Station Island, Lough Derg, County Donegal, Ireland

Jan. 10 Island of Penance: For more than a thousand years pilgrims have journeyed to Purgatory, a sombre island; its ordinary name is Station Island, Lough Derg, County Donegal, Ireland. Because Irelands patron saint St.Patrick is said to have prayed there it became an island of repentance. Tourists, cameramen and any king of commercialism will not be found there. Only genuine pilgrims make the journey to do exacting penance. Purgatory is a cold uncomfortable place given a harsh kind of beauty by the cluttered building and the basilica which towers above it all. Pilgrims are expected to adhere to the strict rules which are quite inflexible during the three days of their pilgrimage. On arrival there is a 72 hour fast to be faced with an all night vigil in the basilica. Everyone has to walk about the island barefoot; this is quite a feat as it means walking over sharp and jutting stones, round and round the six penitential cells. The cells are believed to have been used by Celtic monks who used to guard this sanctuary of their faith. On this little island, known as Purgatory, man is stripped of his pretensions and through prayer and fasting is brought nearer to God. This is what thousands of pilgrims hope to achieve each year as they submit to the harsh discipline expected of them

Restrictions Only for United Kingdom

Achieve Adhere Believed Cameramen Cells Cluttered Derg Discipline Donegal Everyone Exacting Expected Faced Fasting Feat Genuine Harsh Inflexible Irelands Journeyed Jutting Lough Means Monks Nearer Ordinary Patron Penance Penitential Pilgrimage Pilgrims Prayed Pretensions Purgatory Quite Repentance Rules Sanctuary Sharp Sombre Strict Stripped Submit Thousand Uncomfortable Vigil

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