Day 8: Wow! Just wow!
I’m going to attempt to describe yesterday, but I know that my words are going to fall short of describing the spiritual high that we felt throughout the day. It was one grace after another. Even time we thought, “It can’t get any better than this,” something else incredible happened.
Things started out slowly with breakfast at 8:30 at the BnB. It was a nice breakfast similar to the “English breakfasts” we had had in England. The host was very nice and asked where we from, talked about her family that lives in California, and then inquired about where we were headed. When we said that we were headed for Knock, she stated it was a shame that we didn’t come when the Pope was coming in a couple of weeks. She then asked why we weren’t headed to Croagh Patrick.
Croagh (pronounced like the bird, crow) Patrick is what is referred to as the Holy Mountain. It is an almost perfectly shaped mountain the is a very popular pilgrimage site just outside of Westport. We shared that we had read that it was a difficult climb, and that we aren’t exactly “fit.”
”You don’t have to go up the entire way,” she shared. “There is a beautiful shrine adjacent to the car park and a statue of St Patrick with a gorgeous view right before the difficult part of the climb. You’ll regret being this close and not going.”
And boy, was she right!
Things started out slowly with breakfast at 8:30 at the BnB. It was a nice breakfast similar to the “English breakfasts” we had had in England. The host was very nice and asked where we from, talked about her family that lives in California, and then inquired about where we were headed. When we said that we were headed for Knock, she stated it was a shame that we didn’t come when the Pope was coming in a couple of weeks. She then asked why we weren’t headed to Croagh Patrick.
Croagh (pronounced like the bird, crow) Patrick is what is referred to as the Holy Mountain. It is an almost perfectly shaped mountain the is a very popular pilgrimage site just outside of Westport. We shared that we had read that it was a difficult climb, and that we aren’t exactly “fit.”
”You don’t have to go up the entire way,” she shared. “There is a beautiful shrine adjacent to the car park and a statue of St Patrick with a gorgeous view right before the difficult part of the climb. You’ll regret being this close and not going.”
And boy, was she right!
The mountain was supposedly climbed by St Patrick as part of his preparation before working to convert the Irish. Today many people take the trip to climb for their own reasons. It is a steep climb, filled with rocks. Supposedly there are some who make the climb barefoot to mortify themselves even more.
The parking lot was full, and we could see lots of groups heading up the mountain in their climbing gear with staff in hand. We didn’t have any climbing gear, but definitely needed jackets with the strong, cold wind. After a good espresso, we started out on our short climb of about (according to our phones) 10 flights of stairs to the statue of St Patrick. Maria shared that there was “no way” she could make it to the top. As we got close, a big group of Indian pilgrims (looked like a school group) passed us and arrived first to the statue. It was so beautiful to see them praying together in their language! And the view! Wow! I’m not sure if the panoramic photograph will post well here, so if not, look for it on Facebook, which allows you to scroll to see everything. We ended our visit to the open air shrine to the apparitions of Our Lady in Medjugore. It was very moving. We are SO glad that the host mentioned it to us.
The parking lot was full, and we could see lots of groups heading up the mountain in their climbing gear with staff in hand. We didn’t have any climbing gear, but definitely needed jackets with the strong, cold wind. After a good espresso, we started out on our short climb of about (according to our phones) 10 flights of stairs to the statue of St Patrick. Maria shared that there was “no way” she could make it to the top. As we got close, a big group of Indian pilgrims (looked like a school group) passed us and arrived first to the statue. It was so beautiful to see them praying together in their language! And the view! Wow! I’m not sure if the panoramic photograph will post well here, so if not, look for it on Facebook, which allows you to scroll to see everything. We ended our visit to the open air shrine to the apparitions of Our Lady in Medjugore. It was very moving. We are SO glad that the host mentioned it to us.
Driving in Ireland is interesting. The roads, especially today, are not the super highways as we have in the US. One of the roads we were on had only one lane, but two way traffic. On the way back, we had to stop to wait for a herd of cows. Fun, fun, fun.
