Pilgrims from Limerick attending their annual pilgrimage to Lourdes demonstrated their continued loyalty to the former bishop Dr Donal Murray when he turned up to say Mass during their stay. It was one of the first high-profile appearances for the former bishop who resigned last Christmas following critical comments made in the Ryan Report about his handling of child abuse allegations when he was an auxiliary bishop in Dublin.
Bishop Murray travelled to Lourdes this year as he has traditionally done while serving as bishop, accompanying some six hundred pilgrims, of whom seventy are confined to their home or are in nursing homes.
One photographer accompanying the group said the bishop was well received by the pilgrims, commenting, "it was a joy to see the support he received during the pilgrimage”.
“The whole congregation stood up and gave him a standing ovation - it was very emotional," he said.
The diocesan administrator, Fr Tony Mullins, said that during Dr Murray’s time as bishop, Lourdes “was very much part of his schedule every year. He is very well known by all the helpers and workers and, being the former bishop, by most of the people who were on the pilgrimage with us and he was very warmly welcomed.”
"There is a great sense of community because we tend to put our issues, and our gripes with each other, in our back pockets for the five days [in Lourdes]," added Fr Mullins.
He described the annual pilgrimage as, “a spiritual thing, reaching out to God for consolation and assistance” and he said he finds it succeeds in bringing peace and consolation to “almost everybody who is on the pilgrimage, particularly the sick.”
SIC: CIN