May the Road Rise Up to Meet You: A Pilgrim's Reflection on Catholic Ireland & Scotland

By Deacon Ed Sheffer, St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Tucson

Forty-four of us fellow Catholics, most unacquainted with each other, journeyed together because of our shared yearning to explore and discover more about the faith and the land of the Irish and Scotts. Charm and hospitality were in abundance, and we learned a good deal about their glory and tragedy. All along the way, we encountered some of the most stunning sites in the world. As we got to know one another, we developed a wonderful comradery and developed some heartfelt friendships. Although Bishop Emeritus Gerald Kicanas and I have been friends for two decades, it was my first co-led pilgrimage with him. I am extremely grateful for our time together and all the wonderful personal and pastoral touches he brought. 

Our group truly approached our travels as pilgrims, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t also have a lot of fun together. There were many spiritual, historic, and scenic sites across the Emerald Isle and Scotland that left each of us transformed in our own way. Every day included the Celebration of Mass along with potent prayer, history, laughter, and lore, all of which were refreshing nourishment for body, soul, and mind. It was humbling to be in the Irish and Scottish lands of such Saints as Patrick, Brigid Kevin, Colman, Margaret, David, and Baithéne.

On our first full day in Ireland, we were graced to kickstart the pilgrimage by participating in a Eucharistic Celebration in one of the most important medieval ecclesiastical landscapes in Ireland: Glendalough. Saint Kevin, a sixth century monk and hermit on a spiritual quest, was looking to remove obstacles to ascending to God when he came upon this glacial valley and chose to settle in this stunning, mountainous, picturesque site. This monastic settlement was significant for it became a learning center, whereby Christianity spread. 

 

We hadn’t really taken notice and weren’t yet grateful for how the weather would cooperate. For a second day in a row, we woke up to no rain, made our way onto the bus, started down the road, and the rain came – as the Irish say: “a fine soft day I ay.” When we reached our destination, almost like someone commanded it, again the rain stopped. We didn’t take it for granted anymore after this. The blessing continued for the rest of our pilgrimage – “Dia Duit” (God be with you!). 


Glenstal Abbey - Benedictine Monastery 

We arrived at Glenstal Abbey, and God was with us. We walked through the gates and were soon welcomed by Brother Padraig, with charm and lilting Irish brogue. We shared a laugh or two and he seemed to trust us enough to not only take us on a tour and share the history of the abbey, but he also revealed a deeper truth or two about himself. I walked away from that day sensing that he, like Saint Kevin, found his way closer to God by chasing peace, and as a result found deeper meaning to life. 


Br. Padraig McMcIntyre OSB

Next stop: Limerick. We made a bathroom stop and to our delight a fresh brew of Irish coffee was waiting for us (invented here). 


The day was capped off and blessed with Holy Mass at St. John’s Cathedral. 


St. John’s Cathedral

After Mass, those pilgrims, as the Irish would say, who were born with the “double dose of original sin” headed off for a pint or two of Guinness and were delightfully entertained with the fiddle and partook in a bit of Irish folk dance.

            
Day three, we made our way to Blarney Castle, an iconic destination. The grounds surrounding the castle were mystical. 


Landscape leading to Blarney Castle

And whether attributable to kissing the Blarney Stone or not, we connected in an authentic and deeper way and there would never be a shortage of the “gift to gab” afterward.
 

Deacon Ed Kissing the Blarney Stone


Immaculate Conception – Blarney, Ireland  

As we traveled throughout Ireland, our insightful tour guide, Peter, provided a good deal of humor. We also learned about the pain of the past and present, and yet we also witnessed the hope of the future. A shout out to our bus driver Alan too: such a cheerful, gentle, and kind soul. On our next-to-last day, he and I had an expresso together and enjoyed a delightful conversation. Before joining everyone else, I invited him to be prayerful about coming back home to Mass and bringing his wife and two daughters. He laughed and nodded his head when I said, “You know Alan, Judas is no reason to stay away from the party.”


Alan (Driver), Dcn. Ed, and Peter (Tour Guide) 

We enjoyed delightful cuisine all along the way. One of my favorite meals was in Dingle: fish’n chips lunch with my sister, Mary Lou, that was followed up with an expresso by the water. It was sacred time. 


Dingle, Ireland

My favorite fantasy/romance/comedy/adventure film is the Princess Bride. I experienced the exhilarating beauty of the Cliffs of Insanity – a.k.a. the Cliffs of Moher… “Inconceivable! You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”


Cliffs of Moher

We enjoyed the hospitality of the Irish people everywhere but were especially blessed by our visit to the international pilgrimage destination of Knock, Ireland. Tradition has it that Knock had been blessed by St. Patrick and that he had prophesied that one day it would be a holy place. It was a memorable liturgy for me to function as Deacon of the Word at this holy shrine where Mary appeared along with St. Joseph and St. John the Apostle in 1879. We brought with us over one hundred petitions from parishioners back in Tucson. We placed them on the side table in the sanctuary at Mass and we lifted each one of them up in prayer. We arranged for these petitions to remain here for one month and the commitment that they would be prayed over at all the Masses to be celebrated during the month. 

Following Mass, there was an encounter that Bishop Kicanas and I had with a couple from Northern Ireland. They too had journeyed here to ask for Our Lady’s intervention for something very meaningful to them. Caitlin and her loving husband, Ian, were there because Caitlin had recently been diagnosed with cancer. Most of the story is private, but what I will share is this encounter was one of my most powerful takeaways – Our Lady of Knock, give us a greater love of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. 


The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Knock

For our last night in Ireland, it was off to Galway, which is said to be the European Capital of Culture. It’s a laid-back city with all sorts of things to do. If you ever visit, be sure to breathe in the sea air as you take a stroll along the Salthill Prom – “the old long walk.”


