"Irish Catholic a plus"

We were blessed to have Fr. John Paul with us to say Mass everyday (except the last), which was a great way to keep the pilgrimage spirit. Very simple Masses, intimate. Except in Knock where several other pilgrims joined us in the Apparition Chapel, trickling in throughout so that by communion, the chapel was almost full. Seeing the various churches was a highlight, stone structures built mostly within the last 150 years, with stunning stained glass, always a Sacred Heart statue and a statue of Lourdes, and walls of prayer candles burning with intentions. Statues of Our Lady also graced schoolyards, town squares, highway stops, and private gardens. It was wonderful to be able to so freely celebrate our faith, because it has not always been so.

The Irish people have persevered through persecution of various sorts all the way back to the Vikings, though the religious bent seems to have had the most impact. In the worst period, following the split of the Church of England, Oliver Cromwell and his men swept over the island, setting fire to every church, rendering them useless. Countless stone frames, open to the sky, dot the countryside, although one such church continued Mass for hundreds of years until its repair, with umbrellas and raincoats protecting the congregation. Catholicism was outlawed from the 1500s until almost 1800, and the Catholics (Irish) didn't achieve political equality despite their numeric majority until much later.

During the heights of the persecution, Catholics gathered in the forests, celebrating Mass around "altar rocks" and baptisms in "holy wells" (natural springs), the priest risking death if discovered. We had the opportunity to visit the Tobernalt Holy Well, one of the sites of the secret Masses. There was still the spring and the altar rock, but around it had sprung up a beautiful shrine, complete with Stations of the Cross, a large crucifix, statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, and monuments for the mysteries of the rosary. It was a beautiful time of prayer and reflection, appreciating the devotion of our ancestors in keeping the faith alive to pass on. The people of Ireland were in our prayers for the entire pilgrimage.

The remains of a church in Glendalough

Praying at the Tobernalt Well

St. Mary's Cathedral in Killarney

Basilica at Knock, celebrating the canonization of two great saints (these banners were in every church)