Croagh Patrick calls

I'm not one for celebrating much on St. Patrick's Day, though I do love being Irish-American. I've been fortunate to go to Ireland three times and am planning another trip later this year. 

My first time in Ireland was in 1994. I traveled with my mom, dad, sister, and two of three brothers. We stayed in an old farm house and toured around mainly the west of Ireland. My brother Jim, (Father Jim, a Catholic priest in the Diocese of Peoria) and I decided we would climb Croagh Patrick.

Croagh Patrick, which means St. Patrick's stack, is a holy mountain in County in County Mayo. Legend says that St. Patrick fasted at the top of this mountain for 40 days and 40 nights. It's been a holy spot for at least 5,000 years. 

Nicknamed the Reek, on the last Sunday of July hundreds of pilgrims climb the mountain. Jim and arrived a few days after this annual event, which was evidenced by the many walking sticks that were left behind. 

If memory serves me, it took us about two hours to hike the 2,500 ft. mountain. Parts of it, especially the last, were strenuous. We proudly made it to the top, only to have what is supposed to be a beautiful view completely obscured by fog. 

This was a little disappointing and in lieu of the photos I was going to take at the summit, I snatched the rock pictured at the top of this post. It was pale green and it had a white streaks on it that formed a cross. I lugged it back with me, where it sits in my office, a reminder of some unfinished business: to hike the mountain when the views are clear. 

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