MISSION TRIP FOUR 4-1-16

MEET A FELLOW VOLUNTEER 
FROM IRELAND 

"Truly a Good Man" 

Martin Folan

"As long as you failed to do it for one of these least  ones, you failed to do it for me.

Matthew 25:45 

After his wife died back in Galway, Ireland, seventeen years ago, Martin decided to volunteer in the Diocese of Kingstown, SVG, through his connection to an Irish Dominican priest who worked in SVG for fourteen years. 

His ministry is focused on serving the homeless, hungry, elderly, mentally and physically sick and imprisoned. He arranges weekly vouchers for many of them to help them keep body and soul together. They do not have the elaborate social service system we enjoy here in the United States. Their situations are more dire. 

He is a man of deep faith and intense prayer, which sustains him in his amazing commitment to the poorest of the poor over the last ten years in his adopted country of SVG.

I believe that is Martin, top right, doing what he loves - serving the poor at the cathedral.





One of Martin's fans who shows up at the Pastoral Centre's kitchen window a few time a day.

(Below) Martin (smiling in the stripped shirt) is an avid Rugby fan. Here he is in the stands with Fergal Redmond, another full-time SVG volunteer. It was the first qualifying game for "World Cup Rugby 2019." 

The game was held in the SVG cricket grounds recently. Unfortunately, SVG was beaten by Jamaica 48-0. Martin was particularly thrilled to meet Nigel Owens, the number one rugby referee in the world, a Welsh man who took charge of the final game in rugby world cup 2015.

The "Three Volunteer Musketeers" of SVG. at "tea time."

Fergal, Ron and Martin

We do have a good time when we get together.