Each year in Kinsale, Canon David Williams, rector of the beautiful St Multose Church, holds an ecumenical service under the auspices of the Mission to Seafarers. It is known as "Sea Sunday" and attracts up to 650 people. This year's service, the 12th, will be held next Sunday.
The Mission to Seafarers, says Canon Williams, is the response of the Anglican community worldwide to the needs of seafarers and is present in some 300 ports around the globe. Because of its logo, many sailors know it as the "flying angel". He adds: "Our purpose on Sea Sunday is to commemorate those who have died at sea, to pray for the safety of those who work at sea as well as those who use the sea for recreation, and to support in prayer all those organisations that would respond to a marine emergency. A collection is also made for the RNLI and the Mission to Seafarers."
The ecumenical service attracts not only all the Irish maritime agencies, such as the Navy, coastguard, Air Corps, fisheries boards, lifeboat service, Garda, but also representatives of the Royal Navy Air Sea Rescue from Cornwall.
For many years, the Royal Navy has worked closely with its Irish counterpart and many who are alive today remember that the first inkling of rescue from the sea was the sound of a Sea King helicopter.
On Saturday, at 3 p.m. a Royal Navy helicopter will join the Courtmacsherry lifeboat in a simulated rescue in Kinsale Harbour. After the service on Sunday, the guests, led by a piper, will parade from St Multose to the Seamen's Memorial on the quay where a wreath will be laid, and at the pier head, the traditional ecumenical blessing of the boats will be performed.
The Mission to Seafarers, says Canon Williams, works hand-in-hand with the Roman Catholic Seamen's Mission around the world, as well as with the British and International Seafarers' Society.
In Kinsale, he pays regular visits to the ships that berth at the busy quays, a side of the scenic town much less well known than its culinary one. Appropriately, Canon Williams has chosen Psalm 107 for the occasion - "pray for those who go down to the sea in ships".