Photo: Bro. James Hayes, ready to travel 1 500 km from Berlin to Arromanches. A gesture of reconciliation in this year of the Mercy and on the occasion of 100 years of the end of the First World War.
England-Germany-France. ” I’m leaving on Friday, May 27th for a sponsored cycle trip of 1 500 km and 9 days from Berlin to Arromanches – landing beaches ” explained Bro. James Hayes, Superior of the Community of Liverpool, England ; he is also a teacher of cinema and religion at St Francis Xavier College in the same city. The objective is to collect funds for The Royal British Legion (http://www.britishlegion.org.uk ), a famous charity in England which works in favour of the recent and former fighters.
” Pope Francis having announced a Year of the Mercy in 2016, I see this trip as being also a token gesture of reconciliation, mercy and solidarity between our peoples – the British, German and French. On the way I am going to make a detour to Dresden and cross the region of the Somme. I discovered that three of my Irish great-uncles died during the First World War, at least two of them in the battle of the Somme, their names being registered on the Memorial of Thiepval, where I am going to pay tribute to them. “
Contact with the site to collect funds: https://www.justgiving.com/James-Hayes29