To celebrate the Year of Faith, Mullingar Parish in the
Diocese of Meath is hosting a 22km walk on Saturday, July 27 from Fore Abbey to
Mullingar.
Modelled after the Camino de Santiago, a thousand year old
pilgrimage in Northern Spain which the Mullingar Monks of medieval times would partake
in, this event will bring the 800km historical pilgrimage to Westmeath.
The
22km represents a single day’s walk on the camino, and the date coincides with
the Feast of St James. This is an opportunity to get a taste of the Spanish
camino while exploring the picturesque hills of Westmeath and learning about
the area’s history.
The walk begins at 9:30am at Fore and is expected to take
six to seven hours to reach the destination in Mullingar—the statue of the Mullingar
Monks erected in 2000 on Austin Friar Street.
There will be designated stops
about every 4kms where walkers can rest, access refreshments and toilet
facilities, meet with other walkers and learn the ‘story of faith’ behind the
various historic sites.
Walkers will receive pilgrim passports, just like the
pilgrims on the camino, which will be stamped at each of the stopping points.
There will be an optional 2km walk at the end to see St Munna’s Abbey as well
as a 6pm Pilgrim Mass in the Cathedral.
Though the terrain is relatively flat, organisers say, “This
walk is one of the longest you will probably ever take”. Those who wish to
partake are encouraged to increase their walking habits before the event, as
the walk is best suited to people “with a reasonably good level of fitness”.
Walkers are urged to prepare for both rain and sunshine.
Registration for the walk is open through www.runireland.com or at the Parish
Office, Cathedral House, Mullingar for €10.
Walkers will receive a pilgrim
pack, consisting of a passport, trail map, and a scallop shell—the symbol of
the Spanish camino.
Bus transportation to Fore on the morning of the walk is
available for an additional €5.
According to the organisers the walk is a
fundraiser for a memorial garden at the monks' burial site in the grounds of the
Cathedral of Christ the King in Mullingar.