“Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry,
Everything to God in prayer.”
Extract from lyrics to “What a Friend We Have In Jesus”, composed by Irish Poet, Joseph Medlicott Scriven (1819 – 1886).
Stations Of The Cross
The Stations of the Cross consist of a 14-step Roman Catholic devotion that commemorates the last day on earth, spent by Jesus Christ as a man. The 14 stations of the Cross, focus on specific events of His last day, beginning with His condemnation.
The stations are observed, in our modern world here in Ireland, as a mini pilgrimage, with people moving through each of the stations, recalling and meditating on each specific event known to have been experienced by Our Lord on his last day on this earth.
Two-Mile-Borris correspondent Mr Gerry Bowe now Reports:
Christians are again this year being invited to walk the “Way of the Cross” on the ancient Pilgrim Path to the Churches of St. Mochaomhog in Liathmore, (Leigh), Two-Mile-Borris, Thurles, on Friday next, April 19th, (Good Friday, a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary). The walk will start at 12.00 noon at the Church Boreen, off the main road north of the Turnpike, entrance on the right-hand side of road, (beside two bungalows) or just after the signpost for the first junction to the right after the Turnpike.
We will follow the ancient Mass path to the Little Church, then on to the site of the site of Round Tower, concluding in the main Monastery Church of St. Mochaomhog.
Saint Mochaomhog
The ruins of two churches at Liathmore, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, identify today the existence of the old monastery founded by St. Mochaomhog and dating back to 590 AD. The smaller of the two churches is the oldest standing church in Ireland. St. Mochaomhog, himself the Abbot, is buried in the larger of these two churches. Abbots are recorded as being here in the years 752AD, 767AD, 900AD, 933AD, and 1014AD.
According to Irish folklore, it was St. Mochaomhog that baptised the ‘Children of Lír’; latter four children named Aodh, Fionnghuala, Fiachra and Conn, who were all put under a spell by their jealous stepmother Queen Aoife, second wife of King Lir; turning them into four white swans on Lake Derravarragh in Co. Westmeath. St. Mochaomhog thus broke the spell and turned them back from swans into humans once more. Local folklore states that every year four swans return to this area, and sojourn here for about a week.
Please do dress appropriately for the weather.
A special thanks to Cait Power and her family for organising this now annual event in Tipperary’s Easter calendar.
All are welcome to attend.
Leave a Reply