Lough Derg Pilgrimage Season 2017 - Continuing a family tradition!

LOUGH DERG PILGRIMAGE SEASON 2017

1st June – 15th August 2017 (last day to commence the Three Day Pilgrimage is 13th August )
For over 50 generations families have carried forward the faith of their families who made their way to Lough Derg.

 Lough Derg offers families a unique connection with their ancestoral family whose spiritual footsteps down the generations awaits them in this sacred Island. The Lough Derg Pilgrimage season connects us with the flame of faith, hope and love lit in Ireland by St Patrick in the fifth century and continues to give light to families today.

Fr Owen McEneaney, Prior of Lough Derg extends a personal invitation to one and all to come and walk in the spiritual footsteps of your family – parents, grandparents, relations – walk the same ground where they walked and prayed, reconnect with their prayer for their family and future family. Today you are that family; come and be touched by God’s grace in the sanctuary of St Patrick. A sacred place where we look to God – Father, Son and Spirit – that communion of love to guide us on our faith-filled journey.

From the time of St Patrick right up to today, experiencing this communion of love at the heart of God has a particular resonance for pilgrims to Lough Derg, leaving the Island as they often do with a deep, deep sense of God’s presence, closeness and love. It is as if they have been taken into the communion of love that is Father, Son and Spirit.

If you have thought about coming to Lough Derg but never managed to get here or if you have been here in the past and thought you will come back some day – let that some-day be this year.

It is our hope that you will say yes and come as you are, come home to the love of God’s family and connect with your family prayer here on Lough Derg.

Linking with the World Meeting of Families in Ireland next year

As Ireland gets ready to host this momentous event Lough Derg extends an invitation to family groups, the parish family and the diocesan family to come and prepare for this occasion, to be part of the unbroken link of Lough Derg as a place of continuous prayer for families over the generations.

The Lough Derg team can be contacted for more information on 071 9861518 daily from 8.00am until 9.00pm during June, July and August. Full season details on loughderg.org

NURSES - The Limerick Lourdes Diocesan pilgrimage needs you!

Are you a nurse or do you have friends who are? If so then maybe you/they would consider joining the Limerick Diocesan Pilgrimage this year in Lourdes (June 21-26).

This pilgrimage is a really unique, happy and satisfying event to be part of, and while we have a great group of volunteers travelling to Lourdes this year in many capacities; they are a little low on nurses. So if you are curious and would like more details, please contact the Lourdes Office at 061 - 314111.

Look who was in Rome today...................

From The Irish Catholic Newspaper Facebook page:

Pope Francis being presented with a book on the history of the Diocese of Limerick as he greeted Bishop Brendan Leahy today in Rome. Bishop Leahy and Bishop Emeritus Donal Murray are leading a group of 35 pilgrims from the diocese who travelled to Rome to mark the feast-day today of Saint John Paul II

***************

Details of the diocesan pilgrimage and what the pilgrims got up to can be seen on the Limerick Diocese Facebook page and they got a mention at Pope Francis General Audience today (mention is at 1.51 and again at 2.31 on the video)!

Limerick Diocese pilgrimage to Lourdes 2014 - Coming down from Mount Tabor

The planes are arriving in Shannon this morning (fingers crossed after the debacle of the French strike over the last few days! Obviously the prayers were heard for a resolution to the crisis) and our diocesan pilgrims have to re-enter "normal" life again. Like any experience where you have been out side your regular routine, where quick friendships are made over shared experiences, eventually the pilgrims like the apostles must come down from Mount Tabor.

Bishop Brendan offers some thoughts on what we can do as a faith community, invigorated by the experience of the pilgrimage both physically, emotionally and spiritually.



Limerick Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes 2014 - Holy Hour

As our listeners and blog readers are aware, the Diocese of Limerick's annual Pilgrimage to Lourdes took place between June 21st and June 26th 2014.  A very special part of the pilgrimage is the Holy Hour - time spent in the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament - which was held last Sunday evening.

This year Fr. Liam Enright and Fr. Noel Kirwan led a beautiful meditation for the Holy Hour which is available HERE.

More photos and reflections from the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes are available HERE.

Limerick Diocese pilgrimage to Lourdes 2014 - A poetic memory

Shared over on the Limerick diocese Facebook page,

From Peg Prendeville:

"Reading about the trip to Lourdes reminds me of a trip I made in 1990! I wrote this afterward. I hope you don't mind me sharing it with you.

The Miracle of Lourdes

Away from all the toil and noise
Which whirls this world around
On a little corner of this earth
A heavenly place I’ve found.
It’s only a simple little cave
From which a spring does flow
It was there that Bernadette of Lourdes
Met her “lady” long ago.

And still the spring it gushes forth
And still sway the whispering trees
The river Gave flows gently by
While candles flicker in the breeze.
A tranquillity you’ve not felt before
I guarantee you’ll find
There in the deafening silence.
It relaxes body and mind.

The murmuring of incessant prayers
Waft like incense to the sky
Petitioning, pleading pilgrims
Begging God to reply.
This power of prayer uplifts the soul
It has to be for good.
Despair then dies and hope lives on
It’s the miracle of Lourdes.

When now, back in the world once more,
My fears are hard to quell
I shut my eyes and my thoughts drift back
To the grotto of Massabielle.
Mary and Bernadette come smiling through
And fill me with their peace
“Don’t worry, Love” I hear them say
“The miracles will never cease.”

Limerick Diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes 2014

Some photos from the diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes on Sunday and Monday. You can find more photos on the diocesan Facebook page HERE

Pilgrim stories: Sharing the experience of Lough Derg - iCatholic

Limerick Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes 2014

After the disappointment of last year when the 2013 diocesan pilgrimage was cancelled due to floods in Lourdes, the Limerick Diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes takes place this week. Over 500 pilgrims, including almost 70 invalids and 100 youth pilgrims will travel to the Marian shrine in the south of France.
 

On Monday morning 23rd June 2014 at 8:45 am as Bishop Brendan will be celebrating Mass at the Grotto in Lourdes as part of the Limerick Diocesan Pilgrimage. This Mass will be streamed live HERE. If you would like to feel part of the pilgrimage you are invited to watch and pray with the pilgrims on Monday morning.

You might also like to follow the pilgrimage on Limerick diocese Facebook www.facebook.com/dioceseoflimerick to see updates from the pilgrimage.

You can see some of the pilgrims at Shannon airport before departure:

Reflections and homilies on the pilgrimage to Lourdes can be read HERE.