St. Clement's Island, 374 Years Later
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| The boys used canoes to reach St. Clement's Island. |
On November 23, 1633, the feast day of Pope St. Clement, patron saint of mariners, a group of Catholics with two small ships, The Ark and The Dove, set sail from England. After four months, they arrived at the new world, navigating up the Chesapeake Bay and North to the Potomac River. On March 25, 1634, they set foot on a small island which they placed under St. Clement’s patronage. Mass was celebrated there in thanksgiving, the first for any English-speaking colony. These were the beginnings of the state of Maryland.
In the Year of Our Lord 2007, nearly three and three quarters centuries later, the young men of St. Louis de Montfort Academy embarked on a trip to St. Clement's Island. Upon arrival that morning, winds and waves were calm, spirits were high and, with canoes and with ores in hand, we “set sail” from the Maryland shore to the island.
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| A rosary was prayed for the conversion of the United States. |
Despite our inexperienced seamanship, we reached our destination. Once foot was set there, we began scouting and found the perfect area… for eating lunch.
As the cooks prepared the meal, we prayed a rosary in front of a 40-foot cross erected in 1934. Our intentions were focused on a Catholic America and in reparation for the numerous blasphemies and sacrileges committed in our homeland. After the rosary, we ate to satisfaction, visualizing the hardships of the return trip ahead of us.
But before leaving we explored a bit and learned several historical facts of early American history from the plaques posted about the island.
The hours had passed and menacing clouds covered the horizon.
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| A pizza dinner was a welcome conclusion to another excellent Academy outing. |
Then came the time to face the tempest: the winds gusted, the waves roared, but we had weathered other storms. (Or was this the first?) Two young men set out early to test the waters, but alas, their canoe was overturned. They did not hit the waves properly and were struck broadside, toppling the canoe. Learning from their mistake, we braved the stormy waves under the vigilant eyes of the Coast Guard and the crowd at shore.
Upon reaching firm ground, we unceremoniously packed up and set off for the Academy.
That last battle with the sea helped us to appreciate the obstacles the first settlers had to deal with and the suffering they endured. We returned with the spirit of adventure and with promptitude to live contrary to the sadly mediocre and amoral society of the early twenty-first century.
