A large number of people gathered for the Pilgrim Day of Prayer on Saturday 1st June, to celebrate the Feast of St. Kevin. The theme for the day was: “All you who are thirsty, Come! Come to the waters!” Isaiah 55
We, the Hermitage Team, arranged a number of Prayer Experiences to facilitate our pilgrims on their day retreat: Pilgrim Walk, Lakeside Healing Prayer, Kevin – Learnings from the Legend, Mediatation Garden, Sacred Movement, Mindfullness, Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina, Guided Meditation.
St. Kevin smiled down on us and gave us a fine day, which was a bonus, as three of our prayer experiences were outdoor.
Christy Kenneally, spoke to a packed audience and gave us a very inspiring and hope-filled talk on “Say Yes to Life and its Fullness”. He asked us to consider re-connecting with ourselves and to realise that we are “The Prayer”.
The remaining prayer options allowed us time, to move reflectively, to be reawakened to the learnings from Kevin and/or to commune with Nature.
The Day concluded with a very meaningful celebration of the Eucharist, presided over by Fr. Oliver Crotty. The gospel was proclaimed by the Church of Ireland, rector, Canon John McCullagh and Dervilla Byrne R.S.M. summed up the day in her gospel reflection on ‘Corpus Christi’. She reminded us, as in the prayer of St. Teresa of Avila, that “Christ has no Body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which He looks, with compassion on this world, Christ has no Body now but yours”.
We extended our celebrations, by holding a variety concert, in the Brockagh Centre, on Sunday 2nd June. The heritage of Glendalough was celebrated with music, song, dance and poetry. Our guest speaker was Daraine Mulvihill and our local tenor Anthony Norton, took time out from his busy schedule with ‘The Three Tenors’ to be with us on the night. He conducted one of the two choirs and our second choir came from Arklow. We also had our local soprano Jennifer Rochford, Irish dancing and Irish music provided by our local Comhaltas group and Martin Swords read “St. Kevin and The Blackbird” by Seamus Heaney.
The proceeds of the night went to Wicklow Hospice. a long-awaited local facility.
The Team of Glendalough Hermitage Centre, are looking at having an innovative and inspiring event for 2014. The possibility of incorporating all or part of St. Kevin;s Way into our celebration of the Glendalough experience is under consideration. Please feel free to email us your suggestions.
Finally, I wish, on behalf of the Board of Directors and the Hermitage Team, to extend our gratitude to all who supported and encouraged us, to make this Day possible.
Sr. Margaret