The acknowledgement of a rebaptised pilgrim

The acknowledgement of a rebaptised pilgrim

Lough Derg--Station Island--Pilgrimage--Baptism

"The sufferings hitherto mentioned [on Station Island] do not carry off the whole mass of sins..."

Philip Skelton, 1707–1787

Skelton, Philip, "An Account of Lough Derg, in a Letter to the Right Reverend the Bishop of Clogher", in The Complete Works of the Late Rev. Philip Skelton, Rector of Fintona: Several Essays; and Juvenilia: Consisting of Truth in a Mask, Etc, vol. 5, p. 19

London, R. Baynes; [etc., etc.]

1824

Digitised by Google, sponsored by New York Public Library

Public domain

Print edition

English

Collected works

Text

DD_0048

54.609058,-7.871014

https://hdl.handle.net/2027/nyp.33433068205800

"The sufferings hitherto mentioned [on Station Island] do not carry off the whole mass of sins. Some are forced out through the feet, some through the knees, but the remainder is so softened and loosened, that a good wash is sufficient to scower them away. In order to this, the penitent is placed on a flat stone in the lake, where, standing in the water, up to his breast or chin, according to his stature, and repeating and dropping, to I know not what amount, he is reduced to the innocence of an infant just christened. -When all is over, the priest bores a gimlet hold through the pilgrim's staff, near the top, in which he fastens a cross peg, gives him as many holy pebbles out of the lake, as he cares to carry away, for amulets to be presented to his friends, and so dismisses him an object of veneration to all other Papists, not thus initiated, who no sooner see the pilgrim's cross in his hand, than they kneel down to ask his blessing."

6 v. 23 cm