Bringing the Community together through a Pilgrimage

Dublin, Ireland

Conventual Franciscan Friar Xavier Goulet recently recounted a story that showed the power of faith from his days as a friar in the Fairview neighborhood of Dublin, Ireland. Currently, Friar Xavier is working as assistant pastor at Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Carey, Ohio.

Friar Xavier’s story from Ireland goes as follows: During the year 2000, the Bishops of Ireland asked the parishes in their country to undertake pilgrimages to spiritually significant places in their areas. A specific Sunday was chosen for this national event.

Fairview, Dublin

Since the community at the Fairview parish could not find a destination for a one day pilgrimage, it decided to meet the congregation of a nearby sister parish in Dublin’s Marino neighborhood and then walk back to Fairview.

On the day of the pilgrimage the number of people who showed up in Marino was dishearteningly small. Their spirits, however, were eager to start with the pilgrimage. First they prayed and then they started walking – not directly to Fairview - but through five other Dublin neighborhoods. In each of these the group stopped and prayed.

Walking through Dublin

Many denizens of the neighborhoods through which the pilgrims processed and prayed, joined them on their journey to Fairview.  At the end of the one hour journey the group totaled 500 people. Many others had made it to the church in advance of the pilgrimage, thus increasing that number of the faithful and bringing the community closer together.