The Emerald Isle is such a beautiful place to visit: so much history, so festive, so much humor, so much charm, so much of the Catholic story. As blessed as I felt, there was a sadness in seeing the Catholic Church’s decline here. Two of the dioceses we visited had zero seminarians. Faith is a journey to be revisited by Ireland that began so many years ago… “The real battle has just begun – Sunday, Bloody Sunday. To claim the victory Jesus won – yeah Sunday, Bloody Sunday” – Lyrics from U2 song.

One of my great joys of the pilgrimage is that my sister, Mary Lou, was able to join us. She is an extrovert who made friends with everyone. She sent me a touching note after she got back to her home in Mississippi, saying she will treasure the time we had forever. I hold the same sentiment.


Deacon Ed & Mary Lou (his sister)

We woke up at 3:00 AM to catch a flight to Glasgow, Scotland. We arrived to the one and only full day of sunshine. We made our way to Loch Lomond. We didn’t see Nessie, but we did walk the grounds and take in the beauty of Balmaha and lovely villages like Inchcailloch. 

Bishop Gerald Kicanas

We stopped at a distillery in Pitlochry and learned how whiskey is made, is stored, and remains a national treasure. And yes, most of us tasted the wares. 

 
Blair Athol Distillery - Pitlochry

We made our way to Edinburgh and visited Edinburgh Castle. One of
the things that struck me here is that you don’t have to venture far to find incredible street art. Edinburgh has historic cobble stone streets and striking architecture, and it makes the short list of top romantic places to live. It also is one of the cities in the world with the highest proportions of young adults who live there. They are out in the city streets in large numbers, even during the work week. 

 
Street Art of Edinburgh

And those who know me will want to know how the expresso ranks in Ireland and Scotland. Amazing – 8th sacrament status!


Double Expresso at Deacon’s House Cafe 
 
It is always a joy to function as Deacon when Bishop Kicanas is the Celebrant. Mass at St. Andrews Cathedral was a very spiritually moving experience for me.


St Andrews Cathedral – Glasgow 

Thanks to Peter’s sense of humor, we learned more about sheep than we ever thought we would and all the Gaelic he shared with is a wee bit too much to share here. 
 
There is an ancient Irish proverb that says: “May the most you wish for be the least you get.” Well, our pilgrims were open to the unexpected and God did not disappoint them. They moved reflectively and gently, with reverence for God’s presence in their midst. The pilgrimage inspired Deacon Al Gallardo to offer a daily rosary on the tour bus in Ireland. Bishop recruited others in Scotland to lead it, when Al and his beautiful wife Anna’s pilgrimage was complete.  

The pilgrims had an opportunity at one of the Masses to individually share who in their past they were grateful for, for helping them grow in faith. It was a powerful testimony of what pilgrimages so often reveal - faith passed down by those who came before us.

I asked our pilgrims to share what their primary take-away was. I’ll conclude with what some revealed they were graced with.

“My main takeaway would have to be the opportunities given to be grateful in such beautiful daily Masses. To have to think and dig deep to our present and past and be grateful for it all.” - Erica 

“This was my first pilgrimage and my first group trip of any kind. Praying together, daily Mass, and getting to know others on such an intimate level was beautiful. I can’t wait for our next God-filled experience.” - Elizabeth

“I really appreciated the exposure to the long line of Catholicism through the centuries. The Masses each day were personalized to our group, the Pilgrimage, and the Lenten journey. Our group was varied enough to bring different perspectives to our various Pilgrimage stops.” - Denise

“For me, being surrounded by such beauty and blessed spirit was super special. Both flowed through the environments we visited, the churches we entered, the Masses we experienced, the folks we met along the way, and my fellow pilgrims. I am anxious to hear about next year’s travels! I understand Egypt is in our future???” - Judith

“How wonderful it felt to be with a diverse group of people who shared a strong faith and commitment to Christ and to each other. I felt so cared for, especially when I got sick on the last day in Scotland and at the airport.” - Kathleen

“My takeaway was Mass every day and the opportunity to meet a fantastic group of people and get to know their stories. Also, the opportunity to be with Bishop and our Deacons - not just one but two! We were blessed! Lovely people!!” - Ana

“My main takeaway was praying together and daily Mass at different churches and cathedrals. Also experiencing such amazing countries with a lovely group of friends.” - Sophia

“My take-away from our pilgrimage: experiencing the kindness of God's people; feeling the joy of being welcomed and cared about; benefitting from the Bishop's incredible ministry with special touches that make us yearn for the Mass and happy to be part of the Body of Christ.” - Willie

“Seeing, walking, and sharing the beauty and history of the people, land, faith, and churches throughout our pilgrimage was awesome! Bearing witness to the meaning of our faith through acts of kindness, caring, and protection of each other was awe-inspiring!” - Sheila

“During this pilgrimage, I was reminded daily to be grateful for all God’s blessings from acts of kindness from our traveling companions to the beauty that surrounded us in all forms. It is important to find joy in the present!” - Mary Alice

"The gorgeous 'Emerald' image complete with a deep feeling of love for the land of my ancestors is a major take-away from the pilgrimage along with the vision of the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond! As I celebrate what would have been the 100th birthday of my mother Margaret this year, I thank our dear Lord for the chapel visit in Edinburgh Castle dedicated to Saint (Queen) Margaret and to the wonderful folks who helped me climb the steps and visit these special places. Thanks to Bishop Kicanas for his leadership and for the beautiful, Spirit-filled Masses each day. I felt frequent nudges to share with fellow pilgrims and Asian travelers along our route, my stories of God’s miracles in my life. Taking away a deep feeling of gratitude for this pilgrimage and for Deacon Ed and his dear sister. Thank you for all your help!" - Barbara