The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-09-26
LOUCH DERc SANCTUARY.
Description Of This Celebrated and
Ever Popular Place OF
Pilgrimage.

Ever Popular Place OF
Pilgrimage.
MANY FOREIGNERS VISIT 1T
Ireland Not Efected By the Tide O
InfdelitY Sweeping Over
the Land.
or the many holy places in Ireland
there is none SO celebrated as the Sane
tua1y of Lough Derg, County Donegal,
or st. Patrick's Purgatory, as it is some
times called. 1t was founded by our
National Apostle, whose name it bears,
apd has ever since been place Of pen
ance. says pilgrim in the Irish Catholic.
Other Pilgrimages have sprung into ex-
istence at various times in the history
of the Church, fourished. ard then dis
appeared, but St. Patrick's Purgatoly.
I.ough Derg, has out-lived the lapse Of
time, and defed the hand Of the perse-
cueor, and Is as fresh and vigorous to-
dav as at any period Of it's past history.
AS this sanctuary is becoming every
year more largely freQuented by pill
grlms from distance, owing to the in
creased facilities Of access ana the ln1-
proved accommodation on the 'island"
a brief account of it from one who has
recently made pilgrimage cannot fail
to interest your readers,
Individual pilgrims can obtain return
tickets to Pettigo at a considerable re-
duction at all the principal stations On
the Great Northern Hallway, availaDie
for return within eight days from the
date of issue, and tickets a5 single fares
for the double journey will he issued TO
parties of not less than six first Glass,
eight second class. and ten third-class
passengers going together to Pettigo
for Lough Derg. Cars await each train
at Pettigo to convey pilgrims to the
shore four miles distant, whence they
are conveyed by water TO Station Island nc
a pleasant voyage Of about a mile. l
may here state that this passage to and
from the Island has been slngularly
free from accident as none occurred for
the past hundred years.
The performance of the Station occu-
pies three days, during which time a
most rigid fast is observed. The exer~
cises of.the day began at 5 a. m, with
morning prayer and Mass followed by q
brief instruction; there is a VISIT to the
Blessed Sacrament, with a short medi-
tation at noon; evening prayers, Sermon
and Benedictlon at s .. ra.; Stations ut
the Cross. conducted by one of the as"
sisting priests. with ''Stabat Mater, ="
at O'clock. In the intervals between
the exercises the pilgrims perform this
devoii ,ns required by the rules of the
station. a vigil is Kept in st, Patrlck'a
Church the night Of the first. The sec~
ond day Is devoted to Confession, and
on the morning OF the third day Holy
Communion is received and the Station
completed.
The first impression produced ON the
mind Of the pilgrim when he enters for
the first time on the halIowed spot will
never be forgotten. On the light
stands the beautiful little Church of
Our Lady; on the left the presbytery,
further on the same side and in front Of
the splendid Hospice stands three mag
ri6cent statues of white marble. The
central one is a statue Of the B. V.
Mary, erected some ten years ago; On
the right and left of 1t are the statues
OF st. Joseph and st. Patrick, erected
during the present year. Both these
statues, which are Carrara marble, have
been produced by the most eminent
Italian artists, and greatly add to the
religious aspect Of the place. Then
rises up in front of the visitor the ven
erable Church Of ST. Patrick. But what
strikes the visitor most is the sight of
80 many pilgrims OF both sexes, and OF
every age and condition ia lite proceed
ing with bare feet around the peneten-
tal cells, their eyes reverently cast
down, and theic lips moving IN silent
prayer.
It is proof, if proof is needed, that the
lamp of Divine faith. which was kindled
in ireland bY St. Patrick, burns as
brightly day as it did in the days
when Ireland deserved to be and was
really called the ''Island Of Saints"
and that the penitential spirit which al
ways characterize the people of ire
land, and sustained them iu many a
trying ordeal, is still undiminished. If
anyone fears that the tide Of inidellty,
which IS rapidlv sweeping over Europe
has already reached the sacred soil OF
Ireland, let h1m 60 to Lough Derg and
ask himself what it is that has induced
so many people, rich and poor, to leave
home, family and business. and v0lun-
tarlly undertake three DAYS Of the most
rigorous penitential exercises: 1t is
nnt the love Of human RnDlauae. for