As Prior, Fr La Flynn will live on Lough Derg, offering the traditional Station Prayer once each day until pilgrims can return.
Every year over 10,000 people undertake pilgrimages at St Patrick’s Purgatory on Lough Derg in Donegal.
As well as fasting for three days, pilgrims forego sleep for one night while praying barefoot on penitential “beds”.
It is the second year in a row that the three day pilgrimage has been cancelled due to COVID-19.
Lough Derg has been a place of pilgrimage for Christians from all over the world for more than 1,500 years.
The pilgrimage season usually runs from the start of June until August 15, although one-day retreats are held from May until October.
Prior of Lough Derg, Fr La Flynn said that, with public health measures still in place in the Republic, the phased relaxation of restrictions did not go far enough to allow the re-opening of “Station Island” for the safe return of pilgrims.
Fr Flynn will move to the island later today to begin his “witness of a daily Station Prayer” on behalf of pilgrims.
“We respect the wisdom of a phased and stable relaxing of restrictions. The timing is just not on our side this year,” he said.
While the three-day retreats will not go ahead, Fr Flynn hoped that with further easing of outdoor restrictions, a “Pilgrimage Along the Lakeshore” could be offered with the possibility of open-air Mass.
“Our regular pilgrims will be glad to learn that the ‘Pilgrimage from Afar’, offered in response to the pandemic last year, will be held on 3-5 July. From their own home, pilgrims will be able to join with me and some members of our pastoral team to do their Three-day Pilgrimage from where they are, with a live-stream link,” Fr Flynn said.
He urged anyone wishing to do the virtual pilgrimage to register by contacting Lough Derg by phone on 00 353 71 986 1518 or email: [email protected]
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