Thousands of people are expected to undertake the pilgrim
climb to the summit of Croagh Patrick over the course of this week.
Each year, Reek Sunday and Garland Friday (two days earlier)
attract large crowds to the sacred mountain, but this year, to coincide with
the Year of Faith, a week-long festival has been organised which centres on the
mountain itself.
Daily Mass will take place at the summit for ‘Reek Week’ and
a series of lectures and guided tours of sites associated with St Patrick have
also been arranged.
Yesterday, on the first day of the pilgrimage week, around
sixty people climbed the Reek together and attended Mass there. The
celebrant was Fr Shane O’Sullivan from the cathedral parish of Tuam. He told
CatholicIreland.net it was a “fantastic experience”.
“I’m wrecked but in good form. It was a physical and
spiritual workout,” the priest who as born in Chicago
related. He said the pilgrims included people from Louth, Antrim, Mayo,
Galway and Kerry as well as a number of foreigners, including “a couple of
Yanks, I’m glad to say”.
According to Fr O’Sullivan, there is a “beautiful heritage”
attached to Croagh Patrick. “Generations and generations of Irish people have
been doing this, bringing their prayers and connecting with God. I think even
today, the idea of pilgrimage captures people’s imaginations – the idea of
doing something difficult like climbing a mountain, and experiencing
something together.”
Tens of thousands of people are expected to undertake the
mountain climb on Reek Sunday (28th
July 2013 ). This tradition has been carried out uninterrupted on
the last Sunday in July for over 1,500 years.
Above from and continued here: Catholic Ireland - Croagh Patrick Year of Faith celebrations
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