Success of Rosary on the Coast

On Sunday I was one of 30 people who traveled by coach from York to Scarborough for the Rosary on the Coast.  There, we met 100 others gathered next to the life boat station to recite the Litany of Loretto, sing hymns and say the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary.  We were one of about 400 groups around the coasts of the British Isles doing the same thing at the same time.  If our gathering was of typical size, that would amount to about 52,000 people involved.  The organisers, who are mostly lay people,  must be congratulated on a great success of this project.

I do hope that the project will be repeated in future years.  If that happens I would be keen to give a hand with the organisation, with a view to getting even more groups involved. There is surely scope for expansion.  Along the length of the coast of the Diocese of Middlesbrough there were seven locations, namely: Redcar, Saltburn, Whitby, Scarborough, Hornsea, Withernsea, Hull and Hessle.  It would be nice if a few more, such as Filew and  Bridlington, were added.  Indeed, looking at the map of all the locations, the Yorkshire coast had relatively few flags compared with most parts of the country.

One small amusing anecdote.  Our group gathered at the highest part of the beach at Scarborough, with the water line several yards away.  There did not appear to be any threat from the rising tide, but as the rosary progressed, the water came closer and closer at a remarkable speed.   Those at the lower end of the group had to close in on the others.  By the time we dispersed, there was no beach left with everyone huddled on a paved slipway.  I don't know whether anyone checked the tide times before the event, but if it had been 30 mins later, we would have been in trouble.