Pilgrimage

Jan 20, 2012

Your life is a sacred journey. And it is about change, growth, movement, transformation, continuously expanding your vision of what is possible, stretching your soul, learning to see clearly and deeply, listening to your intuition, taking courageous risks, and embracing challenges at every step along the way…You are on the path, exactly where you are meant to be right now… And from here, you can only go forward, shaping your life story into a magnificent tale of triumph, of healing, of courage, beauty, wisdom, power, dignity and love…”

The idea of a sacred journey is very much part of who we are as human beings. It ties in with the journey of our own lives. It is a tradition that we share with the other major world religions. Every year millions of people undertake pilgrimages as a way of seeking meaning, taking time for reflection and having a deeper encounter with God.

In the Catholic Church pilgrimage is an essential part of our faith heritage. The great pilgrimage routes traced their way throughout Europe to places like Jerusalem, Rome and Santiago de Compostella. One of the most exciting developments in recent years has been the renewed interest in these sites, especially in the Camino of Santiago. With new insights into our Celtic Christian history tere has also been a resurgence in traditional Irish pilgrimages, such as St Kevin’s Way and St Finbarr’s Way.

Throughout the year the vocations team will lead and welcome people along these ancient pathways. They will offer an opportunity to step away from the hustle and stress of everyday life and walk in the footsteps of millions of other pilgrims throughout the centuries.

Camino de Santiago

Jan 19, 2012

The Way of St. James or St. James’ Way (Spanish name: El Camino de Santiago), is the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in north western Spain, where legend has it that the remains of the apostle, Saint James the Great, are buried. The Way of St James has existed for over a thousand years. It was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times. It was considered one of three pilgrimages on which a plenary indulgence could be earned (the others are the Via Francigena to Rome and the pilgrimage to Jerusalem).

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Lourdes

Jan 18, 2012

Lourdes is known throughout the world as a place that offers hope and consolation to all who are in need of healing and peace. It is a place of prayer and celebration of life and is the most visited pilgrimage destination in Europe. The small town at the foot of the Pyrenees receives more than 6 million pilgrims and tourists each year, and many Irish pilgrims make the journey annually.The origins of the pilgrimages to Lourdes began when Bernadette Soubirous reported the first of 18 visions of Our Lady on 11 February 1858. On the 13th apparition on 28 February 1858, Our Lady instructed Bernadette “Go tell the priests to build a chapel here and come in processions”.

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St Kevin’s Way

Jan 17, 2012

Glendalough, or ‘the valley of two lakes’ is a place with which almost everyone is vaguely familiar even before they visit, so famous and iconic are the images of its high round tour. But being there, walking though the ancient monastery surrounded by the stillness and splendour of the Wicklow Mountains , is a special experience that even the inevitable tourist crowds cannot spoil. It’s easy to see why St Kevin chose it first as a place to live the austere life of a hermit and later to found what would become one of the most important early Christian monasteries in Europe.

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St Finbarr’s Way

Jan 16, 2012

This newly-revived ancient pilgrim path is set to become the “camino” of West Cork. The walk begins at the Top of the Rock, Drimoleague, where local tradition states that St Finbarr in the 6th century “admonished the people to return to Christ, then went on his way to Gougane Barra”. Since that time, local people, until forty years ago, used to walk the 37km particularly on the Saint’s feast day: 25th September.The walk is a two day stretch with an overnight in Kealkil, an important walking centre in its own right. Three significant mountain and valley systems are traversed: The Ilen, Mealagh and Ouvane, and the walk culminates in a spectacular descent from Foilastoookeen, high above St Finbarr’s Oratory in Gougane Barra. The entire walk is steeped in Celtic history and archaeological remains.

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