Glendalough Rhythms of Rest Pilgrimage

March 20-26, 2022

“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” -Jeremiah 6:16

Join me next spring in Ireland as we seek wisdom from St. Kevin and the ancient monastic city of Glendalough. Our small group of seven pilgrims will follow the slow and intentional rhythms of monastic life, embracing the silence, stillness, and solitude of the contemplative path and joining together in group reflection, shared fellowship, and meaningful ritual as we seek to cultivate postures of rest and rejuvenation that will follow us home and into our everyday lives.

We will be based at Tearmann Spirituality Centre, just a short walk from the monastic ruins and nearby Laragh. Here you will have your own ensuite room—a monastic cell of sorts—with communal spaces where you can relax with fellow pilgrims by the fire and prepare meals. Each day will begin with a matins service within the ruins of a nearby church, followed by a morning session around the day’s theme, explored through spiritual practice, creative engagement, and visits to sacred sites. Late morning to mid-afternoon will be your time to explore the monastic city and the surrounding landscape, with optional spiritual direction sessions available for an added fee. Then we’ll gather together for group reflection and sharing, modeled after Parker Palmer’s Circle of Trust. Our day ends with a shared dinner, either at a nearby restaurant or potluck-style at Tearmann Spirituality Centre (each participant will contribute an item for the meal), followed by a compline service in the church ruins as the moon rises, after which we will enter into the Great Silence so common within monastic communities throughout the world and across the ages.

ITINERARY

Sunday, March 20, 2022

Arriving at 12:50pm on St. Kevin’s bus from Dublin, we will drop our bags off at Tearmann Spirituality Center and walk into nearby Laragh for lunch. Following our meal, we will take a tour of the monastic city with a local guide as we seek to orient ourselves to this sacred place. The late afternoon will be yours to settle into your new quarters, followed by a brief introductory session and dinner in Laragh featuring local fare. Our day will end with our first compline service in the nearby ruins of a church.

Monday, March 21, 2022

Today begins our journey exploring rhythms of rest, a journey that must begin with release, our theme for the day. We will start the process of creating a Rule of Life oriented around rhythms of rest, which we will develop throughout the week, and will spend time at the gate of the monastic city as we ponder what we cling to that inhibits our rest and authenticity and what we need to leave behind at the journey’s threshold in order to fully surrender to the journey at hand.

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

On the second full day of our journey our theme is reveal as we look for insight when it comes to our invitation toward rest. Today we will spend time at the round tower in the monastic city—both a lookout and a place of refuge—as we consider what we are noticing as we make this journey and what inner experience and wisdom is coming to the fore, asking to be seen.

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Today our theme is receive as we visit the ruins of Glendalough Cathedral and ponder what God has for us in regard to our journey toward rest and how we might move through life more slowly with a posture of receptivity, open to divine mystery and stirring.

Thursday, March 24, 2022

Moving toward the end of our journey together, our theme today is renew. We will visit St. Kevin’s Well, one of thousands of holy wells in Ireland long associated with healing. Dipping our hands in the cool water as we experience the external renewal that water brings, we will contemplate what is being renewed within our souls. 

Friday, March 25, 2022

The last full day of our pilgrimage focuses on the theme of return as we finalize our individual Rules of Life and make plans for its application in our everyday lives. Spending time in the ruins of St. Saviour’s Church just east of the monastic city, we’ll explore what’s saving our lives as we prepare to bring our journey to a close.

Saturday, March 26, 2022

After a week together cultivating rhythms of rest, we’ll end our pilgrimage with a final matins service and closing ritual, followed by a traditional Irish breakfast before departing on the 9:45 am bus to Dublin to begin the journey home.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

Not included: travel insurance (highly recommended); transportation to and from Glendalough, including airfare to and from Dublin and St. Kevin’s Bus between Dublin and Glendalough, and breakfasts and lunches Monday through Friday; beverages at restaurants

YOUR GUIDE FOR THE JOURNEY

REGISTRATION

This pilgrimage is open to pilgrims of all genders and faith traditions who seek to follow the contemplative way. We will be a small group of seven with only six participants, so space is extremely limited! The rate for this pilgrimage is $2,250 and a deposit of $500 is required to secure your space.

Register by July 31 at the Early Bird Rate of $2,100 and SAVE $150!

steps to register

Step One: Click on the registration button below to fill out the Registration Form (participant information + waiver)
Step Two: After the form is signed, you will be directed to pay your $500 deposit to reserve your space

This pilgrimage is FULL. Join the waitlist to be notified of any future openings below and learn more about additional pilgrimage opportunities through A Sacred Journey here.

Note: Deposits are non-refundable unless the pilgrimage must be canceled for the reasons outlined below. The pilgrimage must reach its capacity of six participants by September 20, 2021, to run. Final payment is due November 20, 2021.

a note about registering for a pilgrimage as the pandemic lingers…

While we all hope that the most challenging days of this pandemic are behind us, we still live and travel in uncertain times. I know that there could be a resurgence that would inhibit our ability to travel next March, which is why I have chosen to structure this pilgrimage in a way that allows for generous refunds to be available should the pilgrimage need to be canceled entirely, even if this cancellation must occur at the last minute. In planning this pilgrimage, I am moving forward with cautious hope and I invite you to do the same.

In order to do run this pilgrimage responsibly and with generosity and flexibility, the following terms are in place:

• All participants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the pilgrimage begins. This ensures the safety of our group as a whole and ease of travel in circumstances when vaccination might be required. Proof of vaccination must be emailed to Lacy at [email protected] by March 1, 2022.
• This pilgrimage must meet its capacity of 6 participants by September 20, 2021, to run. If capacity is not reached by this time, the pilgrimage will be be canceled and you will be given a full refund. It is highly recommended that you do not make additional travel arrangements, such as booking plane tickets, until we have reached capacity. 
• If the CDC considers Ireland to be a “Level-4” travel risk (aka “Very High”) or if quarantine requirements are in place in Ireland in March of 2022 at the time of the scheduled pilgrimage, the pilgrimage will be canceled and you will be given a full refund, less a $100 administration fee. (This fee covers the cost of Journey Guide, which is yours to keep even if the pilgrimage is canceled.) As the CDC considers it safe for vaccinated persons to travel to “Level 3” countries as well as those ranked below “Level 3,” the pilgrimage will continue if Ireland is in a “Level 3” category or below in March of 2022. If you do not feel safe traveling under these circumstances, it is advised that you do not register at this time. View CDC travel recommendations by destination here.
• If you choose to cancel your registration on your own accord due to illness, change of plans, etc., know that all payments are final once made and cannot be refunded apart from the reasons listed above. Because of this, “Cancel for Any Reason” travel insurance is highly recommended and can be purchased here. This will allow you to recoup some or all of the costs of the journey should you need to cancel due to illness or another reason. Should the pilgrimage be canceled entirely, this can also cover the costs of canceled flights, etc., that are not included in the pilgrimage fee. (Note that this type of insurance often needs to be purchased within 10 days of making your first trip payment.)

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

FAQS

Additional questions? Contact Lacy here.