Outcome of Annual Mass
Annual Mass
On the 10th of March in Waterford City the Right of Place Second Chance Annual Mass was held in St. John’s Church and a social gathering of Survivors was held afterwards in the Farroshanine Community Building.
First and foremost we would like to thank all those that attended and in particular those that attended from all over the country, indeed one family travelled literally the length of the country and brought their daughter along with them. Their enjoyment was evident and their comments agreed with this.
The Mass itself was a very powerful one and all in attendance commented on this. One Survivor in attendance stated “I never go to mass, except Marriage and Funeral’s, but that was uplifting”. There was roughly 100 in attendance at the Mass.
Bishop William lee, took a number of minutes out of the Mass to offer his deepest regret and apologies regarding the Abuse that occured to Survivors. It was a moving and genuine speech, to which a rousing round of applause was afforded by all those Survivors in attendance.
Possibly the best part of the day was reserved for the Social gathering afterwards. There was fantastic food provided for all in attendance, courtesy of Mary Grimes Catering Company and Bishop Lee spent the time going around and speaking to each individual Survivor and family member. It became a rocky start when the band that were meant to be there, failed to show up however Liam “The Bock” Maher rescued the day when he came armed with his guitar. It was also surprising to see our very own chairperson bring in his guitar and entertain those present with an array of ballads and folk songs.
It was so inspirational and heart warming to see each Survivor, join in the sing song and many played different instruments, and offered their voices to sing along. It was wonderful to see Survivors encouraging each other and showcasing their talents after what was a tremendous day for many. As One Survivor put it to me at the end of the day “That was absolutely fantastic, thank you to everybody involved and we should have this once a month. Thanks for an unforgettable day and an opportunity to be around friends”
People are already talking about next year, and the further events that we have planned for this year…. A fantastic Day and a triumph for Survivors and their families.
*Please note unless prior permission is given, we believe in maintaining the confidentiality of our members and Survivors and that is the explanation for some of the faces being “blurred”
It was so great to be apart of this and see it in my hometown. Simply heartwarming.