NEWS 3: 1. Pilgrimage to Waterford | 2. Sr. Jacinta's Margaret Aylward Walking Tour of Dublin |
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» NEWS 5: Holy Faith Walking Group
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| NEWS 3: News related to our Foundress, Margaret Aylward |
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Setting out for Waterford
On Saturday, 26th February 2011, the group of Associates and Sisters bound for Waterford enjoyed the dawn chorus as they headed for Glasnevin for an 8am sharp departure by coach. |
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| Setting out on pilgrimage |
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Sr. Susan had arranged some beautiful prayer services for significant moments during the day and once the Celbridge contingent had been picked up on route, we had a short morning prayer to set us on our way:
“God of the beginning and end of our journey … engender in our hearts
this day a deeper sense of the gift of Margaret Aylward …”
We wrote our prayer intentions for others and these were placed in Susan’s pilgrim knapsack, as happened on the earlier El Camino pilgrimage.
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Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity
We arrived at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity in Waterford in time for 10.30am Mass. It was a great joy for us to celebrate Mass in Ireland’s oldest cathedral, built in 1793, and also pray in the church of Margaret Aylward’s baptism on 25th November, 1810. A highlight of the pilgrimage was our visit to the sacristy to see Margaret’s baptismal entry in the 19th century register and afterwards to view the plaque which was erected for the centenary of the founding of the Congregation.
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| [Waterford Cathedral ... Canon Martin Slattery with 1810 baptismal register ... Plaque erected for centenary of Holy Faith] |
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| [Margaret Aylward's baptismal record in the 1810 register] |
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Our WalkingTour of Waterford
Then it was off to the Tourist Information Office on the Quays for a welcome break and the all-important cuppa. There we met Mr. Jack Burtchaell, who took us for an hour’s walking tour around the old part of Waterford, giving some information about the town in the 1800s when Margaret was growing up. Jack made links all the time with Margaret Aylward, the family's friends and Edmund Rice and the Christian Brothers.
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The Aylward Homestead
Another key highlight was our visit to Thomas Street where the family home was situated. Jack explained that due to renumbering since 19th century, the Aylward house could have been either of the two in the picture, but is more likely to be the one with the black door on the right. Later we saw the monument of Thomas Francis Meagher, a frequent visitor to the Aylward homestead.
1. The Aylward Homestead on Thomas Street
2. The Thomas Francis Meagher monument
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Visiting Mount Sion and the Edmund Rice Heritage Centre
Our next visit was to the Edmund Rice Heritage Centre at Mount Sion, where we received a very warm welcome from Br. Phil and the brothers, including Br. Kevin Mullen, the Provincial, who happened to be in the house. We had our lunch in their lovely cafeteria and then Br. Peader took us on the tour and emphasised many similarities between the life stories of Margaret Aylward and Bl. Edmund.
It was very interesting when viewing Edmund Rice’s habit to find that the document certifying its authenticity was written by Br. Patrick Joseph Murphy, Margaret Aylward’s uncle, who was one of Edmund’s earliest companions and succeeded Edmund himself as Superior in Mount Sion. The text is typewritten and framed, but a copy of Br. Patrick's written document is also attached. We prayed in the room where Bl. Edmund died and this was followed by a longer time of prayer together in the beautiful chapel:
"Like Margaret Aylward,we are called to be a leaven in our society.
We are called to rise in all directions
through the very presence of our lives ..."
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1. Br. Patrick Murphy's document
2. The Edmund Rice chapel
with Bl. Edmund's tomb
in the centre.
[Click all photos to enlarge]
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The Aylward family grave in Tramore
Our final trip of the day was out to Tramore to the Aylward family grave in the grounds of Holy Cross Church. We prayed in song, “God’s Will will be your polar star” and placed flowers on the grave.
It was interesting also to visit the church and see the 8th station of the cross, Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem, which was donated by the Aylward family.
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The pilgrims at the Aylward grave The Aylward Station of the Cross |
The End of a Perfect Day!
