We are hoping to run a pilgrimage to the North East of England from An Diseart in May; to walk in the footsteps of the Irish Monks from Iona, who in 635 AD, initiated a mission to the Kingdom of Northumbria, and in the space of 30 years established the Church there as a centre for missionary outreach to the rest of England and to the Continent of Europe. 

The story of the Irish mission to Northumbria forms a unique chapter in the history of the Church in England as in less than a hundred years the foundations set and the seeds sown by those monks flourished into what has become known as “The Golden Age of Northumbria.” 

The wonderful heritage going back to and developing from those years is very much alive and tangible today, where many of the Church centres associated with that time are still active as places of worship.

The Pilgrimage should take us from Lindisfarne, where St. Aidan and 12 disciples from Iona came to establish a Monastery and open a mission in the year 635AD, to the monastic ruins at Whitby, where less than 30 years later in 664, in the presence of a thriving community under the leadership of St Hilda, the Synod of Whitby was called by the King of Northumbria to settle a dispute that had arisen about some of the customs and  practices of the Irish monks that distinguished the Irish or “Celtic” Church from the Church of Rome. 

Although St Bede speaks highly of the orthodoxy of the teachings of the Irish monks and commends them for their exemplary lives and witness to the Gospel, making it very clear that, while the Irish Church had, distinct practices it was essentially Roman and Catholic; Rome won the day and with that many of the Irish monks and some English with them returned to Ireland.   However, the foundations had been set and the seeds had been sown for what can only be regarded as the greatest flourishing of the Gospel and Church that England has ever known; an era that is still acknowledged today as the “Golden Age of Northumbria.”

The spirit of that “Golden Age” is still deeply rooted in the soil and in the people of Northumbria, soil that was hallowed by the footsteps, as well as, nourished and nurtured by the faith, teachings and witness of such great saints as St Aidan, St Oswald, St Hilda, St Cuthbert to mention but a few.  It is an age that can boast of great decorative manuscripts, famous among them and comparable to our own Book of Kells is “The Lindisfarne Gospels .”  The Age can also boast of one of the earliest and greatest Church historians that the world has known St. Bede, renowned scholar and theologian whose book “The Ecclesiastical History of the English People” has been an invaluable resource, not just for the early English Church but for the early Irish Church as well.

Northumbria is dotted with Church and Monastic sites from that period.  Many of these buildings are now ruined but are very well preserved and cared for by the British Heritage and National Trust.  Of course, Lindisfarne itself is a World Heritage Site.  Many of the Monastic Sites continue to be in use today housing vibrant worshiping communities and acting also as Interpretive and Retreat  Centres through which the heritage is not only preserved but is being shared to enrich the Church and touch the lives of innumerable people who visit Northumbria annually. 

While the people of Northumbria are proud of their Christian heritage, they are also very proud of its Irish “Celtic” origins and have contributed much, perhaps even more than any other area in these Islands, to developing and promoting an authentic form of Celtic Spirituality.

The following quote has been taken from Romantic Hidden Kerry p.394:  The late Dr. Graves suggests that it is highly probable that one of the Ballintaggart Ogham stones contains an inscription which stands for the Anglo Saxon name Eadfrid who spent six years in Ireland attracted by the fame of the schools and who afterwards became bishop of Lindisfarne and wrote the Book of Durham.  (Here I presume he meant the Gospels of Lindisfarne, a work that is attributed to the scribe and Bishop Eadfrid.) He goes on: “The reader” he stated in the course of an interesting contribution, “cannot fail to have observed that I do not regard this monument as having been a sepulchral one.  The stone on which I suppose his [Eadfrid] name to have been inscribed might have been used by him as a pillow.  So, who knows, there may be a historic link between Dingle, Lindisfarne and Northumbria.

General outline for the proposed Pilgrimage
Our Pilgrimage will take us from Lindisfarne to Whitby; from the wonderful Cathedral of Durham to York Minster; from Hexham Priory to Ripon Cathedral, from Aidan’s Parish Church and Oswald’s Castle Bamburgh to Cuthbert’s Church on the Farne Islands; to the “World of St Bede” in Jarrow.  Visiting these historic and holy places within the rich agricultural land and beautiful scenery of Northumbria should prove a breathtaking and inspirational event.  (Some have questioned the possibility of covering all those areas and doing justice to them within one week and feel that Northumbria merits another pilgrimage, perhaps next year to do it justice.  On that we should have a meeting perhaps around Easter time to decide our itinerary together.)

The Venue
We will be based in a very picturesque country setting, the Passionist Monastery and Retreat Centre at Ministeracres right at the heart of the old Kingdom of Northumbria.  The Monastery boasts of the largest collection of American Red Wood trees in Europe, that line part of the mile long entrance to the residence. The centre has good recreational facilities, where we can socialise and also gather to learn a little about the story and history of the place or places being visited on the following day’s itinerary.  The Monastery has both a free standing Gothic Style Church and a beautiful Chapel within the building which are always open and available for Mass, for liturgies or private prayer.

There is a possibility as well of having Mass, or a liturgy, in some of the sites of centres that we will be visiting.  In the past Fr. Jim has regularly celebrated Mass at the Anglican Cathedral in York as part of an annual pilgrimage he used to run from Ushaw College entitled “Journeying with the Northern Saints.”        

The Ministeracres Centre can offer 33 single rooms, not on suite, or 45 with some sharing.  Fr Jim has stayed there on a number of occasions and can guarantee that the accommodation, the meals and hospitality are all excellent. 

Monsignor Padraig and the board of An Diseart are very supportive of this Pilgrimage and feel that it would not only be an enriching and inspirational experience for all participants but that it would engender a greater appreciation of our own heritage and offer lots of hints and ideas of how we might develop and promote that wonderful Christian heritage here in Corca Dhuibhne.

Travelling and Costs
 We will be travelling by bus from and to Dingle, fares, accommodation, full board and lodgings, daily trips and entrance to the various sites and museums is working out at roughly 580 Euro a head. 

Talks at the Diseart
There will be a series of talks in the Diseart during Lent starting on the Thursday 25th Feb 8.00 - 9.30pm to give some background to Northumbria and the Early Irish Church and its influence in Northumbria and beyond.  As the talks will be open to the general public and people will be attending other than those going on pilgrimage the talks will be placed within the wider context of Celtic Spirituality and they will be more pastoral than academic.    
 

March 4th The Early Christian Church in Britain and Ireland and the beginning of the Irish Mission to Northumbria lecture text>>

March 11th    The Celtic Mission to Northumbria – Lindisfarne to Whitby

March 18th    St Patrick  - the Confession

March 25th    The Saints and Sites of Northumbria

Why Pilgrimage:  Date to be decided

A lot of interest has been expressed in the Pilgrimage (28th May – 4th June).  At the moment we are hopeful that it will go ahead

The cost of the Pilgrimage, all included, is 580 euro.  A deposit of 100 euro should be paid in before the end of March by those wishing to join the Pilgrimage.  Cheques payable to: “An Diseart Pilgrimage Fund” should be posted to Fr. Jim Sheehy, An Diseart, Green Street, Dingle, Co. Kerry

Any enquiries, of if you need more information please contact Jim Sheehy at jimsheehy@diseart.ie.  Alternatively he can be contacted through the Diseart number:00 353 (066) 9152476