We headed next to Knock, where Our Lady appeared at the height of the famine in Ireland for the shrine and basilica there. We were also going to visit a Carmelite monastery as well. While looking for different Carmelite things in Ireland, Maria had come across the fact that the relics of St. Therese of Lisieux and her parents, Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, were going to be present, as part of the preparation for the World Gathering of Families, which takes place in Knock in a couple of weeks. We had no idea when we had planned out the trip that this was going to coincide with our being there, but we weren’t going to miss out on the opportunity.
The shrine is a large facility with lots of open space and multiple buildings. Everywhere we went to (the basilica, the bookstores, the parish church, the cafe, the adoration chapel, the gift shop, the museum, etc.) there was a feeling of peace. No one seemed to be in hurry, like at so many other spots we have stopped and not just on this trip. Everyone was peaceful. Getting to the basilica, we were happy to see open doors (in other words no fee to get in), people in quiet lines filling out prayer request cards, or getting holy water. I’m trying not to compare to the cathedrals in England, but everything in Knock was so prayerful.
We got in the short line (we timed in perfectly as the lines later were long) to venerate the relics. Both of the reliquaries were some of the most impressive that I have ever seen. Later, when we got to the Carmelite monastery, we were worried that we would not be able to go inside because there were multiple vehicles that looked like ambulances to us. It turns out that they were the vehicles used to transport the reliquaries.
The shrine is a large facility with lots of open space and multiple buildings. Everywhere we went to (the basilica, the bookstores, the parish church, the cafe, the adoration chapel, the gift shop, the museum, etc.) there was a feeling of peace. No one seemed to be in hurry, like at so many other spots we have stopped and not just on this trip. Everyone was peaceful. Getting to the basilica, we were happy to see open doors (in other words no fee to get in), people in quiet lines filling out prayer request cards, or getting holy water. I’m trying not to compare to the cathedrals in England, but everything in Knock was so prayerful.
We got in the short line (we timed in perfectly as the lines later were long) to venerate the relics. Both of the reliquaries were some of the most impressive that I have ever seen. Later, when we got to the Carmelite monastery, we were worried that we would not be able to go inside because there were multiple vehicles that looked like ambulances to us. It turns out that they were the vehicles used to transport the reliquaries.
Even the line for veneration of the relic was calm and peaceful. I experienced and saw multiple people calmly apologizing, “No, you go first,” and there was no pushing or loud noises, just a quiet line. It was such an experience to be venerating the relics of a Carmelite Doctor of the Church and one of the very few canonized couples, including the father whom I talked about not that long ago to a group of men.
It was a little past lunch time, so we went in search of a slmething to eat. There was sign that stated food available in one of the halls, so we headed there. Unfortunately, it was seniors’ day, so the food was only for seniors, but they did send us to the cafe and we found a flier with different daily activities and saw that we could go to mass at 3 PM. Maria was happy, as she loves to go to mass every day, and Nico and I enjoy going when we can (it is just our schedule normally doesn’t allow it). We didn’t know what was in store for us, however. The large basilica was almost full of faithful for the mass! There were 9 priests concelebrating! The homily was done by a Carmelite priest! After his homily they had the Sacrament of the Annointing of the Sick, so five more priest came out! It was a beautiful experience just to be at mass, but then to have the additional sacrament available, and to see the long lines of people taking advantage; WOW! And everyone was so referent! I was brought to tears, but the beautiful graces of the day were not over yet.
It was a little past lunch time, so we went in search of a slmething to eat. There was sign that stated food available in one of the halls, so we headed there. Unfortunately, it was seniors’ day, so the food was only for seniors, but they did send us to the cafe and we found a flier with different daily activities and saw that we could go to mass at 3 PM. Maria was happy, as she loves to go to mass every day, and Nico and I enjoy going when we can (it is just our schedule normally doesn’t allow it). We didn’t know what was in store for us, however. The large basilica was almost full of faithful for the mass! There were 9 priests concelebrating! The homily was done by a Carmelite priest! After his homily they had the Sacrament of the Annointing of the Sick, so five more priest came out! It was a beautiful experience just to be at mass, but then to have the additional sacrament available, and to see the long lines of people taking advantage; WOW! And everyone was so referent! I was brought to tears, but the beautiful graces of the day were not over yet.
