Jim Cogley: Reflections Tues 15 Aug – Mon 21 Aug 23

Tues Aug 15^th Place of Pilgrimage

Today is the 15^th August and the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady. It is the day when people gather in their thousands for the opening ceremony of the Pilgrimage Season on Our Lady’s Island. They later traverse the ancient pilgrimage path, praying the traditional prayer of the Rosary. This is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, Marian Pilgrimage sites in the world stretching back to the 6^th Century when Marian Devotion was in its infancy. From early times it was associated with Lough Derg, when the opening here would coincide with the closing of the season up there, and many pilgrims would walk that long distance along poor roads to take part in the ceremonies here. Such was the level of faith and devotion in the country during that time when Ireland was the Land of Saints and Scholars. During the season a heightening of the spiritual energy becomes evident as pilgrims gather for this annual season of prayer. Like all places of genuine prayer, the veil between two worlds becomes lighter and that mysterious reality we call Grace is something that becomes palpable and real.

Wed Aug 16th

Lady’s Island is truly a most picturesque and beautiful place. It is steeped in history and is a visual treat. It even has its very own leaning tower. People who visit Lady’s Island for the first time often remark on the energy of the place and the sense of peace that is evident. It is often compared with the Grotto in Lourdes and Medjugorge. That very real and palpable energy may well go back to the early Christians from around 300AD. They were fleeing the last great persecution in Rome under Emperor Diocletian and so were the Christians of the catacombs and not of the great bascilicas. They carried a purity of faith that could and did change the world. This was soon to be lost once Christianity became the recognized religion under Constantine. It was at this point that Christianity moved away from being a direct experience of God to adherence to a strict set of rules and beleifs. I would like to think that ancient places of devotion like Lady’s Island still carry seeds of hope and renewal for the future.

Thurs Aug 17th Hospitality

Here in this community of Lady’s Island we have a wonderful tradition of hospitality built up for the past 50 years that is largely based in the local community centre. There had been nothing for many years when a local woman brought her own electric kettle and a large tea pot to what was then the old school and began making tea for pilgrims. Soon she was joined by other wonderful women, and today that tradition continues and a multitude are fed. Pilgrims and tourists alike are amazed and impressed that such a large operation can be carried out on a voluntary basis, with a similar degree of commitment and participation taking place across the road in a Gift Shop close to the Church. While volunteers willingly and generously give of their time and energy, they always claim that they receive even more than they give. New members in the community have an ideal opportunity to make connections with the local people and for the regulars there is a real sense of belonging, of doing something useful and giving back to society, as well as enjoying the daily banter of those who just enjoy being together. This gift of hospitality is our living miracle of the loaves and fish and all thanks to one lady who gave her all of what she could.

Fri Aug 18^th The Path to Adult Faith

The pilgrimage path that is less than a mile is traditionally walked clockwise. This makes sense on two scores. It maximises the shelter from the prevaling SW wind, and for the more discerning pilgrim it accurately reflects the journey towards adult faith. The first stage of faith is ‘unquestioning acceptance’ where we accept everything we are taught, and it acts like a comfort blanket against the harsher realities of life. Stage one of the pilgrimage is where the wind may be blowing, but the path is sheltered. Stage two is questioning non-acceptance where the full force of life’s unanswerable questions assail us and we may even doubt that there is a God. At the Head of the Island the wind hits us with full force and reflects this very uncomfortable stage characterised by suffering, pain and questioning. The third phase is awakening or enlightenment. This phase follows a letting go and surrender where we have a sense of new life and being carried. This is the experience of Grace. The return pilgrimage journey is similar, as we go around the Head everything changes; we feel the wind on our backs and now seem to be carried homeward.

Sat Aug 19th Faith of our Ancestors

Photo Circe 1900AD

Sometimes I just marvel at the faith of the people that helped make Lady’s Island what it is today. Central to the place is a magnificent church that is an architectural masterpiece and as aesthetically pleasing as much on the inside as the outside. It is known as the Church of the Assumption. Some time ago I read an ancient document that contained the minutes of the Parish Council meeting held before the church was built. It read, ‘With a famine just behind us and an uncertain future ahead, we have decided to go ahead with the building of a new church in Our lady’s Island’. The year was 1861 and it was opened just two years later in 1863, an astonishing feat of workmanship at the time. The cost interestingly was £1863 pounds. If the building were being built today it would definitely cost in excess of €10 million. What faith propelled and inspired those people to make such an extraordinary leap of faith?