On our return journey we chose “The Rising Sun” in Mullinavat for refreshments. We fondly recalled Srs. Declan, Leontia and Reginald Spillane whose home it had been at one stage. |
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We had a short evening prayer on the way back and we were asked to share with our neighbour our response to the question:
"Where did your heart burn within you this day as we journeyed to
and around the place that shaped Margaret’s life?”
Much appreciation was expressed to Sr. Susan for arranging the pilgrimage and especially for the four beautiful, thought-provoking prayer services during the day with their challenging "points to ponder" and for the help of Sr. Brenda Maddock in planning the day.
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Our bus arrived in Glasnevin at 7.30pm and we dispersed to our various homes and communities having reconnected with our roots and the influences on Margaret Aylward’s life.
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| The Beginnings: St. Francis Xavier Church, Gardiner Street |
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| In Gardiner St. Church |
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On Saturday 7 November 2009 sixteen sisters and associates joined Sr. Jacinta Prunty for a Walk around the city in the footsteps of our foundress, Margaret Aylward. On arrival at Gardiner St. Church, our starting point, we were each presented with a 40-page booklet of archival material which set the tone for the excellent experience to follow.
Having pointed out the house in Upper Gardiner St. where Margaret lived, Jacinta led us through the very earliest steps of our foundress to establish a branch of the Ladies Association of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul for “the relief, spiritual and temporal of the Sick Poor”.
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It was a privilege for the group to attend Mass together where Margaret had so often prayed and worked. We visited some of the side streets which would have been the laneways with the hovels of the poor and destitute in her day.
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46 Eccles Street
Our first stop on Eccles Street was outside the former residence of Cardinal Paul Cullen who gave such support to Margaret in her work. Then we proceeded up the road to our first foundation.
To stand on the doorstep of 46 Eccles St. and hear the account of Margaret’s return from prison, her efforts to get the work of St. Brigid’s Orphanage and the schools on the move again and the young teenage girls who joined our first community was a very special experience.
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Pro-Cathedral
Margaret wanted her work to be associated with a parish church and the Ladies of Charity transferred to the Pro-Cathedral. Here we visited the St. Joseph's altar area of the church on the right-hand side of the main altar. In Margaret Aylward's time this area was the site of St. Kevin's Chapel, where Margaret held her meetings. The present St. Kevin's Chapel is now further back along the sacristy corridor.
[Photo: Some of the group on the front steps of the Pro-Cathedral]
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Strand Street Area
How Margaret might have enjoyed the trip by Luas that brought us to the Strand Street area, our next venue! We saw the site of Messrs. Allingham Wine Merchants in Capel Street, who donated £1,000 towards the building of the school in Little Strand Street, “the centre of a dense and poor population”. Since Jacinta's first walkabout in 1992, the Strand St. convent and school have been replaced by a modern building.
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Close-by, it was fascinating therefore to find a facade unchanged from Margaret Aylward's time. In 1863 she opened a school in 14 Great Strand Street in a grain store building and classes continued there until Little Strand St. opened in 1888.
[Photo: 14 Great Strand Street - facade unchanged from Margaret Aylward's era]
Crow St. - our first school
Leaving Jervis St., we crossed the river to visit 10 Crow Street, now in the centre of Temple Bar, but the site of our first school opened in 1861. "A charitable gentleman ... most kindly thanked us for being permitted to furnish the school-room and asked no earthly return but the concealment of his name."
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The Coombe
Our final stop was the Coombe Convent for a very welcome meal together and the re-telling of the history of the founding of the West Park Street school ["Opened 16th October 1865, 104 children present"], replaced by the Coombe School in 1887 ["Saint Brigid's Schools of the Holy Faith, 117 The Coombe, blessed by Father Gowan, April 24th, Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel."] |
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Restaurant on site of our
1st school in Crow St. |
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Some of the intrepid walkers who reached The Coombe |
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Building on site of Strand
Street Convent today |
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