After the mass, we went to see some of the other things available. There was a “parish church” at the original site of the apparition, holy water fountains (at least 20 in a line together!), a large underground building just for the sacrament of reconciliation, and our next stop, a large chapel for adoration of the blessed sacrament. We spent half an hour thanking the Lord for all of the blessings that we had already received before finally losing ourselves in the bookstore for almost as long. We were sure that there couldn’t be any other amazing experiences, but needed to stop at the Carmelite monastery for Maria before heading “home.”
I was already commenting on how this day had been probably the best day of our trip, even surpassing our visit to the Shrine of St. Simon Stock in England. Little did I know that it was going to get any better.
Before I continue, I need to explain something for those who might not know. Carmelite nuns are cloistered, which means that they spend their lives within the monastery behind closed doors with very limited interactions with the outside world praying. Typically, if you were to go to a monastery, one might be able to talk with you, but only from behind a screen. Maria and I had the pleasure of praying vespers at a convent in Loretto, PA, and I had gotten excited by the fact that at the end for benediction, the screen had been lowered, and we could see the nuns behind the wall. Today at Knock, it was even better than that, but I am getting ahead of myself.
We drove the short drive from our parking to the monastery. It has a very small parking lot, for obvious reasons, and saw that it was full, including what looked like ambulances. I started to worry that one of the nuns was injured, and we weren’t going to be able to stop and visit. I squeezed in our rental car, we got out and walked to the door. There was a young nun there encouraging us to go into the chapel! A cloistered nun on the outside encouraging us to enter! Then, we walked in and the entire community was there for a prayer service to start a time for veneration of the relics. The entire community, in their habits, including two novices right there next us! And in the pew next to Maria were two Carmelite priests! After the prayer service, lead by a very cure, 86-year-old priest who kept slipping back and forth between English and Irish, we were all invited to venerate the relics. So there we were, rubbing elbows and talking with Carmelite nuns. Three went out of their way to come up to me, shake my hand, introduce themselves, and ask my name, so that they could pray for me, which is the charism of the Carmelites! Maria seemed ecstatic talking in detail first with one of the sister, then another, then finally with a secular Carmelite like Maria. We had been excited to be able to visit the monastery, but never imagined that we would see and interact face to face with the nuns. What a grace-filled day!
After all that, we drove the hour back for dinner and sleep. The next day, our plan was to leave at 7 AM, so the early to bed the better. It still ended up being almost 10 PM, but the day was well worth it.
Before I continue, I need to explain something for those who might not know. Carmelite nuns are cloistered, which means that they spend their lives within the monastery behind closed doors with very limited interactions with the outside world praying. Typically, if you were to go to a monastery, one might be able to talk with you, but only from behind a screen. Maria and I had the pleasure of praying vespers at a convent in Loretto, PA, and I had gotten excited by the fact that at the end for benediction, the screen had been lowered, and we could see the nuns behind the wall. Today at Knock, it was even better than that, but I am getting ahead of myself.
We drove the short drive from our parking to the monastery. It has a very small parking lot, for obvious reasons, and saw that it was full, including what looked like ambulances. I started to worry that one of the nuns was injured, and we weren’t going to be able to stop and visit. I squeezed in our rental car, we got out and walked to the door. There was a young nun there encouraging us to go into the chapel! A cloistered nun on the outside encouraging us to enter! Then, we walked in and the entire community was there for a prayer service to start a time for veneration of the relics. The entire community, in their habits, including two novices right there next us! And in the pew next to Maria were two Carmelite priests! After the prayer service, lead by a very cure, 86-year-old priest who kept slipping back and forth between English and Irish, we were all invited to venerate the relics. So there we were, rubbing elbows and talking with Carmelite nuns. Three went out of their way to come up to me, shake my hand, introduce themselves, and ask my name, so that they could pray for me, which is the charism of the Carmelites! Maria seemed ecstatic talking in detail first with one of the sister, then another, then finally with a secular Carmelite like Maria. We had been excited to be able to visit the monastery, but never imagined that we would see and interact face to face with the nuns. What a grace-filled day!
After all that, we drove the hour back for dinner and sleep. The next day, our plan was to leave at 7 AM, so the early to bed the better. It still ended up being almost 10 PM, but the day was well worth it.