27.9 F
Saint Paul
Friday, March 29, 2024

Catholic pilgrimage is part of event promoting Ireland

Celtic cross in Irish churchyard
Celtic cross in Irish churchyard

An organization called WorldPriest is offering a pilgrimage for priests and their parishioners and friends from around the world to experience the cultural heritage and spirituality of the Emerald Isle as part of “Gathering Ireland 2013.”

The Gathering is a government initiative to encourage people from around the globe with Irish heritage or who are “honorary Irish” to come back to Ireland and celebrate their Irish roots.

Leaders of WorldPriest, founded in the early 2000s to support the Catholic priesthood, have planned the pilgrimage as a way for the world’s priests and others to celebrate their faith during this special year.

In footsteps of St. Patrick

The “Tochar Phadraig” Pilgrimage Walk is planned for Aug. 12-15 in County Mayo. It will follow the ancient promenades of the early Irish Christians, most famous among them St. Patrick. The pilgrimage will start with a Mass at the nearly 800-year-old Ballintubber Abbey and proceed through “the majestic lands of Irish cultural and spiritual history” to the small town of Aughagower, the half-way point along the pilgrimage trail. St. Patrick is said to have stopped there while on the pilgrimage.

- Advertisement -

The journey continues with a Mass at the Rock of Boheh, or St. Patrick’s Chair, on the eastern ascent of the 2,500-foot-high Croagh Patrick. On the final leg of the journey, attendees will have the opportunity to climb the mountain. The last day ends with a Mass in the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Knock.

General information about the Gathering can be found at http://www.thegatheringireland.com. The site http://www.worldpriest.com has details about the pilgrimage.

 


Related Articles

SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

Trending

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
12,743FansLike
1,478FollowersFollow
6,479FollowersFollow
35,922FollowersFollow
583SubscribersSubscribe
- Advertisement -