International Eucharistic Congress and my pilgrim walk

The 50^th International Eucharistic Congress was held in Dublin during June.  This is really a Catholic event, and in a country where 90% are Catholic, this is a big deal.   There is a week long series of masses and events happening around the city.  One of the very cool things is that they put out a pilgrimage route of 7 of Dublin’s oldest churches.   

St. Ann's

Our Lady of Dublin Chapel 

Pilgrim walks are a long tradition in many faiths.   It is a time of reflection where the journey is as important as the destination.   IEC issued a beautiful booklet as a passport to have stamped in each of the 7 churches. 

I started in St. Ann’s which is an Anglican church.  It dates to 1707.  In 1723 a wealthy Lord left a bequest of 13 pounds annually to supply bread to the poor of Dublin.  To this day the bread shelf contains loaves of bread to be taken without question by those who are hungry.  I had seen St. Ann’s on my first day in downtown Dublin and was pleased to find it Anglican.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a Carmelite center.  While the current building dates to the 1820’s the property was part of a medieval Carmelite Monastery of St. Mary from  the 13^th century.   There are relics from St. Valentine there.  There is a shrine to Our Lady of Dublin and an absolutely beautiful balacchino (elaborate domed structure over the altar) that reminded me of several I’ve seen in Rome.

St. James

St. Mary of the Angels is a Capuchin Friary established in 1689.  The Capuchin Order is one of 3 founded by St. Francis of Assisi.  Capuchins have been in Dublin since 1615 and built at the current spot in 1689.  Today the Capuchin’s serve the poor of Dublin.  6 days a week they provide 2 meals a day to over 600 people and weekly they hand out over 1000 food parcels.

The oldest parish here is St. Michan.  It was originally a hostel dedicated to St. Michan  for travellers between Tara and South Leinster.  There was a faith community here before the Norman Invasion.

The pilgrimage only lasted  2 weeks and I was leaving for Munich during the final weekend.  I decided to finish the last 3 churches after work on Thursday.  One problem though, it was raining.  And not that California sissy rain, but real rain.   I took the bus out to St. James.  This chapel was once at the city gate where pilgrims leaving on the Camino de Santiago de Campostela to Spain.  Early 11^th and 12^th century pilgrims left for Spain by this gate and had their passports stamped with the symbol of the pilgrimage route, a scallop shell representing St. James.   My IEC passport bears a similar stamp of the scallop shell and the name of St. James, Dublin.   It is very cool.  

Chapel of Mary at Thomas Lane Friary

Next I walked about 15 minutes to the Augustinian Friary at Thomas Lane.  Again the exterior did not give a hint at the beauty inside.   The friars were beginning compline or Benedictine (not sure which is sung at 7:00pm) but the music flowed from above in the cloisters and was soothing and peaceful.  I lingered a little long here and had to walk the 45  minutes to St Mary’s Pro Cathedral quickly.   Now walking in the rain is interesting.  Eventually you give up on the umbrella because the wind keeps turning it inside out.  And you give up on the hood because it just keeps falling in your eyes and you are wet anyway.

My certificate of completion with a Mary
and Mother Theresa medal.

Altar at Thomas Lane

Altar at Mary of the Angels

I got to St. Mary Pro at 5 minutes to 8 and the gates were just being shut.   I called out asking them not to close up yet.  They let me in and I got the 7^th stamp.   The lady at the desk looked at me and declared me “just a puddle”.   I dripped over to say a prayer and took the bus home.  I got back about 9 after 3 hours of being out in the weather.  To my great fortune Therese had decided to cook dinner that night and a warm, delicious meal was waiting for me.  

Since the journey is the important part, I look back fondly on my walk in the rain around Dublin and know it is an experience that will stay with me