Faith was part of the ordinary rhythm of Mam’s life. Regular Mass attendance was taken for granted, and prayers before bedtime were a ritual in the house. Alongside that everyday practice was a strong interest in pilgrimage. Over the years she travelled to places of pilgrimage in Ireland and much further afield.

Lourdes

Derry Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes, August 1980.

Mam and Anne among the Derry pilgrims.

Lourdes was not a once-off journey. It became a familiar destination for Mam, and in later years she returned there regularly when visiting us in Zumaia. What had begun as organised pilgrimage therefore became a regular ritual during her visits to the family in Spain.

Mam during visits to Lourdes.

Further afield

Pilgrimage also took Mam much further afield. She travelled to Fatima and the Holy Land, and made trips with Lily Martin to Medjugorje. In Ireland she visited Knock, Lough Derg and Croagh Patrick, while her visits to us in the Basque Country also brought her to Arantzazu. Rome was another destination.

Mam during her pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Medjugorje

These journeys were often shared with family and friends. Mam travelled with Lily Martin to Medjugorje, and photographs from those visits preserve something of the journeys they made together.

Mam and Lily Martin at Medjugorje.

Mam at Medjugorje.

Mam also supported various charities over the years, and her concern for those less fortunate was expressed through deeds and acts of kindness.

Godmother

In Zumaia, in the Basque Country in northern Spain, Mam became godmother to her youngest grandchild, Andoni.

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