Around 6000 people scaled the 765 metres (2,520ft) of Croagh Patrick, , just outside of Westport in the Archdiocese of Tuam this year. Some walked barefoot.
Croagh Patrick, a majestic peak located near the town of Westport in County Mayo, is one of Ireland’s most iconic and sacred mountains.
At 2,500 feet, it’s a place that holds deep religious significance. Each year, thousands of pilgrims make the trek up this rugged mountain, particularly on Reek Sunday, which falls on the last Sunday in July.
Thousands of pilgrims have gathered every year at Ireland’s ‘Holy Mountain’, for a Reek Sunday sacred hike.
St. Patrick is said to have fasted for 40 days on the mountain in 441 AD, and the mountain has been a site of pilgrimage since.
The sacred tradition began over 1600 years ago, with pilgrims praying, confessing, and receiving the Eucharist at the summit.
The pilgrimage’s theme for 2025 was ‘Christian Hope’.
There has been a church on the summit since the 5th century; the current church dates to the early 20th century. To celebrate the Jubilee Year for the Catholic Church, ‘Pilgrim Passports’ were introduced: a stamp can be received for each sacred site you visit.
Croagh Patrick, Lough Derg and Knock have been identified by the Irish Bishops as national pilgrimage sites. Once all three pilgrimage sites are visited, a pilgrim is eligible to receive a special commemorative Jubilee Year medal.
Archbishop Francis Duffy of Tuam led the climb, and delivered mass at the summit.
(Picture Courtesy: Lorraine Elisa/X)
