Located on Ireland’s Lough Derg is an island in a class of its own, known as St Patrick’s Purgatory. Connected via Station Island, the site is considered to have a direct link with Ireland’s patron saint. The island not only contains a monastery, but also a cave (now condemned), which was supposed to be an entrance to the gates of hell. The island still attracts many pilgrims today. A major tourist attraction in County Donegal!
If the island is so famous, even today, it’s above all thanks to its myths and legends linked to Saint Patrick. History tells us that the Irish patron saint went through a period of great doubt while trying to convert the Irish to Christianity.
And with good reason: the Irish, who were essentially pagans at the time, sometimes found it hard to be convinced of the existence of God! Even after they had converted, the questions kept coming, testing Saint Patrick’s patience to the limit.
For the saint, it was obvious: he had to find concrete, irrefutable proof to convince the Irish. But it’s not easy to find!
In his distress, St Patrick prayed to God for help.
In return, God revealed an astonishing pit in the ground. He would then tell her that it was a doorway to Purgatory, and that all she had to do was show it to the most skeptical Irishmen to convince them not only of God’s existence, but also of the joys of heaven and the torments of hell.
An excellent way to convince even the most reluctant!
This pit is located on an island on Lough Dergh. It’s actually a small underground cave. Condemned on October 25, 1632, the site has remained fascinating ever since, attracting pilgrims every year to pay homage to the work of Saint Patrick.
An ancient monastery is thought to have existed here as early as the 5th century. It was home to numerous hermits who lived in beehive-shaped cells.
Around 1130, the monastery would have gradually evolved, until it was entrusted to canons regular by the authority of Armagh Cathedral, under Saint Malache.
It welcomed pilgrims seeking redemption and prayer, and also served as a place of preparation for those wishing to visit Purgatory.
Pilgrims, with the permission of a bishop, fasted and prayed for a fortnight on Station Island, before travelling to Purgatory Island by boat. There, after confessing their sins, receiving communion and following certain rituals, they were locked in the grotto for twenty-four hours.
If they came out alive, they began a new cycle of fifteen days of prayer and fasting on Station Island.
Many sinners and criminals were sent on pilgrimage to atone for their sins, and Patrick’s Purgatory was a natural destination, given the hermits’ reputation for absolving sins.
Even today, St Patrick’s Purgatory and Station Island remain important places of pilgrimage for the Irish. They are the means for the most religious to obtain peace and redemption.
The season for this pilgrimage begins at the end of May each year and lasts until August 15, the feast of the Assumption of Mary.
The pilgrimage lasts three days and is open to participants of all denominations, or none at all, provided they are at least 15 years old, in good health and able to walk and kneel without assistance.
Pilgrims, who are encouraged to start their fast the night before, gather at the visitors’ center on the shore of Lough Derg early in the morning (between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.). From there, a boat takes them quickly to the island of Purgatory. Once on the island, they are assigned a dormitory and, walking barefoot, begin an almost continuous cycle of prayers and liturgies.
The buildings on the island are all designed to accommodate pilgrims. The sanctuary includes religious buildings and various facilities to accommodate believers, including dormitories, prayer rooms and other infrastructure needed to support pilgrimage activities.
As you can see, St Patrick’s Purgatory can be visited, but mainly if you decide to make a pilgrimage there. However, it can be admired from afar, by boat, or along the banks of Lough Derg.
The island is beautiful, small and rather convoluted. Most buildings occupy the entire floor area.
Access to the grotto (or Purgatory of St. Patrick) is still closed to visitors and pilgrims. The site has never even been excavated by archaeologists, and it remains a mystery what might be found there. All the more reason to visit the island, if only to get up close and personal!
Adresse :
GPS :
