Diocesan Pilgrims Gain Spiritual Lessons, Conquer Fears on Journey to Ireland

Rosemary Connelly had never traveled outside of the United States, or been on an airplane. She is afraid of heights. And she is discerning her path in life since her husband’s death in 2016.Yet, there she was on a flight with nearly 70 other pilgrims traveling from the Diocese of Harrisburg to Ireland for a 12-day pilgrimage to the Emerald Isle, Aug. 28-Sept. 8.
She had signed up for the pilgrimage just five days before its deadline – no passport or birth certificate on hand.
“I felt that if it was meant for me to go, everything would go well,” Ms. Connelly, a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Abbottstown, told The Catholic Witness.