Sunday June 14th. 2009
Lancaster Knights of St. Columba Pilgrimage to Cille Choirill
Last Thursday, a group of the Knights of St. Columba, their wives and friends from Lancaster came on pilgrimage to Cille Choirill in
honour of Blessed Mary MacKillop. They had already been to Iona and called on their way back to have mass in the church, which I
concelebrated with them. Their chaplain, Fr Frank Flynn, has great devotion to Blessed Mary, and their mass booklet contained a page
on her life with a prayer for her future canonisation. They were so interested and intrigued by Cille Choirill and its setting on the
hillside. They thought it was so beautiful, and I was able to tell them a little of its history and about the Holy Woman of Insh.
They have been blessed with good weather since they left home four days ago, and were heading for Carfin to complete the third part
of their pilgrimage. I left them having a picnic in the cemetery, sitting on the grass and enjoying the lovely sunshine.
(In the photograph, Fr. Flynn is on the right with a case in his hand)
I am grateful to Sandy and Ann MacKintosh for preparing the church for mass