A Pilgrim Way

People come to Glencairn for many different reasons. Some come for a few days of retreat, some to volunteer, some to visit friends or family, and some because they feel drawn to spend time in a monastery. They come from Ireland and from much further afield, bringing with them their own stories, questions, interests and experiences.

We thought it would be interesting to share some of these stories — a little series about the people who pass through Glencairn and the things they bring with them.

Our first is the story of Catherine Kustelski, a recent volunteer from the United States, who spent three months with us and, during that time, set out on a two-week pilgrimage across Ireland.

Catherine Walks to Granard

During her three months volunteering at Glencairn, Catherine was taking some time to discern what might be asked of her next, following a period of significant change in her life.

In the middle of those three months, she untertook a pilgrimage, of a different sort! Not to Knock, Lourdes, Medjugorje, not to any of our beloved monastic sites, but to the site of a tragedy which had touched her heart.

Catherine had been reading about Ann Lovett, the fifteen-year-old girl who died in 1984 after giving birth beside the grotto in Granard, Co. Longford. Ann’s story had resonated with her as Catherine and Ann were born around the same time, and Catherine found herself wondering about the young woman behind the story.

She wanted to make the journey to Granard, and to meet people along the way with whom she could talk about Ann.

So she set out on foot.

She travelled without booking accommodation in advance, relying instead on the kindness of people she met along the way to provide her with somewhere to sleep each night. She was welcomed into homes, shared meals and conversations, and experienced again and again the generosity of people who were willing to help a stranger on her way (as well as quite a lot of curiosity, and a little steeliness).

Catherine had been inspired to make the pilgrimage by a mentor, a consecrated woman who has made pilgrimage a significant part of her own life and has walked more than 50,000 miles. For Catherine, this journey was a beginning.

When she eventually reached Granard, she visited the grotto, the church and Ann Lovett’s graveside. She had walked the whole way there, carrying Ann’s story with her and talking about it with people along the road.

When Catherine returned to Glencairn, she gathered with some of the Sisters and guests to share her experience. With a map of Ireland spread out before them, and a slideshow of photographs, she told the story of the journey: the people who had welcomed her, the places where she had stayed, the conversations she had along the way, and what it was like to finally arrive in Granard.

There was even a little bit of unexpected theatre to the evening. Another volunteer had just returned from an Irish-language class, laden down with popcorn, which turned out to be perfect for the occasion.

It was a lovely evening, and a reminder of the way stories travel. Catherine had set out to walk across Ireland towards Ann Lovett’s grave, and in doing so had gathered many other people’s stories along the way.

We are grateful to Catherine for sharing the journey with us, and for giving us the chance to follow her route across the map, from Lismore to Granard, and to hear something of the hospitality she received along the way.

This was Catherine’s first pilgrimage of this kind, but she hopes it will not be her last.