January 4, 2005 will long live in our memories. It was the day that at 2.30 in the afternoon Robert Holohan, on his new BMX, and armed with his new mobile phone, set off to meet his friends. I imagine that a young lad as exuberant as Robert would have tested the bike out down Ballyedmond Hill. He would have come out from his beautiful home and surroundings in idyllic countryside. Taking the back road to the Golf Club you can imagine him sweeping round that bend into the tiny road. What happened next we do not know, but Robert vanished.
Later that evening, concern grew and this was to begin nine harrowing days for Mark and Majella and family, neighbours and quickly the whole community. News that Robert had gone missing sparked off the biggest search this country has seen, with Gardai, Rescue Services, the Army, the whole community and wider involved. Here in this Church we prayed continually for Robert’s safe return. For days the search yielded nothing, but what we were becoming increasingly fearful of became reality on Wednesday, with the news of the discovery at Inch. Jan 4th 2005 will be recalled and remembered for many years.
One of my prayers is that today, January 15th, will also be recalled. Because today we gather around Robert as family, community and friends - and with the support and the prayers of the whole nation. Mark and Majella chose today to do what is right for Robert. They must then start the long journey of looking to the future and putting their lives back together again. This reflects the bravery and the courage that they have shown through all this harrowing time.
Today, we want above all to be a day of hope. Robert went missing while we were still celebrating the Christmas event. Isaiah had promised that “the people that walked in darkness has seen a great light”. He also promised that the child to be born would be Emmanuel, a name which means “God-with-us”. Today, God is with us. Paul, in Romans, reminds us that nothing in life or in death will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. St. Matthew says to us “You are the light of the world”. He urges us to let our light shine.
Today is a day of light. On Sunday last at a Vigil for Robert, Mark and Majella lit what we call a Candle of Hope – hope for Robert’s safe return. On Thursday, that candle became a reminder of Robert, but now burns as a Candle of Hope for the family, the community and indeed the nation. Also lighting on the altar is the candle lit for Robert on the day he was brought for Baptism. That candle was lit also on the day of his First Communion. It takes its meaning from another candle lighting here, the Paschal or Easter Candle. All these lights take their meaning from Easter. They are symbols of the new life that Christ won for us through his death and resurrection. Our prayer for Robert today is that the seed of that new and eternal life sown in Baptism and nourished in the Eucharist will now reach fulfilment with God.
During the past twelve days we have witnessed and experienced something very special. We began to see again the immense goodness in the person next to us - the bravery, generosity, determination and sheer goodness of the thousands of people who searched; who provided refreshments on cold, wet, and dreary days; the contributions from shops and local businesses who, incidentally, have today closed their doors to trading. It is a side to this tragedy to cherish, to ponder on and, above all, to build on. There is a tendency when celebrating the life of a young person that has ended, to dwell on what might have been. Maybe this is to ignore the precious years of his life. Robert, in those short years, brought joy and exuberance through sport, through the Pony Club and through simply being Robert. But maybe today, his contribution is a far wider one. He has helped us, even if for a brief time, to re-discover human and Christian values that many felt have been missing. Our challenge may be to honour Robert’s memory by doing everything we can to restore those values.
In a telephone call last evening President Mary McAleese asked me to convey to the people of Midleton her commendation on the extraordinary community response. And I quote:
“Their community goodness and support has won them the hearts of the people of Ireland. This extraordinary experience of community has galvanised the whole country; what happened in your community has been a real test of community values. Midleton has responded with resilience, dignity and sheer goodness. The stranger has become a neighbour. Our prayers and the prayers of the nation are with little Robert, because we all feel that we know him. No home in Ireland has been untouched by this, so you can rest assured that the prayers of the whole nation are with you, the family and the whole community tomorrow afternoon.”
Over the past days, hundreds of messages of love and support have come through. Also, the whole search effort has been truly heroic. An example of this was a phone call from Drogheda last Monday night, offering help in the search. Despite a serious weather alert, this man drove from Drogheda to be here to join the search at first light the following day, and returned that evening to Drogheda for work the next day. I’m sure there are many, many more examples of such heroism and to everybody who took part, your contribution was phenomenal. Could I share one more message with you? On Thursday, I had a call from a Garda in Cork city. He said:
“If you think this is worth passing on to the family, please do. I was one of two gardai who kept watch on Robert last night. Because of the circumstances, only one of us could be with Robert at a time. I’d like the parents to know that Robert was not alone last night and that I spoke to him all the time. I just wished that I had a blanket to wrap round him”.
Mark and Majella and family, this has been an extraordinarily difficult time for you. We can only imagine your suffering, your pain and your loss. But sometimes it is good to share the words of those who have suffered terrible tragedies too. I’d like to finish by sharing with you the words of a mother who lost her daughter in the Oklahoma bombing in America. These words were found tied to the fencing at the bomb site where her daughter was killed:
She wrote:
I said, “God I hurt”.
And God said, “I know.”
I said “God, I cry a lot.”
And God said “That is why I gave you tears.”
I said “God, I am so depressed.”
And God said, “that is why I gave you sunshine.”
I said “God, life is so hard.”
And God said, “that is why I gave you loved ones.”
I said “God, my loved one died.”
And God said, “so did mine.”
I said, “God, its such a loss.”
And God said “I saw mine nailed to a cross.”
I said, “But God, your loved one lives.”
And God said, “so does yours.”
I said, “God, where are they now?”
And God said, “mine is on my right hand and your is in the light.”
I said, “God, it hurts.”
And God said, “I know.”