St. Patrick's Day Pilgrimage Brings Hope For A Peaceful Future (March 2009)
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« Previous Page Email to Friend Share Click image for detail NORTHERN IRELAND: St. Patrick's Day pilgrimage brings hope for peaceful future By Victoria Gaitskell, March 17, 2009 [Episcopal News Service] The return of political violence to Northern Ireland looms large over the Church of Ireland 's St. Patrick's Day celebrations this year. Traditionally, on March 17 the church celebrates its ties to Ireland's patron saint with an annual mileandahalf walking pilgrimage from Saul to Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, 18 miles south of Belfast. Undeterred by the two recent terrorist shootings by the selfstyled Real IRA, that left two British soldiers and a policeman dead, the church will again stage its cross community pilgrimage, ending with a wreathlaying ceremony at Patrick's reputed burial place in the cathedral's graveyard. (The Real IRA is an Irish republican paramilitary group that formed in 1997 following a split in the Provisional Irish Republican Army.) "Every St. Patrick's Day takes place in the context of a specific year with specific events in our minds," said Bishop Harold Miller of the Anglican Diocese of Down and Dromore in a St. Patrick's Day statement . "This year, we cannot but think of the recent murder of two soldiers and a member of the [Police Service of Northern Ireland]. Those murders are entirely opposed to the message and example of Patrick. Here was a man from Britain who gave his life to bless the people of Ireland, so that they might be freed from destructive ways of living, and brought into the glorious liberty of the Gospel of Christ." Most facts of the saint's life remain sketchy. He was born in the late 4th century, somewhere on the west coast of Roman Britain, where his father was a tax collector and deacon in the Christian church. At age 16, Patrick was kidnapped into slavery in Ireland, where for six years he worked as a herdsman and became inspired with a deep faith. He fled his agricultural life, trained as a priest, and returned to convert the pagan Irish Celts to Christianity. Tradition says Patrick's mission first landed in Strangford Lough near Downpatrick in 432. In the 12th century John de Courcy, a Norman conqueror who instigated one of Down Cathedral's numerous rebuildings, claimed to have discovered and reinterred Patrick's remains in the cathedral graveyard, along with the relics of Ireland's two other principal saints, Brigid and Columba. Today, the reputed grave's approximate location is marked by a modern plaque and a granite boulder from 1900 carved with a simple cross and the name PATRIC. The Church of Ireland's pilgrimage embarked, as usual, from Saul Church following an ecumenical service by its rector, the Very Rev. Henry Hull, who is also dean of Down Cathedral. Saul Church a muchrevered 20th century replica of an early church with a round lookout tower occupies the reputed site of Patrick's first Irish sermon in a barn donated by the local chieftain (the word Saul means barn in Irish). Patrick is believed to have died nearby, and Saul later developed into a monastery, whose 12thcentury remains stand beside the modern church. During the 21st century pilgrimage, clerics of various faiths shared the honor of carrying a wreath for Patrick's grave in procession to Down Cathedral, where in alternating years either Church of Ireland or Roman Catholic clergy conduct another ecumenical service. Down and Dromore's Miller was this year's celebrant. "We are very privileged to be the guardians of these historic Christian sites," said Hull. "They are places of pilgrimage and unity for Christians of all backgrounds who celebrate Patrick as the one who first brought the light of Christ to Ireland. We will pray that this light will continue to shine in and through our lives and will bring continued peace in our land." The Church of Ireland, which includes 12 dioceses with 390,000 members throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, also commemorated Patrick 50 miles away at its Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Patrick in Armagh. The Armagh cathedral occupies the hilltop site of Patrick's main church, built of stone in 445 near the ancient Celtic stronghold of Emain Macha, now an important archaeological site called Navan Fort. Around the cathedral grew an abbey that became a preeminent Irish monastic school. Search Episcopal News Service SEARCH Find on this page: » Site Map » Questions Search H蔣쒻龒 | N龒픫 | C蔣쒻쒻龒㾑铚묪員 | M獇㾑쒻龒铚 | N蔣㾑㏥铚 | A묪㏥龒 | C蔣㾑铚㏥㾑 U Wednesday, November 23, 2016
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NORTHERN IRELAND: St. Patrick's Day pilgrimage bringshope for peaceful futureBy Victoria Gaitskell, March 17, 2009
[Episcopal News Service] The return ofpolitical violence to Northern Irelandlooms large over the Church of Ireland'sSt. Patrick's Day celebrations this year.
Traditionally, on March 17 the churchcelebrates its ties to Ireland's patron saintwith an annual mileandahalf walkingpilgrimage from Saul to Down Cathedral inDownpatrick, 18 miles south of Belfast.
Undeterred by the two recent terroristshootings by the selfstyled Real IRA, thatleft two British soldiers and a policemandead, the church will again stage its crosscommunity pilgrimage, ending with awreathlaying ceremony at Patrick'sreputed burial place in the cathedral's
graveyard. (The Real IRA is an Irish republican paramilitary group that formed in 1997 following a split in theProvisional Irish Republican Army.)
