Thank you, Mount Melleray!
Thanks to the monks of Mount Melleray Abbey for a very pleasant pilgrimage. Perhaps
pilgrimages were not meant to be pleasant but this one certainly was. We all arrived by
car at about 3:30 p.m. (on Sunday 6th June 2010, the feast of Corpus
Christi) and we wandered around and chatted in the beautiful
sunshine until the audio/visual display began at 4:15 p.m.
That lasted for ten minutes after which we explored the excellent exhibition of
handwritten bibles, ogham stones, handmade nails, and other objects relating to the
abbey.
On leaving the exhibition hall we were shepherded by Fr. Paul Murphy, our tour
leader/guide/organiser/parish administrator into a tight flock for a group photograph,
assisted by an obliging passing visitor who took the shot.
After that we explored the grounds, the lovely flower and heather beds, the fountain, and
not least, the café and gift shop. They have very nice apple pie in the
café and, although the place was full of visitors, their production line kept
the queue quite short.
At 5:45 p.m. we were given a short talk on the manastery by Fr. Denis Luke, after which we
joined the monks for the singing of Vespers followed by Benediction
and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Then we were all back out in the sunshine to make
our way home at leisure. All in all, it was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
You can see photographs of the pilgrimage if you click
HERE, and the photograph
of the pilgrims is below.
