Normally, it would not be easy to think of a single means of enjoying a holiday, celebrating a tenth anniversary of ordination to the priesthood and supporting the training of priests in the developing countries. However Fr. Gerard Byrne, parish priest of St. Brendan’s, Corby, has been nothing if not innovative!
He also asked priests throughout the Northampton diocese for their help.
In his letter, he wrote, ‘The time has passed very quickly and I can honestly say they have been the happiest years of my life and I am grateful to God for the vocation to which he has called me. The gift of our priestly vocation is very special and God continues to call young men throughout the world to serve the Church in the priesthood.
In recognition of this and as a token of thanksgiving for the gift of my own vocation, I have decided to raise funds for the Society of Saint Peter the Apostle (SPA), one of the Pontifical Mission Societies which helps fund the training of clergy overseas. The SPA provides much needed grants of £500 per student for the last four years of their seminary formation.
To assist the SPA in their valuable work, I plan to embark on a sponsored bike ride around the coast of Ireland, beginning in Galway and travelling clockwise, hopefully arriving back in Galway some three weeks later!’
Normally, in addition to his activities as parish priest in Corby, Fr. Gerard is also the Northampton Diocesan Master of ceremonies and the Diocesan Director for Mission Together, the branch of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) that is especially dedicated to coordinating the efforts of children helping children in need in young Churches across the world. However, this year, he is celebrating his tenth anniversary of Ordination to the priesthood, and that started him thinking in a different direction.
Hence, on Wednesday, July 9, in spite of torrential rain, Fr Gerard travelled across to Ireland and began the first leg of his 1400 mile sponsored bicycle ride around the coast of Ireland!
The parish priest made another long bike ride on behalf of a well-loved cause when, in October 2006, he cycled to Rome, across the Alps from Lausanne in Switzerland, via an ancient pilgrimage route. On that occasion, he earned £7,500 for Luton Good Counsel, a diocesan pro-life charity.
Fr Gerard is planning to cycle between 90 and 100 miles each day, staying at the homes of friends along the way. Neither is he travelling the journey alone. A friend and parishioner, José Castro, has taken one week’s holiday from work to accompany him by car and keep pace with the pedalling priest.
Bad weather hit Fr Gerard’s start to his journey, so that, when leaving Galway on July 9, he ‘only’ managed the 35 miles to Maam Cross. From there, he struck out again, this time in the direction of Newport, Co. Mayo and then on to Sligo. By Sunday 13, he had reached Greencastle at the mouth of the River Foyle. After crossing over the river by ferry, Fr Gerard then pedalled on to Belfast.
His plan was to reach Dundalk by 18 July, when José returned home to Corby. However, Fr Gerard, found himself on his own for a brief period whilst he cycled through Dublin and Waterford, to Cork, where he temporarily abandoned his bike. Backtracking by train to meet his 80 year-old mother and a friend in Dundalk for the blessing of the graves, including that of his late father, on Saturday 20 July, Mrs Byrne and Pam McNally will be his ‘roadies’ until the end of the marathon bike ride. On returning to Cork for the last section of the route to journey’s end in Galway, they will undertake a rather less energetic means of enjoying a holiday and the unfolding scenery.
Congratulations, Fr Gerard, in more ways than one! ---------------
Should you like to contribute to his sponsored bike ride on behalf of the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, Fr. Gerard asks that you send the money directly to The Society of St. Peter the Apostle, 23 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1NU, marking the envelope ‘Sponsored Bike Ride’.
