First Steps
“The pilgrim’s progress is … an interior journey, a spiritual exercise, and a physical journey toward an actual site imbued with a divine character. "
Nicholas Shrady
WHY YOU SHOULD GO ON ONE OF THESE PILGRIMAGES
TRANSFORMATION IN A TRANSFORMING TIME
Co-Founders Linda and Philip are personally excited about these two pilgrimages for several reasons. First, it is impossible to ignore the fact that travel of all kinds, especially foreign travel, has been significantly restricted since March, 2020. We are all eager to get out of the house and engage with nature and other people.
Having canceled both 2020 pilgrimages, we are hopeful that the battle with COVID-19 will make it possible once again to visit the sacred sites -- the "thin places" in the words of the Celts. The Celts understood that all that they saw was part of the divine universe and that they were also a part of it. With Jungian Psychology as a background, we will journey slowly through time and space with guides who live in and around sacred sites in Ireland. and Scotland. Iona is a "thin place" unto itself where land, sea, and sky come together in an awesome beauty that changes every minute.
Join us on an adventure that we hope will be a lifetime experience for all of us.
Now look at the two pilgrimages scheduled for September, 2021, and April, 2022. Then click the button at the bottom of each text for more details and booking information. Call or write to us if you have any questions,
AND ONE MORE REASON... We are currently offering an array of discounts for these pilgrimages while travel prices are still fluctuating: payment-in-full, men joining a pilgrimage for the first time, Haden Institute students and faculty, and young people. See the details on these and other offers in the rates and booking page.
IRELAND 2021
SEPTEMBER 10-17, 2021
CO-LEADERS: LINDA MCFADDEN & PHILIP WIEHE
GUEST LEADERS: MICHAEL ROGERS, DARA MALLOY & ANTHONY MURPHY
This pilgrimage begins and ends in Dublin.
Explore Celtic Spirituality on its native soil with knowledgeable guides. Learn about Brigid, goddess and saint, and visit Brigid's Well in Kildare. Visit the Boyne Valley including Newgrange and the Hill of Tara. Experience early monastic sites including Monasterboice, Clonmacnoise, the Aran Islands, and Glendalough.
See the Book of Kells at Trinity College, Celtic artifacts at the National Museum of Ireland, and enjoy free time in Dublin.
IONA 2022
APRIL 4 - 13, 2022
LEADERS INCLUDE JERRY WRIGHT, LINDA MCFADDEN, KINLAY FRANCIS, MARTHA HOELZER, AND LISA WHITFIELD
This will be PilgrimQuests’ fifth pilgrimage to Iona. The pilgrimage begins and ends in Glasgow, Scotland.
St. Columba founded the Abbey and monastic community on Iona in the Sixth Century. It quickly become a focal point for an unusual blend of Celtic and Christian spirituality that recognized the interconnection between humans, nature, and the Divine. Kings and queens chose to be buried there and pilgrims made the difficulty journey to visit the Abbey and experience the “thin place” – the island itself – where there is little separation between the self and the Holy.
We will spend eight days on the island staying in the very comfortable St. Columba Hotel. Most mornings there will be presentations by the staff on Celtic Spirituality and Jungian Psychology that also recognizes the importance of paying attention to nature. Afternoons will have program offerings from outdoor activities to photography and music. Each pilgrim will be able to shape his or her pilgrimage as the Spirit moves them. And there is the magnificent Abbey itself that offers two worship services each day.