Last Friday, a large body took part in the traditional Easter walk for peace in Downpatrick leading to St Patrick’s Square in the town.
The proceedings were led by the Dean of Church of Ireland Down Cathedral, the Rev. Henry Hull, and local clergy from various churches.
One politician who participated in the walk, Séan Rogers, an SDLP MLA, explained that the walk meant a point of reflection to him at a personal level, and importantly, where we are in our political development in the post-Good Friday Agreement era.
Séan Rogers said: “On Good Friday I took part in the annual ecumenical walk of peace in Castlewellan and also in Downpatrick. As we approached Easter , it was an opportunity to reflect on the lives we lead and the society we are seeking to shape.
“Given the tragic events of the last few weeks, my mind was focussed on the family and friends of Adrian Ismay and those who sadly lost their lives in Brussels. The pursuit of peace was always a driving ambition for the SDLP during the darkest days of conflict.
“The memory of those who have lost their lives at the hands of others committed to violence was at the forefront of my mind as I participated in the ‘Procession of the Cross’ . We must all, political leaders and civic society, reflect on the contribution we can make to the betterment of this society through peace.
“There are so many who bear their own cross every day in our communities…the poor, the unemployed, the sick… they all endure their own painful journey every day. It is through reflecting on this that political leaders must understand there is so much more to life and to our jobs than the petty point scoring that has dominated our discourse for decades. I don’t exempt myself from that criticism and I have to challenge myself, everyday, to understand what I can do better to make my community and my country a better place.”
“We live in a society that has come so far. That has cast off the shackles of conflict and emerged, slowly, into a space where peace could flourish and thrive,” explained Mr Rogers. “That peace has been tested by those who have foolishly set themselves against the will of the Irish people by pursuing a path of violence to reach a political goal.
“The death of Adrian Ismay has brought our struggle into sharp relief over the last number of days. Peace is not the passive absence of violence. Over 40 years and more, we have learned at a heavy cost that peace is its own struggle. In the face of those who murdered Adrian Ismay, in the face of those who murdered innocents in Brussels, in the face of terror everywhere it emerges, we must all strengthen our resolve.
“We must recommit never again to be passive sufferers of violence and mayhem. On Good Friday especially, we stood and must always stand together, united and indivisible, to tell those who seek to bully us, to bend us and to break us, that we are not going back to the dark days of the past.
“This Assembly has had successes, that is undeniable. But we have also failed to create the shared society that so many expected after Good Friday, 1998.
“The challenge now is to recover from that failure and to deliver.
“At this time of year those of us with a Christian faith remember that Christ fell three times on his final walk but found the strength and conviction to carry on. As a society, we must find our courage, our strength and try again after each disappointing fall or failure.
“Our unity is the answer to those who seek to divide us. Again I complement the organisers of the walk of peace and I commend those who participated in both towns.”
