PILGRIM QUOTES
" caring ,entertaining, hospitable, generous but above all fun. This has been a wonderful and life changing week Australian 2004
"I cannot begin to say what the Pilgrimage meant to me. But it has been extremely profound. The echo of so much goes on, .. what is so valuable is that the path we took last week has given me a strange sense of belonging… a lot is still emerging.. I have a strength I did not know before I came to Avelin. (Isle of Man)
"I am glad that my first trip to Ireland began at Avelin" (England)"
I came with no expectations - I left with a feeling of renewal and joy.. I am picking treasures out of the week and marvelling at them … the hospitality was restoring . (England)
"Strangely I think that your suffering has made you able to give that which I can't define but I know I value." (English)
"The prayer room was special and I found great peace… When I arrived I was a bit worried.. I thought I would not fit in How wrong a person can be. To me it was a little bit of heaven that will remain with me." (Ireland)
Irish" I loved the stone circle- the meditation on north, south east and west included the whole of life… the most profound moment was when I did the meditation at the round tower in Kildare.(Canada)
" This retreat helped me to see the sacred in all of life, to be open to this, to see beyond myself the whole of nature, people, events, blessings, difficulties, .. to get a sense of proportion, to continue to search.. to recognise the thin places in my life now and to be open too them"
"Each day I had a sense that something was going to happen The Eucharist was very special and the visit to the graves of the unbaptised babies. The casting of 'demons' into the lake was a thin place. H & I sat there and performed the ritual. I hope to continue this process in my life ( Jamaica)
We did so love our time with you both and the thoughtful preparation of each day. It really set the tone and understanding for our hiking days and taking in so much more. We look forward to returning to you one day with others. (California)
It has been a wonderful gift to have this time... I think back to our stay at Avelin. Thank you for taking care of us and for your gentle affirmation of our journeys. In friendship, J. (Vancouver 2004)
My wonderful experience at Avelin was just that; precious and MY own! For the first time in a very long time I felt love and acceptance in my own company, in my own decisions and in my own Faith. As a result I was blessed to have opened my heart to four of the most special people I have ever met! To think that If I had dwelled on my family's control and allowed their own insecurities to block me from taking the ''Road to Avelin'' that my life would still be sheltered and congested and lonely! But , the journey to Avelin, was beautiful- sacred, my own memories and experiences to bless upon my own soul for once and not other peoples expectations. Your wisdom Michael, and your care and warmth still has me in awe- and Andrea is a pure gem- thank-you for giving me a true ''home'' for my stay! It was lovely... you have no idea how long its been.... (Australia)
"Thank you for leading such a wonderful week in April. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the magic of how the experience has been unfolding in my life since. (Denver USA) I so enjoyed spending the week in your restful and joyful home. Thank you! I look forward to when our paths cross again.
" Hello Michael and Andrea: It has taken me a while to get in contact with you following my stay there this summer. The rest of my sabbatical was wonderful, especially my week on the Isle of Iona and my tour of England. I was asked to rank the weeks best to least. My week with you was up at the top. I can't tell you how much it meant to me. I have come back from my sabbatical time ready to continue my ministry here……But I also know that the best part of the trip cannot be shared in pictures and talk. It is in my heart and my soul. Thanks again for a wonderful, wonderful experience. I'll keep in contact with you and let you know how things are doing. Hopefully I'll be back to Ireland sometime. ( USA)
You helped me to feel very much at ease at Avelin right from the start and I retain a real sense of well-being....What I hadn't expected was that coming to Avelin would push me into thinking so much about my own past. It put me in touch with the pain and the loneliness of my early adult life and also helped me come to terms with a decision I made when I was 22 for which I've always criticised myself. Then, as so often since, I tried to cling to the familiar rather than risk the unknown. Telling you my story on Friday night proved unexpectedly helpful because it made me articulate the good that came out of that choice alongside things about which I've always felt ambivalent. I surprised myself when I found myself writing the next morning '...what I am struggling to hold together Is somehow, strangely, perfect in your sight'. Writing that helped me to realise that God doesn't see my past as I do... The week helped me not only face the past but also begin to think differently about the future. I've tended to justify the way I react and behave in terms of family temperament but while I was at Avelin I suddenly realised 'This is my journey'. I really appreciated the extracts we read at various sites since time after time they rang bells for me. 'Trasna' above all spoke to me since it acknowledged my constant temptation to play safe and avoid change ('You will find your way easily by yesterday's fires, there may be life in the embers yet') but also made the prospect of movement into the unknown feel appealing and even possible. There was a gentleness about it which contrasted with my tendency to push myself to do what I feel I can't do, panic, and then berate myself for opting out.