The number of people who took part in the three-day Lough Derg pilgrimage this year was up 21 per cent on last year's figure. The three-day-retreat season ended yesterday with over 12,000 people having taken part since June. One-day retreats, which involve no fasting or walking barefoot, begin next Saturday and continue until Sunday, September 24th.
The pilgrimage site will feature on BBC 1 TV's Holiday Praise programme at 5:45 p.m. next Sunday as part of the Songs of Praise series. A BBC research team, along with presenter Pam Rhodes, recently spent two days on Lough Derg investigating why so many people undertake what is widely regarded as one of the most demanding Christian pilgrimages in the world.
The prior at Lough Derg, Mgr Richard Mohan, suggested "Lough Derg offers time for pilgrims to reflect on the spiritual aspect of their lives and, while deeply rooted in the Irish Christian tradition, holds great attraction for people from the four corners of the globe."
He welcomed the BBC's interest, saying "We are very pleased that Songs of Praise decided to feature us on their holiday special."