Thousands are expected to join this year’s Reek Sunday pilgrimage on July 27 to the summit of Ireland’s ‘Holy Mountain,’ Croagh Patrick, continuing a 1,600-year-old tradition.
Pilgrims of all ages will scale the 765 metres, led by Archbishop Francis Duffy, to pray and participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.
This year’s theme is ‘Christian Hope.’ Croagh Patrick is one of the three well-known Irish sanctuaries offering hope to pilgrims over many generations, and designated as a national pilgrimage site by the Irish Bishops. Anyone who participates can obtain and stamp their ‘Pilgrim Passport’ for the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.
Masses will be held from 8am-2pm, and confessions will be heard throughout the day. At 10am, Bishop Fintan Monahan will lead Mass in Irish, outside of the oratory on the summit.
The Church asks all pilgrims to follow the ‘Pilgrim Path,’ designed to minimise the pilgrimage’s impact on the environment, and to be mindful of their safety and health as they take on the physically demanding journey.
