The manner in which people had rallied around the families of seven fishermen lost in two separate trawler tragedies was a source of great strength to those waiting for news of their loved ones, Massgoers heard in Dunmore East, Co Waterford, yesterday.
Parish priest Fr Brian Power told a packed church at Killea, overlooking Dunmore East harbour, that the sinking of the Père Charles off Hook Head on January 10th and the Honeydew II off Mine Head on January 11th were dreadful tragedies.
"This morning, we gather, a community in faith, to pray for those missing - Tom and Pat Hennesy, Billy O'Connor, Pat Coady and Andriy Dyrin of the Père Charles and Ger Bohan and Tomasz Jagla of the Honeydew II," he said.
"We have also come to support those who are grieving at this awful time of waiting for the families and relatives, a time filled with anguish, longing for news, some word of hope," he told Massgoers.
"As a community we share the pain and grief of the families, we are all affected by this awful tragedy, the scale of it has shocked and numbed us and we also share the sense of loss of the Kinsale community.
"The beacon of light at this awful time is the way the community has been so supportive of the families in their distress," Fr Power told Massgoers, as out in the bay, the LE Eithne continued to co-ordinate the search operation for the missing men.
"As a fishing village, we are at the mercy of the sea. . . it brings home to us how dangerous and precarious the nature of the fishing profession is, it brings home to us their courage and their skill in risking their lives for our benefit.
"At this time of tragedy, we struggle in the darkness and ask where is God in our need, our Christian faith shows us that God does listen to our cries . We can put our trust in a power greater than the destructive force of the sea around us."
Fr Power also paid tribute to all those involved in the search, the RNLI, the Naval Service, Irish Coastguard and An Garda Síochána, as well as the many friends of the missing men who had gone out in their own trawlers to help in the search.
"We ask God to guide and protect them and may they be rewarded for their dedication and service which has brought comfort to the families of the victims," said Fr Power, as he asked people to continue to have the strength to support the grieving families.
