastic Second Years eager
commitment and dedication was to show their skills on the court and fight
dem onstrated by all sides. Paul for the title of Number One Basketball
M cCarthy’s (Senior 2S) side came Player,
through to take the honours after a tough
final encounter against Ray B arry’s Keith Hyland (Senior 6)
THE LOURDES PILGRIMAGE 1993
Had I to say which event in all my six pilgrimage is a celebration of the human
years in Gonzaga made the greatest spirit and of our power to overcome
impact on me or affected me the most, I disability. For thirteen hours a day we
would have no hesitation in naming the helped those who could not help
Lourdes Pilgrimage of September 1993. I themselves and we felt great that we were
can confidently say that it was also an able to. If nothing else, we came away
excellent way to start Sixth Year and the from Lourdes knowing that despite the
most uplifting experience I have ever had evil reported daily in the media, there is
on a school trip! good in the world.
From 7-12 September, a group of eight We worked from between 06.00 and
of us and Mr John O'Connor had the 07.00 to 22.30 with little more than an
chance to take part in the Dublin hour or two off, though there were many
Diocesan Pilgrim age 1993 as lulls in the day. The easiest, and arguably
brancardiers. We were: David Batt, Ian most important, part of our work was
Brennan, Robert Conan, Daniel Fennelly, talking to the invalids. We had been told
Brian Horkan, Colm Rafferty, Paul before leaving that about half of the 160
Sheahan and Patrick Stephenson. We invalids were terminally ill but that fact
were part of a group of about 70 slipped from our minds as we helped
volunteers who, with trained nurses and them, cared for them, talked to them and
doctors, helped the 160 invalids of the as our friendships with them grew over
1500-strong Dublin Pilgrimage. the six days.
We eight were part of a 30-strong youth Since returning, a common question has
group comprising pupils and past pupils been whether the mental and physical
of Gonzaga, Muckross Park, Loreto on disabilities of the invalids were unsettling
the Green, St Mary's and Belvedere. Four or strained the relationships we formed
Gonzaga past pupils were in evidence last with them, but the answer to both these
Septem ber - Kevin Gallagher, Jim queries is no. It very quickly became
Gallagher, Eamonn Carney and Ronan evident to us on our first day that we were
White. dealing with people who were no less
All volunteer helpers, nurses and human and certainly no less deserving of
invalids wore nam e-tags in Lourdes our love and friendship than the able-
making it very easy to make new friends bodied. merely less fortunate than us.
and to talk to those who have nobody to In case anybody may get the impression
talk to. Such is the atm osphere of that Lourdes is all work, even if highly
camaraderie and friendliness between rewarding, I should add that we also had
pilgrims of all nationalities in Lourdes our fair share of fun. I don’t think we got
that, regardless of the strength of the even six hours of sleep per night. It was
religious faith of those who go to not unusual to hit the bed at 01.00 a.m.
Lourdes, it is impossible not to come after two hours of downing French beer
away feeling that the six-day long and singing rugby songs and the choruses
33