"Every St. Patrick's Day takes place in the context of a specific year with specific events in our minds," saidBishop Harold Miller of the Anglican Diocese of Down and Dromore in a St. Patrick's Day statement. "This year,we cannot but think of the recent murder of two soldiers and a member of the [Police Service of NorthernIreland]. Those murders are entirely opposed to the message and example of Patrick. Here was a man fromBritain who gave his life to bless the people of Ireland, so that they might be freed from destructive ways ofliving, and brought into the glorious liberty of the Gospel of Christ."
Most facts of the saint's life remain sketchy. He was born in the late 4th century, somewhere on the west coastof Roman Britain, where his father was a tax collector and deacon in the Christian church. At age 16, Patrickwas kidnapped into slavery in Ireland, where for six years he worked as a herdsman and became inspired with adeep faith. He fled his agricultural life, trained as a priest, and returned to convert the pagan Irish Celts toChristianity.
Tradition says Patrick's mission first landed in Strangford Lough near Downpatrick in 432. In the 12th centuryJohn de Courcy, a Norman conqueror who instigated one of Down Cathedral's numerous rebuildings, claimed tohave discovered and reinterred Patrick's remains in the cathedral graveyard, along with the relics of Ireland'stwo other principal saints, Brigid and Columba. Today, the reputed grave's approximate location is marked by amodern plaque and a granite boulder from 1900 carved with a simple cross and the name PATRIC.
The Church of Ireland's pilgrimage embarked, as usual, from Saul Church following an ecumenical service by itsrector, the Very Rev. Henry Hull, who is also dean of Down Cathedral. Saul Church a muchrevered 20thcentury replica of an early church with a round lookout tower occupies the reputed site of Patrick's first Irishsermon in a barn donated by the local chieftain (the word Saul means barn in Irish). Patrick is believed to havedied nearby, and Saul later developed into a monastery, whose 12thcentury remains stand beside the modernchurch.
During the 21st century pilgrimage, clerics of various faiths shared the honor of carrying a wreath for Patrick'sgrave in procession to Down Cathedral, where in alternating years either Church of Ireland or Roman Catholicclergy conduct another ecumenical service. Down and Dromore's Miller was this year's celebrant.
"We are very privileged to be the guardians of these historic Christian sites," said Hull. "They are places ofpilgrimage and unity for Christians of all backgrounds who celebrate Patrick as the one who first brought thelight of Christ to Ireland. We will pray that this light will continue to shine in and through our lives and will bringcontinued peace in our land."
The Church of Ireland, which includes 12 dioceses with 390,000 members throughout Northern Ireland andthe Republic of Ireland, also commemorated Patrick 50 miles away at its Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Patrick inArmagh. The Armagh cathedral occupies the hilltop site of Patrick's main church, built of stone in 445 near theancient Celtic stronghold of Emain Macha, now an important archaeological site called Navan Fort. Around thecathedral grew an abbey that became a preeminent Irish monastic school.
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Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Destroyed and rebuilt at least 17 times, the present Armagh cathedral dates mostly from the 13th and 19thcenturies. Its treasures include the 1,000BC Tangragee Idol and other rare Celtic figurative stone sculptures.Formerly it housed Patrick's crozier and bell, and the Book of Armagh, a 9thcentury manuscript idolizing Patrickand the supremacy of the Armagh See. (The Reformation destroyed the crozier, but the bell and Book nowreside safely in Dublin.)
Armagh is the world's oldest Episcopal See outside Rome and can claim an unbroken succession of abbots,bishops, and archbishops since Patrick's day, ending with the incumbent Archbishop of Armagh and Primate ofAll Ireland, the Most Rev. Alan Harper, OBE.
Harper issued a joint statement with Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland, the Most Rev. Dr John Neill,condemning the recent terrorist murders. He also joined leaders of the Roman Catholic, Methodist,Presbyterian, and other Christian denominations in asking churches to oppose violence with prayer andencourage people to wear purple as a sign of commitment to work together for good. Already thousands ofNorthern Irish of diverse religious and political affiliations have flocked to unionorganized peace vigils in Belfast,Downpatrick, and other centers to protest the recent killings.
"This year, in my own diocese, we will be using the pilgrimage from Saul to Downpatrick as a time of prayer forIreland," said Miller in his St. Patrick's Day statement. "We will pray that the 'snakes' of bitterness, division andsectarianism in our attitudes will be cast out for ever. The message of this past week to all who try to take usback to the dark old days is that we are not going there. By the grace of God, and in the spirit of St. Patrick, weare moving forward together as one community into a peaceful future."
Victoria Gaitskell is a freelance journalist based in Ontario, Canada. She is a member of St. Cuthbert'sAnglican Church in Oakville. Matthew Davies, editor of Episcopal Life Online, contributed to this report.
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