Croagh Patrick Pilgrimage
The majestic Croagh Patrick overlooks Clew Bay and the entire western coastline, and is one of Mayo’s most famous landmarks. It was named after St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, after he reportedly spent 40 days and 40 nights fasting and praying on the summit in 441AD. Now the mountain is one of Europe’s best known places of pilgrimage.
Every year, on ‘Reek Sunday’, the last Sunday in July, thousands of people, some barefooted, make the pilgrimage to the summit and attend mass in the church. Starting from Murrisk Abbey, the first stop is Saint Patrick's statue which was erected in 1928 by Reverend Father Patterson with money he collected in America towards the rebuilding of Saint Mary's Church. Pilgrims then visit the three stations of Reek: Leacht Benain, the summit, and Roilig Mhuire. There are magnificent views of Clew Bay and the surrounding Mayo coastline at every stage of the climb.
Individuals and groups come from all over the world to follow in St. Patrick’s footsteps and undertake this unique journey.
Members of the Samaritan sect walk up a mountain during a pilgrimage for the holy day of the Tabernacles or Sukkot.
Catholic faithful walk up to a shrine at the top of
Muslim pilgrims pray on a rocky hill called the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007. More than two million pilgrims gather at the site of Prophet Muhammad's last sermon 14 centuries ago in a ritual that marks the climax of the annual Muslim pilgrimage where most of them spend the night.
Hindu pilgrims trek through a mountain during a pilgrimage to the cave of Amarnath, in Pishutop, 114 km (71 miles) southeast of Srinagar July 9, 2008. During the two-month-long annual pilgrimage, devout Hindus walk and ride ponies or palanquins to the cave - situated at an altitude of 3,800 metres (12,700 feet), deep in Kashmir mountains to pray by an ice stalagmite they believe to be a symbol of Hindu god Lord Shiva.
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