Column: One Good Pilgrimage Deserves Another!

Howdy friends! Last month I was blessed to lead a pilgrimage to Ireland—a trip that replaced our planned pilgrimage to the Holy Land this year, due to the fighting in that region. It was my first trip to Ireland and was a huge blessing to all who attended. Like much of Europe, a worldly culture is invading the Emerald Isle, but the deep, historic faith of Ireland is still present in the beautiful, ancient churches we were privileged to visit and the joy and hospitality of the Irish people.

We’ve posted several photos from the trip on our parish Facebook feed. Today I would like to share my top three highlights from our visit to Ireland.

• The Shrine of Our Lady of Knock: You can never go wrong visiting the site of a Marian apparition! On a rainy night in August of 1879, our Blessed Mother, along with St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist, appeared to several villagers outside the Church of St. John the Baptist in the little town of Knock. For two hours, the witnesses prayed the rosary while the vision persisted, and the ground around the saints remained dry despite the driving rain and winds. Like other Marian sites, including Our Lady of Champion in Wisconsin, which we will again visit this October, the site is home to miraculous healings, and you can feel holy presence of Jesus and the saints with you in a profound way as you pray.
• The Tobernalt Holy Well: A natural spring among beautiful rocks and cliffs, the Holy Well at Tobernalt was a pagan site until St. Patrick claimed it for Christian celebrations. During the Penal Times in the early 1700s, when Catholicism was banned and priests were hunted, it became the site of secret outdoor Masses. Today, pilgrims (including us!) can still celebrate Mass at the outdoor stone altar.
• The natural beauty of Ireland: The Irish countryside is as breathtaking as you’ve heard, with rolling green hills, rugged cliffs, quaint and colorful villages, ancient ruins, and wonderful medieval churches. The glory of God’s creation and man’s desire to worship are on full display here!

By all means, if you have the chance to visit Ireland on pilgrimage, take it—however, the next pilgrimage I’m leading will be something completely different. Next spring, we are headed to the Greece for a pilgrimage “In the Footsteps of St. Paul.” We will fly to Athens and explore Corinth before boarding a ship to explore the Greek Isles, then return to the mainland to visit other prominent Greek cities from the earliest days of Christianity.

Registration for the Greek Pilgrimage is now open. Get complete details and register online at 206tours.com/cms/frbrianpark. I hope to see you there—God bless you!

Father Brian Park
Pastor