Sun Aug 20^th Pilgrimage

There is one thing that gives Lady’s Island its identity, namely pilgrimage. All over the country, this small parish is associated with pilgrimage and really would not be able to exist without it. We are one of the few parishes anywhere that are much more associated with mission rather than maintenance, where our very reason for being is to reach out and welcome those who come from near and far. As fast as the Church as institution is losing credibility with so many, the idea of pilgrimage is gaining popularity. Most pilgrimage centres are reporting an increase in numbers as pilgrims journey to these ancient sites. Here in Lady’s Island we have the oldest Marian Pilgrimage in Ireland and possibly in the world. It goes back to the 6^th Century when Marian devotion was in its infancy and a monk called St Abban came to our shores. The Island that had long carried the tradition of female worship from the Druidic days was an obvious place to adopt as a centre for Marian devotion.

The essence of pilgrimage goes back to Abraham who at 75 was called to leave Ur of the Chaldees, the land that he was familiar with, and ‘to set out on a journey without knowing where he was going’. It was a journey where he had to exercise openness, flexibility and ultimate trust in God and in doing so he became our Father in Faith. Later, it was Moses, who at 80 was called to set off and lead a pilgrim people out of slavery in Egypt, through the desert, and into the Promised Land. Jesus too was a pilgrim who ‘had no place to lay his head’ and he would say to his pilgrim followers that, ‘there is no one who has left home parents and family and land who would not receive a hundredfold in this life and in the life to come everlasting life’.

The idea of pilgrimage to wells or holy sites lays at the heart of Celtic spirituality. The ancient peoples called them ‘thin’ places because in such locations the presence of God was so strong that it seemed as if there was only a thin veil between this world and the world of the Spirit

I meet so many who on entering the village for the first time all they could say was ‘wow what exquisite beauty’. But then they often make a revealing comment that reflects the nature of the place. They say things like. ‘The air is very clear here, and it’s more than the sea breeze’, or ‘it feels good to be here’ or, ‘the energy is very alive and positive’. Those who are in any way sensitive to energies recognise that there are places that feel cold and uninviting, even uncomfortable, and that at the opposite extreme there are places conducive to health and well-being. Needless to say it’s so much easier to pray in such places. I would suggest that here we are fortunate to live in one of those ‘thin’ places and if locals don’t always appreciate it, our visitors certainly do. When you think about it, how could it not be the case, with 1400 years of pilgrim people praying the ancient path?

There is a story from the Celtic tradition concerning the great St Brendan the Navigator that in some way captures the essence of pilgrimage. He and his companion monks were rowing hard in stormy seas and facing a strong headwind. Progress was very poor; they were exhausted and felt like giving up. Then one of the monks said, ‘Lets abandon ourselves to the voyage, and let the wind blow us where it will’. Such is the true spirit of the pilgrim: to stop rowing – to stop trying so hard, and let the wind blow us where it will.

So many come here exhausted from battling with the storms of life. Many feel lost in the storm and sense that their boat is so small and the ocean so wide. Lots come with issues of grief, illness, depression, relationships break-up and suicide that have left them feeling lost and shattered. What Lady’s Island offers is a ‘thin’ place where it is that bit easier to stop struggling and to let go.

Perhaps, Let go and let God – Let go of the struggle and let God be in charge, should be our pilgrimage theme not just this year but every year. Leaving that familiar land where we run the show and want to be in charge, to allowing God to be God, is the very essence of pilgrimage.

Mon Aug 21st The Druidic Connection

Much of the Druidic connection with Our Lady’s Island has been lost in the mists of time. It is believed that they originated in Brittany where a row erupted between some who wanted to explore occult practices and engage in child sacrifice, and others who were content with traditional rituals. Following a division in their clan, the former were expelled and forced to set sail, ending up near Carnsore Point, the place of closest proximity to the Continent and clear from Roman control. It was at Carnsore Point, and on Lady’s Island that they practiced their black arts and are believed to have sacrificed children as part of their rituals. It was this practice that led to their expulsion by the locals around the time of Christ. This was about seventy years after their arrival. The sinister looking photo shows what is known locally as the Druids altar where it is believed some of their sacrifices took place and where many innocent children have lost their lives.