Our Lady’s Island is an ancient place of pilgrimage in the south east corner of Ireland ten miles from Wexford Town and not far from the ferry port of Rosslare. It is the oldest, and second only to Knock in Co. Mayo, as the most significant Marian shrine in Ireland having been established as a place of pilgrimage and of devotion to Our Lady in the sixth century.
Each year a pilgrimage season takes place at the Marian shrine between the Solemnity of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 15 August and the Feast of The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 8 September. Mass is celebrated twice daily with a guest preacher and pilgrims travel from near and far to take part in the traditional devotions.
Our Lady’s Island is a place of natural beauty and ecology which has offered solace and peace to countless pilgrims over the years and which continues to provide rest and renewal to the modern day visitor too. Recently I visited this pilgrimage site for the first time since a family outing there during my childhood and I found it to be an uplifting and prayerful experience.
The pilgrimage route begins with a visit to the Parish Church. The pilgrim then passes the causeway to the Shrine at the entrance to the Island, the leaning tower, and walks around the island quietly; pausing at the ‘Head of the Island’ for some moments of quiet prayer and solitude before returning to the Parish Church. In walking the pilgrim path on the island dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary they form the shape of the Rosary which is the traditional devotion.
Moving quietly around Our Lady’s Island to the rhythm of the Rosary is a beautiful way to engage body and mind in the peacefulness of prayer and the presence of God in nature. The lagoon like lake overlooking the Irish Sea with its natural habitat and spectacular scenery offers the opportunity for stillness, silence and serenity, true nourishment for the soul.
Making a pilgrimage or a retreat, even for a day, offers the Christian renewed hope in God’s promises, decreasing the tendency to worry about the future. As a child of God the believer is called to trust and remember that they are not alone. Switching off from technology and taking a step back from the busyness of life for a time of spiritual enrichment can be a renewing experience and a reminder to trust in the providence of God and the fruitfulness of the spiritual journey.
